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Golf Travel

Golf trips can offer a variety of experiences that all types of golfers can enjoy, whether it is the chance to hang out with friends for a weekend, an opportunity to see bucket list courses, a chance to see a place in the world you would never go if not for golf, and many more.  The section below documents some of the trips I've been fortunate enough to go on and some trips that I would still love to make.

Golf Trips Completed

Below is a list of trips that I've been able to make in chronological order.  Click on the trip location to go to a section that describes these in more detail.

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1. Pennsylvania (Western PA):  Nemacolin (Mystic Rock), Latrobe Country Club

2. New York/Connecticut: Richter Park, Fox Hopyard, Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point

3. Maryland:  Queenstown Harbor, Bulle Rock, University of Maryland

4. North Carolina #1:  Southern Pines (pre-renovation), Tot Hill Farm, Twin Lakes, Tobacco Road, Schoolhouse Nine

5. Virginia (Western VA):  Wintergreen (Stoney Creek), Pete Dye River Course at Virginia Tech, Primland Highland Course, Schoolhouse Nine

6. Virginia (Williamsburg #1):  Stonehouse, Colonial Heritage, Golden Horseshoe (Gold),  Williamsburg National (Jamestown), The Club at Vinitierra

7. Virginia (Willliamsburg #2):  Royal New Kent, The Club at Viniteirra, Brickshire, Williamsburg National (Yorktown)

8. Wisconsin:  Links at Lawsonia, Sand Valley (The Lido), Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes), Sand Valley (Sand Valley), Sand Valley (Sandbox), Erin Hills

9. Minnesota/Wisconsin:  Troy Burne, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Giants Ridge (Quarry), Giants Ridge (Legend)

10. North Carolina #2:  Tot Hill Farm, UNC Finley, Pine Needles

11. Michigan Trip #1: Belvedere, Boyne (Hills), Boyne (Bay Harbor), Marquette (Greywalls)

12. Virginia (Williamsburg/Richmond):  Royal New Kent, Stonehouse, Independence, Belmont

13. Australia:  Albert Park, St. Andrews Beach, Sandringham Golf Links, King Island Golf & Bowling Club, Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes, Royal Melbourne (West), Kingston Heath

14. North Carolina #3:  Southern Pines (Post-Renovation), Pinehurst #3, Pinehurst #8, Pinehurst #10, Pinehurst #2, Pinehurst #4, The Cradle

15. Pennsylvania (Poconos):  Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort, Pocono Manor, Jack Frost

16. Michigan Trip #2:  Wawashkamo, Forest Dunes (The Loop - Black), Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red), Forest Dunes (The Bootlegger), Eagle Eye

17. Australia/New Zealand:  New South Wales, Bondi Golf & Diggers Club, Te Anau GC, Arrowtown GC, Jack's Point, Cape Kidnappers, Titirangi, Te Arai (North), Te Arai (South)

Future Golf Course Goals

Next Trips I'd Like to Do (with main courses listed):

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1.  Nebraska:  Wild Horse, Prairie Club (Dunes), Prairie Club (Pines), Sand Hills??

2.  Michigan (Grand Rapids):  Diamond Springs, The Mines, Pilgrim's Run

3.  North Dakota:  Minot CC, Hawktree, Bully Pulpit, Links of North Dakota

4.  Idaho/Washington:  Ceour D'Alene, Gamble Sands (Gamble Sands and Scarecrow)

5.  Montana/Canada:  The Wilderness Club, Banff Springs, Jasper Park

6.  Scotland:  Admittedly a blind spot for me, still need to plan

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Bucket List Golf Courses:

1.  National Golf Links of America

2.  Eastward Ho!

3.  Old Course at St. Andrews 

4.  Pikewood National

5.  Ballyhack

Western PA

This was my first golf trip that I went on with my high school golf team.  It was a quick weekend trip where we drove out to western PA.  

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Courses Played:

  • Nemacolin (Mystic Rock) - Amazing course at an incredible resort, still one of my favorites

  • Latrobe Country Club - Okay course with a lot of history, neat clubhouse with lots of Arnold Palmer memorabilia

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Other Activities:

  • None

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

This was a fun roadtrip to do with my high school teammates.  Western PA is fairly spread out, especially when it comes to public golf courses.  I would highly recommend playing Nemacolin if you get the chance, which also has another solid Pete Dye course (Shepherd's Rock).  Nemacolin is reasonably close to Pittsburgh and Morgantown which could be added to augment the trip a bit.  There is also good hiking around, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, and Ohiopyle State Park is another neat place to visit.

