[Bill McKinley]

I got this idea for the thread when watching the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and hearing Sir Nick Faldo comment many times about his host during his round at Cypress on the Wednesday prior to the tournament.  So, imagine that you're a guy of the Faldo ilk and you are going along with the PGA Tour every week and you can pick the one course to play that week that isn't the Tour stop.  Here's my suggestions so far as the season is just getting underway. 
The Tour stop is listed first, followed by the place I would most want to play in relative close proximity to that venue.

Kapalua - Wailiea GC
Waialae CC - Nanea GC
LaQuinta CC - The Madison Club
Torrey Pines - La Jolla CC
Scottsdale - Estancia
Pebble Beach -  Cypress Point
Riviera - LACC North
Dove Mtn - Whisper Rock Upper
PGA National - Seminole
Doral - Indian Creek

My idea is to keep adding to it every week and not get ahead of the Tour and for you all to make other suggestions to.  What say you GCA!!

[JESII]

How far from the Tour site?

From the AT&T at Aronimink you can get to Merion in 10 minutes or Pine Valley in 50...

[Brian Stewart]

He must be willing to go pretty far.  Whisper Rock and Dove Mountain are nowhere even remotely close to each other.  120+ miles, much of which is a PITA to drive. 

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Though there tends to be a bit of disdian for tour players architectural sophistication on  this site, quite a few players do play an interesting course during the tournament.  Desert Forrest received a few visits during Pheonix.  One of my students made a point of playing a great course during Wednesdays since he was not ranked highly enough to play in most of the pro-ams.  We played Fisher's Island during Hartford, and a few other players made the trip there that week.  On one of his days, he made a hole in one on the 8th at Fox Chapel, and another year he blistered a 66 on Oakmont.  I brought another friend out to GCGC and he proceeded to win Westchester later that week.

[Bill McKinley]

Brian,

Yeah i kinda bonked on the Dove Mtn venue, I guess there would be something in Tucson that would be a lot closer.

Jim,

I say for purposes of the discussion we keep it within an hour car ride.  I know the G5 could get to some places quickly, but lets just leave it at home 

[Howard Riefs]

Pebble Beach -  Cypress Point
PGA National - Seminole
Doral - Indian Creek

Mickelson historically plays CPC the week of Pebble.

Seminole hosted its Pro-Member earlier this week. Fowler, Rose and others played.

[Tim Martin]

Though there tends to be a bit of disdian for tour players architectural sophistication on  this site, quite a few players do play an interesting course during the tournament.  Desert Forrest received a few visits during Pheonix.  One of my students made a point of playing a great course during Wednesdays since he was not ranked highly enough to play in most of the pro-ams.  We played Fisher's Island during Hartford, and a few other players made the trip there that week.  On one of his days, he made a hole in one on the 8th at Fox Chapel, and another year he blistered a 66 on Oakmont.  I brought another friend out to GCGC and he proceeded to win Westchester later that week.

Robert-Yale has seen it`s fair share of tour players over the years also when the PGA stops at TPC River Highlands. A tad easier to get to than Fisher`s.

[JESII]

For the Tampa event I'd go to Old Memorial.

[David_Tepper]

San Francisco GC and California GC will likely see some visitor play the week of the US Open at Olympic.

[Mark Steffey]

For the Tampa event I'd go to Old Memorial.

looking forward to playing there next month.

i've always been a fan of the west course at belleair cc too.

[Andy Stamm]

San Francisco GC and California GC will likely see some visitor play the week of the US Open at Olympic.

I ran into Tom Watson (and a couple of other players I didn't recognize) at Harding Park a couple of years ago the weekend before I guess the Senior Tour Championship when it was still up north.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Robert there are always plenty of guys who like to play well known and well thought of courses during the week of an event. Thanks for pointing that out. There is a difference in knowing which are the cool courses and understanding architecture though. I am guessing Nick will have a great year. The tour rarely plays at the best course in the neighborhood. Colonial on e of the few weeks it happens.

[Bill McKinley]

Though there tends to be a bit of disdian for tour players architectural sophistication on  this site, quite a few players do play an interesting course during the tournament.  Desert Forrest received a few visits during Pheonix.  One of my students made a point of playing a great course during Wednesdays since he was not ranked highly enough to play in most of the pro-ams.  We played Fisher's Island during Hartford, and a few other players made the trip there that week.  On one of his days, he made a hole in one on the 8th at Fox Chapel, and another year he blistered a 66 on Oakmont.  I brought another friend out to GCGC and he proceeded to win Westchester later that week.

