#899 Green Valley CC

Green Valley CC in Clermont, Florida started out in 1966 as a 9 hole course, in 1989 Lloyd Clifton expanded it to 18. Living in The Villages, I have played more Clifton Group courses than any other architect. Of the almost 750 holes in The Villages, they have designed all but 45 holes. I once lived on a very playable Clifton course for 11 years prior to The Villages. Bunker design to me is the fingerprint of every architect. I would characterize their style as middle of the road resort. I have yet to play an exceptional Clifton course, even Tom Bendelow produced a few notable courses.

I was told that at one time Green Valley was the club to belong to in this region. As many courses often do they bring in a management company to operate the club and unfortunately some suck the blood right out of them. The story here was that about a year and a half ago, after the annual dues had been collected they skipped town. The members were left with a very poorly conditioned course and no chemicals on hand to revive it. Fortunately, members united and today the grass is growing again and filling in the bare spots. This site has something that most other Florida courses don't have- elevation change. The majority of holes here are interesting, I especially liked #7, #9, and the risk/reward short par 4 #10 that is all carry over the lake. Even though I birdied the 10th, the next time I'm driving directly at the green. GOLD

"Kids are hard--they drive you crazy and break your heart--whereas grandchildren make you feel great about life, and yourself, and your ability to love someone unconditionally"- Anne Lamott

#898 Richmond Pitch and Putt

Richmond Pitch and Putt is the latest addition of golf to The Villages, Florida portfolio. These 18 holes brings the total now to 729 holes. This is the second pitch and putt and more enjoyable with the challenging, contoured, firm greens. Holes range from 60-110 yds with only two bunkers and water in play on 8 of them. It is a nice venue to sharpen your short game, especially if you have time to drop a couple of balls on each hole. The holes from 7 thru 9 are the most challenging stretch with all involving water and over 100 yds. Pat your self on the back if you play these at even par. It takes about two hours to play and is walking only. I enjoy it very much. GOLD

#897 The Links at Hunters Ridge GC

The Links at Hunters Ridge GC is a 1995 Jerry Matthews design in Howell, Michigan. It is well conditioned, playing over a rolling terrain with wetlands to give you a very picturesque setting. It has a nice variety and several interesting holes F9= 2,4,5,6,8,9 B9=10,11,16,17,18. The finishing three holes provide you with a stiff challenge. This a great value and well worth the drive. GOLD

"A true friend is the best possession."- Ben Franklin

#896 Donegal GC, Ireland

Photos of Donegal GC, Magee's Tweed, and Harvey's Point Resort in County Donegal, Ireland. This is the last of the photos from the 2022 Ireland Trip and hopefully all pictures in the near future will be on the new website platform.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/jcdH5qNaqz6PKTGYA Copy and Paste to view.

"Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace."- Dalai Lama

#895 Bundoran GC, Ireland

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cwNvM34sEj6RcZBt7 Copy and Paste to view photos.

Narin and Portnoo Links, Ireland

Narin and Portnoo Links was redesigned in 2018 by Gil Hanse. I retook these photo's below in September of 2022. If you go to slideshows you can view and compare the 2011 photo's of the old version of N & P.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/8YW78mAqQjQ4HxDNA Copy and paste to view photos.

"Do what you will while you're able, find what it is that you seek."- Xavier Rudd

#894 Coastguard Nine, Ireland

https://photos.app.goo.gl/eaHtnaF31brM8bTz8 Copy and Paste to view Photos

#893 Old Tom Morris Links, Ireland

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f1NTocKht3QJHywi8 Copy and paste to view photo's.

"When the archer(golfer) misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself."- Confucius(the golfer)

Sandy Hill Links, Ireland

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Xpwh33itEkWgE55z8 Copy and Paste to view photo's.

In 2011, I orginally played Sandy Hills in miserable, cold, snowy, weather. The cloudy pictures were taken in Spring 2011. Fall of 2022 the weather couldn't have been any better thus, the clear sky ones taken in 2022. Sometimes things even out.

