1. Tot Hill Farm Course Review
Beginning with the front nine, the quirkiness slaps you right in the face with the 448 yard par 4 first that side winds through the trees to a tiny little green. You will need to be very strategic with your shots to navigate this hole safely. The next two holes are actually a breath of fresh air, and are very straight forward. Then comes the par 5 fourth hole that has a tight gap for your approach shot, and the trees come into play. You will need to hit a very accurate approach shot, or a tricky pitch will await. The rest of the front nine is surprisingly simple if you can find the fairway from the tee. When you make your way to the back nine, the quirkiness kicks in, and you will need to be very accurate off the tee or trouble will find you. The par 4 twelfth hole has water up the entire left side, and if you miss even the slightest bit left water will be your landing place. The 13th hole is not easier, with water running up the entire right side, so miss left to avoid. The next three holes are all surrounded by water, and you will need to be strategic with your tee balls, or guess what water awaits. The 18th hole is another side winder, but does lack the trees in areas, allowing for you to miss the fairway and still put up a good score. In all, Tot Hill is an extremely fun and grueling test, and I do not recommend passing up on this rare beauty.
2. TPC at Piper Glen Course Review
The practice facilities at Piper Glen are second to none, and stick true to the name, Tour Players Course. Packed with a massive driving range, multiple chipping greens, and a giant putting green, you have it all here. Whether you are looking to spend a few hours working on your bunker play, or you just want to putt around for a while, you have no issues at all while at Piper Glen. The club house is one of the most immaculate buildings I have ever been inside. While at Piper Glen you have a multitude of dining options, beginning with the casual lounge suitable for a quick bite after your round. If you are staying for dinner, dont pass up on the main dining hall, which is absolutely stunning.
3. TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge Course Review
Being a classic Jack Nicklaus design, the Snoqualmie Ridge golf course features numerous (deep) bunkers, one hundred and seven total, a nice variety of hole lengths and an intelligent and challenging layout. Truth be told, all these features are to be expected from the master of golf design, so there are no complaints in this department and none expected. The layout of the Snoqualmie Ridge spreads over 222 acres of pristine land and the course features 7200 yards of golf from its longest tees for a 72 par, offering a good variety of attractive views, especially the Snoqualmie Falls. Elevation changes are the norm here and keep in mind that the Snoqualmie Ridge is hosting annually the Boeing Classic on the Champions Tour. Another thing to consider is that the Snoqualmie Ridge golf course is the only Jack Nicklaus signature in the Pacific Northwest. The Snoqualmie Ridges wide fairways and its design were aimed at offering great playability for pros and amateurs as well, and also for accommodating tour events, meaning that regardless of your skill level, youll have the time of your life playing this baby.
4. Twin Lakes Golf and Swim Club Course Review
Starting with the immaculate practice facilities, every golfer has the ability to work on each aspect of the game. With the massive driving range that can hold 50 golfers with ease, a trio of putting greens for golfers to warm up on prior to playing, and a gorgeous little short game area, you have it all here. Whether you are looking for a nice day of practice, or prepping for a round on the Links, you will be able to do it all. The golf course is hands down the best aspect of this club, which is saying a lot. The layout is quite exquisite, and packed with a mixture of Links and classic Lake Style Golf. Offering 3 separate 9 hole courses, they each have their own layout. The first nine is standard Lake Golf, the second 9 is the Links course, and the final 9 is a tight wooded (very modern) golf course. The traditional 18 here included the Lake 9 and the Links 9, and it is quite an adventure. While on the front 9, everything is pretty straight forward, and there are ponds throughout. The Links 9 is just as described, wide-open, and appeals to any golfer. The final 9 is very tight, and dont expect to be able to bomb driver and survive. This 9 brings in multiple irons off of the tee, and is guarded heavily by the tree lined fairways.
5. TPC Sawgrass Golf Club Course Review
The Sawgrass Course at the TPC features 6954 yards of golf from the tips, a course rating of 73,3 and a slope rating of 138. Using the USGA jargon, if youre the average 15 handicapper, youll have to play the game of your life to break 100 on the Sawgrass Course. However, the Sawgrass Course is a masterpiece of golf design, a groundbreaking classic, as its designed by Pete Dye, a genius and an artist, one of the most influential golf-architects of our times and the Sawgrass Course is basically a testament to that fact. Pete Dyes Sawgrass Course actually inspired an entire generation of golf architects, and we can safely assume that the Sawgrass changed the way we think about golf design due to its unique (at that time) island greens and crosstie walls.