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New York/Connecticut

This was another high school golf trip that featured a good variety of courses and a fun stop to the USGA museum.

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Courses Played:

  • Richter Park - Neat public course in Connecticut

  • Fox Hopyard - Another solid course that was fun to play

  • Bally's Golf Links at Ferry Point - Unique high-end course in a great setting

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Other Activities:

  • USGA museum in Far Hills, NJ

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Ferry Point was in spectacular condition and is a big course with views of the NYC skyline and bridges.  Definitely the highlight of the trip, but it was expensive.  The USGA museum was actually a great addition to the trip.  There is a Himalayas putting green out back that you can play with old-time equipment, you can get a tour of their robot testing facility, and the museum is interesting as well.

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Overall, it was a great trip.  I wouldn't say that any of the courses are worth traveling for, but if you live in the Northeast and are looking for a driveable weekend trip, you should consider looking into these courses to play (among lots of others in the area).

Maryland

Final high school golf trip.  This was the highest quality golf of the three and was a trip that I would definitely do again.

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Courses Played:

  • Queenstown Harbor (River) - A pleasant surprise, this became my favorite course I'd played after this trip.  The course backs up to the Chesapeake and has some very interesting holes.

  • Bulle Rock - One of my favorite courses in the area to go play.  Great Pete Dye design that is challenging, fun, and beautiful.

  • University of Maryland - Another great course that is a great value to play in the DC area.

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Other Activities:

  • None

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Three great courses.  University of Maryland is a course that I'd enjoy playing every day, and one that I did play a decent amount when I lived in Northern Virginia.  Bulle Rock is one of my top 30 courses I've played and offers the opportunity to play a legitimate championship golf course pretty reasonably.  Queenstown Harbor is another fun course with some great holes.  It has fallen down my rankings a bit after the second time playing it, but I'd still recommend checking it out.

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Checking out DC or Baltimore could be added to this trip, as could spending some time at the beach.  There are lots of other decent public courses in the area as well, definitely a good location for a weekend trip.

North Carolina #1

This was my first adult golf trip and first time playing golf in North Carolina.

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Courses Played:

  • Schoolhouse Nine (VA) - one of my favorite places in the world, a nine hole golf course near Shenandoah National Park

  • Southern Pines - great course, used to be an awesome value but has since been renovated.  The course is even better now but is more expensive.

  • Tot Hill Farm - holy cow what a place, every bit as good as Tobacco Road in my opinion with possibly even more character and quirkiness.

  • Twin Lakes - 9 hole cheap public course

  • Tobacco Road - still have only played once but would love to go back.  Great layout, firm and fast conditions when I played it, and some spectacular and unique golf holes.​​

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Other Activities:

  • Pinehurst Resort putting course

  • Village of Pinehurst

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

There are so many great courses in the Pinehurst area.  Personally, I think that Southern Pines, Tot Hill Farm, and Tobacco Road are all worth making the trip without playing any Pinehurst courses.  You can still swing by Pinehurst to eat, putt, and hang out by the Cradle.  And there are a lot of other nearby courses to hit.

Western VA

​Courses Played:

  • Schoolhouse Nine - discussed earlier, one of my favorite places in the world

  • Wintergreen (Stoney Creek) - nice mountain course with great views

  • The River Course at Virginia Tech - Pete Dye Course, very unique setting for a golf course with half of the course bordering the New River

  • The Highland Course at Primland - one of the most aesthetic and well-conditioned courses I've played, holes are routed along ridges at top of mountain.  Incredible setting for golf with awesome greens and solid layout.

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Other Activities:

  • Hiking

    • ​Wintergreen Resort​

    • Cascades

    • McAfee Knob​

  • Virginia Tech​

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Virginia is a beautiful state and this trip lets you see a lot of it.  There is a ton of great hiking around Blacksburg and Virginia Tech has a very cool campus.  Golf-wise, the River Course was a very unique experience.  It was still very evident it was a Pete Dye course given the bunkering style, but it felt a lot more natural and minimalist than many of the other Dye courses I've played.  Primland is a spectacular resort that is extremely expensive, but it was an awesome experience to be there once and I loved the golf course.

