Best Places you have ever Teed it up on

General Discussion
#1

As a newer member to the group here I went back in time and read over some of the interesting topics, One was who did you get to play a round a with. I have been very fortunate in my life that I got to beat it around for 18 holes with some unbelievable people. Sam Snead, Hoke Austin (is how I was introduced to Mike), Greg Norman, Jeff Sluman, Joey Sindelar, Phil Blackmar, Calvin Peete, Jim Thorpe, Bill Bishop, Mike Williams, Charlie Sifford, I used to tee it up alot with Andrew Toney and I played 9 holes with Barkley before he messed up his swing. My greatest moment came sitting at a table with Mr. Palmer for a club sandwich and just listening and trying not to stare in awe.

I have played some unbelievable venues (I won’t count Augusta National attending the Masters in '92 cause I didn’t play it.) So in this order 1) Merion 2) Pine Valley 3) Oak Hill 4) Firestone 5) Sawgrass. That was tuff because like I said I could put 6 other courses on that list and I look back and it’s amazing right. So anywhere special? Pine Valley is in my backyard so to speak and I have played it more than once, Merion…well I got beat up on that course as it was set up US Open style. I thought at that time I was a good golfer (122)…52 over par and I loved every second of it!

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#2

Nowhere especially exciting yet, but hopefully Pebble Beach this fall.

#3

Good Luck…had the opportunity, but that one wasn’t free. 30 years ago it was $500+. Outta my range, But we ended up playing Poppy Hills…when I finally retire, that one would definitely be on the bucket list.

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#4

Pine valley with my dad and Barney adams was pretty fun…

Hoping my dad is in good enough health to take a golf trip this season… he is hoping to get an invite to cypress.

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#5

PVGC 4 miles from my home! Everytime I have played there, I still can’t believe it’s in my backyard…It’s like this can’t be Clementon, NJ…LOL The absolute best chipped Turkey and Apple Bacon Club Sandwich right??? Oak Hill, the best Hot Dog…can’t beat a popped Zwiegles White Hot!

#6

We were there back when the pope visited Philadelphia… the two things aren’t related, I just remember the city being a mess to travel through.

Awesome experience. That place is just like golf distilled. The par three course was awesome.

I didn’t have a sandwich, I don’t think… we did dinner and breakfast and both were outstanding.

#7

Some time I’ll tell the story of my first time playing there…Its one gigantic unraked bunker with perfectly manicured landing patches and only 2 real sporty 600+ yard Par 5’s before that became vogue…right? I shot an 84 right outta the car though…
Where I live it’s like so many world class venues within a very short car ride.

#8

Spyglass and Spanish Bay. The scenery was much, much better than my golf.

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#9

I’ve been pretty lucky, played in Scotland and Ireland, played in Hawaii, played a number of great places in the States, including Kohler, Palm Springs, Pinehurst/Southern Pines. In Ireland, there are few better places than Ballyliffin, a wee village in the far north of the Republic with 36 holes of great golf. My favorite there in Ireland is Lahinch. Scotland is brilliant, Royal Dornoch is my favorite course in the world.
However, in my opinion, there’s no more special experience than lacing up your golf shoes in your B&B, slinging your golf bag in your back, and walking down the Scores towards the R&A clubhouse, looking at the Old Course, the New, Jubilee, and the rest, all stretching out in the distance, knowing in just a short time you’ll be out there fighting the wind and the humps and the invisible bunkers and all the rest.
And then on your walk back up the hill after your rounds, you can rest your bag outside of the Scores Hotel, nip in to the pub there and get a pint, and enjoy it on the outside terrace.

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#10

Cypress Point is the best place in the world. I have been lucky to play there many times. It was my last round at this time last year before the world shut down. I made a 2 on the 16th and shot 74 which, when it looked like we would be doing nothing for a long time, was a pretty good way to start and end the golf season.

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#11

Very nice! I generically just enjoy golf trips with my dad… cypress would be a huge bonus.

#12

Last year was the first time I played out there without my dad. It’s been a long time since my dad could play golf so I’m used to going places without him but it was not lost on me that I was there and he wasn’t.

