2019 Year in Review

Life is full of surprises, and 2019 was proof of that for me.  As an obsessive-compulsive who loves to plan, I hate surprises.  But how you handle these unexpected situations goes a long way towards your long term happiness as a person.  I took the potential bad situation I was given in 2019 and turned it into several opportunities.

Ohoopee Match Club, my favorite course played in 2019

Plans did have to change, and I hated that, but overall I was very happy with how 2019 turned out.  I went places I hadn't planned on going when the year began.  I was given opportunities to play courses I had been trying to play for years, and I was able to have an experience that I had always wanted to in my professional life.

TEXAS 

Austin Country Club, Par five 3rd hole

My year in golf travel began with a trip to Texas where I played golf in what I call "The Big Triangle" of Dallas, Austin, and Houston.  Four courses designed by Coore & Crenshaw and a municipal course on the verge of extinction were some of the highlights.  Write up is here: Texas Trip

Bluejack National, Par three 12th hole

While I was in Texas, I got some news that dramatically changed my plans for 2019.  The golf course where I had been the Head Golf Professional for the past four years was closing on February 1st.  The news wasn't exactly a surprise given that we had lost our greens in the summer of 2018, and the debt holding organization that controlled us was facing a decision to spend a lot of money to re-grass the greens in the hope that it would entice a new owner to come forward.  They instead decided to shut the course down.

RIP to the course where I spent seven of the last eight years of my working life

In the months that followed, lots of people asked me why I stayed there for so long if I knew the end was coming.  The answer was simple:  For the only time in my life, I had a job where I was working four days a week, Wednesday to Saturday. And, because I had worked there for so long, I had four weeks vacation.  So, when you have spent your entire life as a golf professional working six days a week and sixty hours a week, and somebody gives you an opportunity that will allow you to do what makes you happy (traveling around the country to play golf), you stay there for as long as you possibly can!

RIP to the golf course that was far from the best in the area, but was still a fun place to play.

FLORIDA SPRING TRIP

PGA National(Champions), Par three 17th Hole

While I was looking for a new job, my focus shifted to courses within driving distance.  I started with rescheduling my trip to Florida from March to February.  A great day in Fort Myers and a visit to a PGA Tour venue 10 days before the tournament were some of the highlights.  Write up is here: Florida Spring Trip

Country Club of Orlando, Par three 17th Hole

ALABAMA TRIP

Mountain Brook Club, Par five 9th Hole

The month of March saw the first of many trips that I hadn't planned on taking in 2019 but were on my long term agenda.  I headed to Alabama to play all of the noteworthy courses in the state that I hadn't yet played.  The trip took me to a couple sites on the Robert Trent Jones Trail and the Huntsville area.  Trip review is here:  Alabama Trip

Old Overton Club, Par four 11th Hole

TENNESSEE TRIP

Spring Creek Ranch, Par three 13th Hole

After a couple weekend trips to Maryland and Georgia to finish March, I began the month of April with a trip to the Nashville and Memphis areas of Tennessee.  Donald Ross courses were the main motivation for the trip, but a visit to a very historic PGA Tour venue was also a great surprise.  Trip review is here:  Tennessee Trip

TPC Southwind, Par three 8th Hole

PITTSBURGH TRIP

Allegheny Country Club, Par five 10th Hole

April included a long weekend trip with my wife to Pittsburgh which was a highlight of the year because of our visit to PNC Park and some fantastic courses on wonderfully undulating property in the hills west of Pittsburgh.  Trip review is here:  Pittsburgh Trip

PNC Park

OHIO DONALD ROSS TRIP

Springfield Country Club, Par three 9th Hole

Before starting my new job in May, the last trip I took was to Ohio to play several Donald Ross courses.  This trip was on the agenda for 2019 but had to be shortened by a couple days from what was originally planned.  This trip pushed me over the halfway point in my quest to play every course designed by Donald Ross.  Trip review is here:  Donald Ross Trip  

Maketewah Country Club, Par four 17th Hole

MISCELLANEOUS STATISTICS

Now that we're about at the halfway point of my golf year, let's talk about my favorite part of this blog post, the statistics.

New Courses Played:       190

States Played in:               15

9 Hole Courses played:    27

Top 10 Courses by Architect

29   Donald Ross
11   Tom Fazio
8     Jack Nicklaus
7     George Cobb
7     Tom Bendelow
6     Pete Dye
6     Robert Trent Jones
5     Bob Cupp
5     Dick Wilson
5     Rees Jones

Top 10 Courses by State

34    North Carolina
20    Georgia
17    Florida
16    Texas
14    Colorado
14    South Carolina
14    Virginia
11    Tennessee
10    Alabama
9      Ohio

Milestones Reached

1.  200 golf courses played designed by Donald Ross
2.  100 golf courses played designed by Tom Fazio
The irony is not lost on me that I reached the above two milestones in the same year
3.  50 golf courses played in GA
Z-I played a course that starts with Z in 2019, leaving X as the only letter I haven't played.