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I would 100% do this trip again.  It had a lot of variety between a $15 unlimited play par 3 course and a very high end top-100 course with a unique Pete Dye design in between, and the non-golf activities and hiking provided a lot of balance.  Even though its not too far from home, the trip had a feeling of adventure and remoteness which I loved.  Would highly recommend.

Virginia (Williamsburg #1)

Courses Played:

  • Stonehouse - underrated Mike Strantz design

  • Colonial Heritage - I'm not a huge fan of this course.  Very residential and manufactured, but others may enjoy it.

  • Golden Horseshoe (Gold) - a spectacular set of par threes, a really cool location literally in the middle of colonial Williamsburg and incredible conditioning

  • Williamsburg National (Jamestown) - a completely fine course that I didn't love, but a mostly unoffensive addition to a golf trip

  • The Club at Vinitierra - big course on a beautiful property, I didn't think it had a ton of character but there were some really neat holes and it was a favorite among the rest of the group​​

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Other Activities:

  • Colonial Williamsburg

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Williamsburg is a great place for a weekend golf trip.  There are a ton of courses around, and you can usually get a pretty good deal if you book through one of the package websites.  Golden Horseshoe is awesome.  You hear a lot about the island green 16th, but all of the other par threes are just as (if not more) spectacular.  Stonehouse is a slightly toned-down version of Mike Strantz (I said slightly) that is super fun to play with several truly standout holes.  The Club at Vinitierra is another very nice course that sits on a huge property.  I think there is a group of solid courses that are all pretty interchangeable around Williamsburg that can all make for a fun trip, and I'd put Williamsburg National and Colonial Heritage in that group.

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Colonial Williamsburg is also a neat place, and William & Mary's campus is a beautiful walk.

Virginia (Williamsburg #2)

Courses Played:

  • Royal New Kent - another awesome Mike Strantz layout, the first hole is one of the craziest holes I've played

  • Brickshire - borders Royal New Kent, a somewhat repetitive layout with a couple of good holes

  • Williamsburg National (Yorktown) - similar to the Jamestown course, a completely fine course that I didn't love, but a mostly unoffensive addition to a golf trip

  • The Club at Vinitierra - discussed in the section above, a course that I liked but the rest of the group loved​​

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Other Activities:

  • Colonial Williamsburg

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

The section above discusses the merits of Williamsburg as a golf trip.  I'd put Brickshire and WN (Yorktown) in the category of interchangeable courses that are fine additions to a golf trip.  Royal New Kent is awesome and feels a lot different than nearby Stonehouse.  On a later trip, I played both on the same day and would definitely recommend it.

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Wisconsin

​Courses Played:

  • Lawsonia (Links) - firm, fast, reasonably priced, and a spectacular layout

  • Sand Valley (The Lido) - unique experience with spectacular template holes

  • Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes) - giant course that is extremely scoreable and visually unique, does a great job of being both fun to play and very interesting

  • Sand Valley (Sand Valley) - my favorite Coore/Crenshaw course I've played, weaves through awesome site and feels natural and compact

  • The Sandbox - great par 3 course at Sand Valley with awesome green complexes

  • Erin Hills - huge property and championship test with some awesome holes

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Other Activities:

  • None​

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

There is a lot of great golf in Wisconsin, and we hit a good amount of it on this trip.  I honestly think that Erin Hills was my least favorite course on the trip, and I liked Erin Hills.  Lawsonia was a great way to start the trip and in my opinion lived up to the hype.  I would highly recommend Sand Valley to anyone.  It was my first experience at a big golf-only resort, and I loved it.  The golf was spectacular (plus we got to play The Lido the week it first opened), and between the putting greens and par 3 course there was plenty of supplemental golf activities to add.  A highlight was the $1 tacos at the halfway house (not sure if they still do this).  All three courses (Sedge and the Commons weren't there when I went) were spectacular and all very different experiences.  And Erin Hills let us walk from the tips at 6:30 am as the first tee time which made for an awesome day.  

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I'd love to go back and to this trip again, especially to see the new courses at Sand Valley.