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is."- Frank Scully

#892 St. Patrick's Links, Ireland

https://photos.app.goo.gl/DpiTLDJhj58sLKkHA Copy and paste link to view

#891 Dunfanaghy GC, Ireland

Dunfanaghy GC was designed in 1906 by Harry Vardon. This course has two interesting stretches of golf starting with the approach shot to #6 thru the tee shot at #10. Two par 3's and 4's that are all under 300 yds makes for a fun bit of golf with water in play on 9 and 10. #16-18 is a challenging finishing stretch that includes two blind shots, but the remainder of the course was rather lifeless. This is the home course of former Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley. BLUE

https://photos.app.goo.gl/cAUYCzqqDP3ZUPCn7 Copy link to view photos

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."- C.S. Lewis

#890 North West GC, Ireland

One of the founding members of the GUI in 1891, North West GC was designed by the pro from nearby Royal Portrush, Charles Thompson. It is located on the Inishowen Penisula in Lisfannon, Ireland. North West has been called by some the Old Course of Ireland. It is very flat and on a somewhat narrow parcel of true links land that is threatened by erosion from the North Atlantic. The turf here is firm and fast and produces the bounce that I've found on only a few great links courses. It took me a few holes of approach shots that ended up off the back of the greens to start playing short and enjoy the ground game on this very well conditioned course. The green complexes are mostly very challenging with bunkers that play much larger than the eye perceives from the fairway with many green edges that runoff into swales that makes for difficult recovery shots. Even though the course is fairly level it has many humps, bumps, and hollows in the fairways that provides interesting terrain to play from. NW produced the highest score I posted on this trip.

North West wins my award for the "Most friendly golf club in County Donegal" and the grounds crew does a wonderful job here in maintaining the fun, firm, and fast conditions. It exceeded my expectations and is very underrated in my opinion. Be sure and take a look at my photo's below which show you the contours and great design that squeezed in 18 holes on the limited acreage available for this course. BLUE

https://photos.app.goo.gl/kMmnCGtgrAsd7KC37 Copy link to view photos

#889 Cruit Island GC, Ireland

Cruit Island GC, pronounced Critch, located in Kincasslagh was designed by Michael Doherty in 1986. On my epic 2011 trip I could not locate Cruit Island and moved on to windy Narin and Portnoo. Fortunately, this trip I found the single track road that winds you 4km back to the very remote clubhouse. What I discovered was one of the most rugged, risk reward, blind shot courses I could have ever imagined.

This course is 9 holes, Par 34, 2800 yards, no par 5's and every hole except the two par 3's have a blindshot. The only mundane, level hole is the 213 yd Par 3 #8, everything else is a rollicking, exciting, ball of Fun. The marquis hole is the dramatic 160 yd Par 3 #6, with a spectacular tee location that hugs the Atlantic Ocean and requires a shot over two salt water filled chasms to an uphill green. BLUE

What a year it has been too have played two of the top 9 hole courses in the world, Culver Academy and Cruit Island.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Hjsk41jyKzoLphL99 Copy link to view photos

#888 Gweedore GC, Ireland

It was great to be back in County Donegal, Ireland on the firm and fast conditions of a True Links course. Gweedore GC was originally a 9 hole course when it was designed by James Breslin in 1923. Eddie Hackett had his hand in doing some changes to the course and over the years they acquired more land. In 2014 they added 5 more holes to make it 14 holes, but now you replay 1,2,3,and 9 to make it an 18 hole course.

It was a slow day of play so Peter kindly came out and greeted us and got us on our way. Several interesting holes on the F9 with the blind Par 5 #6 being my favorite. You repeat three holes to start the B9 with the number one handicap Par 4 14th starting a nice finishing stretch. The short 118 yd, uphill #15 is one of the better Par 3's I played on the trip. The tee is jutted out into the ocean and you need at least two extra clubs for the steep inclination. The weather was very nice compared to my trip 11 years ago in this part of the world. GOLD

https://photos.app.goo.gl/AQz2F51bCB9qDpgQ7 Copy link to view photo gallery

You may not be able to change the people around you, but you sure can change the people you choose to be around.

County Donegal Course Color Ratings

County Donegal presents a strong contingent of courses which you can access from the worldclass Rosapenna and Harvey's Point Resorts. I played 5 courses in 2011 and 9 new ones in 2022. There are two Black rated courses followed by 10 Blue courses. In my world of rating you get at least a half color boost if you qualify as a TRUE LINKS golf course, which these 14 do.

St.Patricks Links Bk**
Sandy Hills Links Bk**
Ballyliffin Glashedy B
Narin and Portnoo B
Ballyliffin Old B
Old Tom Morris Links B
Port Salon B
Donegal B
Cruit Island (9) B
North West B
Bundoran B
Dunfanaghy B
Gweedore G
Coastguard Nine (9) W

Return from County Donegal Ireland

"If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all."-- David Livingstone.

