Golf Course Entrances or Driveways

[KBanks]

Tony,

The entrance to Belfair sounds very much like the one at Sea Island GC, where the road is framed by ancient, massive live oaks. It makes for a nice prelude to a day's golf.

Ken

[Robert_Walker]

The Creek Club, Piping Rock and Deep Dale have nice entrance driveways. The Honors Club is nice too.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I am with Cary..that drive sfrom the gates to the course at The Preserve is rather specatcular, especially when you reach the peak and can see the course laid out in front of you..a truly beautiful drive with a flourishing fauna and flora

[Michael Christensen]

I believe it starts and ends with Myopia.....it doesn't even look like a golf club entrance!  It is a windy dirt road, you pass the Polo field on your right, see a glimpse of #18 on the right and then see the majestic clubhouse at the turnaround.

[ed_getka]

Some of my favorites have been mentioned. The drive out to Sand Hills as you start to see natural areas of blown out sand as you get closer and as the endless expanse of great golf terrain unfolds you just can't wait to get on the golf course.

The Preserve in Carmel Valley has a beautiful drive also.

Cape Kidnappers is long and winding, but once you get up on top on a glorious day like I was blessed with you leave the rest of the world behind. A decompression therapy if there ever was one.

My other favorite is the dirt road out into the Michigan woods to find Kingsley Club.

[john_stiles]

The 17 mile drive to an entire golf nirvana (in about 1975 even though pre-golf days).    It doesn't qualify, but you do have to go through a gate for the secluded 17 mile drive and you know what awaits.

[john_stiles]

Ed,

On my last trip they had added stone along a section of the road to Kingsley Club.

Had rental car,  full steam ahead !!

[Tom Huckaby]

Many of my favorites have been mentioned already also.  BUT... I believe we also have a first - a topic in which my un-proud home course SANTA TERESA GC is a viable mention.

It does have a rather nice entry road, in that it winds through much of one part of the course.  You enter by #3 green, and if you're smart you check out the pin position there.  You can see up 4 and check out the crowd situation. Then to your left is 18 fairway, and as you get closer you can check out that pin.  You then get to 2 green, and pin position there is vital, so one takes a peak.  You then can see 1 tee to the right and see if your buddies are there if you're running late... and 10 tee and 13 green off to one's left, and if you go deep enough into the parking lot, 10 green.  And amazingly this all works, with the road not being obtrusive at all.

Perhaps this aerial helps... the road comes in from the top left corner winding down to the parking lot, in the middle.

That George Santana was an entrance road genius.  

[ed_getka]

Tom,
   That is a cool description of the drive into your course. The strategy starts before you even get out of the car.

[Tom Huckaby]

Ed - well I never really thought of it that way... but that's a great way to put it.  Pin position does have great relevance on each of these holes, and they are at times difficult to ascertain from out in the fairway.  So yes, for the smart golfer, the strategy does begin as he turns onto the entry road.

 

[Jim Franklin]

Cary hit the nail on the head about Dismal River, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone doesn't crash leaving The Preserve too. A few pops at the bar and then negotiating that winding 1 1/2 lane road up the mountain is pretty treacherous. It is awesome coming in, but going out looks scary. Thank God I'm sober.

[Dale_McCallon]

Certainly not a great drive to make, but certainly most interesting I've ever seen is Mayfield (KY) Country Club.  

The driveway actually bisects the 8th hole and is probably only about 40-50 short of the green.  Hole is interesting in that off the tee you can hit a wood over the hill and almost certainly hit the road (and any incoming cars)--you can't see the road from the tee box.  Or you can lay up to the crest of the hill and try to hit your wedge over cars as they pull in--not recommmended, but I've seen it several times.

[Mike Hendren]

Without a doubt, the entrance to the five-hole Lightning Bug Golf Course At Solitude is the best:

Directional Sign:


Driveway:


Mike

[Bob_Huntley]

Cary hit the nail on the head about Dismal River, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone doesn't crash leaving The Preserve too. A few pops at the bar and then negotiating that winding 1 1/2 lane road up the mountain is pretty treacherous. It is awesome coming in, but going out looks scary. Thank God I'm sober.

I think you are talking about the road to the Preserve that starts at the gate house on San Carlos Drive, adjacent to the Quail Lodge Course. An even scarier drive, is up or down Robinson Canyon Road from the end of my road/driveway to the clubhouse some six miles up the mountain. This route really does get your attention.

Bob

[Jim Franklin]

That's the road Bob, Robinson Canyon. Holy cow is that tight!

[Doug Ralston]

I am sorry, but WHAT IS THIS?

10 responses to a thread on use of trees in GCA, and this thread on driveways gets this reponse on a GCA site? What next? A thread on little circles on golf balls with hundreds of responses? Ya never know. I guess.

I have no basic objection to this topic, but I find it hard to understand priorities here.  

Doug

[Jim Franklin]

Doug -

It is just guys talking golf and some of their experiences. That's all. Maybe it is not "on topic", but it is certainly not hurting the group IMO.

[John_Cullum]

Acting up in the library again. Shame, shame