Minnesota (and Wisconsin)

​Courses Played:

  • Troy Burne (Wisconsin) - fun course just outside of St. Paul, holes 10-14 are amazing, the rest of the course is solid

  • The Wilderness at Fortune Bay - the first 8 holes are some of the best holes I've seen, a pleasant surprise and a course that I really liked

  • Giants Ridge (Legend) - nice resort course with some quirkiness, the highlight is the 230 yard par 3 17th to an elevated peninsula green by the lake

  • Giants Ridge (Quarry) - one of my favorite courses, so many unique holes with a remote feel and beautiful surroundings

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Other Activities:

  • Lakes​

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

This trip involved a decent amount of driving to get up from St. Paul to Biwabik (where the last three courses are near).  Troy Burne was a solid start to the trip, although I don't think it belongs in any top 100 lists.  I really enjoyed the last three courses, especially the Wilderness at Fortune Bay and the Quarry at Giant's Ridge.  Northern Minnesota is beautiful, and I got very lucky with the weather. 

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This is a great weekend trip if you're with a group that doesn't mind a little bit of driving.  If I did this trip again, I'd consider flying into Duluth and trying to add Northland Country Club, or just going up to Biwabik and spending a couple of days there.

North Carolina #2

​Courses Played:

  • UNC Finley - course in great condition post-renovation, felt a little showy and lacking in personality but had a couple of very cool holes

  • Tot Hill Farm - already discussed in earlier NC trip, but one of my favorite courses

  • Pine Needles - fun Donald Ross course with neat layout and awesome green complexes

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Other Activities:

  • UNC/Duke campuses​

  • Pinehurst Resort putting course

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

As discussed earlier, there are so many courses around the Pinehurst area you can play without having to go to the resort.  Tot Hill Farm is a course that I would recommend adding to any itinerary around Pinehurst, and I really liked Pine Needles.  It is a bit pricey, but I personally liked it more than every Pinehurst course except No. 2.  We played the UNC Finley course shortly after a Tom Fazio renovation was complete.  It definitely felt like a Fazio course, which is not really my cup of tea.  But there were a couple of interesting holes and the conditioning was great.   UNC, Duke, and NC State all have solid college golf courses (from what I've heard), and a golf trip including all of these and getting to see the campuses would be fun.

Michigan #1

​Courses Played:

  • Belvedere - the layout isn't super interesting but there are a couple of brilliant holes and the green complexes throughout the course are spectacular

  • Boyne (Heather) - somewhat subdued layout in a peaceful wooded setting, but I thought it was extremely engaging to play and a fun challenge

  • Boyne (Hills) - fun course, highlight is a portion that winds through dense pine forest

  • Boyne (Bay Harbor) - solid golf course with a lot of eye candy (but the views are legitimately spectacular)

  • Marquette (Greywalls) - crazy layout through hilly, rocky land overlooking Lake Superior, one of my favorite courses ever

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Other Activities:

  • Lake Michigan, Lake Superior​

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are beautiful.  I flew into Traverse City on Lake Michigan, which is basically a beach town (was not expecting that).  Much of the driving on this trip was either right along Lake Michigan or Lake Superior, and you could definitely add some lake activities to this trip if you have time.

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Golfwise, this was an awesome trip starting with Belvedere.  Belvedere is a classic course that I felt like I could play every day.  The green complexes throughout the course are incredible, and there are some holes that are really brilliant (7 and 16 come to mind).  I got to play three of the Boyne courses, starting with the Heather.  I'm typically not a huge RTJ fan, but I really enjoyed getting to play this course.  I can't really pick out any standout holes (other than the fairly controversial 18th), but the course was challenging, tested a lot of different shots, and was very walkable.  The Hills course was another fun course to play.  It feels a bit more modern and there are a couple of holes that play through this dense pine forest that feel incredibly unique.  Bay Harbor plays along bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan, and the views are incredible.  I thought the golf course itself was fine, and there were a couple of holes that I really liked, but the course is very expensive and feels a little manufactured.  I'm happy that I played it to see it once, but I don't feel the need to go back again.  Marquette Greywalls is one of my favorite courses I've ever played.  It takes a ten minute cart ride to get to the course and you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere.  The land is outrageous, there are unique but spectacular holes everywhere, and the course was firm and fast and it was only May.  It is a long drive to get up there but I would go back in a heartbeat.

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There are so many awesome courses in Michigan.  If you're planning a trip, I'd recommend at some point getting to Greywalls if you can.  Belvedere is a great add as well, and I don't think any of the Boyne courses would disappoint.

