Fergal O'Leary

The dynamic duo are at it again, and the mastery of Coore/Crenshaw is in full-view in the “show-me” state of Missouri. Pre-game discussions with the golf staff suggested that this is the hardest course at Big Cedar in terms of the demands it makes on shot-making, forced carries, judging elevation and green-speeds. I was fortunate to join up with a group of scratch-golfers who have been visiting the resort for years, and unsurprisingly, Ozarks National was their favourite course. While “favourite” is a subjective concept from one person to the next, after playing the course, I could see myself why a variety of players will rate Ozarks National the highest. It’s a great problem to have when you have so many diverse courses to choose from, and opinions are varied. I personally loved Ozarks National, and appreciated how skillful the architects are with such a challenging piece of land. The holes feel natural traversing up and down hills, and the green sites are just superb, especially on each of the 5 par 3s. Many aspects of this course reminded me of one of my other absolute favourites – Old Sandwich GC. There are uphill, downhill, and flat par 3s, 4s and 5s. It’s a very unique offering, and the heroic carries across gully’s, chasms and ravines are just glorious. I found the course to be very walkable, with a very short distance from green to next tee. The opening par 4 plays up and over a hill that channels towards one of the many infinity greens and immediately gives you a grand view of the iconic bunkering that you’ll enjoy from start to finish. The holes move so naturally with the land, especially when they dogleg around a ravine, just like at Old Sandwich and Friar’s Head. It’s all there in front of you and it’s clear how the land will kick your ball when it lands. The ground is very firm, which means the ball will bounce and the ground game is a constant factor / option. The design of the holes often offers the ability to hit less than driver off the tee, and I love this about Coore/Crenshaw courses. The short par 4s are prime candidates for a long-iron or a fairway wood to give yourself the best angle into the greens. It reminded me of the short par 4s at some of MacKenzie’s courses in Australia, where the reward for a strategic tee-shot is most satisfying. You often feel a great connection with how a hole is designed when you flow with what it’s asking you to do. When you miss a green (and aren’t in a bunker), you often have 14 clubs to choose from in order to recover, just like the best Links courses in GB&I. It’s all about how best to use the land in your favour. I also found it to be a thrilling driving course off every tee, as you are challenged to find the best platform on the fairway or enjoy a thrilling panoramic vista. While many players cherish the adventure of playing downhill from elevation, the uphill holes are just as enjoyable as the holes reveal themselves to you as you navigate towards the green. As is expected, the fairways are very wide and the ball will bounce on the firm ground, but golfers are given a chance to play an excellent course on a terrain optimized for golf. Many people comment that the views at Ozarks National aren’t as frequent or spectacular relative to the other courses at Big Cedar, but you’ll be so engrossed by the magnificent golf holes that it’s a testament to how the designers keep your attention focused on what’s in front of you. Ozarks National is definitely in the top half of Coore/Crenshaw's portfolio, and a must-play for every golfer.

Johnny Morris is serious about innovation at Big Cedar Lodge, no matter what the cost. In the past 4 years, golf at Big Cedar has taken monumental leaps forward with the opening of Payne’s Valley designed by the Tiger Woods design group in 2020, on the heels of Ozarks National designed by Coore/Crenshaw in 2018. You can’t ask for bigger names, or better results. All 5 courses at Big Cedar are designed by people who we know on a First Name basis, and the momentum of visitors is fast making it one of the most attractive destinations for golfers, and families of all ages. The views from the clubhouse across the Ozarks mountains and endless ridges are breath-taking. The lure of the property is unquestionable, and the variety of golf options is very enticing. Before playing Payne’s Valley, I spoke with as many golf staff as I could to get their opinion of playing the course. One consistent response suggested that the course is very forgiving off the tee, and the contours of the greens will work the ball in your favour. Tiger designs courses to be the most fun possible and allow players of all abilities to smile from ear to ear from the 1st tee to the 18th green – or the 19th green in this case. Payne’s Valley has this fun-factor in bucket-loads. The clubhouse is perched high on a mountain top, visible from every vantage point on the course and the crescendo of the course plays into the gigantic mountain (literally) is a sight to behold. Photographs don’t do this place justice. I can’t even begin to understand how many millions of dollars were spent just making the 18th and 19th holes alone (yes, the 19th hole is an island green carved out of, and inside, a mountain). You have to see it to believe it, and no doubt it’s the most photographed hole. The par 3s are fabulous fun – whether you are playing from elevation, onto an island or into a punchbowl, you’re guaranteed to get excited on the tee-box. The course always gives you a chance to score well, but for those wanting a challenge, the Tiger Tees are waiting for you at 7400 yards, which brings many different bunkers into play. I appreciated the many tee-box options on every hole, and the accessible portions of the greens. It’s all about making memories and hitting heroic shots. Payne’s Valley is fast becoming the favourite course of the resort golfers on property, and the layout is maturing well despite only being 2 years old. The panoramic views from the mountain tops looking across the course are worth the trip alone, as are the Disneyland-like waterfalls that are integrated into the mountains. With a bag-full of birdies to your name by the end of the round, you’ll understand why this course has a great future with the Big Cat’s name on the scorecard. The golf historian in me couldn’t help but think of Mr. Stewart looking down from heaven on this creation knowing that so many people have been given a chance to have so much fun in his memory. I applaud the vision of Johnny Morris and Tiger Woods.

Since it opened in 2000, you probably haven’t heard of the club – and I can guarantee throughout the next series of decades, you probably won’t hear much about it either. There’s no website, very little photography, and almost no footprint with media exposure. With Mr. Crenshaw at the helm as the Director and the primary course architect (with Bill Coore), this is one of the most protected secrets in all of American golf – just the way the club wants it to be. The focus is solely on the game of golf, and the members uphold the most respected old-school traditions, which is evident when you listen to how they describe the club’s values. I heard joyful comments that “only Ben can putt these greens”, and it doesn’t take long to experience the challenge of the contours – frequently reminding us of those renowned greens among the Georgia Pines. There is plenty of width off the tee, with thoughtful placement of fairway bunkering to challenge every player, consistently pleasing to the eye. I recently read the book “The life and work of Dr. Alister MacKenzie” which outlined MacKenzie’s 13 design principles. It was remarkable how many of them I could identify while playing Austin GC. It is clear that Ben’s design philosophies are rooted in the best of American golf architecture, and this course has Ben’s full attention as he is a local resident and onsite every week. Every hole has a thoughtful name and is influenced by many people / factors of Crenshaw’s life. It was fitting that the 18th hole is simply named “Harvey”, as a testament to Ben’s iconic golf instructor and friend. The course itself is a remarkable creation and among the very best of the architect’s global portfolio. The holes fit so naturally on the expansive land, and the green-site locations are as good as I’ve seen from Coore/Crenshaw. Several greens are barely the size of your kitchen table, and others reminded me of the grand scale of their other designs. The variety of design added to the enjoyment of the round (one of MacKenzie’s theories) and everything just seemed in proportion – whether it was a cross bunker, a sprawling hazard, or a tiny green with sharp slopes. The course has great versatility in its routing, as it comes back to the clubhouse on 4 different occasions, giving the members plenty of options in terms of the amount of golf they want to play. I also loved the thoughtful transition from tee to fairway. As players exit a tee-box, there’s a ~30-yard stretch of fescue with a grass path cut up to the fairway. This is a walking course and the shift from one shot to the next is so well thought-out. The view from each green back towards the tee is just as enjoyable as the direction of play. There’s so much attention on the green design that your approach shots hold immense importance. This is true of many of Ben’s personal favourite courses (Augusta National, Chicago Golf Club, Crystal Downs), that the strategic influence of these religious cathedrals was present during course construction. With little to no rough (another MacKenzie theory), you’ll be given the chance to hit an approach shot from a good lie – but the challenge escalates quickly. Coore/Crenshaw often create big greens to make them play smaller – which means that you have to be very precise with your iron-play to reduce the chances of 3 putting. One thing is for sure, the beauty of the signature bunkering, the pristine playing surfaces, the iconic green shapes aggregate to one of the very best courses I’ve seen in the South. Austin Golf Club is a masterpiece.

Keith Foster’s renovation is a resounding success. One year since it opened back up, guest play is beginning to resume, and this Texas gem is back on the map. The course now displays the best of Tillinghast’s original features, with plenty of exciting enhancements made by Foster. The work done was not a complete restoration of the original layout, but it’s certainly significantly more enjoyable that prior versions in recent decades. There’s no shortage of stout par 4s on this par 70, and there’s no easy handshake to get your game started. The opening hole has been converted to a 440+ yard par 4 up the hill, from previously being a scorable par 5. Grass hollows have been discovered, enhanced, and integrated, as is notable on the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 9th, to name but a few. Both the 3rd and the 13th holes play relatively parallel to each other and more from right to left with a sharp downhill approach shot. Even after just a handful of holes, the greens are the immediate star of the show at this venue. Pristine, smooth, and slick are adjectives that come to mind to describe the putting surfaces. The renovation introduced all new putting surfaces and contours. Many of the greens appear rectangular in shape – and as with many of Tillinghast’s great venues on relatively flat land, the visual into the raised greens (pitched back to front) is consistent with cavernous bunkers that absorb your attention. The fairway bunkers are just as deep and are a constant factor with every tee-shot. Bunkers on this course are real hazards, and oftentimes the possibility of hitting a green in regulation from many of the fairway bunkers is all but eliminated. The tree clearance is just wonderful compared to when I last played here 5 years ago, and the removal of awkward vegetation is a great improvement. New features/mounding have been nicely integrated and will continue to settle over time. The back nine offers the most interesting design features. The (re)introduction of several waste areas is just fantastic. The par 3 10th is a glorious sandy site, and Tillinghast’ famous “great hazard” has been built mid-way through the par 5 15th, making the second shot on this long hole a real risk/reward opportunity. My favourite stretch of holes was on the back nine. In addition to the aforementioned 10th, I particularly enjoyed the revamped uphill 14th (best looking par 4 on the course), the wonderful 15th, and the much talked about par 3 16th which easily plays 200 yards up a gentle rise. The topography at the back end of the property definitely offers the best holes, and the closing stretch around the course boundary down to the last green is just fantastic. The approach shot into the guarded 18th green rounds out a really thrilling renovation. With improved practice facilities and the integration of celebrated architectural features often seen at the best courses in the country, gives Brook Hollow a wonderful foundation for future years.

A late October round at this Raynor gem offered eye-opening green speeds. The topography in this part of Long Island is very dramatic, and indeed the very first fairway climbs high into the sky. There are several large-scale ravines and hills which are integral parts of the course. All of the templates are on display, and certainly feel natural with the ground. I especially liked the Biarritz that plays over a ravine, followed by the Punchbowl which plays uphill into a large bowl. It was certainly a unique design, and a fun location for such an iconic green complex. The Redan closes out the front nine with those infamous menacing bunkers and treacherous slopes. I personally enjoyed the back nine by just a hair due to the movement of the land and the challenges of playing across the ravines. Highlights were the uphill par 4 11th, the outstanding par 5 16th that moves from right to left and plays across a deep gully on two occasions – and of course the delightful ‘Short’ par 3 17th with a hugely contoured green (not exactly the traditional Thumb-print – but a very unique interpretation). The green-site for the Short hole is almost hanging off a cliff-edge and a stunning sight from the tee. Although the course isn’t long on paper, the architecture demands respect, and low scores will be scarce given the frightening speed of the putting surfaces. A very well-preserved piece of golf history, and yet another reason to embrace the vision of Mr. Raynor.

Everything about A.W. Tillinghast working on a Long Island sandy site just feels like Christmas morning. You can’t wait to get out of bed, lace up your golf shoes and see what surprises are waiting for you. The presentation of this course is magnificent, as has been noted in other recent reviews. With a relatively low amount of play, the playing surfaces are sublime, and the renovated architecture is a delight to experience. Raised greens, mostly tilted from back to front are often guarded by deep cavernous bunkers on either side. I especially enjoyed the flow of the course and the enjoyable change of direction as you skirt the boundaries and then move towards the center of the property. It is a pretty flat piece of land with limited changes since the course was developed. The nines were flipped decades ago, and a short par 3 next to where the clubhouse is now located was removed many years ago. Old photographs in the men’s locker room offer a huge amount of education about the course’s evolution. Most notable changes in recent years are the now third iteration (and position) of the par 3 2nd green which is much shorter than its original position, and a relocation of the 3rd tee to allow for improved alignment with the fairway. The flow and transition of the entire course is majestic. Both nines finish at the clubhouse as is typical with a Tillinghast routing, and I continued to enjoy the short par 4s which were a tremendous test of skill. This prestigious club is an enormous treat to play, and the best of American architecture is on full display.

Charles Banks wasn’t short of world class mentors. In fact, one could argue that he had an embarrassment of riches when it came to learning from the best. His work at nearby Forsgate CC and Whippoorwill have a large fanbase, and after playing Hackensack, the Banks portfolio by itself has a very solid foundation. The course occupies yet another rolling piece of land with naturally created holes moving in every direction – up, down and across the contours of the hills. It was clear that the active membership loves the course, and it gets a wonderful amount of play by players of all abilities. This club is blessed with recent renovations, and clearly has a great plan for the future. Given Bank’s nickname, many of the course’s glorious features are eye-opening. It goes beyond the depth of the bunkers, but the shaping of the templates is immensely impressive. For example, the green sites of the Redan and the Punchbowl catch your attention from several vantage points across the course before you even play them. I’d venture to say that the Redan at Hackensack may be my favourite interpretation of the concept on this side of the pond (out of the 25+ that I’ve played). It’s just amazing and so much of the danger is hidden. Staggering shaping is on display and it offers one of the fun moments where you smirk and wonder “where on earth do I land this tee-shot?”. While I felt the course really stepped up a gear architecturally from the short par 3 6th hole, I absolutely loved Hackensack and will race back to the first tee. Thought provoking architecture on firm ground is what makes this game so great. Bank’s mentors must be so proud.

Willie Park Jr will once again be smiling down from heaven knowing that Andy Staples has been engaged with a master plan. This club is one of Canada’s oldest protected secrets and an enormously enjoyable experience right out of the gates (if you can find them!). Even to this day, I can remember every single hole, which is a testament to the creation, and a further celebration of how talented Willie Park was a century ago. Most of the course plays on a relatively flat open piece of land, with a stretch of 3 holes mid-way through the inward nine playing on higher ground and isolated by trees. Each hole at this course is one to be enjoyed, respected, and cherished as part of the entire collection. The movement of the land is delightful, and the location of the green sites is a masterclass in discovery. As with many older courses, there is a short walk from green to tee, and the orientation of the routing is completely natural. The shorter holes have an augmented sense of visual excitement given the green-shaping and it’s a blessing that they have been preserved. For example, the short par 3 3rd hole has a ring of surrounding bunkers that will bring natural comparisons to select visuals that Park created at Sunningdale. Relative to the number of courses I’ve played across Canada, I considered Mount Bruno to be underrated and simply not known by many – which is probably the way they want to keep it. I can only imagine how special it will continue to be with Mr. Staples getting involved. I absolutely loved it.

When you read about the evolution of golf clubs in North America, it doesn’t take very long before the story brings you to the suburbs of Montreal. The Royal Montreal GC is about to celebrate its 150th anniversary, making it the elder statesman in a wide region. Since its inception, the club is part of the game’s history on this side of the pond and has been awarded many globally recognized professional golf tournaments – with the Presidents Cup returning in a couple of years. Dick Wilson was the architect on the Blue course and his design skills have stood the test of time as golfers are challenged from start to finish. The back nine is notably more challenging and, in my humble opinion, occupies the more interesting terrain for golf. Wilson makes you work for a par, and golfers face many difficult approach shots to elevated greens. I noted the diversity in the actual shape/size of many of the greens, and how your view of the green from the fairway can be very different from what you expected once you are standing on it. The shaping of the green contours is a significant attribute for golfers to overcome, especially if you fall off one side and have to fight to get back into position. The course just really makes you concentrate.

After far too long, the land border finally re-opened into Canada. It was an early morning start from Cape Cod, but upon entering the province of Quebec, the wait was finally over. The quaint town of Magog is blessed with a beautiful setting, and it’s only fitting that one of Canada’s most exclusive clubs is in the neighbourhood. My understanding is that the club now has 57 members, each of them treated like royalty. There have been many occasions in my life where I’ve felt truly privileged to be somewhere, and I can add Memphremagog to that list without hesitation. Tom MacBroom has a stellar portfolio, especially in Canada, and I loved what I saw architecturally at Memphremagog – especially the green complexes. There is natural fescue across the course and several enjoyable changes in elevation as you traverse this very walkable property. The stretch of 6-8 on the front was especially enjoyable as you head downhill and then encounter a diverse collection of holes around a lake. The back-nine starts off with an epic elevated tee-shot that whistles downhill and moves from left to right. The inward nine continues to ooze quality around an endless integration with nature. It’s a solid reminder that golf is a walking sport. I enjoyed hearing about the continued tree clearance on certain holes to open up views and give you a sense of location. With such a low level of play, it’s understandable that the playing surfaces were delightful, and the conditions were very firm. Despite being around 2 hours east of Montreal, every golfer I subsequently met in the Montreal area consistently reported how high they regard Memphremagog, and I couldn’t help but agree. It’s a hidden treasure chest among the maples.

With the unfortunate closure of the original course circa 2013, the team at Sutton Bay didn’t waste any time creating a brand-new course on much higher land that is immensely enjoyable. It is firm, bouncy, breath-taking and I’ve no doubt in my mind that it will knock your socks off. When I first visited Sutton Bay in 2011, the new course was in its infancy of being staked out, but even back then, there was a growing enthusiasm for what lay ahead. Australian architect, Graham Marsh, was re-engaged to design the new 18-hole course – and my playing partners and I didn’t hesitate to agree on how great the end product turned out. I loved the fact that I had multiple options on almost every shot, especially recovery shots around the greens. It’s a multi-dimensional golf experience where there is no limit to your imagination. The firm playing conditions allow for huge amounts of creativity, and it’s a great test of your evolving skills. Every golf course tries to offer something unique – Sutton Bay takes it to a new level that most clubs may never reach. Worth every mile of the journey, and then some.

With multiple golf course offerings, and wonderful accommodations, the Prairie Club continues to be a popular accessible golfing option in a region that boasts many of the best private clubs in the nation. The Dunes course is hugely entertaining, and oftentimes out-of-this-world architecture. I was constantly impressed, and frequently, amazed with what each hole offered. The natural topography invites golfers to see the excitement that’s in front of them, and the discovery of the green sites was superbly architected. The shaping team did a marvelous job and have provided so much flexibility into how the course is set-up from day to day. I was somewhat sad when the round was over, and I’ll jump at the next chance I get to play here. Hugely recommended and lots of fun.

While
 a good portion of Gil’s spectacular portfolio is focused on
 renovations/restorations, he continues to provide hugely innovative
 approaches to new builds both in the US and overseas. CapRock Ranch was built
 on relatively flatter sandhills compared to nearby venues, but there is no
 shortage of blind tee shots and approach shots on each nine. The routing
 takes you adjacent to the deep ravines on several occasions and offers fun
 risk/reward scenarios throughout. The par 3s were certainly my favourite
 holes as they occupy many of the best pieces of the property, and arguably
 the most exciting green sites. The course only opened mid-summer 2021, and as
 the entire facility matures, I’ve no doubt it will grow in admiration.

Golf has always been strong in Nebraska, and not just since the magical hands of Coore & Crenshaw broke ground in 1994. The truth is that Omaha CC has been offering a fabulous golf course for more than a century. The hills are steep, and the challenge is there from start to finish. I considered this venue a terrific choice for a USGA event, most recently the US Senior Open – which was a huge success. The topography is difficult to navigate given the many uphill and downhill shots that are required, but that’s what makes the course unique, and clearly memorable. This part of the country can be flat as a pancake, but the closer you get to the course, the movement of the land provides insight into why the site for the course is genuinely enjoyable. Top tier ball-striking will be needed at this championship layout in order to have a hope of scoring well, and that’s the prerequisite before you step foot onto the severely contoured greens.

The greater Detroit area is blessed with wonderful clubs, but few enjoy the rolling topography that is on offer at Meadowbrook. The Andy Staples renovation is spectacularly good. Andy’s enthusiasm for this project was evident before a spade was ever put in the ground. He took members over to England to see Sunningdale and Huntercombe, so that they could see first hand the genius of Willie Park Jr. Andy was on a mission to bring the best of the UK architecture to the great state of Michigan – and boy did he knock it out of the park. Improvements to the flow of the routing on the front nine (mostly the complete repositioning of a par 3) and green complexes, the likes of which you simply will not see anywhere else in America, have been created at Meadowbrook. The tree clearance, the shaping, the flow, the presentation, and the passion from the membership have taken this club to the upper echelons of golf in the midwest. There are many beautiful vantage points on the property that allow you to take in such a spectacular routing, and truly exciting holes to navigate. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this course making any USA Top 100 list in the near future as there is a countless number of “wow, look at that!” moments throughout your round. Kudos to anyone who spots the “Jr” shaped bunkers on the front nine as a secret tribute to Willie Park. Andy Staples is a genius and I’m in awe of how his mind works. Meadowbrook is truly one of the most enjoyable walks I’ve experienced.

Since opening in 2004, this venue in Plymouth, MA has been contending as the best course in New England, and it’s hard to argue. It’s just a class act and a magnificent demonstration of pure golf on superb rolling terrain. Coore/Crenshaw hit the jackpot discovering holes that sit so naturally on the land, and the sand-based turf is firm and fast year-round. The club has outstanding facilities and a wonderful professional staff dedicated to a world class experience as soon as you enter the gates. I've always considered it such an honour to visit the club. Old Sandwich GC belongs comfortably inside the World’s Top 100 courses, period. When I’m asked about the best, and most impressive, course in the Coore/Crenshaw portfolio, my mind always gravitates to the south-shore of Massachusetts.

