Great Golf Experiences

Originally published April 2003, 'PARD - Points North Magazine

The greatest golf courses I have played all maintain a common link. When you play fabulous courses, the game is transformed from simply playing the sport to a more rewarding golf experience.

During the past year, I attempted to play as many highly regarded courses as possible during my travels. With assistance from many friends and colleagues, I played or visited some of the top courses in the country. After doing so, I can easily explain that golf without the qualities that combine to make a great experience is similar to riding a bicycle without scenery. Golf without the experience might be less expensive but certainly is not nearly as tantalizing. The history, exclusivity and the topography from which certain golf course designs are extracted is part of the allure to playing a great course. Those factors are as curious to me as what score I am fortunate or unfortunate to post.

Each of the golf courses mentioned herein has at least one of the characteristics I mentioned above. Some have all three elements, which is why, in my mind, they rate highly upon the list of great venues. When you add great service to the equation, you have what constitutes a great day of golf, no matter what weather you experience.

Atlanta's Great Golf Experiences
East Lake Golf Club is one of Atlanta's finest golf venues. The history of the club is a part of the very fabric of Atlanta golf and its exclusive origin is legendary.

Just walking upon the same grounds as Bobby Jones, the Grand Slam winner who grew up mastering the game at East Lake, is reason enough to enjoy the course. (In 2004, it will become the permanent home of the PGA TOUR Championship.)

I appreciate the fact that the course mandates no cell phones and requires walking with caddies. There's also valet parking with nary an extended hand looking for remuneration, a fabulous locker room with a friendly helpful attendant, and the chance to view the clubhouse's shrine to Atlanta's greatest golfer.

The course itself may seem merely trivial after the glowing praise above, but it is equally magnificent. Originally completed in 1910, it was re-worked by Rees Jones in the mid-1990s, and the result is one of the greatest 18 holes in golf. It offers a solid layout with dastardly Bermuda rough, well-placed bunkers and extraordinary greens.

At East Lake, reaching the green is one thing but getting the ball close to the pin is another. The greens are not easily calculated because what your eyes see is not always reality in terms of length or depth. Once you have played the course a few times, however, this disadvantage can be erased.

The signature hole at East Lake is No. 6, a par-3 that plays 176 yards from its furthest point. Surrounded by water, only a small isthmus of ground separates you from playing a third shot due to an errant tee ball. Add to this an omnipresent breeze from one direction or another and that makes this wee hole a monster at times.

The final four holes at East Lake show the course's true design brilliance. No. 15 can be considered a birdie hole for good golfers, but the narrow green at the dogleg right par-5 can provide fits. The par-4 16th is a bogey hole at best if you play from the back two tee boxes. Even with a booming drive, your second shot with a longish iron is often played from a downhill stance, and the green is rarely accepting of such hard missiles. Good luck getting there in regulation, and better luck getting up and down from the gnarly rough, which surrounds the green or the greenside bunkers.

The par-4 17th can provide a bit of solace with two well-placed shots but a tricky green again can confound even the world's best players. No. 18 is one hole where par is at a premium. In my experience, the long uphill par-3 plays into the wind or typically left-to-right meaning a driver, fairway wood or long iron must be struck with precision.

While East Lake is immersed in tradition, Hawks Ridge deserves its place on any list of great golf venues. The brainchild of Joe Jillson and Mike Nixon, Hawks Ridge has the look, feel and grace of a club that has been around for a half century.

The clubhouse is magnificent. The men's locker room is plush with one of the most likeable attendants I have ever encountered. With only a few years experience under their collective belts, the caddies are extraordinarily knowledgeable, likeable and totally service oriented. However, the course at Hawks Ridge is a testament to its north Georgia topography and the exquisite design of Bob Cupp. While it is situated in a community with roughly 100 homesites, the layout focuses on golf first and the homeowner second. That is part of its brilliance.

Bent grass tee boxes, fair greens and immaculate fairways await you at Hawks Ridge, but the allure is the variety of holes that Cupp constructed. Each nine has a both a relatively short and medium-length par-3. Each nine has a few long and short par-4s. Each nine has a par-5 that can be considered a birdie hole, and each has a par-5 where par is a meaningful score. However, no two holes look alike and Hawks Ridge rewards aggressive shot making. Best of all, this is a modern course without the modernistic target golf design approach.

In my opinion, East Lake and Hawks Ridge are the best that Atlanta has to offer.

Top of the List
Oakmont Country Club, just outside Pittsburgh, Pa., is certainly among the top courses I have ever played. A good friend of mine who grew up caddying and wreaking havoc at the esteemed club as a boy, arranged for me to play with a member of Oakmont last summer. Prior to my arrival, I was informed that I would take part in the venerable "Swat" on that Sunday in June. The "Swat" is composed of foursomes, each of whom engage every other team participating in a Nassau-format.

Apparently, the game can be an expensive proposition. Fortunately, one of my playing partners shot 68, which rendered my shanks and generally poor play meaningless. I remember first feeling the historic ground beneath my feet on No. 8. I was so intimidated by the course from the outset, and my poor performance had my playing partners noticeably shaking their heads throughout the round.