The golf in County Donegal, which is part of the province of Ulster and is located in the far NW corner of Ireland is fun and exciting. The accomodations at Rosapenna Resort and Harvey's Point are worldclass. Livingstone would have loved most of the roads in Donegal as they are remote, very difficult to access, and stressful to negotiate. The Wild Atlantic Way is a tour route of the rugged coast that is true to its name. There were several incidents of roads I needed to traverse to get to my destination being only a single track. The worst stretch was on the way back to Dublin, when we had 18 km of single track that we shared with sheep and cattle. There are very few roads that two cars can pass each other without the possibility of being side swiped. So my suggestion if you want to experience this great golf region of the world would be to hire a driver, and close your eyes until you arrive at your destination.

Eleven years ago, after being inspired by Tom Coyne's book "A Course called Ireland" I embarked on a 23 course tour around the top of Ireland from Dublin to Carne. I got a little taste of Donegal by playing 5 of its courses, so the roads were not a surprise. As I stated previously, three of those rounds I played in the worst weather of my life. If I hadn't prepaid I would have NEVER gone out in that severe of weather. This trip of 11 rounds in County Donegal the weather was fantastic, 12 days and NO rain!! I actually prefer to play in wind, cool temps, overcast weather and planned accordingly for that attire. I could have played in shorts on several days but didn't pack a single pair.

I have now played every TRUE LINKS course in Donegal, 14 courses in all which is a third of all my Irish golf experience. My second trip, 10 years ago, I played the 12 top courses around the South of Ireland where the roads are very good. Once I return to Florida I will start editing the over 1000 photos and write the accompanying articles.

"If you see what is right and fail to act on it, you lack courage."- Confucius

#887 Vienna Greens

Vienna Greens is located in Clio, MI, it was built in 1969 by Loren Millette. It is well conditioned and has a left to right rotation of each nine. There is OB on the left of seven holes, so if you are a fader/slicer it is almost impossible to lose any balls here. The par3's are a strong group with the 186 yd #3 a challenge with its semi-blind carry over cattails. The B9 is delightful with its interesting stretch of holes. Vienna Greens with its friendly staff, affordable rates, and pace of play far exceeded my expectations. WHITE+

#886 Timbers GC

Timbers GC in Vassar, MI was designed in 1996 by Lorrie Viola. Viola has designed 2 other courses and I have played one of those near me in Florida. Timbers has several interesting holes but the diseased fairways detracts from its nice layout. For the second day in a row I missed an ace by less than a foot. The 135 yd #12 was today's thrill. The sharp dogleg left 375 yd 7th was my favorite hole. You have to be careful not to hit it through the FW on your drive into the junk, so a 3W would be the club of choice off the tee. On the B9 the 13th plays very similar. The most challenging hole is the dogleg left par5 563 yd cape hole. Off the tee you are encountered with a pond if you want to play an aggressive line. Next is another pond that fronts the green on your approach. Of the 6 doglegs, 3 are sharply left. The B9 plays considerabbly easier than the front. GOLD-

"Sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."- Vince Lombardi

#885 Burke Course(9) at Notre Dame

The Burke Course at Notre Dame, in South Bend, IN, was designed in 1929 by Chuck Kelly and was orginally 18 holes. In 1966 Dick Nugent also contributed. Due to expansion of the campus, 9 holes were eliminated and the remaining on football weekends are used for parking. The course is a Par 35 and at 3200 yds is an easily walkable, playable track to come out for a quick game. The conditioning is good and the variety of holes is interesting. I want to thank the budding golf star, Carlos, for allowing me to join in. WHITE

#884 Warren GC at Notre Dame

Warren GC at Notre Dame was designed in 1999 by Coore and Crenshaw, in South Bend, IN. The course is well conditioned but with very little elevation changes. It is not as pancake flat as another C and C design I played, Talking Stick North in Scottsdale. With the minimalist philosophy of Bill and Ben it makes for a visually, challenging template. Notice in my photo's how the fairways are lifeless without any contours. Ideally, the terrain needs to be rolling to make a Coore/Crenshaw most interesting for me. Warren is very playable for every skill level and an easy walk but after playing Culver it was a very mundane experience. The B9 is more interesting with the creek winding its way through it on three holes. The #16 short Par4 was my favorite hole and the 18th was a real challenging finisher. Of the 12 Coore/Crenshaw courses I have played this ranks near the bottom. I did have perfect weather and an enjoyable foursome to play with on this day.BLUE-

https://photos.app.goo.gl/VyiHB5bDXtPjfbZGA

#883 Culver Academy GC (9)

Culver Military Academy was founded in 1894 in Culver, Indiana. Wm Langford and Theodore Moreau laid out a 27 hole complex but only completed 9 holes of it in 1926. In 2015 Bobby Weed restored the course back to its original intent. These are all orginal holes, most L/M courses were built with 9 holes orginally and then added on and reconfigured. The only other complete L/M course I have played is the 18 hole Lawsonia Links(view course under slideshow tab}. Culver is a more dramatic property than Lawsonia and ranks right at the top of the list of the 9 courses by L/M I have played.

