GCA in America's Heartland

[Glenn Spencer]

I absolutely demand that you play the Harvester!! I don't think I am that easily impressed and I loved it. There are 4-5 unreal holes out there.

Glenn,

I just played The Harvester for the first time last week.  I was wondering which holes you had in mind (if you can recall)?

Tim,

I flat-out loved 3,7,10,12,16. The second shot on 16 is one of my favorites, anywhere. I loved the whole place except for the first 300 yards on 18. 7, is maybe a top 20 par 4 that I have played. What did you think of the course?

Steve,

Doug is going on a tour of GCA in the midwest and you want to show him Weatherwax? What is there to see out there?

[ed_getka]

Heading up through OK if you go near Tulsa, check out Page Belcher and play the older course (I forget the name). For TN contact Mike Hendren, and KY Doug Ralston can give you the lowdown. Have a great trip, we'll expect a full report when you return.
    The other areas have been well-covered. Warren Course at Notre Dame if you want to see some C&C work.

[Dale_McCallon]

Doug,

Ed is right about getting in touch with Doug Ralston about KY golf.  He raves about some of the state parks in the eastern part of the state.  For more info about courses in the Bluegrass State, check out www.kentuckygolflinks.com.

Feel free to contact me if you come through the western part of the state though.

[Nick_Christopher]

Kingsley, Kingsley, Kingsley.  It doesn't get any better.

[Tim Pitner]

I absolutely demand that you play the Harvester!! I don't think I am that easily impressed and I loved it. There are 4-5 unreal holes out there.

Glenn,

I just played The Harvester for the first time last week.  I was wondering which holes you had in mind (if you can recall)?

Tim,

I flat-out loved 3,7,10,12,16. The second shot on 16 is one of my favorites, anywhere. I loved the whole place except for the first 300 yards on 18. 7, is maybe a top 20 par 4 that I have played. What did you think of the course?

Glenn,

I thought The Harvester was terrific.  Unfortunately, I played it after a night out with some friends from college so I wasn't in peak condition.  The property, with the rolling hills, is impressive.  We had a fair bit of wind out there (1-2 clubs), which made the golf interesting and cooled us off as well.  

As for favorite holes, I agree completely re: #7--it's a great par 4.  I also like the driveable par 4 2nd and the par 5 #6.  I was out of position on #16 so didn't get to appreciate it as much.  I also liked #12, which played into the wind and was a bear of a hole.  My favorite hole on the back was #11, the dogleg left par 4 where you drive over a berm that's set diagnonally from the tee--cool feature.  Oh, I birdied the hole so that didn't hurt either.  

I have mixed feelings re: 18.  On the one hand, it gets you thinking, which I regard as positive, but on the other hand, I'm not sure how many options are realistic.  I hit driver straight away, went for the green in two and hit a 5 wood into the water.  A friend of mine hit his tee shot into the water, dropped to about where a 5 iron would have gotten him off the tee, and had an easier angle to the green, which he hit with a hybrid.  It might take a few plays to appreciate the hole.  I don't really like it as a 3-shotter.  Whatever its strategic merits, it doesn't fit well with the rest of the course, IMO.  

[Brian Cenci]

Doug,

I'll only talk about courses I've played.

Iowa:
*The Harvester - For sure, great course and a different style of design.

Minnesota:
*Giants Ridge (Quarry) - a good course but not a great course.  
*Hazeltine National - allows sponsored guests for the tune of $200, although unless your into playing a "majors" type course for the mystique, it's not worth it.

Wisconsin:
*Lawsonia - I'm not into this whole place although people on this site think it's better than Whistling.  If you're within an hour of it stop by, if not, don't bother.
*Whistling Straits (straits) - a must play if you haven't played it once yet.
*Whistling Straits (irish) - if money is an option go with the Irish course, very solid course and highly highly underated to most "naturalists" on this web-site.
*Blackwolf Run (river) -great course, worth the money once
*Bull at Pinehurst Farms - not worth the money if you're in the Kohler area, just pony up for one of the Whistling courses

Michigan (i'll only highlight the ones you should play since I've played them all):
*Greywalls - play 36, for sure...2nd best public in state
*Arcadia - great course and worth the $180, best public in state
*Forest Dunes - great course, 3rd best public in state
*Eagle Eye - only $60 after 3:00, a great track

-Brian

[Steve Kline]

Steve,

Doug is going on a tour of GCA in the midwest and you want to show him Weatherwax? What is there to see out there?

