What do people know about twisted gun, draper valley?

[Jay Flemma]

These two courses in WV, VA got some nice press recently as good values and decent designs.  The website (where there is one) was not helpful in terms of hole designs and layout.  Anybody play them or know anything about them?

[RJ_Daley]

I think Turboe, Daryl Boe wrote Twisted Gun up once with pictures.  Try a search.  I can never get search to work for me.  I'll bet Scott Bouroughs knows...

[A.G._Crockett]

I have played Draper Valley a number of times.  Very enjoyable, and has been listed on the "Thrifty Fifty" list that one of the magazines does for best courses in the country under $50 for peak greens fees.  That might be a little bit of a stretch, but it is a solid golf course and always in good condition.  You'll enjoy it, even if you don't consider it to be landmark GCA.

BTW, if you go to Draper Valley, the old farm house on the property, which served as the original club house when the course opened, was a Crockett homeplace (distant relative).  My family has been up in that area since 1732, and my parents still have a place in Crockett's Cove (I'm not kidding!) about 15 miles or so from the golf course outside Wytheville.  If you throw a rock and hit a native, they ARE related to me somehow...

[Doug Ralston]

Twisted Gun is a nice challenging course with stunning views and kept very nice. Definitely worth wending your way through the convoluted directions to get there. [At least you no longer have to wait at the foot of the mountain for a shuttle sent from the Clubhouse. Fun trip too]

Doug

[Jay Flemma]

how close is twisted gun to the greenbriar?

[Billsteele]

Jay-It's about 150 miles from the Greenbrier to Twisted Gun. But, there ain't no easy way to get to Wharncliffe...so I would say about 3 1/2 hours of driving time.

[Doug Ralston]

Bill;

Getting to Wharncliffe is the easy part of that search. Call the site for directions.

TG is my pick for 'most obscure location'. Fun trip. While you are in Mingo Country look around to see how many businesses are run by 'Hatfields' or 'McCoys'.  

Doug

[Jay Flemma]

Bill;

Getting to Wharncliffe is the easy part of that search. Call the site for directions.

TG is my pick for 'most obscure location'. Fun trip. While you are in Mingo Country look around to see how many businesses are run by 'Hatfields' or 'McCoys'.  

Doug

Is that literally or figuratively?

[Matt_Ward]

Jay:

Twisted Gun is proof positive on why you don't select someone to design on land that could have been far better than the end results show.

I played TG after hearing about the course and getting there is an adventure in and of itself.

However, the layout is purely pedestrian -- save for a few holes.

The unique adventure about the course was waiting for the powers-that-be to transport you from the maintenance entrance all the way up to the course.

It's a shame -- given the right architect the course could have been something. Anyone thinking they are going to find a Black Mesa or Lakota Canyon when treking to this remote corner of West Virginia has been drinking the moonshine for way too long.

[Doug Ralston]

Matt;

I agree Twisted Gun is no 'supercourse'. It IS a pleasant challenging layout [well, challenge for me anyway], with extremely great views on a good weather day.

It definitely needed Steve Forrest [ER] for a layout to be as stunning as the background.

It is still worth the fun if you are anywhere near.

Jay: Yes, litterally this IS where the famed "Hatfield vs McCoy" matchup was played out. Half the businesses in the nearby towns have those names upon them.

Doug

[Matt_Ward]

Doug:

For south central WV TG is a fine layout. For anyone outside 50 miles it's nothing more than filler and could have -- check that -- should have been far better given the uniqueness of the terrain it occupies.

When a facility goes the cheap way and hires someone through a internal connection you often get a formulaic result and TG, IMHO, is that in a big time way.

You are 1000% correct on the views -- I might as well add the next Bond car chase scene could also be filmed in the neighborhood -- one wrong turn and it's oveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer !!!

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

I think Turboe, Daryl Boe wrote Twisted Gun up once with pictures.  Try a search.  I can never get search to work for me.  I'll bet Scott Bouroughs knows...

Good memory Dick, that had to be like 4-5 years ago, back after it first opened.  I am not very good at the search either, I wish someone who was could find that thread.  Yes I quite enjoyed it, although it definitely isnt minimalist built where a mountian once stood before the mining operations.

I know M. Ward wasnt too crazy about it, but I thought it was a great value, and being a mining industry guy, I loved the site.

When I was there they were talking about the state building a resort right next to the course, did that ever happen?  Anyone?

[Lawrence Largent]

One of my best friends is the head pro at Twisted Gun. Im me if you need any info.

Lawrence

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Twisted Gun is a nice challenging course with stunning views and kept very nice. Definitely worth wending your way through the convoluted directions to get there. [At least you no longer have to wait at the foot of the mountain for a shuttle sent from the Clubhouse. Fun trip too]

Doug

Doug,

Did you have to do that too?  I thought I might have been the only one on here who was there that early.  I think the road up the mountian was supposed to open a month or so after I was there.  I personally got a kick out of checking in at the guard shack at the mine, then after he radioed the clubhouse, catching a ride in the Dodge Caravan up the mine road dodging (no pun intended) the big 200 ton Euclid trucks.  It was a rush.

[peter_p]

Turboe, here is the link
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?
board=1;action=display;threadid=5697;start=msg108485#msg108485

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Thanks for finding it Peter.  Man that was awhile ago.  2003.

Here is the full link:

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5697;start=msg108485#msg108485

the last link had all the information, but wouldnt link directly to the thread, I dont know why.

Maybe I will have to find my old pics and repost some if there is interest, as now that I have photobucket I get larger pics to post.  Back then I was using some free site that shrunk all my pics to that little size.

I wonder how the progress on the Interstate highway coming by Twisted Gun is coming?

[Matt_Ward]

Turboe:

I do agree that it's possible for a second layout to come forward that will grab one's attention. TG is located on wonderful property and the views are indeed spectacular. It's just that the design is not worth a trip outside the 50-100 range.

[Jay Flemma]

Turboe:

I do agree that it's possible for a second layout to come forward that will grab one's attention. TG is located on wonderful property and the views are indeed spectacular. It's just that the design is not worth a trip outside the 50-100 range.

Would that be outside 50-100 miles or dollars or both?