[Jay Flemma]

My friend from Detro says we should make mnore of an effort to be more positive and challenged me to name my fave Jones Courses.  So here goes:

Trent (the Father) - casperkill and spyglass.  casperkill is a little public in poughkeepsie that used to be private.  It's sporty over the first six holes (although 2 is a bear...great par-4), then gets tougher without beating you up the rest of the way. after noon, you can walk 18 for 45 bucks and get a good test, a chance for a closing birdie on the par-4.5 closer (easy 5), and get a steak down the street for $20 while watching sports.  Whats not to like.  If want fancier, OK..Spyglass.

Bob Jr. - chambers bay.  I play there in late sept/early oct, but I like what I've seen so far.  I also like Arrowhead...it's the Red Rocks of golf courses.

Rees - Tough call - I just don't have a clear cut fave and have trouble parsing through the rest.  I'm reserving decision till I interview him this week at the PGA.

[Mark Arata]

My favorite Trent is Spyglass
favorite reese is Olde Kinderhook in Albany NY. very nice course that would probably be thought much better of if people on the board didnt know who built it!

not sure I have played any of Bob Jr's works so cant say on him.

[PCCraig]

Trent - Spyglass, Bellerive, and Port Royal
Jr. - Haven't played many but perhaps Thunderhawk and Prarie View?
RJ - (Non-redo) Ocean Forest, Briars Creek

[Carl Nichols]

Not sure how much of these courses were or remain RTJ Sr. work, but of the courses I've played, my top three of his would be:

Robert Trent Jones (Gainesville, VA) [I think this course is underrated]
Atlanta Athletic (Highlands)
Montouk Downs

Haven't played Spyglass

[Patrick Schultheis]

Senior - Spyglass, Mauna Kea

Junior - Chambers Bay

Rees - no originals that stand out

[JNC Lyon]

RTJ Sr. is really the only architect with whom I have serious experience.  Although I love Seven Oaks in Hamilton, NY (my second home course), Crag Burn is definitely my favorite RTJ Sr. layout.  I can't stress enough how good this layout is.  The par fives are all tremendous (always his strong point), but the highlight of the course is the set of short par fours at 3 and 11.

What distinguishes Crag Burn from other Trent Jones layouts (and, for that matter, most courses in upstate NY)?  First, a great flair for bunkering.  The bunkers are wild, detailed, random, and perfectly maintained.  Second, the course is based on width and strategy rather than choked fairways and penal architecture.

[Anthony_Nysse]

I think that RTJ Sr  that will continue to fly under the radar is Point O Woods. It is just a big, bold golf course with very good conditioning.

Ree's best all have been renovations, in my opinion-Cog Hill, BBlack, Atlanta Athletic, Medinah, I hear that Nantucket is very good, I'm not sure how much Rees is left at Atlantic GC on Long Island, but Ocean Forest is a good track, wich that there could be more ocean holes.

RTJ, Jr has done the least acclaimed courses of the 3, with The Prince course in Hawaii, supposedly being good.

Tony Nysse
GCS
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach, FL

[Matt_Ward]

Anthony. et al:

All good choices for Rees -- but one really stands out against all the others I have played and it gets little to no attention ...

Olde Kinderhook -- located just outside Albany, NY.

Course eschews all of the formulaic predictable patterns seen in so many other Rees Jones layouts. Plenty of variety in terms of the holes and the terrain is simply stellar for a parksland layout.

Olde Kinderhook is good enough to make NY's overall top ten and that says plenty in my book. Why it's not listed among GW's top modern designs also has me scratching my head.

[Jon Heise]

My resume is a bit limited, but I really, really enjoyed Tanglewood Park...

Paid $27 or something like that, got to play a varied, interesting, challenging course.  Cant wait to get back down there.

