Pennsylvania Golf

I'm really disappointed that Pennsylvania had only one course in the Top 100 because the country I drove through was beautiful.  I'm sure there are more great courses here so I'll plan on coming back to find a couple the golf magazines left off.  After all, I'm sure there a couple courses better than some I've already played that I wouldn't even place in my Top 200!!!  Of course my list is from 2008 and that's plenty of time for some of these clubs to let their courses go into disrepair.

However, I must say the one course in Pennsylvania - Olde Stonewall - is definitely one of my personal Top 10.  And I can only imagine, not unlike the Loudaberger course in Ohio, how beautiful this course is going to be during the fall.  As it is now, it is a great course and well worth every cent.

This course is really divided into two types of courses - front nine being a 'valley' course while the back nine is a 'mountain' course.  And when I say mountain, there were times I wasn't sure the cart would make it up to the next tee box.  And poor Lusha, my Siberian Husky, even was worn to the bone by the end of the 18 holes.

The club house is even part of the mystique in that it is designed like a castle with many replicated (I think) artifacts throughout.  Pretty cool to muse around the castle.

And lastly, the showers are second to none.  I thought Pinehurst had great showers but these showers are huge and powerful.

Enjoy the pics!!

Ohio Golf

I made it to Pennsylvania last night which means I've completed the Ohio portion of my USA golfing tour!!  Ohio has three courses in the 2008 list of Top 100 Public Access Courses and all three are very well groomed and can present their own challenges, not unlike most other nice courses.  However, by far my favorite of the three was Longaberger Golf Club in Nashport, OH.  It, unlike the other two, is set away from housing giving one the feeling of being in the middle of nowhere enjoying a favorite past time.

Enjoy the pictures.....................

Longaberger - #57 (Golf.com); #75 (Golf Digest)

Stonewater - #71 (Golf Digest)

Avalon Lakes - #67 (Golf Digest)

Louisiana Golf

Louisiana golf was a disappointment to say the least.  The really only nice thing about the golf course was the trip driving to it.  When you're driving and you run into something unexpected that can spice up the trip; especially if that something is a 'nice' something.  Well, that's exactly what happened on the way to The Bluffs in St. Francisville, LA from the direction of Dallas, TX.

What was it you ask - a ferry!!  Yes, I had to take a ferry across the Mississippi River - The Grand Ole Dame herself.  Driving Highway 10 from New Roads to St. Francisville will get you there.  This is the first time I've ever been on an auto ferry so that's why it was exciting to me.  And I must say the town/city of St. Francisville is lost a little in time somewhere.  It is very quaint and clean and I would suggest anyone who enjoys the 'small town' atmosphere would truly enjoy visiting here.

No pictures of The Bluffs, didn't want to waste my film - wait, pics are all digital.  Still explains why I didn't think too highly of the course.  I'm guessing that in between being chosen as a Top 100 course and 2010 something has gone very wrong with either the ownership or management of the course.  Fairways were horrible and greens were worse.  I'd go to a public course again before going here.

There is one other course in Louisiana in the Top 100 but it is at a resort and I've made a financial decision that if a course is really expensive or requires a stay at a resort unless that course has some history to it that I can relate to then I won't be playing - Gray Plantation in Lake Charles is just such a course.

Mississippi

Well, the golf season is upon us again; although I would still think that most of the fairways and greens won't be at there prime in most of the country for another month or so. Thus the reason I'm in Mississippi and even here I'm a bit early for the Azaleas to be blooming. Which is unfortunate because one of the courses I played I was told had "one" more Azalea bush than Augusta.

Dancing Rabbit - Azalea (#32) & Oaks (not rated in 2008)
That course was the Azalea Course at Dancing Rabbit. Dancing Rabbit has two courses and at one time in the past both courses were in the Top 100. As I'd mentioned earlier the fairways were just beginning to green although the Greens were in pretty good shape and were running fast. I enjoyed my stay playing both courses and wouldn't mind going back again 'in season'.

The Azaleas was my favorite of the two but neither had any holes that caught my eye. Perhaps that's because of the Azaleas not being in bloom. Enjoy the pics.

Azaleas

Oaks

Grand Bear (#92)
The Grand Bear is further South and is my favorite of the three.  Part of being a great golf course for me is where its at and the ambiance one enjoys while playing.  And the first thing that will catch your attention when you are arriving at the Grand Bear is the 6 plus mile drive off of the main road just to arrive at the the club house.  No kidding!!  6 plus miles and the speed limit is 25 mph!!  So plan ahead to make your tee time.

I was fortunate enough to get the very first tee time of the day so I was off and running - and so was Lusha - literally.  I was able to unleash her on the par 5s and she just ran along side me in the cart.  She (and I) loved it.  Anyway, back to golf.

If you can just imagine being more than 6 miles away from everything and playing alone on a golf course (imagining it being your own) that's the sort of feeling I had while playing the course.  Besides, the course was in immaculate shape and had plenty of challenges depending upon the tee box you choose to play.  Again, Grand Bear didn't have any eye-popping holes to speak of but the ambiance alone was well worth the trip.  And this makes all of the Mississippi courses ones I wouldn't hesitate to come play again.