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JB

JB

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How many people have played on courses that are used for PGA events? Did they live up to the hype that you built them up to? Did you enjoy them overall?
 
i played last monday at Rock Barn golf and spa club. it's a regular stop on the champions tour. i played the robert trent jones 18. it was fantastic. hard as hell, but what rtj course isn't?
 
I've played En-Joie Golf Club several times... it's 15 min from my house. They played the BC Open there for years (used to be opposite the British) and now it holds the Dicks Sporting Goods Open for the Champions Tour. Short(er), tight tree lined course... The course always puts me in my place, the winner is usually around 25 under and I'm usually in the high 70's.

I also played Bay Hill about 12 years ago... it was while I was still in college and playing baseball so my golf game was kinda crappy, had a wicked slice and I didn't care. I actually hit 18 in 2 and 3 putted, DOH! I would love to play it now and see if I could break 80...
 
I have played the following courses used on the PGA…

• Bellerive Country Club: (1965 US Open, 1992 PGA, 2004 US Senior Open and 2008 BMW Championship) Very nice course, but long and brutal. I don’t think I would enjoy playing here as my normal everyday course but it’s a good humbling experience every once in a while.
• Copperhead Innisbrook: Nice course and difficult as well. I plan to play this again sometime in the next year or two.
• TPC Summerlin Las Vegas (I don’t think the PGA plays there anymore): I thought this course was just ok.


I have also played on a few LPGA used courses:

• The Senator @ Capitol Hill (RTJ Trail Course in AL): I really like this course and will be playing it again in September.
• Kingsmill River Course: Michelob Ultra Open thru 2009: I have always enjoyed my time at Kingsmill and I do like the course.
• Forest Hills Country Club: (Michelob Light Classic for six years in the 90s): I like this course but I am biased since it is my home course.

I may be missing a few so I’ll noodle on it a while. JB, regarding your question of whether they lived up to the hype in my mind, I think they probably did. Of the above courses, the first I played was TPC Summerlin so from that point forward I knew I needed to manage my expectations and that has left me not being disappointed.
 
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AHH, if you liked Copperhead, try the Islands course there. Some say it is even better.
 
JB said:
AHH, if you liked Copperhead, try the Islands course there. Some say it is even better.
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I did play the Island course as well JB. And I agree, I personally thought it was as good as Copperhead. Just goes to show you how subjective the whole "how good is a course" subject is.
 
The only PGA course I have played is Muirfield Village in Columbus Ohio (home of the memorial). The course is STUNNING and very well maintained. When it isn't hosting the memorial its a very expensive/ritzy private club and has very low traffic. Overall the course plays too long for me and I had a lot of trouble reaching some of the par 4's. The 18th is one of the hardest golf holes I have ever played- long and down hill with a huge second shot to a guarded green. Overall it was one of the most fun afternoons of golfing I can remember.

I was invited to play Firestone (in Akron, home of a WGC event that Tiger owns) but my tee time got rained out and I never got another chance to play it. I have attended that tournament 3 or 4 times and I would have loved to play that course. Maybe someday :)
 
I've played the Plantation Course at Kapalua, and it was fantastic. I've also played the Senator @ Capitol Hill, which is a very fun links course. Of course, I played decent both rounds, so that helps.
 
adwillingham said:
I've played the Plantation Course at Kapalua, and it was fantastic. I've also played the Senator @ Capitol Hill, which is a very fun links course. Of course, I played decent both rounds, so that helps.
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Funny how that works. :smile-big:
 
I have played a few and they have all been great in their own right... Well TPC Scottsdale was a little disappointing.

Kiawah Island Ocean Course (Great challenge and the scenery was perfect)
TPC Scottsdale (Pretty fun but one of my least memorable)
Harbour Town (A great course that is very difficult and has some great views)
Pinehurst #2 (HISTORY! Just walking the grounds at Pinehurst is awesome!)
 
I played Whistling straights this last fall when the rates went down and it was a great experience. Not worth what they charge in peak season
And I played Blackwolf Run this spring on the original championship course where the 2012 US Womens Open is going to be played and it is a typical Pete Dye course. Trouble everywhere and even where you dont think it should be.
 
Gonna play Disney's Magnolia tomorrow with P4B so I'll let you all know how that is.
 
Spank818 said:
Gonna play Disney's Magnolia tomorrow with P4B so I'll let you all know how that is.
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you will love it buddy, I played the palms and magnolia all the time when I lived there. Whats the rate right now...$35? Beautiful setup!
 
