NY Donald Ross Trip

Week two of our July trip to New York was all about Donald Ross.  I am on a quest to play every course that Donald Ross worked on in his life and western New York was one area where I could tick off several new to me Ross courses.  Ross courses weren't the only highlight of the trip as we discovered a couple wonderful Walter Travis courses, and one of Robert Trent Jones' best designs.

CC of  Rochester, a Donald Ross classic

*Note-This write up focuses on the highlights of this trip and doesn't cover every single course played or day of the trip.  You will notice many extra courses in the scorecard and flag pictures.

Soaring Eagles Golf Club was a lovely course, but it didn't make the trip writeup.

Day one of the trip began in the mountains of New York.  We began in the town of Palenville for a round at the nine hole Ross designed Rip Van Winkle Country Club.  Built in 1919, this course is on pretty flat ground at the foothills of the Catskill mountains.

Rip Van Winkle Country Club, Par four 2nd hole

Nine hole Ross courses would be the theme of day one as we headed several hours north into the mountains for our next round.  The Town of Schroon Lake golf course is a 1917 Ross design that moves perfectly up and down a very severe piece of property.  As usual, Ross was the master of knowing how to route a course to make every hole shine.

Town of Schroon Lake Golf Course, Par four 4th hole

We drove deeper into the Adirondacks for our last nine hole Ross course on day one.  Lake Pleasant Golf Course is a 1922 design where the clubhouse sits on the highest point and the mostly flat course is laid out in the valley below.

Lake Pleasant Golf Course, Par three 4th hole

Day two of our Ross themed trip began in the mountains at Thendera Golf Club.  Thendera was a nine hole Ross course for many years until the back nine was added about thirty years ago.  I played the Ross front nine and was very impressed.  The opening hole is one of the best in New York and the course has been well preserved over the years.

Thendera Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

The biggest surprise of the trip was next up on day two.  Surprisingly, it wasn't a Ross course that really surprised me on this leg of the trip.  Yahnundasis Golf Club in New Hartford, New York was designed by Walter Travis.  Travis is the most underrated architect in golf in my opinion.  His designs tend to more quirky and fun than most, and as such aren't as well preserved over time.  Yahnundasis has some amazing Travis greens and some wonderful blind shots that he is also known for.

Yahnundasis, Par five 6th hole

The final course I played on day two was a Ross course in Syracuse called Bellevue.  As always, the routing is wonderful.  It works its way up and down the hills and valleys to perfection, creating a fantastic mix of holes.

Bellevue Country Club, Par three 15th green with Par four 16th hole in background

Day three of the trip was the only day I didn't play multiple Ross courses.  I began the day at Conklin Players Club in Conklin, New York which is a 1991 design by architect Richard Rickard.  The players club name means that the course was designed for good players and requires an aerial game to score well.

Conklin Players Club, Par three 7th hole

The second course on day three was The Links at Hiawatha Landing.  Boston area architect Brian Silva designed Hiawatha and it opened in 1994.  The front nine is more in the trees, and the back nine plays more links style.

The Links at Hiawatha Landing, Par three 13th hole

The final course on day three was a very enjoyable public Ross course called Mark Twain in Elmira, New York.  The routing, as always, is marvelous.  The greens have shrunk over time, and a proper restoration would unlock the great potential in this design.  As it presents now, it is still a very lovely design with great Ross bones.

Mark Twain Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

The Ross experience began early on day four at Teugega Country Club in Rome, New York.  This 1921 Ross design has some standout holes like the par three 7th, and the punchbowl like 11th hole.  The greens, as always, are the star of the show!

Teugega Country Club, Par three 7th hole

We took a break from the Ross theme for the second course on day four.  Onondaga Country Club is a Walter Travis design, and just like the Travis course I played on day two, it is full of character and quirk.  

Onondaga Country Club, Par three 5th hole

The biggest Ross surprise of the week was up next on day four.  The Country Club of Rochester is a 1913 Ross design that he returned to refine in 1931.  Mother nature did me a favor on this day, as our hour plus drive to the course was in hard rain, but once we arrived the rain stopped, the skies cleared, and I was able to get out in front of all the groups waiting for the rain to stop.  It's rare I can tee off on a great course at three o'clock in the afternoon and feel like I have the course to myself!  

CC of Rochester, the brilliant Par five 15th hole

I've obviously played a lot of Ross courses, so it's rare when I play one where I say, "Wow!" but that's what I said when playing CC of Rochester.  It just had that amazing mix of fun, variety, and challenge that made it one of the best Ross courses I've played in awhile.  I think the course gets overshadowed by the very high profile Ross designed Oak Hill East course, which is only a few miles away and has hosted many major championships.

