This summer's trip had a goal of knocking thirteen courses off Golf Magazine's "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" list including four on the current list, published in the September, 2016 issue. I would also be meeting my cousin Bud Livingston, a resident of Trenton, NJ for two of the courses I'd be playing in New Jersey.
I headed east on Interstate 90 with a visit to my hometown of Wickliffe, OH where I played Pine Ridge Country Club, the second course I ever played and one at which I caddied as a youngster. Pine Ridge has notoriety as the course where Arnold Palmer played in the early 1950's when he was stationed at the Great Lakes US Coast Guard in Cleveland. It is no longer a private golf course and is owned by the Cleveland Metroparks System.
I headed east on Interstate 90 with a visit to my hometown of Wickliffe, OH where I played Pine Ridge Country Club, the second course I ever played and one at which I caddied as a youngster. Pine Ridge has notoriety as the course where Arnold Palmer played in the early 1950's when he was stationed at the Great Lakes US Coast Guard in Cleveland. It is no longer a private golf course and is owned by the Cleveland Metroparks System.
Pine Ridge Country Club Par 3 14th Hole
I left Pine Ridge and traveled three and a half hours east where I spent the night just south of Rochester, NY. In the morning, I traveled a little less than two hours to Verona, NY where I would play three of the courses at Turning Stone Resort.
Turning Stone Resort
Turning Stone Resort is a casino in upstate New York owned and managed by the Oneida Nation with five championship courses, three of which have been ranked as a Top 100 course by Golf Digest and/or Golf Magazine.
I had a 10:00 tee time at the Shenandoah Course, ranked anywhere from 59th to 64th on Golf Magazine's list from 2006 to 2014. The Shenandoah Course, a Rick Smith design, originally opened in 2000 and had recently reopened after a year-long redesign that resulted in seven new holes. The course is an Audubon International certified course that includes wooded parkland holes and open pastures that provide a links feel. The Shenandoah Course hosted the 2006 PGA National Club Professional Championship.
There are five sets of tees ranging in length from 4813 yards to 7013 yards. The slope from the back tees is 140. I found the course to be extremely playable from the middle tees and in no way "tricked up."
I had a 10:00 tee time at the Shenandoah Course, ranked anywhere from 59th to 64th on Golf Magazine's list from 2006 to 2014. The Shenandoah Course, a Rick Smith design, originally opened in 2000 and had recently reopened after a year-long redesign that resulted in seven new holes. The course is an Audubon International certified course that includes wooded parkland holes and open pastures that provide a links feel. The Shenandoah Course hosted the 2006 PGA National Club Professional Championship.
There are five sets of tees ranging in length from 4813 yards to 7013 yards. The slope from the back tees is 140. I found the course to be extremely playable from the middle tees and in no way "tricked up."
I had a second tee time Sunday afternoon at the Atunyote course, a Tom Fazio design and the longest of the courses at Turning Stone. The Atunyote Course is ranked 68th on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list and 52nd on the 2015 Golf Digest "Top 100 Greatest Public Courses" list. Atunyote is the Oneida word for eagle. It opened in 2004 and was home to the Turning Stone Resort Championship from 2007 to 2010 and also the BC Open. Past champions include Tiger Woods, Camillo Villegas, Matt Kuchar, Steve Flesch and Dustin Johnson.
The Atunyote Course is a several mile drive from the main resort. I played on an extremely warm day and did not see more than two other groups on the course. Like Shenandoah, it has five sets of tees that range from 5120 yards to 7315 yards from the back tees. The slope from the back tees is 143. Atunyote is another course that is straighforward; you can see exactly what is required from each tee.
The Atunyote Course is a several mile drive from the main resort. I played on an extremely warm day and did not see more than two other groups on the course. Like Shenandoah, it has five sets of tees that range from 5120 yards to 7315 yards from the back tees. The slope from the back tees is 143. Atunyote is another course that is straighforward; you can see exactly what is required from each tee.
I was on the Drive & Dine Package where I had one round of golf with a room at The Low Rise Hotel at Turning Stone. I paid a discounted rate to play the other two courses. My room was quite nice and in close proximity to the dining selections.
It was raining Monday morning when I arrived for my round at the Kaluhyat Course. I had the first tee time at the course which plays out of the same clubhouse as the Shenandoah Course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Kaluhyat Course is ranked 82nd on the 2015 Golf Digest "Top 100 Greatest Public Courses" list. It opened in 2003. Kaluhyat is the Oneida word for "the other side of the sky."
