ONE 
The goal of this chapter is to introduce you to some eclectic and worthy clubs, courses, and enclaves by choosing and describing eighteen magnificent holes selected from courses in North America, Scotland, Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, and Wales that would make a perfect round. For this exercise, I have chosen holes that are not part of the resorts or destinations described in the previous chapter; I have not included the seventh or eighth at Pebble Beach, the fifth at Pinehurst No. 2, or the fifth at Casa de Campo. Looking through the list, you might also ask, “What about the twelfth at Augusta?” or “Where’s the sixteenth at Cypress Point?” Augusta National and Cypress Point Golf Club are private; the eighteen holes in this chapter are open to anyone. Besides, well-known holes at courses such as Augusta and Cypress are so famous that inclusion in this chapter would be superfluous; my goal is to point you in the direction of clubs and courses that are (slightly) off the beaten path. They’re not quite hidden gems but not the behemoths of international golf travel, either. If there’s a touch of bias toward courses in the Carolinas, I make no apologies. I live in North Carolina, and North and South Carolina are two of the top golf states in the country; there are enough great golf holes here to fill several books.
I hope you get a chance to play all eighteen of the courses in this chapter. They are well worth the effort. While I have attempted to put these in order precisely, please excuse some license with the routing.
ONE THE FIRST AT THE MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB
CAMPBELTOWN, ARGYLL, SCOTLAND
+44.0.1586.810277
WWW.MACHGOLF.COM
428 YARDS, PAR-4
Perched on the southwest corner of the Kintyre Peninsula on Scotland’s rugged and wild Atlantic coast, Machrihanish is home to the world’s finest opening hole—according to Jack Nicklaus and just about everyone else. The hole perfectly combines epic scenery, natural splendor, and excellent strategic design. The tee, across the road from the warm and hospitable clubhouse, is perched some twenty to thirty feet above a wide and sandy beach. On the tee, the intelligent golfer must decide about how much of the aforementioned beach to cut off in order to find the wide fairway set at approximately forty-five degrees to the tee. The timid will fetch the fairway easily by aiming to the right but will face a long and tortuous approach to the green. The brave golfer who pulls off the more aggressive shot to the left will have a much easier second, but if the gambit fails, then the second will either find the beach (which is in play as a lateral hazard) or nestle in some of the club’s infamous rough. There’s risk, too, for the middling player who takes the middle route: a drive that’s a hair too long will likely find one of three horrible fairway pot bunkers in the semi-rough that’s shared with the eighteenth.
Many good holes are often excellent driving holes and nothing more, but the first at Machrihanish retains its quality throughout. Deep pot bunkers and penal long grass will catch anything short and wayward on the approach, and the green, set in a shallow bowl, has some wicked undulations and shelves. Wind, a factor at Machrihanish 365 days a year, adds to the appeal and challenge, as do the fast and firm conditions of the summer months. The better golfer will want an opening four, but the mid- to high-handicapper should perhaps proceed with caution and walk away happy with a sensible bogey.
Well-known (in Scotland) as one of Scotland’s top links courses, the front of this classic “out and back” routing winds through towering dunes and is the more scenic of the two nines. The back nine is the “business” side of the course, but many tees offer the best views of the Atlantic and the green and sparkling islands of Islay and Jura. Don’t be shy about introducing yourself to the locals.
By car, it’s a three-hour drive from Glasgow that can be scenically beautiful in good weather but tiring in rain or fog. British Airways operates two daily flights on weekdays to nearby Campbeltown Airport, usually in a Twin Otter. The flight from Glasgow is part of the adventure. There’s also an on-again, off-again ferry to Northern Ireland. The best way to enjoy Machrihanish is to spend a few days there so that you get at least one day of decent weather. It’s worth the effort and not just for the first hole.
