Golf: Places to Play

#1
BigPapaVol

BigPapaVol

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Oct 19, 2005
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#1
In honor of the upcoming Masters, list some of your favorite courses (that you've actually played) / great, accessible places for the rest of us to play.

I know nothing of East Tennessee golf, but here's my list from the places I've lived:
Legends Club in Franklin, TN
Highland Oaks in Dothan, AL (RTJ trail course)
Royal New Kent in Richmond, VA
Spyglass Hill (tie) and Bayonet (tie) in Monterey, CA
Lowes Island in DC is unbelievable (but ain't really accessible)
River Place in Austin, TX (only bent greens around there at the time)
Boston - didn't play while I lived there, but caught a Ryder Cup at the Country Club in Brookline and that place looked like a monster.
NY - Bethpage Black is all it's cracked up to be - and public (warning - tee times are tough to come by)
 
#6
#6
In Orlando, the best places for out-of-towners in particular are:

1. Orange County National (site of several recent finals in the Q school for the PGA) (play Panther Lake course if you can, though Crooked Cat is fine, too)

2. Metro West. You will see some pros out there occassionally.

3. Eagle Creek. Wide open. Reasonably priced (except for right now, height of season) and close to airport.

4. Big Bear in Eustis. Will kick your ass.

5. Multiple ties. Stoneybrook East. Stoneybrook West. Celebration. Falcon's Fire. Eastwood. Highlands Reserve. North Shore.
 
#7
#7
lawgator1 said:
In Orlando, the best places for out-of-towners in particular are:

1. Orange County National (site of several recent finals in the Q school for the PGA) (play Panther Lake course if you can, though Crooked Cat is fine, too)

2. Metro West. You will see some pros out there occassionally.

3. Eagle Creek. Wide open. Reasonably priced (except for right now, height of season) and close to airport.

4. Big Bear in Eustis. Will kick your ass.

5. Multiple ties. Stoneybrook East. Stoneybrook West. Celebration. Falcon's Fire. Eastwood. Highlands Reserve. North Shore.
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you played either of the courses at the HOF in St Augustine?
 
#8
#8
1 - Harbour Town and Sea Pines in Hilton Head SC are gems, they are accessible but exspensive.

2 - Tanglewood just outside of Winston Salem NC is a beaut.

3 - Tidewater, Tigers Eye, Caledonia, World Tour and The TPC of Myrtle Beach all located in Myrtle Beach SC are all great courses and all are ranked in the top 150 public courses in the country by Golf Digest.
 
#9
#9
Hilton Head has a bunch of nice cources that are not as expensive as Harbour Town and are easier to get into as well. My favorite is Eagle Pointe which is actually off the island.
 
#10
#10
Here in Alabama:

Most of the Robert Trent Jones courses are nice, tough and a great value. The courses near Montgomery are excellent. They just redid the courses in Birmingham (Oxmoor Valley) and added Ross Bridges (3rd longest course in the world). The Trail is definitely worth the time and $$.

There's a course north-east of Birmingham called Limestone Springs - great condition, good value and great views. Run by Honors Golf that also runs Kiva Dunes (Gulf Coast) and Highland Park (downtown Birmingham).

There's a good target golf course around Gadsden called Twin Bridges that is also a good value.

Other memorable courses:

The one on St. Thomas with the Devil's Triangle

Waikaloa Resort on the Big Island

Fossil Creek in Ft. Worth
 
#11
#11
River Islands is still one of my favs in Knoxville.

In Phx there were quite a few: Legacy, The Raven, We-Ko-Pa, TPC @ Scottsdale (obviously) and Karsten. Good luck affording them at anytime but mid-summer. Best ones in the summer are on Indian reservations since they own the water rights and keep it green year-round.
 
#12
#12
lawgator1 said:
In Orlando, the best places for out-of-towners in particular are:

1. Orange County National (site of several recent finals in the Q school for the PGA) (play Panther Lake course if you can, though Crooked Cat is fine, too)

2. Metro West. You will see some pros out there occassionally.

3. Eagle Creek. Wide open. Reasonably priced (except for right now, height of season) and close to airport.

4. Big Bear in Eustis. Will kick your ass.

5. Multiple ties. Stoneybrook East. Stoneybrook West. Celebration. Falcon's Fire. Eastwood. Highlands Reserve. North Shore.
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A discussion of Orlando golf without mention of Bay Hill, Chapions Gate, or the House of the Mouse? LG, I am a little disappointed.
 
