Golf Mag Thrifty 50

[Adam Clayman]

Could someone please tell Joe it's Dan Proctor.

[Doug Ralston]

There ya go again! Old Silo and Lassing Pointe are KY courses that deserve to be on the list, certainly.

But, once again, the State Golf Trail gems [Dale Hollow, Eagle Ridge, Hidden Cove] simply do not exist in any of these lists, though better far than many on it! Jeez.

Doug

[Tom Huckaby]

Ed:

You've said that many times on here re Callippe.  

And the things you mention were indeed what I thought you meant by
"architecture."  And perhaps such features are superior at Metropolitan.

I still don't see that they are the determining factor in this list, though.  I'd guess they might account for 25%.  Note he mentions conditions... and that's about it.

Weather sites? Not me.   I'm heading north one way or the other.  Others who promised me fine weather are the ones that ought to be doing the checking.

[Jeff Shelman]

I've actually played eight of the courses on here: Willingers, Capstone Club, Aldeen, Big Fish, Lassing Pointe, Piper Glen, Trophy Club and Papago.

In many ways, these are the kind of places I look for when I'm on the road. I understand that places like high-end daily fees have their place, but I'm convinced that almost every city has a place that's under $75 that is damn near as good if not better.

Maybe I'm cheap, but unless it's something really special, I hate the triple-digit green fee. Played a sort-of name course last spring that wasn't 100, but it was 90 or so and I felt ripped off. Granted I played one of the courses on this list two days earlier for about 40 bucks.

And Dick/Rick/etc.: I'd certainly be up for a Big Fish run if the temperature ever gets above zero.

[Peter Pratt]

Sean,

The Blackshire is solid, with a few very good holes, but not in the same category as the Gailes. The Gailes is a too-often-forgotten Michigan gem. Lower key but funkier than Arcadia Bluffs, but almost as good. And it usually plays very firm and very fast, though last summer it did not.

[Kalen Braley]

I have played Valley View in Utah and that is a great little course.  Not far from there, I would also add bountiful ridge which has great views and an awesome layout for only $28.

In Spokane, there is a course called Indian Canyon that was designed by Chandler Egan.  Talk about a hidden gem that is a blast to play, with great greens, and only $25.  This is hands down the best value I've ever seen.  There are many other great values in the Spokane area, but this is at the top of the list.

[Matt_Ward]

I'd be much appreciative if someone can print the entire list since accessing the info has been a real pain in the butt.

Thanks ...

P.S. I have a number of candidates that I want to see if they were included.

[Kalen Braley]

Matt,

If you click on the link in the 4th reply, it will take you straight there.

[Jay Flemma]

RJ, I'll do big fish and willingers with you...I have to come out some time this year to do giants ridge!

AND AGAIN ITS NICE TO SEE HIAWATHA LANDING GET SOME RESPECT!!!!!!

Woo hoo!

[PThomas]

it's been a number of years, but Iwas pleasantly surprised by Willinger's

[RJ_Daley]

Jay, fly into GB and we'll start from here on a 5 day roadtrip.  Lawsonia, & maybe my home course, day 1, drive up meet the guys at Big Fish, then on to pizza at Punchs day 2, Willinger's & you'll want to go back to Punch's 3   , and GR 4-5.  

[Doug Wright]

I'd be much appreciative if someone can print the entire list since accessing the info has been a real pain in the butt.

Thanks ...

P.S. I have a number of candidates that I want to see if they were included.

Matt,

Use this link:  http://tinyurl.com/2zxcrl

[Rick Shefchik]

Here you go, Matt, or anyone else who'd like to see the whole list here (I like what they had to say about the location of Big Fish, by the way -- something to the effect that Northwest Wisconsin isn't near anything, since the nearest city is Duluth, MN. For their information, Bob Dylan and I were both born there, so Duluth is definitely something.)