TWO THE SECOND AT THE GREENBRIER RESORT
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WEST VIRGINIA
800.453.4858
WWW.GREENBRIER.COM
403 YARDS, PAR-4
It was extremely difficult for me to keep the Greenbrier out of the destinations in the previous chapter. The resort is one of America’s great treasures, and its three golf courses are masterpieces of old-school mountain magic. The second hole at the Greenbrier Course is not terribly long by modern standards, but it requires just the right mix of brains and brawn. With an early morning tee time, the second, especially in the fall, is a beautiful hole, with the trees reflecting in the small lake that runs down the entire right side of the hole. The green, too, is flanked by water, and the best spot in the fairway from which to attack is probably the left center, although the fairway is slightly flatter toward the water. The green complex has two bunkers, short right and long left, and there are seemingly no easy hole locations.
All three courses are first-rate. The Meadows Course is probably the most scenic of the three and has the best views. The Old White is the work of two of the titans of early American golf school architecture, Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor. The massive and storied resort probably offers the most varied and complete menu of activities of any resort—anything from fly fishing to mountain biking, croquet to bowling, even serious hunting for pheasant and other game birds at the resort’s private hunting preserve.
It could not be easier. Take Interstate 64 from Beckley or Charleston, West Virginia, and look for the signs; it’s exit 175 or 181. The official airport is Greenbrier Valley, which has Delta service from New York and Atlanta.
THREE THE THIRD AT THE ROYAL COUNTY DOWN
(NO. 1 COURSE)
NEWCASTLE, COUNTY DOWN, NORTHERN IRELAND
+44.0.28.4372.3314
WWW.ROYALCOUNTYDOWN.ORG
477 YARDS, PAR-4
With the beautiful Mourne Mountains as an enticing backdrop and the Irish Sea within clear view, Royal County Down provides one of the finest and most stunning settings for golf. But as the third hole proves, golf at Royal County Down is not about vacation or holiday golf. It’s serious stuff, and the intelligent golfer who thinks he or she has started to become good or better than decent at this game should venture to Newcastle on a windy day. Proof of its difficulty comes at the par-4 third, 477 yards from the back tees and 457 from the member’s regular tees. The hole has almost twenty bunkers to provide some added spice, and some of them cross the middle of the fairway. Thus, depending on the wind, there’s a decision to be made at the elevated tee; the longer hitter can carry the raised left-hand bunker, leaving a good line to the green. The second shot is no bargain, even for the big hitter, as it must be played precisely with either a fairway wood or long iron; anything that’s poorly struck will bounce to the right of the fast, flattish green. A strong southerly breeze will help but might bring additional cross bunkers into play. And if you think this hole is difficult, the fourth, a 212-yard par-3 is even harder.
Many of the holes lie between the dunes in narrow valleys, and there are plenty of blind shots, especially off the tee. Thankfully, markers show you the best general direction for the shot. Stray from the fairway, and life quickly becomes miserable in the thick grass and impenetrable gorse, so goal No. 1 must be to get the ball to the short grass. Goal No. 2 is to keep the ball out of the bunkers—there are more than 100 of varying sizes and shapes. The one redeeming feature for the modest golfer at Royal County Down is that many of the greens are open in front, so it’s usually possible to bounce the ball onto the green. You could even putt it from seventy yards and in if you felt so moved.
Royal County Down is thirty miles south of Belfast; the drive takes about one hour. It is ninety miles north of Dublin, and the drive takes about two hours. The two closest airports are about an hour by car: Belfast International Airport and Dublin Airport. Newcastle is thirty miles from the Belfast Ferry Terminals, with service to many major English and Scottish ferry ports.
FOUR THE FOURTH AT BANFF SPRINGS
BANFF, ALBERTA, CANADA
866.540.4406 OR 403.762.2211
WWW.FAIRMONT.COM/BANFFSPRINGS
171 YARDS, PAR-3
You’ll enjoy postcard-pretty sites at the Fairmont Banff Springs, a course that Scottish-born Canadian architect Stanley Thompson designed in 1927 in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Thompson’s nickname was “the Toronto Terror,” and there must be quite a few intelligent golfers who feel slightly terrorized by the fourth at Banff, a short hole over a glacial lake. The hole is called The Devil’s Cauldron, and the resort, with good reason, uses photos of the hole in its promotional efforts. From the regular tees, the hole is slightly more manageable at just 157 yards. The carry from the elevated tee must be negotiated, but the good news is that the bowl-shaped green tends to funnel shots toward the middle of the smallish putting surface. It’s one of the most beautiful holes in Canadian golf.