Virginia (Williamsburg/Richmond)

​Courses Played:

  • Royal New Kent - great Mike Strantz design with incredible first hole

  • Stonehouse - underrated Mike Strantz design

  • Independence - championship test on beautiful property, immaculate conditioning

  • Belmont - renovated A.W. Tillinghast course converted to 12 hole course and 6 hole par 3 course

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Other Activities:

  • Richmond

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

This was a quick weekend trip that started off by playing 36 holes of Mike Strantz.  Stonehouse and Royal New Kent are both awesome courses.  Stonehouse is a little more subdued than Royal New Kent but still has some spectacular holes, highlighted in my opinion by the double dogleg par 5 7th and crazy par 3 8th.  Royal New Kent is wild and extremely fun to play, with the first hole being one of the most electric starts to a round I've experienced.  We headed up to Richmond to play Independence the next day, which was a week after the course co-hosted the US Mid-Am and the course was in fantastic condition.  I really enjoyed it, and it is definitely my favorite Tom Fazio course that I've played.  The property is beautiful, and the course was fun to play with interesting greens and some good variety in the layout.  Belmont was an interesting course owned by the city.  It felt like a recently renovated course when we played it, but the bunkering was great and there were a couple of really good holes.  The par 3 course was a fun way to end the day.

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For a quick 2-day trip, this trip had a lot of variety.  Playing two Mike Strantz courses in a day was cool, Independence offered a very high-end feeling course, and Belmont is a nice and historical muni.  I probably won't go back to Belmont, but I enjoyed playing it once.  I would highly recommend the other courses on this trip.

Australia (Melbourne/Tasmania)

​Courses Played:

  • Albert Park - Melbourne muni with some busy roads that are extremely in play

  • St. Andrews Beach - awesome Tom Doak course that reminded me a lot of Sand Valley, but for $70 (also lots of kangaroos)

  • Sandringham Golf Links - public course that neighbors Royal Melbourne and shares maintenance staff, looks and plays very similarly

  • King Island Golf & Bowling Club - one of the coolest places I've ever been, 9 hole town course maintained by locals with ridiculous views of Southern Ocean

  • Cape Wickham - one of my favorite courses ever, adventure golf at its finest with nobody else on the course, feels like you're on the edge of the world

  • Ocean Dunes - fun course on King Island with a couple of spectacular holes and great ocean views

  • Barnbougle (Dunes) - weaves through huge dunes bordering Southern Ocean, very challenging

  • Barnbougle (Lost Farm) - huge fairways, interesting greens, and a couple of oceanside holes

  • Kingston Heath - brilliant bunkering, great layout on small property, amazing par 3s, firm and fast sandbelt conditions

  • Royal Melbourne (West) - one of my favorite courses, so much creativity and mental engagement required

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Other Activities:

  • Melbourne

  • Portsea (beach town)

  • wildlife

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

Australia is golfing paradise.  I ended up playing 16 rounds of golf in 9 days and got to walk every round.  The turf is incredibly firm, and the density of golf courses around Melbourne is incredible - I missed a lot that I couldn't fit in.  King Island is truly the most spectacular place I've ever been.  The plane ride over, the remoteness of the island, and the incredible coastline all add up to an unforgettable experience.

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I started off at Albert Park, a muni in the middle of Melbourne.  The big takeaway here was that the roads are very in play, which made for some extremely scary shots.  But it was a good introduction to Australian golf and I liked the layout.  St. Andrews Beach was one of the biggest surprises of the trip.  I absolutely loved it.  The layout was amazing, there were kangaroos everywhere, and each hole was memorable.  For $70, I feel pretty confident saying that it is the best value in the golfing world.  Sandy Links was a fun course that felt like a mini version of Royal Melbourne.  If you go to King Island, I think you would be missing out to not play all three courses because they are all so different.  King Island Golf & Bowling Club is up there with Schoolhouse Nine as my favorite place in the world.  You have the entire course to yourself and can make up your own routing, and the views to the Southern Ocean are ridiculous.  Cape Wickham has the same views but with a world-class golf course as well.  One of the great things about this trip is that a lot of the courses offer unlimited golf rates where you can pay ~$200 and have a top 100 course in the world basically to yourself for the entire day.  I walked 54 at Cape Wickham, Ocean Dunes, and Barnbougle, and doing so was definitely the highlight of the trip.  I liked both courses at Barnbougle but didn't love either one.  I think the courses played a little too tight for my taste with the wind and the fact that all of the fescue was basically lost ball territory (although Lost Farm is extremely wide).  Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne were a pretty cool way to finish off the trip.  Both were amazing, I preferred RM West.  I think at Kingston Heath, most of the time there was one clear shot that you were supposed to hit, and you just have to execute it.  At Royal Melbourne, I felt like every single shot you had at least two or three options, and I loved the creativity this allowed.

