University/College Golf Courses

[Adam Warren]

I have a couple motives for this thread:

1. I'm interested to hear about some of the best courses associated with a college or University that are out there.  It seems outside of Yale, they don't get a lot of pub.
2. There is a huge range of operations out there.  Some are strict daily fee....all the way up to the most private of clubs.  Talk about them and perhaps who was the architect and how did we arrive there.
3. Selfishly, I am considering trips that could involve playing at several of these types of facilities.  Perhaps some can be packaged together like I feel could happen in the NC Triangle at Finley, Lonnie Poole, and Duke.

Kentucky has a few solid ones.  U of L Club (formerly Cardinal Club) was just acquired by the University of Louisville and has always been private.  They have hosted a number of big state events.  I don't remember who routed the course, but was never impressed.  They have one of the best practice facilities around.

The University of Kentucky plays and practices at a nice 36 hole semi private facility that is privately owned.  They are two solid routings by Danny McQueen.  It's a great deal on the membership for these courses, but is strictly a golf club which probably hurts them in the Lexington market in addition to their location several miles out of town.

In my hometown, Union College plays at a state owned course Wasioto Winds by Dr. Michael Hurdzan.  The course holds a special place for me and has received numerous awards from publications.  Water is a prominent feature, as well as sand.  It was built during the "boom" when it opened in 2001.

Thats all just an example of how the types of facilites vary.  I know there are more in KY, but that is a start.

So that is an example of the range

[Matt_Cohn]

Hi Adam,

There have been 3 or 4 threads on this topic that you can find with a Google search. May I suggest reviving one of those threads if you want to add more?

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

If your wanderings bring you to New Jersey come and see Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, NJ.

Springdale is one of the earliest golf clubs in the USA. A Historic routing which was renovated by William Flynn in 1926/27. Flynn took great interest in the project as his mentor Hugh Wilson was a Princeton graduate and former captain of the Princeton University Golf team before going on to route the golf course at Merion East.

I am a member and you can contact me if interested.

[Tim Leahy]

Stanford is the best in Cali if not the west coast. Private except for students and teachers. Most colleges play at multiple privates to keep the members happy.

[Greg Taylor]

Wake Forest play at Old Town Club in NC. It's private too.

[Mike Schott]

University of Michigan course is really nice. MacKenzie/Maxwell design which is slowly being restored. Great greens but needs more tree removal. The Scarlet and Gray courses at Ohio State are also well know. All of these are semi-private. You can play UM if you are with a student, faculty or alum. Not sure about the OSU courses.

[BCowan]

University of Michigan course is really nice. MacKenzie/Maxwell design which is slowly being restored. Great greens but needs more tree removal. The Scarlet and Gray courses at Ohio State are also well know. All of these are semi-private. You can play UM if you are with a student, faculty or alum. Not sure about the OSU courses.

  OSU you have to be a member, student, or faculty (might have changed, but doubt it).  There are also a few threads on UofM.  The short par 4 6th hole can revival any short par 4 in the country imo.   

[BHoover]

OSU is accessible as a guest of a member, alum, faculty or student. The other way to play is to join the Buckeye Club and then join the golf course. Finally, the course hosts lots of events, so getting a chance to play is not difficult.

I used to play OSU all the time as a student. Unfortunately, Scarlet was renovated during my third year of law school, when I was hoping to play an insane amount of golf. I've played it probably 5-7 times since the renovation. It's definitely more of a tournament course than a members' course, but still an enjoyable course to play (if you're on your game). Much of the original MacKenzie is gone. It's now more of a Nicklaus-type course, but not in the same vein as a "typical" Nicklaus course. Gray is very much a "fun" course and definitely worth playing. I think there was some discussion recently about someone doing a renovation of Gray, which would be spectacular. It might have been Dr. Hurdzan, but I can't say that for certain.

[John Kavanaugh]

The people running the golf courses at OSU couldn't be any nicer. Just give them a call and explain why you want to play and they will be happy to accommodate. Be sure to allow some extra time for a tour of the facilities. The players locker room oozes golf history.  In all my years visiting private facilities I have never been treated so well.

[Tim Martin]

You could pick off three of the best in southern New England with a minimal amount of driving and experience the work of Mac/Raynor, Ross and Stiles and Van Cleek.  Start with Yale in New Haven CT and then head north about 75 miles to South Hadley Mass to see The Orchards on the Mount Holyoke campus. Head 65 miles northwest and finish at Williams College Taconic Golf Club in the quintessential New England town of Williamstown, Mass. Arranging access at most college courses is far easier than most privates and like John Kavanaugh mentioned about the OSU course most are happy to accommodate you.

[Jud_T]

Don't forget Hotchkiss-  ok not a college, but a prep school 9-holer that's a must-see for Raynor fans.

[Scott Wintersteen]

Also don't forget the Kampen course at Purdue University.  It is a links style course designed by Pete Dye and has hosted a lot of collegiate golf tournaments including Big Ten and NCAA championships. 

[JJShanley]

I have the good fortune to play Warren at Notre Dame as one of two home courses on the student green fees.  C&C designed it in the late-90s, opening in 1999.  I can't wait to play it in a quarter-century to see how it matures. 

