Sometimes, less is more… I just love the calm, inviting, walk-in-the-woods feel of that picture. It certainly seems like the kind of place where the line “Here you’ll be treated like family and remember what it’s like to play for the pure enjoyment of the game” from Pursell Farms course description fits perfectly. Sometimes, though… […]
The Courses
Course Introduction – Olde Stonewall
Golfing throughout the United States, I really didn’t expect to be introducing a course with a castle… but… then along came Olde Stonewall… The introduction to Olde Stonewall is the towering clubhouse. It dominates the setting – an imposing 33,000-square-foot gray castle high above, with pennants flying from the turrets. And as you climb the […]
Course Introduction – The Country Club of St Albans
By now, you should know I’m a sucker for the history of a course. So it should come as no surprise that The Country Club of St Albans in Missouri grabbed my attention quickly… The St. Albans property bears many symbols of the past, from Civil War era graves that dot the property to the […]
Course Introduction – Black Diamond Golf Course
Sometimes a course appeals to your primal nature and desire to rise to a challenge. When I read this from Black Diamond… Nestled in the rolling hills of Holmes County, Black Diamond Golf Course will challenge your physical and mental game. Meticulous accuracy with every shot is required to even think about playing “bogey golf.” […]
Course Introduction – The Atchafalaya at Idlewild
I’ll be honest, there is a (relatively large) part of me that just wants to post this picture, “drop the mic,” and call it good on introducing a Louisiana golf course… What could be more “bayou” than that? Seriously, if that fairway was water that could be a screen grab from every Louisiana movie I’ve […]
Course Introduction – Pleasant Valley Country Club
My real introduction to golf came from Harvey Penick. While reading one of his books there was an anecdote about Jimmy Demaret’s swing that formed both the foundation of my swing and my anointment of Demaret (sight unseen at that point) as my favorite player. Quotes like this from Demaret didn’t hurt the cause “I […]
Course Introductions – Bois De Sioux Golf Course
Bois De Sioux presented an interesting choice for me. One the one hand, I was captivated by playing a course with 9 holes in one state and 9 in another; on the other, I was concerned that I already had a course in one of the states. Ultimately, I couldn’t resist the idea of spending […]
Course Introduction – Mount Washington Course at Bretton Woods
Usually, when a course has been rated by Golfweek magazine the number 1 course in a particular state for 8 years running, the big news to share is about the actual course. However, while Mount Washington is a great course (and we’ll get into that a little bit later), sometimes history take a front seat. […]
Course Introductions – The Prairie Club
I’m just going to start with this from The Prairie Club… Long before the bulldozer there was golf. It was played over the most interesting parts of the terrain, the land creating the golf and not the other way around. Here in the Sandhills, eons have passed since the formation of this place. … If […]
Course Introduction – The Woods
There are times when the simplest things can nudge you in a direction. When I began looking at courses, I had no pre-conceived notions of what “West Virginia golf” should look like. As such, I was just flipping through course tours and looking for something that caught my eye. That’s when I saw this hole […]