 

I would love to go back to Australia and do this trip again.  I probably would leave Barnbougle out, but that is just personal preference and it is a lot of traveling to fit it in.  I'm glad I got to play it once though. 

North Carolina #3

​Courses Played:

  • Southern Pines - played post-renovation, great greens, fairway ground movement

  • Pinehurst No. 3 - shorter course that feels like a condensed version of No. 2 and No. 4, tons of character and awesome greens

  • Pinehurst No. 8 - typical Tom Fazio course, routed through a forest with some interesting land

  • Pinehurst No. 10 - first 7 holes are spectacular, after that the course gets a lot bigger and feels a little out of scale, overall a great course

  • Pinehurst No. 2 - my favorite course I've played

  • Pinehurst No. 4 - solid course with an awesome set of par 5s

  • The Cradle - par 3 course, not my favorite I've played but a very cool setting

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Other Activities:

  • Putting course​

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

This was my first time going to Pinehurst and actually playing the Pinehurst courses.  I really liked Pinehurst No. 3.  It is a par 68 and played very short, but there were a lot of memorable holes and I really enjoyed the scale of everything.  Pinehurst No. 8 was fine, it felt very similar to other Fazio courses.  I really liked Pinehurst No. 10, but felt like it kind of lost the plot a bit on holes 8-15 (holes 11 and 12 were cool).  I still liked it but it falls short of being one of my absolute favorites.  Pinehurst No. 2 was spectacular.  It honestly reminded me a lot of sandbelt courses in Melbourne, and I loved the balance between playability and challenge.  It is hard to lose a ball but easy to be in a less than ideal position, and the greens are so much fun.  It is a compilation of a lot of really good golf holes even though there aren't necessarily any of my favorite holes ever on the course.  Pinehurst No. 4 was fun but I think my expectations were a little high going in.  The collection of par 5s is spectacular, but I felt a little bit of Fazio influence in some places which I didn't love (this might not even be true given Gil Hanse's renovation but it's just how I felt in spots).  Lastly, the Cradle is a fun par 3 course with a really cool atmosphere.  

 

The Pinehurst resort is awesome with some amazing golf.  I'm glad that I got to experience it once, but given the price I don't feel a strong desire to return (although I would love to play No. 2 again).  But other than price, I have nothing but good things to say about the resort and would recommend experiencing it.

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Pennsylvania (Poconos)

​Courses Played:

  • Shawnee Inn & Golf Resort - neat A.W. Tillinghast course on an island in the Delaware River

  • Pocono Manor - incredible William Flynn/Donald Ross design with some truly unique holes

  • Jack Frost - pretty mountain course, target golf but some good holes

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Other Activities:

  • Hiking

  • Lakes

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

This was a great weekend trip up to the Poconos with some surprisingly good architectural merit.  Shawnee is an A.W. Tillinghast design with most of the holes located on an island in the middle of the Delaware River.  Pocono Manor is one of my favorite hidden gems.  There is a lot of quirk, but the course plays firm with great bunkering, interesting greens, and some extremely unique but solid holes.  Jack Frost is a typical Pocono course in terms of tight playing corridors.  The design encourages more target golf than creativity, but I still like the course.

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There are a lot of other things to do in the Poconos, including hiking and lake activities.  There is also a lot of other golf to check out.

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Michigan #2

​Courses Played:

  • Wawashkamo - historical, quirky, and super firm, can play with hickory clubs

  • Forest Dunes (The Loop - Black) - unique reversible routing on huge property, awesome greens

  • Forest Dunes (The Loop - Red) - other direction, I preferred Black to Red

  • Forest Dunes (The Bootlegger) - awesome par 3 course

  • Eagle Eye - big course with a couple of standout holes, feels like a Pete Dye course

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Other Activities:

  • Mackinac Island​

  • Lake Huron/Lake Michigan

  • University of Michigan campus

  • Michigan State campus

  • Detroit

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:​

The trip started out on Mackinac Island, which is located in the middle of Lake Huron.  All transportation on the island is via horse or by foot (no cars), and although it was a little touristy I really liked it.  Wawashkamo is a nine hole course on the island that is quirky and charming and allows the opportunity to play with hickory clubs, which was a treat.  I really liked Forest Dunes.  We only got to play The Loop (in both directions).  The Loop is located on a pretty expansive property that surprisingly has a lot of elevation changes and land movement.  I preferred the Black routing (there were a couple of approach shots on Red that were borderline impossible), but the greens throughout the course were great.  Also, you are in the middle of nowhere, and it was so quiet at points that I could hear my ears which was really neat.  The par 3 course at Forest Dunes is also one of my favorites I've played.  Eagle Eye was a big course designed by an ex-Pete Dye associate, and it definitely felt that way.  There were some really cool holes, but it felt a little manufactured and residential in some spots.  I still enjoyed the course and it was a good addition to the trip on the way back to Detroit.

