Top 10 Military Courses

[Marty Bonnar]

I've played a lot of military golf over the years.
Left, right, left, right...
I'm here all week. Try the lobster.
F.

[Pete Balzer]

Eisenhower Blue- Air Force Academy

[Chris DeToro]

As an Army brat, it pains me to say that AF bases always tend to have the best courses.  They build that first, run out of money and then ask for more to build the runways    

[Nigel Islam]

Has anyone ever played the Lindsey golf course at Fort Knox? It was ranked on the original Golf Digest list as Top 200 toughest golf courses.

[Chris DeToro]

I've never played the course at Ft Knox, but have been by it.  Didn't seem to be anything special from what I saw, but maybe the interior holes look better/tougher than what I saw

Very disappointed to hear about Ft McNair--that's basically where I started playing the game.  Not a great track by any means, but some great views of the Potomac and cool military buildings

[Bruce Katona]

FBD: Recommending what with the lobster - house specials of

Hope all is well..
BK

[Richard Hetzel]

I've never played the course at Ft Knox, but have been by it.  Didn't seem to be anything special from what I saw, but maybe the interior holes look better/tougher than what I saw

Very disappointed to hear about Ft McNair--that's basically where I started playing the game.  Not a great track by any means, but some great views of the Potomac and cool military buildings

Is that course now called East Potomac GC? Sits on the peninsula???

[Richard Hetzel]

I've never played the course at Ft Knox, but have been by it.  Didn't seem to be anything special from what I saw, but maybe the interior holes look better/tougher than what I saw

Very disappointed to hear about Ft McNair--that's basically where I started playing the game.  Not a great track by any means, but some great views of the Potomac and cool military buildings

Is that course now called East Potomac GC? Sits on the peninsula???

I just found it on historicaerials.com. Pretty cool, all around the grounds of the War College building.

[Chris DeToro]

Pretty sure that East Potomac is a separate golf course.  The actual district has a few public courses and I think EP is one of those.  Ft McNair has long been closed to the general public.  

[Phil Lipper]

I've never played it but alot of people tell me that West Point is a good golf course, Eisenhower which is the Airforce academy golf course is also good.

[Richard Hetzel]

I've never played it but alot of people tell me that West Point is a good golf course, Eisenhower which is the Airforce academy golf course is also good.

West Point allows the general public to play with 3 days advance tee times. Great greens and a quirky back 9. WOrth a play if nearby, but I sure wouldn't advocate a long drive to play there.

[Chris DeToro]

West Point is just a gorgeous setting for golf, but yes, the back 9 has some interesting/quirky holes.  Interesting to hear that many of the military courses are open to the public now.  Such a far cry from my childhood on military bases which were shut down to outside play

[Ben Sims]

As far as service academies go, I'm biased.  I think Eisenhower Blue is the better of the three.  Not to mention its altitude is 7,258 feet, far far above that of West Point or Annapolis. 

[Chris DeToro]

As far as service academies go, I'm biased.  I think Eisenhower Blue is the better of the three.  Not to mention its altitude is 7,258 feet, far far above that of West Point or Annapolis. 

Are you an AFA grad?  My dad's a West Pointer, so I'm a little biased too...but from what I remember, the Naval Academy course was really good

[Mike Worth]

I'm based at Fort McNair -- no golf course but suprisingly it shows up on some google maps.  I'm wondering when it closed.  As to the "Naval Academy" course, it was my understanding that it is a privately owned course and is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy.  So if there are renovations to be made, I don't think the academy would be involved.

[Joe_Tucholski]

I'm based at Fort McNair -- no golf course but suprisingly it shows up on some google maps.  I'm wondering when it closed.  As to the "Naval Academy" course, it was my understanding that it is a privately owned course and is not affiliated with or sponsored by the Academy.  So if there are renovations to be made, I don't think the academy would be involved.