Preparations for the 2022 US Open have been taking place for several years now, and this historic venue in Brookline, MA will once again host professional golfers for the first time since 1999. The magical hands of Gil Hanse and his wonderful team have made brilliant (and subtle) improvements throughout the sublime property, and the tree clearance is just glorious. The exposure of rock cropping and visuals across the course just add to the magic of the place. This club is part of American history and will forever hold a special place in my own heart as it was the first course I ever played in America back in 2001. Not a bad start, right? The Composite (US Open) layout is fierce, and I can’t wait for the event next year, especially given that the back nine is over 4000 yards long and the greens are the smallest around. The sheer fact that this old venue has been so well preserved and is as close to the quirk of Ireland/Scotland as you could imagine, the topography at Brookline will no doubt provide for world class entertainment next summer. We’ll wait and see which squirrel will get the nut.

It had been approximately 12 years since I last played Myopia. With an average of approximately 5000-6000 rounds a year, this venue is really special. Needless to say, an invite to this venue in Hamilton, MA is something to cherish. Herbert Leeds travelled down to Shinnecock Hills before he started working on Myopia, so it goes without saying that Leeds had greatness in mind when he commenced his work north of Boston. The course is short by today's standards on paper, but the severity of the slopes will bring you to your knees. The putting surfaces were clearly built when the green speeds were much slower – but the course has certainly stood the test of time and is often referenced as one of the most historic (and toughest) venues in America. The topography at Myopia is truly beautiful and Herbert Leeds deserves a huge amount of credit.

Essex County Club – I’ve had the incredible fortune of playing here almost every year since 2002. It is fast becoming not only one of the most sought-after venues in New England, but in the entire country. This Donald Ross layout has transformed itself in the past 5 years with tree removal, rock exposure, new tee-boxes, updated mowing lines and a brilliant greenkeeping team. Being on the property is a huge privilege, and I envision the golf course continuing to climb in the various rankings. I’m not bashful about saying it’s in my Top 5 Ross courses in the US.

Tralee GC – I loved this course and hold it in higher regard than a list of other big names in the South of Ireland. While the back nine is famous for the dunes and the breathtaking views, I honestly thought the front nine offered just as much enjoyment. Recent renovations have been nicely implemented. In my humble opinion, this venue is underrated and not to be missed. One of the best in the country.

The Island GC – there are four brand new holes on the renovated front nine, which has broken up the original flow of 8 par 4s and a par 3 to finish the outward half. The 3rd hole has been extended to a par 5 with new tee boxes, the 4th is a brand new par 3 carved out of the massive sand-dunes, the 5th has been extended into a long dog-leg left to right. Furthermore, the 8th and 9th holes are brand new long stellar par 4s which have been shifted in from the driveway. No real changes to the back nine. The Island oozes quality and is an absolute must-play. It is firmly among the best in Ireland.

Portmarnock GC – often referred to as the great example of links golf in Ireland. No two consecutive holes run in the same direction, and the low sand dunes guarantee the wind will be a constant battle. There is nothing to protect you from the natural elements that embrace the peninsula which has facilitated golf since 1894. Conditioning at Portmarnock has never been better, and the head greenkeeper is fanatical about the smallest of details, especially the presentation of immaculate putting surfaces where wind is always a factor. Steep-faced bunkers and arguably the best finishing stretch in GB&I, place Portmarnock towards the top of the list when it comes to the best links in the game.

Portsalon GC – the rumpled terrain at Portsalon on the Inishowen Peninsula is as natural a setting for links golf as it gets. The par 4 2nd hole is among the most spectacular in Ireland from the elevated tee box overlooking the beach. The carry to the diagonal fairway is a shot you’ll never forget. Portsalon will test any golfer to hit very imaginative shots along the ground and through the dunes. The layout is tight in places with many holes fighting a crosswind. I really enjoyed the out and back routing and was thrilled with the overall experience. In terms of quantity and quality, there are more “great” courses concentrated in the northwest compared to any other area of Ireland.

Narin & Portnoo – the fact that the club secured Gil Hanse to overhaul the course is incredible on many levels. I was fortunate to play with a member who gave me a lot of historical perspective about the evolution of the links. The Hanse product is absolutely sensational, and it’s only getting better with time. Do the locals know how lucky they are?! There are more “great” courses concentrated in the northwest compared to any other area of Ireland. To think that both Doak and Hanse were working on two separate projects in County Donegal at the same general time frame is a testament to how good the region is for golf.

Donegal GC – after a benign start, the golf course really gets going from the 4th hole as you navigate out the peninsula. The par 3 5th could be among the top 20 short holes in the continent. The canvas at Murvagh is perfectly suited for golf, and it’s no surprise that the club was recently selected to host the national cups & shields event for the best players in Ireland. The northwest of Ireland is the best region in the country for the greatest golf, you could easily spend a week in County Donegal alone. In terms of quantity and quality, there are more “great” courses concentrated in the northwest compared to any other area of Ireland.

St. Patrick’s Links – a dream come true for Tom Doak, for the Rosapenna resort and for the golfers of Ireland. We now have a world class Doak course in the Emerald Isle! The history of golf at St. Patrick’s is an interesting one with two original courses, then a possible Nicklaus routing (which never happened) followed by no activity for years. The genius and foresight of the Casey family to commit to purchasing the land in 2012 was an outstanding decision. The new course is unlike anything else in Ireland. Golfers will be left speechless by the sheer scale of the course, the width of the fairways, (possibly the best ever) shaping of greens done by the Doak team, and a setting that will take your breath away. The 11th green might be the best green in the world, and the view from the 14th tee will make time stand still. When the course matures and the mowing lines are finalised, this course will be at the very top of everybody’s wish list. The excitement is justified. The Old Tom Morris Course, the Sandy Hills Course and now St. Patrick’s Links are a trio of world class golf. With an official opening date of June 26th, 2021, I think the wonderful Casey brothers will have to add another 60 bedrooms to the hotel!In terms of quantity and quality, there are more “great” courses concentrated in the northwest compared to any other area of Ireland, and thanks to Tom Doak and the Casey family, County Donegal should be #1 on everyone’s golf travel list.

There is no shortage of classic Donald Ross courses in Massachusetts, in fact, this region is blessed. Longmeadow is in the southwestern part of the State, with the golf course occupying a piece of land with relatively gentle changes in elevation. The opening par 4 is a stout beginning to a course which has a great reputation for being long and challenging. As you depart the first green, you cross Shaker Road to play the remainder of the front side across the road. I loved the tree removal on the front nine which has exposed magnificent views across the property. Standing on the second tee, you can get a feel for the journey ahead as you play over ridges, over creeks and meander the ever-present doglegs. Ross discovered a very intelligent routing, highlighted by the mowing patterns as fairways are dissected by ridges with heavier grass, emphasizing the need to be very thoughtful with distances. This is a consistent design feature on both nines. Beautiful contours, mostly back to front, were found on the greens, but the scale of the Longmeadow CC greens was a tremendous bonus as course set-up allowed for many wonderful pin positions. I was most fond of the long par 5 3rd hole as you drive to a plateau and must determine how aggressive to be with your second shot given the need to cross a creek and face an uphill 3rd shot. The slightly downhill par 3 4th is a wonderful short hole with the green tilted from left to right, offering up plenty of changes to make an ace if the pin is in a bowl on the right side. Many regarding the par 4 5th as one of the most exciting holes on the opening side as it’s driveable for longer hitters but offers up a fairway with large swales. You could have a blind shot from less than 90 yards if your drive ends up in a deep swale. The approach shot into the epic par 4 6th was one of my favourite shots on the course as it requires a long iron over the country club pond to an amphitheater green setting. The remainder of the outward half offers a long downhill par 3, a wonderful dogleg left with a dissected fairway and a closing par 4 with a merciless false front. Longmeadow certainly deserves its standing as being one of the most challenging, and respected courses in the Bay State. You cross back over Shaker Road to play the entire back nine. Holes 10-12 play along the boundary of the property but continue the theme of no two consecutive holes playing in the same direction. You head South, West and North, before turning around on the par 3 13th tee. The short holes on the back nine were delightful, especially the aggressive bunkering on the short 16th. Nerves will be jangling as the green sits below a prominent viewing area near the clubhouse for spectators to catch a glimpse of ambitious tee-shots. The design of the 17th hole may be my favourite on the course. It’s superbly unique and highlights the importance of understanding Ross’ routing talents. Knowing the yardage of when any fairway ends is a key element of strategy for this course, as players will get punished for hitting it too far. This is one of the clever tactics employed to prevent the course being overpowered. The drive on 17 requires a shot of approximately 240 yards (depending on your tee box), but the land drops sharply after this point with longer grass occupying steep slopes. The second stretch of fairway is a boomerang shape before reaching one of the smallest greens on the course. The setting for the green is magnificent given the stadium feel dunes that surround the putting surface. There is no other hole on the course that looks like the 17th and is going to be a memorable highlight as your round comes to a crescendo. Club selection off the 18th tee is strongly influenced by a diagonal fairway that falls off on either side before rising back up to the final green. I was thrilled to play this excellent course and continue my education of the Ross portfolio.

This fabled Donald Ross layout has existed on its current property since 1929. Over the past years, Ron Prichard has renovated much of the layout with exquisite results. I was invited to an outing last week where Mr. Prichard served as the guest of honour, and he followed players around the course explaining his work across the land. Experts from the Donald Ross Society were whispering that this might now be Ross’ best course in New Jersey, which will perk your attention when you consider the likes of globally heralded Plainfield CC being in the conversation. I’ll wait with bated breath as to what the various panels will say.The two loops of nine begin with a downhill par 4, with holes 1 and 10 being parallel to each (separated by the range). Ironically, holes 2 and 11 both play southwest parallel to each other. This is where the relative comparison of the two nines ends, as each takes on a personality and direction of its own. The short par 4 3rd hole takes you to the Western corner of the property before you turn around and play holes 4, 5 and 6 that take you all the way to the southeastern segment of the course. Prichard’s contributions continue to shine on the front side with the addition of a small punchbowl area at the par 5 6th green, plus the fabulous chipping area off the back of the par 3 7th. The uphill par 3 7th hole has one of the most beautiful putting greens with slopes and spines that emanate from the adjacent hills that surround the green. The long downhill 8th hole plays as the hardest hole on the outward nine, before you turn around again and play the uphill par 5 9th with the most difficult (pitched) green on the course. The back to front nature of the Ross greens is alive and well at Mountain Ridge.The back nine has more character to it in terms of playing over creeks / ponds, more enjoyable dog-legs, and approach shots with more interesting angles – especially holes 12 and 18. The back nine heads anti-clockwise, and then the closing stretch unwinds clockwise around the property’s perimeter. The 17th and 18th move from left to right. Progressive and significant tree removal has done wonders for the health and visual enjoyment of this course. Prichard’s masterful renovation is a resounding success.

Any layout that tags the names Bendelow, Ross and Hanse as the architects since 1902 clearly sets itself apart. The clubhouse alone has the designation of a National Historical Landmark. There aren’t many members, and the course doesn’t get much play. The men’s locker room highlights the almost 120 years of history that has been preserved onsite. You get a similar vibe at other notable clubs such as The Country Club (Brookline) and nearby Oakmont CC. While Ross redesigned the original course circa 1923, the roads that cut through the opening 8 holes are somewhat of an unfortunate distraction. Apparently, the roads were there from the start, obviously with less traffic in earlier years. After the first green, you cross an intersection to get to the second tee and play 3 holes. After the 4th green, you cross back over the road to get to the 5th tee which sits behind the first green. Immediately after the 5th, you cross another intersection to get to the 6th hole to play the next 3 holes, where you encounter a fun par 5 (6th) over a hill, a super par 4 (7th) with a hybrid biarritz green and a short well protected par 3 (8th) along the boundary line - before crossing the road again to get to the 9th tee. The golf holes themselves traverse rolling land and are well designed, especially the epic downhill par 3 3rd hole at the start of the round – however, you have to flex your imagination and patience with the broken flow of holes given the location of the integrated roads around the club.From the 9th hole onwards, this golf course is a real beast, and offers some of the best golf in the State. The uphill par 4 9th green is among the most difficult on the entire course, which is followed by a 606-yard par 5 dog-leg that demands precision and accuracy the entire way to the green. The par 4s on the back nine, and the change in elevation makes for a very challenging test. There are no easy (or any) birdies out on the inward nine. The course closes with 3 long par 4s, with the uphill 16th being incredibly tough to hit in regulation. The massive driving range abuts the right-hand side of the 16th with out of bounds coming into play off the tee for errand drives. The 17th and 18th run down and back to the house in front of the clubhouse. There’s an argument to change the routing so that you play the current 17 and 18 after you play the 9th and continue on with the long par 5 playing as the 12th instead of the 10th. The end result of this suggestion is that the current 16th would play as the heroic last hole in front of the clubhouse. I would welcome this change, but it’s just a pipe dream. It was a huge privilege to visit this momentous club and embrace why it’s recognized as one of the top classic courses in the nation.

A revered Amateur Championship is played here every year going back decades. Many of the greatest names and winners in the game have played here and won. This might be the most underrated Tillinghast course in the country, with arguably the fastest greens I’ve played on in years, or ever. The fact that I feel more comfortable on Oakmont’s or Shinnecock Hills’ greens compared to Sunnehanna only begins to tell you how ferocious these putting surfaces are. Without doubt, Johnstown’s best kept secrets.Conditioning is among the purest you’ll find from tee to green, with a routing that is relatively intuitive as you flow from one to the next. There’s a healthy mix of uphill and downhill holes that traverse the huge slopes, with an even number of dog-legs in both directions. The course never lets up and maintains a consistent level of challenge all the way around. I loved every minute of how natural every hole sits on the landscape that has always been there. The best golfer is identified as the player who can judge the elevation changes. Generally speaking, downhill holes can be just as fierce as uphill, and in my opinion at Sunnehanna CC, the downhill shots are much more challenging given the big bounces you get at this mountainous venue. It almost becomes a skills competition.With progressive tree removal and multiple bunker upgrade projects, there’s no question in my mind why this venue is perfect for the best amateurs in the nation since 1954 and has Tillinghast’s best talents on display with the presentation of the par 3s. If you can keep your nerve on the treacherously fast greens, and accept that you may 3 putt most of them, you’ll still walk away with boat-loads of admiration for this Pennsylvanian classic. It’s hard to call it a hidden gem given the tournament that’s played here, but for those who are lucky to experience it, it’s widely accepted as one of the most underrated historic courses in the country.

One of the most thrilling opening tee-shots anywhere in America. From an elevated perch at the back of the clubhouse, you launch your first drive up into the sky with 8 or 9 seconds of hang time before it finally touches down. The opening 7 holes at the Field Club play on a tight East-West parcel of land with a variety of par 3s, 4s and a reachable par 5 back up the steep slope that is parallel to the first hole. The 8th hole is index 1, and certainly lives up to it given a blind drive over a plateau to a pinched landing area, followed by at least 180 yards to a green surrounded by a massive grass ravine area. Hitting this green is regulation is a truly memorable and rewarding experience.The joy of the back nine is the constant change in direction, particularly holes 8-10 that are considered the courses best stretch. The land heaves at the Field Club, and the back nine certainly plays a few shots tougher. The long downhill par 3 14th and 16th holes play at least 215 yards, and ironically, 3 of the last 5 holes are par 3s. The course finishes with an elevator ride from the short par 4 17th (which has a highly debatable big tree overhanging the right side of the green) up to the newly discovered par 3 18th tee. Rumour has it that the hole used to be a closing par 4, but numerous members struggled with heart & respiratory issues getting up 18, that the club installed a lift to get to a par 3 finisher!I’ve no doubt that this club produces highly talented players, as the land that the course is constructed on is a significantly challenging canvas. Alex Findlay originally laid out this course, but it is Tillinghast’s hands that created the course we play today. The membership is blessed with a brilliant classic course that is all you can handle on any given day. This club and course easily holds its own against its famous neighbours, but as a primary course, it gets my vote for enjoyment.

Consistently my favourite course at the resort, and arguably one of Tom Doak’s best original designs in the United States. The second course at Bandon Dunes has certainly added to the hype of the resort over the past 20 years. Playing towards and along the ocean is magnificent, but as I often point out, many of Doak’s best holes are away from the water. If you look at an aerial of the course, arguably 12 of the 18 holes are away from the coastal cliffs, which only furthers my respect for the green-sites that Doak discovered on this magical routing.There’s been no lack of documentation covering the highlights of Pacific Dunes, and those famous 3rd to 5th, and 11th to 13th hole stretches along the coast that are frequently found on course photographs. Pacific Dunes clearly has its own identity at Bandon Dunes, and certainly compared to Doak’s other recognized courses. The architect never limits himself architecturally, and each course uses the land to develop its own uniqueness. The end product at Pacific Dunes highlights how much time the architect and his team spent onsite to route as many holes as possible across terrain whose main features already existed on the canvas. Will you dare to hit great shots into natural land-forms?The course advertises itself. The fact that I hope to play it at least 20 more times in my life is all I need to say.

Compared to my last visit, many of the holes have been “softened” to remove some punishing scenarios, green construction and surrounds. I remember the first time I was at Trails; I would watch exhausted golfers trudging off the 18th green. Thankfully that reality has changed, including a much more inviting closing hole. Coore / Crenshaw have yet again created a world class golf course that offers a magnificent (and needed!) contrast to all the other courses that use as much coastline as possible. It’s important to appreciate and review Bandon Trails for what it is, not what it isn’t. I understand that visitors prioritise playing the coastal courses – but for those of us that are committed to understanding architecture, there is an infinite amount of content to write about when contemplating the product at Bandon Trails. I’m personally delighted that it was chosen by the USGA for the upcoming US Amateur. The golf course, on its own merits, is brilliant.The dynamic duo of architects used an inland piece of property that offers beautiful playing turf, plenty of elevation changes that aren’t found on any other course, and the opportunity to shape greens of great proportion. I’ve played this course multiple times, and just like Old Macdonald, my respect for the layout only increases with time. Similar to the other courses at the resort, it’s a truly enjoyable walk, is now much more user friendly and is littered with traditional Coore / Crenshaw features that we all love. The most important aspect of playing a Coore / Crenshaw course, as is very true at Bandon Trails, is all about your approach shots onto the large greens. The visuals into each of the greens is a thing of beauty, and congratulations to the design team for discovering what works best. The course is approaching 20 years old, and I look forward to more positive reviews for decades to come.

The original course at the resort changed the world, especially in America, in 1999. The evolution of the course and its Scottish architect has been substantially documented over the years. Each time I play it, I still smile that there are so many buildings on the inside of the opening dog-leg. I hope they have double glazing windows! Even to this day with modern courses like Gamble Sands and Mammoth Dunes, McLay-Kidd’s philosophy continues to be focused on how much fun can he create for golfers to experience. Specifically, I see the architect focusing on making the Bandon Dunes as natural as possible, as seamless as possible, and certain as sustainable as possible at a public resort. This course has its own identity, especially as it’s the only course built by David at the resort.The green surfaces were in magnificent condition, as is expected given that Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails will be used for the 2020 US Amateur Championship. Maintenance of the course was impeccable and has stood the test of time, especially the volume of play. McLay Kidd’s layout at Bandon is clearly focused on helping golfers of all levels play well, score well, and want to come back. Scratch golfers will be challenged with deep bunkers, higher handicaps will enjoy the fun of the humps, bumps and slopes. This might be the only Links golf that American golfers get exposed to, and it’s a top-notch presentation of variety. The architect’s roots in Scotland clearly helped him create a masterpiece that the world has fallen in love with.

