St. Louis Trip

St. Louis is a place I visited briefly about fifteen years ago.  I was on a driving trip, and stopped in town to play St. Louis Country Club before I continued my trip in other states.  Bellerive Country Club has been on my to-do list for a very long time because of its presence in the various magazine rankings over the years, as well as its major championship history.  In 2024 I was finally able to dedicate an entire trip to the St. Louis area.  Bellerive was the obvious target of the trip, but I also enjoyed many great classic designs as well as a few modern marvels.  

Bellerive Country Club

Day one of the trip was the only one that took place outside the St. Louis area.  I traveled about two hours south of St. Louis to the Cape Giradeau area for a round at the Gary Nicklaus designed Dalhousie Golf Club.  This is not your typical Nicklaus design and that is a very good thing.  The bunkering is very flowing and creative, and the routing does not feature an abundance of dogleg rights that require an aerial approach as is seen in most Nicklaus designs.

Dalhousie Golf Club, Par three 8th hole

While I was in the area I checked out Bent Creek Golf Club in Jackson, Missouri.  The course was designed by local Missouri architect Gary Kern, and works surprisingly well on the undulating property just north of Cape Giradeau.

Bent Creek Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

I stayed in Jackson for my final round on day one.  Kimbeland Country Club opened in the 1960's and was redesigned by Art Schaupeter in 2000.  

Kimbeland Country Club, Par three 18th hole

Day two of the trip began just over the Mississippi River from St. Louis in Illinois. Gateway National Golf Links in Madison, Illinois is a mere three miles from downtown St. Louis as the crow flies and enjoys wonderful views of the city and the famous arch.  The course was designed by Keith Foster and opened in 1998.

Gateway National Golf Links, Par four 3rd Hole

I stayed in Illinois for my second round on day two. Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville has an interesting architectural history.  The course was originally designed by Larry Packard in 1924 on a wild piece of property that results in some major elevation changes on the front nine.  Because of road construction, and property being bought and sold, holes were added and taken away in 1990 and 1997.  I was fortunate to play with two members who told me all about the various changes over the years.  The back nine definitely feels a little disjointed as it features many of the "new" holes.

Sunset Hills Country Club, Par five 4th Hole, with Par three 7th in the background

I headed back into Missouri for my third round.  Meadowbrook Country Club in Ballwin was designed in 1960 by Robert B. Harris and renovated in 2000 by Keith Foster.  This was the 4th course named Meadowbrook I have played, a very popular name in golf.  

Meadowbrook Country Club, Par five 2nd hole

My pace of play was pretty good at Meadowbrook, so I had plenty of daylight for a little bonus golf.  I headed two miles west to Forest Hills Country Club for a quick trip around their Valley course.  Designed by Chick Adams in 1960, the Valley is a par 30 nine hole course with some very fun par threes and fours.

Forest Hills Country Club(Valley), Par four 9th hole

I began day three of the trip about thirty miles west of St. Louis in the town of Augusta, Missouri for an early morning round at the Pete Dye designed Boone Valley Golf Club.  This course was everything that people love and hate about Dye designs.  Sharp edges, bold bunkering, and lots of visual intimidation off the tee.

Boone Valley Golf Club, Par three 12th hole

As the crow flies, the next course on day three was only seven miles from Boone Valley but it was a twenty-eight mile drive across the Missouri river.  The Country Club of St. Albans has two courses and I was playing the Lewis & Clark course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish in 1992.  I played the other course, Tavern Creek, five years ago on my way to the Ozarks, so I was excited to get back and see this course.  L&C was definitely the more playable of the two courses, with the front nine down in the valley on relatively flat ground.

CC of St. Albans(Lewis & Clark), Par three 15th hole

I headed back into St. Louis for the next course on day three.  Algonquin Golf Club is one of the oldest courses in Missouri, originally designed by Tom Bendelow in 1903.  The course has been modified by several architects over the years, most recently by Keith Foster in 2010.  It retains its classic feel and has a very unique stoplight system for the blind tee shot on the par five 4th hole.

Algonquin Golf Club, Par four 1st hole

Once again I had some extra daylight left on day three so I headed to nearby Ballwin Golf Course for a brisk late afternoon round on this delightful nine hole course.

Ballwin Golf Course, Par four 1st hole

Day four began very early in the morning at the city owned Forest Park Golf Course.  I met a friend from St. Louis for the round and we had a wonderful walk around one of the best municipal courses I have played.  The course has been renovated over the years, but the bones of the original design make for an extremely fun experience.

Forest Park Golf Course, Par four 8th hole

One of the best courses in Missouri was up next on day four.  Old Warson Country Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones and has hosted several USGA Championships since it opened in the 1950's.  The course works its way up and down the hills just west of the city with the back nine being the more interesting side.

Old Warson Country Club, Par four 14th hole

A course that wasn't in the original itinerary was next on day four.  I had heard good things about Annbriar Golf Course over the river in Waterloo, Illinois, and a last minute reshuffling allowed me the time to experience a very solid Michael Hurdzan design that is one of the best public courses in the St. Louis area.

Annbriar Golf Course, Par four 2nd hole

Rain was starting to fall when I finished at Annbriar, so as I headed back towards St. Louis I decided to check out Waterloo Country Club, a quirky nine hole course that has been around for almost a hundred years.  The rain cleared the golf course and allowed me to get around very quickly.  

Waterloo Country Club, Par four 6th hole

The last day of the trip began in Illinois again.  This time I had the pleasure of experiencing St. Clair Country Club, the biggest surprise of the trip.  The course was designed by Langford and Moreau, most known for their work at Lawsonia in Wisconsin and Skokie in Illinois.  The pair were influenced by Seth Raynor and you can see that influence in their designs.  Their courses tend to be a bit hillier and more undulating than Raynor's, and that is one of the things that makes St. Clair so much fun.  The property is very small, but the holes never feel tight or restricted.  I really need to set aside some time in the future to get to some Langford/Moreau courses in the Midwest.

St. Clair Country Club, Par four 5th hole

I headed back into Missouri and west of the city for my next round on the last day of the trip.  Lake Forest Country Club in Lake St. Louis is a very difficult course that was designed by Gary Kern and opened in the 1970's.

Lake Forest Country Club, Par three 8th hole

I was playing the last round of the trip in the late afternoon, so on the drive back to St. Louis I had time to check out the par three Pheasant Run Golf Course in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Pheasant Run Golf Course, Par three 2nd hole

Normally the final round of my trips is not the reason why I took the trip in the first place, but that is how it turned out on this trip.  I finished my wonderful trip to St. Louis with the multiple major championship hosting Bellerive Country Club designed by Robert Trent Jones.  

Bellerive Country Club, Par three 13th hole

I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the course.  My desire to play it had a lot to do with its constant presence on various top 100 lists and it's major championship prowess.  But I found I really liked the big, nuanced greens and the bunkering was very creative.  I am generally not the biggest fan of RTJ designs, but there was just something I really liked about this course.  

Bellerive Country Club, Par five 4th hole

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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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