I assume you meant the 6th at Fox Chapel (Redan).  8 is about a 460 yard par 4 (an awesome hole by the way)

[Keith OHalloran]

Rivermont and the Tour Championship? ( or Masters)!

[Ben Kodadek]

For the Tampa event I'd go to Old Memorial.

Jim,

I was just going to post the same thought.  I played Copperhead today and had forgotten how great it is.  I was really impressed with internal green movement.   I'm looking forward to next week.

[Joe Leenheer]

with efforts to getting the thread back to Miami...

Miami Beach Golf Club looks interesting... any Arthur Hills fans agree?

[Joe_Tucholski]

From another thread I guess people of the Faldo ilk (and probably a number of tour players) are the type of people whom top 100 courses seek access to.

For the golf I'd say the Pebble event offers a number of really good options (CPC, MPCC, Pasatiempo, and The Preserve)

La Quinta (I figure people will mention Stone Eagle and the number of courses ranked above it in the CA rankings) and Phoenix also seem to offer a plethera of good options

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Bad goof on Fox Chapel, since it is probably the best reverse redan that I've played.  The name courses are great for the players to see because a standard of excellence is established and sometime in the future their experience can potentially be a positive for golf course architecture   

[John_Conley]

Old pros used to lament that they played the 3rd best course in each town as the PGA Tour went around the country in the 70s.  I'm sure you can say the same today.

[Mark Steffey]

with efforts to getting the thread back to Miami...

Fair enough....
If I was a pro in Miami for a tourney, on Wednesday I'd get in my helicopter to play Seminole.
If I was in Tampa, I'd play Seminole.
If I was in Houston, I'd play Seminole.
If I was in Charlotte, I'd fly my helicopter to play Seminole. 

[John_Cullum]

If you had a helicopter, you'd be stuck playing in the pro-am

[Tom_Doak]

Ben Crenshaw used to do this often back when he was younger ... although he tended to feel like it only when he was playing well.

Most famously, he came up to Crystal Downs on the Thursday of the Buick Open in 1986 [after playing his first round] ... and then won the Buick Open that weekend.  But, he and George Burns used to get around to old courses a lot when the Tour was back east ... they went to Whitinsville when they played at Pleasant Valley, for example.  And I took Ben up to Shoreacres one year when the Western was still at Butler.

Stone Eagle is the only one of my courses that gets any attention this way ... there are always a couple of pros [and perhaps more than a couple of writers] over there the week of the Hope, er, the Clinton.

The last player I heard of going to Pasatiempo during the week of a big tournament at Pebble, though, was Bobby Jones -- for the opening in 1929!

[Bill McKinley]

Great stuff Tom, thanks for the reply.

When we hosted the Sr. PGA at Canterbury in 2009, I recall talking to Fred Funk about other courses in the area.  He had mentioned that he wanted to go over to The Country Club earlier in the week, but he still wasn't fully recovered from his injury to his back (i think) and didn't want to chance it.

[Tim_Cronin]

Ben Crenshaw used to do this often back when he was younger ... although he tended to feel like it only when he was playing well.

Most famously, he came up to Crystal Downs on the Thursday of the Buick Open in 1986 [after playing his first round] ... and then won the Buick Open that weekend.  But, he and George Burns used to get around to old courses a lot when the Tour was back east ... they went to Whitinsville when they played at Pleasant Valley, for example.  And I took Ben up to Shoreacres one year when the Western was still at Butler.

Stone Eagle is the only one of my courses that gets any attention this way ... there are always a couple of pros [and perhaps more than a couple of writers] over there the week of the Hope, er, the Clinton.

The last player I heard of going to Pasatiempo during the week of a big tournament at Pebble, though, was Bobby Jones -- for the opening in 1929!

Ben would also go to Chicago Golf Club when in town for the Western, becoming a member. He would have had the course record if he hadn't hooked a tee shot on No. 1 OB in one round.

[Bill McKinley]

This week in Tampa it seems like Old Memorial would be the place to be.  Any other contenders?

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