My first trip of the year is in the books. I'll use this article to provide a summary of what I experienced and follow up over the next few weeks with a few more details.
Green Ridge Golf Course The trip started with my 49th consecutive Cleveland Indians Home Opener. Customarily before attending the opener, I spend some time with my parents in Wickliffe, OH and then take them to lunch. As I waited at the light where Lincoln Rd. meets Ridge Rd. to make a left turn towards my parents' house, I glanced to my right and noticed the sign for Green Ridge Golf Course, the nine-holer where I played my first round. Coincidentally, it was also one of the courses for which I had no logo ball and at which I had stopped at least 30 times to see if I could score a logo ball. To make this story very short, on a whim, I decided to try again and amazingly, I was able to leave with a logo ball from the first course I ever played nearly 50 years ago!
It was actually a balmy and sunny 66 degrees at Progressive Field when I reached my seat at 2:00 but the tarp was on the field. Shortly, an announcement was made that the 3:05 start would be delayed for about an hour until a "quick-moving line of showers" passed through the area. Well, the front slowed down and the start of the game was delayed for over 2 hours. When the game finally started after 5:15, it was a windy 45 degrees and not very comfortable.
Opening Day at Progressive Field
The Tribe beat the Twins 7-2 but the game did not end until 8:20. And I faced a walk to the parking garage and then a trip of over 4 hours to Charleston, WV. I was not in bed until after 1:00 A.M.
I was up early on Saturday morning for the two hour drive to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV where I played the Old White TPC course in weather where the temperature hovered around 40 degrees. Old White is a Charles Blair Macdonald design and C.B. created a delightful course fashioned after notable holes from his home continent of Europe. Old White is home to the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic which will be played the first week of July in 2014 (see http://www.greenbrierclassic.com/). You can learn more about the Old White Course at http://www.greenbrier.com/Golf/The-Golf-Club/The-Old-White-TPC.aspx.
That afternoon, I drove to Gordonsville, VA where I enjoyed a warmer round at Spring Creek Golf Club. Like Old White, Spring Creek is on Golf Digest's current Top 100 list (see http://www.springcreekgolfclub.com). Will Patrick, a geometry teacher at the local high school and a member at Spring Creek was my partner for the round.
On Sunday morning, the folks at Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, VA rolled out the red carpet for me. They were kind enough to slot me in with the members. Due to a large outing that afternoon, there was very limited member play early that day so they could clear the course for the outing. It is always a treat to play with people who have great emotional ties to their course. Don Ryalls, my cart partner for the day, was a wealth of knowledge about the history of Augustine which I will share in a later post. Augustine was previously on Golf Magazine's Top 100 list and was saved by an injection of cash after being purchased by Raspberry Golf Management. Augustine is one of sixteen courses on The Raspberry Golf Trail which is made up of courses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Learn more about Augustine Golf Club at http://augustinegolf.com.
I was up early on Saturday morning for the two hour drive to The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV where I played the Old White TPC course in weather where the temperature hovered around 40 degrees. Old White is a Charles Blair Macdonald design and C.B. created a delightful course fashioned after notable holes from his home continent of Europe. Old White is home to the PGA Tour's Greenbrier Classic which will be played the first week of July in 2014 (see http://www.greenbrierclassic.com/). You can learn more about the Old White Course at http://www.greenbrier.com/Golf/The-Golf-Club/The-Old-White-TPC.aspx.
That afternoon, I drove to Gordonsville, VA where I enjoyed a warmer round at Spring Creek Golf Club. Like Old White, Spring Creek is on Golf Digest's current Top 100 list (see http://www.springcreekgolfclub.com). Will Patrick, a geometry teacher at the local high school and a member at Spring Creek was my partner for the round.
