Best holes we can see from the air....

[Mike_Young]

I know this could end up being a long thread but the "road thread" got me to thinking....and I am sitting in an airport.....

[Rich Goodale]

If you fly into Prestwick airport in Scotland, your normal landing pattern will take you over, in order, Western Gailes, Barassie, Troon and Prestwick.  That's going to be a hard one to beat.

[JESII]

Are there any you cannot see from the air?


I actually had a guy tell me he flew into Washington Dulles right over the course we were going to play and that the greens looked great...he was adamant!

[RJ_Daley]

Mike that is a coincidence for me, that you raise this idea of golf holes you can see from the air.  Just yesterday at men's club, the nephew of the legendary Green Bay Packer, Tony Canadeo came up to me as we crossed on some tees and litterally grabbed me around the shoulders and was all excited to tell me that last week he had the fun of going out to Vegas in a private jet and they stopped in North Platte to fuel.  He said that when they took off, the wealthy guy he was with is apparently a member at Sand Hills.  The guy had the pilot go in over Sand Hills and my friend said how neat it was and how you could see some "amazing golf" down there, as he put it.

I'm a bit of a geography nut and love to plot out where we are at relative to land forms on clear days when flying.  As we go, even though at 30-40Kft high, I always try to pick out the famous golf courses of a region.  Although at normal cruising heights that is too hard to see individual hole detail unless takeoff or landing.  I once flew directly over the land I was interested in in NE and it was exactly in proportion like the the aerial I worked with in plotting out hole corridors.  Fun stuff to pass the air time for us freaks, I guess...  

[redanman]

You CAN see whatever hole that you think is the best in the world from the air.  Some may land you in jail for flying over,but I know of no indoor hole or any hole so heavily treed that you cannot see it from the air.

e.g. You can routinely see all 28 at Pine Valley on a PHL approach.

[Tom Huckaby]

My first take was along the lines of Dr. Bill's... that is, ANY hole can be seen from the air, if one has the means and the will.

But methinks that's not really the question here... it's more what holes can routinely be seen on approaches to airports, the only times you'll be low enough to make out any detail.

And to that end, on approaches to SFO, one goes right over Poplar Creek, which is pretty cool.  Out one side one can typically make out Peninsula GC also, and if coming from the west and circling over for approach, you can at times go over the Olympic/Lake Merced/SFGC triumvirate (I think).  That's pretty neat.

But I sincerely doubt anyone will top Rich's submission.  That is unless flights into Monterey airport go over the 17 Mile Drive area... I've never flow into there....

TH

[Mike_Young]

My first take was along the lines of Dr. Bill's... that is, ANY hole can be seen from the air, if one has the means and the will.

But methinks that's not really the question here... it's more what holes can routinely be seen on approaches to airports, the only times you'll be low enough to make out any detail.

And to that end, on approaches to SFO, one goes right over Poplar Creek, which is pretty cool.  Out one side one can typically make out Peninsula GC also, and if coming from the west and circling over for approach, you can at times go over the Olympic/Lake Merced/SFGC triumvirate (I think).  That's pretty neat.

But I sincerely doubt anyone will top Rich's submission.  That is unless flights into Monterey airport go over the 17 Mile Drive area... I've never flow into there....

TH

Tom,
No, I was actually thinking of any holes one can see from the air anywhere in the world...during daylight....
I am thinking of doing a "coffee table book" on the subject but it could be quite large.....

[Tom Huckaby]

Aha... so we're gonna try and top the Merion thread....

 

[Mike Benham]

If you fly into Prestwick airport in Scotland, your normal landing pattern will take you over, in order, Western Gailes, Barassie, Troon and Prestwick.  That's going to be a hard one to beat.

[Tom Huckaby]

That's a cool photo.  So which course is that at the bottom - Prestwick?

I do recall viewing jumbojets on the ground as the backdrop for shots there... but maybe I am dreaming... and maybe that was Troon....

TH

[Mike_Young]

Aha... so we're gonna try and top the Merion thread....

 

It should quite easily.....

[John Foley]

I've seen abunch of Medinah flying in/out of O'Hare and many others that I do not know.

Tried to see PV, but the few flights I've done out of Philly I've had no luck.