Every new addition to the Bandon Dunes resort will make headlines. The official opening date was 1st June 2020, which was preceded with some limited preview play. Coore & Crenshaw now have a third course at the resort, which means half of the golf offerings have been laid out by the dynamic duo. Founders of Bandon Dunes Resort, Phil Friedman and Mike Keiser have owned the Sheep Ranch site for more than 20 years so no additional property was purchased to build the new 18 holes. The history of the Sheep Ranch plays a crucial role with understanding its current presentation. Many years ago, Doak created 13 random greens to facilitate cross-county golf for limited play. Each green was identified with a letter of the alphabet. When the few select golfers got access to the Ranch, they created their own course across the rugged land. From the resort, you only needed to look up the coastline to see golf flags blowing in the wind. Curiosity as to what the place was went off the charts. The mystic of the original 13-hole Sheep Ranch made it golfs equivalent to Area 51. Countless questions and inquiries went on for years. You either loved or hated the place depending on which side of the fence you were on.
When the Sheep Ranch was ultimately destined to be an 18-hole course at the resort, the level of hype was inevitable. The selection of Coore/Crenshaw to lay out an 18-hole course was a wonderful decision given their familiarity with the region, and their outstanding portfolio. Almost overnight, making the Sheep Ranch a public 18-hole course (in my humble opinion) wiped out the mystery and mythical image that surrounded the course. Gone are the days where lucrative access and secrecy of Area 51 took a strangle-hold on who got in the gate. While I love everything about Bandon and what the resort gives to the game, I can’t help but feel a little sentimental about the past. Many visitors may not know the history of the Sheep Ranch, but I think it’s crucial to its present and future intention. Try to play it with somebody who was intimately familiar with the original 13-hole site, and you’ll learn how little resemblance there is today as to the routing, or even the access roads around the perimeter. Even the sheep are gone! But while we could focus on what’s been lost forever, there is a serious amount of light at the end of the mysterious tunnel.
The immediate highlights of today’s Sheep Ranch include 9 greens abutting the coastline, 3 shared (and very clever) V-shaped tee boxes, and there are no sand bunkers because the architects concluded that sand would not stay in the bunkers given the site’s exposed location. I was fortunate to play the course 3 times over a variety of days with a mixture of wind directions, tee-markers and an assortment of interesting pin locations. Since the course opened a couple of months ago, it’s been pounded with play. It was of little surprise that the fairways were still trying to grow, and the green speeds were on the slower side. This is exactly what I expected, and totally normal for such a young public course. Conditions were not a focus of each of my rounds. With time, the Sheep Ranch will be pristine like all other courses at the resort.The opening par 5 brings you downhill straight to the coastline, as does the par 3 3rd hole and par 3 5th hole, followed by the epic par 4 6th hole that plays parallel to the coast with a heroic tee shot over the cliffs. The 7th is yet another short par 3 that takes you to the corner of the property along the coast before turning around for the dog-leg right 8th hole which might be the best par 4 on the course. The 9th brings you straight back to the coast with a beautiful infinity green. The first 9 holes highlights how special the routing is, with an emphasis on finding as many shots down towards the ocean as possible.
No sand in the bunkers is a strange feature. There are dozens of grass hollows that look like bunkers that were grassed in. I’m not sure I loved the concept, as many of them could easily be sand bunkers. At the current moment of the course’s evolution, there’s no real punishment off the tee or around the greens. There’s plenty of width off the tee, and limited areas of higher fescue. I guess the vast nature of the land is a homage to the original Sheep Range where golfing in any direction is (technically) possible as you navigate around.
When there is only so much land at your disposal, the architects had to come up with smart ideas to economically use limited land for multiple purposes. V-shape tee boxes are used to strategically point golfers away from each other to increase the probability that stray golf balls won’t hit adjacent players. We see this concept on holes 2 & 18, 5 & 15 and 8 & 10. An aerial view of the course highlights the brilliance of this deliberate feature.
Routing a course is always a major challenge for any architect based on the land they are presented with. One of the absolute most unique design features that I fell in love with were the holes that played diagonal to the ocean. We see this at the par 3 5th and the par 4 15th. Ironically, these holes share a V-shaped teeing ground and generally play parallel to each other in places. The 15th is a brilliant example of how you play crosswise to the ocean, as the sense of anticipation builds dramatically for the mouth-watering 16th and 17th holes that begin to show their faces ahead.
Most of the drone photography you’ll see of the Sheep Ranch will be of the par 3 16th that plays to a large exposed cliff-top surface, followed by the theatrical par 4 17th that presents the burnt ghost trees guarding the fairway and green along the fairytale coastline. The crashing waves offer a symphonic melody as your experience comes to a climax. I make it a point to call out drone photography, as the views of these closing holes at eye-level is very different. Sadly, most golfers will be tricked by the drone shots and won’t even realise where they are while walking the course. The drone gets to heights and angles that players will never see. Same argument goes for the finger fairways at Cape Kidnappers. The eye-level playing view from the fairway is completely different, and essentially never shown given that it doesn’t help with marketing.
I’ve played each course at the resort multiple times based on multiple visits. I’ve seen them all at their best. Everyone wants to know where the Sheep Ranch compares to the others, and where it will appear in the next batch of rankings from the various publications and websites. I am a massive fan of the course and consider the routing to be the best at the resort. Taking an objective view, Pacific Dunes is still the #1 at the resort – after 4 visits, my opinion hasn’t changed at all. I think the rankings will be Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Sheep Ranch, Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald.

No matter how many times you play this 13-hole par 3 course, it’s not enough. Whether you choose to take a small carry bag or go old school and carry a couple of clubs under your arm, you once again have another golf course to rave about at the Bandon Dunes resort. Coore/Crenshaw were aware of this piece of land for more than a decade, especially with its close proximity to their course at Bandon Trails.Many of the holes, if not all of them, would be well respected on any of Coore/Crenshaw’s 18-hole regulation length courses. There is beauty, there is imagination, along with countless punchbowls and views of the ocean. Changes in elevation, blind tee shots or even the expectation to hit Putter from the 13th tee will keep you on your toes despite the distances! One common feature that no architect can build is the sound of laughter, or the ability to create human emotion. If you take a moment to consider your surroundings anywhere at Bandon, the sound of laughter will remind you of why people come back here year over year.Bandon Preserve is everything people want to have fun, enjoy the short shots and get views of the other courses that they may not get to see every day. From one vantage point, there are beautiful views of Bandon Dunes, but interestingly, on the other side of Bandon Preserve's perimeter, there is an expanse of undeveloped land with white/brown stakes in the rugged dunes for green-sites that suggest that there was once plans for more. While I heard some interesting stories about this land, we’ll just enjoy what we have for now.

My appreciation for this layout multiplied, 10 times over. When I first placed this layout in 2012, I had deep thoughts comparing original Macdonald templates, with the presentation at Old Mac. Experience is among the greatest educators. Striking my drive off the first tee recently came with a renewed sense of optimism. I was determined to show some maturity and get a deeper understanding as to what Doak was trying to achieve. I played from the green tees (rather than the blacks), and very soon into the round, this decision paid off. I was now playing a very special course, where the templates made more sense to me, especially the par 3s. The course quickly won me over. I decided to stop comparing it with the likes of National Golf Links, Piping Rock or Chicago GC, and focus my mind on appreciating the course for what it is by itself. Old Macdonald is a seriously good golf course, and having played Ballyneal 3 days prior, I was immersed in Doak’s talents without the distraction of comparison. His interpretation of the templates is outstanding.The offerings at Bandon are celebrated around the world, and naturally resort guests will begin to rank their favourite courses. With each visit to Bandon, your preferences will naturally change – especially as more courses are added. As I walked past the famous Ghost Tree on the hill that leads you to the 3rd fairway, I had a huge smile on my face as I had Old Mac all to myself and the horizon was full of magnificent golf holes waiting to be played.The course grows on you, and I can’t wait to play it again. I say that because it’s a great test of shot-making with Doak constantly throwing challenges at you. The piece of land he worked with has no shortage of humps and bumps, and even permitted the creation of an Alps hole on the 16th. Upon reflection, while many of the template greens are man-made, let’s not forget that many of the templates are not about the greens. The “Bottle”, “Alps” and “Cape” holes have unique characteristics that many of us are familiar with, but they don’t get their names because of the green shapes. Doak’s presentation of such holes is superb, as is true of every hole at Old Mac. Just like at Ballyneal, you don’t need immediate coastline for a golf course to be great. Just like the inland holes at Cape Kidnappers or Pacific Dunes, you don’t need dramatic cliffs for a golf course to be great. What’s the common denominator among all these courses? It’s Doak’s ability to produce brilliant architecture that’s an absolute blast to play, regardless of proximity to coastline. The Bandon Dunes resort is so lucky to have Old Macdonald, and I’m delighted to have experienced it with a mature state of mind.

A course that has been on my ‘wish list’ for years did not disappoint. In fact, there isn’t a course in Nevada I’d rather play, or rate higher. The only reason I could conclude that this hasn’t appeared on US Top 100 ranking lists is simply because not enough panelists have played here. If you’re a panelist with any respected institution, trust my recommendation to play Clear Creek.While scoping the region, Bill Coore was only supposed to be onsite for 1 day – but he ended up staying 5 nights on his first visit. That speaks volumes as to what he thought of the land and the potential for greatness. You don’t need many fingers to count the number of true Mountain Courses that Coore/Crenshaw have agreed to.People, and reviewers, often challenge if each C/C course offers something that we haven’t seen before. The sheer topography and altitude in the first place that this course is set up puts Clear Creek in a league of its own from the get-go. While the familiar bunker shaping is consistent with other layouts, the imagination with the routing and the discovery of epic green-sites is what makes you want the round to go on forever. The fairytale par 3s will make your mouth water, as will the roller-coaster longer holes that are as refreshing as the mountain air. A common feature we see from Bill Coore is wide-fairways, but when they pinch, it makes accuracy from the tee incredibly important, especially when you are fighting a mountain slope. The constant change in direction, and the high number of dog-legs (often with plateau fairways) adds to the excitement of the round as the course reveals itself to you.This is without question a very difficult canvas to work with, but the rewards are there in spades. Spectacular elevated tee shots, a tough fight with gravity and massive putting surfaces are just the beginning of how remarkable this course is. There wasn’t a hole that wasn’t commendable, nor a feature that felt out of place. With a little experience on the greens, Clear Creek will quickly become anybody’s favourite course in the region among the towering pines. Slam dunk US Top 100 course, and by far the #1 course in Nevada.

Upcoming preparations for the Barracuda Championship on the PGA Tour have this Nicklaus layout in beautiful condition. Prior to my visit, reports from this venue focus on how tough it is, especially the merciless greens. After playing the course, I understood why it was selected for the PGA Tour. While it won’t be making my “fun” list, I recognized the challenge that it presents from any tee-box, and the typical diagonal greens that Jack likes to present as he inquires if you can find the best angle to approach. There were at least a half dozen greens that I struggled to believe were even playable. Combined with the nearby Gray’s Crossing Golf Club, there’s no shortage of expensive public courses in the Lake Tahoe region.

Previous recent reviews beautifully describe the magnificence of this World Top 50 course. I first visited the course in 2008 and have been fortunate to play many of Doak’s original courses since then. The last 6 miles or so of the driveway leading up to the club is something you want to do in the daylight. If I hadn’t done it before, then I’d really begin to worry. I even considered calling my wife before I lost signal. Thankfully I knew the road ahead and let out a deep exhale when I finally saw the “Ballyneal” wooden sign hanging on a post like a reward for the journey.I have travelled the globe playing this game, and without failure, no matter what corner of the world I find myself in, it doesn’t take long for people to identify Ballyneal as one of the most sensational golf courses they’ve played – anywhere. I share that opinion – it’s simply one of the coolest places to be on earth with your golf bag. Each hole will leave a strong mark in your memory, and the flow among the dunes highlights the effortless intelligence of the routing. I was glum when the round was over.For me, the natural elements of the sand dunes and the shaping of the greens will be the reason why golfers will still be celebrating this course in centuries from now. The characteristics of the putting greens and surrounding aprons at Ballyneal is the closest thing in America to the imagination you need to navigate the precious contours at the Old Course. I have so much respect for Ballyneal, and it rises on my “favourites” list with each visit. Let’s hope it doesn’t take Mr. Doak too long to add another 18-hole course. The onsite facilities and local hospitality just adds to this slice of heaven.

When Ballyneal Golf Club opened, golfers weren’t slow to wonder how many more courses could be built in this region of Holyoke, CO. There is an abundance of sand dunes for as far as the eye can see. When Sand Hills broke the mold in 1994, we heard stories of the architects identifying at least 200 holes and had to choose the best 18. A similar situation probably faced Tom Doak when he showed up at Ballyneal. Of no surprise, he was onsite mid-June taking a look at other stretches of golfing terrain. My point is, that it was of no surprise that a par 3 course was added a few years ago by Doak’s team, named after one of the original caddies at the club – Charlie Mulligan.The addition of a short course is in line with the global movement for bigger clubs to add a shorter option if they have appropriate land at their disposal. There have been a dozen examples over the past 5 years in America alone.Doak built one of the most intriguing and enjoyable set of Par 3s I’ve ever played. To say this course is “cool” doesn’t do the layout justice. Fascinating punchbowls, wonderful contours and magnificent use of the dunes are here in spades. The downhill 5th hole has the most impressive green I’ve ever seen in my life. I’ve been playing golf for 30 years, and never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine seeing a downhill hole to a green with a 10-foot tier in the middle of it. You have to see it to believe it. There are endless (literally countless) ways to putt your ball on this fascinating creation.The Mulligan will quickly let you know how good (or bad) you are with a wedge in your hand. One thing is for sure though, you’ll fight for a second go at it. I absolutely loved the course and take my hat off, once again, to Mr. Doak.

It has been almost 7 years since my first visit to CGC, but it didn’t take long for memories of outstanding golf holes to flood my mind upon stepping onto the course. On a hot summer day, this golf course is a fabulous test of golf as it’s incredibly firm and fast. A downhill opening par 5 challenges players to judge the approach shot with almost 100 yards of release down to the green. Your golfing IQ is immediately questioned as you battle to make birdie. One of Coore/Crenshaw’s iconic short holes is the second at Colorado with little more than 115 yards to a dangerously protected small elevated green. You’re just 2 holes in, and you’ve already experienced incredible shot-making examinations.Many golfers, including myself, consider the par 4 3rd hole to be the best of the outward half. A 220 yard downhill tee shot is required to stay short of a diagonal ravine that sits between the fairway and green. A brilliant use of natural land features and demanding angles are the essence of why this golf course gets off to a roaring start. A series of long par 4s dominate the front nine scorecard and ask a lot of each player regardless of the wind direction.As noted in other reviews, the short par 4s 8th and 13th holes that traverse up the hills offer a healthy dose of variety and change in direction. Back to back par 5s as you get to the closing stretch couldn’t be more different. One has a huge change in elevation, the next has a split fairway fraught with danger.Throughout the course, the frequent need to cross ravines and natural hazards was truly superb. The talents of the architects have been documented ad nauseum over the past 20+ yards, so their ability to find holes that fit naturally on the land is among the best we’ve ever seen. The closing par 4 up the hill to the clubhouse reminds you that you’ve played the best course in the Denver area.

My first experience at Common Ground was really positive. The club has a storied history over the past 45+ years as one of the most respected public venues in this part of the country. Recent notoriety has included US Amateur qualifying as part of the 2012 event at Cherry Hills. A few years prior to this, the club hired the talented team at Renaissance Golf. Doak's team totally redesigned and rebuilt the course in 2008. It had been an Air Force Base course that was given to the Colorado Golf Association (CGA) when the base was decommissioned in the 1990's; nobody thought much of it. The CGA saved up for 10-15 years to get the $4 million to rebuild it and make it worthwhile.The outward half is relatively flat, which helps with pace of play, but the greens are consistently the star of the show at Common Ground. Multiple times during the day you’ll hear golfers joyfully recalling amazing putts they faced on greens that were beautifully shaped by the team at Renaissance Golf. The inward half has the better golf topography and allows for more attractive routings with hills and dog-legs, forcing golfers to focus on precision off the tee.Even during these challenging times, a bustling public golf course just goes to show how important the game is for our mental well-being, but also how relevant the course is for the greater Denver community. I highly recommend a visit if your schedule permits.

The Golf Committee at White Bear understands how special their piece of land is. In recent years, they also understood the need to remove hundreds of trees that were suffocating certain fairways and green-sites. My first visit a few years ago exposed me to how passionate the Golf Chairman is to improve the layout and preserve the many special elements. My eyes were wide open during a June 2020 return visit as to the magnitude of tree removal, quickly visible on the 2nd, 3rd and 7th holes.White Bear Yacht Club is on the short-list of Watson/Ross gourmet courses. Previous reviews have appropriately described the topography and the various holes, but I felt that it was really important to return to see the updates over the past 12 months. There is no shortage of outstanding clubs and courses in the MSP region (eg: Hazeltine National, Interlachen CC, Minneapolis GC & Minikahda CC), but it might be White Bear that tops them all. Only time will tell. Each round at White Bear further cements the abundance of reasons why golfers can’t get enough of this work of art. You walk off the golf course having hit every club in your bag, having hit every shot you can imagine – and you understand where your strengths and weaknesses are.

The number of architects who have tinkered with this layout over the years is often a talking point, but a return visit to this Minnesota masterpiece reaffirms how special the course continues to be. With the recent appointment of a new Superintendent, who I had the honour of meeting, there is an immediate sense of class that oozes across the glowing property.Just standing on the first tee, you see how well maintained the holes are with pristine mowing lines, appropriate tree removal and healthy playing conditions. The canvas that we play today has never looked better. While the opening par 5 is considered a birdie opportunity, hold on to your hat as soon as you reach the short par 4 second hole as you’re quickly exposed to one of the countless raised greens at Interlachen that will make you look silly in a hurry. I love the variety that Interlachen offers, with menacing short par 4s, a couple of long par 3s, and gettable par 5s that give you a chance to score. In totality, this course demands respect and is a true honour to experience.While the USGA history is unquestionable at this venue, year over year, Interlachen proves itself to be a championship venue. There is a road that separates 7 of the holes on the back nine, once you cross the bridge to the 11th tee, this brilliant course takes it up a notch to offer what might be the pick of the bunch. Golfers are primed for greatness on either side of the road.The topography at Interlachen is relatively flat with the exception of a few gentle hills, but it’s the routing towards the elevated green-sites that confirms Interlachen as one of the county’s most sought after tee-times. It’s a very humbling and rewarding club to visit with many of Ross’ talents in full view.

There are hidden gems, and then there’s a special Ross golf course in Duluth, MN that’s so understated, it’s a refreshing education on how an incredible piece of rolling land can create such a memorable experience. There are no frills or big budgets at Northland CC and having recently spoken with one of the founders of the Ross Society, he smiled from ear to ear when I told him of my recent visit. The membership knows how lucky they are, and the preservation of the course is just the way they want it.The course has serious changes in elevation and can play hard & fast in the summer months. One only has to stand on the 3rd tee and look up the fairway to the distant flag to understand the hilly challenge that awaits you. On many occasions, I had to land the ball 40 yards short of the green to allow for the big bounces towards the putting surfaces. Uphill holes often have semi-blind approach shots, downhill holes will test your imagination like nowhere else. There is an aura of simplicity and pure golf about this course that has some of the most merciless ‘back to front’ pitched greens you’ll ever play.While there are magnificent visuals across prairie land and the adjacent Lake Superior, the trip to Northland is a joyful appreciation of Ross at his best. The views are truly spectacular, and by themselves are worth the drive! Bring your A Game around the greens, and don’t go long over the tilted greens. This is certainly one of the coolest places you can play the game.

Consistently considered one of the best courses in the state, and often considered Hanse's best original design, which is becoming more and more difficult to say as Gil’s portfolio expands at an eye-opening rate.While much of Gil’s portfolio is based on renovations and restorations, there is zero doubt whatsoever in his splendid ability to create a world class golf course from scratch. At Boston Golf Club, the rolling topography is ideal for glorious golf holes that sit naturally on the tumbling land. Each time I play here, my admiration for the routing multiplies – especially when you see the incredible marriage of challenge and beauty.This low-key club will guarantee an increased heart-rate as you navigate the plummeting fairways, the natural rock cropping and many holes with forced carries that demand perfect ball-striking. This is a place for real golfers who want a stern test from start to finish.

The land identified for the golf course just outside Cobbtown, GA was once a thriving onion farm within the Beaver Creek Farm plantation, and even the possible platform for a high-end car racetrack - but it laid dormant for several years. Ideal sand-based terrain occupying the Ohoopee sandhills was destined for greatness, and thankfully an incredible gentleman brought a dream to life. In 2018, this exclusive private club with an award-winning golf course designed by Gil Hanse opened for play with so much to celebrate. As you get closer to the property, the dirt roads that meander up to the elegant clubhouse and the cottages (housing up to 48 people) give you a sense of the isolation and tranquility that awaits you. The design of the clubhouse, pro-shop and cottages <img src="/images/ohoopee-match-club-golf-course-review-OHOO001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> was inspired by agricultural barn structures in the local area. There are 22 holes on offer and two golf course routings. The Championship 18 holes at approximately 7300 yards can be modified into a “Whiskey Routing” which introduces (swaps in) 5 shorter holes adjacent to the championship layout and reduces/modifies the length and par of select other holes on the championship layout (eg: 6th, 11th, 13th, 14th). It’s a very novel concept and provides a shorter 5610-yard (par 69) challenge to complement the longer routing. While many of the longer holes from the championship routing are taken out of play for the Whiskey Routing, it increases the amount of fun you have with your wedges to make a birdie and win a hole. It goes to show how talented modern-day architects are exploring the boundaries of their imagination to build such unique courses never seen before by modern players (eg: Tom Doak’s ‘The Loop’).

The simplicity and natural presentation of the course is the epitome of minimalism. The teeing grounds have no signs or markers, just some subtle platforms to tee off. The front of the tee boxes are used for the Whiskey Routing. The scorecard itself has par 3.5, 4.5 and 5.5 holes, which further highlights how “par” is just a concept and nobody cares what you shot – it’s all about winning your match! Hence one of the underlying philosophies of the club’s existence to facilitate matchplay. Along with the clubhouse, the warm hospitality, the sensational food, the outstanding professional staff, the brilliant caddies and the feeling of belonging – the playing conditions at Ohoopee Match Club are so pure, and borderline flawless. The grains of Tif-Eagle grass seed used on the greens and fairways provide for a magnificent canvas to play. With only circa 50 members (so far) and limited play, the course already looks very healthy in just its second season. Top marks to the green-keeping crew.

The opening two holes play along a large body of water and are the only holes with water in play. Throughout the course, consistent features include wide fairways, sandy waste areas that are easy to hit from, and appropriately contoured greens with some difficult (small) platforms offering especially difficult pin positions. I was a big fan of the design of the putting surfaces, all of them having great challenge and variety without being unplayable – especially the ‘all world’ 3rd and 9th greens. During your tee shots and approach shots, the placement of natural hazards throughout the golf course are constantly asking you to make decisions. There is an abundance of risk-reward scenarios depending on how aggressive you want to be to win a match. Being a conservative golfer, I often opted for less than driver to play into the more generous landing areas, but the options are all around you and where the strength of your game may be. The topography is relatively flat, but certainly has some movement as you progress through the course. On certain flatter fairways, the first time you see the greens ahead of you, you don’t get the sense of the scale and contours on the greens themselves, and often offer up a nice surprise as you enter the dance floor. I often commented on how the simplicity of a small raised mound at the front of a green is enough to hide all the surprises on the green from your view from the fairway. Once you enter the more forested areas, you don’t really see other holes on the course, which is especially true on the front nine. I enjoyed how the personality and feel of the routings changed as you reach the 10th green and get exposed to the massive expanse of open prairie land. There is currently a fenced off area housing 3 zebra, soon to be joined by wildebeest and giraffe!

