Best Trips for GD 100 Greatest Public Courses

« **on:** April 15, 2009, 01:03:36 PM »

To go with the other thread, I would like some input on the best ways to knock off some of the courses on the list.

Let say I am planning a 4 day golf trip where I will play 6 rounds (1 on first day, 2 on 2nd and 3rd day, 1 on 4th day), which trip route will get me the most courses on this list?

To make it bit difficult, you can only include max of 2 courses from the same resort (i.e. Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, Whistling Straits).

What is the best trip I can plan?

« **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:12:10 PM »

Maybe start in Seattle (Chambers Bay) and end up in Portland via Bandon and Bend? That's if you were flying in from some other part of the country.

So there's Chambers Bay, Bandon's trio - soon to be a quartet, Running Y, Crosswater and on to Portland for Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek).

I imagine it would have helped if I'd read GD's list but I don't pay much attention.

And there's also Tokatee on the way from Bend to Portland.

« **Reply #2 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:24:22 PM »

Myrtle Beach

Caledonia and maybe True Blue (True Blue not on list)

Dunes Club and Tidewater

Both Barefoot Landings

then to Kiawah for Ocean Course and/or Turtle Point

« **Reply #3 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:26:36 PM »

Michigan, Michigan, Michigan...in the summer.

SEA to DTW nonstop on Northwest

6 in the top 50

10. Arcadia Bluffs

15. Tullymore

18. Forest Dunes (stay here as well, awesome lake houses)

34. Black Lake

42. Shepherd's Hollow

47. Eagle Eye

« **Reply #4 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:30:43 PM »

Quote from: Mark Pritchett on April 15, 2009, 01:24:22 PM

Myrtle Beach

Caledonia and maybe True Blue (True Blue not on list)

Dunes Club and Tidewater

Both Barefoot Landings

then to Kiawah for Ocean Course and/or Turtle Point

You could throw in harbourtown and may river as well.

« **Reply #5 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:34:35 PM »

Jonathan,

Now your talking real money!

I would also add Legends-Heathland though not on the list.

« **Reply #6 on:** April 15, 2009, 01:50:54 PM »

I thought a good place to go for this would be Scottsdale. To my surprise only Troon North Monument is ranked at #96?!?

« **Reply #7 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:12:45 PM »

Richard,

Your question limits you to six courses....so (you're a northwest guy, right?)...I'd go..

1. Chambers
2. Pumpkin
3. Bandon
4. Pacific
5. Trails

Now you have to get home.....hmmm...may as well swing through Bend and play Crosswater..

By the way, I love the Michigan swing....why is google earth so bad over MI?

What are they hiding??

« **Reply #8 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:20:15 PM »

Mike, I have done that trip, but you cannot fit that in my scenario.

If you play Chambers 1st, then you have to play Pumpkin then Bandon on the second day. That is over 3 hour drive, so no dice.

And I did say limiting it to 2 max per resort. Otherwise, I will just plan a trip to Bandon and call it a day.

The Michigan trip sounds pretty good. I need to figure out how much that Myrtle trip would cost.

« **Reply #9 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:39:10 PM »

Quote from: Richard Choi on April 15, 2009, 02:20:15 PM

Mike, I have done that trip, but you cannot fit that in my scenario.

If you play Chambers 1st, then you have to play Pumpkin then Bandon on the second day. That is over 3 hour drive, so no dice.

And I did say limiting it to 2 max per resort. Otherwise, I will just plan a trip to Bandon and call it a day.

The Michigan trip sounds pretty good. I need to figure out how much that Myrtle trip would cost.

Why can't you fit a 3 hour drive between two rounds? We've fit a 4 hour round of golf plus a 2 hour break (6 hours total for the math challenged...) between two rounds of golf at Bandon on the days we played 54 out there. A 3 hour drive would leave plenty of time for a long lunch in the summer months.

If you are going to pose golf-nut trip questions to the group, then you have to be willing to work a little to fit it all in.

« **Reply #10 on:** April 15, 2009, 02:41:13 PM »

Richard - under your scenario, you're going to have to drive a bit....

Drive to SF -

1. Pasa

To Monterey..

2. Pebble
3 Spy

Drive up to Bandon

4. Pacific
5. Bandon

Through Portland..

6. Pumpkin

« **Reply #11 on:** April 15, 2009, 03:26:36 PM »

Quote from: Roger Wolfe on April 15, 2009, 01:50:54 PM

I thought a good place to go for this would be Scottsdale. To my surprise only Troon North Monument is ranked at #96?!?

Very good point there Roger. No Saguaro? No TSN? Some list. . .

« **Reply #12 on:** April 15, 2009, 04:02:14 PM »

Scottsdale is still a good place to go for golf, food and weather for a WINTER getaway.

« **Reply #13 on:** April 15, 2009, 05:06:50 PM »

1a Fly Southwest to BWI early AM
1b Drive 40 miles to Havre De Grace, MD
1c Play Bulle Rock
1d Drive 200 miles to Williamsburg
1e Sleep at the Wmsbrg Inn

2a Play Golden Horseshoe Gold
2b Drive 25 miles to New Kent
2c Play Royal New Kent
2d Drive 170 miles to Hot Springs, Va
2e Sleep at the Homestead

3a Play the Upper Cascades
3b Drive 130 miles to Meadows of Dan, VA
3c Play Primland
3d Sleep in Primland

4a Drive 150 miles to Pinehurst
4b Play Pinehurst #2
4c Play Pinehurst #4
4d Sleep at the Pine Crest Inn

5a Play Pine Needles
5b Drive 68 miles to Raleigh Durham Airport
5c Fly Southwest home

Ahhhh... what a week!