I found the course to be the toughest of the three I played. The five sets of tees range in length from 5293 yards to 7105 yards and has a slope of 150 from the back tees. There are greater elevation changes at the course than the others I played along with six lakes. It is even a more difficult course for a first time player.
It rained on and off throughout my round and was still raining when I set out on a two and a half hour drive further east to Bolton Landing, NY where I would play the Sagamore Golf Club.
It was raining Monday morning when I arrived for my round at the Kaluhyat Course. I had the first tee time at the course which plays out of the same clubhouse as the Shenandoah Course. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Kaluhyat Course is ranked 82nd on the 2015 Golf Digest "Top 100 Greatest Public Courses" list. It opened in 2003. Kaluhyat is the Oneida word for "the other side of the sky."
I found the course to be the toughest of the three I played. The five sets of tees range in length from 5293 yards to 7105 yards and has a slope of 150 from the back tees. There are greater elevation changes at the course than the others I played along with six lakes. It is even a more difficult course for a first time player.
It rained on and off throughout my round and was still raining when I set out on a two and a half hour drive further east to Bolton Landing, NY where I would play the Sagamore Golf Club.
The Sagamore Golf Club
I had just a little trouble locating the golf course. I drove to the Sagamore Resort which is on a little peninsula that juts out into Lake George. The course is some two miles west of the lodge.
The skies were threatening when I teed off at this Donald Ross designed course. I love Donald Ross designs and the Sagamore is no exception. Opened in 1928, the Sagamore is set on a hilly property with wonderful views of Lake George. It has tree-lined, narrow fairways with deep bunkers surrounding its undulating greens.
The Sagamore Golf Club was ranked 60th on Golf Magazine's 1996 "Top 100 You Can Play" list and hasn't been ranked since. The Sagamore Resort is a Silver Medal Golf Magazine resort.
My round was relatively dry until I made the turn and thereafter, it was a struggle to keep the grips dry.
The skies were threatening when I teed off at this Donald Ross designed course. I love Donald Ross designs and the Sagamore is no exception. Opened in 1928, the Sagamore is set on a hilly property with wonderful views of Lake George. It has tree-lined, narrow fairways with deep bunkers surrounding its undulating greens.
The Sagamore Golf Club was ranked 60th on Golf Magazine's 1996 "Top 100 You Can Play" list and hasn't been ranked since. The Sagamore Resort is a Silver Medal Golf Magazine resort.
My round was relatively dry until I made the turn and thereafter, it was a struggle to keep the grips dry.
The Sagamore Golf Club Par 3 11th Hole
I left the course and made an hour and forty-five minute drive north and slightly east to Shelburne, VT where I spent the night.
Sunday River Country Club
I was up early the next morning where I faced a drive of a little over three hours to Newry, ME where I had a 9:40 tee time at Sunday River Country Club, ranked 92nd on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. Newry is in hilly southwestern Maine.
Opened in 2004, Sunday River is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design and is mountain golf at its best. It has four sets of tees with yardages from 5006 to 7130 with a slope of 150 from the back tees.
I teed off under very threatening skies and in front of a large outing. As I prepared to hit my third shot into the par five first hole, I heard what sounded like rushing water in a mountain stream.
It wasn't rushing water. It was a torrential downpour making its way through the surrounding trees towards me! To say that I was not prepared is an understatement. Everything in my cart was soaked and since I didn't have the time to don my rain gear, I was also soaked. I parked my cart in such a way to minimize the rain's effect and waited for the storm to pass.
It did pass and gave way to partly sunny skies and I played a very wet course the remaining 17 holes.
Sunday River is stunningly beautiful but the conditioning of the course was not what you expect to find at a Top 100 golf course.
Opened in 2004, Sunday River is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design and is mountain golf at its best. It has four sets of tees with yardages from 5006 to 7130 with a slope of 150 from the back tees.
I teed off under very threatening skies and in front of a large outing. As I prepared to hit my third shot into the par five first hole, I heard what sounded like rushing water in a mountain stream.
It wasn't rushing water. It was a torrential downpour making its way through the surrounding trees towards me! To say that I was not prepared is an understatement. Everything in my cart was soaked and since I didn't have the time to don my rain gear, I was also soaked. I parked my cart in such a way to minimize the rain's effect and waited for the storm to pass.