The first hole is a moderate <img src="/images/ohoopee-match-club-golf-course-review-OHOO002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> length par 4 with a generous fairway and a slightly downhill approach to the green. The second hole is essentially a par 5 where your drive crosses the lake into a diagonal fairway running right to left. Bite off as much as you can chew. Ohoopee Match Club is a real birdie fest right from the start. The third is a very long 600+ yard par 5 that moves from gently from left to right and has a large raised bunker complex about 100 yards from the green, which is the main point of focus. The risks and rewards are all there in front of you. The 4th hole on the championship routing is ironically the only man-made hole on the course. You’d never ever know it, but the fairway level was raised up 6 feet with dirt which was excavated from a hidden area behind trees to the left of the fairway. It’s the first short par 4 on the course, and as mentioned above, the mound that protects the front of the green dictates how aggressive you can be with certain pin positions. You can tee off with anything from a 6 iron to a driver and hopefully avoid the gauntlet of bunkers depending on your choice. The 5th is a moderate length par 3 with one of the largest greens on the course. It’s all carry over waste areas to the green and due to the topography, you don’t realise that the green has about 5 subtle levels. Gil’s mastery of deception is on full display. The Index 1 comes at the very long 6th hole. It’s a blind drive over widespread vegetation and dog-legs right to left to a particularly contoured green. A bad drive here will put you and your partner in a bad spot! This tough blind drive is taken out of play on the Whiskey Routing and the hole is played from a tee box much further up on the upper plateau. The 7th is another long par 5 through a tunnel of trees. The green sits below the level of the fairway and only comes into sight for your 3rd shot. This green is small and shallow, and arguably the firmest on the course. Even the softest of pitch shots land on concrete, and it’s very possible that the architect wants a bump and run shot into this beast. Do whatever you can to hold the 7th green. The 8th is the longest par 3 on the outward nine with a long carry over waste area and into a green surrounded by trees. Another par 3 green with significant depth and contour, that you can’t really appreciate until you’re on the surface. The scale is quiet notable. The opening nine closes with another short par 4 fraught with bunkers at 135, 200 and 250. Club selection off the tee will be a big decision as the raised green demands a lot of respect given the contours and the surrounding fall-offs into no-mans land.

The 10th hole on the championship <img src="/images/ohoopee-match-club-golf-course-review-OHOO003.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> course is reminiscent of the drive on the 6th. It’s a dog-leg right to left with a climb up to the rising fairway. Your line off the tee is certainly asking for a right to left ball flight as the approach shot is through a corridor of trees. As noted above, upon reaching the green, you behold a vastly different vista in front of you. Endless open views of peaceful prairie land. At this point in the routing, you’re basically at a T Junction along the course boundary and can go in two opposite direction. Upon leaving the 10th green, you either turn right to play the 562-yard par 5 11th with Hells Half Acre waiting for you, or you turn left and commence the A-B-C-D-E shorter Whiskey Routing holes (with notable holes C & D being par 3s where you walk across the championship 10th fairway to get to hole D tee box). When you play both routings in totality, the genius behind the course-plotting options really all begins to make sense. Continuing with the championship routing, Gil’s homage to Pine Valley at the 11th hole is a visual delight as you behold the mighty Ohoopee sand-ridge being incorporated into the design. As it typical with the par 5s at Ohoopee on the main course, they are all 3 shot holes and have the smaller greens on the course. While the 12th hole is labelled as Index 2, I personally thought into a mild wind, it’s the toughest driving hole on the course. You have to squeeze a big drive down the left side to avoid a massive bunker complex on the right side, and the landing area on the left is somewhat blind given the rolling contours in the fairway. It’s a hole you want to play many times to get familiar, and comfortable, with the demands. Another large bunker complex presents itself about 80 yards short of the green on the right-hand side of the hole. It has been shaped in a way that it looks like a little mountain of bunkers that will hamper your ability to see all of the green. You really must hug the entire left side of this hole, and into the wind, it’s an absolute beast. The 13th plays as a long par 3 of about 200 yards on the championship course, while on the Whiskey Routing, the same hole is played further back at about 265 yards as a short par 4. It has the Biarritz green with the dip coming at the front of the very large green that pitches from back to front. The pin was in the dip for my rounds which was great fun, but pin positions towards the back of this mighty green are another animal altogether. The 14th is another short par 4 with the possibility of less than driver off the tee, however this approach shot is visually quite different to the rest. It’s a long (thin) raised green with significant undulation towards the back. The sides are also raised up and shaped to make it particularly difficult to hold the green. Arguably the most severe green on the course along with the 7th. Once again, the short par 4s require numerous decisions and will make the difference in a match. Ironically, this hole is played as a par 3 on the Whiskey Routing from about 190 yards and is a hugely difficult shot to execute in any playing condition. It isn’t until the 15th hole where you see the second instance of a hole that predominantly moves from left to right. In a recent storm, a large tree was struck causing a big branch to collapse towards the elbow of the dog-leg. <img src="/images/ohoopee-match-club-golf-course-review-OHOO004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ohoopee Match Club Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> Rather than removing the branch, the club decided to preserve its location and have secured it against the trunk. It now serves as the line you take off the tee where a fading left to right tee shot will help you find the fairway to this moderate length par 4. We are gifted with a gem of a short par 3 at the 16th hole where it’s all carry over a sea of bunkers. The view from the par 4 17th is glorious, and if you’ve seen photos of Friar’s Head, you may well think you’re on Long Island for a moment. The elevated view down to the hole offers a meandering fairway squeezing its way through large heaving waste areas and a small perched green protected by menacing deep bunkers. It’s one of the stronger holes on the back nine and a real treat. The closing hole is a short par 4 and gives every player a chance to make a birdie, or whatever it takes to be brave to win a match. While the fairway is reasonably generous, there is a waste area all the way up the left-hand side and you can’t see the green from the fairway. The putting surface is behind a gentle mound and it’s all about trusting your yardage with the approach. You don’t need length to make golf exciting or challenging! Overall, Gil’s presentation of the championship routing at Ohoopee Match Club will be a delight for players to experience and no doubt no two rounds will ever be the same. As expected, it’s all about decisions, decisions, decisions…

This destination venue plans to be closed approximately June 15th to September 15th each year during the summer months due to its southern location. I truly congratulate the owner for creating such a special place, and while it’ll mostly be a private retreat where small groups fly in and out, you’re guaranteed to leave with new friends and an appetite for more. It’s understood that the great courses only get better with successive plays. The club continues to innovate its offerings in the pro-shop including new logos for select merchandise of the Whiskey Routing, in addition to some upcoming merchandise using a logo of a zebra eating an onion. I was smiling during my entire visit, and above all else, I finally found an onion that didn’t make me cry.

While on property, I was successful in securing a personal guided tour of the original 18-hole routing that was created by Seth Raynor in 1924, and used in the 1979 Ryder Cup, but it is a routing that no longer exists. With the help of an educated guide, you can still find the original holes as part of a different configuration. The reasoning has been well documented. Nonetheless, it was a quiet day and we were able to tour the 18 holes routed by Seth Raynor in 1924. I was also successful in obtaining a vintage scorecard from the original Greenbrier course that showed the names that Raynor gave to each of his holes. Given Nicklaus’ impact on the course in 1978, I was grateful that the card still had the names of the holes on it as otherwise you wouldn’t recognise anything. It has been said by notable voices that Nicklaus “obliterated all traces of its origins”. The template greens are gone, the putting surfaces and bunkers have been completely reshaped and striped of their Golden-Age roots. Ponds were added by the Nicklaus design team and feel quite awkward in places. The 2016 flooding meant the routing was significantly disrupted and the face of the Greenbrier course would once again change forever. While all 18 original holes from 1924 still exist, the routing is just not in play anymore. To continue my discovery of the original Raynor routing, my tour guide showed me the 6 holes now located within the Meadows course that were taken from the original Greenbrier course. You immediately see how the holes from the Meadows course (Dick Wilson/Bob Cupp construction) have a totally different feel to them with incredibly steep sod-faced bunkers. To be clear, the ‘Greenbrier’ course that is offered today in 2019 is a very different product. Following the floods, during the 2017 golfing season, the course re-opened as a 12-hole routing using holes 1-8 and 15-18. During the 2018 golfing season, it is now a 9-hole course. Regardless of the architect, the 9-hole course we have today is a tremendous test and finishes with a dazzling par 5 hole called ‘Casino’. From a nostalgia perspective, the evolution of this course is heartbreaking as the bones (if you can find them) of the original Raynor track are superb. There is widespread reminiscence among the staff at the club with today’s layout as it was widely regarded as the best of the 3 courses on the property prior to the 2016 flood. Touring the original 1924 routing shows just how incredibly difficult a golf course it was playing through those tight corridors of menacing trees. Changes in elevation, hyper precision off the tee and feel for distance traversing this engaging topography are characteristics that define this wonderful piece of canvas, despite the modifications in 1978. I could only use my imagination to visualise what the course looked like with Raynor designed template greens. In the spirit of innocent hope, if all my dreams come true, the original 18 Seth Raynor holes would be fully restored by a qualified architect – and any future renovation would not involve the design team of any professional golfer, inclusive of active players. Without dreams, we have nothing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have seen the original course and immerse myself in its fascinating antiquity. It was a brilliant experience and I highly recommend visitors to play the 9-hole course to get a glimpse of history.

The restored Old White occupies a relatively flat piece of land, but the talents of CB Macdonald in 1914 (and subsequently by Seth Raynor in 1924) ensure a fine golfing experience in beautiful surroundings. The opening hole (called ‘First’) enjoys an elevated teeing ground level with the golf house and it provides your initial view of the course that sits beneath you. Your views across the course highlight how walkable it is, and it’s easy to conclude that the challenge will inevitably be with those famous green complexes. Grass faced bunkers are generally visible on every hole meaning that golfers won’t be caught out, and the strategy off the tee is right there in front of you. Upon reaching the Hog’s Back par 4 2nd hole, you begin to head north-east and see most of the front nine in this parcel of land. The 3rd hole is the iconic Biarritz green presented with a ‘green-dip-green’ configuration. As expected with this template, the sunken bunkers surrounding the putting platforms ensure a difficult sand shot if you miss the sharp-edged green. Holes 4 -7 are all medium length par 4s heading straight West, North, South and then East before bringing you to <img src="/images/greenbrier-old-white-golf-course-review-GREB006.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Greenbrier (Old White) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Greenbrier (Old White) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> the 8th tee which is close to the 3rd green. Each hole offers nice usage of natural mounds and hazards that dictate club selection off the tee, with the 6th hole on higher ground being the index 1. The 3rd (Biarritz) and 8th (Redan) run next to each other in opposite direction, and the routing is tucked into a close-fitting parcel of land running through the mountainous valley. The closing hole on the outward nine is another medium length par 4 with a benign Punchbowl green. The front nine is a par 34 with no par 5s, but there are plenty of opportunities to pick up shots throughout. Holes 9 and 10 play parallel to each other running Southwest and Northeast, with the 10th being shorter but much more challenging due to the presentation of the Principles Nose bunkering guarding the approach shot. The stretch of holes 11 to 13 offers up, which I personally thought, was the most challenging stretch of golf on the course. ‘Meadows’, ‘Long’ and ‘Alps’ all back to back winding their way through dog-legs and more rolling topography. The creek running in front of the par 5 12th green is perfectly placed to make every golfer think about their approach shot into the raised green. It’s a beautiful piece of landscape incorporated into the routing. Howard Creek navigates throughout this stretch of the course and significantly comes into play on the par 4 13th (Alps) hole as it flows all the way up the left side of the hole, begging the golfer to hit a precise tee-shot into the dog-leg landing area. The 14th is known as Narrows due to the treacherous bunker complex that make the landing zone feel like you’re landing on a dime with superb angles of play as the fairway moves from right to left. Once again, as is often the case, the bunkers on the Old White are relevant and force the golfer to take less than driver on holes with wonderful angles. Holes 11 to 14 all generally run in the same direction (Southwest) and bring you to the end of the property before <img src="/images/greenbrier-old-white-golf-course-review-GREB007.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Greenbrier (Old White) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Greenbrier (Old White) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> you make the turn for home on the par 3 15th known as Eden. This par 3 stretches out to almost 200 yards and in blustery conditions, the exposed green can be challenging to hit. The next hole, known as the Cape hole, plays over a large body of water with the fairway moving from left to right to yet another green with a spine running across it separating the tiers. Unlike many other versions of this template, the land on the 16th is so flat that there isn’t much of a view from the tee box other than the water! The penultimate hole on the Old White is a long par 5 known as Oaks, and certainly gets more difficult as you get closer to the green as the bunkers become more numerous and offer up a lot of distraction in front of the deep green. Into the wind, I couldn’t get within 100 yards of the green after two well hit shots. An aerial view of the back nine highlights the ‘out & back’ nature of the routing with holes 11-14 heading southwest and holes 15-18 running northeast on a tight piece of property dissected by Howard Creek. The closing hole is the shortest hole on the course, and is called “Home”, which typically offers up plenty of excitement when the PGA Tour is in town. Typically, this par 3 template is called Short, but a rose by any other name would still be as fun to play, especially with the ‘thumb-print’ design feature nicely restored. Each hole has plenty of personality and is enjoyable to play on a very walkable course with delightful mountainous scenery.

This course is among the shortlist of Ross’ best work in the US. It is immensely enjoyable for the membership and provides a significant challenge for the PGA Tour when the layout is periodically used. I first played here around 2008, but the dramatic improvements in recent times by Gil Hanse have taken the course to a whole new level. My group discussed how incomparable certain areas of the course had become since 2008 – almost unrecognisable. Gil’s talent with shaping the turf and the bunkers is arguably the best in the world. The phrase “work of art” gets thrown around a lot, but in this course, I couldn’t think of a better description for the results. His skills are in such high demand and the outcome at Plainfield has not only improved the design of the holes, but the entire <img src="/images/plainfield-golf-course-review-PLAI004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Plainfield Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Plainfield Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> property is oozing with good health. Abundant tree clearance is the obvious place to start, the club certainly did plenty of this in all the right places. The return visit was a well needed reminder of just how enjoyable the topography is across the course. Right from the first fairway, you experience the rise and fall of the many ridges that navigate the property, and it’s a celebration of Donald Ross’ routing skills to have discovered such a pleasurable walk. Landing areas are hidden, greens are pitched back to front and raised up to challenge your short game – and notably, all the bunkers are relevant again. On the front side, the course gets off to a rapturous start with the 1st and 2nd holes being tough par 4s with winding fairways and tremendously difficult greens to hit in regulation, and then to putt on! The course will test your ability to hit great tee shots using the land to your advantage, otherwise the thick rough will make its presence felt. The 9th hole continues to be a personal favourite as I truly love the visual of the bunkers guarding the raised green with the house in the <img src="/images/plainfield-golf-course-review-PLAI006.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Plainfield Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Plainfield Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> background. On the back nine, the devilish highlight comes at the treacherous short par 3 11th hole with one of the most punishing false fronts you could imagine on a tee shot that you’ll think about literally all day long. Once again, it’s just one of the countless examples to support the argument that you don’t need length to make a golf course difficult. Some modern-day courses didn’t get that memo unfortunately. The stretch of 12-15 are generally considered the more straightforward holes on flatter topography and don’t possess the same landscape that is enjoyed elsewhere on the property. The drainage, however, is significantly improved on this part of the course which is of enormous benefit to the condition of the routing. The fabulous final 3 holes quickly climb up the turbulent tumbling hills and really identify the best players. I just absolutely love this golf course and am so happy to have seen it in prime condition. In addition to renovating the golf course, the club also made an incredible investment upgrading the magnificent clubhouse and practice ground. It is a top-class facility and every member is blessed beyond words to call this place home. Once again, the state of New Jersey packs a big punch with world class golf.

This was the second loop for my group, so we played The Loop in anticlockwise reverse. This is a completely different golf course. For any ranking publications reading this, I personally feel it’s wrong to rate “the loop” as one single course. We have two totally separate unique courses and they should be treated and rated separately.

I honestly loved playing into the <img src="/images/forest-dunes-the-loop-red-golf-course-review-FORU001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> same greens from different angles and especially with totally different clubs. While you may hit a sand wedge into a green on one day, but then we were hitting 4 irons into the same green the next day. Par 3s become long par 4s, and vice versa.

The Red loop played a little friendlier than the Black, and we heard that most visitors prefer this configuration. It’s all personal preference at the end of the day as it’s the type of experience that the people you are with to enjoy the course is far more important.

The front nine on the Black is the back nine on the Red obviously from the other direction. I really enjoyed the back nine on the Red as I preferred hitting into the greens from the angles that the Red routing presented, and I certainly felt like I could make more birdies using the slopes of the greens in my favour.

There is a sense of grandeur with <img src="/images/dorest-dunes-the-loop-red-golf-course-review-FORU002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> the opening and closing holes on each loop as the topography puffs out its chest and asks you to hit epic shots to hit the greens in regulations. Beauty becomes a Beast, and then it returns to Beauty again the next day.

The 9th green and the 18th green are the same for both loops as you reach either ends of the property, and it’s certainly a spectacular finishing green just from totally different directions as you are making your way back to the house.

There’s no doubt visitors will come back here multiple times as the golf and hospitality is as good as you can ever ask for. With time and maturity, the golf course will be a superstar.

The addition of the two Loop courses has elevated Forest Dunes Golf Club on so many levels. To think that The Loop exists just a few hundred yards from the original course is somewhat mind blowing. The playing conditions, the visuals and the experience are completely different. When you walk across the car park, it’s like you’re at a different golf club. The whole place is very special and will only continue to attract eager golfers of all levels looking for outstanding golf, great value and exceptional onsite dining / accommodations.
The Black course starts off with one of its many long difficult par 4s. Until you walk a few holes looking forwards and backwards, you don’t really get the reversible concept, but you very quickly understand its genius. You must buy a stroke-saver book and study it very well to see what you’re doing on two consecutive days. The <img src="/images/forest-dunes-the-loop-black-golf-course-review-FORD006.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Forest Dunes (The Loop - Black) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> second is a par 3 and you begin to see where the teeing grounds are positioned on any given day. There are no signs, no manicured tee boxes – just random open areas with little black/white/red flags to suggest where you play from. It’s you against the elements and the course guides you on a journey to the end of the property and back.
There is a strong sense of the Old Course at St. Andrews in certain places as you walk the grounds with hidden bunkers and the massive emphasize on playing the ball along the very hard ground. We often wondered if the ground would soften (a little) over time. It’s certainly the most “out and back” experience I’ve had playing in America and can’t wait to go back to this gorgeous part of Michigan.
This course takes huge amounts of shot-making imagination, especially in windy conditions. A couple of the holes on each nine (and on both loops) have a very wide-open flat feel to them, and almost play like connector holes to the next batch of excitement. We did find that a few too many greens were unfairly shaped on a given day especially if you hit a good approach shot that might get rejected and then leave you with an impossible chip based on the angle you face – especially into those Biarritz shaped greens. On a few occasions, you’d rather be way out of position with your approach shot than just off the green to have any chance of hitting your next shot close. Some pins are simply not possible (or fair) on each course based on the shaping – but it’s all a challenge so do your best and accept the outcome. I did love the mown areas around the greens that connected with the next teeing area which really helped the flow of your game.
We liked the movement of the course as it traverses the more interesting stretches of land that rise and fall and provide endless options for play. I even said to my playing partner that the next time I play the course, I might change the composition of the 14 clubs I have in my bag to allow for different shots.
It is eye opening how many bunkers on one day are completely irrelevant, and then the next day they wreak havoc with your mind. It’s sometimes hard to describe the holes because they change configuration so quickly, but other than a few flatter par 4s, there is so much stimulation with the colourful vegetation (almost heathland like) and greens that command respect.
I absolutely commend Tom Doak for the creation of the two loops, and my group concluded that we preferred the Black loop due to the challenge it presents and the more stimulating design from the direction we were playing in.

This location close to the shores of Lake Michigan has been significantly boosted by the addition of a second golf course at the already well-promoted Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club.

While this course doesn’t have the views or the rolling topography which elevate the status of the original course, the new South course takes advantage of the imagination of an architect (Dana Fry) to exercise his interpretation of some of the most <img src="/images/arcadia-bluffs-south-golf-course-review-ARCA001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Arcadia Bluffs (South) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Arcadia Bluffs (South) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> celebrated MacDonald/Raynor greens and bunkers shapes ever created.

While the scorecard doesn’t name each of the holes, for those of us with educated eyes, you can quickly determine each interpretation is being presented. It starts with the square greens and the very sharp angles that dominate your line of sight on every shot. Many of the bunkers aren’t visible from the tee and essentially all of them are flat-bottomed with relatively high lips. The flat bottom bunkers generally resulted in balls rolling through up against the high grass faced lips – which aggregates into a lot of unplanned bunker shots to get your ball back into play as it’s very tough to advance the ball forward to the desired distance. At the end of the day, bunkers are hazards and are meant to be avoided.

The routing is really cool as it moves in every direction on both loops, and you’ll navigate a piece of land without a tree on the course ensuring the wind is always a factor. The greens are <img src="/images/arcadia-bluffs-south-golf-course-review-ARCA002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Arcadia Bluffs (South) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Arcadia Bluffs (South) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> truly massive in size, and with the shaping implemented, they can be quite daunting to navigate. I’m not convinced this helps pace of play.

The land on the South course is generally flat except for the holes at the back of the property which are visually the most enticing (eg: downhill par 3 12th into the Lions Mouth horseshoe green). My personal favourite hole on the course was the par 4 13th which presents a gigantic punchbowl green. However, the movement of the left to right dog-leg and the climbing topography that brings you up to the green is outstanding. The two large bunkers that guard the front of the green are an impressive sight, as is your first glimpse of the punchbowl itself.

While the overall topography is a little plain and the views become repetitive, there’s plenty of strategy off the tee with club selection and the greens will keep your level of interest throughout.