On Sunday morning, the folks at Augustine Golf Club in Stafford, VA rolled out the red carpet for me. They were kind enough to slot me in with the members. Due to a large outing that afternoon, there was very limited member play early that day so they could clear the course for the outing. It is always a treat to play with people who have great emotional ties to their course. Don Ryalls, my cart partner for the day, was a wealth of knowledge about the history of Augustine which I will share in a later post. Augustine was previously on Golf Magazine's Top 100 list and was saved by an injection of cash after being purchased by Raspberry Golf Management. Augustine is one of sixteen courses on The Raspberry Golf Trail which is made up of courses in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Learn more about Augustine Golf Club at http://augustinegolf.com.
 The Greenbrier Old White TPC Course |  Spring Creek Golf Club |  Augustine Golf Club |
Sunday afternoon was spent at Mattaponi Springs Golf Club in Ruther Glen, VA, another course on Golf Digest's current Top 100 list. Again, the weather was sunny and warm but there was an ominous forecast. Even though it was a Sunday, the grounds crew spent the day aerating the greens on the front nine to get a jump on a weather event that could drop up to 2 inches of Monday rain. Learn more about this exceptional course at http://www.mattaponisprings.com.
I spent Sunday night at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA where the next morning, I would play the River Course, site of the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship (see http://www.thekingsmillchampionship.com). I was keeping my fingers crossed that the rain event would be moderate for I was also scheduled to play the Gold Course at Golden Horseshoe Resort the next afternoon, the one round on the trip I eagerly anticipated.
I teed off on the River Course in a light shower. By the end of the round, it was raining steadily and I was unable to get a picture of the signature par 3 17th hole overlooking the James River. Learn more about the River Course at http://www.kingsmill.com/golf/the-river-course. I then drove a short distance to the Golden Horseshoe Resort in a driving rain. I was assured by the golf shop staff the course would not close due to the rain. As this was my only time on this trip to play the Gold Course, rated 51st on Golf Magazine's current Top 100 list, I absolutely had to get this round in.
I spent Sunday night at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, VA where the next morning, I would play the River Course, site of the LPGA's Kingsmill Championship (see http://www.thekingsmillchampionship.com). I was keeping my fingers crossed that the rain event would be moderate for I was also scheduled to play the Gold Course at Golden Horseshoe Resort the next afternoon, the one round on the trip I eagerly anticipated.
I teed off on the River Course in a light shower. By the end of the round, it was raining steadily and I was unable to get a picture of the signature par 3 17th hole overlooking the James River. Learn more about the River Course at http://www.kingsmill.com/golf/the-river-course. I then drove a short distance to the Golden Horseshoe Resort in a driving rain. I was assured by the golf shop staff the course would not close due to the rain. As this was my only time on this trip to play the Gold Course, rated 51st on Golf Magazine's current Top 100 list, I absolutely had to get this round in.
 Mattaponi Springs Golf Club |  Kingsmill Resort - River Course |  Golden Horseshoe - Gold Course |
After a two hour wait, I decided to give it a try. It was raining hard. On the 7th hole, I was amazed it was still raining excessively and even began talking to myself in frustration. The fairways were like rivers but the greens did not puddle. The grips on my clubs were like sponges and my rain gloves were no help. But as I turned to the 10th tee, the rain stopped. It made no difference as the course was still soaked and my grips still wet and what I played could not be termed "golf". But by gosh, I played all 18 holes. For a tour of this beautiful course, see http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/do/wellness-and-recreation/golf/golf-courses/gold-course.
The Soaked 12th Hole at Golden Horseshoe (Gold)
I stayed at the Comfort Inn in Williamsburg, VA that evening and it proved to be the perfect hotel for drying out grips, gloves, rain gear, and towels. It had a perfect heater with a reflector made for wet golf equipment.
On Tuesday, I played the Tradition at Stonehouse in Toano, VA in the morning (see http://www.stonehousegolfclub.com/-home) and the Tradition at Royal New Kent in Providence Forge, VA in the afternoon (see http://royalnewkent.com/-home). Both courses were designed by the late Mike Strantz and were formerly on Golf Magazine's Top 100 list. Because of the previous day's rain, both courses were wet and carts had to stay on the paths. This was not a problem at Stonehouse where the cart paths are relatively close to play. But at Royal New Kent, there was an incredible amount of walking and guessing at yardages.
