Golf Course Reviews

The beautiful photo above is from Hole #8 of The Schoolmaster, one of the fabulous courses at The Shoals. The Muscle Shoals, Alabama version of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. One of my favorite series of golf courses in the world.

At 406 yards from the orange tee, this dogleg left par 4 provides a challenge. The optimal tee shot is to cut the corner. Aiming just left of the 150 yard marker leaves you with a short to mid-iron approach to a wide but shallow green. But, beware of water guarding the front and right of the green.

If you haven’t played any of their course yet, you owe it to yourself to go.

Thank me later, just go !

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !

Did anybody else notice that Donald Trump has opened a new golf course in California ?

This new jewel is actually in Rancho Palos Verdes, but they refer to it as Los Angeles, on their website.

Via their website :

” Trump National Golf Course is perched high above the jagged California cliffs taking advantage of one of the most incredible views in the world from every hole. Noted as the most expensive golf course ever built, over $250 million dollars has been spent to ensure its prominence. Crushed white marble line the walls of the massive bunkers, expansive lakes protect tucked away greens, and magnificent waterfalls cascade down at Trump National. The Donald J. Trump Signature Design course design tempts golfers to take risks and rewards well-placed shots. The layout challenges experienced golfers and novices to the best of their abilities. Trump National truly stands as a testament to the greatness of golf. ”

Deep in the heart of New Mexico lies the fantastic, fairly new golf course call Sandia.

It’s a Scott Miller design. Travelling Golfer’s will remember that he created the floating green at Couer d’Alene ( Idaho ) about 15 years ago.

This jewel is brutally long at 7,772 yards, but seems like an easy slope of 125. Long and easy is the way I like ‘em. I can bang the little white ball a long way, but I’m not as sharp as I’d like to be, most days.

Oh yeah, that’s the Sandia Mountains you see in the background.

Golf Magazine ranked it as one of the Best New Courses of 2005, in their December 2005 issue.

With views like the one below, I can easily see why. Makes me wish I was there…especially since it’s been raining for 2 days here in Kentucky.

Drop by their website, go visit them in person and tell ‘em Mike sent you !

I recently had the good fortune to play this course for the first time. It’s now tied for The World’s Best $25 Golf Course.

I love winter rates !

It’s on the north side of Evansville and it’s on top of a windy hill. The links style course coupled with the rolling southern Indiana hills made for an awe inspiring view. The clear blue skies, the grain silos, the dormant corn and bean fields were just the salve for my golf tortured soul.

It’s a fairly new development and the large, beautiful houses NEVER ONCE CAME INTO PLAY !

With the course being a links style, they should never be a factor and they weren’t. There wasn’t a tree to eat any of my golf balls, either. There is a fair amount of water, but I’ll chalk that up to American links style, versus the way they do it over the big water.

After my round I went into the temporary Pro shop and talked to a couple of the guys. They were incredibly friendly and helped me with my desire to figure out what kind of grass was on those wonderful fairways.

Turns out it was a mixture of 2 different kinds of zoysia. My favorite fairway grass, by the way.

This blend reminded me of the dormant zoysia in the Phoenix area, where my friend Gil Bezy retired to.

I never got 1 bad lie, in the fairway, and the greens were in pretty good shape for January 26th.

I love big, wide open fairways and these are now on my list of favorites.

There’s a lot of sand, by the standards of most courses in this part of the USA. It wasn’t over-bearing, but it kept you honest. It was packed down a bit, from the recent rains, but I hit the best fairway bunker shot I’ve ever hit, so I’ll not complain.

The par 3’s were fair, but challenging. There was a mixture of yardages and they required some thought.

The par 5’s felt LONG and I loved it. I got nowhere near any of them in two and I’m a fairly long hitter. Maybe the 47 degree weather had a little to do with it.

The par 4’s seemed to all be over 400 yards, but looking back at the scorecard, as I add it to and enter my score at NetHandicap, that wasn’t the case.

There’s still a lot of good home sites and it looks like it’s gonna be a great place to play golf on a regular basis, so if you’re near Evansville and you love golf and you hate trees on golf courses, this is the place to be.

If I lived there, this would be my new golf home !

I’m looking forward to inviting some of my Louisville friends to drive over for the weekend and I’ll teach ‘em about links style golf, Evansville style.

Oh, by the way, the proximity of this course to Stoll’s Restaurant is a big plus, in my book.

Head over to their website and then drive over and enjoy a great round of golf at a reasonable price.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you and maybe they’ll give me a deal the next time I’m there !

I just found this Ted Robinson, Jr. designed golf course, via Golf Magazine. It’s a short trip north of San Diego and carved from the wetlands overlooking San Luis Rey Valley.

This 6,271 yard par 71 track is a tight dude and requires something I’m not famous for….thought and golf in the same day.

Apparently, even though the course winds thru a development, the houses don’t really come into play. Here’s something all developers should copy. No house should ever be in play on a golf course.

From their website :

” With most of the fairways and greens of the Ted Robinson Jr. designed Arrowood Golf Course set adjacent to protected natural riparian habitats, the solitude of the picturesque countryside will enhance the golf experience. Comforted by coastal breezes and a year-round mild climate, players of this 6,721-yard championship course will feel as though they’re in a world unto themselves. “

Go by and visit their site and if you’re in the area, drop us an email telling us about your experience.