One-T said:
you will love it buddy, I played the palms and magnolia all the time when I lived there. Whats the rate right now...$35? Beautiful setup!
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Still in spring rates so $85. Summer rates kick in next week.
 
my in-laws live on the course in Sedgefield CC where the Wyndham Championship is played in Greensboro, NC
 
Spank818 said:
Still in spring rates so $85. Summer rates kick in next week.
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ahh man, that will be fun, I miss those courses. I think the $35 was after 2 or something right
 
One-T said:
ahh man, that will be fun, I miss those courses. I think the $35 was after 2 or something right
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No I think they went up like to $60 after 3p tee time.
 
I played at Tiffany Greens in Kansas City, which was the site of a Senior event about ten years ago or so. The people I played with wanted to play from the tips, so I did and it was a miserable day for me. I lost four balls on the first hole and took 17 strokes before getting in the cart and heading for the second tee. I was stubborn and kept trying to get across the lake. I think I shot like 130 that day! I plan on playing it again some day, but from the correct tees.

This was the first course I ever played that had GPS in the carts.
 
Tour Courses

None yet, someday I hope to be good enough to though


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couldbeu said:
I've played En-Joie Golf Club several times... it's 15 min from my house. They played the BC Open there for years (used to be opposite the British) and now it holds the Dicks Sporting Goods Open for the Champions Tour. Short(er), tight tree lined course... The course always puts me in my place, the winner is usually around 25 under and I'm usually in the high 70's.
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Same here, a few times a year...but high 90s for me. The course is so tight I spend half my day yelling fore...haha. The course is always in nice shape though.

I also have played at Turning Stone Casino on Atunyote, a fall series course. I've never broke 100 there, it's very long for a short hitter like me. I still had fun, it's nice to play courses like that once in a while.
 
I played Torrey Pines a month before the US Open was there. Rees Jones was playing in the group behind us too. It was fantastic. The fairways were like walking on carpet and the rough was impossible. It was tough just finding your ball in it. The greens were pretty fast too. There was a USGA guy out there checking the greens and he said they were running around 11 on the stimp that day. He said it would be faster for the open. Even Rees Jones said it was playing more difficult than he's seen it.

I've also played at Sherwood CC, Riviera, Poipu Bay and Disney's Magnolia. All of them were great experiences especially when you're used to playing LA munis.
 
I have played one. Highland Springs in Springfield, MO (it was built to get a mini tour type event each year). Home to a Hogan/Nike/Buy.com/Nationwide tour stop for almost 20 years I think. The course conditioning is always top notch. The difficulty has gone down over the years though. It just hasn't been able to keep up with the equipment. Holes that played tough 15 years ago are nothing now. They have made a few changes, but it doesn't really matter, they just don't have much room to grow or expand.

When talking to some of the tour regulars and vets, most of them love playing the course since it is all about making birdies and scoring. A typical year you have to average 5 or 6 under a day to have a chance so it makes for a wide open event. You play good and make some putts you never know what might happen.
 
I've played:

Sahalee (1998 PGA Championship, 2010 Senior Open); it was tight and tough; typical private club conditioning
Castle Pines (used to host The International). . . wasn't that impressed, honestly felt like just another CC
Spyglass . . . very difficult, but I found the back 9 to be a little boring
Pebble Beach . . . spectacular . . . but there are some a few mundane holes that you rarely see on TV
Chambers Bay (2015 US Open) . . . interesting and fun, but very ragged condition-wise; it will be interesting to see how it holds up; I wouldn't be surprised to see the USGA move the 2015 Open somewhere else if they aren't impressed with how it plays for the US Amateur later this year.
 
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StLCardsFan said:
I have played one. Highland Springs in Springfield, MO (it was built to get a mini tour type event each year). Home to a Hogan/Nike/Buy.com/Nationwide tour stop for almost 20 years I think. The course conditioning is always top notch. The difficulty has gone down over the years though. It just hasn't been able to keep up with the equipment. Holes that played tough 15 years ago are nothing now. They have made a few changes, but it doesn't really matter, they just don't have much room to grow or expand.

When talking to some of the tour regulars and vets, most of them love playing the course since it is all about making birdies and scoring. A typical year you have to average 5 or 6 under a day to have a chance so it makes for a wide open event. You play good and make some putts you never know what might happen.
Click to expand...

I thought Highland Springs was were Pain Stewart came from? I've always heard that was a nice tract.
 
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