I've tried to see Sand Hills, Wildhorse and or Dismal flying over the plains, but to no avail.

One of the best was flying Miami back to the NE we flew directly over Sawgrass. Very neat.

How much of Winged Foot/Westchester/Quaker can be seen from WhitePlains? I pick people up there all the time, but I never fly out of there.

You can see all of the good old courses here in Rochester, Oak Hill, Monroe, CCR, etc pretty easy

[John Kirk]

My most memorable golf course view from the air came after a trip to northern Michigan.  On the flight out of Traverse City to Chicago, I looked left and saw Crystal Downs, sitting on the narrow sand spit between the Crystal Lake and Lake Michigan.  It gave me a greater appreciation for the course and its setting.

[Bob_Huntley]

A wonderful topic.

Some years ago I flew to Sunriver,Oregon,  in a small plane(very small) and every time I saw a golf course I thought of emergency landings. Coming home to the Monterey Peninsula and playing either of our courses, I thought, now which hole would I choose to put down.

The best strip was the par 5 eleventh on the old Shore course. Abought 490 yards,not a tree in sight, straight as a die and flat.

Then the thirteenth and fifteenth, both par 5s on the Dunes, however, since Rees Jone's work there to improve the drainage one might have some problems with the 'umps and bumps .

Bob

[David Miller]

The planes approaching Charlotte were flying really low over Carolina GC yesterday, which is odd b/c I can't recall ever getting a view of the course from the air.

I got a good view once of Pine Valley flying into JFK--only time I've ever gotten a heads up from the pilot re: a golf course view.  I also check out Audubon CC flying in and out of Louisville.

[Brad Swanson]

I was thinking about the same thing Mike, but I was wondering which flight paths yield the most high quality views.  I happened to be flying back from Los Angeles to Madison when we flew over Las Vegas, and Shadow Creek stuck out like a sore thumb.

Cheers,
Brad

[mike_beene]

Used to be the best was Teeth of the Dog with big jet going right down runway in course.Seminole is an easy one to spot after take off when plane turns back to land.Neat to look at Palm Springs courses in winter on flights out of LAX.Oakmont is an easy one to spot with the turnpike going through.

[Matt_Cohn]

More topics:

Best holes you can see from a cruise ship
Best holes you can drive under in a tunnel (16 at Presidio?)
Best holes you can see from a hangglider (Torrey Pines?)
Best holes you can see from a skyscraper/office building (no idea...)

[Tom Huckaby]

I am loving this....

Best holes you can see from a cruise ship
Cabo del Sol Ocean course - 16-17-18, plus a hole or two on the front nine - if ship comes in proper direction


Best holes you can see from a skyscraper/office building (no idea...)

Los Angeles Country Club!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I would think one could see a wonderful set of courses flying into Heathrow. I saw some very cool courses circling JFK one day as well. Of course I see my home course of Oakboune Cc every time I fly home to Lafayette. It is right on the flight path. That always warms the heart a little more.

[Kalen Braley]

If I didn't know before, I do know now that GCA is the right place for me...and I thought I was the only one who scanned the ground looking for glimpses of golf courses on take offs/landings.

I've even been known to kindly ask if I could swap seats to gain window access if the approach was an especially glorious and clear day.

Biggest thing that is apparent to me from up above is how effective irrigation is during those dry summer months.  I've seen plenty a muni with those green circles on them where the sprinkles didn't quite reach..  

[BCrosby]

Best holes you can see from an office tower:

East Lake

Best holes you can see from the air:

If you are taking off from Philly towards the east, its hard to keep track of the top 50 courses you can see.

Bob

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I would think LACC would be tough to beat on the office building view. You have that Playboy Mansion/bunnies in that view as well.

[Mike Benham]

Best holes you can see from a hangglider (Torrey Pines?)

Olympic trumps Torrey including the NLE Ocean Course holes ... heck, SFGC, Harding and Lake Merced ...

[Mark Bourgeois]

Best holes you can see from a hangglider (Torrey Pines?)

Olympic trumps Torrey including the NLE Ocean Course holes ... heck, SFGC, Harding and Lake Merced ...

You're saying, Mike, that's a nude beach down there, too?