Eastern U.S. golf trip suggestions?

« **on:** October 26, 2009, 07:43:46 PM »

All my golf has been played in the west so I'm looking for some recommendations for an eastern U.S. golf trip this spring, I would be flying in from Calgary and renting a car, 7-10 days, dont mind some driving between courses, interested in any and all price ranges, looking for a good starting point where I can play the largest amount of quality golf in a short time, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

Ryan

« **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2009, 08:00:03 PM »

Ryan,
You can always try Myrtle Beach , South Carolina for a lot of courses and beaches. Or, you could do a lot in the New Jersey/Pennsylvania area like Atlantic City Country Club, Twisted Dune, Scotland Run, Glen Mills, Pine Hill to name a few in the New Jersey /Philadelphia area. This trip would kind of give you a New Jersey Shore-Philadelphia feel

« **Reply #2 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:23:29 PM »

Try a route from Charleston to Jacksonville. It's not that long of a drive and stop at Kiawah, Hilton Head (Harbortown) , May River, Sea Island, and TPC Sawgrass. The Spring is the time to do this trip. It would be an expensive trip but there are good less expensive substitutes you could make on the way.

« **Reply #3 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:26:01 PM »

Delete

« **Reply #4 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:29:14 PM »

Sandhills....you get the best mix of the old and the new, along with the Bermuda grasses that I'm guessing you don't have out west. You can play quarry/reclaimed land courses (Tot Hill, Tobacco Road, The Pit), parkland courses (too many to list) and Donald Ross cheap, midrange and expensive.

My second suggestion would be coastal...southern Myrtle Beach down to Kiawah Island or Wild Dunes.

« **Reply #5 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:37:52 PM »

Ryan -

How about Atlanta, GA to Jacksonville, FL. You could get the 4 courses at Reynold's Plantation plus Cuscowilla, which is a Coore/Crenshaw design and worth seeing. From there, it is a drive across Georgia to the SE corner and a stay at Sea Island, which has three courses. You could finish it off at TPC at Sawgrass.

As mentioned, that would be a pretty expensive trip, but the spring would be a perfect time for it.

« **Reply #6 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:40:29 PM »

When I read Eastern US, I immediately thought the North East.

If you are even considering the southeast...I think I huge boondoggle of great public/resort courses is possible...

Fly into Charlotte, NC...

Hit Pinehurst...You could stay 2 days and hit #2 and Pine Needles (Ross) and Tobacco Road (Strantz)

leave the second day, after maybe playing one of those in the morning...

Make your way to Kiawah...chill that night...hit the Ocean Course (Dye)...then get on the road to...

Sea Island later that night...hit Seaside (Colt/Alison), and Plantation (Travis)...

then high tail it to Jacksonville and hit TPC Sawgrass (Dye again)

That will be seven days...you could leave then or head to World Woods and hit Pine Barrens and take advantage of Black Diamond Ranch's "preview" package and hit hte Quarry course. Both Fazio's...then fly out of Orlando.

Not a bad trip...it will be expensive though...but all of the resrots are offering HUGE discounts...FYI.

« **Reply #7 on:** October 26, 2009, 09:42:23 PM »

If you come to Atlanta...Jim is right, be sure to play Cuscowilla...it is worth the effort. FYI...it is open to the public Tues-Thurs.

« **Reply #8 on:** October 26, 2009, 10:05:58 PM »

Quote from: Jim Tang on October 26, 2009, 09:37:52 PM

Ryan -

How about Atlanta, GA to Jacksonville, FL. You could get the 4 courses at Reynold's Plantation plus Cuscowilla, which is a Coore/Crenshaw design and worth seeing. From there, it is a drive across Georgia to the SE corner and a stay at Sea Island, which has three courses. You could finish it off at TPC at Sawgrass.

As mentioned, that would be a pretty expensive trip, but the spring would be a perfect time for it.

LONG SHADOW.

Long Shadow Golf Club is a must play on that route. It has of course been discussed often on this site, but it is worth saying that the Mike Young design is not worth missing. It has tons of classic architecture and a brilliant/brutal set of green complexes.

Play Long Shadow and Cuscowilla along I-20. If you make the trip on Masters weekend, I believe you can play the old Leeds-Mackenzie layout at Palmetto in Aiken, SC. Then drive to Charleston and go island hopping down to Jacksonville. The key courses on that route are all listed above.

« **Reply #9 on:** October 26, 2009, 10:23:00 PM »

Cuscowilla has been on my list for awhile now, just checked out Longshadow, looks great and the green fees are unbelievable ,is Sawgrass worth the money? any thoughts on michigan?

« **Reply #10 on:** October 26, 2009, 10:35:27 PM »

Long Shadow might be the best bargain east of the Mississippi.

« **Reply #11 on:** October 26, 2009, 10:39:47 PM »

Ryan:
When exactly? Early March and late May are quite different (both in terms of how far north you could get away with and what kinds of turf you'd have in the southeast).

« **Reply #12 on:** October 26, 2009, 10:53:58 PM »

I would fly into boston (On the public side there is George Wright or Franklin Park or you have a ton of time and are early in the season try to get on Sankaty Head). Then make your way through CT (play Yale), Newport (Just to see it), New York (bethpage), Philly (tons of golf obviously and worth it just to hang out at Pat's Steaks for a couple hours...I'm not super knowledgeable on the public golf options though), then depending on time you could drive down to DC and either play a little golf or spend a day site seeing.

Not a bad trip as its more balanced with golf and interesting places to see.

