Firstly, I want to thank all those that are part of the Great Golf Club Atlas discussion group, for all the advice, assistance and tips, and special thanks to Kevin Pallier, I sent him tons of emails with questions in relation to his amazing 2009 trip and he was very patient with me and is guidance was much appreciated, to Mike & Sus for their kind hospitality and lastly to Jim Colten for inviting and making myself and my 3 buddies from Australia most welcome at the Inaugural "YUCCA", and some Matchplay at the awesome Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club with 28 other GCA guys...
My trip began with an offer from a friend that has recently moved to the USA, “if I could get us onto Sand Hills would you come over” – after a very brief discussion with my beautiful and understanding wife, I said yes – so the adventure and the planning began, and we were able to convince two others (one to celebrate his 40th birthday)to join us for 8 days of great golf(we all have a big 5 days at Barnbougle with 12 others each Feb).
KP’s trip was truly inspirational and provided a catalyst to motivate me to try to see and study as many courses as possible, and within the course selection to experience as much as possible of the Golden Age guys work mixed in the “new” Golden Age works. I was able to add a further 5 days by myself on top of the 8 days with the boys. I had originally wanted to include the East Coast and some of the big guns over there, but it requires so much planning and organising and letter writing, that I would not have been able to do them justice time wise, even if I had of been able to arrange to visit.
3-4 months out, I began a bit of a training regime to get as fit as possible, lose a few kilo’s (carrying your clubs and walking 36 everyday has got to be easier with less weight right?), and spent 100’s of hours online researching, emailing, writing letters, sending faxes, booking flights, arranging transfers, booking hire cars, all in preparation so as to make this the best golf trip ever. (I had been to GB&I in 2005) We all ordered commemorative custom Old Mackenzie Walker golf bags – and they got delivered to us at Ballyneal and the Pres hand delivered mine to me in Bandon. They are highly recommended, in fact outstanding. Has actually changed one of our groups life in regard to golf - he will never look at golf the same again now that he has his OMW.
“The Confidential Guide” and the “Doak Scale” were part of the planning. Didn’t think it was worth travelling all that way for a Doak 5 (although unfortunately there was some late night discussion about that at BN which has been covered on another thread); Darius Oliver’s “Planet Golf USA” book was also of great assistance.
The Courses in order of play, “Doak scale” and (rounds in brackets):
- San Francisco Golf Club “Gourmet’s Choice - 9” (18);
- Ballyneal (54);
- Sand Hills “Gourmet’s Choice -9?” (72);
(Travel day – to get from SH to Bandon);
- Pacific Dunes(36);
- Bandon Dunes(36);
- DAY: Old Macdonald(36) –EVENING: Bandon Trails(9);
- Bandon Trails (18);
- Pasatiempo “Doak 7” (18);
- AM: Pebble Beach “Doak 9” (18) & PM: Cypress Point Club “Bo Derek: a perfect 10”(walked 18);
- Spyglass Hill “Doak 7” (18);
- Riviera Country Club “Gourmet’s Choice - 9” (18).
369 golf holes in 13 days with one day travel only in the middle.
To deal with the way my brain works when it comes to remembering golf holes (not great), I took photos of every golf hole with wide angle, and then zoomed in for another shot, and tried to keep in sequence – I confused myself when I got to 3&4 at Pac Dunes, with shots of 13.... I rated each hole from 0-3 stars and then a heart shape for “fun” or “love it” factor and a tick for strong or great strategic hole. I also carried a pocket sketch book where I attempted as best I could to draw the routings, and make comments about the holes and course, and I also used a separate rating to assess each course using my own subjective and IMO thoughts. I rated each of these six categories out of a possible 5 points: Design & Layout; Condition; Variety & Test of Golf; Overall and/ or Intended Experience; My Personal Experience; Fun Factor; - possible 30 pts.
I am planning to do only a brief photo essay of the courses with a few favourite holes or what I thought were best holes, and not a full hole by hole photo thread as it seems most of the courses have already been done on here, particularly recently KP’s and Matt’s – but if anyone wants to see them – just ask and I will post – although it may take a while with over 1400 pictures. Have posted some social pics from the Yucca on a separate thread. The other thing I wanted to do that I thought may be interesting and unique to my experience only in relation to the set of courses I played was to do my favourite 18 holes, my favourite holes 1 thru 18, i.e. best 1st hole etc – although this is proving extremely challenging and of course list my favourite courses as I see them and IMO only.