Isn’t that one of the best banners/logos you’ve seen in a long time ?

Don’t you just love that name ? I do. But maybe that’s because it sounds Kentuckian. But it’s not, it’s from Ohio and it’s another Buckeye golf bonanza. Another fine track that Golf Digest deemed worthy of their Best New Affordable Public Course for 2006.

The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills is a Jeff Osterfeld design. Never heard of him, but he’s probably saying that about me and this blog too. He also happens to be listed as owner. Jeff, if you’re out there, I’d love to come play your course and give the readers of travelling Golfer a real review.

That doesn’t mean he didn’t do a good job, because early reports are fantastic and I go to Ohio several times a year, so I’ll get a crack at this fine dude this spring or summer.

Here’s a few lines from the History page on the site :

” In just about every major city I have traveled in my lifetime, there exists at least one upscale Golf Club that was truly built just for GOLF. Sounds pretty logical…. Right? Not necessarily!

My staff and I welcome you to experience a one of a kind course, routed through heavily forested hills and over and around numerous ponds and lakes. All golfers from every set of tees will appreciate the uniqueness of each hole and feel individually challenged by the variety of shots necessary to complete such a strategic layout. Enjoy your round as a relaxing stroll through nature, inhabited by the variety of wildlife typical of such unspoiled surroundings. Don’t let the climax created by the beauty and drama so evident in the finishing holes impede your ability to fully appreciate the genuine balance in the design and the conditioning of the entire golf course. I truly hope we exceed your expectations and your visit is a relaxing escape from the hectic pace of today! ”

Now if that doesn’t inspire you to visit Stonelick Hills, you ain’t much of a travelling golfer.

Go see ol’ Jeff and tell him Mike sent you !

Another one of the Best New Affordable Golf Course, as selected by Golf Digest is Grey Hawk Golf Club at Durham Ridge.

This gem is another one that golfing Buckeye’s have to gloat over. I’m not sure why, but Ohio is covered with fine golf courses. Can’t be the Nicklaus’ factor, as Jack’s courses don’t do it for me. Then again, Jack probably would think my swing is ugly.

Here’s a snippet from their website :

” Grey Hawk Golf Club at Durham Ridge, a new golf course community in the Village of LaGrange, features a spectacular championship course surrounded by a diverse, affordable mix of housing options.

The expansive 268-acre Durham Ridge golf community, located on the southeast corner of Biggs and Route 301, provides homebuyers a charming mix of small-town flavor and new home living. The site has convenient access to State Route 10, just 30 minutes west of downtown Cleveland and a 20-minute drive to Hopkins Airport.

The 18-hole daily fee golf course, designed by von Hagge, Smelek and Baril, is a championship course built to USGA specifications. The master plan for the project has yielded incredibly successful results with eighty-five percent (85%) of the homes having golf course frontage and breathtaking views. “

Renowned golf course architects von Hagge, Smelek and Baril designed the golf course. The championship style golf course is innovative and the design unforgettable.

The foundation of the von Hagge design philosophy is the von Hagge 21-point criteria. This system combines examination of every level of ability, trajectory, direction, distance, terrain contour and positioning of golf course features. Robert von Hagge’s trademark is to create excitement at every tee fairway and green, providing anticipation for the player as to what lies ahead.

The course is a par 72 with an estimated slope of 128 and the anticipated greens are forty-eight dollars ($48.00) an 18-hole round, which includes a golf cart. The golf course design and rating will be a challenging experience for the avid golfer, yet a forgiving layout for the aspiring player. The use of sand, water, and terrain variations will create a spectacular and memorable golf experience that will leave the golfer longing to challenge the course over and over again.

“ In my opinion von Hagge is the complete artist in his field… extremely competent and creative in design, while alert to the practical, economic aspect of his work. Without question, I would place von Hagge as ‘number one’ in the United States.”

Did you happen to see the new lists done by Golf Digest in their January ‘06 issue ?

They have one for Best New Upscale Public and Best New Affordable.

Good stuff.

On the list for Best New Affordable, I’ve already done posts about #3 and #4.

#3 was Eagle Ridge at Yatesville Lake and #4 was The Shoals, a Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail course.

If you missed those two, I’m betting on my Related Posts plugin to bring them up underneath this post.

Scroll down and see.

Tell me I sent you !

Dale Hollow State Resort Park has long been a destination of distinction for residents of Kentucky and Tennessee, along with a few other southern states.

From their website :

” Located in South Central Kentucky near Burkesville at Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park. The longest of the new courses, the Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Golf Course, a $7.8 million investment, plays along hilly terrain. The No. 8 par 5 hole measures 539 yards; its green is framed by a waterfall and small caves. The No. 15 hole is a par 3 and plays over a gorge. The banks to the 61 bunkers are unusually steep. Hole 11 features a large bunker encompassing 3/4 of an acre. “

The park is one of many in the state that attract visitors from all over the United States. The Kentucky State park system is well known and respected for their cleanliness, beauty and affordability.

Go by and check out their website and then make a date to enjoy some of the finest golf and scenery in the Southeast U.S.

Tell ‘em Mike sent you !