After the round at Royal New Kent, I drove five and a half hours and arrived after 11:00 P.M. at my lodging in Santee, SC. Up early Wednesday morning for an hour and a half drive, I had the first tee time on the Links Course at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, SC.
On Tuesday, I played the Tradition at Stonehouse in Toano, VA in the morning (see http://www.stonehousegolfclub.com/-home) and the Tradition at Royal New Kent in Providence Forge, VA in the afternoon (see http://royalnewkent.com/-home). Both courses were designed by the late Mike Strantz and were formerly on Golf Magazine's Top 100 list. Because of the previous day's rain, both courses were wet and carts had to stay on the paths. This was not a problem at Stonehouse where the cart paths are relatively close to play. But at Royal New Kent, there was an incredible amount of walking and guessing at yardages.
After the round at Royal New Kent, I drove five and a half hours and arrived after 11:00 P.M. at my lodging in Santee, SC. Up early Wednesday morning for an hour and a half drive, I had the first tee time on the Links Course at Wild Dunes Resort in Isle of Palms, SC.
 Stonehouse Golf Club |  Royal New Kent Golf Club |  Wild Dunes Resort - Links Course |
The weather was fabulous! The Links course at Wild Dunes is outstanding and very playable. The 18th hole is set right along the Atlantic Ocean. I could get used to playing on the Isle of Palms.
The 18th Hole at Wild Dunes (Links Course)
The course was previously on Golf Magazine's Top 100 list. Learn more at http://www.wilddunes.com/south-carolina-links-course.php). After play, I drove the two and a half hours to Savannah, GA where I played The Club at Savannah Harbor. Managed by Troon Golf, the course is the centerpiece of The Westin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort and Spa. Designed by Bob Cupp and Sam Snead and opened in 1999, the course was lush and the setting just below the bridge over the harbor into Savannah was spectacular. I enjoyed this course more than any other on the trip and will detail my thoughts in a later post. For more about this fabulous property, see http://www.theclubatsavannahharbor.com/index.php.
6th Hole at Club at Savannah Harbor. Gold Dome of Savannah Courthouse in Background.
I spent the next three nights in Savannah and played two public courses and two courses at The Landings, part of The Private Club Network. During this whole time, the weather was spectacular with bright blue skies and high temperatures in the upper 70's.
Nate Brewer, Air Force One Flight Engineer On Thursday morning, I played Crosswinds Golf Course in Savannah. Trey Lamberth was the Golf Assistant running the shop that morning and we talked about some of the courses in his home state of Alabama. Crosswinds is a well-groomed and comfortable public course. It has a good mix of long and short par 3's and some really good short par 4's. And it is right off the I-95 exit just north of Pooler, GA. See http://crosswindsgolfclub.com.
I was paired with Nate Brewer who was in town for training at Gulfstream Aerospace. Currently in the Air Force, Nate is a Flight Engineer on Air Force One and at least three times a month, flies the President of the United States around the world. I asked Nate many questions about his job, trying not to place him in an awkward situation.
We played the back nine first and Nate was "en fuego". He started with eight straight pars and of course, I had to ask him what handicap he played to. He let on that he was having a career round and then, of course, the magic ended. Me and my big mouth.
I was paired with Nate Brewer who was in town for training at Gulfstream Aerospace. Currently in the Air Force, Nate is a Flight Engineer on Air Force One and at least three times a month, flies the President of the United States around the world. I asked Nate many questions about his job, trying not to place him in an awkward situation.
We played the back nine first and Nate was "en fuego". He started with eight straight pars and of course, I had to ask him what handicap he played to. He let on that he was having a career round and then, of course, the magic ended. Me and my big mouth.
 Club at Savannah Harbor |  Crosswinds Golf Club |  The Landings Club |
We had a good time during the cool, dewey morning and even enjoyed some of the local wildlife.
