The Country's Best Golf

[revkev]

Warning this is a full out vent - I apologize in advance for it but I needed to let it fly.

 

I get Golf Digest's electronic edition in my email daily it seems.  I never knowingly asked for it that I recall BTW.  Today's edition had an article entitled: "Where's the Best Golf in the US?"

 

Those who know me or who have been around the forums long enough know that I never begrudge people their success or their income.  I'm happy for them and applaud them.  This article though was as elitist as it gets.  I had no easy way to comment on it or I would have for certain.  They based the rankings solely on their 100 or 200 best courses in the US.  Except for Wisconsin and Northern Michigan the areas listed are among the most expensive places in the country to live.  Most of the areas listed are cold places.  The courses in those areas are extremely exclusive (I know, I grew up in Fairfield County CT - for 5 percent of the people there the golf is great for the rest its 5 hour rounds at outrageous prices) with waiting lists and extremely high buy ins or $400 plus resort greens fees.  Wisconsin and Northern Michigan have 6 month seasons and that's being generous - I wouldn't want to be paying out $600 for Whistling in late April that's for certain.  

 

I have a very nice, what would classify as upper middle, income that affords me lots more stuff than I deserve.  I couldn't get a sniff of golf in those places other than as a guest because people are nice to me or because I saved up money for that once in a while trip to the resorts.

 

I have one question for Golf Digest:  If these places are so great for golf why are there no clusters of Touring Pros living there?  

 

They live in Arizona and Florida - if you want to play golf, those are the best places to live - along of course with the other warm weather parts of our country - Texas, Hawaii or if you are able a place in Wisconsin and one in Florida or Arizona - that would be the best of all worlds and it's affordable for way, way more people.  (Or Viginia - you know a Northern State where you can head South for three months in the winter)

 

 

[Bucky CC]

1 hour ago, revkev said:

Warning this is a full out vent - I apologize in advance for it but I needed to let it fly.

 

I get Golf Digest's electronic edition in my email daily it seems.  I never knowingly asked for it that I recall BTW.  Today's edition had an article entitled: "Where's the Best Golf in the US?"

Those who know me or who have been around the forums long enough know that I never begrudge people their success or their income.  I'm happy for them and applaud them.  This article though was as elitist as it gets.  I had no easy way to comment on it or I would have for certain.  They based the rankings solely on their 100 or 200 best courses in the US.  Except for Wisconsin and Northern Michigan the areas listed are among the most expensive places in the country to live.  Most of the areas listed are cold places.  The courses in those areas are extremely exclusive (I know, I grew up in Fairfield County CT - for 5 percent of the people there the golf is great for the rest its 5 hour rounds at outrageous prices) with waiting lists and extremely high buy ins or $400 plus resort greens fees.  Wisconsin and Northern Michigan have 6 month seasons and that's being generous - I wouldn't want to be paying out $600 for Whistling in late April that's for certain.  

I have a very nice, what would classify as upper middle, income that affords me lots more stuff than I deserve.  I couldn't get a sniff of golf in those places other than as a guest because people are nice to me or because I saved up money for that once in a while trip to the resorts.

I have one question for Golf Digest:  If these places are so great for golf why are there no clusters of Touring Pros living there?  

They live in Arizona and Florida - if you want to play golf, those are the best places to live - along of course with the other warm weather parts of our country - Texas, Hawaii or if you are able a place in Wisconsin and one in Florida or Arizona - that would be the best of all worlds and it's affordable for way, way more people.  (Or Viginia - you know a Northern State where you can head South for three months in the winter)

Golf Digest with an unreliable click-bait article?  I'm shocked I tell you, shocked!!!

 

[revkev]

13 hours ago, Bucky CC said:

Golf Digest with an unreliable click-bait article?  I'm shocked I tell you, shocked!!!

 

I know, I know. Even their Florida choice in that mess was a joke. The article is out of step and insulting. 

[vandyland]

Affordability and accessibility have to be included, @revkev,  I agree! Insanely high end, private courses are so out of reach for basically everyone* why even use them? I prefer asking around about which cities have the best PUBLIC golf scene and, really, the best municipal systems. That is where the majority of golf is being played. 

On the Florida note, you have great weather and a ton of people that have moved there because they love golf. That is helpful. Maybe I need to get around more but the gripe I have with Florida is that so many of the courses I play (Destin/30 A area) are just PACKED into housing developments and every hole is some version of "water left, houses right 35 yd wide fairway" on repeat. Ditto for South Carolina. I did not find that to be the case in Arizona or Texas but, again, I am sure there are plenty of wider golf courses in inland florida (like Streamsong even though that is quite $$$$). 