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#13

I don’t have a super impressive list of courses played, but I’ll be surprised if anyone else here has played the Jack Nicklaus Club on Songdo (South Korea), site of 2015 Presidents Cup and LPGA International Crown. Joined the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea only to play in an event before it officially opened (fortunately I could qualify as a “young professional member” and that saved some money, but still spent way too much for a round of golf). Incredible experience to play a nearly untouched course.

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#14

As for playing with people, nothing really to note except for the random commercial actors I’ve gotten paired with on LA city courses (including the golf announcer from Rickie Fowler Rocket Mortgage commercials). Back in university, though, I would caddy for the Pro-Am of the International tournament outside of Denver. In 2004, I had Carl Peterson as the pro for my group, but he was dealing with an injury and was in an awful mood during the round (he wound up WD for the tourney). One of the holes of the course had condos running down one side that a lot of the pros would stay in. One of those condos had Ernie Els out of the porch offering beers to everyone who passed. Being an underage caddy, I didn’t think I was included in the offer, but still makes for a good story.

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#15

I’ve been pretty lucky with where I’ve got to play. In the US, in time of when I saw them first order:

Pine Valley
Merion
Winged Foot
NGLA
Shinnecock

In GB&I in no particular order:

TOC
Muirfield
Turnberry
RSG
Porthcawl
Ballybunion
Sunningdale
Walton Heath
Hoylake
Ganton
Hunstanton
Brancaster

And many more

I think Pine Valley is the best and NGLA was the most fun.

There is a British society called the Moles. I think it’s former Oxford and Cambridge people. They do a tour of the US east coast and they play everywhere you’ve heard of but can’t get on (with one exception). I was chatting with a guy who was in this group. He told me he sat down to dinner at the R&A and was sitting next to an American. He was talking about one of these Moles trips and he started with shinnecock and NGLA and the guy said “oh I’m a member there”. Carried on with all the places and every one that he said the guy said “I’m a member there too”. Then he said “and the one place I could never get onto but would love to play is Augusta”. The guy said “well, today’s your lucky day because I’m a member there too and you can be my guest any time”

How the other half live!

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#16

So many guys on this thread have played pine valley. Incredible!

@BarryGoldberg very jealous of all your cypress point experiences. Fun that you got to play with your pops there.

I have had the treat of playing Austin Golf Club outside of austin which is Ben Crenshaws club. He built it, and i think he is a one man board of directors!

Secluded course, no tee times and a great practice facility. Zoysia course in cen tx too which is pretty rare. They let it go dormant in the winter and will run the greens north of 14 on the stimp. Ridiculous but fun.

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#17

PVGC…it helps I live 4 miles from the course and I was acquainted with a few members. Still is not ez for an invite, BUT, if you wanted to get into the caddy program there, they allowed Monday’s for loopers.

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#18

One of the great benefits of playing in college and then fairly high level competitive golf for so manny years is that I’ve ended up playing at a lot of the great courses around the country. I haven’t been to them all but I’ve checked a lot of the boxes. I agree with whomever said that Pine Valley is probably the best. But, it’s not the one I’m most excited to get back to. That would always be Cypress with NGLA, Fishers Island, Chicago Golf, or Camargo close behind. The UK and Ireland links courses are also amazing and a constant siren song calling me back. So much fun over there especially in Ireland.

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#19

The three people I know who have played augusta are all sec golfers.

#20

Some great venues played by you guys especially the ones across the pond as they say. My uncle, who got me into golf played some of the ROTA courses, including St Andrews and brought me back some merch that still have from 25 years ago. I hope to maybe do Scotland & Ireland before I become fertilizer. Someone emailed me and asked me to round out the rest of my venues, so here goes the rest in no particular order: Bethpage Black, Aronomink, Atlantic City Country Club, Doral, Inverrary East and West, Boca West, Poppy Hills, Olympic Club, Tryall, Dorado Beach, Locust Hill, Seaview Bay & Pines, Heritage…I guess the sad part is other than Atlantic City, which we try to play once a year, my last big venue was played in 1997.