Course Number 1000 - A Memorable Day at Valhalla

My trek across Route 66 this summer brought me very close to 1000 unique courses played in my life. At the completion of the 43 course Route 66 trip, the count was up to 998. This attracted the attention of my fellow golfers at my home course, Coyote Creek Golf Club in Fort Wayne, IN. Steve Turnwald, the Chairman of our board, told me he would make course number 1000 a memorable one. We would play Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY, site of the 2008 Ryder Cup and numerous major championships, most notably the PGA's won by Rory McElroy, Tiger Woods and Mark Brooks.

When I played course 999 at Bob-O-Link Golf Course in Avon, OH on September 18, I mentioned it to Steve and he sprung into action. Our club pro, Bill Blumenhurst, contacted Valhalla and in short order, my 1000th round was scheduled. It would be a two day trip with Steve, Bill, Assistant Pro Hartley McLeod III, and four other Coyote Creek members, Alan Buck, Jim Sprandel, Tom Putman and Gary Payne. We would leave Fort Wayne on Monday morning, October 17 for a round at Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg, IN, spend the night at the Horseshoe Casino in Elizabeth, IN, and play Valhalla on Tuesday, October 18.

Before solidifying the itinerary, it was necessary to check with me to assure I had already played Covered Bridge (my wife and I had on November 4, 1999) to keep Valhalla in line for number 1000.

We had fabulous weather for the trip with sun, some clouds and high temperatures in the 80's (although we had wind with gusts up to 30 mph).

Valhalla is a special place. It is the PGA of America's first owned championship site. It is some 20 miles east of Louisville, KY and opened in 1986. It hosted the 1996 PGA Championship won by Mark Brooks in a playoff against Kenny Perry. Tiger Woods won the 2000 PGA in a famous playoff against Bob May. The United States won a rare victory over Europe in the 2008 Ryder Cup, captained by Paul Azinger. And Rory McIlroy won the 2014 PGA Championship.

It was slightly overcast and windy with temperatures in the upper 70's as we headed to the first tee.

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Alan Buck walks off the first tee as Steve Turnwald, Hartley McLeod III and Jim Sprandel watch from the cart along with their caddie.

Assistant Pro Hartley McLeod III played the course from the tips at over 7500 yards. Head Pro Bill Blumenhurst played from the Black Tees at nearly 7000 yards. The rest of us played the Blue Tees at nearly 6100 yards.

The dogleg left par five second hole at Valhalla.

Bill Blumenhurst walks to the Black Tee as Gary Payne, caddie Tom, and Tom Putman prepare for the second hole.

The par three third hole at Valhalla.

Several of the members in our group had played Valhalla the year before. I had heard stories of the dogleg right par four sixth hole. That it's a back-breaker; that it's the hardest par four in Kentucky; that a bogey is like a par. They are all true. Our caddie Tom told us it is the hardest par four in Kentucky and that he has seen just one birdie in the past three years. To make the hole even more challenging, the wind was almost directly in our faces. From the tips, it plays 495 yards; from the black tees, it plays 475 yards; from the blue tees, it plays 430 yards. Making matters worse, you cannot hit driver. There is a creek at the end and to the right of the landing area that takes driver out of your hands. The perfect shot is 220 yards although the closer to the creek on the right, the shorter the shot needed from the tee and the shorter the shot into the green. Your second shot is uphill over the creek and on this day, into the wind. And the green slopes mightily back to front and right to left. On this day, the best score of our eight players was a bogey five.

I might add that I cannot remember a harder par four on any of the 1000 golf courses I've played.

Valhalla sixth hole - the tee shot.

Valhalla sixth hole - the shot into the green.

The pretty uphill par four ninth hole at Valhalla.

Valhalla's shortest par four - the thirteenth.

The island green at Valhalla's thirteenth hole.

Jack Nicklaus played his last hole at a major at Valhalla in 2000 during the PGA Championship. He was playing with Tiger Woods who made the comment "Let's finish it off the right way" as they walked off the tee.

As the plaque notes, they both birdied the hole.

I did not have my "A" game on this day but I also finished my 1000th round the right way with a birdie.

Talk about icing on the cake!

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Valhalla's uphill par five finishing hole.

I played my first round of golf in July, 1965 at a little nine holer called Greenridge Golf Course in my hometown of Wickliffe, OH. It was opened in 1921 and is still in use today. It only took me 50 years to play course number 1000.

Today, I am inviting everyone reading this post to join me for my 2000th round on a date and a course unknown at this time.