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As mentioned earlier, there is so much awesome public golf in Michigan.  I feel like I still need to plan two or three more trips to get to all the courses I want to see there.  For anyone planning a trip to Michigan, I would highly recommend Forest Dunes.  Mackinac Island was a great addition to the trip as well, but it is a bit tricky to get there.  Eagle Eye would be a good course to fill in an extra round but I wouldn't make it the flagship course of a trip.

Australia (Sydney) and New Zealand

​Courses Played:

  • Botany Golf Course - municipal course that was a fine first round off the plane

  • New South Wales GC - Alister MacKenzie design on an incredible site on the coast

  • Bondi Golf & Diggers Club - par 3 course on oceanside cliff

  • Te Anau Golf Club - awesome town course overlooking Lake Te Anau and surrounding mountains

  • Arrowtown Golf Club - incredibly unique bunkerless course routed through rocky mounds

  • Jack's Point - one of the most aesthetic courses I've played, the course itself was good but not great

  • Cape Kidnappers - spectacular Tom Doak course routed on ocean cliffs

  • Titirangi - Alister MacKenzie design in Auckland, the layout was fine but the green complexes are spectacular

  • Te Arai (North) - Doak course on really cool site with some oceanfront holes and others that weave through a unique pine forest, I love the layout but the greens are overdone in my opinion

  • Te Arai (South) - wide resort-style course with ocean views throughout, great greens with a couple of standout holes

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Other Activities:​

  • Sydney

  • Bondi Beach

  • Queenstown

  • Auckland

  • Hiking

    • Gertrude Saddle​

    • Lake Marian Track

    • Ben Lomond Track

  • Milford Sound

  • Te Arai putting course

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Trip Summary/Recommendations:

What an awesome trip, New Zealand is spectacular.  The only problem with New Zealand is that many of the courses are spread out, but if you're willing to travel a bit and balance out the golf with hiking and other activities, I couldn't speak any more highly about it.

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I liked New South Wales, but it was a little tough to fully evaluate since it was on a crazy weather day.  The greens and views were spectacular, but the course does play very tight, especially in the wind.  But I would love the opportunity to play it again.  Bondi Golf & Diggers Club was a cool par 3 course, highlighted by the incredible cliffside property and views.  Te Anau was the biggest surprise of the trip.  The holes are all simple but have one or two very clear features that define the hole and dictate the required strategy.  The course was incredibly firm and had awesome lake/mountain views throughout.  Arrowtown was similar to Te Anau but even better.  It reminded me a lot of Marquette Greywalls and was a great course to walk.  Jack's Point reminded me a lot of Bay Harbor in the sense that the scenery was spectacular but the depth of golf was just okay.  Cape Kidnappers is my favorite Doak course that I've played.  I enjoyed the inland holes just as much (if not more) as the cliffside holes, the green complexes were interesting but not overdone, and everything felt natural even on a crazy site.  At Titirangi, you can definitely tell it is a MacKenzie course.  The layout is not quite as exciting as some of his other courses I've played, but it has a great set of par 3s and the green complexes and bunkering are predictably awesome.  Te Arai is kind of an American-style golf resort with two good courses.  I preferred the layout of the North course better, even with far fewer ocean views, but I thought the greens were a little bit out of hand.  The South course is a very pretty walk and a fun course to play.  I think I liked the South course better but would rather play the North everyday.  Te Arai also has a huge putting course, which was a lot of fun.

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The hiking and scenery on the trip was also spectacular, and I'd recommend trying to fit some of this in as well if you plan this trip.  If I had to pick a trip to go back and do with a group between this one and the Melbourne trip, I'd pick Melbourne just because of the density of golf.  But if you want to go by yourself or have a small group willing to travel a decent amount, New Zealand is awesome.

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