It’s rock solid from the first hole to the last, a course with buxom beauty and the brains to match. Banff features one of the finest early examples of strategic design in North America, which led to plenty of additional work for “the Terror,” not just in Canada but in the United States as well. The course plays through the magnificent forests around the main hotel and finishes with a huge par-5, 578 yards from the back tees. The resort is palatial—especially after its most recent major makeover. And you’re entirely likely to encounter serious wildlife on the golf course.
Banff Springs was originally a railroad hotel, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. But today, most people fly to Calgary and take a shuttle or rent a car to cover the eighty-mile drive to the hotel.
FIVE THE FIFTH AT LAHINCH GOLF CLUB
LAHINCH, COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND
353.0.65.7081003
WWW.LAHINCHGOLF.COM
154 YARDS, PAR-3
Those who firmly believe that blind holes should be banned from the game (and count several modern golf course architects among that number) should visit the famous “Dell” at Lahinch. Old Tom Morris came up with the idea for this hole. From the tee, all you can see are dunes and a white marker indicating the best line. Choose the right club for the distance, make a good swing, and the rest is pretty much in the hands of the golfing deities. You might get a good bounce and end up on the green, hidden deep in the dunes. Or you may receive your just deserts for too much indulgence the night before and end up in the greenside bunker. You will not find out the result of your shot until you stride up to the green. For the overall sanity of all intelligent golfers everywhere, it’s probably best that the golf world includes only a few holes like this one, but as a way to make an enjoyable golf course even more interesting and fun, it’s a total success at Lahinch.
The setting seems remote, yet Lahinch is not that far from civilization. The wind and weather can howl in off the Atlantic, so be warned, but if your only visit takes place during a gale, you should still make the effort to get out of the clubhouse. The views of the Atlantic are wonderful and the turf routinely superb: Lahinch has one of the most textbook pieces of pure linksland anywhere. It’s no surprise that just about every golf tour to Ireland includes this course. For those looking for luxury accommodations, head for the Lahinch Golf and Leisure Hotel. But if you’ve just finished your round and there’s enough summer daylight available for another eighteen, go around again and enjoy this gem.
The course is northwest of Shannon, which has summer air service from Philadelphia and flights to and from many European destinations. Galway is also close. Tipperary is in the general vicinity, but it’s not that close.
SIX THE SIXTH AT HIGHLANDS LINKS GOLF CLUB
INGONISH BEACH, NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA
800.441.1118 OR 902.285.2600
WWW.HIGHLANDSLINKSGOLF.COM
537 YARDS, PAR-5
We’re back in Canada at a golf course that may be the best in this golf-crazy country. It’s certainly one of the more remote locations, up on the northeastern tip of Nova Scotia on roughly the same latitude as Montreal and Quebec City. Like Banff, Highlands Links is a Stanley Thompson course routed through woods, but obviously, the surrounding topography is not as severe. Which of the par-5s is the best at Cape Breton Highlands? That’s a superb question that evidently creates quite a bit of controversy among the locals who have the privilege of playing this great golf course regularly.
The sixth, ironically, is a relatively flat hole with just the elevated tee creating any movement. From the back tee, the hole requires a big tee shot into the prevailing wind and over the water hazard that flanks the left side of the hole. Golfers who have wisely chosen the forward tees will find that their angle of approach (and the length of the hole) is more reasonable. The hole offers many angles of attack, with the boldest golfers venturing closest to the water.
Take your birdie at the sixth, if you can, as the other par-5s are big meanies, including the very next hole, a whopping 570 yards. The course starts around the shore, then heads inland over hilly but excellent golf terrain. The final holes offer shore views and are among the most beautiful on the course. The best time to play this magical course is in the fall, when the changing leaves provide one of the finest backdrops in the game.
This is not the easiest journey in the world, but it’s well worth the effort. From Sydney, where there is a small airport with flights from Halifax and Montreal, it’s about eighty miles to Ingonish. From Halifax, where there is a bigger airport, it’s almost 300 miles.
