Canada Trip

My wife and I spent two wonderful weeks in New England and Canada in July of 2023.  Due to the amount of courses played, I have decided to split the trip into Canada and the US.  First up is our time visiting our neighbor to the North.

Cabot Cliffs.  One of the best courses in the world

Our time in Canada began in Saint John, New Brunswick.  We drove up from Maine and headed to Riverside Country Club which was designed by Donald Ross, and therefore was a mandatory stop for me.  The course is implementing a restoration master plan a few holes at a time and the execution so far is very well done.

Riverside Country Club, par four 9th hole

We spent the next few days of our Canadian adventure in Halifax, Nova Scotia, but our day two began about ninety miles southwest of Halifax.  I made this side journey to play White Point Golf Club, a nine hole Donald Ross course.  White Point is full of character and has maintained it's original routing from when Ross built it.  It falls into the category of courses that could be truly exceptional with a mega dollar restoration, but what is on the ground now is very good.

White Point Golf Club, par three 3rd hole

We headed back to Halifax for our second round on day two.  We managed to dodge the rain showers to get most of our round in at the New course at Ashburn Golf Club.  The New course is about ten miles north of Halifax and was designed by Geoffrey Cornish in the 1970's.  The course is on some wonderfully undulating property next to a large lake.

Ashburn Golf Club(New), par four 10th hole

Day three of the trip began at one of the biggest surprises of the trip.  Brightwood Golf & Country Club in Halifax was designed by Donald Ross and packs a punch in it's 5600 yards.  The site is very small, and the holes very close together, but because of Ross routing genius, you never notice.  

Brightwood Golf & Country Club, par four 7th hole

We continued our day in Halifax at the Old course at Ashburn Golf Club.  This almost hundred year old course was designed by the king of Canadian golf design, Stanley Thompson.  Thompson designed most of the best courses in Canada, and I will play one of his best later in the trip.  This delightfully short par 67 course features some great par threes, and goes up and down the hilly property with great execution.

Ashburn Golf Club, par three 7th hole

We headed north after our round at Ashburn to begin our journey to the Cape Breton Highlands.  Before we headed to the highlands, we played an early morning round at Antigonish Golf & Country Club.  Antigonish is a charming small town and it's golf course matches the town.  The course was expanded to 18 holes in the 1980's and a very pedestrian and flat first hole doesn't give you any hint of what you are in for in terms of dramatic elevation changes.  I highly recommend a stop here for anybody driving to Cabot from points west.

Antigonish Golf & Country Club, par three 13th hole

We made the hour and a half drive to the town of Inverness after our round at Antigonish.  Inverness is the home of Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs.  This was the destination that was the point of this two week trip.  After Covid caused us to postpone our journey to the North, we were very excited to be here to experience two courses we had heard so much about. 

Cabot Cliffs

Before we tackled the big courses, we checked out the newly opened Nest par three course at Cabot.  This ten-hole course designed by Rod Whitman, designer of Cabot Links, can be played from the forward tee with just a putter if desired.  

The Nest, par three 9th hole

After our fun round on The Nest, we made the short walk down to the first tee of Cabot Cliffs.  I will admit that I was a little skeptical of the greatness of Cliffs before I teed off.  The course has the unusual makeup of 6 par 3's, 6 par 4's, and 6 par 5's.  I have played several courses that have tried this, but nobody has come close to pulling it off because most architects simply can't design 6 interesting par 5's.  Most can't design 4!  

Cabot Cliffs, par five 10th hole

I obviously underestimated Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, designers of Cabot Cliffs, because they pulled off a course with six amazing par 5's!  I probably should have known the designers of some of my favorite courses would be up to the task, but I was stunned by just how good the course was.  It is one of the best courses in the world and a mandatory journey for anybody interested in golf architecture. 

Me playing the par five 15th hole at Cabot Cliffs

Something else I was very impressed by at Cabot was the tee placement.  The Royal Blue tees, at only 3700 yards allowed my 35 handicap wife to break 90 for the first time in her life.  The firm conditions, coupled with the yardage, allowed her to hit wedges into short par 4' and par 5's.  This never happens for her, as a typical par four for her is driver, 3 wood, mid-iron.  Cabot is the rare resort that understands that higher handicappers deserve tees that allow them to play the game like everybody else.  I really wish more courses would do this.  

The fifth day of the trip began at the original course at Cabot, Cabot Links.  Designed by Rod Whitman in 2012, Links is on less dramatic land than Cliffs but is still a top 100 in the world golf course.  The course offers a genuine links course experience, something that lots of courses claim, but few actually deliver.  As at Cliffs, the tees were well thought out and my wife had another wonderful day experiencing true links golf without having to travel to the UK! 

Cabot Links, par three 14th hole

We left Cabot and took the world famous Cabot Trail into Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The trail is one of the most dramatic drives in the world and I can't recommend it highly enough.