It did pass and gave way to partly sunny skies and I played a very wet course the remaining 17 holes.
Sunday River is stunningly beautiful but the conditioning of the course was not what you expect to find at a Top 100 golf course.
Sunday River Par 3 4th Hole
I left the course in bright sunshine and prepared for what was supposed to be a four hour trip south to Plymouth, MA. But it was a Tuesday and I arrived in Boston, MA rush hour traffic at 4:00 P.M. I finally made it to my lodging two hours later and the trip took a total of six hours.
Pinehills Golf Club - Nicklaus Course
Wednesday morning's round at Pinehills Golf Club would be my second round on the property. I played the Jones Course, the first course at the property to be ranked by Golf Magazine, twelve years earlier. Today I would be playing the Nicklaus Course, ranked as high as 72nd from 2006 to 2010 by Golf Magazine.
It was a gorgeous day and I had the first tee time. As I was about to tee off, the starter asked me if I minded playing with a member. Never a problem for me, I was paired with Kate, a senior golfer who was a very good player and really knew the golf course which greatly aided me.
With five sets of tees ranging from 5185 yards to 7243 yards, the course is very playable with a slope from the back tees of 135.
It was a gorgeous day and I had the first tee time. As I was about to tee off, the starter asked me if I minded playing with a member. Never a problem for me, I was paired with Kate, a senior golfer who was a very good player and really knew the golf course which greatly aided me.
With five sets of tees ranging from 5185 yards to 7243 yards, the course is very playable with a slope from the back tees of 135.
Pinehills Nicklaus Course Par 3 7th Hole
Only 40 minutes away was my next course for the day, the Ocean Course at New Seabury.
New Seabury (Ocean Course)
Designed by William Mitchell and originally opened in 1962, the Ocean Course, once called the Blue Course, is one of two at the property. It was ranked as high as 67th on Golf Magazine's "Top 100 You Can Play" list until it was taken private.
The course has been called "the Pebble Beach of the East" and provides spectacular views of Nantucket Sound and Martha's Vineyard.
It went through an extensive redesign by Rees Jones in 1988. The afternoon was very sunny and the winds provided a nice cooling. The front nine plays along the ocean while the back nine plays through rolling ground and hardwood trees. Its four sets of tees range from 5988 yards to 7131 yards with a maximum slope of 136.
This is an outstanding golf course that I'd gladly play again.
The course has been called "the Pebble Beach of the East" and provides spectacular views of Nantucket Sound and Martha's Vineyard.
It went through an extensive redesign by Rees Jones in 1988. The afternoon was very sunny and the winds provided a nice cooling. The front nine plays along the ocean while the back nine plays through rolling ground and hardwood trees. Its four sets of tees range from 5988 yards to 7131 yards with a maximum slope of 136.
This is an outstanding golf course that I'd gladly play again.
Once I finished my round, I drove two hours basically west to the Fox Tower Hotel at Foxwoods Resort in North Stonington, CT. I was on a Stay and Play Package and would be playing the North Course at Lake of Isles the next day.
I stood in line for more than a half hour to check in and when I was given my room, it was a smoking room that I declined. They told me I was out of luck but I argued and asked to speak with a manager. The ploy worked as they gave me an upgrade to a suite.
But it left a bad taste in my mouth that this resort would make such an error in booking.
I stood in line for more than a half hour to check in and when I was given my room, it was a smoking room that I declined. They told me I was out of luck but I argued and asked to speak with a manager. The ploy worked as they gave me an upgrade to a suite.
But it left a bad taste in my mouth that this resort would make such an error in booking.
Lake of Isles (North Course)
I left my lodging early the next morning and was greeted to a crystal clear sunrise. Today would be a tough day as far as scheduling was concerned. I needed to play a fairly quick round in the morning as I faced a drive to The Bronx on Manhattan Island with an uncertain drive time given the craziness of Connecticut and New York traffic. Google Maps indicated the 126 mile drive would take two hours and ten minutes. And I had a tee time at 3:10 in The Bronx. I needed to be on the road no later than 11:30. With a 7:48 tee time, it would be close.
My first round of the day was the North Course at Lake of Isles, ranked 82nd on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. The North Course belongs on the list. It is gorgeous, playing around a 90 acre lake with doglegs left and right, beautiful par 3 holes and an undulating back nine playing through hardwood trees. The course has many forced carries and is not walker friendly as there are great distances between the holes.