I will do separate course by course over the next week or so, but here is a quick summary of my experience.
FROM THE FIRST day, Melb-Hong Kong- San Francisco - after 26 hours travelling, and arriving into SFO at 11pm, the next morning , to be standing on the tee at 7.30am with a fantastic host at SFGC was unexpected and I cannot think of a better way to begin my trip. This opening round rated 5/5 on my personal experience, I did not know a lot about SFGC except that it was a intensely private club, a Tillinghast design and I had read about the Duel Hole; I was blown away by the routing, the greens and bunkering and eagerly anticipated the downhill 7th and it did not disappoint, as did the Par 5’s. I left SFGC that morning feeling extremely lucky and fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience such a wonderful golf oasis in the middle of this big city. How could my trip possibly continue or improve on this?
Well, of course it did with the next two courses in Ballyneal and Sand Hills, much travelling to get to these out of the way courses, and well worth it. Ballyneal was a magnificent sight, the seemlingly endless rumbling dunes and hills, and golf holes as far as you can see, fabulous accommodation and staff and great company – thanks for a great event Jim. Surprising was the altitude and it’s affect on our golf balls – never did I believe I could hit a ball so far, my mate and partner for the Yucca- Oby, a big hitter when it gets on the fairway, had 9 iron into the glorious par 5 8th hole – a drive well over the central bunker line, alas he 5 putted for a double!
A normally 3 hour journey to the famed Sand Hills, with an inaccurate print out from Google maps and Golf Ops at Ballyneal, had us drive straight past the entrance (our information said it was a right hand turn – of course it is left!) – we continued on thru the town of Mullen, and I believe we got 38 miles past Mullen, before deciding to turn around, we had clocked almost the 3.5 hrs and knew we had missed it, the empty fuel light came on our rented Surburban, which had us selecting neutral down the hills in a intense effort to save fuel, as we had only passed one car and the light was fading fast.... we don’t think we had 5 miles to spare when we eventually arrived back in Mullen and a gas station with a friendly local providing us accurate directions BACK to Sand Hills – Gene, unfortunately, as you may now realise, we did not have time to squeeze in that extra 9-18 holes! Slightly disappointed and embarrassed with getting lost, but finally ecstatic to be at Sand Hills, with it’s incredibly welcoming staff, it easily lived up to it’s lofty standards. The first day we played off the Black square tee blocks, the intermediary, and felt a little underwhelmed – but – on moving to the Black Diamonds the next morning – WOW – a superior golf course we had found, much better visuals and sight lines, and fell in love a ‘second’ glance! And when the breeze picked up in the afternoon, we mixed up the tees as we wished. Here again, my Personal experience rating was off the charts, and incredible place and easily a 5/5 and the best I’d seen.
A full day’s travel required and departure around 5am to drive 6 hours from Sand Hills (we dropped a visit to the new Prairie Club to allow more time at BN & SH – a wise choice in hindsight) to DIA, with a quick detour back to Ballyneal to pick up 3 Old Mackenzie Walker golf bags for the boys, say G’day again to the great staff, bumped into Rupert Neal and Jim for a quick chat and grabbed a quick breakfast and back on the road. Flights from Denver International to SFO and then the 23 seater Prop from SFO to North Bend. Shuttle transfer from there to Bandon Dunes got us there around 6pm. Todd & Thom were waiting there with my OMW, a great meal in the pub, and it was off to the luxurious accommodation and early morning tee time at Pac Dunes.
Pacific Dunes we wanted to play first, in case we had a chance for a further round later in our stay and wanted to repeat it. The first 18 holes was marred by a poor caddy experience, and the wild and wonderful Pac Dunes showed herself in the afternoon, albeit with a 4 club breeze. Next day was the excellent Bandon Dunes, a great variation and different challenge to PD, with 16 just an incredible hole. Saturday finally got me to the course I was most eager for, Old Macdonald, with such a build up and high expectations - I was fearful of a let down – a 4 club breeze built up to one extra in the afternoon, extremely tough conditions to experience golf and a place like this, but I was surprised to discover I had just played the best course I had ever seen. To think that even in a five club breeze and atrocious golf, that I still could rate this as the best I had ever played was stunning. Never have I been offered such choice from a tee, from the fairway ...and the greens, well suffice to say, I could spend another 50 rounds there and still be discovering new ways to the pin. Mike, Tom, Jim & George and their teams have created a true masterpiece IMO. It is only going to improve with a couple of years of rough and the surrounding detail to grow in.
