[Dan_Callahan]

I am planning a road trip with three friends in March. The rough itinerary looks like this:

Day 1: Play at Beechtree and drive to Richmond

Day 2: Play 36 at RNK, stay in Richmond

Day 3: Play 18 at Tobacco Road (stay night locally)

Day 4: Drive to Myrtle in morning, play afternoon round at Heathland

Day 5: 36 holes at True Blue/Caledonia (for the full Strantz experience)

Day 6: Possibly drive to Pinehurst area for 18, then drive north to Richmond. We might also want to just head north on day 6, knock off more of the drive, and find some place new to play.

Day 7: Play 18 somewhere (Twisted Dune too far out of the way?) then home.

Any thoughts? Do we miss anything that is worth seeing? Obviously, there is lots in Myrtle that I'd like to play, but it is a 7-day road trip.

I've played RNK, Stonehouse, Beechtree, and Heathland before. We are skipping Stonehouse this time around in favor of 36 at RNK.

Is the Pinehurst detour worthwhile, or should we shoot north and find something else in the Richmond area?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[John Kavanaugh]

When I stayed at Pine Needles the asst pro told me he could get guests on Forrest Creek...If true, it would be a sweet deal.  Of course, he might have been just trying to butter me up.

[Geoffrey Childs]

Dan

I like Beechtree a lot.  That said, passing by Bulle Rock is a mistake IMHO.  I think its a terrific Pete Dye course just full of his strategies and TEMPTATIONS. Play the correct set of tees and you will be in for a great day of golf.

[Dan_Callahan]

Geoff,

Last time we did this trip (two years ago), Bulle Rock didn't open until April. It's a course I would love to see.

[Geoffrey Childs]

The other course I just thought of tto play would have to be Atlantic City CC.  Flynn - redesigned by Doak and open to public play.

[Rob_Waldron]

I agree with Geoff that you should include Bulle Rock. You may also want to consider Mattaponi Springs (Check their website: http://www.mattaponisprings.com) which is located just north of Richmond (East of King's Dominion).
This is Bob Lohmann's first East Coast design

Another course worth playing is Cannon Ridge which is in Fredericksburg, VA. The course was designed by Bobby Weed with Deane Beman serving as the design consultant.
Website:  www.golfcannonridge.com

[Mike Hoak]

Rob already chimed in with many of my recommendations.  If you have played Beechtree before you should substitute Bulle Rock in its place.  I would pass on the Pinehurst excusion.  That would be a ton of extra driving for 18 holes of golf.  In the Richmond area, I am a big fan of Providence Golf Club--a Lester George design.  The greens fees are reasonable and its a fun track.  If you want to head a bit north up I-95, check out the two courses Rob recommended: Mattaponi Springs and Cannon Ridge.  They are both good courses that everyone in your group should enjoy.

[Jay Flemma]

Your trip looks fantastic. I also agree that Pine Needles is a great course and a great value too.  Get it in if you can.

Doak and Strantz, two great tastes that taste great together.

[A.G._Crockett]

Going from Myrtle to Pinehurst and then to Richmond only adds about an hour and a half of driving over the two day period.  (3 hr. from MB to Pinehurst and 4 from Pinehurst to Richmond, as opposed to nearly 6 from MB to Richmond.)  Go for it!

Sounds like a great, great trip.

[cary lichtenstein]

On day 3, you could do 36 holes, playing Tot Hill Farm early am and then Tobacco Road in the afternoon, I think it is about an hours drive, maybe a little more. THF is definitely worth playing.

[Brad Tufts]

Not to be the lone dissenter here, but I dunno about Pine Needles as a "good value."  Don't get me wrong, it's a great course and worth a play at least once in a lifetime, but I don't know if i'd call the $175ish (the highest fee outside the P'hurst resort in the Sandhills) pricetag good value, especially with Mid Pines at $50 less across the street and So. Pines at $100 less two miles away.  It must be less if you stay at the Lodge at PN.

Also, I was not a fan of Tot Hill Farm.  I like Tobacco Road quite a bit, and I'm sure I'd be a true Strantz-o-phile if I had played more of his designs, but THF has had ongoing maintenance problems, and some of those holes are like Dali paintings...good luck.

[cary lichtenstein]

[quote author=Brad Tufts

Also, I was not a fan of Tot Hill Farm.  I like Tobacco Road quite a bit, and I'm sure I'd be a true Strantz-o-phile if I had played more of his designs, but THF has had ongoing maintenance problems, and some of those holes are like Dali paintings...good luck.

"Dali Paintings"

That is really a great analogy, and one of the reasons I recommend it to all.

Is it over the top? Absolutely.

But your golf course architecture education is not complete without playing certain courses, and this is one. To not play it, you will have missed something very unusual and special.

[Sean_A]

Dan

If you are going to play Tobacco Road, Pinehurst is only half an hour away.  Spend the night there and play a Pinehurst area course in the morning.  Or consider playing Tobacco Road twice.  It takes one go just figure out what is going on!

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

Brad,

I agree that Pine Needles is not a value on its own.  I only mentioned it in the vein of a stay and play deal with access to Forest Creek on the side.  

I think Tobacco Road will always be wet.  It may have been the poorest engineered course I ever played.  Loved it though.

[mike_malone]

 I believe that ACCC is closed until April as well. Check first.


   I enjoy Twisted Dune quite a bit but  Glen Mills , south and a little west of Phila., is much closer to I-95 and is an interesting experience. I know the super and he takes great pride in having the course playable year round.


   If I were doing the same drive north it would be a no brainer for me.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Since you're in the neighborhood, why not take a flyer and get one or two of those Masters raffle tix posted on here a few days ago? Four ways, that's $25 a person.

Quite a trip topper if you scored...

Also, if you head over to Pinehurst either on the way down or the way up, the preferred route is I-85 south of Richmond.  That puts you squarely in ACC country and the Duke and UNC courses, which I haven't played but have heard good things about...come to think of it, I haven't played them cause the stuff in and around Pinehurst is hard to ignore.

Mark

[Mike Hendren]

I've been looking into Pinehurst for a group of eight.  A la carte golf in the spring is very expensive there with Mid-Pines ($180), Pine Needles ($235) and even Tobacco Road ($124) quoting high rack rates.  Stay and play is indeed the way to go.

By comparison, in June of  '06 I played TR for $39 and Mid-Pines for $85.

Looks like it's back to Limestone Springs where we can play 36 w/ lunch for $125.

Mike

[Brad Tufts]

John,

I agree the staying at PN makes the price of golf more palatable, also with the reduced rates at MP as well.  As for access for FC, that may make it a slam dunk.  I've played both layouts at FC, and they are memorable, the newer one even more than the older course, even though they are both Carolina classics.

Cary,

I've admittedly only seen THF once, and one of the main reasons for my feelings are that we played the wrong tees.  We played from the middle tees that day for some reason, and it made #4, the par 5, play 390 or something (?!).  But it still felt like a three-ring circus, and the conditions at slightly sub-standard didn't help either.

[Paul Carey]

If you can play both Beechtree and Bulle Rock in MD it is worth it.  They are about 10 minutes apart so 36 are easily playable.

It is a great experience to play a Dye course that is very tough and severe (but good) and then to play Doak's Beechtree that seems like little dirt was moved and it has been there for 100 years.

[Dan Herrmann]

Be sure to make contact with Beechtree before your trip.  They close during the winter months.

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