The South Course is a commendable modern-day effort at designs which are a century old.

You can always tell when Donald Ross was on a property or not. Did he visit the land, walk the property, visualize the green-sites, experience the routing with his own eyes? At Glens Falls – the answer to each of these questions is absolutely Yes!
Expanding the course from a 9 hole to an 18 hole course circa 1920 is essentially the course we play today.
Prior to my arrival, I had little exposure <img src="/images/glens-falls-golf-course-review-GLEL002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> to this course in terms of information or reviews. I walked away from it wondering how in the world it stays hidden from fame.
The setting for the opening tee box is truly spectacular with a wooden bridge taking you to the teeing grounds framed with beautiful trees and Round Pond meandering all around you. While the setting is stunning, the architecture is even better. I don’t always love par 5s as the starting hole, but this one is a beauty. It’s a raised dog-leg right with a blind landing area and the fairway is split into two sectional landforms. Your opening tee shot is across the pond and leads you into the framed dog-leg.
After crossing Warren County road, the presentation of the index 1 second hole will take your breath away. It’s a long par 4 that heads downhill from the tee before sweeping back up to the right. Bunkers short and adjacent to the nicely perched green-site are a fierce deterrent. Playing through the corridor of trees, especially with Autumnal colours is truly beautiful. In every direction, Glens Falls CC gets off to a <img src="/images/glens-falls-golf-course-review-GLEL003.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> blistering start. The par 3 3rd hole is set into the corner of the property and is framed quiet beautifully with the surrounding mounds and trees.
Upon reaching the par 5 4th hole, you get your first exposure to the many blind tees shots at Glens Falls. There is a very large ridge (hill) that traverses across the golf course with at least 7 holes running back and forth across of it (4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15). On each of these holes, the landing area is essentially blind until you reach the crest of the ridge and can see over the hill. Many of the views down to the greens are delightful, and it takes a lot of local knowledge to know where to land your approach shot on sloped terrain running away from you. You may think that almost half of the golf course is repetitive back and forth over the same hill, but that couldn’t be further from the truth given the shot-making variety that I felt you needed to hit the greens. The Ross design and angles on each of the holes is among the best I’ve seen, and holes 1, 2, 6, 9 and 17 (to name but 5) are on the short-list of the best holes that Ross has ever designed – anywhere!
The major area for improvement is the need to eliminate thousands of trees, especially along the parallel holes running over the ridge. When I think of the many other high-profile Ross courses around the US (especially in similar climates/growing conditions) of this same vintage, almost all of them have been restored – <img src="/images/glens-falls-golf-course-review-GLEL004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Glens Falls Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> or at least a masterplan in progress. Glens Falls CC has never gone through a dedicated restoration, which would immediately eliminate trees. The potential on this site is bursting at the seams, and in my humble opinion, the justification for a restoration is sitting on their laps.
I understand that the par 5 16th green had to be moved, and I do agree that the walk to the 17th tee is much longer than it needs to be (especially having to cross a road), but this was really the only significant disturbance to the routing flow. Finishing on a par 3 back over the Round Pond is thought-provoking despite playing away from the clubhouse and walking back again. The land that Ross was gifted with at Glens Falls is superior than 90% of the Ross courses that we are all familiar with – and it’s with this basis, that I was blown away by this hidden gem. I fully agree with Ran’s inclusion of this club in the ‘147 Custodians’ and would further support the theory that no player’s education is complete without a trip to see this absolutely spectacular underrated golf course with endless possibilities for greatness.

This Wayne Stiles and John Van Kleek designed 9-hole course in Walpole, NH is one of the hidden gems in the northeast. The charming beauty of this property will capture your heart right from the first tee box as you behold one of America’s best opening tee shots down the hill to the sloping fairway.

Hooper Golf Club was formed in 1926, <img src="/images/hooper-golf-course-review-HOOP002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Hooper Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Hooper Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> and any review wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the stunning clubhouse built in 1788 that is one of the oldest structures in North America used as a golf clubhouse. It sits up high above the course providing many spectacular views across the New England landscape.

The course itself opened for play in the summer of 1927 and over the last 90 years, Hooper has maintained the spirit of Wayne Stiles inclusive of how much fun it is to traverse across the hills with a smile on your face. In recent years, a determined group of investors worked hard to restore Hooper to its previous high playing standards ensuring a wonderful 9-hole experience that we have today.

After the opening par 5 which whets the appetite, the second hole continues tumbling downhill with a heavy fairway. It’s very strong hole and par is a great score, especially with trees lining the fairway. The layout gets off to a booming start. On the 3rd tee, you turn back with a short par 4 with an enjoyable blind tee shot from a lower tee box to an elevated fairway. The 4th is a mid-length par 3 with a green <img src="/images/hooper-golf-course-review-HOOP003.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Hooper Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Hooper Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> pitched from right to left with a couple of large bunkers sitting below the left-side of the green. The 5th is a wonderful par 5 reachable in two for the longer hitters and opens you up to the widest piece of the property. The rise and fall of the topography is most evident on this hole. I really like the par 3 6th as it’s a long iron into a severely tilted green (back to the front) with a number of well positioned bunkers flanking the green that seem to be hanging in mid-air given the grand scale of the green-site. Par is a really great score!

The last 3 holes are moderate par 4s that run back and forth and don’t offer much challenge, in fact they all play a similar length. By far, the strength of the course is the opening 6 holes, but the overall layout has a very special vibe that I thoroughly enjoyed.

It takes something special to make the ‘Gourmet Choice’, and I couldn’t agree more that yes, “Hooper is Super”.

Golf in the state of Maine has a relatively short, but picturesque season. Cape Arundel’s profile has significantly improved in the past couple of years due to its inclusion in the ‘147 Custodians’ list from golfclubatlas.com.
<img src="/images/arcola-golf-course-review-ARCL001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Cape Arundel Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title=" Cape Arundel Golf Course - Photo by reviewer">
Having played several of Walter Travis’ special courses, I was eager to see another set of his green complexes, and Cape Arundel’s greens didn’t disappoint – in fact, they could be his best.
While the course itself is laid out on gentle topography, and the length being very manageable from every set of tees, the defense is the shaping of the greens. Due to the compact piece of land, on several occasions, the routing brings a few greens close to each other, so you get to see up close the beauty of them from many different angles. We joked that after 125 years, nobody has figured out the contours on these putting surfaces, and there’s no guarantee anybody will in the next 125 years either!
The low-key nature of the club, it’s contribution to golfing history and the idyllic setting along the Grist Mill Pond, makes Cape Arundel a brilliant day’s golf.

Perched high up in a glorious setting, the vista from the Arcola clubhouse offers arguably the most spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline. On a clear day, there is nowhere you’d rather be than sitting on the balcony taking it all in.

The two nines at Arcola have quiet a different feel from each other, and this is primarily due to the routing. The front nine feels more compact due to the back and forth nature of the holes up and down a steep hill. By themselves, there is no shortage of impressive architecture to admire and you’d be hard pushed to find a stronger opening stretch <img src="/images/cape-arundel-golf-course-review-CAPU003.jpg" alt="Arcola Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Arcola Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> presented on some attractive terrain. With the tree clearance, the views are delightful, and the golf is very tough, especially climbing back uphill. The greens have a reputation for lighting speed, and the day I played the course, they were the fastest I’d played all year. What’s more notable is the sheer size and expanse of the putting surfaces. It’s a credit to the green-keeping staff to maintain the massive areas to such high standards.

Stand out holes for me on the front are the 3rd and 4th holes which play back up hill and seriously test your feel for distance. They might be “short” on paper, but club selection is of utmost criticality to avoid being humiliated. The bunkers frame the shots on the opening holes so well and you can’t wait to take the club back. Upon climbing the mighty par 5 9th hole back up to the summit with its tantalizing green location with shaven banks, you immediately get the sense that the inwards nine will be a different experience.

Holes 10-14 hug the property’s boundary line and constantly have you turning in a different direction. This stretch takes up a lot of space and offers you views across the entire course. I enjoyed the elevated tee shot on number 10 and was pleased to see some enjoyable variety with the par 3 11th hole playing over a large body of water. This was a terrific example of how deceptive the tee shot can be into what feels like <img src="/images/arcola-golf-course-review-ARCL002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Arcola Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Arcola Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> a tiny shallow green, but as you approach it you see the many contours and levels with dozens of pin positions.

I enjoyed the club selection options that the course gives you on the back nine off the tee. Even on a very windy day, hitting driver is not always the wise decision especially with bodies of water to navigate and hidden creeks that mess with your mind. The back nine has many dog-legs and certainly more strategic decisions than the front, primarily due to the routing that the architect employed – which I preferred.

Despite the blustery conditions, my mind was fully engaged with the challenge that Arcola presents.

From an architecture perspective, the Superintendent has 
the lead role with how every change is designed and executed. In places around the course certain bunkers have been re-located and changed numerous times (e.g. the par 4 18th) and you’d wonder the potential that could be released if Gil or Tom stepped in to assist.

The fast greens and steep terrain will swallow you up if you’re not hitting it well, but it is a truly wonderful club that has a lot to be proud of.

It’s fitting to have a historical golf club in such a historical part of the United States. I didn’t realise that so many world-famous golf trophies were designed at this venue, one of them being the trophy for the Ryder Cup. Even before you strike a golf ball, it is important to take a tour of the history room and you’re guaranteed to learn many new things about the history of our great game. In the town of Williamsburg, VA – the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club has a variety of courses for all levels, but it is the Gold Course that stands head and shoulders above the others. RTJ Senior laid out the 18-hole course in the early 1960s and in the past couple of years Rees Jones led a spirited team to renovate the course. From speaking with the golf executives at the club, Rees brought a high level of care and passion to this project to uphold the design merits of his esteemed father. It was a personal journey to restore and renovate. It’s well documented that RTJ Senior courses are capable of severe use of huge bunkers, ponds, creeks, and undulating greens in order to defend his layouts from attack not just by the world’s greatest players during the US Open but also from the evolution of modern golf equipment and the golf ball. The Gold Course exactly follows that model and is a golf course that embraces the natural flow of the land with wonderful changes in elevation where every hole is “a hard par but an easy bogey”. As expected, the course has those trademark long tee boxes which look like a runway. The short holes get all the documented attention, and for very good reasons, but there are plenty of holes to celebrate in this renewed layout. The playing corridors are delightful through the tall trees as the land rises and falls, and there is no shortage of heroic carries over water to devilishly placed greens, some of which seem to be floating up in the sky. While only 100 trees were removed during the renovation (which really surprised me), everybody walks off this course highly satisfied. It’s such a treat and I certainly recommend getting a tee time if visiting the town.

I recently had the pleasure of playing this gem, and what a surprise it was. The course had gone downhill and fallen somewhat from grace, but thanks to the passion of several investors, it was decided to close this Mike Strantz original course and give it an incredible boost of life for its membership and daily fee players. With the original drawings on hand and an incredible effort to rally together the shaping team from 20 years ago that built the course, the platform for an emotional resurgence was set. We all know that Strantz was an artist who didn’t design straightforward courses. This layout outside of Richmond is among his very best, and today's presentation of the course is sublime. From the very first tee, you literally see how difficult the terrain is to navigate, and by no means should you punch above your weight on this course as it’s extremely difficult from start to finish. The landforms and topography are aggressive, inviting, exhilarating and memorable, which is exactly the cocktail that we love and expect from this architect. While they market the layout as a replica of famous venues from Ireland and Scotland, that brought a smile to my face as I took those suggestions with a grain of salt. The playing conditions are superb, the greens are wild, the presentation is simply eye opening, and the challenge is relentless! If you want to see how good a player you are, play Royal New Kent from the regular tees and see how humble you become! What a great golf experience and a true celebration for golf in Virginia.

I played the course the day after the final round of the Asian-Pacific Amateur Championship in a shotgun event, so it’s fitting to state how pristine the playing conditions were, especially given members from Augusta National and the R&A were playing the course on the same morning. The presentation was fit for a king.

The club has a busy four-week stretch hosting this illustrious Amateur event followed by the HSBC just a few weeks later. The grandstands were impressive, and the over-seeding of the course has bloomed at the right time. It is a 5-star experience from the minute you enter the clubhouse, and certainly an appropriate venue for big scale tournaments.

Sheshan International Golf Club <img src="/images/sheshan-golf-course-review-SHES002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Sheshan International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Sheshan International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> is the first premier private golf club in Shanghai. Set amidst beautiful Italian Tuscan-designed architecture and forested landscaping, the club certainly offers a luxurious golfing experience.

While many of the holes on the course have a similar feel with a daunting set of bunkers protecting the big greens and most holes being lined with trees, the primary source of variety are the doglegs and the occasional body of water. Thankfully the topography has some change in elevation, and there is no shortage of uphill approach shots to test your distance control.

The routing doesn’t really have any straight holes, and often the scale of the land introduces some excellent angles off the tee. Some massive carries to get to the best spot in a dogleg on the longer holes accompany a set of par 3s that are no cakewalk either. The bunkers will catch you! It is a ball-strikers paradise with one difficult hole after the next. The layout is heavily watered and there isn’t much release on the soft fairways, but the rough will kill you as the ball disappears. The course is 15 years old, and we’re familiar from television with its design and highlights.

On the front nine, the best holes for me are #5 and #7. The 5th hole moves from left to right with an elevated green where only the top half of the flag is <img src="/images/sheshan-golf-course-review-SHES004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Sheshan International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Sheshan International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> visible. It’s just really demanding and separates the boys from the men. The 7th is a short par 4 fraught with a gauntlet of bunkers and gives plenty of options off the tee. It was a welcome change from pounding the driver.

Much excitement builds when you reach the closing stretch. For me, the design variety of the very long swooping dogleg 15th with a raised green and the most animated putting surface on the course sets the stage.

Holes 16 and 17 are certainly the most memorable on the course given the magnificent (and deep) quarry that separates them with a river running through it. The 16th is a short drivable par 4 with endless danger from the quarry up the right-hand side that bends around the river. The small green requires precision like no other and club selection off the tee is a deal-breaker. The 17th is a heroic, and historically very difficult, par 3 back over the quarry that has ruined more scorecards than I care to count.

The drama of the long 18th hole with a green surrounded by water will challenge the very best of players to take a lot of risks. It’s the true crescendo and will always produce an exciting finish for amateurs and professionals.

The top spot in the Chinese rankings is now up for debate, as are the world rankings. Following the spectacular renovation in 2018 to renovate the Dunes course by Ogilvy, Clayton, Cocking & Mead (OCCM), this was one of the best courses I’ve played all year.

I was truly grateful to play it twice with differing winds and pin locations. The introduction of mouth-watering sand dunes, waste areas, sprawling rugged bunkers using Bermuda fairways <img src="/images/lanhai-international-yangtze-dunes-golf-course-review-LANH002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> and Bent greens, make this place rise above its peers across the Continent.

It’s completely different than anything you’ll find in Asia; especially given how firm the course is kept. It’s not in a tropical climate, so at certain times of the year, the grass can get firm and fast releasing the ball up to 30 yards. The humps and bumps on the fairways are really a natural factor. The course has a magnificent sandy base that provided the catalyst for the designers to take the linksy route with their plans, and the results are sensational. The ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs are incomparable, and I offer huge congratulations to the team of architects who embarked on this project next to the Yangtze River.

The visuals from the elevated tees are stunning and there are countless numbers of natural features which serve as hazards to avoid. The collection of Par 3s in their current presentation are fabulous due to the backdrops and how they are framed by the dunes. I was just massively impressed with the place. No tee shot is straightforward and there is great emphasis on where the routing wants <img src="/images/lanhai-international-yangtze-dunes-golf-course-review-LANH003.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> you to play to avoid the dunes and get the best bounce.

There are landforms across the course that are integrated into the shaping around the greens and will test the very best players while giving lots of fun options to play up the punchbowl slopes. The construction of the green sites and the beautifully maintained chipping aprons are spectacular, and I see this renovation on par with the dozen or so best renovations globally in recent years. We did discuss that the rough lining the fairways and around the bunkers easily allows you to advance the ball which is welcome.

While there is plenty of visual spectacle, the course is presented from a reasonable fair-minded perspective. You won’t lose balls or play slow. Pace of play is also another great asset of this course. It’s strictly walking only, and the caddy will walk next to you with your bag on a trolley. There is no back and forth to carts, and there is no ceremonious stopping for meals half way through your round. While there are appropriate facilitates around the course for refreshments, you oversee your pace of play and can <img src="/images/lanhai-international-yangtze-dunes-golf-course-review-LANH004.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Lanhai International Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> keep moving! We played in 3 hours very comfortably as a two-ball including time to get drinks and take dozens of photographs. Same pace of play in the afternoon on a weekend. The course is free of cart paths and certainly plays like a firm links that will offer long term memories.

I absolutely loved it and had a complete blast seeing holes that truly impressed me without exception. This course has a more impressive mix of holes and topography than many of the courses that sadly linger on ranking lists. You’ll want to play it over and over as it’s great fun for all levels. It’s so well made, so well shaped and will hopefully be used for prominent events in the future. The club’s location is also unique given its position on Chongming, an island within the Yangtze River delta close to Shanghai.

An hour north of the bustling city of Bangkok, a club exists that is owned by several corporations with the largest shareholder being a gentleman named Chairman Pitak Intrawityanunt, who was previously Thailand’s Vice President.
Following some awful flooding in 2011, Chairman Pitak’s passion for the club meant that he spent a sizable sum <img src="/images/ayodhya-links-golf-course-review-AYOD006.jpg" alt="Ayodhya Links Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ayodhya Links Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> physically raising the entire property up by 4 metres. This provided a much more stable platform to create the course that we recognise today. Although the original architects during 2007 included Thomson/Perrett/Lobb, it is Chairman Pitak who gets the credit for finishing the course and designing the greens.
The topography is flat, with water is in play on every hole, and on some holes, the water is a major factor. The club is proud to promote its organic approach to agronomy, emphasizing the lack of chemicals applied to the ground, which is admirable. For the most part, you’re just avoiding bodies of water and it’s the ultimate effort in target golf. Plenty of long irons and 3 woods off the tee will set you up to finish in the generous landing areas. Without any noticeable change in elevation, you’ll spend your day hitting layout up shots across flat land and moving on to the next swing.
The greens have interesting shaping <img src="/images/ayodhya-links-golf-course-review-AYOD008.jpg" alt="Ayodhya Links Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Ayodhya Links Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> and certain pundits laud over them. I appreciated them for the setting they were in, and the character that they add. Some are better than others for sure, but there are hundreds of courses around the world with “great greens”, so it’s all relative based on your experience. I was more captivated by the commendable chipping areas and the routing.
On the front nine, the par 5s are challenging given the length, and as expected, the fairways and greens are very close to large bodies of water. On the back nine, most people’s favourite is the short par 4 11th with nicely presented bunkers followed by the iconic signature par 3 12th with the island green which is fun to play. Each nine finishes with a mid-length par 3, a long par 5 and a closing par 4 that wraps around the massive body of water in the middle of the course. The tee shot on the 18th from the island tee box is a good test if you choose to use it.

This week was my third visit to the Kawana Hotel, set in one of Japan’s most sought-after locations. My hopes were high because when I last came here in 2017, the golf course was going through quiet a bit of maintenance and conditions weren’t ideal in places. Prior to my visit, I was informed that many trees had been removed to open up precious and spectacular views of the ocean – so <img src="/images/kawana-fuji-golf-course-review-KAWA026.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> plenty to look forward to. The golf course property is owned by the Government, which immediately introduces restrictions when it comes to cutting down trees. But nonetheless, trees had certainly been cut down – but thousands more need to be removed on almost every hole.

One immediate difference since 2017 is the fabulous playing conditions which are significantly improved. The fairways look healthy and the high attention to detail has returned. As is typical of sticky korai grass, the greens were running at 8 on the stimp, and played especially slow when putting towards the mountain (eg: #3). None of this was a surprise (especially for a return visitor) and I never for a minute considered it a negative. It’s simply the result of the natural setting that this world class golf course finds itself in, and you rise to meet the challenge that nature presents you with. The description of the golf course has been well <img src="/images/kawana-fuji-golf-course-review-KAWA028.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> documented, with the celebrated changes in elevation being the star of the show along with the coastal holes which take your breath away from up high. I’m learning more about the strategy of the course the more I play it. For example, so many of the holes meander in different directions resulting in the importance of hitting a tee shot to the correct spot [and not always with a driver!], and the use of split fairways gives golfers of all abilities plenty to think about. Furthermore, the landforms itself offer an incredible canvas for golf, and the routing across the mountain will give you the chance to hit shots that you’ll remember for the rest of your life and beyond. You simply get a golf experience on the Fuji course that few others offer and it’s no surprise to see it ranked #48 in the world (and it’s public!).

You’re on heaven’s door on the first tee box peering down at the fairway so far below you, and you simply get the sense that it’s a special course. The Hog’s Back short 7th hole has had a major facelift with all of the trees behind the green being removed to <img src="/images/kawana-fuji-golf-course-review-KAWA029.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Kawana (Fuji) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> expose the ocean - and there have been focused efforts up the left-hand side of the signature par 5 15th to cut out more vegetation and trees. Keep on cutting! Each nine on the Fuji course has a different personality in places. The front nine is much more tree lined, while holes 10 to 15 have a vast open feel to them before you play into the very tough par 3 16th that brings you inland to the closing stretch back up the mountain. As always, I certainly hope that visitors continue to come here in their thousands to truly enjoy one of the world’s treasures. The hotel and recently built Hot Spring are lovely facilities to enjoy. I will be back to Kawana and can only imagine how beautiful this exhilarating course will continue to get as trees are taken down.