One of my major disappointments on this trip, was to stand on the Ocean hole green, gazing across to the Sheep Ranch, knowing I would not get to play it – a dream, that will remain, in the meantime I hope to get one of Mike D’s shirts. We were able to squeeze in a few holes at Bandon Trails that evening and a respite from the wind was most welcome. Holes 1 thru 5 in the late evening light were truly beautiful. The next day we needed to allow time for flights, so we could only afford time for 18 holes at BT – another incredible golf course, and interestingly, I found I preferred most of the odd numbered holes, particularly on the B9, with #2 just great.
After I had checked my luggage and boarding pass in hand, as I watched my 3 buddies go thru the gate, I was kicked off the UA flight from North Bend to SFO, along with 2 other guys as they needed to reduce weight because of the windy conditions, I missed two really important things that evening and an early morning tee time at Pasatiempo because UA believed that they can kick off those without connecting flights. I eventually got to Pasatiempo the next day around lunchtime, and experienced a great Mackenzie layout, and then continued on to Monterey and Carmel.
Next morning I went to CPC , I had written numerous correspondence and was treated kindly and with respect and was fortunate to arrange a visit in the afternoon, I then dropped in to Pebble, as I did not have a pre-arranged tee time, and I was able to tee off mid morning. I was surprised to hear one of my playing partners, and very well travelled golfer, explain to me that this was his best rated and most favourite golf course in the whole world, I found it soft and underwhelming, and at US$495 would never return for a 2nd 18.
In complete contrast to my round at Pebble, I walked Cypress Point in the late afternoon, by myself, not another soul to be seen after the first tee where the was a two ball teeing off 14, without doubt this is the greatest golf course I have ever seen, and do not see how any other course in the world could better it. The routing flows as if it was meant to be, smile jumps to your face on majority of tees and fairways, over uneven lies and undulations, one heads into the forest away from the coast and usually downwind, then turn into and over the huge white sand dunes and back toward the sea and the breeze, another quick 180 turn down breeze, before the incredible 8 hole finish, back toward the ocean and the wind, the 13th hole stuck me to the middle of the fairway, as never before have I been compelled to sketch a green and bunker complex such as this, the crescendo continues to build the entire way, as you can actually feel that there is something special in store toward the finale, to walk onto the most beautiful P3 I have seen – the 15th tee near sunset, waves crashing, birds and seals, and then there is 16 off in the distance, completely astounding, you really do feel at one with nature, a very spiritual experience, although I still managed to run out of batteries in both cameras, fortunately I had my sketch book, to continue to take notes. Late in the day, the pathways thru the Cypress trees took on a ghostly appearance for me, and finally to the biggest surprise of all, the 18th, often derided here, with light fading fast, I was struck by the awesome minefield of giant Cypress that you are asked to thread, just one more completely different challenge thrown at you, just as you thought you could be tested no more,- as I weaved thru these giant Cypress, I was almost expecting them to nod or move, and was immediately reminded of the Easter Island statues, when you join the four large trees on 18 with the copse on the 17th these magnificent trees stand like sentinels guarding this treasured place, defiant to the elements and they show a resilience to the test of time, as the club, course and it’s Architect have done. This is now forever my benchmark and the Holy Grail.
I stop into the Monterey Airport bar and restaurant for an evening meal – without doubt the best airport bar I have seen, of the 14 people at the bar eating meals and drinking – 8 were locals, they come ever week – do yourself a favour and check it out. I am back onto another plane and down to my final destination of LA, meet up with Oby again, and head out to the wonderful George Thomas design of Riviera, and a fabulous host and also another great member to make up our fourball. I was continually amazed at how well these great old course designs stand up to modern day golf, incredibly challenging, interesting and loads of fun.
Departing LA, via SFO, Tokyo, Sydney and landing in Melbourne was a pretty pleasant 31 hours! Plenty of time to contemplate a great golf trip to the USA.
(sorry about the length of the post
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