SEVEN THE SEVENTH AT PASATIEMPO GOLF CLUB
SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA
831.459.9155
WWW.PASATIEMPO.COM
346 YARDS, PAR-4
Pasatiempo, not that far from the Monterey Peninsula, is somewhat of a rarity these days: a semi-private Alister MacKenzie course that anyone with the requisite desire can play. The fourth is not the most famous hole on the course, but it’s the tightest par-4—and relatively short—yet it can wreak havoc on the scorecard. Unless you are consistently laser-like off the tee, throttle back and hit a fairway wood or hybrid just to get in the fairway. The hole has a number of those stylish MacKenzie bunkers, including one that will catch the big hitter who tries to get too close to the green with an aggressive drive. The best approach is from the left side of the fairway to the long, kidney-shaped green.
It’s not long by modern standards, but Pasatiempo plays much longer than the scorecard. A number of today’s top golf architects consider MacKenzie to be the finest architect. Pasatiempo clearly had a special place in his heart because he lived right next to the sixth fairway. The course has a strong membership but sets aside tee times every day for public play. Pasatiempo is highly ranked in all the golf publications, both in the overall U.S. rankings and on “places you can play” lists. And with good reason. The course is a hair tight in places due to the trees and housing that surround the course, but it has stayed true to its design roots through the years. If you are in the Monterey Peninsula area for some golf and want to see a MacKenzie gem, book a tee time and make the one-hour drive.
Because it is tucked away somewhat, Pasatiempo recommends that you go with their directions and not rely on online map routing. It’s about one hour from San Jose and ten minutes from downtown Santa Cruz.
EIGHT THE EIGHTH AT ARCADIA BLUFFS GOLF CLUB
ARCADIA, MICHIGAN
800.494.8666
WWW.ARCADIABLUFFS.COM
449 YARDS, PAR-4
From the regular tee, the hole is mercifully shorter at 389 yards and should provide a good birdie opportunity. The key is a well-struck drive that hugs the right side of the fairway and flirts (but not too much) with a bunker that’s in the middle of the fairway about eighty to 100 yards from the green. This aggressive approach should leave only a short iron; the shot must avoid the deep grass-faced bunker that guards the center and right portions of the green. If you are between clubs on this hole, take the extra club and make a full swing.
This highly regarded course in northern Michigan opened in 1999 right next to Lake Michigan. It can be windy here. The course has a links-style look and sits high above the lake, offering views that seem to go on forever. Rick Smith and his design team made excellent use of this terrific property, providing intelligent golfers with a chance to experience Scottish- and Irish-style golf in this terrific setting. In places, the course looks like the Whistling Straits courses at Kohler, only less severe and more forgiving. It offers wide fairways and large greens yet tall and nasty fescue roughs for those who stray. Just after opening, the course quickly jumped into numerous regional and national rankings.
The nearest large town is Manistee, which has regional commercial service. Otherwise, it’s more than 200 miles from Detroit or Chicago by car.
NINE THE NINTH AT SHADOW CREEK
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA
866.260.0069
WWW.SHADOWCREEK.COM
409 YARDS, PAR-4
The best course by the most sought-after and bankable modern golf course architect, Tom Fazio, Shadow Creek opened in 1989 as the personal golf course of Steve Wynn, the Las Vegas casino and property developer. Before the course changed hands, it was possibly the least-played golf course in the United States. That’s changed now, slightly, as it’s part of the MGM Mirage. At Shadow Creek, Fazio took a broad swathe of desert and turned it into the mountains of North Carolina, complete with evergreens. The ninth hole is a par-4 of modest length; there’s a glorious view of the surrounding mountains from the tee. The bold intelligent golfer will take a line down the left side of the fairway, flirting with a large bunker and the stream (Shadow Creek). This will shorten the approach but bring water into play. The conservative route is to take the right side then avoid the creek on the approach. It’s as solid a modern strategic hole as you’ll find anywhere.
