Olympic Club is in San Francisco and Spyglass is near Monterey (near Pebble Beach). They’re in driving range, but not all that close.
Best Golf Course You’ve Played?
- Thread starter Indyhorn
- Start date
5. Thai County Club - Bangkok
4. Blue Canyon - Phuket, Thailand
3. The Creek - Palm Coast, FL
2. Valhalla - Louisville
1. Medinah #3 - Chicago
Common characteristics - long, challenging courses in impeccable conditions. Working on getting to Pinehurst this year, and Pebble some day!
4. Blue Canyon - Phuket, Thailand
3. The Creek - Palm Coast, FL
2. Valhalla - Louisville
1. Medinah #3 - Chicago
Common characteristics - long, challenging courses in impeccable conditions. Working on getting to Pinehurst this year, and Pebble some day!
Pine Valley is tough to get on. I know someone who played it years ago. Scratch golfer. He shot the low round recorded that day and there were several tour pros on the course. Crystal Downs GC is top of my bucket list (after Augusta of course). CD is in the middle of nowhere Michigan and exclusive as hell. Small pro shop and gravel parking lot. McKenzie design. Small membership that reads like a who’s who of golf from around the world. Very limited play. It’s revered among designers.
Best military course I’ve played is the Kaneohe Klipper on Marine Corps Base Hawaii. It’s the only course on Oahu with holes actually along the ocean, starting with the beautiful and difficult 13th hole. It was basically my home course for six years while we were stationed in Hawaii. My buddy is head of the course maintenance crew. Play it if you can. Eisenhower reported loved playing it and Obama played it as well.
Sad the golden years of the military courses is gone. They used to be country club condition. My (1980's era) list:
1) Fort Harrison (grew up playing here)
2) Fort Bragg
3) Fort Sam ahouston (either course)
4) Fort Ord (either)
5) Fort Campbell
Spent several summers at Ft Sheridan. Too short and quirky, but fun times back in the day.
About once a month.
Greens are outstanding. Zoysia fairways are coming in. Long enough from the white tees. Blue plays pretty long. Developed a blue/white combo that plays nicely.
Clubhouse is decent. The cart path setup is wonky. Not developed correctly. Paths lead to nowhere.
Figured it would be a resort-style course kinda like UT Golf Club...kids grabbing your bags when you come in. Top flight service, etc.
Instead, it's just kinda run like an upscale daily-fee. Could/should aspire for more.
It was pretty awesome. Was able to take my son up, who was a teenager at the time. He never understood the concept of turning his cell phone off, and not looking at it for 4 hours. Not sure to this day he understands that. First time I had seen square greens.
Know several guys that have played CD, I understand that you pay your guest fee in cash directly to the pro, which he just keeps. Not a bad gig.
It's really good. Pick the correct tees or you will not have a fun day. Played it in 30+ mph winds, 83 felt like a 72. It's tough but fair.
I played the Fort Ord courses. Bayonet was the best and hardest of them. They’re still there and in good condition last time I played them, but they belong to Seaside CA now, I believe. They still had a military rate. I’d guess that was part of the turnover agreement.
Having never played serious golf courses, I can’t comment on that. But I’ll hijack the thread to note the. Best bicycle rides I’ve done.
Tour de moon
And Big Sur highway.
Tour de moon
And Big Sur highway.
I completely forgot about Crystal Downs. Like you, I’ve heard its as good as it gets. Weather in Michigan is perfect for golf course and bent grass.
Christ, I forgot about Augusta. It would be first on my bucket list. One of my buddies has been working on three of us to go. I am losing hope it will happen.
I have friends from Evansville that are members at Whisper Rock out your way. I keep thinking I will get away to play out there and something always interferes.
Pros and cash not good mix. I was treasurer of our little nine hole country club in Washington for years. We had a pro I knew was stealing. My house was across from the seventh hole. I sat in the neighbor’s yard all day one day. I wrote down every player that came through the hole. The next morning i went in and sat down with the Pro. We compared his deposit for the day with my numbers. He’s in Florida now and I sure he still hates me.
Somehow he befriended Herb Simon who helped him get his own course in Florida.
Whisper Rock is special. Hell, we have 300 course in the valley. Several are pretty good. 😎
BTW, my cousin used to be a member of Trump National in Virginia before it became Trump National. Two Arthur Hill designed 18s. Pretty nice digs. They dropped the membership a few years ago. But we had some good rounds there.
Always wanted to spend 6-7 months a year in southwest Florida.
Friends and clients spending late fall, winter and early spring in Arizona say it’s no contest, Arizona hands down.
I like Arthur Hills and Ross designs. Many have become obsolete for the pros. They’re perfectly fine for the rest of us. I think I could enjoy a round of golf 365 days a year.
I’ve spent a lot of time in Naples. I swear if there’s any good weather in the US, it’s there.
I love Naples. It’s slow but I love it. I was bouncing between wpb Delray and Fort Lauderdale a few months back. Was awful. Horrific traffic. Have two friends in boca going to retire in Portugal. One in ocean ridge bought a little place in the mountains of nc to retire. All getting out of fla. Sucks. I like Arizona a lot but I want water.
Arizona is where it’s at. Great golf. Good sports teams. Good arts scene. Great resorts and restaurants. It’s a bit hot right now but I played 18 this morning and now I’m sipping cocktails in the pool. Flagstaff is two hours away and 20 degrees cooler if the heat gets too much. Much better than Florida.
Hills courses are always pretty playable. Interesting, but not daunting. Played for a year at a course he designed for his son to run in Maryland 20 or so years ago.
I/we prefer AZ to Florida as well, mainly because of the humidity. Used to go out for summer 108 hole marathon weekends because 115 with no humidity felt better than 105 in Dallas with 40%.
That said, played out there in July of 2020, and it was hitting 115 with 20% humidity. Could barely stand in the sun afternoon round at TPC. We were pounding a bottle of water a hole. Was better higher elevation up the valley the next couple days (Troon North and Boulders), but that first day was a killer.
Once it hits 115 you’re talking intense heat. Predictions are for 120 next week. That’s special. 😎🌵
Lol you prefer overpaying? You could get a great place along the coast for an affordable price. Delray. Boca Raton. Siesta Key. Now forget it
how do you feel about Ft Harrison before and after the redo?
better pre redo, or after?
There’s a gap between cheap and overpriced. I do lean toward overpriced. Live the life!
I’ve played PFau multiple times, truthfully a fine track but for price I prefer a multitude of courses up north
I like them both.
The current is more dramatic, modern, and also playable.
The old could be brutal in spots. Everything seemed to slope towards the woods, where now they have some buildups with valleys to hit through.
Teeing off on a Friday or Saturday afternoon back at the old course used to be classic. Bunch of GI's camped out at the bar patio above the first tee just boozing as you tee off...was like an early #16 at Waste Management. 😄
He was last time I played there (last summer). Was at Sarah Shank (also cool) the next day.
I played Riviera as part of a charity outing that a client was putting on. Great course. Kicker was, that night as part of the charity event, I won an all expenses paid foursome at Pebble with two nights stay in The Lodge and free travel from LAX by private jet. That was a hell of a weekend.