[Tim Gavrich]

Sr: Tanglewood Park--Clemmons, NC
Jr: Sugarloaf USA--Carrabassett Valley, ME
Rees: Bryan Park (Champions)--Browns Summit, NC

Collaboration: Duke GC--Durham, NC

My father has played Seven Oaks at Colgate (Sr.) and Briar's Creek near Kiawah (Rees) and enjoyed both.  Black Hall Club (Rees, I think) in Old Lyme, CT isn't bad either.

[Michael Whitaker]

RTJ:   The Dunes Golf & Beach Club (Myrtle Beach)
         Chanticleer (Greenville Country Club)

Jr:      None

Rees:  Briar's Creek
         Haig Point (newly remodeled with most of the artificial mounding removed)

[Jay Flemma]

I like the dunes too...although I didnt like the palmetto bugs I met in my room in the hotel I HAD to stay in to get a tee time to play the dunes...

[Anthony_Nysse]

Anthony. et al:

All good choices for Rees -- but one really stands out against all the others I have played and it gets little to no attention ...

Olde Kinderhook -- located just outside Albany, NY.

Course eschews all of the formulaic predictable patterns seen in so many other Rees Jones layouts. Plenty of variety in terms of the holes and the terrain is simply stellar for a parksland layout.

Olde Kinderhook is good enough to make NY's overall top ten and that says plenty in my book. Why it's not listed among GW's top modern designs also has me scratching my head.

Matt,
  Wasnt P;de Kinderhook rate by GW at one time?

Tony Nysse
GCS
Pine Tree GC
Boynton Beach

[Matt_Ward]

Anthony:

OK should be rated by all mags because it is THAT good.

Talk about remote location -- few would think Albany, NY would be worth a stop.

OK is certainly that and more.

By the way -- I've played HP and Briar's Creek and OK is the better of the two in my mind.

[Chris_Clouser]

RTJ Sr - Probably Firestone or Greenville CC.  Otter Creek in Columbus, IN is #3 on the list.

Rees - Have only played nine holes by him and didn't really care for them.

RTJ Jr - Only seen one course, Prairie View in Carmel, IN and it is pretty solid. 

[Bill_McBride]

I like the dunes too...although I didnt like the palmetto bugs I met in my room in the hotel I HAD to stay in to get a tee time to play the dunes...

For those of the non-Southern culture, "palmetto bugs" is what we call giant flying cockroaches.   

[A.G._Crockett]

RTJ, Sr.  Peachtree.  I've only been fortunate enough to play it once, and I'd guess that I will not get the opportunity again, but it is just magnificent in every respect.  Oddly, the rest of the RTJ, Sr. courses that I've played haven't been among my favorites.  Didn't dislike 'em at all, but just not my favorites.  

RTJ, Jr.  Woodmont here in Atl. is my only experience with him, and I think it is excellent; one of the most underrated courses in the area, IMO.

Rees  Very nice work on the redo of his father's course at Duke, Gator Hole (NLE) at Myrtle Beach, and that's about it.  I hope to see the Echelon/GaTech Club soon.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

My experience is limited, but I'd say Peachtree is the only real standout that I've seen from the Jones family.

How about Old Warson?  It was seemingly a great host for this weeks Women's Am that was a blast to watch.  It looked interesting despite a few too many overhanging trees.

[Bill Hyde]

Jay, glad you followed my sage advice. I am from Upstate NY originally, so I am a fan of Seven Oaks where I played a fair amount in my youth. It is Colgate's course and I believe the course was designed about 20 years before the school actually built it. It is worth a visit to anyone who happens to be in the area...skip the Casino courses and take in this one and Leatherstocking in Cooperstown. Another CNY course Sr. designed - and one of his first - is Green Lakes State park. I am sure it has been neutered by equipment, but it is a scenic spot and worth a visit...an example of government spending done right. I was also a member for a brief time at Crag Burn in Buffalo and I agree it is a wonderful course. A parkland front 9, a linksy back and a beautiful test. Definitely a course you can play every day and never tire of. Though built in '69, it has a great old clubhouse that was the horse barn for the Goodyear family (not the tire people)...my in-law's are still members, so I play it regularly. Firestone is a fun course, though I have been rained out every time on his design there (North?), so I have only seen the front. Lastly, the short course he did at my club in Detroit is a lot of fun and beautiful to look at. As for Rees, Atlantic is big and brutal...I had a long day there, so I may not be the best source, found it to be impeccably difficult. Ocean Forest is gorgeous, though I loved the beach barbecues they used to hold on that property. Jr. is not as well-known to me, though I do hope to get to Chambers some day.