Favorite Course:                 Ohoopee Match Club
Least Favorite Course:      Red Bird
Most Overrated:                 PGA National Champions
Most Underrated:               Frost Creek

Favorite Par 3:  15th Hole-Highlands Falls
Favorite Par 4:  8th hole-Springfield(Ohio)
Favorite Par 5:  18th Hole-Ironbridge 

What's in a name

A fun breakdown of golf course names from 2019

(41)Landforms: Bridge, Canyon, Cliff, Crest, Farm, Field, Forest, Fort, Glen, Hill, Mountain, Point, Pointe, Ranch, Ridge, Shore, Town, Valley, Vineyard, Woods (34)Water: Bayou, Beach, Brook, Cove, Creek, Falls, Harbour, Lake, River, Sound, Spring, Stream

(11)Trees: Aspen, Cedar, Cypress, Hickory, Holly, Loblolly, Oak, Pine

(11)Animals: Bear, Bird, Eagle, Elk, Frog, Horse, Ibis, Lion, Turtle, Wildcat

(9)Directions: North, South, West

(9)Colors: Blue, Gold, Green, Grey, Red, White

(8)The word "National"

(7)Object/Man Made: Boot, Bridge, Cabin, Feather, Fork, Gate,

(5)The word "Old"

(5)The word "Links"

(3)States: Georgia, Texas, Virginia

(3)Food: Apple, Cherry

Alphabet-All letters except X, Y

Best Scores

66- Athens, Burlingame, Smokey Mountain
67- Kingwood, Nassau, The Vineyards
68- CommonGround, Cummings Cove, Dayton, Maggie Valley

Worst Scores

81-Ohoopee Match Club
79-Austin Golf Club

NC MOUNTAINS

Highlands Falls CC, par three 15th Hole

As I began the process of finding a new job in February I was noticing several jobs available in the Mountains of North Carolina.  I have always wanted to work in the Mountains for a season but year round jobs or relationships had always prevented me from doing it.  With the encouragement of my very supportive wife, I was able to find a position at Highlands Falls in the Mountains of Western North Carolina.  Details of the golf courses I played while in the mountains this summer are available here: Mountains Post

CC of Sapphire Valley, Par three 8th Hole

COLORADO TRIP

Cherry Hills CC, Par four 14th Hole

My annual trip with my buddy from Florida centered on Colorado this year but an unexpected snow storm gave us a surprisingly pleasant detour to New Mexico.  One of Flynn's best courses was the highlight of the trip but a course we played in the mountains with snow everywhere was the real surprise of 2019.  Our journey through Colorado is here:  Colorado Trip

Frost Creek, Par four 10th Hole

NORTHEAST ROAD TRIP

Atlantic Golf Club, Par four 1st Hole

For our big vacation this year, my wife and I took a road trip to Long Island with stops along the way in Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey.  We had great weather for my wife's first and most certainly not last, visit to The Hamptons.  Trip review is here:  New York Road Trip

Montclair #1, Par five 6th Hole

9 HOLE COURSES

Terrace Nine at St. Clair Country Club

My goal of playing one hundred 9-hole courses really took a step forward in 2019.  I played 27 new 9-hole courses, more than double what I played in 2018.  9-hole courses are mostly forgotten and dismissed in the world of golf and 2019 was another reminder that this thinking is wrong.

Vestavia Country Club Par 3 Course

ECLECTIC EIGHTEENS

Since I played a record 190 new courses this year, one eighteen hole eclectic didn't seem like enough so I decided to do one for par 3's, 4's, and 5's this year.  It was tremendous fun putting it together.

Par 3's 1 to 9

Par 3's 1 to 9, from Top L to R Cherry Hills Par 3, Montour Heights, Allegheny, Mountainbrook, Nassau, Capital City Crabapple, Sewickley Heights, Frost Creek, Springfield 

Par 3's 10 to 18

Par 3's 10 to 18 from Top L to R Cordillera Valley, Atlantic, Bluejack National, CC of Orlando, Jefferson Landing, Highlands Falls, Ohoopee, Westhampton, Dayton

Par 4's 1 to 9

Par 4's 1 to 9 From Top L to R Cherry Hills, Zanesville, Old Edwards, Old Toccoa Farm, Aspen Glen, Highlands Falls, Frost Creek, Springfield, Vestavia

Par 4's 10 to 18

Par 4's 10 to 18 From Top L to R Crestmont, The Bridge, Spring Creek Ranch, Westbrook, Atlantic, Boot Ranch, PGA National Champions, Maketewah, The Foundry