On January 1st, 2019, Hirono was closed for renovations. On October 1st, 2019, it will reopen, but will be closed on Mondays and Fridays until end of June 2020. For Asia’s #1 course, the time has finally come to show-off its revived look. I was fortunate to spend an afternoon this week on the entire property watching them put the very final touches to this legendary course and seeing the upgrades throughout. The vibe at the club is bursting with energy, and the few photos on social media over the past few months have only whet the appetite of members and international fans all over the world. The beast is about to come out of hibernation and member tee times are already booked up for months! Overall observations include:
· Widespread tree clearance to return the width of all of the par 4s and 5s. Walking the <img src="/images/hirono-golf-course-review-HIRO012.jpg" alt="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> fairways, you can frequently see the old mowing lines and where the tree stumps used to be. Now the lines are pushed back opening views that have been seen in countless decades. This is my third time on the golf course and when I last played it in 2017, the encroaching trees were somewhat claustrophobic in too many places. I was relived to see that this has been remediated.
· Every bunker has a new handsome look with aggressive edging and sharp looking lines. They feel more muscular and thoughtfully created, with all of them being a factor
· Large dramatic waste areas between tees and the start of a fairway have been introduced on a couple of the holes (eg: 6th hole). I questioned whether this was a restoration based on old photographs or whether the architects took a poetic license. As always, it’s a combination of both with some modern imagination. For the better player, I suggested that these waste areas won’t actually come into play at all from the tee with a decently struck shot as the carry isn’t more than 150 yards – but it’s certainly a daunting visual that absolutely gets respected. Huge compliments for the architects for their brilliant designs.
· All of the greens have been resurfaced and mirror previous undulations
· Bunkers have been restored, some more iconic than others.
· As expected, the playing conditions are immaculate with firm fairways, healthy new greens and pristine tee boxes.
· The 4th green has been moved about 25 yards to the right into a new position. You can now clearly see it from the tee.
· Hirono’s prize possessions are the par 3s, and clearly most of the attention over the past <img src="/images/hirono-golf-course-review-HIRO014.jpg" alt="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> 9 months has been on this collection of holes that are known around the world. The large sprawling bunkers that guard the front of the majestic 5th green have been restored. You lose track of time taking photographs of something that could only exist in your dreams. Similarly, with the par 3 7th hole, old photographs from the 1930s show the sheer magnificence of the bunkers scattered throughout the deep ravine and dominating the rugged landscape that wraps around the perched green-site. It was one of the most peaceful times of the day just staring at the massive waves of sand traversing the terrain. It doesn’t stop there. On my first and second visit to the golf course over the past few years, members always lamented the loss of the original 13th tee that was discontinued 25+ years ago and became a forgotten forest. While the tee in use over the past few decades is a spectacular setting by itself looking down over the water to the cinderella green-site, Martin Ebert’s team have restored the original tee that offers a direct shot over the bridge onto the green with the large bunker more directly in your line of play. In all honesty, both teeing grounds are world class, and it’s like picking a favourite child if you’re asked your preference. Let’s not forget where we are. The long par 3 17th that plays around 220 yards mostly over water hasn’t really changed other than some bunker shaping around the green. It doesn’t have the same personality as the other short holes as there is no change in elevation.
· Several of the par 4s on the back nine have a new revived look, which is hugely welcomed. I’ll give a couple of examples. The legendary ‘Cape’ hole at #14 has had massive tree clearance on both sides. The ‘principals’ nose’ like bunker continues to sit in the middle of the severely pitched fairway, and immediately asks the golfer to take the high-road or the low-road. A more direct route up the left-hand side off the tee will leave you with a shorter <img src="/images/hirono-golf-course-review-HIRO015.jpg" alt="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Hirono Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> approach, but the angle is brutal given the enhanced green-side bunkers. Naturally it’s a much longer tee shot to reach the upper plateau on the right-hand side, but the reward is an easier approach. You may have also seen photos of what was done to the start of the 18th fairway. It used to be a bank of diagonal grass that brought you up to the dog-leg, but today, that same piece of land has about 20 masculine looking bunkers that make you say “wow”. It has really beefed up the finish.
· To balance the review, the parcel of land that Hirono GC occupies is relatively tight and a few holes are less memorable in the flatter spots (eg: #1, #4, #8, #11) which is simply a result of the vast number of “all world” holes that exist elsewhere on the rolling topography. It’s all relative, and unquestionably, each hole certainly fits nicely into the delightful routing.
· You may read all this and ask, “does this bring Hirono into the top 10 in the world rankings?”. From my educated perspective, the course is comfortably in the 20-30 range and that feels right. I’ve no doubt Hirono will climb up appropriately in each respective ranking publication as panelists get to see it. The renovations are sublime but, calling a spade a spade, it’s not on the level of a dramatic overhaul of the original bones where we have a brand-new golf course with holes never seen before. It’s absolutely the top dog in Japan and Asia though.
· Off the course, several upgrades have been implemented with a new car park, a new pro-shop (don’t tell my wife what I spent), new road surfaces around the facilities, upgraded handsome bridges, new cart-paths and a new website in English with photographs/videos of each hole is in development.
Faces get older, swings get shorter, but as time goes by at Hirono, smiles get wider and horizons stronger.

The first golf shot I ever hit in the country of Japan was in September 2010 on the first tee at Naruo GC. What a treat! Although I’ve been to Japan 5 times in total at this point, it had been 9 years since I last played Naruo. I can honestly say that I remembered every hole clear as day, and I can’t say that about every course I play. To say that Naruo is special is a gross understatement. The landforms that occupy this layout are nothing short of stunning and are guaranteed to take your breath away. On paper, while the course is relatively short by today’s standards, don’t let this fool you into thinking it’s a walk in the park.

The greens are small at Naruo, <img src="/images/naruo-golf-course-review-NARU015.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> and almost all of them are flat and simple in nature. A couple of them have a small tier or are presented at an angle to the fairway, but, their simplicity is to be respected especially with slow korai grass. The opening tee shot is over a beautiful body of water to a tree lined par 4. This opening visual is glorious and often the signature photograph people are familiar with. Raised green and large Alison bunkers are quickly introduced from the first two holes. The sweeping elevation changes really begin on the 3rd hole as you navigate your way down a steep hill with the fairway ending at about 265 yards before the land drops down further leaving you with an approach shot back up to the raised green. If you hit your drive too far, you’ll run out of fairway and it’s no fun playing from heavier grass with a downhill lie to a raised green. The par 3s at almost every Alison course are a sight to behold, and this is especially true at the 4th hole. While the walk to the 4th tee is longer than we’d like, it plays 200 yards straight uphill with multiple rows of massive bunkers sprawling before and around the green. It’s certainly a moment to savour just looking at the design. Even after 4 holes, memories from 2010 were flooding back to me and the juices were truly flowing.

My favourite par 4 on the front is the 5th hole. The tee shot is somewhat blind to a raised <img src="/images/naruo-golf-course-review-NARU016.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> plateau leaving you to carry over the swooping land to another thin small green. You have to be so precise! You change direction again with the downhill 6th hole which moves gently from right to left. Holes 7, 8 and 9 are all meandering dog leg lefts. Given that I naturally fade the ball off the tee, club selection becomes paramount. The 7th is a snaking par 5 of about 490 yards. While it’s reachable in two for longer hitters, it’s actually a double dog-leg requiring a fade off the tee to get the optimal angle into the tiny green protected by a large bunker in front. When standing on the 8th tee, you see a truly fantastic naturally dog-leg created by a massive landform that juts out from the left of the hole which you must play over and around. The fairway moves beautifully from right to left around this landscaping, and the ideal tee shot leaves you with an uphill approach to a green framed superbly by trees. The 9th has a very similar tee shot again, but the hole is shorter and requires just as much precision hitting it right to left off the tee over the landform. The opening nine is just a masterpiece and offers so much unique design that you may only see once in your life.

After a well-deserved lunch, the back nine starts off with one of the toughest par 4s in Japan. It’s a long downhill par 4, and like the 3rd hole (which runs parallel), the fairway ends at around 270 yards. The approach shot from the fairway is over a <img src="/images/naruo-golf-course-review-NARU017.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Naruo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> massive ravine (with a tiny strip of fairway) to an angled green. This green is pretty exposed in the middle of the property and is quite susceptible to swirling winds to just add to the challenge. The uphill dog-leg left 11th may could be my favourite on the back nine. Hitting a tee shot of about 230 yards to the ideal landing area, leaves you with a view up the sharp dog-left to the raised green that is framed like a fairytale. As always, the greens are small and demand plenty of accuracy to have any hope. The 12th is a mid-length par 3, the 13th is a very short uphill par 4 lined with trees that occupies a tight piece of the property. To get to the 14th tee, you have to walk around the 18th green – and the hole itself is a downhill par 5 to a small green that is severely raised and rejects almost everything that dreams of hitting it. The 15th is the last of the epic par 3s. Alison moved the tee box from the original design over the road to it’s currently position today. You play over the cherry blossoms to the green perched high above you with those trademark bunkers where there are plenty of wonderful photography opportunities. The closing stretch of holes run up and down in parallel as you traverse similar tree lined terrain back and forth. Upon reaching the last green, you have truly experienced one of golf’s greatest gifts. Traditions are preserved so carefully at historical places like Naruo Golf Club, and I can’t express enough how grateful I am to have graced this land again.

When I first visited this club in 2017, the Coore renovations were almost complete. You can tell from my previous review that I was (and still am) a huge fan of this layout. Today’s presentation of the course and entire property is truly sublime. The rolling <img src="/images/yokohama-west-golf-course-review-YOKO023.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Yokohama (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Yokohama (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> topography and the movement of the land would be the envy of any club where golf is played. The course has really matured into a new level of conditioning with immaculate playing surfaces. I continue to be a strong supporter of how Coore has discovered so much width on all of the fairways, allowing players to embrace the rolling land that guides you to the green sites. There are still quite a few demanding tee shots, namely #4, #5, #7, and #13 to name but a few given the tree lined nature of the holes. I really like this variety as the routing of the holes nicely asks the player to shape the ball towards the ideal plateau. <img src="/images/yokohama-west-golf-course-review-YOKO024.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Yokohama (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Yokohama (West) Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> The West Course is set out on a large piece of property, allowing for a good number of swooping dog-legs, and dramatic changes in elevation. It truly is a journey around this course where you experience stunning natural ravines and land formations from a great height. Given the effort to get Coore over to Japan, I feel that his team put a significant amount of effort into creating a superb golf course with trademark Coore/Crenshaw bunkers, greens and aprons that are visible at many of their world-renowned venues. It simply gets better with time, and the accolades are growing. Your memories will be strong and delightful, which is always the sign of a magnificent golf course. I’m very disappointed this course isn’t being used for the 2020 Olympics as it was one of the original candidates.

I first visited Tokyo Golf Club in 2010 and I remember walking upstairs in the clubhouse to the library room and seeing the Gil Hanse design drawings for the Asaka greens. At the time, they were the new greens. Nine years later, they are now the old greens because of the recent introduction of the new Chichibu green complexes, following redesign work by Hanse Golf Design. My memories from 2010 suggested that the topography was relatively benign compared to the other great courses in Japan, <img src="/images/tokyo-golf-course-review-TOKY023.jpg" alt="Tokyo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Tokyo Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;"> and with encroaching trees lining the holes, this aggregated to a less memorable experience. I struggled to remember any of the course, which I generally consider a negative.
Fast-forward to today, my second experience playing the course was tremendously more positive. Width has been restored to the playing corridors, and dozens of bunkers have been reshaped added significantly more character to the visuals across the topography. Historically, the two greens on each hole had noticeably different characteristics in terms of texture, speed and undulations – but now with the passing of time and the increased involvement of Hanse, it was suggested that the two greens will evolve into more similar and consistent playing conditions. Many of the greens are elevated with deep bunkers surrounding them, as it the typical defense for a flat piece of land. I loved the cross bunkering throughout the course, especially on the 1st and 2nd holes and 13th holes which offer really exciting strategic choices off the tee. While the land may be flat in places, there is certainly a mental challenge with which route you will take depending on wind conditions. With the removal of trees, the angles into the greens (regardless of which set of greens you’re playing on a given day) have been significantly enhanced to add to the enjoyment of your round.
A personal favourite hole was the par 5 13th with a massive sprawling diagonal cross bunker. If you cross the left side of it you have a shorter route into the green to make birdie, but if you can’t carry it, you play way out to the right and follow the split fairway. This strategy was not even possible in recent years as hundreds of trees down the left-hand side had taken over so much property, rendering the split fairway impossible. Now it is wide open and this par 5 is a sight to see. It is clear that Hanse was focused on taking this course to the next level and the results have shown mightily. Each of the par 3s have a crisscross set up between tee box and green which is really fun when you stand on a green and look back at the two tee boxes available for different angles. Chipping areas around the greens have been expanded which offer wonderful visuals and flow, with some tee boxes being a continuation of a chipping area from the previous green. With the widespread tree removal, the health of the property is in abundance and gives each hole a chance to come out of its shell. While each hole certainly still has trees, they frame the landscape so much better than I remember.
Aerial photos of the course will highlight the amazing number of times you change direction. As an example, every hole on the front nine is in a different direction than the previous hole, including the outstanding par 4 6th hole which plays to an elevated plateau fairway that turns left and then downhill to the protected green. It is by far the hardest hole on the course and quite rightly is the Index 1 on the card. The bunkers that sit between the Asaka and Chichibu greens on the 6th hole are merciless and are true hazards. Water comes into play on certain holes due to the strategic improvement of how the course drains. Drainage was a big problem before Hanse built water ways that have been subtly integrated with the design and play a big role with holes 5 and 6, which are long and difficult for starters! I think it is a huge mistake to overlook this course in favour of other big-name courses in Japan. While it doesn’t have the dramatic topography of Kawana (Fuji) or Naruo, I now have a fresh opinion on how enjoyable it is to play here and truly appreciate the passion that the club has for its distinguished history, its prominent present and undoubtably a strong future. The genius and thoughtful design of Gil Hanse cements the reality that you don’t always need coastlines or a 60-foot change in elevation to create an architectural masterclass.

Like so many golden age classics, the timeline of architects is convoluted with many cooks in the kitchen all serving different dishes. Generally understood, the first 7 holes are Donald Ross, the next 7 holes are from Perry Maxwell before returning to Donald Ross for the last 4 holes. I’m not going to try to understand why it evolved this way, but the switchover in design multiple times during the round is noticeable. It reminded me of how Sleepy Hollow used to play with how the collection of Macdonald holes would abruptly change to a mix of Tillinghast holes and then back again on the inward half. The personality of the course just changes in front of your eyes.It was of zero surprise to learn that the genius of Gil Hanse was brought in to sort it all out and improve the flow and feel of the entire routing at both Gulph Mills and Sleepy Hollow (ironically) in recent years. The lack of consistency throughout the entire 18 holes at Gulph Mills in terms of the green and bunker design certainly doesn’t take away from how special the club and course are today. The variety ensures that everybody will have different favourite holes which I see as a positive. Over the past 70 years, several tees and holes have been repositioned and greens were moved significantly due to the influence of the architect at the time. It’s comforting to see that despite so many iterations and contributions over time that the current layout continues to sparkle. As noted before, the club stays below the radar and is essentially a peaceful escape for the few lucky members who embrace the rolling hills. The simplicity of the men’s locker room is the perfect complement to the traditions that have been preserved for over a century. Keeping up with the times, the club has removed thousands of trees to expose the beautiful landscape and opened up views that were thwarted by bizarre tree planting in the 1960s. The massive scale of the opening 3 holes flowing up and down the hills to contoured greens makes it the most difficult start in the region. All of them tough par 4s, especially the index 1 3rd hole which plays around 475 yards from the back tees down towards a diagonal creek cutting across the fairway with a large bunker 70 yards from the green. The severely sloped fairway brings all the danger in the play and you won’t have a flat lie for an approach shot that will be at least 200 yards back up to the raised green. We all loved the short par 3 4th hole over the quarry, not only because it gave you a chance to make a par without sweating – but because of the beautiful green site. The challenge of the pitched Ross greens from back to front, and the sheer dynamic nature of the Maxwell greens makes this venue worthy of top amateur play. It is a gorgeous walk all the way around, but I did fall in love with the downhill par 3 17th green into a delightful punchbowl green which is always fun. On paper, the last hole is a 464-yard par 5 from the back tees. The innocent visitor immediately thinks “birdie”. The experienced member thinks “best of luck with that”. After a demanding drive up and (hopefully) over a plateau, the fairway plummets downwards before sharply presenting the steep climb up to the pitched elevated green. The closing hole at Gulph Mills is a sight to behold, and the reality of making a birdie is as mythical as the club’s sweet evolution. I truly enjoyed my experience at a well-preserved old classic.

This course gets a lot of well-deserved high praise subsequent to the most recent restoration by Gil Hanse in 2009. It is one of Raynor’s first efforts from 1915 and could easily be on the short list of favourites on Long Island. The opening tee shot has somewhat of an intimate feeling to it being immediately adjacent to the clubhouse and surrounded by hedges. While the first two holes are short on paper, the location of the cross-bunkers will gobble up any tee shot that does not pay them enough respect. The ‘punchbowl’ comes as the par 3 3rd hole, which was beautifully presented with mowing lines to die for and bunkers put back in at the back of the green by Hanse. We don’t often get the punchbowl as a par 3 (The Everglades Club in Palm Beach is another example), but when we do, it just adds to the excitement at what is my personal favourite template rendition. Once you step on the par 4 4th tee box, the course takes on a ruthless personality for the rest of the opening half and beyond. With a stiff breeze, I faced a merciless string of long par 4s into unsympathetic greens that were gorgeous to look at but will break your heart at the flick of a switch. With one par 5 on the front side along with the Punchbowl and a tough Redan, the six par 4s on the outward nine will bring you to your knees when the wind blows. I loved the challenge and felt that I was on a serious golf course. The back nine opens with a 470-yard par 4 which played into the wind for me that took all my might to reach in regulation. I was informed that a couple of the longer holes at Westhampton were converted from par 5s to par 4s. While “par’ is just a concept, it’s more the psychological impact it has on you knowing how many shots it takes to get the ball in the hole without making bogey. The short par 3 is called “Island” rather than the typical “short” reference due to its location at the bay and is really the only point where you get close to the coast. Choose your club wisely on the 11th tee as the surrounding bunkers will ruin your afternoon. It is a common architectural characteristic for Raynor’s bunkers to be sunken below the elevated greens and wrap themselves around the putting surfaces almost like a horseshoe. The journey you navigate on the back nine offers more opportunities to score, but with such firm greens that sometimes don’t hold the ball, the challenge with your approach shots on a windy day multiplies greatly. I frequently was in awe of the playing conditions and the sheer challenge that a 6,400-yard course throws at you. The fairway bunkers are perfectly placed depending on which way the wind blows, but I would say the bigger challenge is knowing where to land your approach shots. It’s a shot-makers paradise and we all walked off the 18th green wanting more. You can’t put a price on local-knowledge, but you can count the number of shots you wish you had back. Westhampton CC is a truly wonderful layout with plenty of fun for good measure. Once again, Seth Raynor produced a brilliant golf course that members of esteemed clubs all over the region worship with high respect.

Given that the architect is buried in the nearby Southampton Cemetery, this special place in New York heralds some of the most sought-after terrain anywhere in the world. The nearby proximity to NGLA offers up a competing list of iconic template holes in the same town. Raynor had a great piece of land to use at Southampton and the scorecard is littered with holes known around the world on a first name basis.Brian Silva was brought in a few years ago to restore the course back to its 1925 roots. While the conditions are healthy, and the greens are superb, we did notice that the bunkers generated the majority of conversation. For the most part, they have low lips at the front and are mostly dead flat from front to back meaning that a ball entering the bunker will roll all the way through the end without any grade/pitch to stop it. The back walls on the bunkers are steeper than most people would like as most golf balls end up right at the bottom of them because the floor of the bunkers is flat enough to carry it all the way through. As with many courses in the region, the evolution of roads and the motor car influenced the routing of golf courses. After the short 2nd, you cross Tuckahoe Road to play holes 3 through 11, before crossing back to finish the course. The high quality is maintained on each paddock thanks to the topography that allows the template greens to exist in all their preserved glory. I did enjoy the variety of shots available on almost every par 4 and par 5 due to the placement of cross bunkers and creeks, so you could bite off as much as you felt you could (highlight the par 4 6th hole called Raynor’s Prize Dog-leg). Once again, adding length to a course is not the answer to making it more difficult. These old courses will out-smart us all just as they are. It was a true pleasure to play at a historic course, and then visit the local cemetery afterwards to offer endless appreciation for all of the gifts Raynor and Macdonald left us with before departing for the next life. Let’s hope there’s a Redan somewhere above the clouds.

With the two nines on either side of a main road, both looking completely different from each other in topography, surroundings and design, it is understandable to ponder that it’s really more like two 9-hole courses rather than one complete 18-hole layout. The current opening nine is wide open on a relatively compact piece of land. I offer kudos to Coore/Crenshaw for routing the opening 4 holes along the boundary to keep a constant change of direction, but also to make the most of the remaining land on that side of the road for the rest of the front side. With the land being pretty flat for the first 8 holes, it was of no surprise to see so many pushed up greens, often with steep slopes on either side to add to the challenge. Upon crossing the road, you are immediately in a different world of golf. The fairways are tree lined, the topography moves up and down, and the ability for Coore to design large bunker/waste areas was prevalent. Certain greens (e.g.: par 3 11th) don’t get enough sunlight and it shows in places. There is a case for cutting down a few hundred trees to open up views and give the land a chance to flourish. You quickly lose the freedom of the front nine and now navigate many holes running back and forth through heavily wooded terrain. The course finishes with an exciting short downhill par 3 17th, and a tricky short par 4 dog-leg left finisher. It was enjoyable to play another of Coore/Crenshaw’s portfolio. The personality of the two nines tries its best to maintain some level of consistency with the situations you face around the greens. I was sincerely grateful for the opportunity to play at such a high-end modern club in one of the country’s most sought-after zip codes.