« **Reply #14 on:** April 15, 2009, 05:20:38 PM »

Dump Bulle Rock... add Mattaponi Springs... cuts the mileage.
And I don't care what GD says... Primland and the Upper
Cascades belong on the list.

1a Fly Southwest to Richmond early AM
1b Drive 30 miles to Ruther Glen, VA
1c Play Mattaponi Springs
1d Drive 76 miles to Williamsburg
1e Sleep at the Wmsbrg Inn

2a Play Golden Horseshoe Gold
2b Drive 25 miles to New Kent
2c Play Royal New Kent
2d Drive 170 miles to Hot Springs, Va
2e Sleep at the Homestead

3a Play the Upper Cascades
3b Drive 130 miles to Meadows of Dan, VA
3c Play Primland
3d Sleep in Primland

4a Drive 150 miles to Pinehurst
4b Play Pinehurst #2
4c Play Pinehurst #4
4d Sleep at the Pine Crest Inn

5a Play Pine Needles
5b Drive 68 miles to Raleigh Durham Airport
5c Fly Southwest home

Ahhhh... what a week!

« **Reply #15 on:** April 15, 2009, 06:52:08 PM »

Day 1

Arrive Myrtle Beach and play one round-Tidewater, Caledonia or Dunes Club.

Day 2

Play both Barefoot courses, drive to Kiawah

Day 3

Play both Kiawah courses, drive back to MB

Day 4

Play one round Tidewater, Caledonia or Dunes Club then depart or play two of these and depart later or the next day.

This could get 6-7 courses on the list and if you do it a the right times you could do it at a reasonable price.

« **Reply #16 on:** April 15, 2009, 07:24:42 PM »

If you want to play Oregon but stay away from Bandon (for some crazy reason):

Day 1 - Play Ghost Creek in the AM and drive to Redmond

Day 2 - Play Juniper and Pronghorn - Nicklaus (now open to public)

Day 3 - Play Tetherow and Crosswater

Day 4 - Play Aspen Lakes in Sisters on the way home

« **Reply #17 on:** April 15, 2009, 07:37:22 PM »

In August, go to Igonish, Nova Scotia and play several rounds at Highlands Links.

It pure golf course architecture, and you'll learn a lot. Plus, it's only $75 US.

See Ran's profile for the golf.

Here's one of your lodging choices:

« **Reply #18 on:** April 15, 2009, 08:06:37 PM »

Quote from: Eric Smith on April 15, 2009, 01:26:36 PM

Michigan, Michigan, Michigan...in the summer.

SEA to DTW nonstop on Northwest

6 in the top 50

10. Arcadia Bluffs

15. Tullymore

18. Forest Dunes (stay here as well, awesome lake houses)

34. Black Lake

42. Shepherd's Hollow

47. Eagle Eye

I would not recommend Black Lake though...even though top 50 by GD standards I'd make the necessary adjustments to play Greywalls (3 hours from Black Lake north) or Lakewood Shores-Gailes as an alternate.

-Brian

« **Reply #19 on:** April 15, 2009, 08:41:28 PM »

Quote from: Mark Smolens on April 15, 2009, 03:26:36 PM

Quote from: Roger Wolfe on April 15, 2009, 01:50:54 PM
I thought a good place to go for this would be Scottsdale. To my surprise only Troon North Monument is ranked at #96?!?

Very good point there Roger. No Saguaro? No TSN? Some list. . .

Saguaro is a really glaring omission from this list and the AZ state list. TSN on the other hand isn't even close IMO. Vista Verde and Gold Canyon would be my next two, but they'd be borderline candidates. I'd take some courses in Indiana like Rock Hollow and The Fort over either one.

« **Reply #20 on:** April 16, 2009, 12:05:51 AM »

Richard:

If you place stock in Digest's choices -- I don't -- then go in whatever directions floats your boat.

Frankly, I've said this upteeen times -- Colorado provides a wonderful platform to sample plenty of top quality public courses.

I do agree with Andy on AZ -- but I don't see Vista Verde as a borderline choice for inclusion -- the Kavanaugh design is well within the range of what C&C did at Saguaro at We-ko-Pa. TSN is a fine layout but it's not in the league of the other two.

« **Reply #21 on:** April 16, 2009, 05:24:39 AM »

Quote from: Andy Troeger on April 15, 2009, 08:41:28 PM

Vista Verde and Gold Canyon would be my next two,

We are going on a trip to AZ in May. Had tee times at Vista Verde but they are now only doing a morning crossover and shutting down at 1pm. Tough times in the desert.

« **Reply #22 on:** April 16, 2009, 08:53:16 AM »

Fly to AZ Wed AM
Wed - 18 at Eagle Mtn
Thu - 36 at SunRidge Canyon
Fri - 36 at We Ko Pa
Sat - 36 at Troon North
Sun - 18 at Talking Stick
Fly home PM

Wait a minute... that's my trip in May! Lucky me.

« **Reply #23 on:** April 16, 2009, 11:46:08 AM »

Roger, I love your trips. I may have to try at least one of them.

Matt, I disagree with many placings, but it still is a good excuse for a trip! And if anyone wants to post a great 4 day golf trip regardless of the ranking, that is fine too.

There are some really great ideas here. This could keep me busy for many years. Thanks to everyone for chipping in and KEEP'EM coming.

Robb, I didn't realize Pronghorn is accessible now. What are the requirements?

« **Reply #24 on:** April 17, 2009, 04:38:54 AM »

I don't know about courses on the list, but a great and easy trip would be to the area W of Orlando and N of Tampa.

World Woods - Pine Barrens
World Woods - Rolling Oaks
Dunes at Seville
Brooksville CC
Golden Hills
El Diablo

Wow, hard to beat for a daily fee trip that isn't Pinehurst, Bandon, or St. Andrew's.

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