Stryker - Fayetteville, NC

[rboyce]

Stryker is a public, military golf course on Fort Bragg. It was designed by Donald Ross and is easily walkable. The greens are small and require very accurate chips to get up and down. The course has par 4s <250 and >400. It also has a 600+ yard par 5. It's not in phenomenal shape but the slighly shaggy greens are decent and probably appropriate considering their raised and wavy design. It's a good deal for $32 including cart. I asked the starter if the Ross design was intact and he said yes except that the greens have gotten a little bigger - not easy to tell considering they were quite small.

Sadly, I forgot my camera and took these low quality pics with a phone. They don't do any justice to the undulation of the greens and the course overall. Probably not worth a drive, but play it if you are in town.

Cool range sign


The First Tee






The ninth green




Lookback to the 18th

[Jon Wiggett]

Course looks very interesting and for $32 it seems a good deal. Often such courses are better when in less than optimal shape as over manicuring can sometimes manicure the shot making and charm out. Also, such manicuring tends to be at high end or exclusive clubs. RB take you camera next time.

[Brad Tufts]

Hey R.B.,

Do they offer any outside non-military play?

Their website has a fee category that says non-dod, which might mean non-dept. of def. or public.... but you never know.

Thanks,

Brad

[Richard Hetzel]

I am thinking both Ft Bragg course might be open for limited public play.

My next trip to the Pinehurst area will include Ryder GC and Styker GC.

[Andy Hughes]

Hi Rob, nice catch. Glad to see you are still posting.

[BVince]

If they offer a rate that is classified as "non-dod" then they do allow outside play. 

A lot of military courses have different rates based on military rank and a civilian "non-dod" rate that is just a little higher.  It actually has become an essential part of maintaining these courses due to a reduction in government allocation and the deployment rotations.

Hope that helps.

[rboyce]

When I was invited to play Stryker I assumed someone in the group had a military connection - nope. When I got to Fort Bragg I expected to go thru some kind of gated entrance - nope. When I got to the course I expected to have to show some kind of ID - nope. This course is open to the public. Having said that, the status has probably changed from time to time and there are definitely large parts of Fort Bragg that are waay off limits.

But, as of this weekend, Stryker was open for play. The suggestion that they have opened the course to the public to help support the operating expenses matches up with my perception.

Sorry, I didn't remember the camera - those greens were pretty cool. Made me realize how dynamic the greens must be at Ross's gems.

It is unbelievable that there aren't more courses like this around. Stryker is an excellent template for what a sustainable golf course model should be imho. Seems to me that the staff and regulars at Stryker are pretty fond of the place.

AHughes - thanks for introducing me to the course pictorial thread concept a few years back. It's my favorite type of thread on gca. I try to add one or two of interest each year.

rob

[Richard Hetzel]

Many military golf courses have to be creative to "stay in business". All Morale, Welfare, Recreation golf courses on military bases are non-appropriated facilities, which means they do not receive any of your tax dollars to operate.  They receive funds from MWR, but are really self sufficient.

Fort Jackson has two 18 hole courses and they offer a limited number of "memberships" to veterans. The catch? YOu have to get a MWR Visa card that they charge your dues to, and they hope you maintain a balance so they make more of a profit. If I lived within 30 minutes of Fort Jackson I would join in a heartbeat.

That said, not all are open to the public, but many are. In fact, if you called an asked the pro, they would mostl likely allow you to be their guest for a round for a guest fee.

[John Moore II]

The only problem with access to military courses is the access to the Reservation itself. Stryker, if I remember correctly, is the course that is right off Highway 24 going into Ft. Bragg. The one course that is directly on the highway (either Ryder or Stryker) is open to the public. The other, I suppose is open as well, if you can get access to the base. They have really cracked down on entrance these days, I even have problems getting on base sometimes with my dad, and he is a retired Marine. If you can get to the courses, most military courses are good courses for the money.