The skills of Charles Hugh Alison graced a few sites throughout North America, but arguably the best of the lot is at Davenport Country Club which truly took my breath away.

In recent years, the genius of Ron Forse and his talented team renovated this 1924 layout to levels never seen before. The inspiration of the work came from iconic venues like Hirono Golf Club in Japan, which is a testament to the incredibly high standards <img src="/images/davenport-golf-course-review-DAVE001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Davenport - Photo by reviewer" title="Davenport - Photo by reviewer"> that the architects were working towards. The evolution of the routing has been changed gently over the time including the repositioning of the 1st hole, the extension of the 2nd hole into a par 5 to escape a flood-basin and the reconstruction of bunkers to capture Alison’s design principles. Thankfully old aerial photos have been preserved inside of the clubhouse to give a foundational understanding of the sheer number of trees that have been removed at Davenport.

The layout is sublime, healthy and bursting with charm. The scale of the property is something which Alison took advantage of to discover the most appealing green-sites. For example, the holes around the turn majestically play along wonderful rock formations, over massive ravines and make the topography so enjoyable to experience. The creeks that navigate the property facilitated the construction of magnificent bridges throughout the course that offer up so much character. With the extensive tree removal, the vistas from the elevated points bring multiple holes into view all carefully calculated by the architects to make the most of the canvas.

On the back nine, the swooping 14th fairway with renovated features is a gorgeous hole that leads up to the wonderful short 15th hole which possesses the best bunker by far on the property. It screams ‘Hirono’ in its shape and <img src="/images/davenport-golf-course-review-DAVE002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Davenport Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Davenport Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> design as it wraps around the right-hand side of the green. The view from the famous 16th hole (where Snead once lost the Western Open by hitting a 1 iron into the creek) is once again breathtaking as your eyes feast on the exposed rock formations down the right-hand side which the creek cuts diagonally to the left.

The collection of par 3s at Davenport offer so much enjoyment, splendour and variety, as is common with Colt/Alison designs.

The closing stretch of holes are among the best I’ve seen at any classic course as they rise and fall effortlessly with nature and portray some of the most beautiful large bunkers I’ve observed. I was truly blown away by the awe-inspiring layout from start to finish, and wholeheartedly agree with the previous reviewer that this hidden gem is worthy of the highest awards and recognition.

The golf in Iowa is exceptionally strong, and now more than ever, it’s time to celebrate the efforts of the outstanding restoration/renovation work that today’s architects are creating.

There’s a growing dialogue across the country that the state of Iowa is becoming a “must play” golfing destination. It’s been well documented in the past two years that the Ross layout was suffocated beyond recognition, to the extent that the golf course had lost its identity. Let us all celebrate brilliant golfing visionaries and leaders like Mr. Vaughn Halyard who took the bull by the horns and helped lead the charge with what can be described as the most significant golfing renaissance of any club. To say that life has been <img src="/images/cedar-rapids-golf-course-review-CEDR001.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Cedar Rapids Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Cedar Rapids Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> redeployed into the veins of this golf course is an understatement, and the resurgence of its beauty is a testament to the skills of Ron Prichard to deliver outstanding results.

The thousands of trees that up until recent years clogged the course’s ability to breathe and exist, have been removed so that today’s layout is essentially a brand-new golf course that FINALLY gets to celebrate the fruits of Ross’ genius. Prichard’s ability to restore Ross golf courses have brought layouts like Cedar Rapids and The Minikahda Club to levels never seen before. The freedom that the holes at Cedar Rapids now rightfully enjoy facilitates a truly wonderful walk. The flow from green to tee is effortless and allows golfers to connect with the natural surroundings from start to finish.

The view from the elevated first tee is one of the best in the game as the bunkers define the path up to the raised first green that gives golfers exposure to the ‘back to front’ pitched greens. Highlights on the front nine including the mighty par 4 2nd hole that plays uphill off the tee and then dog-legs steeply to the left making it certainly worthy of Index 1. Watch out for the new bunker that guards the front of the raised 3rd green and enjoy the energizing downhill par 3 8th fraught with danger. The views across the <img src="/images/cedar-rapids-golf-course-review-CEDR002.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px;" alt="Cedar Rapids Golf Course - Photo by reviewer" title="Cedar Rapids Golf Course - Photo by reviewer"> property are just as enjoyable as the pride that the membership has for its special canvas.

No two holes are remotely close to looking or feeling the same which makes the entire experience so memorable all the way to the famous Swinging Bridge which also serves as the iconic club logo.

The back nine has a variety of highlights including the 10th and 14th. The downhill 10th beautifully moves downhill from left to right challenging golfers to find the best angle into the green with the best bunker on the course awaiting you down the left-hand side. The 14th hole is one of the most unique green-sites on the entire planet that you must see it to believe it – a massive raised mound with a flag on top. On almost every hole at Cedar Rapids, you get a tingle of excitement knowing that something so much bigger than golf is going on here.

The turf in Iowa is among the best in the country for golf and it’s an honour to strike the ball in the Hawkeye State. The land is a celebration of the strength of the game in Iowa, and thanks to courage and determination of champions like Vaughn Halyard, this course is worthy of its lofty ranks above the radar.

Just northeast of Des Moines, this Keith Foster layout is now a truly private club following several years after opening as a public golf course. Keith was brought back in to update the Harvester course as it progressed towards a private club, and it just opened up about a month ago having been closed for over a year. There are now around 50 members and the volume of play is relatively low. The clubhouse is beautiful, and the service is as good as it gets. When I was greeted in the arrival area, I was told I’d be 1 of 11 people there that day on the entire property, so it is truly a golfing nirvana. The low amount of play directly correlates to why the playing conditions are flawless. While we’re in the height of the golfing season in this part of the world and courses are generally looking their best, the fairways and greens at The Harvester Club are 10 steps above anything else. I was often uncomfortable on the greens as they were rolling at 12 on the stimp-metre with plenty of contours, rendering certain pin placements simply inaccessible, even when putting. The difficulty on and around the blistering greens could ruin your scorecard! Right from the first tee, the views across the course are dramatic and the course oozes with challenge. The second hole plays steeply uphill for the approach shot, and if your ball doesn’t make it, it will come back almost 80 yards from the green which is brutal. The third hole is the first of the par 3s that sets an interesting precedent for all of the short holes. Specially, upon reflection, all of them play downhill and are surrounded by a body of water – which for me, became a little repetitive. On top of this, three of the four par 3s all play the same club, which further reduces the variety. The 15th is also a downhill par 3 with water nearby but plays 20 yards shorter than the other three. To be clear, the par 3s are spectacular, but I felt compelled to share a humble observation. The topography at The Harvester Club is a sight to see, and Foster deserves a lot of credit for the end product as the routing makes the most of the natural land. I am so happy for the people of this area to boost golf in Iowa. The holes get stronger and stronger as you progress, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see a top University or Professional golf event being hosted here in the very near future. The rolling hills allow for spectacular views, mesmerizing downhill holes towards the water, and sensational shorter par 4s playing uphill through a gauntlet of bunkers. The combination of arguably the best conditioned course you could ask for with mouth-watering vistas firmly puts the theatre of The Harvester Club back on the golfing map with a bang!

The mile-high city is blessed with a great golfing canvas inside of the city limits. Denver Country Club’s original 9-hole course was located inside of a horse racetrack, beautifully reminiscent of the old links at Musselburgh of all places. The current location for the course has been in place since circa 1905 along the Cherry Creek River, but it has gone through at least 3 different routing iterations due to the evolution of the city of Denver, its roads and infrastructure. Around the turn of the last century, there were many holes that played across the river, but this experienced changes over time as holes were lost and highways were built – contributions from Foulis, Ross, Flynn can still be found, in addition to modern alterations by Coore (who built the par 3s 7th and 12th) and the current consultant, Gil Hanse who is in charge of the current master plan. In the coming season, the club plans to move 7 of their greens to play closer to the river that cuts through the property. It’s quite the investment and will no doubt be a positive chapter in the club’s history book. Gil has done wonderful work over the past 20+ years at Denver Country Club including extensive bunker renovations, moving cart paths and tee box development. Golfing at altitude has its own challenges when you are used to sea-level golf, so the driver may not be needed as much as you’d expect. Gil has clearly paid closer attention to a previous master plan by William Flynn, as he reinstated a number of Flynn’s bunker patterns, most noticeably the bunker complex that climbs up to the par 4 4th hole, reminiscent of so many iconic Flynn courses in eastern Pennsylvania. While the land is relatively flat across the property, there are high points on the 5th and 13th tee boxes around the perimeter that offer striking views across the property where you can see the influence of the meandering river on the routing. The Denver Country Club is a magnificent experience with an intelligent golf course routing that offers players a variety of options to play 3, 6, 9 hole loops that bring you back the house depending on your preference. On the front side, the back to back 5th and 6th holes were my favourite, with the 5th being a downhill par 3 over a body of water with delightful bunkering, and the treacherous short par 4 6th that plays across the river to a diagonal fairway. Great risk-reward strategy that will no doubt get a list of accolades. On the back nine, the par 3 12th hole plays slightly uphill across the river to a truly gorgeous setting on the side of a large hill framed with bunkers. I really did love the visual from this tee, just like the strength of the closing stretch as you navigate dog-legs and rolling topography. I was certainly impressed by this engaging golf course and look forward to seeing the next iteration.

This course is blessed with such grand rolling topography that, on numerous occasions, the views from the elevated tee boxes is quite something special. Some reviewers suggest that the course gets off to a slow start, which I personally disagree with – as I feel that people underestimate the strength of shorter holes when played on bulging hills. Put the pin on the upper shelf on the left side of the elevated first green and count how many people make birdie – my guess is that you won’t run out of fingers. A blind tee shot on the 2nd, following by an approach shot over a hazard to a strongly pitched green is no pushover either. While the 3rd and 4th holes are relatively short on paper, playing into angles or up the hills is not easy and will ultimately test your distance control. You’ll need a minute to catch your breath when you reach the summit of the 5th tee and behold the magnificent par 5 that tumbles all the way back down to a green protected by a creek. A glorious short par 3 6th hole fraught with surrounding danger of humps and bumps is a delight to play. A novice playing the 6th won’t realise how close the hazards are to the edge of the green. The uphill par 4 7th hole is the index 1 (which currently is debatable) and requires a careful drive to find the best angle for the second shot. The tee shot on the 7th is the most difficult shot on the opening half as the fairway pitches from left to right and you must get past some vegetation down the right-hand side. A new green 40 yards behind the existing green on higher land will add tremendous challenge and make it a real index 1. The 8th hole is a reachable par 5, but the green is so protected with huge landforms that the entrance to the green feels quite narrow. It’s a great visual down to the green. I found the par 3 9th hole to be the most disappointing on the course. From the current tee box level, there’s no real visual off the tee other than overgrown vegetation between the tee and the green, and only the top half of the flag is visible. I’m confident the club will address the bracken and heather soon in addition to raising the medal tee. An observation throughout the course are the number of concrete paths directly in your line of sight that need repair. I look forward to the paths being either repaired, repositioned or grassed where feasible. The back nine is quite brilliant starting with the par 5 10th which has a sublime green setting framed so nicely. It’s breathtaking to reach another summit and take in the beautiful surroundings in addition to appreciating how natural the routing is. The holes just sit perfectly on the grand landscape and you can see the journey ahead. Local knowledge is required for the tee shot on the long par 3 downhill 11th especially with firm conditions. You simply must use your shot-making skill to land the ball in the right spot to allow for release and a few kicks. It’s a gorgeous walk down the slope on the par 5 12th but the challenge immediately returns with the daunting uphill 13th which is a very difficult walk. You should use a trolley! Like every hole at Royal Ashdown Forest, your club selection off the tee is paramount given how severe the land can be in places – and remember, nothing rolls like a ball. On the 13th, you need to get it as far up the hill as you can, but then need to be careful as there is longer grass and heather waiting for you. I love how the course constantly asks you to hit heroic shots, and I’ve no doubt a low handicap player at Royal Ashdown Forest will do well at almost any other course given the challenges they face. An appropriate homage to Abe Mitchell will greet you on the spectacular downhill par 3 14th which requires a long carry over tough gorse near the green. The closing stretch continues the uphill and downhill nature of the topography which is almost relentless. The holes are so uniquely memorable and ooze with personality. The lack of bunkers is a brilliant design, and just goes to show how natural landforms can be just as challenging and extraordinary. The Old course stands out among its peers in the area for many reasons and you’ll want to play it multiple times just to soak in all the features you won’t see anywhere else. Make the effort to get out of London for a day, and be sure to tour the clubhouse to take in the history and the wonderful hospitality.

Each time I play here, I appreciate the widespread design variety more and more. The location is stunning, the golf course is enjoyable to play for all levels, the mowing lines are superbly presented offering such gorgeous contrasts of grasses – and of course the playing surfaces are top notch. Both nines offer a wonderful routing that takes you on a journey close to the water’s edge and then up high on the ridge overlooking the firth. Almost every course that Gil designs just gets better over time, and the mix of shorter holes playing tough into the wind plus longer holes playing downwind is a complement to the routing that he discovered. As expected, the blind shots throughout the property are fun to navigate and contribute to a very memorable world-class experience. While this certainly isn’t a hidden gem, it is certainly worth every effort to play and embrace the gorgeous encounter.

The golf is strong at ‘The Nairn’, and has a long list of contributing architects – including most recently from Mackenzie & Ebert. An aerial view of the course will solidify that essentially every par 4 and 5 is a straight hole except for the 3rd hole which was arguably my favourite on the front side. The continuous stream of straight holes was a little one-dimensional for me. The journey away from the sea to the holes perpendicular to the Firth was most enjoyable at the uphill 13th and beautiful downhill par 3 14th, but again they are pretty much dead straight holes with different visuals. The most upsetting, and dare I say “alarming” news at Nairn is what the current consultants are doing to progressively convert the original turf sodden bunkers with crisp edges into dreadful looking heathland shaggy bunkers with heather on top. There is widespread displeasure towards what’s going on, and I fear for the negative impact it’s destined to have. I don’t know who wanted this, I don’t know who supports this, and I don’t know why on earth this was ever suggested. The holes that have the original bunkers are lovely and authentic. However, the holes with the new converted bunkers are a visual disappointment at what is otherwise a very strong golf course with sublime playing conditions.

Tucked away in the remarkable Cairngorms National Park, this is a stunning golf course in spectacular surroundings. I heard that this was a nice place to stop when driving up to the Highlands, but I’d strongly support changing that mentality and suggest that this course is absolutely worth a trip just for itself rather than being an add-on to break a journey. As previous reviewers have appropriately mentioned, it’s truly hard to believe why this course doesn’t get more accolades. The undulating ground, beautiful flowers and trees with mouth-watering mountainous surroundings are a golfing paradise. Adjacent to the golf car park is the Boat of Garten railway station which boasts a fabulous Steam Engine train that goes right past the course during the summer, which just adds to the charm of the picture-book setting. The value for money, charming architecture and local hospitality were fantastic, and I could easily see this climbing up in the rankings just based on the golf design alone. I made a lot of my friends jealous that I played here, and I could only encourage you to do the same soon. Great golf!!

It was enjoyable to play this course at the height of summer when the conditions were sublime and the championship course was at its best, but it was packed with tourists on every hole all day. I love the challenge of the par 3 2nd hole and, if I’m being honest, I was thinking about that tee shot for hours before my round started. The green is raised and the fall offs are brutal on every side.I thoroughly enjoyed the stretch of holes 3 to 6 as you migrate away from the clubhouse and navigate through wonderful angles, but again, the par 3 holes are by far the best, including the 6th hole which is such a small target surrounded by deadly bunkers. Conditioning is supreme despite the amazing volume of play. The days of the original 7th hole are limited as the club is currently growing in a new 7th hole parallel to the existing one, but running along the ridge closer to the sea. We’ll see how successful it will be when it opens. There are so many stunning holes on the front side, but the 8th is a truly spectacular with the blind tee shot and a steep drop down to the angled fairway. The 9th is a par 5 that turns back along the coastline, and downwind will yield plenty of birdies. The 10th continues the string of truly gorgeous par 3 which, once again, is a different length so you’ll hit every club in the bag before long. As you move back along the coast towards the clubhouse and hug the coastline, the topography is flat but more dunes appear to introduce challenge and some awesome back tees. You’ll eventually climb up the hill on the 16th which is a highlight on the inward routing before you turn around and play the 17th which is remarkably similar to the 8th hole with a blind tee shot a drop down the fairway. It’s either a big coincidence or very well-planned course that found a routing where the 8th hole on each nine plays so similarly and high above the rest. In my humble opinion, the 1st and 18th holes play on relatively benevolent terrain and aren’t the most exciting, but it’s all part of the adventure. I don’t agree with this course being in the World Top 10, and in fact, I confidently have both Trump Turnberry and Muirfield ahead of it in Scotland alone. While this is the primary attraction in the Highlands of Scotland from a golfing perspective, don’t underestimate the value of nearby Golspie and Brora who offer a refreshing contrast on every level.

Adding Golspie to my highlands itinerary was one of the easiest, and arguably the best, decision I made. The professional staff at the club will make you feel like a member and you can’t ask for better hospitality. If I lived in the Highlands, this would be the club I’d join with great pleasure. The diverse terrain and variety both along the coastline and among the pines are an incredible asset which truly sets this course apart from its peers. I found the assortment of links and parkland golf to be a refreshing surprise. After a wide open reachable par 5, the humps and bumps of the links terrain hugging the coastline quickly come into play with the excellent par 3 2nd with a wide and shallow green. Holes 3-5 are within arm’s reach of the North Sea and offer a tough challenge as you navigate semi-blind undulating terrain, especially the short (world class) par 4 5th with a blind elevated green. The 6th is a par 3 which plays away from the water but is framed beautifully with dunes and is fraught with perfectly placed bunkers surrounding the green. The opening stretch of this hidden gem present very solid golf and begin to tell the story of how underrated this venue is. As you close out the front nine, you’re reminded of how fun golf can be when you don’t always need driver and intelligent shot-making is a premium if you want to make birdies. The courses personality transitions as you migrate towards the pines on the splendid 8th hole, which once again is framed so well. You get the best of everything at this course, including very good playing conditions which is a credit to the hard working greenkeeping crew. I thoroughly enjoyed the long dog-leg left 9th hole which will test the best of us for an accurate drive before you encounter the most charming par 3 10th hole called “Lochy” which plays over a pond to a well-protected green. This corner of the property introduces you to beautiful heather and healthy tall pine trees to contrast with the opening collection of holes along the beach. This diversity and change in direction reminded me in places of Lundin and Nairn which has similar experiences, also created by James Braid among others. Holes 11 through 14 are played over benign pastureland near the boundary line and are the least memorable given the setting, but the routing picks up again quickly on the demanding 15th hole which is a very difficult par 4 that is among the very best you’ll play. The 15th green is pitched beautifully from right to left taking advantage of the nearby undulation that takes you up the spectacular par 3 16th which plays straight towards the North Sea. While it is unusual to have two par 3s in a row at the 16th and 17th, they are both truly outstanding and perfectly complement the entire experience. The 16th plays to a multi-tiered perched green that is tough to hit while the 17th is a longer blind tee shot to a larger green area. I was advised to respect these two shorter holes, and it was advice well given. The 18th hole is in the middle of the property with a huge hill in the middle of the fairway so you can’t see the green, but it is a mighty finishing hole located between the 14th & 15th holes (to your left) and the 4th hole (to your right). There are several holes that play in front of the clubhouse in a north / south direction, and an aerial view of the routing will show you how diverse the golf is at Golspie over different terrain in such proximity. A trip to Golspie should be a priority on any golfing itinerary, as this, and many other reviews are saying. It’s an injustice to this venue to consider it an add-on to a trip to play Royal Dornoch. By itself, it is a wonderful day out. I found the value, the hospitality, the location and the atmosphere to be first class and can’t promote the charming golf enough. It’s so refreshing to be away from the big-name venues and actually feel like you’re a welcomed part of the club, rather than a visitor on a factory conveyor belt. I highly recommend this fascinating and varied golf experience – and I’m confident the future is bright at Golspie Golf Club.

Everyone must play here at least once in their life. The simplicity and rawness of the entire property is truly refreshing. There are plenty of short par 4s and delightful par 3s across this course which, depending on which direction you’re looking in, could be interpreted as a sheep and cattle farm rather than a James Braid golf course. The grazing onlookers are all part of the package, so much so that the greens are protected by electric wires. The irony is, the greens are as good as you could ever ask for. Pure, healthy, smooth and in glorious shape. While the fairways and tee boxes are a little rough around the edges, you’ll be guaranteed magnificent putting surfaces – and we have the sheep to thank! The natural land undulations are a highlight throughout the entire round with my favourite being up the 12th fairway before the devilish short par 3 13th hole known as ‘snake’. There aren’t too many bunkers on the course, but the best as reserved for the par 3 holes which will provide plenty of photographic opportunities. I thought the uphill 16th and 17th holes were the pick of the bunch which contributed to a very strong finish ahead of the par 3 18th hole with a semi-blind tee shot. Everyone will enjoy the excitement of the approach into the 16th green as you’re aiming at the club’s logo blowing in the wind from a pole. As with many of Braid’s inland courses, there are several blind tee shots as he discovered a routing that takes you to the best pieces of topography on offer. While this is agricultural farming land, it is a credit to the hard-working greenkeepers who tend to the land to preserve an old classic. If you want a pleasant round at an affordable price in a peaceful setting like nothing you’ve experienced before, put Brora on your list. Time has no meaning here.

