Small towns, little courses

[Shane Wright]

Carl,

Thanks for the great post and topic!!.

The last couple of decades seem to have been a contest to build the best golf courses.  And we will look back some day at this time period as a great period of golf courses, however, I think that it is important for the small town muni to stay prevalent as well.  These are the courses that keep the interest in golf alive and growing. 

The great courses do, to a certain extent, but to a much smaller % in my opinion.

With that in mind, I have to say that by far and away, the best small town course I've played is Shirkey Golf Club in Richmond, MO which is a town of about 6,000 or so.  It is about $30 (weekend) to walk and may have the best greens I have ever played.  It is good enough that I have had friends fly from Dallas just to play it.  There are definitely a couple of below average holes but it is just a fabulous course.  There is no way that anyone would expect a town of 6,000 to have a course this good. 

I would love to hear someone else's opinion who has played it.

[Pete_Pittock]

You can't get any smaller than Kinzua Hills. Six holes by the near ghost company owned timber town of Kinzua. Honor box if the clubhouse trailer is closed. Ghosts of the old rajneesh ashram at Antelope. Fossil and fossils are just down the road.  I'll be there Tuesday for my first golfing since June, about 1.5 hrs NE of Redmond, OR. I read you need a hard hat on the fifth hole, which some have opined is the worst hole in Oregon. I'll bring my camera this time.

Last weekend I was at Salem GC in Salem, OR. Tight semi-private parkland course that has been in the same family that designed and built it in the 1920s. The only real danger is the RxR between the parking lot and the colonial clubhouse. Par 72, tips at 6200, course record is 58 by Pat Fitzsimons who contended deep into the US Open at Medinah in the 70s. Good maintenance meld, great greens 

[Mike_Young]

A lot of my courses are small town projects....if you ever in Natchez, Miss try http://www.beauprecc.com/  or in Hawkinsville, Ga  try  http://southernhillsgolf.com/  and in Hartwell, Ga try   www.cateechee.com   not intended to be self promoting but the country is full of these places and there is a lot of good golf to be had in our small towns.....it would make a good book....
Mike

[Ben Sims]

I think the epitome of this post is a course here in South Texas.  Devine Golf Course in Devine, TX is a small town course with an eccentric membership and a fun to play course.  It's been called the "best golf game in Texas" by more than a few publications.

[Ed Oden]

Carl, I agree wholeheartedly.  Here is a thread on Salisbury CC where I expressed similar sentiments:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,36211.0/

Ed

[Bill_McBride]

A lot of my courses are small town projects....if you ever in Natchez, Miss try http://www.beauprecc.com/  or in Hawkinsville, Ga  try  http://southernhillsgolf.com/  and in Hartwell, Ga try   www.cateechee.com   not intended to be self promoting but the country is full of these places and there is a lot of good golf to be had in our small towns.....it would make a good book....
Mike

Cateechee very very good!  And I would probably never heard of it if I hadn't met Mike Young more or less accidentally thru GCA.

My buddy and I had a really good trip several years ago, great contrast of very good courses --- Athens CC, Cateechee, Musgrove Mill.  Life can be very good!

[mike_beene]

I have played Grassy Creek several times (my father-in-law lives five minutes away across the parkway and up the mountain in Little Switzerland). I have often thought of what a little revision could do for this nice property.It is tough when Mt Mitchell,Linville,Grandfather etc are nearby.

[Lyne Morrison]

Nice thread Carl.

I say yes, we should care - these courses are no less relevant because they fall into a less visible market. These clubs support and sustain community and I suspect this has a great deal to do with what makes them. By being accessible and affordable they also provide an important vehicle to foster the game.

I am currently doing some work for one of these clubs – looking to take the course to a new level by addressing some neglected fundamentals and introducing a degree of freshness. For me there is something that is real  about this type of work - no bells and whistles as such. I’ve always had a sense - possibly because this is a ‘small town course’  that this job isn’t just about the club and the course but also the broader community and its identity.

Carl - I had to smile when you mentioned the juniors, these are the golfers of the future and I relate to that image well.

Cheers - Lyne