1. Wild Horse Golf Club
Gothenburg, Neb.
2. Rustic Canyon Golf Course
Moorpark, Calif.
3. Old Works Golf Course
Anaconda, Mont.
4. Lakewood Shores Resort (Gailes Course)
Oscoda, Mich.
5. The Links at Hiawatha Landing
Apalachin, N.Y.
6. Gold Mountain Golf Complex (Olympic Course)
Bremerton, Wash.
7. Willinger's Golf Club
Northfield, Minn.
8. Pinon Hills Golf Course
Farmington, N.M.
9. The Links of North Dakota
Ray, N.D.
10. Gray Plantation Golf Club
Lake Charles, La.
11. Rock Hollow Golf Club
Peru, Ind.
12. Santa Ana Golf Club (Tamaya/Cheena Course)
Bernalillo, N.M.
13. Callippe Preserve
Pleasanton, Calif.
14. Valley View Golf Course Layton, Utah
7,147 yards, par72; Greens fee: $22 and up
15. Capstone Club of Alabama Brookwood, Ala.
7,032 yards, par 71; Greens fee: $39 and up
16. Chickasaw Pointe Golf Resort
Kingston, Okla.
17. The Rawls Course at Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas
18. Riverdale Golf Club (Dunes Course)
Brighton, Colo.
19. Eaglesticks Golf Club
Zanesville, Ohio
20. The Tennessean Golf Club
Paris, Tenn.
21. Texarkana Golf Ranch
Texarkana, Texas
22. Amana Colonies Golf Course
Amana, Iowa
23. Aldeen Golf Club
Rockford, Ill.
24. Murphy Creek Golf Course
Aurora, Colo.
25. Big Fish
Hayward, Wisc.
7,201 yards, par 72; Greens fee: $44 and up
715-934-4770
bigfishgolf.com | GOLFCOURSE.com Profile
26. Old Silo Golf Club
Mt. Sterling, Ky.
27. Northwood Golf Club
Rhinelander, Wisc.
28. Lassing Pointe Golf Course
Union, Ky.
29. Prairie Highlands Golf Course
Olathe, Kans.
30. Red Hawk Run Golf Course
Findlay, Ohio
31. Bear Trace at Harrison Bay
Harrison, Tenn.
32. Whitefish Lake Golf Club (North Course)
Whitefish, Mont.
33. Tokatee Golf Club
Blue River, Ore.
34. The Moors Golf Club
Milton, Fla.
35. Wailua Golf Course
Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii
36. Buffalo Dunes Municipal Golf Course
Garden City, Kans.
37. The Summit Golf Club
Cannon Falls, Minn.
38. Piper Glen Golf Club
Springfield, Ill.
39. Rochelle Ranch Golf Course
Rawlins, Wyo.
40. Twisted Gun Golf Club
Wharncliffe, W.Va.
41. The Golf Club at Yankee Trace
Centerville, Ohio
42. Pacific Grove Municipal Golf Course
Pacific Grove, Calif.
43. Devil's Thumb Golf Club
Delta, Colo.
44. Draper Valley Golf Club
Draper, Va.
45. Southern Hills Golf Club
Hawkinsville, Ga.
46. Stonebridge Golf Club
Rome, Ga.
47. The Trophy Club
Lebanon, Ind.
7,280 yards, par 72; Greens fee: $47 and up
48. Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club
Fayetteville, Ark.
49. Papago Municipal Golf Course
Phoenix, Ariz.
50. Shennecossett Golf Course
Groton, Conn.

[John Kavanaugh]

Rick,

What is wrong with having people click on the web site.  For a guy in the newspaper business it surprises me that you would be a party to taking food and or other goodies from the mouths of hard working writers.

[Phil McDade]

Gee, John, not everyone can have their multi-million company subsidize high-speed internet connections or mega-wattage computers to make these links work as well as they might for you. Matt asked for a favor; our man from Duluth helped out. It's a big world out there, John, both in golf and the written word -- the ink-stained wretches don't own their words for very long these days. Besides, anyone owning up to actually being from Duluth deserves a little slack.

P.S. I like 9-hole courses.

P.P.S. for Huck -- When do I duck?

[Rick Shefchik]

Barney,

I'm not in the newspaper business anymore.

Besides, we gave our product away for free every day on our website. Once you make your product available on line, you know it is going to be reproduced elsewhere.

But if Golf Magazine wants to bill me for the price of a frozen pizza for the food I took out of the mouth of one of their employees, my e-mail address is available in my profile.

[Matt_Ward]

Glad to see Rick Phelps get a mention w Devil's Thumb in Delta, CO -- but his effort at Antler Creek in Falcon -- also in Colorado deserves to be included with the list.

Have to wonder why no Jim Engh course made the list - with the likes of Redlands Mesa and Lakota Canyon Ranch being two that come quickly to mind.

Another layout missed was Devils Tower GC in Wyoming. Well done layout that is easily worth a mention in the listing. Ditto what Mike Hurdzan did with Bully Pulpit in Medora, ND. Interesting to see the Links of North Dakota at Red Mike Resort has been left out.

I also have to say that including Lederach in the Philly area would have been a plus too.

[Matt_Ward]

One other layout that I always liked but maybe others can outline in current terms is the Oak Hollow GC in High Point, NC -- Pete Dye did the layout a number of years ago and as a public course for the town it had plenty of unique features and all at a price well within reason. Likely others can update me and opine on whether it still has the charm for a return visit.

[Doug Wright]

Have to wonder why no Jim Engh course made the list - with the likes of Redlands Mesa and Lakota Canyon Ranch being two that come quickly to mind.

Matt,

Because they are more than $50...