Designed in 1903 and opened for play in 1904 by Henry C. Fownes, Oakmont has hosted 16 major championships, and the club is a National Historic Landmark. In August, Oakmont will again host the U.S. Amateur. In 2007, the U.S. Open will return to the site where Johnny Miller shot a final round of 63 at the 1973 Open, perhaps the greatest round of the 20th century. In addition, Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, Tommy Armour, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus all won major championships here.

For this year's U.S. Amateur, Oakmont has built several new tee boxes, which will lengthen the course substantially. Despite the removal of a number of trees and nearly half of its bunkers, Oakmont is still the same penal golf course Fownes designed almost 100 years ago. With 180 deep bunkers, hard and slick Poana greens that typically slope away from the player, and tight fairways, Fownes once pledged that Oakmont would remain the toughest layout in the world. I certainly won't argue the point.

The famous Church Pews bunker runs alongside both the third and fourth fairways. This bunker, as I found out, is a maddening place from which to play. Although our caddie repeatedly advised me where not to hit the ball throughout the round, my swing enabled me to find each of the forbidden areas with regularity. Even on those few occasions when I hit the ball well, it invariably ended up in an awkward position.

Oakmont is a course that you need to play more than once. It requires precise tee and approach shots, finesse and a deft touch on the closely cropped greens. However, it is an experience that I wouldn't trade for 100 rounds at most other courses.

Four months after my experience at Oakmont, good fortune was again on my side as I ventured to Pinehurst where I was afforded the opportunity to play Donald Ross' fabulous No. 2. At Oakmont I knew trouble lurked everywhere. At No. 2, most of the trouble is dependent upon where your approach shot settles.

Ross called it his "fairest test of championship golf." Designed in 1907, No. 2 is a challenge because of its undulating humpback greens, strategic bunker placement and a layout that tests both the long and short game.

No. 2 was the site of Payne Stewart's improbable 1999 U.S. Open victory, where he holed a historic 18-foot par putt on the 72nd hole of the championship to beat Phil Mickelson by one shot. Amazingly, Stewart had three one-putt greens in succession on the final three holes, including a 25-footer for par on No. 16. A bronze statue of Stewart is positioned behind the 18th green. No. 2 will host the U.S. Open once again in 2005.

Any guest of Pinehurst Resort can play No. 2. It is an easy walk and the caddies are excellent. It is said that Ross tinkered and fine-tuned the course for 40 years. The fairways are generous, and the day I played the course last October, the rough wasn't too strenuous. But, this is a course where you can't shoot at the pins. You must try to hit the middle of the greens and hope for two putts. Otherwise you are in for an arduous journey. A round that includes 36 putts may not seem to be a meaningful accomplishment, but at No. 2 you'll be impressed with yourself.

The Dye-abolical Layouts
For those of you who have played at Atlanta National Golf Club in Alpharetta, you have been exposed to the Pete Dye methodology of golf course design. Nearly every Dye course requires skilled shot making and a thoughtful approach to the game. His layouts have spurned much controversy over the years, but he has left an indelible impression on modern course design. Scores of golfers have spent much time muttering his name with colorful adjectives preceding it.

Whatever your opinion may be of Dye's courses, I have several that are among the most enjoyable days of golf I have experienced. And yes, I muttered countless expletives with his name included during each round.

The River Course at Blackwolf Run and the Straits Course at Whistling Straits are two Dye-abolical layouts in Kohler, Wis., part of a resort named Destination Kohler. Both provide a great reason to escape the Atlanta heat this summer or during the early fall. More information can be found on these layouts in "Our Favorite Resorts" (pg. 18 of this supplement).

What do you do with an unused coalmine in Clarksburg, W. Va.? James D. LaRosa and his son James J. LaRosa decided to build a golf course. After scores of interviews with potential course designers, LaRosa chose Dye, who personally oversaw the project for 16 grueling years. The end result of the countless millions of dollars and years spent on the project is one of the most gorgeous -- yet tormenting -- 18 holes of golf imaginable. From the tips, the course stretches to 7,248 yards with a rating of 76.2 and a Slope of 148. Even at 6,467 yards, the tees rate a 71.6 with a Slope of 135.

LaRosa decided to name the property the Pete Dye Golf Club as a tribute to the man who tirelessly turned the 450-acre site into a golf masterpiece. The course, located south of Morgantown but within two hours of Pittsburgh, Pa., is Dye's Sistine Chapel.

I played my round here with club professional Joe Wallman, a likeable lefty who provided colorful anecdotes throughout the round. Like Hawks Ridge, you step onto each tee box at Pete Dye Golf Club like a child would a roller coaster, knowing that a thrill ride awaits you at every turn.

After a relatively easy opening hole, Dye slaps you back into harsh golf reality with the menacingly long par-4 second hole. A treacherous tee shot over Simpson Creek, which borders the left side of the hole and meanders throughout the course, and overhanging trees on the right makes this hole difficult from the start. The approach is equally difficult as the small green is guarded by two greenside bunkers on the left, with a steep slope and impossible rough on the right. Even after hitting a decent drive, you are confronted by a low- to mid-iron approach shot. Damn you, Pete!