Par 5's 1 to 9

Par 5's 1 to 9 From Top L to R Crestmont, CommonGround, Austin CC, The Frog, Smokey Mountain, Montclair #1, Ohoopee, Edgemont, Mountain Brook

Par 5's 10 to 18

Par 5's 10 to 18 From Top L to R Allegheny, Lakota Canyon Ranch, Atlanta Athletic Club Highlands, Atlantic, Trinity Forest, Cherokee Town North, Pradera, Cherry Hills, Ironbridge

SCORECARDS

Scorecards had to be 3 pictures this year with 2 bonus pics of my cats helping

PENCILS

FLAGS

White-lots of courses with just White flags this year

Red

Yellow

Blue

Checkerboard

Miscellaneous

2020

Unlike previous years, I don't have very much set in stone for 2020.  The two trips I do have on the books are a trip to the Panhandle of Florida with my wife and my traditional trip to Texas in February, this time concentrating on the Houston area.  I am hopeful that a trip to the Midwest with my wife will work for 2020 and a trip to Bandon with friends will also happen in 2020.  Beyond that I will embrace what the year brings me and enjoy every course I get to play!

New York Road Trip

My annual trip with my wife is normally to someplace we've never been that includes a National Park and lots of great golf.  Unexpected changes this year had us scrapping our original plan to vacation out West and looking for alternatives closer to home.  When an opportunity came up to play a course in The Hamptons that I've never played came up, my wonderful wife agreed to make our annual vacation a road trip to Long Island.  My wife had never been to Long Island and really enjoyed her time in The Hamptons.  We got lucky with the weather and had an outstanding trip.

Par three 11th Hole at Atlantic.  The course that started the process of planning my road trip to NY.

So why does a blog post about a NY road trip begin and end with golf courses in Virginia?  Basically because we needed to break up the drive, and I, in my quest to play every golf course worked on by Donald Ross, always find ways to work in his courses that are anywhere near our route.  That's why our trip began in Richmond at Belmont Golf Course, former host of the PGA Championship won by Sam Snead.  The course is one of a handful of courses that has been worked on by both Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast.  Belmont is one of those courses that falls into the "good bones" category.  With a comprehensive restoration, it could be one of the best municipal courses in the country, but that is not likely to happen based on their current plans to remove most of the bunkers.

Par four 6th Hole at Belmont

Our road trip continued with a round at the last course designed by the great Pete Dye, The Links at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Maryland.  Perry Cabin is a renovation of an older course.  Pete's son P.B. was the builder, and I was a little worried about that since PB is not known for play-ability.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the first few holes allowed you to ease into the round with wide fairways and generous greens.  As usual for Pete, the angles were outstanding.

Par three 6th Hole

After our early morning round in St. Michaels we headed to nearby Easton, Maryland for a round at Talbot Country Club designed by Ed Ault.  Talbot began life as a nine hole course on a very small piece of property that is currently home to the 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th holes.  Most of the property where the current course sits was a tree farm, and you can still see an occasional specimen tree during your round.

Par four 1st Hole

Our proper New York adventure began in Bridgehampton with a round at the Rees Jones designed 

The Bridge Golf Club.  The Bridge was designed on the old Bridgehampton speedway and the owner very smartly kept racing as the theme, leaving many speedway relics around the property and including racing as the theme of the clubhouse.

The current entrance to The Bridge on the left maintains the history from the speedway seen on the Scorecard on the right

Par four 11th Hole at The Bridge

Our first day in NY continued at Seth Raynor's first solo design, Westhampton Country Club.  After building several courses for his mentor, CB MacDonald, this was Raynor's first design without input from the father of American golf.  It contains the templates you find in all of his designs, and the par threes are exceptional.

Par three 11th(Short) Hole at Westhampton

Our second full day in NY started in the North Fork of Long Island, home to over 40 vineyards and a recently discovered Donald Ross course.  Before we tackled it, our day began at the appropriately named The Vineyards Golf Club in Riverhead.  The course was designed in 2005 by Buddy Johnson and crams a lot of good golf into a small piece of property.

6th (background) & 16th (foreground) Holes at The Vineyards 

Following a pleasant morning round in Riverhead, we headed 15 miles East to Cutchogue for a round at the Donald Ross designed North Fork Country Club.  Recent work by the Donald Ross Society has established that this course was designed by Ross in 1912.  While it is not exactly as it was back then, you can still find the wonderful greens and magnificent routing that you can see in all great Ross courses.

Par four 5th Hole

Our final round of the day saw the only unpleasant weather we dealt with on the trip.  Despite the drizzle and a stiff breeze, we had a great time walking the nine hole Quogue Field Club in East Quogue.  Golf has been played at the Field Club since 1900.  Recent research indicates that what remains today was designed by Tom Bendelow. 