Alligator Near the 6th Green at Crosswinds
That afternoon, I played at Deer Creek Golf Club on Skidaway Island. Deer Creek is one of six courses at The Landings (see http://www.thelandings.com/amenities/golf). With The Private Club Network, players at Network Clubs can make tee times at other Network clubs through the central office for the cost of a cart. It is a tremendous benefit. Although my tee time was at 2:10, I was stunned at how crowded this course was.
On Friday morning, I played Southbridge Golf Club in Savannah. I have now played over 900 different golf courses. Without hesitation, I can state unequivocally this course was the bumpiest course I have ever played. The cart paths are a mess! Tree roots have savaged the infrastructure of this course. It is not worth $50 to play and I would not play it again.
On Friday afternoon, I played a second course at The Landings, the Plantation Course. Again, even with a tee time of 2:18, the place was hopping! The course is beautiful and the greens very quick. I highly recommend both courses I played at The Landings and hope to play the other four on a later trip.
When I arrived back at the hotel, my friend Steve (Seve) Ramp from Cape Coral, FL was waiting for me. We were to play two courses in Santee, SC on Saturday and then attend the final round of The Masters on Sunday.
We first played Lake Marion Golf Course (http://www.santeecoopergolf.com/lake_marion_golf.html) where our Starter, Dick and Ranger, Larry were brimming with personality.
On Friday morning, I played Southbridge Golf Club in Savannah. I have now played over 900 different golf courses. Without hesitation, I can state unequivocally this course was the bumpiest course I have ever played. The cart paths are a mess! Tree roots have savaged the infrastructure of this course. It is not worth $50 to play and I would not play it again.
On Friday afternoon, I played a second course at The Landings, the Plantation Course. Again, even with a tee time of 2:18, the place was hopping! The course is beautiful and the greens very quick. I highly recommend both courses I played at The Landings and hope to play the other four on a later trip.
When I arrived back at the hotel, my friend Steve (Seve) Ramp from Cape Coral, FL was waiting for me. We were to play two courses in Santee, SC on Saturday and then attend the final round of The Masters on Sunday.
We first played Lake Marion Golf Course (http://www.santeecoopergolf.com/lake_marion_golf.html) where our Starter, Dick and Ranger, Larry were brimming with personality.
Ranger Larry at Lake Marion - Personality Plus!
The greens at Lake Marion had a great deal of grass and were slooooow. After the round, we drove less than ten minutes to Santee National Golf Club (http://www.santeenational.com/index.html) where we enjoyed a round of golf with Tom and Connie from New Jersey. Knowing they were from New Jersey, I tried to see if they would take some bait and start talking about Chris Christie and Bridgegate. But I had no luck with that. Tom stated he doesn't like to discuss politics with strangers which makes perfect sense--especially when you are stuck with them for four hours. Although we did not get all the problems of our country solved, we did end up spending a good amount of time talking about them.
The greens at Santee National were the fastest of the greens I played on the trip and quite a contrast to the greens at Lake Marion. If you are traveling south on I-95 towards Georgia and Florida, these are two good courses to play as each is less than 5 minutes from I-95. And there is a third course, Santee-Cooper, associated with Lake Marion.
The greens at Santee National were the fastest of the greens I played on the trip and quite a contrast to the greens at Lake Marion. If you are traveling south on I-95 towards Georgia and Florida, these are two good courses to play as each is less than 5 minutes from I-95. And there is a third course, Santee-Cooper, associated with Lake Marion.
 Southbridge Golf Club |  Lake Marion Golf Course |  Santee National Golf Club |
Upon leaving Santee, we drove to Columbia, SC where we spent the night. We were off at 6:30 Sunday morning and arrived in the parking lot at Gate 4 of Augusta National a little after 8:00. I would say the security at the course was tight but not "in your face". The first thing we did was make the trip to one of the four golf shops for the obligatory clothing, trinkets and gifts. With the first tee time at 10:10, we spent some time at the Practice Range. We then parked ourselves at the first tee and watched the first three groups tee off before making a trip around the entire golf course. It is a shame that no cameras or cell phones are permitted during the tournament days. We tried to take pictures in our minds. For a golfer, there is no prettier sight than the 12th green at Augusta National with the 13th green in the distance.
