[Tom Huckaby]

I have just been informed by the powers that be that our big family trip for the kids' spring break will be to Russellville, KY, taking them out to see their 90 year old great-grandma.  I've been to Russelliville before and I really enjoyed it.  But that was a quick 2 day trip, and it was enough for me to immerse myself in how different a Southern small town is from my home in the sprawling Bay Area.

This time we're there from Sun-Fri (4/8-13) and that's a lot of days.  I'm sure I'll be allowed at least one morning or afternoon to play golf.

NOTE - THIS IS NOT AN ACCESS REQUEST.  But I would really appreciate ideas as to where to play, within a reasonable drive from Bowling Green, where we will be staying.  I've heard about a new course called "The Club at Olde Stone" which seems to be fairly close to Bowling Green and I could play there... but are there any good public courses around?  Anything worth REALLY fighting the family for?  Anywhere I could take my 8 year old son to play?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.  And if this gets zero response, I shall understand.  My impression is this is not exactly a golf hotspot.

 

TH

ps - yes, I know what I will be missing as I fly across the country on Sunday April 8.  Didn't I once mention that my golf trips require exacting marital payment?  This is how the pound of flesh gets extracted.

[Andy Hughes]

(no worries, I'm sure it'll be a typically dull finish...)


Who is it always promoting Kentucky golf on here? Slips my mind at the moment but he'd be the man to talk to.

[Tom Huckaby]

AH - I appreciate the commiseration.  

And yes!  There is someone who talks Kentucky golf a lot, and I too have sadly spaced out on the name.  I am having serious memory issues lately.  So hopefully he sees this, forgives me for my lapse, and fills me in...

TH

[Chris_Blakely]

Tom Huckaby,

If you are not writing in jest, his name is Doug Ralston.

The web site he reccomends that gives very good details about the best courses in kentucky is below:

http://www.golfkentuckylinks.com/index.html

I have only played the following and am not sure how close they are to where you will be going:

Yatesville Lake SP - Eagle Ridge
Old Silo GC
The Oaks GC
Stone Crest GC

Hope this helps,
Chris

[Tom Huckaby]

Chris - no jest at all - thanks!

Doug Ralston - that's it.  I shall IM him.

And thanks for that link... I hadn't done any searching yet.  I'll get on that also.

Out of those four you mentioned, are any worth pissing off the wife for?

TH

[Chris_Blakely]

Tom,

Wow, that is a tough question and at the same time a great way to break it down.  Honestly, I would say no, but I have learned the hard way to be more cautious when trying to mix golf and family vacations / functions.
Also, I quickly checked to make your search a little easier and none of the courses I listed are in close proximety to Bowling Green, KY.

I will try to quickly describe the four I listed:

Eagle Ridge is an Art Hills course that is less Art Hills and more his associates (and that is a good thing b/c I have played some of his older courses - not so good).  This is 100% Mountain golf with some wild holes and a great routing for the site not because it is walkable (which it is not) but b/c they found 18 holes.

The Oaks was meant to be a private course for the executives of Ashland Oil, they moved their headquarters and the course is now public with no mainatenance budget (b/c it is still a tax writeoff for Ashland Oil).  This coursse is not well maintained at all, b/c it is still on the books for Ashland Oil as a writeoff.  It is a Hurdzan / Fry course.

Old Silo is Graham Marsh and very good, but nothing in the Sutton Bay category (judging only from pictures I have seen).

Stone Crest is a strip mine reclamation project and has some bold bunkering to go with some even bolder holes, but unfortunately that is only on half of them!!

I would talk to Doug, but I though I remeber a Press Maxwell / Perry Maxwell course being in that area??

Good luck,
Chris

[Tom Huckaby]

Chris - great stuff - I'll look into each of those just to be safe, but likely won't push too hard for any - many thanks.

And you've gotten the sense of this perfectly.  There are trips and there are FAMILY trips.  It's clear this is the latter.  If golf occurs, it will be wholly secondary to all other issues.  Nevertheless it doesn't hurt to investigate and plan...

 

[SPDB]

Victoria National, Newburgh, IN.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Victoria National, Newburgh, IN.  

That has been suggested via IM.
And of course arranging it so that I could see Kavanaugh in his natural habitat would be rather enjoyable.  

Unfortunately from what I can tell, it is WAY too far from where I'll be.  Doing that would require an entire day away, and that is plain and simply not gonna fly.

Oh well....

[Dale_McCallon]

Tom,

I almost fell off the couch when I saw someone asking for advice in Russellville.

Mike H and I are wanting to play Princeton CC (maybe 30-45 minutes from Russellville).  It would be an homage to its designer--Perry Maxwell.  Bogey describes the places as more country than country club.  My kind of place.

Olde Stone is getting good press, but access might be an issue--not sure how private they are.

Novadell golf course in Hopkinsville is a fairly new development.  Nothing special, but affordable and probably a good place for your kids to whack it around a bit.

It might be a bit too far away, but check into Lafayette golf course.  I don't think it would be more than an hour away.  I haven't played there in several years,  but the couple times I've been it was worth it.