Sorry for the rambling note. The Golf Digest course ranking stuff is so lame. Why should I care if Chicago Golf Club is #4 or #5 this year? There is no chance I am ever playing it or even being allowed on the grounds. Show me the best public access courses and be done with it. 

*Personally, I have never understood the value of ranking places like Pine Valley on a list because they are impossible to play and they never host major tournaments (I guess so the members can puff their chests out?). 

[Headhammer]

I think you answered your own question, in that most pros need a year round golf location to stay consistently sharp. That being said, I know a lot of people that have memberships to multiple clubs and will rotate to them based on seasonality. 

[Shankster]

I am in the most golf monopoly zone I’ve ever lived.  Gearhart (the only “public” course worth playing is $120 a pop) it’s good, but I’ve played better for half of that.  The other closest public course that I can actually hit a driver on is over a hour away.  So I can either buy a membership that I’ll never get to use or pay $120 to play the same place over and over.  Really the same as buying a membership.  Very golf poor area… (I blame it on the Goonies for not letting the country club be built… although, where that house is there is no way a course could be built there.)

I grew up 6 miles from Bay Harbor, which is consistently on the “Top 100” courses to play.  I finally got to play it a few years ago and it sucked.  I would be super mad if I had actually paid to play there.  I am sure Bandon is nice, and I plan on playing it, but dang, just give me a halfway decent muni and I’ll be happy.  Every time I’ve played a resort course, it has been sub par, especially the last one where I was told I was playing too fast.

[revkev]

2 hours ago, Shankster said:

I am in the most golf monopoly zone I’ve ever lived.  Gearhart (the only “public” course worth playing is $120 a pop) it’s good, but I’ve played better for half of that.  The other closest public course that I can actually hit a driver on is over a hour away.  So I can either buy a membership that I’ll never get to use or pay $120 to play the same place over and over.  Really the same as buying a membership.  Very golf poor area… (I blame it on the Goonies for not letting the country club be built… although, where that house is there is no way a course could be built there.)

I grew up 6 miles from Bay Harbor, which is consistently on the “Top 100” courses to play.  I finally got to play it a few years ago and it sucked.  I would be super mad if I had actually paid to play there.  I am sure Bandon is nice, and I plan on playing it, but dang, just give me a halfway decent muni and I’ll be happy.  Every time I’ve played a resort course, it has been sub par, especially the last one where I was told I was playing too fast.

Toughest thing about resort golf is you only get to play it once - if you aren’t there in prime  season you may really miss out in regards to conditions.
 

 It’s best when there are multiple courses so that they can simply shut down a course for maintenance. You also need to accept that the round is going to take time. 
 

Again I’d like to stress that I have nothing against people making a lot of money and being able to join an exclusive club that I can’t afford.  I can onlY imagine what the buy in must be at those clubs today. I remember my parents being offered a membership at an exclusive Fairfield County Connecticut country club when I was in high school. The buy in back in 1970 was 25k. I don’t know what the dues were. My dad really didn’t play golf so they opted to spend that money elsewhere - I was bummed   I did play the course a few times and it was very nice - hilly, tree lined fairways, fast greens, thick rough. Tons of clubs like that in Fairfield/Westchester county - the public gold stank - crowded, expensive, very good courses in terrible shape that took 5 hours to play after a 2 hour wait to tee off. 
 

The area is on their list of best places for golf. I must be extremely blest because it was the worst place to play golf that I ever lived in my life. Interestingly I’d say Sheboygan WI was next - because the season was so short and it was all or nothing - we had the Kohler courses which are world class in every sense of the word including price tag and then the munis which were cheap and played cheap, too - desperately needed more mid priced courses. 
 

It’s true that Florida has become very crowded in season - the courses in my area don’t resemble the Florida stereo type though. Those condo  winders are there but there are also lovely courses with trees, elevation change, beautiful views, think what you see at the Valspar. Our weather is still great and things have thinned out - we played a relaxed 18 in 3:45 yesterday at my club. Any MGS forum member is welcome to look me up and I will hook you up. 

[Shankster]

Yeah. I hear you Rev.  a good buddy of mine worked at the Walloon Lake Country club.  It was exclusive back then, yes back then, 23 years ago now.  Can’t imagine it got any cheaper.  Our high school golf team got to practice at the Bay View Country Club… another exclusive place.  I took full advantage of that place.  
 