If anyone has ever visited Mackinaw Island you know the feeling when you step off the boat onto the island- a step back in time. When I walked to the first tee at Culver I felt the same way. Huge undulating greens, rollicking terrain with blind shots, and very firm and fast greens. There are three 3's, 4's, and 5's. The par 3's all play around 170 yards. The first #2 plays uphill to a redan style green, the second #3 is downhill, surrounded by flat bottom bunkers, the last #8 is farily level with all challenging.

The first Par four #4 is a magnificient, sharp DL left which you need to hit your tee shot about 265 yards to be in the best position for your uphill approach shot. Unfortantly, that distance left me quickly 6 years ago. The front left portion of the green can put you in some deep doodoo if you mess with it. This was one of my favorite holes at Culver. #6 and #7 are more conventional, long, par fours.

The three Par 5's all have a blind shot involoved and are the strongest group of holes here. #1 Is a dogleg left that you need to carry a 60' deep gorge to about 200 yds on the drive. Next you have a blind shot into the green if you have the length or play it to the right for your third. #5 is more strightforward and you may have a blind shot for your second to the largest back to front sloping green. The finishing hole you face a dogleg right off the tee to a blind second shot. These three holes are lots of fun and what is not to like about opening a Christmas present everytime you crest the top of hill and see your ball.

As I noted before these greens are as huge as most I have ever played, big undulations including false fronts, and every hole allows you to run your shots up on the putting surface. The conditioning is as firm and fast as you will want or you would running your ball of the greens. Of the 9 rounds on my trip North, this is by far the most memorable, that even I can recall every hole in detail. The only other 9 hole stretch that gave me this much enjoyment was the F9 at RCD. I want to thank Michael for the wonderful job he does keeping Culver in perfect playing conditions and for his generous hospitality. BLUE+

https://photos.app.goo.gl/Am11FQ5u59N8ytyu6

#882 Kampen Course at Purdue

Kampen was the original North course and has been totally recontructed in 1998 by Pete Dye at Purdue University. The two courses are totally different, which is what you want in a 36 hole complex. This is a flat, swampy, links style layout. Compared to the other course the holes here are very isolated and really not that pretty. The fairways are generous but you don't want to wander to far off or you will be in deep grass or wet. All the par 3's have water/swamp that come into play, which I found twice. My driver was also off a bit and I played Kampen 8 strokes higher than A-A. All the holes were interesting with no really great holes that jump out at you. I did like the short split FW #7 Par 4 with the pot bunker in front of the green, the blind #15 par 4, and the strong finishing Par 4 #18. If you have played as many Dye courses(25) as I have these type holes are usually characteristic of all of his designs. Kampen is also well conditioned and gets the nod over A-A and a BLUE rating.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/mH3JL8W97XkyggCV8

#881 Ackerman-Allen Course at Purdue

The Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Layfayette, IN is home to two 18 hole courses at Purdue University. Purdue took full advantage of the naming rights here bringing in four donors to maximize their coffers. Ackerman-Allen was designed in 1934 by Bill Diddle and renovated in 1968 by Larry Packard. Pete Dye arrived in 1998 and again in 2016 for a redesign and addition of two new holes. My initial reaction was this is Pete Dye Lite. Most holes there are a bunker on one side of the green and a swale to bailout in on the the other side. The greens are pure and conditioning excellent. The terrain is rolling and provides a very nice variety of playable holes. The opening holes are very friendly, #6,8,9 are my faorites on the F9. On the B9, #11 feels alot like #9, the short Par3 #13 was my favorite one shotter. The interesting par 5's #14 and #16 are sandwiched around a brute of a par 4. This is the most popular and easiest of the two courses.BLUE

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzNbnEo12bWSinXQ6

#880 Kokopelli GC

Kokopelli GC in Marion, ILL is a 1996 Steve Smymers design. One of the characteristics of a Smyers course is an extensive amount of bunkers. Aesthetically it is great but if you are the course owner it demands many manhours to maintain them. I was told the course was sold two years ago and the new owner has already removed half of the over 100 bunkers. Most of the remaining bunkers are in transition to new sand which has yet to arrive. So if you can get past the poor condition of the bunkers and the recent top dressing this actually is a pretty good course which next season I would hope presents itself better.