« **Reply #13 on:** October 26, 2009, 11:03:18 PM »

Ryan,
Michigan has a lot of great golf at more reasonable prices than most of the courses listed. Unfortunately you would have to wait until late spring to get some decent weather. Some of the others probably know better than I, but I would guess you might be taking your chances until about mid-May at best.

I think TPC Sawgrass is wonderful--if you are going to splurge that is a fine place to do so.

For a more thrifty trip than some of the others mentioned, you might consider Indianapolis. The Fort, Trophy Club, Brickyard, Purgatory, Prairie View, Heartland Crossing, Bear Slide, and Rock Hollow are all pretty highly thought of and could be played for under $100 each (I think).

« **Reply #14 on:** October 27, 2009, 09:10:39 PM »

Ryan -

Michigan, as mentioned, has a ton of great public golf. I would say you would need to wait until at least early June, if not later, to get solid conditions and weather.

Kingsley is unbelievable, but also private. If you could swing it, certainly worth seeing.
Greywalls is really spectacular, public, but way, way north.
I like Arcadia Bluffs. Many here do not. It will play soft, but you get a lot of eye candy with the lake holes and lake views.
The courses at Treetops are good resort layouts.
Black Lake and Thousand Oaks are worth seeing.
I have not seen The Mines, but here it is really good from another GCA member.

« **Reply #15 on:** October 27, 2009, 09:22:22 PM »

Ryan...

You mentioned that you were interested in playing in a variety of courses and would consider a wide variety of price ranges. If you need to make your dollars go a bit further, I'll throw out some other courses in the Southeast.

#1--Longshadow (Mike Young Designs) is the best bang for the buck I've ever played. $35 for 18 holes. You can't beat it. It is in Central GA. And it is right by Cuscowilla.

#2 Cuscwowilla (Coore/Crenshaw) open to the public Tues-Thurs. $100ish bucks a round. Not cheap, but well worth it.

AVOID the Reynolds Plantation courses. They are good but expensive. $250ish a round and for half of that you can play Cuscowilla, which is right next door.

#3--Pinehurst (proper) is expensive...Pine Needles and Mid-Pines is a bit less expensive $100ish per round...Tobacco Road is right there and $60ish a round. I haven't played these yet...but there reputation speaks for themselves.

#4--Kiawah Ocean is expensive!!!!

#5--TPC Sawgrass expensie!

#5--World Woods, not bad $100ish.

#6 Seas Island...usually VERY expensive, but htey are currently offerinf unlmited golf packages. I am playing Plantation and Seaside and staying at hte Lodge for $300 total...usually would cost $1,000-ish.

I would get in touch or buy some of Joel Zuckermans' books. He has in-dpeth knowledge of South Carllina and the coast of GA and will know the best courses for the $$.

« **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2009, 10:19:27 PM »

too many choices, guess I'll just go for a month!

« **Reply #17 on:** October 28, 2009, 07:58:28 AM »

I'd head toward Cape Cod with a stop in Plymouth, proud home of Ross' Plymouth CC. Drive a few miles toward the Pine Hills development with it's nice Rees Jones and Nicklaus layouts. On the way over, hidden in the bushes on a dusty dirt road, is Old Sandwich, a Great C and C design. Other options include Crosswinds, a public course aptly named. A few miles south, in the woods, lies Atlantic Golf Club. All this golf and you haven't hit Cape Cod yet.

Cape Cod features Cranberry Valley, fresh off a stunning Mungeam Gerrish renovation. Dennis Pines and Dennis Highlands provide solid value and golfability. Captains Golf Course in Brewster has two fine 18-holers. Check out the new Nicklaus redo down the street. If have any energy left, take the ferry to Nantucket and play Sankaty Head.

« **Reply #18 on:** October 28, 2009, 08:51:37 AM »

Ryan...

Your comment about too many choices that would require a month to play is valid.

When you say Eastern US, that is a HUGE area and arguably the area of the world with the most GREAT golf courses.

You will get great feedback on this site concerning where to play, but to use this site to boil it down to useful information I would suggest starting with a key destiination or two.

For instance, you could say I am planning a trip to the Northeast US and I am first going to play Bethpage Black. Or I am going to the Southeast and I am going to hit Pinehurst #2.

Then people can really add some value to you.

My 2 cents.

« **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2009, 12:37:35 PM »

Ryan - without more specifics, 7-10 years may not be enough to see what you need to see. JC

« **Reply #20 on:** October 28, 2009, 06:57:53 PM »

Ok lets pick the Pinehurst area as a starting point for a few rounds and then go from there

« **Reply #21 on:** October 28, 2009, 07:07:15 PM »

Can you afford the round at #2? If so, start there. If not, start at either Mid Pines, then Tobacco Road, then Pine Needles. If you don't want 2 or 3 Ross plus a Strantz, drop a Ross and grab a Maples (either Ellis or Dan) for a little true local flavor.

« **Reply #22 on:** October 28, 2009, 07:16:06 PM »

#2 would be a must play if I was there, are you required to stay there to play?

« **Reply #23 on:** October 28, 2009, 07:29:06 PM »

If you do start in the NC Sandhills and then go north, an inexpensive stop would be Riverfront in Suffolk, VA which is an early Doak course. Very close to I-664.

« **Reply #24 on:** October 28, 2009, 09:10:27 PM »

No, Ryan, you should be able to arrange a tee time on numero dos without staying at the joint, but it will probably cost you between $300 and $400 and will honestly underwhelm you for that amount of money (unless it's no object.) I'd love to know how many people truly believe that it is worth what they charge, and if it is as memorable as they say. The site isn't memorable at all, although the sandy soil is efficient. Nice golf holes, but are they really hundreds of dollars more memorable than the other Ross in the area?

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