Of course, we went to the exact site where Bubba Watson hit his memorable gap wedge out of the woods that hooked more than 40 yards to the 10th green to capture the 2012 Green Jacket in a playoff. And we gazed upon the site where Phil Mickelson hit his famous 6 iron to the 13 green out of the pine straw. During all of this walking, I enjoyed several Arnold Palmer's along with The Masters barbeque pulled pork sandwiches. Drinks are reasonably priced at $1.50 for soft drinks and $3.00 for domestic beer. And the sandwiches were a reasonable $3.00.
After we completed our tour of the grounds, we stationed ourselves in the stands overlooking the 15th green and 16th tee and green where we watched nearly every group play through. It was amazing to gaze out at the course across at least six different fairways to the 1st hole and watch, over time, the patrons migrate towards the 15th fairway. After the final group of Bubba and Jordan Spieth hit their tee shots on 16, we made our way to the 18th green. If you have never experienced Augusta National, the walk from the 18th tee up to the 18th green is incredibly steep, perhaps as steep as any course I've ever walked.
We arrived at the 18th green and stood just below the TV tower as we watched the final two groups. By the time Bubba holed out for his second Green Jacket, I looked behind me to a sea of humanity, a crowd as large as any in which I have ever been.
Needless to say, we were like a grain of sand in an hourglass as we made our way to the exit. And after about an hour getting out of the lot, we were on our way to Atlanta where we spent the night.
On Monday morning, we had the first tee time at Wolf Creek Golf Course. Wolf Creek is one of Warrior Golf's newest purchases and I wanted to see it in person for I have been invited by Warrior Golf to play "The Warrior Golf Trail", Warrior's golf courses in the Eastern U.S., in October.
Both Seve and I agreed that Wolf Creek is simply a fun course to play. It would be a blast in a scramble. It has a good mix of elevation changes with some blind shots and doglegs both left and right. See http://wolfcreekgc.com.
As we were leaving the course, the General Manager, Todd Goolsby introduced us to Andre Caldwell, Denver Broncos wide receiver, who was getting ready to tee off with Jerome Bettis. "The Bus" as he is known, was still on the driving range. Of course, I couldn't resist and told him what a big Browns fan I was. He expressed his sympathies and I asked him if he ever got hit by a dog biscuit in Cleveland. And then I shouted the mantra of Browns fans all over the nation, "Here we go Brownies, here we go, woof, woof." With a little twinkle in his eye, he stated simply while patting his stomach, "brownies, that's what the Steelers eat." We had a good laugh. The Bus is a very fine man.
Of course, we went to the exact site where Bubba Watson hit his memorable gap wedge out of the woods that hooked more than 40 yards to the 10th green to capture the 2012 Green Jacket in a playoff. And we gazed upon the site where Phil Mickelson hit his famous 6 iron to the 13 green out of the pine straw. During all of this walking, I enjoyed several Arnold Palmer's along with The Masters barbeque pulled pork sandwiches. Drinks are reasonably priced at $1.50 for soft drinks and $3.00 for domestic beer. And the sandwiches were a reasonable $3.00.
After we completed our tour of the grounds, we stationed ourselves in the stands overlooking the 15th green and 16th tee and green where we watched nearly every group play through. It was amazing to gaze out at the course across at least six different fairways to the 1st hole and watch, over time, the patrons migrate towards the 15th fairway. After the final group of Bubba and Jordan Spieth hit their tee shots on 16, we made our way to the 18th green. If you have never experienced Augusta National, the walk from the 18th tee up to the 18th green is incredibly steep, perhaps as steep as any course I've ever walked.
We arrived at the 18th green and stood just below the TV tower as we watched the final two groups. By the time Bubba holed out for his second Green Jacket, I looked behind me to a sea of humanity, a crowd as large as any in which I have ever been.
Needless to say, we were like a grain of sand in an hourglass as we made our way to the exit. And after about an hour getting out of the lot, we were on our way to Atlanta where we spent the night.
