your favorite two (one modern, one old) NLEs you regularly played

[Joe Bausch]

Recently Cirba and I were recounting many golf courses we'd regularly played that are now gone.

I'd be curious to hear from the treehouse your favorite two NLEs you played more than once (one being an oldie, the other being modern).

I'll go first.

Modern: Beechtree.

It was an easy 1h ride from Philly down I-95 to play this public course in Maryland. Wonderful mix of holes, including good back-to-back par 5s in the middle of the round. Really fine set of par 3's as well.

Oldie: Ashbourne CC

This Willie Park, Jr, design closed I think around the same time as Beechtree (2009ish). Not a long course, but fun shots everywhere. Fairly severe piece of land that was effectively routed.

Time's yours! 

[Tommy Williamsen]

Ι belonged to Turf Valley CC (MD) for 15 years, when it was private. It had three courses. The North Course was the best of the bunch, followed by the South Course. They are both gone. A few of the north course's holes are still in play, but the course itself is gone.


I was a member of Dulaney Valley GC (MD) in the 70's. It became a housing development. Johnny U was a member. The first time I shook hands with him, I was dumbfounded. It was like shaking hands with a 2X6.

[David_Tepper]

I still mourn the closing 4-5 years ago of the Vern Macan designed San Geronimo Golf Course in Marin County, CA. The handling of the process by the local political establishment was truly shameful.     

[David Federman]

I agree 100% with Ashbourne in the classic category.  But, in the modern category, I really miss Blue Heron Pines East, a fabulous, but short-lived Steve Smyers design which was a ton of fun to play. In its short life, it hosted the USGA Amateur Public Links championship in 2003, won by Brandt Snedeker.  Ironically that championship is also NLE.

[Brett Meyer]

I wouldn't say I played it regularly (maybe 3 times), but among moderns in my home state of Michigan, I really miss Tom Doak's Black Forest. Yes it was a very difficult course and a few of the greens were overdone, but it was probably the best of the 'deep woods adventure' northern Michigan courses--there were a lot of really beautiful and interesting holes. I think I liked it more than High Pointe.

But the one I miss the most, even though it was nowhere near as good, was an old course (probably built around 1920) in southeast Michigan called Bogie Lake. It had no bunkers and the greens were all small and round. But it had some of the wildest fairway contours I've ever seen--two par 5s on the back nine ran straight up and down 50 ft. hills. It also had a 230 yard par 3 that was blind over a hill and a 290 yard par 4 with the green perched on the top of a hill that was probably 50 feet down on one side and 30 feet down on the other. You could either go for the green and inevitably end up playing 50 feet uphill from the hollow or lay up 200 yards out to the left and hope to hit a good wedge. See if you can guess what the course's typical beer leaguers did.

It's the only course I've played in Michigan that had some of the weirdness of our favorite English country courses. It was also the place to go after a rainstorm--it drained incredibly well. It's not the best NLE course I've played, but it's the one I miss the most.

[mike_malone]

Joe,


  I agree with Beechtree but since I can’t think of an old one I would add Three Little Bakers which I joined as Pike Creek Valley in the early 70’s.

[Steve_Lovett]

The Ponce de Leon golf course in St Augustine, FL was Donald Ross's first in Florida dating to 1915-16. It fell into disrepair prior to its closing (very early 2000's), but it was a brilliant layout with several holes on the Intracoastal marshes, mature oaks, and a great routing. It was originally known as the St Augustine Links and its potential was easy to see. For the past 15-20 years the property has been developed into a residential subdivision. 

[Mike Worth]

For me the modern NLE course is definitely Beechtree.  I played it a half dozen times. I liked it more than Bulle Rock, by Pete Dye also in Aberdeen, MD which at the time was the more highly regarded of the two courses.


The older course is Garrison (NY).  Dick Wilson designed course opened in 1960 was closed about five years ago — sold for residential development.

[JLahrman]

I still mourn the closing 4-5 years ago of the Vern Macan designed San Geronimo Golf Course in Marin County, CA. The handling of the process by the local political establishment was truly shameful.   

I only played San Geronimo once (with David and a couple of other GCAers) but it was a fun course in a beautiful spot.