Just wanted some different perspective on the family that takes a lot of grief on this board!

[Chip Gaskins]

Peachtree is my favorite Sr. course followed closely by The Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach and then there is RTJ Club in DC but I am not sure if it RTJ or Kyle Phillps...

Never played a Jr. course.

Rees - my dad plays our of one in New Bern, NC called The Emerald that I suppose isn't terrible.

[Matt Day]

Being a member of a trent jones junior course I'll have to say Joondalup. Three distinct nines with different characteristics, its only weakness now is that at 6000 metres long with firm fairways its becoming a tad short.

People are generally in the love or hate camps, not much middle ground

http://www.joondalupresort.com.au/guests/golf/golf.mhtml

[David_Elvins]

Being a member of a trent jones junior course I'll have to say Joondalup.
http://www.joondalupresort.com.au/guests/golf/golf.mhtml

Matt,

My impression of Joondalup was that the Quarry nine is outstanding, the dunes nine ok and the Lakes nine abymal.  Is this a fair rating of the Lakes nine?

[Matt Day]

Being a member of a trent jones junior course I'll have to say Joondalup.
http://www.joondalupresort.com.au/guests/golf/golf.mhtml

Matt,

My impression of Joondalup was that the Quarry nine is outstanding, the dunes nine ok and the Lakes nine abymal.  Is this a fair rating of the Lakes nine?

David
Quarry/Dune is definitely the members preferred 18. The Lakes is okay,couple of decent holes but not in the same league as the other two. It was built a couple of years later and doesn't quite fit with the original nines

[Jay Flemma]

I like the dunes too...although I didnt like the palmetto bugs I met in my room in the hotel I HAD to stay in to get a tee time to play the dunes...

For those of the non-Southern culture, "palmetto bugs" is what we call giant flying cockroaches.   

...and imagine my horror the first time I saw one.

Front Desk:  Oh, it's no big deal Mr. Flemma.  Around here we call them the "State Bug."

[Jay Flemma]

Jay, glad you followed my sage advice. I am from Upstate NY originally, so I am a fan of Seven Oaks where I played a fair amount in my youth. It is Colgate's course and I believe the course was designed about 20 years before the school actually built it. It is worth a visit to anyone who happens to be in the area...skip the Casino courses and take in this one and Leatherstocking in Cooperstown. Another CNY course Sr. designed - and one of his first - is Green Lakes State park. I am sure it has been neutered by equipment, but it is a scenic spot and worth a visit...an example of government spending done right. I was also a member for a brief time at Crag Burn in Buffalo and I agree it is a wonderful course. A parkland front 9, a linksy back and a beautiful test. Definitely a course you can play every day and never tire of. Though built in '69, it has a great old clubhouse that was the horse barn for the Goodyear family (not the tire people)...my in-law's are still members, so I play it regularly. Firestone is a fun course, though I have been rained out every time on his design there (North?), so I have only seen the front. Lastly, the short course he did at my club in Detroit is a lot of fun and beautiful to look at. As for Rees, Atlantic is big and brutal...I had a long day there, so I may not be the best source, found it to be impeccably difficult. Ocean Forest is gorgeous, though I loved the beach barbecues they used to hold on that property. Jr. is not as well-known to me, though I do hope to get to Chambers some day.

Just wanted some different perspective on the family that takes a lot of grief on this board!

Bill I didn't know you used to play 7 oaks!  I used to get my head beaten in day in and day out by Moira Dunn, the LPGA player when we were jr. golfers there.  I'm not a fan of that one, but green lakes is cute...a nice cheap course for a summers day.

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