The "Stand-alone," Rural List

[Forrest Richardson]

I am pulling together a list of (primarily) western U.S. courses that fit the bill "build it and they will come..." By "stand alone," I am referring to courses without an orientation to housing, although that may be a secondary reason. Basically, golf courses built for public or semi-public play. (Ballyneal and Sutton Bay would qualify even though they are billed as private. Red Mesa would qualify even though Grand Junction has grown significantly since its inception...it began as a rather rural endeavor.)

[Tyler Kearns]

Forrest,

Links of North Dakota
Prairie Club (not sure if this is planned to be private?)

TK

[Kalen Braley]

Forrest,

You can add your own Hideout to this list.  Its still going strong as far as I know so must get a fair amount of outside play.  While its a haul from SLC, whenever I'm in Moab I make a point to take the 1 hr drive to go play it.

Old Works is pretty remote and Rock Creek is close by even though its private. I would also put Wolf Creek on this list as its not exactly a short drive from Vegas to get there.

[Roger Wolfe]

I am pulling together a list of (primarily) western U.S. courses that fit the bill "build it and they will come..." By "stand alone," I am referring to courses without an orientation to housing, although that may be a secondary reason. Basically, golf courses built for public or semi-public play. (Ballyneal and Sutton Bay would qualify even though they are billed as private. Red Mesa would qualify even though Grand Junction has grown significantly since its inception...it began as a rather rural endeavor.)

Mattaponi Springs between Richmond and DC off I-95.  Pure golf... no houses... no civilization for that matter.  Check out the "elite daily fee" comment on the web stie.  I wrote that in 2004 on a consulting gig.  Amazing property!!

http://www.mattaponisprings.com/sites/courses/newpage.asp?id=222&page=4685

PS.  Not exactly Western... but truly a "Stand Alone!"

[Bill_McBride]

Black Mesa for sure.

Apache Stronghold if it reopens.

Pa-ako Ridge between Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

The Links at Las Palomas. 

[Garland Bayley]

Sandpines.

We may not be coming, but others are.

[Tim Leahy]

Fall River in north-eastern Calif.-rated as one of the toughest courses in Calif. Only course for 100 miles at least. I have never played it but keep planning to get up there. I think it was built by Bing Crosby and draws celebrities like Clint that fly up there in small planes and play golf and fish.

[Andy Troeger]

Not sure if I'd include Paa-Ko Ridge--its only 30 minutes from Albuquerque which is a pretty good size city.

Redlands Mesa definitely has a housing component to it--if you include it then places like Lakota Canyon, Cougar Canyon, and Four Mile Ranch might also be included. Cougar Canyon especially only plans to have some homes around the perimeter. Sierra del Rio in Elephant Butte, NM also has a housing component but is very isolated.

Grandote Peaks in La Veta, CO and Pinon Hills in Farmington, NM would be good choices too.

[Garland Bayley]

Forrest,

Links of North Dakota
Prairie Club (not sure if this is planned to be private?)

TK

To extend ND. Bully Pulpit and Hawktree

[ed_getka]

Wild Horse in Nebraska

[Bill_McBride]

Not sure if I'd include Paa-Ko Ridge--its only 30 minutes from Albuquerque which is a pretty good size city.

Half an hour from ABQ is in the boonies....Forrest didn't specify a distance from civilization, just rural with no houses.  Besides, I usually go there from Santa Fe, which is the longest 45 minutes away I've ever driven, not sure why.

[Carl Johnson]

Forrest.   Not in the west but most certainly rural is the Mount Mitchell Golf Club, a daily fee course, in the North Carolina mountains.  It's an hour plus drive from Asheville and two hours plus from Charlotte.  Whether it would meet your housing [non]development requirement isn't clear.  Since the course was opened in 1975 lots have been sold in five different subdivisions near course and there are about 250 houses, I've been told, though it doesn't feel like that to me (one of the homeowners).  Some of the lots border holes on the back nine, but you don't feel like you're playing through a development.  Most owners are seasonal, many from Florida, or weekend visitors.  Some of these folks rent their houses or condos to visiting golfers, and a couple of years ago the course owner built some condo units to sell, or absent that, to rent to visitors.  The subdivisions and the course aren't officially linked, although the course's owner gives $5 off the green fee to people who live in the subdivisions.  That's a marketing move on his part.  The property owners in the area have no special rights or obligations regarding the course itself.  I don't believe the course would survive today without play from these locals, but it might.  Most of the play comes from visitors to the area, however.  I'd call this stand-alone rural, although you might think it a little bit of a hybrid.  The course is designated as "resort," but that's a feature which permits the sale of alcohol in an otherwise dry county.  The course is the only U.S. design of the late Frederic W. Hawtree of the Hawtree golf architecture firm in England.  Link: http://www.mountmitchellgolfresort.com/