Michael the Naval Academy course is different than any other military course I'm aware of but it is owned by the Naval Academy.  The big difference with the Naval Academy vs. all other military courses I'm aware of revolves around the playing privileges and the ability to make tee times.  Basically the course caters to those stationed at the Naval Academy and its club membership.  The weirdest part of the club is you can be a member with no affiliation to the military.  The civilians, with no military affiliation, who have paid their initiation, have higher priority than active duty or retirees that are not stationed at the Naval Academy.  Active duty not stationed at the Academy and retirees who are not members of the club are only able to make tee times on the day they wish to play and are not able to bring guests.

The reason this weird setup occurs, as I understand it, is because of money.  Instead of the course being operated by MWR it is operated by the Naval Academy Golf Association (a sub organization of the Naval Academy Athletic Association).  The Naval Academy has a number of organizations that work on behalf of the Naval Academy.  I would guess the Naval Academy Athletic Association (a non-profit) is the largest of these types of organizations.  As I understand it these organizations are in place to allow money from outside the government to be used for the benefit of the Naval Academy.  I would guess the funds for the proposed renovation of the Naval Academy Golf Course are almost entirely from the Athletic Association.

[Nigel Islam]

Joe Tucholski, are you still playing at Eglin? I was going to try to play there when I'm down in December. At least I think civvies can play.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Joe Tucholski, are you still playing at Eglin? I was going to try to play there when I'm down in December. At least I think civvies can play.

Yup.  Let me know when you want to play and I'll get a time.

[Thomas Dai]

A couple of UKers -

Army club at Aldershot
Whittington Barracks (now W-Heath)

Didn't places like Royal Calcutta, Royal Singapore (as was) and Royal Hong Kong start out as military clubs/courses?

ATB

[Carl Johnson]

Anyone know anything about the courses at Elmendorf AF Base and Fort Richardson in Anchorage, AK.  This is a serious question.

[Philip Hensley]

I learned to play golf as a teenager at Cherry Point Golf Club (now called Freedom Golf or some kind of "Freedom Fries" type hokey sounding name). Designed by George Cobb. I much preferred the front 9, with 3 par 5s, including one sprinkler head on #8 marked with "don't even think about it" as the distance. The 2nd hole os a par 5, with a hard sloping left to right fairway that would send your second into the right woods of you didn't properly adjust for the hanging lie.

The back 9 seemed as if it were added on later and forced onto the tree-choked land.

[Joe_Tucholski]

Anyone know anything about the courses at Elmendorf AF Base and Fort Richardson in Anchorage, AK.  This is a serious question.

The course at Elmendorf closed down (I believe you can still walk the property).  Unfortunately that's about all I know.

http://www.jber.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123408902

[Adam Lawrence]

A couple of UKers -

Army club at Aldershot
Whittington Barracks (now W-Heath)

Didn't places like Royal Calcutta, Royal Singapore (as was) and Royal Hong Kong start out as military clubs/courses?

ATB

I'm sure all were started by military types, or colonial administrators -- who technically owned them I couldn't say.

I do know that even today, half of the golf courses in India (over 100) are on military bases, and typically only played by military people.

[Joe Hancock]

I learned to play golf as a teenager at Cherry Point Golf Club (now called Freedom Golf or some kind of "Freedom Fries" type hokey sounding name). Designed by George Cobb. I much preferred the front 9, with 3 par 5s, including one sprinkler head on #8 marked with "don't even think about it" as the distance. The 2nd hole os a par 5, with a hard sloping left to right fairway that would send your second into the right woods of you didn't properly adjust for the hanging lie.

The back 9 seemed as if it were added on later and forced onto the tree-choked land.

What years were you there? Was Obie Godette the superintendent at the time? I was at Carolona Pines from 1988 to 1994...

[Philip Hensley]

What years were you there? Was Obie Godette the superintendent at the time? I was at Carolona Pines from 1988 to 1994...

Would've been around 97-00. Not sure about Godette.

Carolina Pines in New Bern? I played there a time or two.