Par three 2nd Hole at Quogue Field Club

The idea for this trip began when I was given an opportunity to play a golf course that has haunted me for fifteen years.  I had a tee time at Atlantic in 2004 but had to cancel.  Since, I have tried and failed to play the course every time I got anywhere near New York.  I was not going to pass up an opportunity to finally play what many consider Rees Jones' best golf course.  Atlantic is in Bridgehampton and has seen recent bunker renovations by Andrew Green, (who has become very popular in the restoration field).  Atlantic was one of his first projects, and I applaud the job he did.  The bunkers look great and have wonderful variety.  

Par four 1st Hole at Atlantic Golf Club

We departed The Hamptons after our morning at Atlantic and headed West on the Long Island Expressway towards Western Long Island.  We stopped off in Huntington to experience the Devereux Emmet designed Huntington Country Club.  Overshadowed by the big name courses on Long Island, Huntington had the great benefit of being tweaked by Emmet over the years and is now seeing a long term restoration by Ian Andrew.

Par three 11th Hole at Huntington Country Club

Our last day on Long Island began at the Seth Raynor designed North Shore Country Club in Glen Head.  A recent renovation by Tom Doak restored some of the best elements of the design while creating some new holes with a Raynor theme.

Par three 17th (Short) Hole at North Shore.  One of the new holes designed in a Raynor theme by Tom Doak

After our round we made the short drive to Oyster Bay for a visit to the wonderful Planting Fields Arboretum.  Whenever my wife and I take a trip, we always try to find gardens or scenic hikes along our route, and we were fortunate to find the Arboretum that started life as the estate of William Robertson Coe.

The Greenhouse at Planting Fields Arboretum

So much to see at the Arboretum!

A mere three miles from Planting Fields in Glen Cove was our next destination: Nassau Country Club.  Nassau has a diverse history of architects with Golden Age luminaries Herbert Strong, Devereux Emmet, and Seth Raynor contributing to the design.  The routing is primarily Strong and as a result the course is probably the most underrated on Long Island.

Par four 9th Hole 

On our last day in the greater NY area, we made the drive across the George Washington Bridge to New Jersey for a round at one of the most unique facilities in golf, Montclair Golf Club.  Montclair has four nines, numbered 1,2,3, and 4.  The first three were designed by Donald Ross, and the fourth nine was designed by Charles Bank, a disciple of MacDonald and Raynor. The Ross nines have some of the wildest greens I have ever seen.  I applaud Montclair for not softening these amazing greens in this era of modern green speeds.  Our original plan was to play the 2nd and 4th nines per a recommendation from the starter, but a great pace allowed us to experience the 1st nine as well.

Par five 6th Hole at Montclair 1st nine

The opportunity to play three of the four nines at Montclair brought up an interesting question about how I count these as golf courses played.  Montclair is the only course in existence that has four nines that can be played in any combination.  The club, at least in the fall, doesn't have a predetermined rotation and allows you to start wherever you want and then rotate wherever you want. When I solicited feedback on how many golf courses Montclair should be counted as with their unique four nine setup, people said 1, 2, 4, and 6!  I ended up counting it as two courses because in my mind four nines equals thirty-six unique holes which is two courses, but there is no right answer about how many courses it counts as to each individual.

Par three 2nd Hole on the 4th Nine at Montclair

Our last round in the greater New York area was at another wonderful Ross design: Crestmont Country Club in West Orange.  As an aside, this small area around West Orange might be the biggest hotbed of Golden Age Architecture in the entire world. In two square miles you have wonderful designs from A.W. Tillinghast, Charles Banks, Donald Ross, Seth Raynor, and Willie Park Jr!

Par four 10th Hole at Crestmont Country Club

Our trip ended where it began, in Virginia.  This time we were in the mountains enjoying the peak fall foliage and a round at the Donald Ross designed Old course at The Homestead Resort. The course features the oldest continually used first tee in America and a great scoring opportunity with six Par 5's!  Sadly I didn't take take advantage of this as much as I wanted.  I blame the cold weather!

Par four 17th Hole at The Old course at The Homestead

SCORECARDS

FLAGS

That's a wrap on our big trip for 2019.  I was thrilled that my wife enjoyed The Hamptons so much.  She is eager to get back, despite dragging her down the roads around Southhampton and droning on and on about NGLA and Shinnecock.  When I stopped the car on a public road to snap a couple pictures of two of my favorite courses, she remained calm, even when I was basically trespassing walking onto the hallowed property, she didn't ask me what I was doing.  She understands my madness and that is one of the reasons I am so lucky to have her.