Country Club of Rochester, Par four 8th hole

Day five began in Rochester at the Ross designed Brook Lea Country Club.  The course just completed a bunker renovation and has a large statue of Donald Ross behind the 9th hole.  A unique aspect to the routing of this course is that both 9 and 18 are par 3's.

Brook Lea Country Club, Par three 18th hole

I headed to Buffalo after my round at Brook Lea.  The next course up on day five was Grover Cleveland Golf Course, which was the original Country Club of Buffalo and hosted the 1912 US Open.  Donald Ross redesigned the course in 1917 and four of his green complexes, current holes 3, 14, 17, and 18, have survived.  The Ross greens are very obvious, as they are the largest and most undulating on the course.

Grover Cleveland Golf Course, Par three 3rd hole.  One of 4 surviving Ross greens

My experiences with Donald Ross designs ended with Grover Cleveland.  My final stop on day five was the Charles Alison designed Park Country Club in the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville, New York.  Alison is known for his big greens and bold bunkering and Park is a great example of both of these design characteristics.

Park Country Club, Par three 5th hole

The final day of the trip I headed just south of Buffalo to the town of Aurora for a round at the Robert Trent Jones designed Crag Burn Golf Club.  I will admit that I'm not the biggest fan of RTJ designs, but I was pleasantly surprised by Crag Burn.  The course plays in the trees for most of the front nine before becoming a links style course beginning on the 8th hole.  

Crag Burn Golf Club, Par three 17th hole

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NY Bucket List Trip

 My wife and I try to take at least one golf trip every year.  Over the years we've had some epic trips to amazing parts of this country and our northern neighbors.  This trip was different though.  On this trip we did something we've never done before.  

Fishers Island Club

Through the generosity of members at some of the best clubs in New York, we were able to experience the courses as any guest of a member would.  This is a big deal for me because as a PGA Professional, I mostly get to play these high profile courses in the off season and I am allowed to show up, play, and then leave.  I don't get to use the locker room or stay for a meal.  I will forever be grateful to the members of these clubs for giving my wife and I the experience of a lifetime.

Me at Friar's Head

*Note-This write up focuses on the highlights of this trip and doesn't cover every single course played or day of the trip.  You will notice many extra courses in the scorecard and flag pictures

Fairview Country Club is a lovely Robert Trent Jones design that I played, but didn't make the write up.

Our epic New York trip actually began in New Jersey.  Watchung Valley Golf Club is a Seth Raynor design that was modified over the years, but a recent renovation brought back some of the Raynor templates on the back nine.  It was a wonderful place to begin our trip.

Watchung Valley Golf Club, Par four 16th hole

Seth Raynor was the theme of day one, as we headed to Westchester County for a round at Blind Brook Club, designed by Raynor and founded as a men's club in 1915.  The club is very exclusive and has less than five thousands rounds annually, so we were honored to be able to play it on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

Blind Brook Club, Par four 4th hole, Alps

Day two of the trip was not what I had originally planned, but it turned out ever better than it probably would have.  Originally we were going to play National Golf Links of America, but our host had a sudden conflict and had to cancel.  

The iconic NGLA Windmill, but our view wasn't the one that we originally planned on having!

I was really looking forward to playing NGLA, as it's one of my favorite courses and I haven't seen it in 21 years. However, I was a little worried about my wife's ability to enjoy it as it is very long from the forward tees, 5800 yards, and has several forced carries that my 30 handicap wife might not be able to make.  Luckily, I was able to arrange for us to play Sebonack Golf Club that day.  Ironically, Sebonack is quite literally right next to NGLA.  You are staring at the iconic NGLA windmill while you are on the putting green at Sebonack, see picture above.  Sebonack was built in the early 2000's and was co-designed by Tom Doak and Jack Nicklaus, though it's really a Doak design for all intents and purposes.

Cynthia on the 11th hole at Sebonack with the 12th in the background

Sebonack was very playable for my wife and she had a wonderful time playing the course.  She even made a birdie on the par three 4th hole.  There were other people on the course, but it felt like we had it to ourselves and it couldn't have been a better day or experience with a wonderful caddie, amazing staff, and a thoroughly enjoyable golf course.  As I said earlier, I think the day actually turned out better because of the early disappointment.