Shadow Creek has to be seen to be believed. It’s not just a golf course, it’s a show. It seems almost impossible that someone could have created this type of golf course in the middle of such a bare and barren desert. From the back tees, the course is more than 7,100 yards and, like a good Vegas show, builds to a huge climax with two holes that are dramatic but could easily yield birdies. If you’re a high roller at one of the MGM Mirage properties, you’ll likely have the opportunity to play the course. But if you simply want to play the course, that can be arranged as well.
Just fly or drive to Las Vegas, stay at one of the MGM Resorts International properties in Las Vegas (Bellagio, Mandalay Bay, etc.), then see what the concierge can do for you. You’ll get a personal limousine ride to the course plus your own caddy for the day—if you get the nod.
TEN THE TENTH AT PUMPKIN RIDGE (GHOST CREEK)
NORTH PLAINS, OREGON
503.647.4747
WWW.PUMPKINRIDGE.COM
492 YARDS, PAR-5
One of two wonderful golf courses at Pumpkin Ridge, Ghost Creek is perhaps the lesser known. Its back nine begins with something that every back nine should begin with, a birdie opportunity—and one that’s downwind to boot. If there’s a strong breeze behind you and you are feeling especially strong after that midround hot dog or snack, take on the right-hand fairway bunker. Once past that, you’ll have a straight shot to the green. If you’re not so bold, head left and, unless you are a massive ball striker, you’ll not reach the cluster of bunkers long left. The stream that meanders through the middle of the hole should not come into play unless you hit an iron or fairway wood off the tee, in which case you’ll have a decision to make—left or right of the creek. The hole, in many ways, pushes you to go for the green in two. Whether you start with a four then depends on the quality of your pitch or chip to the green.
The Witch Hollow Course is private but excellent. The Ghost Creek Course is solid throughout, and the front nine has some big, muscular holes that seriously tested the professionals when they played the Nike Tour Championship there in 1993 and 1994. So choose your tees carefully. The tenth may be a hair easier, and overall, the back nine is shorter and demands more finesse, especially on the wonderful seventeenth, a short par-4 just 329 yards from the back tees. Set in rural Oregon yet relatively close to civilization, the general feel of the course is pleasant and laid-back.
The course is twenty minutes from Portland and easy to reach from Portland International Airport.
ELEVEN THE ELEVENTH AT BETHPAGE BLACK
FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK
516.249.0700
WWW.NYSPARKS.STATE.NY.US/PARKS
430 YARDS, PAR-4
Of the five courses at Bethpage, the most famous is the Black, which hosted the 2002 U.S. Open. The course is the work of A.W. Tillinghast, who built a number of very difficult golf courses in the New York City area. There are no breathers at Bethpage, and the eleventh hole is proof. The hole is also visually deceptive, with a fairway that looks wider than it actually is and a green that’s perched a little higher than it looks and usually requires at least one more club from the fairway. In fact, off the tee, the fairway is set at a slight angle to the right, meaning that the line with the driver is to the right of the green in the distance.
Par at the eleventh is a great score, and the same could be said for every hole at Bethpage Black. The sign by the first tee issues this stern warning: “The Black Course is an Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only for Highly Skilled Golfers.” Golfers typically sleep in their cars to get the prime tee times at Bethpage Black; for most, that means they are simply waiting in line to get their brains beaten out. Some golf course architects add a modicum of ease and playability to their designs so that average golfers can get around and enjoy themselves. That’s not the case at Bethpage Black. Bailouts are few and far between, and almost every approach requires a perfectly struck iron to a heavily bunkered green that quite often looks like it’s perched on the side of a cliff. It’s always fun to take on a challenge, but you might want to try one of the other five courses before tackling this one—unless you’re a top amateur or aspiring professional.
The course is located east of New York City on Long Island, south of I-495.