Cabot Trail

Me on the Cabot Trail

We emerged on the east side of the park and made our way to the original championship course on Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Highlands Links.

Cape Breton Highlands Links, par four 4th hole

Designed by Stanley Thompson, Highlands Links has always been considered a top 100 in the world golf course.  It is that rare course where you experience several different styles of architecture.  You start out near the water for several holes, then you venture into some mountainous property, before finishing on some great parkland holes.  Massive tree removal and drainage work could transform this course into something very special, but with the government owning the course, I doubt that will ever happen.  What is there now is a great representation of the architecture of the Golden Age of golf design.

Cape Breton Highlands Links, par five 16th hole

We began day six of the trip in the eastern part of Nova Scotia at Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck.  The course was designed by Tom McBroom, who is probably the biggest Canadian golf architect of the last thirty years.  

Bell Bay Golf Club, par three 8th hole

We made a three and a half hours drive west after our round at Bell Bay to the town of Wallace and the Fox Harb'r Resort.  The course opened for play in 2001 and was designed by Canadian architect Graham Cooke. The front nine is parkland in nature, while the back is links style right on the water.  The resort is in the process of turning the existing course into what will ultimately be 2 courses.  The ocean back nine will be combined with another oceanside nine that is being built now, and after that nine parkland holes will be added to join the existing front nine.

Fox Harb'r Resort, 11th green in foreground with 15th hole and 16th tee in background

On the seventh day of the trip we visited Prince Edward Island.  We began on the Northeast part of the island in the town of Morell.  The Links at Crowbush Cove was designed by Tom McBroom and opened in 1993.  While not really a links course, Crowbush does have several wonderful ocean views and a very interesting set of greens.

The Links at Crowbush Cove, par four 15th hole

We headed thirty minutes south to Carrigan for a round at Dundarave.  This Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry design is part of the Brudenell River resort.  The course works its way through the trees but makes occasional use of the land by the river, most interestingly at the par four 8th hole.

Dundarave Golf Course, par four 8th hole

On the last day of our Canadian adventure we returned to New Brunswick.  The Algonquin Resort golf course is in St. Andrews and sits on the water very close to the US border.  Unfortunately for us, heavy rain the night before resulted in very severe fog during our morning round.  I still enjoyed the course and experience but did lose several balls that I thought were hit towards the fairway, but it's hard to judge when you can only see a hundred yards in front of you.

This was my view when I played the wonderful par three 12th hole at Algonquin.  Look below for what you are supposed to see.

The 12th hole at Algonquin on a normal, fog free day.

Our first Canadian adventure was a great success and we hope to return soon.  I really hope that Cabot is successful in finding land for another course, as I would love an excuse to return to Cabot Cliffs!  If you enjoy spending time in the car, then driving the Cabot Trail should be on your bucket list!

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Mostly Western PA Trip

As anybody who reads these things can see, I am always in search of new golf courses to play.  This trip was a little different, as I built it around playing a course I played seventeen years ago, but was anxious to see again.  I'm starting to get the itch to return to great courses I saw a long time ago and plan on doing more of that this year.  This trip evolved into an opportunity to play a course in Pittsburgh I had been desiring for years, and to knock off some Ross courses in Western Pennsylvania as well.

Pittsburgh Field Club

Day one of the trip began with a drive from my parents house in Virginia to Youngstown, Ohio.  I was in Youngstown to check out Mill Creek Golf Course.  Both the North and South courses at Mill Creek were designed by Donald Ross.  I played the South course, and while relatively simple in it's routing, it still had some of the trademark Donald Ross greens I love.

Mill Creek Golf Course(South) Par three 13th hole

The second course on day one was Pittsburgh Field Club.  I'd been wanting to play this course ever since I drove by it twenty years ago on my way to play its very close neighbor, Fox Chapel.  Designed by Alex Findlay, Field Club occupies some very undulating property northeast of the city.  

Pittsburgh Field Club, Par three 4th in foreground with Par four 2nd back left, with first fairway and clubhouse up top.

The clubhouse sits on the highest point on the property and the first tee shot tumbles some hundred feet down to the fairway.  The course is also unique for having an elevator and bridge that take walkers from the 17th green to 18th tee.

Pittsburgh Field Club, 17th hole with elevator and bridge to 18 in the center

Day two of the trip was all about Donald Ross courses.  I began the day heading to the very western part of New York State.  Chautauqua Golf Club has two courses, the Hill and Lake.  I was there to play the Donald Ross designed Lake course.  Like Ross greens on most public courses, these have shrunk over time, but they still have the trademark slopes that I love so much about Donald Ross.

Chautauqua Golf Club(Lake) Par four 17th hole

Day two continued back in Pennsylvania at Conewango Valley Country Club in Warren.  Conewango has nine holes of Ross, currently holes 1,9, 10-13, and 16-18.  While the Ross holes were the highlight of the course, the rest of it, on more mountainous property, was tons of fun to play.