It wouldn't be my first choice of the ones I listed, but there isn't a lot of great public golf in SW Ohio imo. I only threw it in because it's fun to play. Although I don't Shaker Run is that much better despite the Publinx having been played there and all the hype it gets. Perhaps he might have wanted to just enjoy a round with fellow GCAer. I think Elks Run is the best of those four and has some holes with some interesting strategy. Obviously if he were coming to Cincinnati he should play Camargo, but I can't get him on there.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Let me know if you are in SE Texas. Brad is right about Lawsonia. I played the whole list around Kohlar and Erin Hills as well. Lawsonia is a worthy trip for any GCA guy worth his salt. Heck it is 1 hour and 20 minutes west from Whistling Straits. Any fool can find it just go west on 23 and turn left in the driveway.

[Art_Schaupeter]

Doug,

If you decide to come up through Missouri I think you would find Old Hawthorne to be well worth your time.  The course just opened in May and is in good shape for it's first summer, especially the greens.  The golf course has a lot of fun elements built into the design.  The native ground (which was very nice to start with) was really utilized to set up the strategies and look of the various holes.  As a result, there are no two holes that look or feel at all similar.  Also as a result, there are some interesting options of play on most of the holes.  It's a big course with a lot of fairway area and large, well-contoured greens and bentgrass surrounds at all the greens.  There are a lot of angles of play to consider.  It is a members course with a lot of nuance that realistically needs to be discovered over a few trips around the course.

Depending upon the timing of your trip, I'd enjoy meeting you out there for a round.  If I can't make it, I can at least get you set up.  Let me know if you think you are heading up the Missouri way.

Art

[Doug Bolls]

Hi Art - I appreciate your kind offer - what could be better than to play on a golf course with the guy who designed it!
I plan to play Old Hawthorne on Wed, July 25 on my way to St. Louis.  I have a time at 1 pm, but will be in Columbia Tues night and can be flexible Wed - I would consider it a privilege to be on the course with you.
Thanks for asking
Doug

[Glenn Spencer]

I absolutely demand that you play the Harvester!! I don't think I am that easily impressed and I loved it. There are 4-5 unreal holes out there.

Glenn,

I just played The Harvester for the first time last week.  I was wondering which holes you had in mind (if you can recall)?

Tim,

I flat-out loved 3,7,10,12,16. The second shot on 16 is one of my favorites, anywhere. I loved the whole place except for the first 300 yards on 18. 7, is maybe a top 20 par 4 that I have played. What did you think of the course?

Glenn,

I thought The Harvester was terrific.  Unfortunately, I played it after a night out with some friends from college so I wasn't in peak condition.  The property, with the rolling hills, is impressive.  We had a fair bit of wind out there (1-2 clubs), which made the golf interesting and cooled us off as well.  

As for favorite holes, I agree completely re: #7--it's a great par 4.  I also like the driveable par 4 2nd and the par 5 #6.  I was out of position on #16 so didn't get to appreciate it as much.  I also liked #12, which played into the wind and was a bear of a hole.  My favorite hole on the back was #11, the dogleg left par 4 where you drive over a berm that's set diagnonally from the tee--cool feature.  Oh, I birdied the hole so that didn't hurt either.  

I have mixed feelings re: 18.  On the one hand, it gets you thinking, which I regard as positive, but on the other hand, I'm not sure how many options are realistic.  I hit driver straight away, went for the green in two and hit a 5 wood into the water.  A friend of mine hit his tee shot into the water, dropped to about where a 5 iron would have gotten him off the tee, and had an easier angle to the green, which he hit with a hybrid.  It might take a few plays to appreciate the hole.  I don't really like it as a 3-shotter.  Whatever its strategic merits, it doesn't fit well with the rest of the course, IMO.  

Tim,

I forgot about 2. I do like that one a little bit. Could it be better if 10 yards shorter? Bring the OB into play in back? Pete Dye, AW, DR and Tom Doak themselves could staunchly state 18 is a marvelous hole and I would still say that it sucks. All kidding aside, fix that hole and I think it is one of the better 75 courses in the country. I really think it is that good. I wasn't a big fan of 6. Couldn't figure out the tee shot. The par 5's are the only thing that you can knock about the place. I do love 4 and like 15 though.

[Doug Siebert]

The 18th hole looks like it was lifted off one the generic TPC courses the PGA tour plays most of their events on.  The first 17 don't.  That's why it kind of spoils things.

I really wouldn't mind it as the 12th hole, but it shouldn't be the 18th.  The long par 4 or par 5 with lots of water is so done to death.  Unless the water is a preexisting feature of the site, like say #18 PB, I just don't like large bodies of water on the 18th hole.  It is pure formula, and exceeded in excess only by the "drop shot par 3 signature hole" formula.

But hey, very few courses can claim to not have ANY bad holes...

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