TWELVE THE TWELFTH AT WILD DUNES (LINKS COURSE)
ISLE OF PALMS, SOUTH CAROLINA
888.778.1876
WWW.WILDDUNES.COM
192 YARDS, PAR-3
If you are playing the back tees at Wild Dunes, then you’ll find yourself on a rather lonely pod high above the surrounding landscape. You’ll be staring at a hole that seems not to exist, due to the elevation drop. To boot, the wind is likely howling across the hole from right to left off the sea. The view is a little clearer from the regular tees, and the shot is about thirty yards easier, but it remains one of the most perilous par-3s on the South Carolina coast. The view is fine straight ahead, backward, and to the left. There’s a low-rise building to the right that is not especially attractive, especially when there’s a person hanging out on a balcony or walkway watching. The green is relatively small and slopes markedly away and to the right from the tee. Left is not a picnic, and right might be dead among the scrub. Long is awful, so the only place to miss might be in front of the green. Putting is tough, as well, especially if you are on the wrong side of the buried elephant in front of the green. If you choose the right club and get the shot right, you’ll be putting for a birdie. If not, you could quickly pile up a big number.
Wild Dunes is early Tom Fazio, when he was a young Turk full of vim who hadn’t yet come up with a look, feel, or template. Before the housing and condos came in, the course had a raw look—and it still has plenty of that feel. It’s narrow in places, wide in others, and every hole is interesting. The best holes play out to the ocean, beginning with the par-4 fifteenth. It’s pure brilliance from there all the way to the small but welcoming clubhouse. It’s a special place, bold at times, quirky at others, but always a lot of fun to play, especially in a good breeze.
The course lies about thirty minutes from downtown Charleston, South Carolina, at the northern end of the Isle of Palms.
THIRTEEN THE THIRTEENTH AT NORTH BERWICK (WEST)
NORTH BERWICK, EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
01620.895040
WWW.NORTHBERWICKGOLFCLUB.COM
365 YARDS, PAR-4
We’re back across the ocean this time, specifically to Scotland. Across the Firth of Forth from Fife and east of Edinburgh lies a rich vein of superb links courses, the most famous of which is Muirfield, home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and an Open Championship venue many times over. North Berwick is a small town with an enviable pure links course that is one of the oldest golf courses in the world. The thirteenth hole, which is an even more palatable 340 yards or so from the regular tees, is named “The Pit” because the green sits in a small hollow next to the beach. In naming certain golf holes and golf hole features, the Scots are perhaps guilty of a touch of hyperbole. There is nothing necessarily out of the ordinary in the golf world about a golf hole in a slight hollow, but the thirteenth has a stone wall that runs along the entire right side of the green. The unique obstacle denies access from the ground and requires a well-judged wedge or short iron depending on the wind, which is almost always a factor. Once you are safely aboard, however, the possibility exists for a well-deserved three.
North Berwick is fun and even quirky. The fifteenth hole, the famous Redan, is an oft-imitated par-3. The green is set at an angle of forty-five degrees to the tee, creating thousands of permutations based on wind and hole placement. Oh, and it’s about 190 yards! The first is a curious hole, as is the last, which is only about 270 yards. But that’s golf in Scotland, especially early golf. Those who laid out courses in golf’s early period followed the land and took what they could get from the natural features. If there were only 270 yards left for the eighteenth, then the hole was 270 yards. And there are plenty of examples of this in Scotland: the Old Course at St. Andrews is one; Prestwick Golf Club is another. Note the sign near the first hole that states, emphatically, “A round of golf should not take more than three hours.” One reason that fast golf is possible at North Berwick is the relative paucity of deep, deep rough. Compare this to nearby Muirfield, where a poorly struck ball will submarine under the thick stuff and likely never be found again. Still, the fair burghers of North Berwick are correct. A round of golf should not take more than three hours.
Head south then east along the A1 from Edinburgh. North Berwick is about an hour by car from the capital. Many touring golfers set up camp at the Greywalls Hotel, right next to Muirfield. From there, the group can enjoy all the wonderful courses in this corner of Scotland.
FOURTEEN THE FOURTEENTH AT ASPEN GOLF CLUB
ASPEN, COLORADO
970.429.1949 OR 970.925.2145
WWW.ASPENRECREATION.COM
166 YARDS, PAR-3
Between downtown Aspen and the entrance to the Buttermilk Ski Resort, the Aspen Golf Club provides summer and fall fun for locals and visitors. It’s a public facility that the local government runs and operates. In early April, it’s often possible to ski in the morning, then play golf in the afternoon. Even though it’s right in the middle of some of the most beautiful mountains in the Rockies, specifically the Elk Range, Aspen Golf Club is relatively flat and in the winter is reserved primarily for cross-country skiing. The fourteenth hole is over water, but the water should not come into play. The problem is the green that tends to repel shots not perfectly struck—sort of like a green transported from Pinehurst No. 2 and plopped down in the middle of the Roaring Fork Valley. The good news is that the altitude means more distance. The hole measures 166 yards but will play closer to 150.