There are five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5227 to 7407 and a slope of 146 from the back tees.
I was paired with Dave and Jack, two gentleman with Information Technology in their blood like me. We played at a good pace and I left the course at 11:45. As often happens, the golf got in the way of picture taking and I can only show you the par 3 2nd hole.
My first round of the day was the North Course at Lake of Isles, ranked 82nd on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. The North Course belongs on the list. It is gorgeous, playing around a 90 acre lake with doglegs left and right, beautiful par 3 holes and an undulating back nine playing through hardwood trees. The course has many forced carries and is not walker friendly as there are great distances between the holes.
There are five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5227 to 7407 and a slope of 146 from the back tees.
I was paired with Dave and Jack, two gentleman with Information Technology in their blood like me. We played at a good pace and I left the course at 11:45. As often happens, the golf got in the way of picture taking and I can only show you the par 3 2nd hole.
Lake of Isles North Par 3 2nd Hole
Trump Links at Ferry Point
I made excellent time and didn't hit much traffic until I crossed onto Manhattan Island and was at the course by 2:00 P.M.
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point is spectacular. It is built on an old landfill and designed by Jack Nicklaus in collaboration with John Sanford. The course opened in 2013 and was quickly ranked 43rd on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. The Trump Organization received the City's contract to grow and maintain the golf course and run the golf operation.
The golf course is a links style course with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. There are five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5227 to 7407 and a slope of 146 from the back tees.
I did not find it to be an easy course. There is thick heather just off all the fairways and a wayward driver spells big trouble. The wind really blows on this course, at least it did the day I played.
I was paired with David and Ross, one an actuary, the other a back office employee of an investment firm. They absolutely played the wrong tees for them at 6404 yards. I played the same tees and had way more game than they did but still got beat up. About the 12th hole, they decided to play some holes over again so I was (thankfully) on my own.
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point is spectacular. It is built on an old landfill and designed by Jack Nicklaus in collaboration with John Sanford. The course opened in 2013 and was quickly ranked 43rd on Golf Magazine's 2016 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. The Trump Organization received the City's contract to grow and maintain the golf course and run the golf operation.
The golf course is a links style course with amazing views of the Manhattan skyline. There are five sets of tees with yardages ranging from 5227 to 7407 and a slope of 146 from the back tees.
I did not find it to be an easy course. There is thick heather just off all the fairways and a wayward driver spells big trouble. The wind really blows on this course, at least it did the day I played.
I was paired with David and Ross, one an actuary, the other a back office employee of an investment firm. They absolutely played the wrong tees for them at 6404 yards. I played the same tees and had way more game than they did but still got beat up. About the 12th hole, they decided to play some holes over again so I was (thankfully) on my own.
I left the course a little before 8:00 P.M. and looked forward to a quick trip over the George Washington Bridge, into New Jersey and finally to my lodging for the night in Howell, NJ. The trip would take one hour and twenty-eight minutes according to Google Maps.
Ha.
I never saw so much traffic at that hour of the day on a Thursday evening in my life! Where were all these people going at that hour of the day I thought to myself. What kind of life must they have?
I made it to my hotel well after 11:00 P.M. I would be playing Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson, NJ with my cousin, Bud, the next morning.
Ha.
I never saw so much traffic at that hour of the day on a Thursday evening in my life! Where were all these people going at that hour of the day I thought to myself. What kind of life must they have?
I made it to my hotel well after 11:00 P.M. I would be playing Pine Barrens Golf Club in Jackson, NJ with my cousin, Bud, the next morning.
Pine Barrens Golf Club
Our tee time was at 8:30 A.M. and Bud was already on the driving range when I arrived at 7:30. Getting close to retirement and a former high school and college basketball coach, Bud had only recently been bitten by the golf bug. And bitten in a big way, the way we golfers know golf can bite us like a vampire might.
Pine Barrens was ranked 91st on Golf Magazine's 2000 "Top 100 You Can Play" list and is now a private course. My Head Pro at Coyote Creek, Bill Blumenhurst, arranged for us to receive an accompanied member rate after chatting with Pine Barrens' Head Pro, Bryan Demarco.
Pine Barrens is a nice course situated on 420 acres of New Jersey's Pinelands. Designed by Eric Bergstol, the course opened for play in 1993. There are five sets of tees ranging from 5209 yards to 7118 yards with a slope from the back tees of 141.