On Monday morning, we had the first tee time at Wolf Creek Golf Course. Wolf Creek is one of Warrior Golf's newest purchases and I wanted to see it in person for I have been invited by Warrior Golf to play "The Warrior Golf Trail", Warrior's golf courses in the Eastern U.S., in October.
Both Seve and I agreed that Wolf Creek is simply a fun course to play. It would be a blast in a scramble. It has a good mix of elevation changes with some blind shots and doglegs both left and right. See http://wolfcreekgc.com.
As we were leaving the course, the General Manager, Todd Goolsby introduced us to Andre Caldwell, Denver Broncos wide receiver, who was getting ready to tee off with Jerome Bettis. "The Bus" as he is known, was still on the driving range. Of course, I couldn't resist and told him what a big Browns fan I was. He expressed his sympathies and I asked him if he ever got hit by a dog biscuit in Cleveland. And then I shouted the mantra of Browns fans all over the nation, "Here we go Brownies, here we go, woof, woof." With a little twinkle in his eye, he stated simply while patting his stomach, "brownies, that's what the Steelers eat." We had a good laugh. The Bus is a very fine man.
Gus, The Bus (Jerome Bettis) and Seve at Wolf Creek Golf Club in Atlanta
After the friendly bantering, Seve headed south on I-75 for Cape Coral and I headed north on I-75 for I had a tee time at Christmas Lake Golf Course (see http://www.christmaslake.com)in Santa Claus, IN at 2:54 that afternoon. I was slowed by an accident and arrived at the course about 45 minutes late in a cool, mist of a rain. I quickly teed off and was able to complete the front nine. The mist had become a slight drizzle by the turn and I hoped the weather would cooperate so I could finish the back nine. No such luck. After hitting my second shot on 12, with the rain now driving, I picked up and headed back to the clubhouse where I found the place completely shut down. I parked the cart and headed for my hotel in Evansville where once again, I had to dry out wet gear.
It was cold Tuesday morning when I arrived at Quail Crossing Golf Club (http://quailcrossing.com), also a Warrior course to be played as a part of "The Warrior Golf Trail" in October. It was windy and there were flurries in the air. In mid-April. Nice.
Mamie Wood, Director of Golf and General Manager of Quail Crossing introduced herself. After some talk about the Tom Doak designed track and her role as one of the founders, Mamie informed me that she grew up in Fort Wayne. She asked me if I knew Bill Blumenhurst and I told her he is the Head Professional at my home course, Coyote Creek. She then told me she is Bill's sister-in-law. What a coincidence! It is a small world.
It was cold Tuesday morning when I arrived at Quail Crossing Golf Club (http://quailcrossing.com), also a Warrior course to be played as a part of "The Warrior Golf Trail" in October. It was windy and there were flurries in the air. In mid-April. Nice.
Mamie Wood, Director of Golf and General Manager of Quail Crossing introduced herself. After some talk about the Tom Doak designed track and her role as one of the founders, Mamie informed me that she grew up in Fort Wayne. She asked me if I knew Bill Blumenhurst and I told her he is the Head Professional at my home course, Coyote Creek. She then told me she is Bill's sister-in-law. What a coincidence! It is a small world.
 Wolf Creek Golf Course |  Christmas Lake Golf Course |  Quail Crossing Golf Club |
After another very cold, cart paths only round where I very specifically aimed tee balls to the cart path side of the course, I packed up, said good-bye to Mamie and husband Craig, and made the five hour trip through snow squalls back to Fort Wayne where there was a dusting of snow on the ground. In mid-April. Nice.
With the end of this trip, I have now played 75 of the courses on Golf Digest's 2013-14 "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" list, 81 of the courses on Golf Magazine's 2012 "Top 100 You Can Play" list, and 161 of the 202 courses that have been on any of that same list.
Stay tuned for more.
With the end of this trip, I have now played 75 of the courses on Golf Digest's 2013-14 "America's 100 Greatest Public Courses" list, 81 of the courses on Golf Magazine's 2012 "Top 100 You Can Play" list, and 161 of the 202 courses that have been on any of that same list.
Stay tuned for more.
RSS Feed