Highlands Links, Nova Scotia, 8: My first trip to Highlands Links--once my favorite course in the world--in eight years was filled with anticipation. I was amazed to see the contours of many of the greens, most of which I'd forgotten over the years. (2 and 7 were particularly remarkable in this regard; 5 is unforgettable.) Ian Andrew has done a great job of clearing out trees and opening up views on some holes; however, the course is still quite tight and there's little hope of finding one's ball once it's off the mown grass. Most surprising of all were the conditions in August 2016--as firm and fast as any true links, which only added to the challenge.
Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links, Nova Scotia, 8: I loved the way that the greens blend in with the fairway on each hole on the property, and I think this lends a cohesive feeling--to me, it's a 36-hole course rather than two 18-hole courses. This feature was an eye-opener for me when I played Rustic Canyon a few years ago. At Cabot, though, the blend is done to perfection--there's no way to discern where the green ends. The double green (Links 8 & 13) stands out as something truly remarkable to me. Each of the holes along the ocean cliffs is incredible in its own way. I particularly liked Cliffs #10 for the dare it asks you to make, the green complex on Cliffs #16 (which would make it a terrific hole even if the ocean were not there), and the closing run on Links (14-16). Inland, true highlights for me were Cliffs 3, 4, and 5, and Links 11.
New Orleans CC, Louisiana, 4: A completely flat property (of course) with a decent number of live oak trees and only a couple of water hazards, the design just doesn't do enough to overcome the blandness of the site.
Shennecossett, Connecticut, 5: Shennecossett is a great place to play a late-afternoon or winter round. Hard to lose a ball, sometimes as firm as a links, several interesting Ross holes with severe hazards (4, 12, and 13 in particular) and front-to-back sloping greens (3, 5, 14). What a great deal, at $20 to $30. I frequently ask myself whether I think the Ross holes are better because I know they're Ross holes, or because they're on better land, or because they're simply better-designed.
Royal Portrush (Dunluce), N. Ireland, 8: Portrush is a spectacular setting, and the Dunluce course is routed over and through Goldilocks dunes, large enough to make the golf interesting and the course beautiful, but small enough to keep the golfer's focus on the fairways and greens rather than the hazards to be avoided. (This in contrast to courses like Cruden Bay, Royal County Down, and the New Course.) I expected to lose a couple of sleeves of balls, but found that the course played much wider than I expected and didn't lose a single one. Holes like the 5th and 6th by the cliffs and Calamity Corner rightfully get a lot of attention, but others including the par-5 2nd, the par-4 10th (Himalayas), drop-shot 13th, are also wonderful. My personal favorite, the 15th (Skerries) plays up and over a blind rise, leaving a short shot into a small, undulating, well-guarded green overlooking the new 7th and 8th holes and the small islands known as the Skerries. (Note that the new holes were not open when I visited.)
Royal Portrush (Valley), N. Ireland, 7: The best 11 or 12 holes on the Valley course are right up there with the (average hole on the) Dunluce course. Holes 6 to 9 and 16 to 18 on the revised routing are particularly strong; based on the before-and-after photos I saw, I think the new holes in the dunes make up for the two sacrificed holes. Obviously, the weak part of the course, in the shadow of Calamity Corner, drags it down a little. But each of the weak holes does have something to offer, and there's nothing wrong with a few easy pars. For the price I paid, and the ability to have the entire links to myself, this was a no-brainer choice.
Royal County Down, N. Ireland, 8: Royal County Down is, of course, ranked as one of the very best golf courses in the world. Playing it in a 20-mph wind (according to my phone; gusts would have been higher) out of the south, I found it tremendously difficult. One of the best courses I have played, for sure, but I would rather have played a second round at Dunluce than the second round I played at County Down. (It's also worth noting that the hospitality we received at RCD was cold in comparison to Portrush.)
A note on Portstewart and County Louth: As much as I would have liked to see these courses, I ultimately decided to play a second round at Royal County Down. My biggest regret from a trip to Scotland in 2014 was that I made tee times for Crail and Kingsbarns instead of trying to walk onto the Old Course; on my trip to Ireland, I didn't want to miss out on an opportunity to replay one of the very best courses in the world. And adding a fifth round to the itinerary would have meant skipping out on fascinating tourist experiences like Armagh, the Causeway Coast, or the archaeological/historical sites of Counties Louth and Meath. No regrets here.
Wannamoisett, Rhode Island, 7: The best Ross course I've ever played, it reminded me in many ways of Plainfield (which I've only walked). The routing and hazards are masterfully done; despite the notoriously small property, the holes never feel cramped. Thanks to a fellow GCAer for hosting me for the round!
Yale, Connecticut, 8: I could write pages about my love for the Course at Yale. For now, I'll just say that I'm extremely happy to be a member.