Me on the 18th tee at Sebonack.  I played the Doak tee, which is so named because Doak insisted on adding it during construction.

We were playing in western Long Island early the next morning, so on our drive back from Sebonack we stopped in to Setauket to check out the newly opened Spy Ring Golf Club designed by Tyler Rae.  This is Tyler's first original design, as he has done lots of great restoration work, first working with Ron Pritchard, and now on his own after Ron retired.  His debut is a nine hole regulation course that was built on top of an old executive course, Heatherwood.  The result is spectacular and I can't wait to see more original designs from Tyler in the future!

Spy Ring Golf Club, Par four 5th green in foreground, Par three 6th in background

Day three of the trip began in the Southwestern part of Long Island.  Rockaway Hunting Club has an interesting architectural history.  The course was originally designed by Deveret Emmet, then re-worked by A.W. Tillinghast, before a modern restoration was made by Gil Hanse.  Several holes are right on the water, and saying the routing is unique is an understatement.  

To play the Par three 5th hole at Rockaway you must hit over the previous green and avoid the roads mere steps from the right and rear of the green!

You begin right on the coast for two holes, then you head inland for holes three to six, before emerging on the water again in the middle of the front nine.  

Rockaway Hunting Club, Par four 10th hole

One of the big highlights of the trip was next up on day three.  I was very excited to return to Friar's Head Golf Club on the north coast of Long Island twenty years after I first played it.  Friar's was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.  

Friar's Head, Par three 10th hole

I was particularly excited for my wife to see it as Sand Hills, also by C&C, is her favorite course, so I knew she would love Friar's Head, and boy was I right!  It's now in her top three courses played!

Cynthia on the par three 17th Hole at Friar's Head

The fourth day of our big New York trip was in The Hamptons portion of Long Island.  The day started at East Hampton Golf Club, designed by Coore and Crenshaw on a very small 123 acre piece of property.  The front nine is more links style in an open field, while the back nine across the street is set more in the trees.  

East Hampton Golf Club, Par three 17th hole

The number four ranked golf course in the world was next on our agenda on day four.  Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton has been around since the late 1800's with the current version of the course mostly coming from a William Flynn design in the 1930's.  Flynn left a few of the Raynor/MacDonald holes including the famous Redan 7th hole, which famously caused many issues during the 2004 US Open.

Shinnecock Hills, Par three 7th hole with Cynthia and our wonderful caddie in the foreground

I last played Shinnecock twenty years ago and was anxious to see it again.  The first time I played it I didn't know that much about architecture and didn't really see what the big deal was.  It's currently 38th in my personal top 50, which some people have commented on in the past, because in most rankings, as mentioned above, it's top 3 in the US and top 5 in the world.  

Shinnecock Hills, Par three 11th hole.  The hardest short par three in golf!

This time around I was able to recognize the architectural greatness of the course and the brilliance of Flynn's routing, but I don't think I will be changing my ranking.  The course is brutally difficult and not a place I would want to play every day.  That is an important metric for me when it comes to determining my favorite courses.

Shinnecock Hills. The all world 14th green in the foreground with the Par four 15th hole in the background

We also checked out the par three course at Shinnecock which doesn't get a lot of play, but I would highly recommend as it's a ton of fun and a refreshing break from the big course.

Shinnecock Hills Par three course

In a trip full of highlights, the fifth day of the trip was the big highlight, and frankly one of the best golf experiences my wife and I have ever had.  The Fishers Island Club requires a ferry ride from New London, Connecticut to get to the island, and then a drive to the club, which is on the far side of the island. 

Fishers Island Club, The Punchbowl 4th hole.  One of my all time favorite holes in golf!

Like other courses on this trip, I last saw Fishers twenty-one years ago, and had it solidly in my top ten.  After playing it again, it is now in my top 5!  The course is absolute perfection for those that enjoy playing Raynor/MacDonald templates.  The execution of the templates is well done and the setting is unmatched with more than half the holes on the ocean.

The Double Plateau 9th hole at Fishers Island

The experience of playing Fishers Island is further enhanced by the amazing peanut butter, jelly, and bacon sandwiches that are available at the turn.  We were too busy eating them to take a picture, so here's another great picture of the course!

Fishers Island Club, Par three 16th hole

The last day of the trip was spent in Connecticut.  We began the day at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Berlin.  The course was designed by Willie Park Jr, famously the designer of The Maidstone Club in The Hamptons, which we missed on this trip, but will be back to play soon.  Playing this course allowed my wife to tick Connecticut off her states played list. Her 45th state!