I have played several Smymers courses with the now defunct Wolf Run one of the most difficult I have ever experienced. Who could have thought that a course with a slope of 136 on the easiest set of tee's might have a problem? It was one of the most asethetic bunker designs I had played at the time. The major problem was once you got not far off the fairway the thick grass was up to your knees. My partner lost all their balls by the 17th hole and I finished with hardly a ball left. Go to the Slideshow section above and click on Wolf Run to view a beautiful golf course.

Kokopelli has several interesting holes, the 146 yd par3 5th is it's top one shot hole. It is adjacent to nice lodging options that a group of out of town golfers could stay in. #7 lives up to it #1 handicap rating and all the Par 5's are strong holes. The staff was very friendly and the clubhouse is able to host large receptions with a teaching center on the ground floor. GOLD rated

https://photos.app.goo.gl/RHEJTiQfJNSVQk6j8

Summer Golf Trip North 8/8-8/16

Kokopelli GC
Purdue-Ackerman/Allen Course
Purdue-Kampen Coourse
Culver Academy GC(9)
Warren GC
Notre Dame Burke(9)
Genesee Valley Meadows GC
Timbers GC
Vienna Greens GC

"The more we value things outside our control, the less control we have."- Marcus Aurelius

#879 Sherman Hills GC

I returned to the Brooksville area again this week to play another nice course, designed by Ted McAnlis in 1993. Conditioning was very good except, for the 13-15 holes, where I encountered temporay greens on 13, 14 and sparse turf in the FW of 15. This stretch is more heavyly treed and lower in elevation then the rest of the course which is probably the reason for the poor conditioning.

The opening five holes is an easy start to your round and I was a bit dissapointed, but starting on the 6th hole it became alot more challenging with just about every hole thereafter very interesting. #7 and #16 are brutes of par 3's. #8-11 is a nice stretch of par 4's with a lot of variety and the final three provide a strong par 3-4-5 finish. I hope to return next year after the holes are repaired and play it again.GOLD

"Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection."- Mark Twain

#878 Hernando Oaks GC

Hernando Oaks GC is a 2003 Steve Pate design in Brooksville, FL. This is the only Steve Pate course that I can verify that he designed all by himself. I am venturing further out as I have played almost every course in a 40 mile radius of The Villages. The course had modern contouring of the FW's and green complexes (Tiff/Eagle). There was heavy rain the night before and most of the bunkers were flooded but without any rain they would have been bad. Lack of sand and weeds growing in them is the one major negative for this course.

I found eleven holes interesting, Front 9(1,4,5,7,8,9) and the Back 9(10,13,16,17,18) by far the most enjoyable as it is totally isolated from any development with a strong finishing stretch. Even with the poor bunkers I gave it a GOLD rating.

Learn to sit back and observe. Not everything needs a reaction .

"Golf is like a love affair: If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun. If you do, it breaks your heart."- Louise Suggs

Favorite Golf Destination #4- Pebble Beach

My first really classic golf trip was in 2006. We landed in SF and immediatly headed over to Harding Park, where we had to wait way past our tee time and were only able to get in 15 holes. The Cypress trees were very impressive and we could see our next days challenge across Lake Merced.
The Olympic Club at that time, the fairways were heavyly tree lined and it was a challenge to keep it on some of the sloping FW's. It has many memorable holes, the hamburger in a hot dog shape at the turn, and the worst caddie experience I had ever had (see 6/13/12-Lary the Sleepy Caddie). But my highlight was the short par four 18th hole. I hit my approach shot long as it was a front pin day and wanted to make sure I didn't fall short. So I am left with at least a 30'ft downhill putt. Anyone who has played it from there knows that putt is a screamer. Somehow I hit the back of the cup and dropped it in for a Birdie!
We next drove down to Pebble Beach and played the Big three there. We stayed at Spanish Bay for one night to quarantee a PB tee time, which is still probably the most I have ever paid for a room. I played great at Pebble Beach but it was in the process of a bunker renovation and there was either no sand in the traps or new sand which when you hit in totally ate up your ball. The best shot of my life was the approach to #8, from 193 yds I hit it three feet behind the stick and it stuck in place. At Spanish Bay we played in a heavy ocean layer and at the very challenging Spyglass Hill course the #4 ocean hole was sensational.1-831-574-5609
The last stop on this half of the trip was at the Alistar MacKenzie, Pasatiempo GC in Santa Cruz. This is one of the greatest USA public courses I have ever played and if I could ever get a chance to play Cypress Point I would make sure to return here again.1-831-459-9155
I borrowed a camera and took an occasional photo along the way, this was the start of my Photo tours. These six courses were the greatest stretch of top courses I had ever played. From here we drove up to Bandon Dunes for 8 rounds. What a trip!!