6. Wade Hampton Golf Club Course Review
Basically, it was relatively easy for the Wade Hampton to achieve greatness as it sits on a great setting. And speaking of greatness, the Wade Hampton was described by the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World as arguably Tom Fazios greatest design achievement and you can take that to the bank. Also, this baby was called the best new private golf course in the US in 1987, not to mention that it debuted directly on the 17th position as per the list of top one hundred golf courses in the United States. Currently, the Wade Hampton is ranked 20th, which is outstanding, considering that just 4 courses built since its inception have made it into the top twenty. Its also worth noticing that the Wade Hampton was ranked as 2nd best residential community golf course in America by the reputable magazine Golfweek. What makes the course very special is that it doesnt feature the usual mountain layout, as its 7218 yards from the tips for a 72 par play mostly downhill, and there are many strategically placed/dynamic bunkers which add to the flavor, along with crisscrossing streams and ancient trees that give it the look of a golf course that meanders through a dense forest. But the best touch of Fazios design at Wade Hampton is its playability, as there are virtually zero blind shots, just a couple of forced carries and the majority of water hazards are down the left side.
7. Waverley Country Club Course Review
Being one of the oldest golf clubs in the West, the Waverley Country Club was first designed by an amateur, both in terms of golf and golf-course design, Chandler Egan respectively. He worked continuously on it for almost a quarter of a century, whilst one hundred years later, the Waverley Country Club suffered a major renovation under the supervision of architect Gil Hanse, who managed to restore Chandler Egans work including the design subtleties which had almost disappeared during the courses impressive life-span. Gil Hanse kept the courses characteristic blind shots and its classic bunkers, totally reinstating 35 of them and recrafting the rest. The greens are now faster than ever and the putting surfaces were modernized and enlarged. Gil Hanse even thinned out the treeline which was missing in Chandlers design in order to restore the beautiful river views. The new Waverley golf course boasts 6748 yards from its tips for a 71 par, with a course rating of 72.8 and a slope rating of 135.
8. Whistling Straits Golf Club Course Review
However, this relatively weird policy has not stopped the Whistling Straits from being an instant success, selling all of its tee times year after year, with golfers discovering that playing this gem of a course is really worth the exercise. Located in Kohler, Wisconsin State, the Whistling Straits is the cherry on top at the American Club, being located midway between Pinehurst and Pebble Beach, two of the golf meccas in the US. The American Club is home for 4 of some of the best golf courses anywhere in the world, but the Whistling Straits is definitely the best of the bunch. The Pete Dye design is aimed at luring PGA and US Open Events on the premises, which is a lofty goal by any metrics, and it managed to do it with flying colors. The design/layout of the Whistling Straits plays a significant role here, but equally important are the sandy soil and dunes, the nearly constant winds and the ideal links layout sans the cart paths, which make for this baby to be one of the best golf courses in the world.
9. White Bear Yacht Club Course Review
Legend has it that F. Scott Fitzgerald rented a room at the White Bear Yacht Club during the summer of 1921, together with his wife of course, and just a year later he published Winter Dreams, which makes for a short story whose action takes place at a golf club in Black Bear Lake. As far as coincidences go, this one is pretty awesome, dont you think? As per the golf course, the White Bear Yacht Club features a world class facility, which offers its members a highly ranked and impeccably groomed Donald Ross signature course, state of the art clubhouses, fine and casual dining and an overall unforgettable and historical experience. The courses layout is aimed at favoring the shot maker in the detriment of the big hitter, demanding strategy and creativity, focus and accuracy on all shots from every location. Also, the White Bear boasts the most severely undulating greens ever designed by Ross, with each hole designed for maximum challenge and beauty.
10. Whispering Pines Golf Club Course Review
Needless to say that the Whispering Pines is a top ranked golfing facility in Texas and currently it includes a shorter-9 hole course. Just like its big brother, the Needler(the smaller one) is lots of fun to play, yet it makes for a stern test for golfers of all abilities. Since its initial opening in the year 2000, the Whispering Pines was a true joy for the locals (golf aficionados), due to its exquisite location along the northern shores of Lake Livingston and its beautiful views over the piney woods of North Texas. The main course was very well received by golf experts and amateurs alike, not to mention prestigious golf magazines, the likes of Golf Digest, who ranked this baby as the 3rd Best New Private Course in America and eleventh in Americas 50 Greatest Golf Retreats. Together with Golf Digest, Links Magazine, Golf Magazine and Golfweek currently rank the Whispering Pines in their top 100 Golf Courses in the US.