There aren’t many municipal courses in the United States like Aspen Golf Club. It is not the widest golf course in the world, and the greens are not the largest. But the views are among the finest of any inland course—despite the proximity of some holes to busy Colorado Highway 82. The defining feature is a branch of the mighty Roaring Fork River, which meanders through the course and can create all sorts of havoc for the intelligent golfer who is having a bad day. Tantalizingly close, in fact right next door, is the famous Maroon Creek Golf Club, one of the most exclusive and private golf enclaves in the world. In the summer, try to get out early; afternoon thunderstorms are common.
Take Colorado 82 northwest from Aspen about two miles from downtown. The course is on the right.
FIFTEEN THE FIFTEENTH AT GANTON GOLF CLUB
GANTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND
+44.0.1944.710329
WWW.GANTONGOLFCLUB.COM
465 YARDS, PAR-4
From the first hole to somewhere near the twelfth, Ganton seems and plays like a relatively straightforward golf course—with some superb holes to be sure. But from the thirteenth to before the obvious delineation of the eighteenth, things get murky at Ganton, even on a clear summer’s day. The holes lose their definition, and the golf course assumes the look of the African veldt, albeit dotted with bunkers and surprising quantities of gorse. In the middle of this golfing muddle, or riddle, is a beast of a par-4, the fifteenth. The hole plays slightly uphill and into a southerly breeze. The course has a difficult, oddly shaped bunker that must be avoided at all costs even though the fairway is very wide; big hitters might even have to throttle back to avoid this semi-chasm. The second shot is long and tortuous, and a par will almost always win the hole.
Yorkshire is a cricket-mad county, with golf a bit of an afterthought, so Ganton is an oasis for the serious intelligent golfer. Gentlemen must wear a jacket and tie at all times in the clubhouse of this highly traditional course. Somewhere near the dawn of civilization, Ganton was near the coast, and it’s still possible to find seashells in some of the bunkers even though the course is now several miles from the sea. Oh, those bunkers! They are some of the deepest of any golf course in England, often several feet below the level of the green. There aren’t any jaw-dropping golf holes on this flattish piece of property in the vale of Mowbray, but each is solid in its own way. The course is definitely worth a visit if you are in the north of England; it’s open to some public play, but be sure to call well ahead. Also of note: the course has hosted the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup, and the Curtis Cup, three of the major team golf events.
From York, take the A64 east to Scarborough. The course is on the left about eleven miles before Scarborough.
SIXTEEN THE SIXTEENTH AT PINE NEEDLES
SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA
910.692.7111
WWW.PINENEEDLES-MIDPINES.COM
180 YARDS, PAR-3
At first glance, and from a purely aesthetic standpoint, the sixteenth hole is clearly the inferior of the four excellent par-3s at Pine Needles, the wonderfully relaxed Donald Ross course just a few miles from Pinehurst Resort and Country Club. The par-3 third is the most photographed. The par-3 fifth is the hardest, and the par-3 thirteenth is the most perplexing, especially when the hole is cut toward the back of the green. So what is it about the sixteenth that warrants any attention? Of the four short holes at Pine Needles, it’s the one that requires and rewards the best shot. The hole is relatively flat, if a little uphill, so the target landing area is not always obvious, which often makes club selection difficult. A thin shot that’s short is acceptable unless the hole is in the back portion of the green; in this instance, the subtle undulations and burrows on the green make getting up and down a difficult task. The four-foot cliff at the back of the green also makes life interesting. Anything right or left will find deep bunkers that only a skilled bunker player will find amusing. It’s not the most famous hole at Pine Needles, which held the U.S. Women’s Open for the third time in 2007, and not the most popular, but the sixteenth is easily the most underrated.