Conewango Valley Country Club, Par three 11th green in foregound, Par four 10th green in background

I finished my second day in Erie, Pennsylvania and a round at The Kahkwa Club, designed by Ross, and currently undergoing a bunker restoration project by Kris Spence.  The back nine on more undulating property is the highlight of the course.

The Kahkwa Club, Par three 15th hole

The massive downhill and then extremely uphill par five 12th hole really stood out at Kahkwa as something we don't normally see from Ross.  

The Kahkwa Club.  The brilliant and massively uphill par five 12th hole

I still had a little bit of time left in the day so I decided to re-kindle my love of rollercoasters by checking out the Ravine Flyer II at Waldameer Park.  This wooden coaster is ranked in the top 10 of all wooden coasters every year, and visiting Erie without trying it seemed like a crime!

Day three of the trip began in Erie with a round at the Tom Bendelow designed Lake Shore Country Club.  Lake Shore is a very narrow routing that meanders it's way through a neighborhood.  The 1st tee and 18th green are the only things remotely close to the lake and clubhouse.

Lake Shore Country Club, Par five 2nd hole

The biggest surprise of the trip was next on day three. Wanango Country Club in Reno, Pennsylvania was worked on by Ross, but also more predominantly by A.W. Tillinghast.  Both nines at Wanango run up and down a large ridge, and the execution of the holes using the landforms is wonderful.  

Wanango Country Club, Par four 4th hole

This is one of those courses with amazing potential and with a proper restoration/sympathetic renovation it could easily reach the top 100 courses in the US.  Given it's current situation, that's never going to happen, but one can always dream!

Wanango Country Club, Par four 15th hole looking back

After my wonderful round at Wanango, I headed east to State College, Pennsylvania.  I was in the home of Penn State to check out Toftress Resort designed by Ed Ault.  This course was another pleasant surprise, with the front nine having more variety and movement than the back. Overall it was a very good course, and one of the best public courses in Pennsylvania.

Toftress Resort, Par three 10th hole

The last day of my brief trip to PA was supposed to begin with the entire purpose of this trip, playing Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA near Philly for the first time in seventeen years.  Unfortunately two inches of rain the night before caused Merion to push back tee times to the afternoon, which prevented me from being able to play.  My only other planned round of golf that day was very late in the afternoon at St. David's so I found myself in a position I am never in, sitting around with nowhere to play golf!  Luckily for me, one of my favorite courses in Philly, Gulph Mills Golf Club, was open and happy to let me play if I was willing to walk and carry.  I anxiously headed over to GM, a course I hadn't played in over ten years.  

Gulph Mills Golf Club, Par four 5th hole

I played the back nine at Gulph Mills and ran into ladies day on the front so I headed to another course designed by Hugh Wilson, architect of Merion.  Phoenixville Country Club is a nine hole course near Valley Forge.  The course has a very small footprint but maximizes it's small acreage.

Phoenixville Country Club, Par three 2nd hole

I decided to continue the nine hole theme after my round at Phoenixville and headed to Flourtown Country Club, a course worked on by Donald Ross, William Flynn, and George Fazio. 

Flourtown Country Club, Par three 8th hole

My final round on day four was the Donald Ross designed St. Davids Golf Club in Wayne.  The first four holes are on relatively flat land, but after that the course gets very interesting.

St. Davids Golf Club, Par five 8th hole

So that's its for my mostly Pennsylvania trip.  I was happy and proud that I was able to turn disappointment into opportunity, plus it gives me an excuse to return to Philly again!

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Texas Trip 2023

I last visited the Dallas area four years ago.  It was a brief visit as I flew into Dallas but spent most of my time in Houston.  This visit would be different as I would be spending pretty much all of my time enjoying the courses in the Dallas area, with one side trip to Oklahoma to see a Perry Maxwell gem.  The motivation for the trip was a course I had been trying to play for fifteen years, and which I now consider the best course in Texas. More on that later.

Brook Hollow Golf Club, the best course in Texas IMO.

The trip began at the well known TPC Las Colinas, former host of the Byron Nelson Classic on the PGA Tour.  I had watched the tournament on tv for many years and it was fun to finally play the holes I had watched the pros play.  The course was designed by Jay Morrish in the early 80's with a renovation by PGA Tour player D.A. Weibring in 2008.

TPC Las Colinas, Par three 5th hole

Day one continued at Lakewood Country Club, which is one of the oldest courses in Dallas, and very close to the city center.  Lakewood was originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1912, and saw subsequent changes by Texas architect Ralph Plummer in the 1940's, and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2014.  The course is a lot of things that I love about golf architecture; short by modern standards, quirky, fun, lots of use of angles and demands for shot making and creativity.