[Scott Weersing]

I am pulling together a list of (primarily) western U.S. courses that fit the bill "build it and they will come..." By "stand alone," I am referring to courses without an orientation to housing, although that may be a secondary reason. Basically, golf courses built for public or semi-public play. (Ballyneal and Sutton Bay would qualify even though they are billed as private. Red Mesa would qualify even though Grand Junction has grown significantly since its inception...it began as a rather rural endeavor.)

Here is a list of my favorite courses without houses that I would drive a long way to play:

Rustic Canyon (it is not really close to anything)
La Purisima
Desert Dunes
Bandon Crossings

And out here in Virginia:
Royal New Kent (but they are now adding homes on the back nine)

[Tyler Kearns]

Forrest,

Links of North Dakota
Prairie Club (not sure if this is planned to be private?)

TK

To extend ND. Bully Pulpit and Hawktree

Garland,

Haven't made it to Bully Pulpit yet, but Hawktree is just outside Bismarck, and does have a housing component (although I only saw a few to the right of #1 a few years back), thus it probably doesn't fit Forrest's definition. The housing component would exclude Wildhorse as well.

TK

[David Schofield]

To extend ND. Bully Pulpit and Hawktree.

Hawktree has a fairly significant residential component, but most of it sits empty at the present.

Bully Pulpit should qualify unless you deduct points for being near (and operated by) a tourist trap.

[Norbert P]

   Bayside GC in Ogalalla, NE  (Dan Proctor and Dave Axland)
   Devil's Thumb GC in Delta,  CO (Rick Phelps)
   Bighorn Cliffs in Garlandville, Cerebellum  (Garland Bayley)
   Royal Husum Hills National TPC in Husum, WA (Drunken Lumberjacks)

[Andy Troeger]

Not sure if I'd include Paa-Ko Ridge--its only 30 minutes from Albuquerque which is a pretty good size city.

Half an hour from ABQ is in the boonies....Forrest didn't specify a distance from civilization, just rural with no houses.  Besides, I usually go there from Santa Fe, which is the longest 45 minutes away I've ever driven, not sure why.

Paa-Ko Ridge unfortunately also has a housing component--so its out for that instead    The third nine is the only place where they become particularly obvious.

It seems farther because there's a fair sized mountain between Albuquerque and Paa-Ko.

[jim_lewis]

Cherokee Plantation in Yemassee, SC. Between Charleston and Savannah. Near neither.

[Pete_Pittock]

I would disagree with the two Oregon course nominations. Bandon Crossings is near Bandon Resort. Sandpines is in one of the larger coastal cities and is a retirement destination.

In their place I would nominate Tokatee, an hour east of Eugene on the Mackenzie Highway (that should be enough right there) and Elkhorn Valley,
about 40 minutes east of Salem. Both are rural endeavors where the nature overwhelms. Tokatee is a Ted Robinson course and has remained in the Jiustina family. Elkhorn Valley started as a 9 hole operation built by the owner,  ... Cutler. It expanded to 18 holes and is run by his heirs.

Tokatee's advertising stresses Golf Digest ranking, and the original Elkhorn could have made a run among the top 9 hole venues.

[Roger Wolfe]

I would disagree with the two Oregon course nominations. Bandon Crossings is near Bandon Resort. Sandpines is in one of the larger coastal cities and is a retirement destination.

In their place I would nominate Tokatee, an hour east of Eugene on the Mackenzie Highway (that should be enough right there) and Elkhorn Valley,
about 40 minutes east of Salem. Both are rural courses, owner-architect-builder (Juistina and Cutler respectively) endeavors.

I have actually played Tokatee... after driving an hour from Sisters... wonderful place!!!

[rchesnut]

Pasatiempo.  Built as a stand alone golf course, housing and steeplechase were secondary considerations in its development. 

[Forrest Richardson]

What is the Wyoming course by Rick Phelps?

[Tim Gavrich]

Primland out in southern Virginia.

I'd add both the Homestead and Greenbrier as similar cases.

[Garland Bayley]

OK Pete,

How about Buffalo Peak, Union, OR and Mallard Creek (complete with RV park), Lebanon, OR.

[Adam Clayman]

Michigan has quite a few.

Angle's Crossing

Diamond Springs

Greywalls (semi)

Pilgrim's Run

Tullymore