One of the finest courses in the Pinehurst/Southern Pines Area, Pine Needles has hosted the U.S. Women’s Open three times. A recent makeover using pre-war photos restored the course to its original state, or at least close to it. Few courses provide such total consistency from the first hole to the eighteenth: every hole is strong yet completely playable for the average golfer. The par-3s are excellent and perhaps one of the finest sets of short holes in North Carolina. But the real beef of the course comes from its par-4s, each of which provides unique challenges. The long second hole plays downhill to a green that slopes away from the fairway. The best par-4s seem to come in pairs: six and seven; eight and nine; eleven and twelve; seventeen and eighteen. Most of the greens at Pine Needles feature some steep slopes to the side and back, thus causing the large greens to play much smaller. Charming, fun, walkable, entertaining, and storied, Pine Needles is what intelligent golf is all about.
Pine Needles is located on Midland Road near the intersection with U.S. 1. From U.S. 1, take the Midland Road exit. From the traffic circle, follow signs to Southern Pines; Pine Needles will be on your left.
SEVENTEEN THE SEVENTEENTH AT THE TOURNAMENT PLAYERS
CLUB SAWGRASS (STADIUM COURSE)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA
904.273.3235
WWW.TPC.COM/SAWGRASS
140 YARDS, PAR-3
Normally, a touring golf professional would look at a 140-yard hole and think instantly about a birdie. At the seventeenth at the original Tournament Players Club, the pros are thinking about bogeys or worse—or at least about avoiding them. It’s this type of mind inversion that Stadium Course architect Pete Dye wants when connecting with the professionals. The green is, for all intents and purposes, an island, albeit with a narrow isthmus. There is no bailout. You either hit and hold the small green or you are in the water, heading for the drop zone and hoping for a five. Actually, as if the hole weren’t cruel enough, Dye comically put a small pot bunker in front of the green. Oh—and the wind can swirl here, making club selection even more difficult. The hole usually ranks as one of the hardest during The Players Championship, held each year at Sawgrass.
The Stadium Course offers an extremely modern golf course design. And it’s an extremely difficult course from the back tees. The par-5s are excellent, especially the sixteenth. There’s water, bunkers large and small, holes wide and narrow, flattish greens and wildly undulating greens. Golf at the Stadium Course is a roller coaster ride—golf schizophrenia.
Ponte Vedra Beach is south of Jacksonville, Florida. From Jacksonville Beach, take I-95 south to the Ponte Vedra Beach exit.
EIGHTEEN THE EIGHTEENTH AT THE HONOURABLE COMPANY
OF EDINBURGH GOLFERS
DULLANE, EAST LOTHIAN, SCOTLAND
+44.0.1620.842123
WWW.MUIRFIELD.ORG.UK
448 YARDS, PAR-4
We started in Scotland, so we’ll end in Scotland at a wonderful closing hole that leads up to Muirfield’s low-key clubhouse. The hole is a daunting prospect at any time of the year but especially so on the final hole of the Open Championship. The hole is narrow and well bunkered, and the green, given some sensible hole locations, can yield a birdie if you find the correct side of the ridge. But it’s a long hole, even for a professional, and a par to win a championship is gratefully taken.
Muirfield is somewhat unique among links courses in that it’s not an out-and-back routing but more like two loops, one inside the other, one going counter-clockwise, the other running clockwise. This makes gauging the wind a tough proposition from hole to hole. The first and most important job at Muirfield is staying out of the deep, nasty, horrid rough. It’s a shot penalty, in essence—assuming you can even find the ball. One of the most historic golf clubs in the world, Muirfield is also one of the most formal—and revered. Its scant “public” tee times are like gold dust in summer, and visitors are expected to behave in accordance with the traditions of the club, including wearing a jacket and tie inside. Most groups that visit stay for the day, playing a four-ball in the morning, then a foursome (alternate shot) in the afternoon. The afternoon round should perhaps be seen as less serious than the morning round, for the lunch at Muirfield is excellent and includes numerous Scottish specialties that require quite a bit of washing down.
The route is essentially the same as for North Berwick. The Greywalls Hotel is immediately adjacent to the eighteenth hole at Muirfield.