Shuttle Meadow, Par three 6th hole

We wrapped up the trip at Bull's Bridge Golf Club in northwestern Connecticut.  The course is one of the most well-routed Fazios I have seen.  The elevation changes are well done, and the course is in immaculate condition.

Bull's Bridge Golf Club, Par five 1st hole in foreground, Par four 9th hole in background

That concludes the bucket list NY trip writeup.  This was actually week one of our two week trip to New York.  The second week, which had a Donald Ross theme, will be covered in the next writeup.  Thank you as always for reading about my adventures!

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Kentucky Trip

I spent a lot of time in Kentucky in the mid 2000's.  My aunt lived in Florence, Kentucky, which is just south of Cincinnati.  I tried to visit her at least once a year and managed to play quite a few courses over the years.  After she passed away in 2017, I focused on other parts of the country.  This trip was about playing all the courses I hadn't had a chance to visit yet.  

Louisville Country Club

Day one of the trip began in Richmond, Kentucky.  Home of Eastern Kentucky University, I was there to play Gibson Bay Golf Club.  I began right after sunrise on the eighteen hole course designed by Michael Hurdzan.  As a designer, Hurzdan typically likes big cloverleaf like bunkers, but that wasn't what I saw at Gibson.  The course used the topography more, and relied less on bunkers for its challenge.

Gibson Bay Golf Club, Par four 10th hole

I followed up my round on the big course with a trip around the short course at Gibson Bay, also designed by Hurdzan.  

Gibson Bay Par Three Course, 8th hole

I headed to Lexington for my last round on day one.  Griffin Gate Golf Club is owned by Marriott and was originally designed by Rees Jones in 1981.  Jones completed a renovation of the course in 2015.  The routing felt a little squeezed in on the front, but overall the course was quite fun.

Griffin Gate Golf Club, Par three 4th hole

The second day of the trip also took place in the Lexington area.  First up was Kearney Hill Golf Links located in the northern part of Lexington.  Kearney Hill is a municipal course designed by Pete & P.B. Dye in 1989.  The Dyes knew their audience with this course and made it more playable than the average Dye course.  The routing is very creative, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this course.

Kearney Hills Golf Links, Par three 12th hole

I headed south to the town of Nicholasville for my next two rounds on day two.  The Golf Club at Widow's Watch was my destination.  Google says the course is now called Golf Club of the Bluegrass, but the scorecard and flag still say Widow's Watch, so I'm going with that.

Golf Club at Widow's Watch, Par four 18th hole

The last course I played on day two hosts a PGA Tour event every year.  Champion Trace Golf Club typically hosts the tour event opposite the Open Championship, but this year it is opposite the Scottish Open.  They keep the rough very long, so accuracy is very important.  I thought the course was pretty hard, but of course the tour pros destroy it, with the winning score always being in the 25 under ballpark almost every year.

Champion Trace Golf Club, Par three 2nd hole

Unfortunately, the theme of day three was rain.  It took place in the Louisville area with off and on rain showers providing a challenge for decent pictures, but it was still a wonderful day of golf with the surprise of the trip coming late in the day.  I began the day at the nine hole Crescent Hill Golf Course, which has been around since 1926.  The hill part of the name is appropriate as the course is very undulating!

Crescent Hill Golf Course, Par four 9th hole

Next up on day three was the city owned Seneca Golf Course.  I started with the par three course at Seneca.

Seneca Par three course, 2nd hole

I tackled the big course at Seneca next.  Wonderful use of the topography made this a delightfully fun experience.

Seneca Golf Club, Par four 18th hole

The final course on day three was the biggest surprise of the trip.  I knew that Louisville Country Club would be good because it was designed by Walter Travis.  Travis is a Golden Age designer who was well known for his eccentric bunkering and bold greens.  The course he built at Louisville is full of character, and is placed perfectly on the severely undulating piece of property.  Travis handled the transitions with some very bold uphill and downhill holes to absolute perfection.  I would love to play there every day.

Louisville Country Club, Par four 10th hole

Golf in the Louisville area continued on day four of the trip.  Heritage Hill Golf Club is located about 25 miles south of Louisville in Shepherdstown.  The course opened in 2007, and was designed by Douglas Beach.  The par threes are the real star on this course, as two are of the dramatic drop shot variety.  

Heritage Hill Golf Club, Par three 11th hole

On the drive back up to Louisville, I decided to check out Penn Run Golf Course.  This basic course uses the elevation for its challenge and variety.  