The greens are huge and undulating. we played under a constant threat of rain but by and large, remained dry. At the end of our round, we stopped in the club's full service restaurant, a beautiful pine and stone structure for lunch.
I then headed south less than an hour to my lodging for the night in Absecon, NJ. The next day, I would be playing Brigantine Golf Links in the morning before being joined for an afternoon round at Atlantic City Country Club by cousin Bud.
Pine Barrens was ranked 91st on Golf Magazine's 2000 "Top 100 You Can Play" list and is now a private course. My Head Pro at Coyote Creek, Bill Blumenhurst, arranged for us to receive an accompanied member rate after chatting with Pine Barrens' Head Pro, Bryan Demarco.
Pine Barrens is a nice course situated on 420 acres of New Jersey's Pinelands. Designed by Eric Bergstol, the course opened for play in 1993. There are five sets of tees ranging from 5209 yards to 7118 yards with a slope from the back tees of 141.
The greens are huge and undulating. we played under a constant threat of rain but by and large, remained dry. At the end of our round, we stopped in the club's full service restaurant, a beautiful pine and stone structure for lunch.
I then headed south less than an hour to my lodging for the night in Absecon, NJ. The next day, I would be playing Brigantine Golf Links in the morning before being joined for an afternoon round at Atlantic City Country Club by cousin Bud.
Pine Barrens Par 3 14th Hole
Brigantine Golf Links
My Saturday morning round was at Brigantine Golf Links, just over the bridge from Atlantic City's legendary Boardwalk. It's New Jersey's only authentic Scottish Links course and rated the second best value course in New Jersey.
The course was designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek and opened for play in 1927. The course was originally a part of the island's Master Plan. It was a private country club for over 60 years and for the past 50 years has had several owners, most recently the City of Brigantine which plans to pour maintenance dollars into the course.
I arrived for my 8:30 A.M. tee time as the skies were darkening. I sat in the restaurant attached to the pro shop and waited for the storm clouds to pass through. The course was deluged and certainly, that kept play down and allowed me to play a quick round. It was a nice warm up for my afternoon round.
The course was designed by Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek and opened for play in 1927. The course was originally a part of the island's Master Plan. It was a private country club for over 60 years and for the past 50 years has had several owners, most recently the City of Brigantine which plans to pour maintenance dollars into the course.
I arrived for my 8:30 A.M. tee time as the skies were darkening. I sat in the restaurant attached to the pro shop and waited for the storm clouds to pass through. The course was deluged and certainly, that kept play down and allowed me to play a quick round. It was a nice warm up for my afternoon round.
Atlantic City Country Club
I was less than 25 minutes from the Atlantic City Country Club and was anxious to check out this old golf course. Twilight rates begin at 4:00 P.M. and so we obtained the 4:00 P.M. tee time at a substantially reduced rate. Since I was there before 1:00 P.M., I had plenty of time to explore this beauty.
The course is 120 years old and is teeming with history. ACC is where the "birth of the birdie" took place. On the 12th hole in December, 1903, Abner Smith of Philadelphia hit a beautiful shot just inches from the hole. Somebody from the crowd watching yelled "that's a bird of a shot." Back then the term "bird" was used to describe something that was amazing or incredible.The phrase "bird of a shot" became simply "birdie" and to this day, a score of one under par on a hole is called a birdie. And amazingly, the term "eagle" was first used at ACC. Now you know.
Also a part of ACC's history and incorporated into the logo is the famous trolley bell that routinely tolled to announce the last trolley coming down Shore Rd. for the day. Golfers needed to be on that trolley or would be stuck at the club for the night. You can see a picture of the bell below.
Bud joined me in due time and we spent some time hitting balls and hanging out in the old men's locker room before finally teeing off.
The first tee is an extnesion of the large practice green behind the clubhouse.
ACC is one of my favorite courses on the trip. There is so much history associated with the club and I like learning about the history of the game. And the course is amazing. It is really playable, not a backbreaker. There are four sets of tees ranging from 5228 yards to 6577 yards with a slope of 133 from the back tees.
There are two ponds on the property and only holes 1, 10, and 13 are impacted. Holes 14 and 16 require a forced carry over marshland and the par 3 15th green is somewhat of a peninsula. Southeast of these same holes is a gorgeous view of the Atlantic City skyline.
As we moved toward the 18th green, we were hailed by the wedding guests making merry on the balcony above the clubhouse.