[Tim Martin]

Don't forget Hotchkiss-  ok not a college, but a prep school 9-holer that's a must-see for Raynor fans.

Good call Jud. Hotchkiss is really fun and you will also get to met the venerable Jim Kennedy.

[Nigel Islam]

The people running the golf courses at OSU couldn't be any nicer. Just give them a call and explain why you want to play and they will be happy to accommodate. Be sure to allow some extra time for a tour of the facilities. The players locker room oozes golf history.  In all my years visiting private facilities I have never been treated so well.

+1 on that. I had the exact same experience.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Apparently Links Magazine thinks Karsten Creek is a college course as they rank it ahead of Yale.
http://www.linksmagazine.com/golf_courses/features/best_college_courses/top-25-college-golf-courses-intro/
Golfweek does not rank Karsten Creek:
http://golfweek.com/news/2014/sep/04/golf-courses-golfweeks-best-campus-courses-2014/

I've played a few college courses over the years and I'd place the public U of New Mexico Championship Course ( Red Lawrence) at the top of the ones that I've played. I've also played ASU's public Karsten Course( P.B Dye, soon to be NLE) and the public U of Maryland Course(Cobb/Love) Of course, Penn State's public White Course(Park, Jr) remains my favorite:

http://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/penn-state-university-golf/

[JJShanley]

I've played a few college courses over the years and I'd place the public U of New Mexico Championship Course ( Red Lawrence) at the top of the ones that I've played.

I agree.  I played it the morning of a U.S. Amateur Qualifier last July.  I enjoyed the layout, even if the conditioning lacked something.

[Tim_Weiman]

If your wanderings bring you to New Jersey come and see Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, NJ.

Springdale is one of the earliest golf clubs in the USA. A Historic routing which was renovated by William Flynn in 1926/27. Flynn took great interest in the project as his mentor Hugh Wilson was a Princeton graduate and former captain of the Princeton University Golf team before going on to route the golf course at Merion East.

I am a member and you can contact me if interested.

Malcolm,

I am a Princeton grad, but actually a lot more familiar with the Yale golf course. How good is Springdale?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Good call Jud. Hotchkiss is really fun and you will also get to met the venerable Jim Kennedy.

I'm going to send you my wife's email if you don't mind.  

Malcolm,
I am a Princeton grad, but actually a lot more familiar with the Yale golf course. How good is Springdale?

Are you sure you're not related to Raynor?  



A young family friend of ours attended Middlebury College in Vt. and he was always trying to get me up to their golf course (Ralph Myhre GC).
It's an old course (ca. 1920) built for an even older school (founded in 1800, wonder what took them so long to? ). I never did get up there,  but Greg grew up playing at Hotchkiss and had a good 'eye', so it was probably a decent one if you were in the neighborhood - plus 0 access problems, it's open to the public. Very social up there in Vermont.    

[Jaeger Kovich]

Recently there seem to be a few Universities/Colleges interested in or in progress building new or buying and renovating courses.


Royal Worlington and Newmarket's affiliation as home of Cambridge University Golf Team would put it 1, 1A with Yale.

[Carl Rogers]

Virginia Tech, Pete Dye's River Course in Radford VA.   http://www.petedyerivercourse.com/  Stunning site at a bend of the New River.  Complete re-work of a Ault-Clark effort.

A lot to typ Dye features, figure 8 routing each side, played one round there, 7600 to 7700 from the back tees.

[Mark_Fine]

I am of course biased because I am working on the course, but Bucknell GC in Lewisburg, PA has a wonderful Emil Loeffler design.  Loeffler was a brilliant architect/superintendent and should get more credit than he does for Oakmont.  Most don't know it but it was Loeffler who had the vision and built the famous "church pews" at Oakmont.  

[Rees Milikin]

The Rawls course at Texas Tech, a Doak.

[Erik Mosley]

Also don't forget the Kampen course at Purdue University.  It is a links style course designed by Pete Dye and has hosted a lot of collegiate golf tournaments including Big Ten and NCAA championships. 

As an alum, I highly recommend visiting Kampen, but suggest waiting until 2016 when Pete Dye's renovation of Ackerman Hills (Purdue's other course) will be complete.  They'll be two very different courses, but they're both public and will probably be worth making a weekend out of it (especially if you can build in a nightcap at Harry's Chocolate Shop).

More info on the renovation: http://www.purduegolf.com/ackerman-hills-renovation-update.html

[Bill Crane]

If your wanderings bring you to New Jersey come and see Springdale Golf Club in Princeton, NJ.

Springdale is one of the earliest golf clubs in the USA. A Historic routing which was renovated by William Flynn in 1926/27. Flynn took great interest in the project as his mentor Hugh Wilson was a Princeton graduate and former captain of the Princeton University Golf team before going on to route the golf course at Merion East.

I am a member and you can contact me if interested.

Malcolm:

We have never been listed as a college course since we are a Private Club separate from  P U.   Of course, we are known as Princeton's home venue for their practices and the annual P U Invitational.  Was not that long ago that John Sawin beat Keegan Bradley to win the event!

You should use that new Sony to post some special photos of SGC this year.

Wm  Flynnfan     ( Felllow Springdale Member )