Lakewood Country Club, Par five 18th hole

Day two of the trip began in the town of Grapevine at Cowboys Golf Club.  The course is the only one in existence officially associated with an NFL team.  Jeff Brauer designed the course in the early 2000's and I was very impressed with the overall product given the limitations of the site.  The course is sandwiched into a very tight property at times, yet it feels expansive and has quality architecture.  As a lifelong die-hard Washington Redskins(Commanders) fan, I will spare you the requisite picture of me giving the middle finger to the Cowboys logo.

Cowboys Golf Club, Par five 18th hole

I headed north to Gordonsville, Texas for my next round on day two.  My destination was Rock Creek Resort, which sits very close to the Texas/Oklahoma border.  The resort was designed by Nicklaus Designs.  The course was clearly layed out with a resort customer in mind, as it is more playable than your typical Nicklaus product.  It navigates the elevation changes quite well, and is a great way to get away from Dallas for the day.

Rock Creek Resort, Par four 12th hole

The last course I played on Day two was a major highlight of the trip.  Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club in Ardmore, Oklahoma was Perry Maxwell's first design.  Perry lived in Ardmore and is actually buried in a small cemetery that overlooks the course.  

Maxwell's grave is located in a small cemetery that overlooks his first design.

The course was changed over the years and was begging for a proper restoration.  Tom Doak was so impressed by the potential to restore the course that he offered to do the work for free if the course ever decided to pursue a restoration.  

Dornick Hills, par three 17th hole

The work finally happened in the past two years and it re-opened last year.  The result is spectacular.  Some greens were moved back to their original locations, others were expanded and restored to their original contours.  

Dornick Hills Golf & Country Club, the famous cliff hole, Par five 16th hole

Day three of the trip was a Monday, therefore it was public course day as all private courses in Dallas are closed on Mondays.  The day began at the City of Dallas owned Stevens Park Municipal golf course.  The course was designed in the 1920's and had a renovation in 2011 by Colligan Golf Design.  Conditions are a bit challenging, but the course has very good architecture.  It is a shotmakers course that requires accurate driving and lots of strategy off the tee.  Luckily, I was driving the ball pretty straight that morning and shot my lowest score of the trip, 66, which I was very proud of, as this course really demands execution and planning off the tee.

Stevens Park Golf Course, Par four 15th hole

I had some time to kill in between scheduled rounds so I found a course to walk nine holes.  That course was Riverside Golf Club in Grand Prairie.  True to it's name, the course was layed out next to the Trinity River and features two out and back nines.

Riverside Golf Club, Par three 8th hole

The last course I played on day three was Texas Star Golf Club in Euless.  The course was designed by Keith Foster in 1997.

Texas Star Golf Club, Par three 3rd hole

I began day four of the trip with a former host of the PGA championship.  Dallas Athletic Club has two courses.  The Blue course hosted the PGA Championship in 1963.  Jack Nicklaus won his first PGA Championship that year, and returned in the 80's to redesign the Ralph Plummer course.

Dallas Athletic Club(Blue), Par four 5th hole

I was lucky to be the first off on the Blue course and of course, I finished pretty quickly, so I had time to play the other course at Dallas Athletic Club, the Gold course.  Like the Blue, the Gold was originally designed by Ralph Plummer, and subsequently redesigned by Jack Nicklaus.  

Dallas Athletic Club(Gold), Par three 2nd hole

The last course I played on day four was the reason for the trip.  Brook Hollow Golf Club was designed by A.W. Tillinghast in the 1920's.  Subsequent renovations by Coore & Crenshaw and Tripp Davis took the course further away from it's roots.  

Brook Hollow Golf Club, Par four 9th hole

Luckily, the club hired Keith Foster in 2020 to do a restoration that brought back the Tillinghast design and removed hundreds of trees to restore the luster to this amazing course.  With the work by Foster, I believe the course is now the best in Texas.

Brook Hollow Golf Club, Par three 10th hole

On the final day of my trip I headed north to Prosper, Texas.  Gentle Creek Country Club was my destination.  The course was designed by D.A. Weibring in 2002.  An obvious housing development course, it does a very good job of providing variety and taking you away from the houses to get the most out of the gently undulating property.

Gentle Creek Country Club, Par three 11th hole

The last course I played on the trip was chosen based on it's proximity to DFW airport.  Bear Creek Golf Club has two courses, the East and West, both designed by Ted Robinson in the early 1980's.  I played the West course which goes up and down a large hill on the front nine.  This leads to huge pace of play problems which I don't think the architect thought about when he was routing the course!

Bear Creek Golf Club(West), Par four 3rd hole

I really enjoyed my brief trip to Dallas and am anxious to return to check out the new PGA Frisco courses.  I missed the opening of these course by a month.  I would also like to check out Preston Trail, which I have heard great things about from friends in the area.

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