Even though I don't live in the area anymore, Weatherwax GC in Middletown OH was a big loss for me. It was a 36 hole facility that hosted high school tournaments back in the day. I continued playing the courses for many years after. Arthur Hills is not a particularly popular architect on this site, and I'm not a fan myself, but Weatherwax had a lot of good holes. They were definitely my favorite Hills courses I've ever played.


Middletown was the town featured in Hillbilly Elegy, with its fortunes highly tied to the now defunct AK Steel. With the ups and downs experienced by Middletown, wasn't hard to predict that a 36-hole municipal golf course might not be the town's highest priority. I was hoping they would be able to keep 18 holes, but the entire place closed in 2016.

[Ira Fishman]

Probably counts more as modern: Plum Tree National about 45 minutes outside of Chicago. A Joe Lee design with a nice variety of holes. Quite challenging as well.


Redgate Municipal in Rockville, MD. No idea who designed it. Really solid layout even though there were some quirky holes.


Ira

[Craig Disher]

Modern - Indian Spring CC in Rockville MD.  An affordable, private club with a pair of Wm/David Gordon courses very typical of good post-WWII architecture. Even though it was profitable and had a solid, loyal membership, it was sold in the 1980s for housing.
Old - Never in good shape and nearly unrecognizable from its 18-hole original design, the 9 holes of Annapolis Roads GC were a reminder of how extraordinary early golf design could be. Template holes on steroids.

[DFarron]

I still mourn the closing 4-5 years ago of the Vern Macan designed San Geronimo Golf Course in Marin County, CA. The handling of the process by the local political establishment was truly shameful.   

Amen!

[Kevin_Reilly]

San Geronimo as mentioned above.  What a beautiful spot.


On the (more) modern side, Roddy Ranch in the east part of the Bay Area was always fun to play.

[Jim Sherma]

Both of mine are unfortunately local:


Old: Hershey Parkview - 1928 Maurice McCarthy - wonderful old school course over some cool land forms that forced some real strategic choices to be made resulting in potentially large disparity in outcomes on many holes. Closed in 2005 and I can still play through the entire course in my head. There were 6 holes that were as good as any in the area and the rest of the course had a lot of fun and funky shots as well.


New: Wren Dale/Hershey Parkview - 2003 Hurdzan/Fry - Cool course that never really fulfilled it's potential IMHO. Very tough walk that would have required some bridges across the deep ravines to make it work as a walking course. Once Hershey took it over and renamed it Hershey Links it became overwatered and ceased to have a good maintenance meld with the architecture. Sad ending to a project that was never really fully realized.

[Bernie Bell]

Glenn Dale GC in Glenn Dale MD.  Post-war George Cobb. 

Related, if you knew the place.  https://msga.org/remembering-troy-beck-lpga-pga-professional-at-glenn-dale/

Tommy -- Unitas and Tom Matte also played at Eagle's Nest in Phoenix at one time.  Matte tells story of Unitas' hands (large) and his (small).  When Matte was called upon to play QB, he said the receivers joked about his "option ball."  Compared to Unitas' tight spiral, they could catch Matte's ball at either end.
 

[Kalen Braley]

For me its the former WingPointe in SLC near the airport.  I believe it was an Arthur Hills track, and Keith Foster was the lead associate?  (Cirba can probably correct me here)

Anyways, it was a super fun track with well placed bunkers, risk/reward holes, and a terrific stretch of "links-like" holes on the back 9.  Given the proximity to the runway at SLC International, the big planes would fly relatively low to land and it was a stop and cover your ears kind of thing.  Makes one think of "negative ghostrider the pattern is full" 

Super affordable course (weekend green fees of only $30 IIRC) and a real shame when it closed.

[Chris_Blakely]

All of mine fall in the great State of Ohio.


Old: Tamaron Country Club (formerly known at Sunningdale CC - Toledo, OH), the course was designed by Harold Webber (who played out of Inverness and was involved along with his father in its creation).  He also designed several other local courses in the area (several are still around in some capacity).  It had several ravines created by streams that were reminiscent of Inverness and created unique landforms for golf not typically found in NW Ohio.  I can replay every hole out there.