The course is 120 years old and is teeming with history. ACC is where the "birth of the birdie" took place. On the 12th hole in December, 1903, Abner Smith of Philadelphia hit a beautiful shot just inches from the hole. Somebody from the crowd watching yelled "that's a bird of a shot." Back then the term "bird" was used to describe something that was amazing or incredible.The phrase "bird of a shot" became simply "birdie" and to this day, a score of one under par on a hole is called a birdie. And amazingly, the term "eagle" was first used at ACC. Now you know.
Also a part of ACC's history and incorporated into the logo is the famous trolley bell that routinely tolled to announce the last trolley coming down Shore Rd. for the day. Golfers needed to be on that trolley or would be stuck at the club for the night. You can see a picture of the bell below.
Bud joined me in due time and we spent some time hitting balls and hanging out in the old men's locker room before finally teeing off.
The first tee is an extnesion of the large practice green behind the clubhouse.
ACC is one of my favorite courses on the trip. There is so much history associated with the club and I like learning about the history of the game. And the course is amazing. It is really playable, not a backbreaker. There are four sets of tees ranging from 5228 yards to 6577 yards with a slope of 133 from the back tees.
There are two ponds on the property and only holes 1, 10, and 13 are impacted. Holes 14 and 16 require a forced carry over marshland and the par 3 15th green is somewhat of a peninsula. Southeast of these same holes is a gorgeous view of the Atlantic City skyline.
As we moved toward the 18th green, we were hailed by the wedding guests making merry on the balcony above the clubhouse.
Bud and I had dinner in the Taproom Bar and Grill before leaving the property. After a few pictures in front of the clubhouse, Bud drove to his home in Trenton, NJ and I drove about an hour west to Bellmawr, NJ where I spent the night.
I left Bellmawr at 6:00 A.M. Sunday morning and drove 365 miles through Baltimore and Washington D.C., through the Appalachian Mountains and into the middle of West Virginia where I had a tee time at the Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain.
I left Bellmawr at 6:00 A.M. Sunday morning and drove 365 miles through Baltimore and Washington D.C., through the Appalachian Mountains and into the middle of West Virginia where I had a tee time at the Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain.
The Raven at Snowshoe
The Raven was formally known as Hawthorne Valley and was ranked 98th on Golf Magazine's 1996 "Top 100 You Can Play" list. They did not have any logo balls for the Raven but the clubhouse employee found an old ball with the logo of the original Hawthorne Valley Golf Club which I gladly accepted.
I did not need a tee time I was told several weeks back as they did not think play would be heavy on that Sunday afternoon. They were correct and I pretty much had the course to myself.
The course was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1993. The first four holes play down the mountain before the front nine slowly moves back up the mountain to the clubhouse. The back nine is full of ups and downs too.
It's a fun layout that is lacking in maintenance. It's not an easy course to play for the first time golfer. It has four sets of tees ranging from 4363 yards to 7045 yards with a slope of 142 from the back tees.
And it is most definitely off the beaten path.
I did not need a tee time I was told several weeks back as they did not think play would be heavy on that Sunday afternoon. They were correct and I pretty much had the course to myself.
The course was designed by Gary Player and opened in 1993. The first four holes play down the mountain before the front nine slowly moves back up the mountain to the clubhouse. The back nine is full of ups and downs too.
It's a fun layout that is lacking in maintenance. It's not an easy course to play for the first time golfer. It has four sets of tees ranging from 4363 yards to 7045 yards with a slope of 142 from the back tees.
And it is most definitely off the beaten path.
Upon leaving The Raven, I drove four and a half hours to my lodging for the night in Parkersburg, WV. The next morning I drove four and a half more hours and arrived home.
Another successful trip completed in just nine days.
I played some marvelous courses on the trip. My favorite was Atlantic City Country Club followed closely by the three courses at Turning Stone and The Sagamore Golf Club designed by Donald Ross. I like Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point but despise the hassle of dealing with the traffic in and around New York City. Lake of the Isles is nice but tough for a Midwesterner to get to. Play it if you are in the area.
Another successful trip completed in just nine days.
I played some marvelous courses on the trip. My favorite was Atlantic City Country Club followed closely by the three courses at Turning Stone and The Sagamore Golf Club designed by Donald Ross. I like Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point but despise the hassle of dealing with the traffic in and around New York City. Lake of the Isles is nice but tough for a Midwesterner to get to. Play it if you are in the area.
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