My favorite course to date I think is Belvedere in Charlevoix, MI.  Moderately priced, but an old school gem.

[Invader Zim 315]

Currently a product of this.  I live in New York Metro, and many of these courses (Winged Foot, Sleepy Hollow, Pine Valley) are right near me, and yet they are covered in snow 4-5 months a year, and I could only dream of ever playing them.  That said, I do dream of playing them.  Maybe that adds to the allure?  

I love Bethpage, I call it home now, but that's a 5 hour round, easily, assuming you're able to get a tee time. You can book 7 days in advance as a state resident, and basically every course is booked immediately each week.

It's a sad reality that I'm surrounded by some of the "best" golf in the country (as you pointed out, is it really?) and yet, I'm not the guy who gets to experience that.  Would try to move elsewhere, but NY is where I'm at with work

 

[CFreddie]

Atlanta resident here - the only suitable courses within a 30-45 min drive of here are private. We do have some nicer courses outside of Atlanta (the Fields and the Frog are two off top of my head), but you are looking at a full day experience given it’s distance from downtown. 
 

Have considered joining an in town club just to have suitable practice facilities and be able to play a round in 4 hours (vs the 5/6 hours you’ll encounter on a crappy Public track here). 
 

Or maybe I should just move?

[revkev]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:02 PM, Invader Zim 315 said:

Currently a product of this.  I live in New York Metro, and many of these courses (Winged Foot, Sleepy Hollow, Pine Valley) are right near me, and yet they are covered in snow 4-5 months a year, and I could only dream of ever playing them.  That said, I do dream of playing them.  Maybe that adds to the allure?  

I love Bethpage, I call it home now, but that's a 5 hour round, easily, assuming you're able to get a tee time. You can book 7 days in advance as a state resident, and basically every course is booked immediately each week.

It's a sad reality that I'm surrounded by some of the "best" golf in the country (as you pointed out, is it really?) and yet, I'm not the guy who gets to experience that.  Would try to move elsewhere, but NY is where I'm at with work

 

Yes and you probably have a nice job making a very respectable income. I grew up in Fairfield county so l completely understand. Connecticut was worse - at least you guys have that complexed of courses on the Island. We had Fairchild Wheeler, 2 18’s for a metro area if 300k or do - the county had about a million all told and there were 4 public courses. It was definitely not a good place to play golf. Occasionally I’d get to play one of the clubs when a friend or client invited me. 
 

I have a friend who landed a clergy membership at Winged Foot - dog!

 

As a follow up I did find an avenue to email Golf Digest about the article. Still awaiting a reply. 

[George_Mebz]

It's understandable that you're feeling frustrated after reading an article in Golf Digest that seemed to be elitist and exclusive. The article ranked the best golf courses in the US, but the areas listed were expensive, cold, and exclusive. You feel that these areas are not accessible to most people, even those with upper-middle-class incomes.

You also question why there are no clusters of touring pros living in these areas if they are supposed to be the best for golf. You believe that warm weather areas like Arizona, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, or Virginia, where you can head south for three months in the winter, are better places to live for golf. These areas are more affordable and accessible to more people.

It's important to consider accessibility and affordability when it comes to enjoying a sport like golf, and it's understandable to feel frustrated when resources seem to cater only to a select few.

[MuhammadOmer]

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Oregon: Situated along the rugged coastline, Bandon Dunes features several links-style courses that offer stunning views and challenging play. It has quickly gained a reputation as one of the top golf destinations in the US.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina: Kiawah Island boasts the Ocean Course, which has hosted the PGA Championship and offers a challenging layout with breathtaking ocean views.

There are many other exceptional golf courses throughout the United States. The best golf course for you may depend on your preferences, skill level, and location.

MOVAVI

Edited May 1, 2023 by MuhammadOmer

[crackfullpcju]

It was exclusive back then, yes, 23 years ago now.  Can’t imagine it got any cheaper.  Our high school golf team got to practice at the Bay View Country Club… another exclusive place.  I took full advantage of that place.

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Oregon: Situated along the rugged coastline, Bandon Dunes features several links-style courses that offer stunning views and challenging play. It has quickly gained a reputation as one of the top golf destinations in the US.

Kiawah Island Golf Resort, South Carolina: Kiawah Island boasts the Ocean Course, which has hosted the PGA Championship and offers a challenging layout with breathtaking ocean views.

There are many other exceptional golf courses throughout the United States. The best golf course for you may depend on your preferences, skill level, and location.
 

MOVAVI

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