#14
#14
cotton said:
A discussion of Orlando golf without mention of Bay Hill, Chapions Gate, or the House of the Mouse? LG, I am a little disappointed.
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I think he wanted to know of accessible courses. And unless you know someone who is a member at Bayhill or you can spare $35,000 to join, you ain't playing there. I've not played CG, is it good? And, yes, the Disney courses are as one would expect immaculately kept and actually quite tough, too, in my opinion.
 
#15
#15
lawgator1 said:
I think he wanted to know of accessible courses. And unless you know someone who is a member at Bayhill or you can spare $35,000 to join, you ain't playing there. I've not played CG, is it good? And, yes, the Disney courses are as one would expect immaculately kept and actually quite tough, too, in my opinion.
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You can get on Bay Hill as a guest of the resort. I haven't played it, although it is on my list. I also only know CG by reputation.

I did, however, buy a package to Kohler at a charity auction. I'm pretty sure that will be my next golf trip. Orlando might be next year.
 
#16
#16
cotton said:
You can get on Bay Hill as a guest of the resort. I haven't played it, although it is on my list. I also only know CG by reputation.

I did, however, buy a package to Kohler at a charity auction. I'm pretty sure that will be my next golf trip. Orlando might be next year.
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I did get to play it (Bay Hill) once with a friend. It was summertime and it was hot and muggy and damp and to be honest I wasn't all that impressed.
 
#17
#17
lawgator1 said:
I did get to play it (Bay Hill) once with a friend. It was summertime and it was hot and muggy and damp and to be honest I wasn't all that impressed.
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Yes, I am thinking that Wisconsin in the summer time might be more enjoyable than Central Florida.

As for the original question, the nicest/best/toughest course I have ever playd is Medinah.

For accessible courses, I would only say that anyone who ever gets the chance to play Pinehurst should. In addition to #2, courses 4, 7, and 8 are also world-class.
 
#18
#18
I played today -- 27 holes. Course is about 6400 yards. I'm pleased with the middle 9 -- a 40. And that's with a triple on the card.
 
#20
#20
cotton said:
What's your home course?
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I live on Tuskawilla. Literally in my backyard. But I don't belong because a) if I did I would always feel that I had to play it and not somewhere else; and b) I do not have confidence that they will last in the current set-up and I am hoping they still end up going back to semi-private with a decent break for residents.

I primarily play Stoneybrook East and Eagle Creek.
 
#21
#21
lawgator1 said:
I live on Tuskawilla. Literally in my backyard. But I don't belong
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It's bad to have a course in your backyard that you don't play. I don't think I could stand it, but it would certainly cut down on the amount of time I spent on other tracks.

I live 10 minutes from my home course, and it is pretty much the only one in the area I play. It becomes a matter of convenience and habit as much as anything else.
 
#22
#22
cotton said:
It's bad to have a course in your backyard that you don't play. I don't think I could stand it, but it would certainly cut down on the amount of time I spent on other tracks.

I live 10 minutes from my home course, and it is pretty much the only one in the area I play. It becomes a matter of convenience and habit as much as anything else.
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Nothing wrong with that. With the change in time, I get home and if I did belong I could probably jump right out there and play a full round or get close to it.

Where is your home course?
 
#23
#23
lawgator1 said:
Where is your home course?
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Hopkinsville Golf and Country Club. It is a short but interesting layout, but not in the league of Florida golf.

There are actually 3 pretty decent courses in Hoptown, and some first class courses between Bowling Green, the lake area and Nashville. Still, I continually lose most of my balls in the same place.
 
#24
#24
OrangePappy said:
Hilton Head has a bunch of nice cources that are not as expensive as Harbour Town and are easier to get into as well. My favorite is Eagle Pointe which is actually off the island.
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Eagle's Pointe is nice, but I've always liked it's sister course - Crescent Pointe - even better. You're right though, there are deals all over that island. I got to play Harbour Town last Fall. We played it all the way back and after about 10 holes it was apparent that it was a REALLY bad idea. :cray:
 
#25
#25
cotton said:
Hopkinsville Golf and Country Club. It is a short but interesting layout, but not in the league of Florida golf.

There are actually 3 pretty decent courses in Hoptown, and some first class courses between Bowling Green, the lake area and Nashville. Still, I continually lose most of my balls in the same place.
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That is one thing abotu Orlando area that I cannot complain about. Plenty of great places to play. And in the summer or early fall, the prices cannot be beat for what you get.

Orange County National, in particular, is tremendous value that time of year. I mean, you can play the same course the pros played in the finals of Q school a week or so later for $40-ish. That's a heckuva deal when you consider the shape its going to be in at that time.
 
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