your favorite two (one modern, one old) NLEs you regularly played

[Joe_Tucholski]

At first I thought you were talking about the former course at Youngsan Army Garrison - which was literally right in the middle of Seoul.  I wouldn’t put it on my list of NLEs that I miss, but I did play Youngsan in 1986.


But having followed your link, I was not aware a course was constructed near Camp Humphreys.


March has changed in S. korea since I was based there in 1986. Lol.

They only had a driving range on Youngsan 10 years ago.  The course in my link is NLE and was a course close to Youngsan.  There is now a course, River Bend, on Humphreys that looks to have much less character (https://humphreys.armymwr.com/programs/river-bend-golf-course).


Having the course on post makes a lot more sense from a morale, welfare and recreation perspective, with most people not being permitted to own a car and therefore the younger and more junior folks weren't able to access Sung Nam, but I really loved it. 

There are a number of military courses I've played that are NLE. 

[Steve Lang]

Waterwood National is a course I’ve played that I feel is a loss.
I’d consider it a “new” nle

Agree on this ,,, last played it when the neighborhood folks were cutting the grass... a gca old vintage 2007 link tells the story

Pat did you play in Q school there?

Report: The Sad Decline of Waterwood National (with pictures)

[Jeff Kallberg]

An in-betweener would be the 9-holer that was built adjacent to Marina Del Rey, and on which I played a lot of my high school team practice rounds and matches.

Unless you mean Westchester, I don't know of this course.Where was it and when did this disappear? I've looked at historic aerials back to 1952 and don't see one.

Definitely not Penmar, on which my golf team (Venice High) also practiced.


The Marina Del Rey course was there circa 1968-1970 (not sure how long after, but probably not too long).  I've searched high and low for aerial photos (or any other kind of the photo) that would show the course, and have come up empty-handed.  To a high-school public golfer in the late 60s, the course was notable for two things:  1) pretty good conditions (at least as compared to Penmar, which I know is not saying much), and 2) the presence of an artificial water hazard (like the "East Coast" courses had that we saw on TV).  Given the demand for residential property and the attendant land values, it was clearly not going to be there a long time.


Looking at a map, I think the course was located just to the east of Lincoln Blvd, and somewhere between Washington Blvd and Ballona Creek.


Penmar? (Which is still open.)

I found it. A Google search for "marina del rey golf course 1969" led me to some old copies of a publication called The Dinghy, one of which contained this ad:


Screenshot_20231203_085608_Drive~2 by Mark, on Flickr

Fabulous, Mark!  Many thanks.  Now to see if there are any course maps/aerial photos around.  I'm guessing the "Dinghy" was a paper local to the Marina area - such things existed back then.


Jeff

[Steve Lang]

All of mine fall in the great State of Ohio.


Old: Tamaron Country Club (formerly known at Sunningdale CC - Toledo, OH), the course was designed by Harold Webber (who played out of Inverness and was involved along with his father in its creation).  He also designed several other local courses in the area (several are still around in some capacity).  It had several ravines created by streams that were reminiscent of Inverness and created unique landforms for golf not typically found in NW Ohio.  I can replay every hole out there.

Our backyard neighbor in Toledo, Dr. Shiff, was a scratch player at Sunningdale and my first golf teacher.  After some wiffleball sessions and making many divots in the backyard under his watchful eye, he took me and my dad out to Sunningdale, some good memories there playing in from 150 yards...  played it as Tamaron many years later... not surprised land worth more than for golf course.

[Joe Perches]

Fabulous, Mark!  Many thanks.  Now to see if there are any course maps/aerial photos around.  I'm guessing the "Dinghy" was a paper local to the Marina area - such things existed back then.

Here's a view from historicaerials.com
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CqRFnxkjQFcZe4B59

[Jeff Kallberg]

Fabulous, Mark!  Many thanks.  Now to see if there are any course maps/aerial photos around.  I'm guessing the "Dinghy" was a paper local to the Marina area - such things existed back then.

Here's a view from historicaerials.com
https://photos.app.goo.gl/CqRFnxkjQFcZe4B59

Joe:  Thanks, but I'm thinking that that 1963 aerial does not show the course.  According to this website:
https://opnews.substack.com/p/the-street-seen-santa-monica-dairy
the course was open between 1967 and 1971.  Here's the relevant paragraph:
"In 1958 Santa Monica Dairy convinces Los Angeles City to annex the Edgemar property and rezone it light industrial - with higher tax revenues.  In 1967, Los Angeles City rezones the remaining property back to agricultural use.  Santa Monica Dairy’s last 80 acres becomes the Marina Golf Course. In 1971, Santa Monica Dairy sells the golf course property for [/size]residential and retail development[/size]."[/color]
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[/size]Jeff[/color]

[Jeff Kallberg]

A (probably final) PS on the Marina Del Rey golf course:  it turns out that the father of the Lennon Sisters (a musical act featured on American TV through the 1960s) was murdered in the parking lot of the course by a "deranged fan" who thought he was married to one of the sisters.  This has an "only in LA" feel to it, akin to Harrison Ford crash landing his plane on the Penmar course.


https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8673/william-herbert-lennon


Jeff

[Joe Perches]

A (probably final) PS on the Marina Del Rey golf course:

Well, not quite.
Look at https://www.marinadelreyhistoricalsociety.org/
There's a 1969 aerial on the home page that includes the golf course.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qMg8VVWW4VtXU1rD6

[Jeff Kallberg]

Thanks Joe.  Gives a sense of the layout.


Jefff