The proximity of the Old, the New and the Jubilee courses suggests that much of the land is arguably the same in places and it’s the design of the green sites on each of these courses that separates them all apart. At certain spots from the New Course you can look across at the Old Course or across at the Jubilee and begin to get a sense of the personality of each layout. Before I played the New Course, depending on who you’re chatting with, it was frequently mentioned that the New Course was the most popular of them all. The New Course has also been recently recognised as World Top 100 by a select number of golf architects, so it certainly has its fan-base and is “only” 80 pounds to play compared to 120 pounds for the Castle Course and 190 pounds for the Old Course. As I played the course, I discovered one strong hole after the next with gentle dog-legs, delightful angles and terrific green-sites. By the time I reached the superb 8th hole, I was really enjoying how the course was presented with (in my humble opinion) much more variety and fun than the Old Course which was packed with tourists. The stretch of holes among the dunes of 8 through 10 were outstanding, highlighted by the 200-yard par 3 9th at the end of the property filled with bumps and the blind tee shot on the 10th that plays to a diagonal fairway. The march back to the house throughout the back nine offers plenty of challenges and, as expected, continues to be visually impressive as you play near the dunes. It’s a more challenging and stimulating course than the Old Course, and certainly has more than 4 memorable holes. The New Course is an exciting course to play, and you don’t have to wait until you’re on the greens to find it memorable. I absolutely recommend that visitors prioritise this layout when planning a trip to St. Andrews.

The mouth-watering first fairway that slopes dramatically from left to right is a gorgeous opening hole and sets the tone for the brilliant opening stretch of 4 holes that intimately hug the coastline and bring you to the end of the property. The playing conditions at Lundin were wonderful and notably superior to adjacent courses. The delightful par 3 5th hole takes you inland along the famous wall before a string of short par 4s close out the front nine. This stretch includes a couple of blind tee shots whereby you can’t see the landing area, but the approach shots are straightforward and relatively short. The holes at Lundin are stacked alongside each other in a compact property, but it is blessed with the 12th, 13th and 14th holes which play on elevated ground and offer beautiful views across the property. While these holes are more tree lined, I thought they were a perfect complement to the true links holes. Let’s not forget the evolution of why these holes exist, so they are the best we could have hoped for away from the coastline. Holes 5 and 14 are par 3s at the end of the property and are really the only holes that play perpendicular to the water, otherwise all other holes on the course run in parallel. An aerial view of the course will validate this routing observation. Several holes on each nine feel the same, run in the same direction and exist in a string of holes that bring you up or down the property in one big line. With that said, there is plenty of challenge and diversity to conclude that Lundin Golf Club is certainly not a pushover and is spectacular in places. Along with Elie and Crail, it is just yet another example of how strong the golf is in Fife without stepping foot in St. Andrews.

Having heard so many wonderful comments about The Golf House, I was eager to include Elie in my Fife itinerary which proved to be a huge success. The opening two holes take you out and back before the elevated tee box on the splendid downhill par 3 3rd hole gives you a superb panoramic view of the town of Elie and what’s ahead of you out on the course as you migrate towards the sea. A string of medium length par 4s have challenging angles and bumps bring you down towards the end of the property before the drivable 7th turns you back around. The stretch of 9 through 12 hug the dramatic coastline and present the beautiful backdrop of the famous Elie cliffs. The rugged nature of those holes is a sight to behold including the epic downhill approach into the 9th with the water in the background. I really enjoyed the short par 3 10th and the heroic 11th which requires a tee shot over the water from the medal tee. The 12th hole is arguably the most scenic hole on the inward half with the high cliffs within arm’s reach just behind the green-site. The closing 6 holes have a brilliant routing that traverse nicely across hills and are hugely impacted by the wind direction. Elie is hugely enjoyable to play as you have plenty of birdie opportunities and really must study to land to determine where to land your ball among the humps and bumps. Great value for money, wonderful golf, commendable topography and without the hassle of St. Andrews makes Elie a must-play when you play your holiday to Fife. It’s a refreshing golf course that will certainly be a highlight.

Big money and deep overseas pockets immediately make this feel like nothing else in Scotland, and it’s a far cry from the historical experience you’ll get at any of its neighbours. Lavish luxury and modern facilities certainly has its own target market, and feels somewhat out of place in this neck of the woods. The golf course is in the final stages of preparation for the 2019 Scottish Open. The playing conditions are superb, and while the topography is relatively flat, many of the greens are outrageously contoured, especially the first green. The rough is high and lines the fairways so beautifully with great colours, but in its current state, many of the holes on the opening half felt the same from each of the tee boxes given how they are presented for the competition. High rough and narrow landing areas are a common theme before getting to the voluptuous greens. In my humble opinion, the holes at Renaissance don’t really tie into the tree lines, and it almost looks like a prairie-land course in places with all the deep dark rough, despite its proximity to the sea. With several changes to the initial routing, who knows if Doak’s original ideas were ever achieved?

This is the grand master of East Lothian oozing with challenge, class and a routing which is nothing short of genius. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers is my favourite course in the UK, and my most recent trip just further confirmed my personal preference. Depending on the wind, it has a long and penal opening hole that begins to turn you clockwise around the property boundary. The continual clockwise turn gently from left to right brings wind, topography and merciless bunkers constantly into play. The green site evolution from Old Tom to Harry Colt has only gotten better over time with contours and fall-offs which will reject balls into the awaiting deep traps with steep faces. As the back nine reverses you into a gradual anti-clockwise routing, the genius of the overall golf course comes to light as you navigate a variety of winds and frequent change in direction. If I could play one course in the UK, it would be Muirfield, and no doubt the race for the top spot in the Scottish rankings is firmly only between Trump Turnberry and Muirfield, who are clearly in a league of their own in my humble opinion.

The residents of East Lothian are spoilt rotten! So many world class courses on their doorstep, with Gullane #1 certainly being one of them. After a straightforward opening par 4, the climb up the second hole lined with high rough is visually quiet daunting, but so impressive. The second is uphill all the way through a narrow enough fairway to a long narrow green. Scorecards are already under siege! With a prevailing wind coming off the nearby Firth, the opening 4 holes are painfully into the wind which adds to the championship test, especially the long par 5 3rd hole which is relentless. The par 3 4th hole plays parallel to the water, and the crosswind doesn’t make it any easier to hold the perched green. The routing up and over Gullane Hill is truly spectacular, and we were blessed beyond words to have a sunny (but windy) day. Holes 5 and 6 bring you up to the summit before the gorgeous downhill 7th brings you back towards the firth with jaw-dropping beauty. Throughout the back nine, I focused a lot on the placement of the bunkers given how windy it was. As with all classic Links courses, you often wonder why on earth a bunker is located where it is. With a change in wind direction, this golf course and its bunkers take on a whole new personality fraught with danger as is evident on the closing stretch. Without doubt, being up high playing over the hills will make you fall in love with Gullane, and certainly a great venue for any Scottish Open. From a given vantage point you can see glimpses of Muirfield and Renaissance in one direction and Kilspindie and Gullane #2 courses in another direction – just to name but a few. The architecture of Gullane #1 is as impressive as the views, and truly an underrated delight to play.

An enjoyable 9-hole intimate golfing experience literally inside a horse racetrack. A very cheap green fee allows you to explore a historic routing that follows the track to the end of the property before turning back. Each hole has plenty of challenge, and with the turf being so firm and fast, the ground game becomes a shot maker’s paradise. While some holes are better than others, it’s good value for money in Scotland, and a big slice of Open Championship history having hosted the Open 6 times between 1874 and 1889.

The tree clearance has been absolutely brilliant and has taken West Hill to a whole new level. The playing conditions were among the best I had seen in Surrey and the setting for each hole is really lovely. The views across the property are glorious corridors through the remaining trees and you really get a feel for the rolling topography as you look around. The upgrades to the course have produced plenty of well-deserved compliments, which I thoroughly support. The elegance of the experience is such a treat all the way around. I agree that the visual on the 14th tee is confusing, and it would require (at a minimum) many more trees coming down on the right-hand side to make more sense of where you are actually going. West Hill in its upgraded and refreshed state is now a masterpiece that the members are so lucky to call home.

The county of Surrey is blessed with so many excellent heathland courses that locals are truly spoilt for choice. The opening stretch introduces you to the rolling topography and the need to be careful off the tee as driver is not always needed. I learned that the hard way on the downhill dog-leg 3rd hole. Most holes on the front nine play into good angles and offer plenty of opportunities to score well. The course is pleasant and gets stronger as you progress to the second half, especially the par 5 11th and the awe-inspiring par 3 13th which will grab your attention with the bunker design. The course is a nice walk in a charming setting.

Much has been written about the grandiose nature of the magnificent valley holes throughout the front nine, that alone, make the visit to Hindhead an extraordinarily brilliant experience. Let me say from the outset that the back nine is equally as impressive, and it would be wrong to neglect the quality of the inward half. The opener exposes you quickly to the beautiful heather and how firm the playing conditions are as they lead you to a slightly sunken green pitched from back to front. Holes 2 through 4 offer a mix of huge changes in elevation, dramatic tee shots, sloping fairways and epic green site locations. Standing on the par 3 6th tee peering down at the green 130 yards away, but 80 feet below you is truly spectacular. Even after a half dozen holes, I well and truly concluded that there is no other golf course like this anywhere – simply breathtaking. While the beauty is staggering, there is nothing easy about any of it. The 7th is the index 1 hole which meanders through a swerving valley and is strongly guarded by bunkers in front to punish anything less than perfect. The bunkers are progressively being upgraded throughout the course, with at least the first 7 holes being completed. When you reach the brutally difficult 230-yard par 3 8th hole with its tiny green, you’ll see the next phase of the upgrade project. The opening half will take your breath away, not just because you’re walking up and down steep hills – and it’s appropriate that the 9th hole plays uphill to end the adventure through the valleys. The head greenkeeper is a fantastic Scotsman and it was clear after chatting with him that he is truly passionate about the property. He is an inspiration and deserves endless credit given how spectacular the playing conditions are. The back nine is a wonderful walk through more tree-lined holes with perfectly placed bunkers. The heather really defines the playing areas and is being introduced on top of the bunkers – a common feature at courses in Surrey. I loved the mixture of difficult par 4s, shorter par 3s and numerous opportunities to make birdies. The routing of the back nine has a completely different personality to the unique front nine, but as mentioned above, it is a glorious walk and a delightful (and somewhat necessary) contrast to the drama of the valleys. You have to see it to believe it, and the hospitality is terrific. Once again, it proved to me that there are too many golf courses in England that go under the radar. Hindhead is a must-play when in the London area and will no doubt creep up in the English rankings.

Liphook is absolutely sublime and shame on anybody in the area for not playing it or being ignorant to its majestic existence. It is my humble personal opinion that golf in England is woefully under appreciated. Visitors from around the world flock to Ireland and Scotland in their millions (for understandable reasons), but arguably the best mix of golf (links, heathland, moorland) is in England. For years, gems like Silloth on Solway, St. Enodoc, St. George’s Hill and West Sussex fly under the radar without much global recognition – and I can now add Liphook to that list.Some of the most stunning settings for golf with awe-inspiring green locations. The trees frame the holes so beautifully and it truly feels like you’re walking in paradise. The peaceful isolation and brilliant playing conditions warrant huge congratulations to the green-keeping staff for top notch putting surfaces. We have the vision of Arthur Croome back in 1922 to thank for building this course, his one and only. The par 4 second hole immediately gave the “wow” factor with a sloping fairway heading up to a slightly sunken green. The entire setting is just gorgeous as your adventure begins. You cross a road on two occasions as the routing is laid out on two paddocks, but the beauty and challenge is very consistent throughout. I loved the angles that are created on almost every hole, with highlights including the drive on the 6th, and the magnificent stretch of dog-leg par 4s 14 to 16. The mixture of excellent routing and perfect planting of heather makes this course a work of art. The opening par 3 didn’t deter from the strength of the short holes, with the 3rd and 7th holes being personal favourites. I can’t say enough about how strongly I recommend golfers to experience this course. Liphook would be a club I would join in a heartbeat if I lived in the south of England.

For years it has amazed me how this 9-hole course has generated an unmatched mix of reviews. The opening par 5 is no picnic now that devilishly placed bunkers down the left-hand side have essentially eliminated the option of blasting it almost anywhere without punishment. The bunkers now offer clear separation between the 1st and 8th holes which has handsomely increased the strategy on both of these holes. The par 3 2nd hole at just north of 220 yards is a brute, and the crowned green only augments the encounter. It is the first exposure to the incredibly crafted greens that put RW&N in a league of its own. The low amount of play is one of the justifications that makes hitting tee shots over the previous green work without slowing down play. It could be described as any combination of quirky, unusual, fun, unnerving and rather strange. If it slows down play, then I’m not a fan. Hitting tee shots over the previous green happens more than once when you arrive on the par 3 5th tee, which is somewhat courageous of the architect. Like the 1st, more bunkers were added down the left-hand side of the very difficult 6th hole to separate the 5th and 6th holes and really tightened up the landing areas. Trees immediately on the left side of the 6th tee will eliminate a left to right tee shot, further keeping play away from the 5th fairway. The course is demanding because of brilliant design without feeling manufactured. After a wide open mundane and somewhat dull par 3 7th hole, the closing two holes are superb. The drive down the 8th fairway will only tolerate a perfectly straight drive due to the additional fairway bunkers. It is a mighty hole where par is a brilliant score. The rolling topography plays a part of every hole, emphasised by gentle rises and falls that introduce several semi-blind shots. The closing hole is a glorious sweeping spectacle moving left to right and is all about placing the drive in the right spot crossing the diagonal hazard. I loved the greens, and hope that people appreciate them for their wonderful shaping. This course gets most of its play in the winter time because of the turf, the climate and the location of the members throughout the year. With extensive upgrades to the locker rooms and facilities, the clubhouse will be a modern design that celebrates more than a century’s worth of history that echoes around the sacred walls. The course will grow on you over time.

The members here are among the luckiest souls that play the game. One of my favourite aspects of British golf is that certain clubs give you a glimpse of the origins of the game on a level that is rarely matched. Images of golfing museums like Royal North Devon and Prestwick came to mind as I stepped inside the clubhouse at Brancaster. Furnishings from 1892 are still in place, and things don’t change much at all as you escape from modern day. I understand that when the club installed showers a few years ago in the locker room, that the news made the local paper! The tide that surrounds the golf course is as mythical and fabled as the golf itself. A day doesn’t go by where the impact and timing of the tide doesn’t cross your mind, as you may not be able to exit the property until the tide goes back out. I could think of worse things than being stranded at a world-class golf course for 4 hours. The course is outstanding and comfortably in the Top 15 in England for me, which is very strong merits. Martin Ebert has drafted a master plan for improvements and no doubt the course will only get better. I truly enjoyed the outward routing of the front nine, which included many shots over those trademark railway sleeper-ties, especially at the par 4 3rd and the epic par 3 4th hole which arguably is destined for greatness. On a couple of occasions, the routing turned back towards the clubhouse, primarily for the shorter holes before embarking on the showcase 8th and 9th holes at the end of the property, which meander through the tidal areas and you literally have to see it to believe it. The vision of Holcombe Ingleby in 1892 to create these holes and find that routing is truly spellbinding. With the tide fully in, both your tee shot and your second shot on the par 5 8th hole must navigate diagonal platforms of fairways cutting through water ways. The back nine heads back towards the clubhouse from the end of the property before the bold 12th hole makes a left turn and cuts straight across the property with the bonus of an elevated punchbowl green. The short par 4 13th hole brings you back across the property before continuing for the house. Iconic railway ties, some enormous in stature will frequently give you that “wow” feeling as you brace yourself for the examination. When the back nine at Brancaster is into the wind, you’ll use every club in the bag in less than 2 hours. The 1st and 18th holes share a fairway and the adventure ends back at the beach entrance. Both the course and the clubhouse have stood the test of time, and are relentless with their pursuit of preserving the past. With upcoming improvements to the course on the horizon, it further puts Royal West Norfolk into a category of its own, in that it has unmatched quirk, antiquity, history and will be of championship standard. This old course is no push over whatsoever. You have to see it all to believe it – and who cares if you get stuck with the 9-metre tide – it could be the best part of your trip.

The drive to the town of Woodhall Spa is long, windy and will test your patience – but it’s totally worth every mile when you get there. When I last played the Hotchkin course 6 years ago, I fell in love with the layout and could remember every hole. Fast forward to today, with significant credit going to the hugely talented and visionary General Manager, Mr. Richard Latham, the club contracted with Tom Doak to renovate the course and bring it to a refreshing new level. The reports over the past 18 months of tree clearance, vegetation cleanup, and bunker improvements have amalgamated into a golf course today that has never looked better. The club’s hardworking greenkeepers pushed forward with the tree clearance while Doak’s shaping team was the perfect complement. Some holes are truly unrecognizable due to the tree clearance, and even the tower for the club’s logo is now clearly visible behind the 3rd green. The heather that lines the fairways continues to get healthier by the month, and hopefully will grow in more this year. Some of the notable changes include a new location for the 5th tee, widespread clearance down the right side of the 7th, a shift of location of the 13th fairway, a revivification of the short 15th – and the cherry on top is the abundance of tree clearance on the 18th hole. From the back tee, the closing hole is without doubt a masterpiece. Compared to my last visit, the course oozes good health and has a wide-open feel in places which brings much improved light and air. Overall, the results are not to be missed, and I encourage everyone to visit Woodhall Spa for what is guaranteed to be a fabulous golf experience among beautiful heathery surrounds and lovely hospitality.

I was really impressed with Lindrick and it packs plenty of punch to be among the very best in the county, and arguably an underrated course in the UK. I loved the short dog-leg left 2nd hole as the undulating fairway heaves its way up to the well protected green. The first par 3 on the course is at the 3rd hole which is surrounded by bunkers and plenty of brilliant pin positions. Wonderful movement and superb angles are strong architectural characteristics across the course, but the most notable aspect is how almost every hole feels like it’s created by itself. I was truly captured by each brilliant hole that the lack of sweeping views was essentially irrelevant. The par 5 4th hole may be one of the most fascinating experiences. What feels like a benign tee shot without much definition other than a row of trees, quickly escalates into a magnificent experience towards a hugely sunken green. What a surprise, what a delight! The sense of mystery and blind intrigue is tremendous. The wind is in Lindrick’s sails and hurls you into the terribly difficult uphill 5th hole with a tight tee shot through a chute of trees, followed by an uphill left turn to a green that feels like an eternity away. A beautiful short 6th hole gives you a chance to steady your score before another string of outstanding par 4s all playing in different directions, including shorter holes that demand precision and deep thought on the tee box. Until the 11th green, the routing is nicely together and intuitive. The walk to the 12th hole is a bit long where you go under the main road via a tunnel and enter onto a new paddock. The 12th hole is a lovely downhill par 4 where the firm ground asks for an approach shot landing 40 yards short of the nicely framed green – but the hole feels like it’s stuck away from the rest of the routing. The 13th is an absolute cracker. It’s bombs away off the tee to get past the numerous fairway bunkers to get the best angle into the steeply uphill approach. Once again, and consistently throughout, the angles at Lindrick are paramount to success. The sheer variety of the holes is outstanding as you move past the quarry and bring you to the closing and infamous par 3 closing hole that sits below the beautiful clubhouse. Lindrick is without question a championship layout that asks so much of your game, examines your shot-making and brings you on a journey that will remain in your memory forever. It once again highlights how strong the golf is in England that doesn’t rely on the coastline.

Moortown Golf Club is proud of its Ryder Cup history and the hospitality couldn’t be nicer. Significant tree clearance has exposed pleasant views across the vast property. The opener is a gentle downhill par 5 which is reachable and is mostly defenseless on a calm day. The uphill approach to the long par 4 second hole is where golfers will quickly struggle to make par. Allow yourself 9 shots for the first two holes regardless. A diagonal tee shot onto the 5th fairway with a long iron is a highlight, as is the challenge of the difficult and undulating par 4 6th. The exciting dog-leg left par 5 7th hole prior to the long uphill par 3 8th hole playing the bones of 200 yards to a tiered green continue a string of strong holes. The routing of holes 5 to 9 brings you on a delightful journey and showcases how MacKenzie found the best piece of land on the opening half. The bunkers across the course are well placed, mostly benign and simple in nature, and don’t add much memorable challenge or character to any particular hole other than the 10th. This is somewhat disappointing as the bunkering at MacKenzie’s courses in the US and Australia are typically so dramatic, relevant and breathtaking. It’s no secret that the ‘Gibraltar’ par three 10th gets all the well-deserved attention. The greenside bunker is deep and massive in scale, but it’s the green complex that is by far the deadliest feature that will only accept a perfectly positioned tee shot. No other hole on the property captures the attention like Gibraltar.Holes 11-14 play up & down in parallel and are arguably the most anti-climactic stretch of the routing without much variety. After the 10th hole, the back nine offers limited architectural interest until the last hole which is a mighty challenge back to the clubhouse. The course boundary roars all the way up the left-hand side of the 18th, married with strategic bunkers down the right-hand side make it a pretty tight tee shot. As you progress towards the house, you quickly encounter perfectly placed prominent traps leading up to the closing green that will punish anybody protecting a score on this old moorland layout. The closing stretch is really demanding.

The club at Guaymaral is more like an Olympic village than your typical private golf club. There are two golf courses, however golf is just one of almost a dozen other sports you can play here ranging from a fully-fledged Equestrian Center to a variety of football pitches worthy of a Premier League team. To say it’s a huge operation is an understatement. Again, it’s all hidden away from the rest of the world in the isolated seclusion of the Colombian countryside. While the #1 course is preferred by the members due to its user-friendly approach, the #2 course is merciless, long, daunting, intimidating and frequently unnerving! There aren’t many divots out there. I didn’t find the greens to be a highlight, but simply hitting them in regulation is fatiguing. While the routing takes you on a journey, the topography is really flat with almost no change in elevation and with large areas of heavy rough, I will gladly leave this course for people who play the sport for a living. The course just doesn’t have the charm and character of nearby El Rincon.