Swing on over to the 4th hole, and you'll face a long par-3 guarded by a wall of stone and a sparkling lake on the left. Of course, Dye placed two traps on the right for those of us looking for a place to bail. On the opposite side of the lake, next to the 5th tee, you'll find schools of hungry catfish that will make those inhabiting the Mississippi River envious. Food is available to make the monsters swirl.

While the entire golf course is unique, the cart path from the 6th green to the 7th tee winds you through a mineshaft, which serves as a reminder of the property's origins. At the fabulous 8th hole, a strenuous par-5, evidence of strip mining surrounds the green. It is one of the greatest holes ever constructed!

Other writers suggest that the front nine provides the lure at Pete Dye Golf Club, while I believe the back nine is even more remarkable. A majestic clubhouse is positioned behind the 18th green and offers great views of the course in every direction. There is no question that you will use every club in your bag at this course, but Dye calls upon your entire mental resolve to tackle his namesake course.

Clarksburg is certainly not the golf capitol of the world, but Pete Dye Golf Club will make a fabulous future venue for a Walker Cup or U.S. Amateur.

Pete Dye Golf Club currently has 500 members, but few actually reside nearby. For Atlanta golfers who have family or business in the surrounding area, individual national memberships by invitation are available for $15,000 with annual dues of approximately $3,300. Corporate memberships are also available. For the convenience of out-of-town members and guests, the Black Diamond Lodge and 18 townhouses provide on-site lodging.

Fun in the Sun
Ocean Hammock Golf Club in Palm Coast (Jack Nicklaus designed) and Camp Creek Golf Club in Seacrest (Tom Fazio orchestrated) are two of Florida's finest new golf courses. Time will prove that these two layouts rank with some of the best courses in the U.S.

Ocean Hammock, located about 45 minutes south of St. Augustine, has six holes that provide glimpses of the Atlantic Ocean. The par-4 9th hole and the par-4 18th hole are glorious examples of great seaside finishing holes for both nines.

Nicklaus dubbed the final four holes at Ocean Hammock the "Bear Claw." The 15th hole, the most difficult on the back nine, plays uphill into the teeth of the ocean breezes. It is a difficult driving hole but the approach to a severely-elevated green is the true test. Going away from the ocean, the par-4 16th is a dogleg left with water and a trap guarding a narrow fairway. The undulating green is guarded on the left by a steep bank and the water hazard. The par-3 17th plays back toward the ocean with the sloping green set against the dune but guarded in the front by a cavernous bunker. No. 18 is a long par-4 where mid- to long-iron approach shots are commonplace to the green, which is set at a 45-degree angle from the fairway.

The inland holes at Ocean Hammock are certainly no slouches either, with the par-5 10th and par-5 14th holes among the best around. The course is a fair test of golf but the warm ocean breezes can wreak havoc on shots throughout the entire 18 holes. In the Florida heat, however, those ocean breezes often can be a Godsend.

Camp Creek is located east of Destin and west of Panama City. Guests of the posh Watercolor Inn have the privilege to play here, although I was told tee times are occasionally available for other visitors as well.

This Tom Fazio design doesn't overlook the Gulf but compensates nicely by affording golfers the natural beauty of indigenous plants, trees, shrubs and wetlands. A total of 244 live oaks were planted during the final stages of construction. Water comes into play on 10 holes and the course measures up to 7,151 yards.

Fazio said shortly after the course opened, "Length is never an issue with me. Width is always the issue. I knew with this piece of property, as large as it was, we could create endless possibilities. The fairways are wider than they seem and there are options [to aim] on each hole. We wanted it to look hard and play easy. You certainly don't want it the other way." With a minimum of four sets of tee placements on every hole, this is the perfect course for players of all abilities.

Unlike most courses, the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 handicap holes are par-5s. The 8th hole stretches out to 579 yards with a lake guarding the left side of the fairway and green. The right side has two bunkers that can come into play off the tee. The green is 43 yards deep but narrow in spots. While birdie is possible, par is a fine score.

The 12th hole, only 518 yards from the tips, is also guarded on the left by water and a bunker. Tee shots must carry 225 yards from the elevated back tees to provide the best angle for a long approach shot. Compounding the problem is a waste bunker that guards the elevated green on the right. A false front lies beyond the bunker.

The 17th hole is a 555-yard monster guarded by pines and a huge bunker that could come into play on your second shot. The hole plays uphill, which is a bit of a rarity in northwest Florida. The green slopes right to left and is guarded by a difficult bunker on the front left side. Shoot even par on these three par-5s and you'll be feeling great about your game.

A second 18-hole layout is planned for Camp Creek in the near future.

The Envelope, Please
Ranking these courses could be a difficult proposition, but if you get an invitation or opportunity to play any of them, don't pass it up. Each combined to make last year the greatest collective golf experience of my life. Unfortunately, my scores weren't as positive as the experiences were.