Pennsylvania Run Golf Course, Par four 10th hole

The third course I played on day four was Lake Forest Country Club designed by Arnold Palmer.  This is a very typical housing development course with long cart rides between holes and houses on both sides of every hole.

Lake Forest Country Club, Par four 5th hole

The final course on day four was a highlight of the trip.  The University of Louisville Golf Club, formerly called The Cardinal Club, was designed by Spencer Holt and opened in 2001.  Mr. Holt returned in 2014 to renovate the course.  The front nine is on a very tight piece of property next to the interstate, but I was very impressed by the variety of holes he was able to fit in such a tight property.

University of Louisville, Par four 18th hole

Day five of the trip took place in Indiana.  First up was Sultans Run Golf Club in Jasper, Indiana.  The course was designed by Indiana local Tim Liddy, who built many courses for Pete Dye.  You can see the Dye influence in the design.  I loved the course, but my one regret was trying to hit driver too much off the tee.  Accuracy is very important on this course and I was not disciplined enough to play the smart shot sometimes!

Sultans Run Golf Club, Par three 12th hole

I headed north to Bloomington for the next few courses.  Taylor's Par 3 in the northern part of Bloomington is a very easy walk, and a great place for people new to the game.

Taylor's Par Three, 1st and 2nd holes

Practically down the road from Taylor's, Cascades Golf Club has three nines, Pine, Quarry, and Ridge.  A junior tournament was taking place on two of the nines, so I headed out to play the Pine nine.

Cascades Golf Club, Pine Nine, Par four 9th hole

The reason for my trip to Bloomington was up next on day five.  The Pfau course at Indiana University opened in 1957, but Steve Smyers completed a major renovation in 2020.  The course is one of the hardest I have ever played with extremely punishing rough just off the fairway.  Balls hit 5 yards off the fairway are lost in the thick grass.  I really didn't understand the decision to maintain the course this way for everyday play.  I understand it for a college tournament but the difficulty really took away from my enjoyment of the course.

Pfau Course at Indiana University, Par four 6th hole

I needed a palate cleanser after my round at Pfau, so on the drive back to Louisville I stopped at Covered Bridge Golf Club for a quick nine.  The course is owned by Masters Champion Fuzzy Zoeller and he co-designed the course with Clyde Johnston in 1994.

Covered Bridge Golf Club, Par four 7th in foreground, Par three 8th in background

I began day six of the trip just north of Lexington at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Paris, Kentucky.  A mix up in the tee time resulted in my having to wait almost an hour for somebody to show up.  Even though I had booked a 7 am tee time, when the tee time system hit June, the first tee time was changed to 7:45 so my time was moved back.  Of course nobody told me this, so I just had to sit there.

Houston Oaks Golf Club, Par three 7th hole

Two Kentucky State Park courses were next up on my agenda.  First was General Burnside Golf Club which is located on an island in the Cumberland River about two hours south of Lexington.  The course was designed by Brian Ault, who also designed the State Park course at Dale Hollow.

General Burnside Golf Club, Par three 14th hole

The State Park theme continued in Eastern Kentucky at Wasioto Winds Golf Club in Pineville.  The course was designed by Michael Hurdzan.  While it is mostly flat, the design uses the Clear creek very well, featuring it on several holes on both nines.

Wasioto Winds Golf Club, Par four 7th hole

On the drive to my hotel in Morristown, Tennessee, I decided to stop and check out Woodlake Golf Resort in Tazewell, Tennessee designed by John Salyers.

Woodlake Golf Resort, Par five 1st hole

On the last day of the trip I returned to my home state of South Carolina.  I spent some time playing courses in the upstate.  I began at Pickens Golf Club which used to have 18 holes but now has nine with the other nine being converted to housing.

Pickens Golf Club, Par five 2nd hole

Saluda Valley Golf Club was my next destination on this final day.  I found out when I got home that the theme of this day was courses designed by William B. Lewis.  He is a local SC architect who designed Pickens Golf Club, Saluda Valley, and Southern Oaks.  

Saluda Valley Golf Club, Par four 10th hole

Southern Oaks Golf Course in Easley was up next on this final day.  I found this to be a fun design that moves its way through the trees with some wonderful par threes.

Southern Oaks Golf Club, Par three 14th hole

Ware Shoals Golf Course in the town of the same name was my final destination of the trip.  This nine hole course is a mostly basic design that features some real standout holes, like the pictured par four sixth hole.

Ware Shoals Golf Course, Par four 6th hole

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