[Tom Huckaby]

Dale:

It makes me smile that this Topic could make someone fall off the couch!  And yes it must be odd coming from California boy me.  But that is where we are going... my inlaws were born and raised there, and great-grandma still lives there.  

So many thanks for the ideas!  Methinks Princeton CC sounds like my kind of place too.  I just hope they take kindly to a "foreigner" asking to play.  

Believe it or not Olde Stone is on our Golf Digest "best new courses" nomination list so I could play it via that.  So that's a possibility also.

I'm up for anything the wife will allow.  We'll see how it goes.  Thus I may well end up at Novadell with the kids - thanks!

 

TH

ps - I have emailed the esteemed Mr. Hendren, my Bandon room-mate... if you all were willing and able to trek to Princeton during my time out there, I'd he HONORED to join you... that might also be an excuse my wife would buy... I'm playing with two famous locals...  

[Doug Ralston]

Folks,

Eagle Ridge, Stonecrest, and Old Silo are all great courses, but WAY too far, several hours each way. Lafayette is good. But absolutely the public course to play from Bowling Green is but and hour southeast. Dale Hollow Lake State Park is a wonderful course with the sweetest zoysia fairways I have seen. Brian Ault design,with challenge [slope 136], beauty [wait till you tee at #15], and great people too.

BTW, GD liked this one too, #6 in Best New Affordables 2005. [LOL, all of KY publics fit 'affordables' category].

Aside from DH, unless you CAN get on Olde Stone or other private, you will have to travel quite a ways to get to better publics from Bowling Green. Novadel is mostly known for raving on about their dress code  .

Doug

[Tom Huckaby]

Good stuff Doug - many thanks.  Dale Hollow sounds pretty darn cool to me... we'll see what the family allows.

 

[Jason McNamara]

Tom, you'll also be an hour north of Nashville, fwiw.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom, you'll also be an hour north of Nashville, fwiw.

Oh yessiree, that is where we are flying into.  So courses in and around there are being investigated as well.  But the main thing is the messages are in to Mr. Hendren.

 

[Nick Church]

Mr. Huckaby,

PM sent.

I graduated from WKU in Bowling Green.  After several tour stops, I now live in Gallatin, TN  -- 45 miles south of Bowling Green on I-65.

Let me know if I can help.

Regards,
Nick Church

[Dale_McCallon]

Huck,

Hopefully in the spirit of the Pasa vs Meadow Club thread, we will soon be seeing a Russellville CC vs Princeton CC thread. I wonder how many posters have played both of these.

Doug,

What's the deal the Novadell dress code?  While I admit the course is not world class, the staff has always been very friendly with me.

[Doug Ralston]

Dale;

Novadel is probably not really too restrictive, but they preface every ad and even their website with 'dire' pronouncements of their 'dress code'. I think they are trying to portray themselves as a bit exclusive. Anal is more the descriptive.

Chris;

As you know, I am especially obsessive about Eagle Ridge. I find it just too much fun to resist. Holes 3-8 are a very tough sequence indeed, with #4 being one of the toughest par-5s in golf. Do you think it is unfair?

Chris, if you are in E KY, do not miss playing Hidden Cove also. Another great Ault, tough with a nice layout, and like all the 'Signature Series', kept in wonderful condition.

Doug

[John Kavanaugh]

Huck and taxes in the same week...I might shoot myself.  I'm sitting here at the Oregon/UNLV game and have observed the Ducks stunning cheerleaders...These ain't the girls I saw at Bandon.

If you do come to VN plan on it taking all day as we will also play the local Doak course...after that we might have some laughs at the new Liddy course that actually makes Doak look good.

[John Kavanaugh]

Please note that I am posting on my phone and can not read IM's because of memory restrictions.  I will reply to any and all on Monday when I return to a land based system.  I can not ignore what I can't see.

[Nick Church]

Mr. Huckaby, as much as I like my home course & Olde Stone, I cannot in good conscience stand in your way of a round at Victoria National.

All I ask is for a thorough review with pics!

[Buck Wolter]

The Tennessean in Paris TN is a Keith Foster course that's not too far from Russellville and worth playing if in the area. Not sure Russellville counts for being in the area.

We have a plant in Russellville -- I can probably make some calls and get you access to the CC .

Buck

[Tim Copeland]

I have one you can see that is not playable yet....I am in White House TN....just north of Nashville.  It is a Nicklaus design.

I am just a lowly nose picking dirt superintendent and not an all knowing architect.  I will try to write down what the features are called to give you a respectable tour of the place.

[Tim Bert]

Tom,

Here in Nashville, I'd recommend either The Legends or Greystone as a public option, but it looks like between Dale, Doug, Bogey, and Kavanaugh you are more than set for an agenda.

Good luck to your family getting any face time!!!

[Chris_Blakely]

Doug,

Did you read my second email where I said that the four courses I listed were too far away for Tom to make the trip???

There are two problems with #4: very long carry on your tee shot and then no real layup area for your second shot.  If I remember correctly, it required two very long and straight shots to get beyond the drop off. The hole is very challenging that could use some bail-out options for the less heroic.

I have Hidden Cove on my list to play.  I will get down there to play it sometime.

Chris

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