Old (honorable mention as I only played a handful of times): The Harbor Club (Ashtabula, OH), the course was designed by Bert Way.   Course felt like a steeplechase race up / over / around / through the many ravines on the property.  It was a wild ride with some wild greens.


Modern: Auman Timbers (Dover, OH), the course was only open for about 10 years or so.  I used to play in when my job would take me to eastern Ohio.  It was far enough south that it fell in that part of Ohio blessed with very very hilly terrain.  There were some unique holes and even more unique tee shots for Ohio golf.

[Ira Fishman]

Both of mine are unfortunately local:


Old: Hershey Parkview - 1928 Maurice McCarthy - wonderful old school course over some cool land forms that forced some real strategic choices to be made resulting in potentially large disparity in outcomes on many holes. Closed in 2005 and I can still play through the entire course in my head. There were 6 holes that were as good as any in the area and the rest of the course had a lot of fun and funky shots as well.


New: Wren Dale/Hershey Parkview - 2003 Hurdzan/Fry - Cool course that never really fulfilled it's potential IMHO. Very tough walk that would have required some bridges across the deep ravines to make it work as a walking course. Once Hershey took it over and renamed it Hershey Links it became overwatered and ceased to have a good maintenance meld with the architecture. Sad ending to a project that was never really fully realized.

I played Old Hershey Parkview only a couple of times in the late 80s but still remember it as strategic and enjoyable.

[Jason Topp]

I loved Apache Stronghold.   It may still exist in some form and it was in decline when I visited but the bones of a great course still existed at that time.



I believe Pecan Valley in San Antonio exists no longer.  When I visited it has been remodeled to hold a USGA event and was a terrific test in great condition.


Cabo del Sol Ocean was a great course and the location of my only hole in one.  I have not been back since they turned the finishing stretch into real estate but I strongly suspect the changes are significant enough to count as NLE. 

[archie_struthers]

 


Hello all, and a merry winter golf season to all my die hard friends here in the mid-atlantic.   


I bemoan the passing of Laurel Oak CC , right down the street from Woodcrest CC in Gibbsboro, NJ. Swallowed up by commercial development in the late 80's . It cost $125 in 1970-74  for a junior membership. Pretty good layout that was a real bargain!


My memories of Freeway GC in Sicklerville , NJ remain to this day. We played innumerable great money matches among the Pine Valley caddies there in the late 70's early 80's. Lost forever. The first hole was a 600 yard par five that was reachable in two! Talk about firm and fast    I could play a fast nine or eighteen after looping on my way back to the Jersey Shore !

[David_Tepper]

Any Jersey guys remember Bamm Hollow CC near Lincroft/Middletown? It was a private 27-hole club built in the 1960's that closed around 2011 for a housing development.

Per wikipedia, Jim Nantz was a member there in his younger days.

[Jeff Kallberg]

My favorite two are in the LA area, where I no longer live:


Old - Fox Hills Golf Club, a George Thomas design that was terrific fun for a new, teenage golfer to try to learn the game (still trying . . )


New - Malibu Golf Club - isolated up in the Santa Monica Mountains, it offered a very un-LA-like vibe, with views mostly of the chaparral and hills.  Also lots of fun to play, and generally good conditions.


An in-betweener would be the 9-holer that was built adjacent to Marina Del Rey, and on which I played a lot of my high school team practice rounds and matches.


Jeff Kallberg

[MCirba]

With 143 courses played on my list that are NLE I'm having a challenge narrowing it down to just two but Hershey Parkview, Beechtree, and WingPointe resonate so far with me.

[Brian Finn]

In addition to Apache Stronghold, which Jason mentioned, I also really enjoyed Tallgrass (2000-2017) out on Long Island.  Given the site was previously a totally flat sod farm, Gil Hanse & team produced a really enjoyable and interesting golf course there.  I can't think of any really strong classic NLEs that I have played.

[Jim_Coleman]

    When I was a kid growing up in West Newton, Mass., there was a 9 hole course there called Albermarle. It was built in the 20’s or earlier. I remember nothing of it, but I wonder if anyone else does.