Suggestions/Comments Needed - Re: Golf Trip from Michigan to Oregon

[Norbert P]

Day 4 could use Bayside in Ogalalla as dessert for
Wildhorse. If not, Wildhorse should be played multiple times.
BTW are you young bucks walking all the courses? . . . And is Neil Cassidy doing the driving for y'all?  Onward Rocinante' !

[Brian Cenci]

John:
     We are going through the U.P. on our return trip back through (Greywalls is in Marquette).

Norbert:
     We are going to walk every course that will let us walk.  Now....that's not to say if a course the last few days insists we take a cart then I probably won't complain.  Greywalls we are going to take a cart for one of our rounds foe sure...that course is a difficult trek.  Where is this Bayside course?

-Brian

[Matt_Ward]

Brian:

I am somewhat familiar with the area you are covering and I concur with Doug 1000% regarding the amount of driving.

Let me say that I agree partially with my friend Cary on golf choices.

You need to include Lakota Canyon Ranch and substitute that for Redlands Mesa. The Grand Junction layout is a fine one but what Engh did in New Castle at Lakota is off the charts in terms of fun and excitement.

If you head thru I-80 you should see Thanksgiving Point just south of Salt Lake City in the town of Lehi -- just don't go there on a Sunday as the course is closed since it's owned by Mormons. If you venture further on I-80 thru Wyoming you can skip Powder Horn which is a fine layout but I believe Rochelle Ranch in Rawlins (right off I-80 at mile mark 214) is better.

Keep in mind there is a drainage issue on a few holes at Rochelle Ranch but the bulk of the course is really done well by architect Ken Kavanaugh. People talk about Wild Horse and frankly Rochelle Ranch, when all the dust settles, will be equal of that famed layout in Gothenburg, NE.

Brian -- Rochelle Ranch NEEDS to be affordable because of sheer economics -- it's not in Vail or Aspen. All you need to know is that Rawlins is the last stop between Cheyenne and Rock Spring. Thank heavens they do offer the rates they do --there is still hope for affordable golf in the USA still.

You asked about Bayside -- the course is short drive to the north and west of Ogalala, NE -- off I-80. Bayside is a good bit better than many of its critics opine about here. I'm not saying it's the equal of Wild Horse -- but it's better than what's been mentioned -- including the review of Ron Whitten on golfdigest.com.

Forget golf in the Dakota unless you want to add Bully Puplit in Medora, which is located just outside the TR National Park and the famed Badlands. Better than Links of ND without any doubt in my mind -- Medora is located off I-94. It's really isolated but if you need an alternative besides going to Williston that would be my choice.

Doug W is right about Old Works in Anaconda, MT -- very affordable golf and by Nicklaus no less. Solid layout but I played it late last year and the fescue fairways were a bit soft. Still a nice play if you can.

Brian -- stay with the I-80 and I-70 corridors -- you get better golf options and you are never far from making good quality time.

Enjoy and report back as your trip commences.

[Brian Cenci]

Would like to thank everyone for all their suggestions.  I would also like to invite any and all to play with me on any of these courses on my trip (except the privates which I had to get special permission to play and am limited on the number of people).  The following is a list of when I will be and where:

*August 5th = Victoria National
*August 6th = Olympia Fields (with Jellf Goldman)
*August 6th = Medinah
August 7th = The Harvester (Iowa)
August 8th = Wild Horse ( Nebraska)
*August 9th = Prairie Dunes
August 10th = Golf Club and Redlands Mesa (Colorado)
August 10th = Lakota Canyon (Colorado)
August 12th = Bandon Dunes - 36 holes (Oregon)
August 13th = Bandon Trails - 36 holes (Oregon)
August 14th = Pacific Dunes - 36 holes (Oregon)
August 15th = Old Works (Montana)
August 16th = Links of North Dakota (North Dakota)
August 17th = Hawktree (North Dakota)
*August 18th = Hazeltine (Minnesota)
August 19th = Quarry at Giants Ridge (Minnesota)
August 20th = Greywalls - 36 holes (Michigan)

[Craig Sweet]

I sincerly doubt you will play 36 holes at Bandon on the 14th and be at the Old Works on the 15th in any condition to hit a bucket of balls, much less play 18 holes.

The drive is easily 14 hours, probably a little more than that.

If you should happen to make it, do you have a tee time? Walking on might be difficult. I would also recommend you walk the Old Works course. Carts have to remain on paths (no 90 degree stuff), and my experience, and that of others that have used a cart there, is you end up walking a lot more.

[Brian Cenci]

Craig,
     Yea our tee times at Pacific Dunes on the last day at at 6:30 and a replay at 12:00.  So we'll be on the road at 5:00 or so.  Drive till midnight then wake up the next day and drive 6-7 hours and tee off around 3:00 in the afternoon at Old Works.  And yes, we are walking wherever possible.  I don't ride unless they take a gun to my head...no matter if there is a price difference or not.  We both at 25 so driving and pulling up right to the tee is not a problem, yet.

-Brian

[Craig Sweet]

Good luck!  Do you have AC in that car? From the Dalles to Spokane the temps. are apt to be 95-105....the road north from the tri-cites (pasco/Kenniwick/Richland) has been much improved and is now a 4 lane all the way to I-90 in Ritzville...

A co-worker and I are playing Old Works next week..a twi-light 18...I have a feeling, given the unusual amount of rain this spring, that the fairways might be a bit soft. The supt. would prefer than to be fast and firm.

[Craig Sweet]

Brian, by the way...when you come over the pass into Montana you go from PST to Mountain time...allow for that in your calculations.

[Matt_Ward]

One word for the warning -- when you play Old Works the restriction of carts to path makes for a very LONG DAY. Just think of a few seniors who move slower than a tortoise and their ball rests on the right side of the rough and they must park in the left side you can only imagine how S-L-O-W-L-Y the day progresses.

Be interested in hearing about the nature of the fairways and if the fescue is playing anywhere faster than last year when I made my second visit to Old Works.

[Tony_Chapman]

Brian - I don't know if you have solid tee times yet, but I would consider switching your Prairie Dunes round and your Wildhorse round. You could go from Des Moines to Hutch, then to Gothenburg. From Gothenburg you just hop on 80 to 76 and meet up with 70, rather than driving all the way to Gothenburg and back tracking nearly 150 miles to get back to Hutch.

Just my opinion, but seeing August 8th is a Monday Prairie Dunes may be off limits.

[Craig Sweet]

Matt. I know the supt. wanted the fairways to be dry,fast and firm last year, but it started raining along about mid-August and didn't stop until late September. When I played it last September the course was soft.

He is shooting for that again this year, but like I said, its been very wet since early May. Kalispell shattered the rainfall record for June with several days left in the month.

[peter_p]

Brian,
The Oregon Coast and US101 just won the most-crowded, slowest traffic award in the nation. Use Oregon 38 from Reedsport to get to I-5. If coming up I-5 from the south Oregon 42, then 42S will be fastest way to get to Bandon town.