"The truth has no defense against a fool determined to believe a lie."- Mark Twain

#877 Plantation on Crystal River- Lagoons 9

In 1981 the first hole of the championship course was shortened and the first tee of the Lagoons short course was created. The course superintendent, Glen Oberlander is credited with the design which now includes 3 par 4's (#6-8). It is a fun loop with the rustic, thread the needle, 120 yd Par 3 a real hoot. You have about a 15 yard opening from the tee to find the green.

With the craze now of short courses around the world, Crystal River GC was ahead of the crowd. Lagoons conditioning and greens aren't as good as the other course but it is always great to have an option for more golf after your 18. If I were in charge I would make it complementary for all 18 hole greens fee paying players, hoping they would come back in the clubhouse for another round of drinks. White rated.

#876 Plantation on Crystal River GC

Crystal River GC, formerly Paradise CC, was designed in 1958 by Mark Mahannah and is located in Crystal River, FL. Some have probably heard of this region because of the winter migration of Manatee's up the Crystal river. The golf course is very flat but with a nice assortment of doglegs, ponds, and some of the best greens I have played at a public course in Florida it is well worth the trip. The greens were not only very healthy but so firm that most of the time you didn't leave a ball mark. I found the B9 more challenging with 11-14 a strong stretch of holes, #13 is a good risk/reward hole that I wished I had been more aggressive and not layed up on. My favorite hole was the serpentine par 5 #16 that temps you to take on the pond fronting the green with your second approach shot. It is followed by the best par 3 at #17. I found #2, #6, and #7 interesting on the F9. Overall the par 5's are the stongest group of holes here.

The way the course manages their rakes in the bunkers was a first for me. They insert a PVC pipe down in the ground at the edge of the bunker and you just drop it down the capped top and it is vertical with only the rake end protruding. The staff is very professional and friendly. The director of golf shared with me the history of the course which I found very interesting, that Tommy Bolt once lived on the 10th hole and was part of the pro staff which included Gay Brewer, Doug Ford, Bob Goalby, among others. The orginal golf course lots in the 50's were priced under 5k and the promo stated "Thou shall dwell in Paradise" thus Paradise CC. The management hit a homerun with me with their priority of superb greens and outgoing staff to earn a GOLD rating. Call 352-795-7211 for golf and lodging.

#875 Cranes Roost at The Plantation GC

Cranes Roost is at the same complex in Leesburg, FL as Otter Creek, which I played 3 months ago. I was hopeful that the courses would be in better condition by now but Otter Creek has been closed and the greens here were pretty ragged. If I owned a golf course my first priority would be to have playable greens. Cranes Roost is a 1996 Clifton Group design and the better of the two here but until they can assure me of greens and fairways without any bare spots I will not return. This has the potential of a Gold rating but under the current conditions it only deserves a White.

"Learning never exhausts the mind."- Leonardo da Vinci

My Golf Game- Al Uhryniak, The Villages

Once again my score is high
Hitting my ball far and wide
I'm never going to shoot my age
This causes my little brain to rage
The shop says clubs, that's what you need
clearly with those you will succeed
And even though the price is high
I do commit for I'm not shy
Then off I go for another round
Confident of my turnaround
But then the ball still can't be found
My change of clubs has run aground
There is just one conclusion here
And obvious to any of my peers
It's something directly from the devil
The problem is clearly my skill level

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."- Thomas Edison

Favorite Golf Destination #3- Cruden Bay, Scotland

I usually don't return to a region more than once because I have too many courses on my bucket list yet to play. Cruden Bay is one step from heaven and a destination that I immediately fell in love with. It has one of the all time amazing views from the clubhouse overlooking the Cruden Bay and St. Olaf (9) courses, 1597 Slain's Castle (Bram Stoker's novel Dracula), and the North Sea.

Cruden Bay is one of the most unique, unforgettable designs, fun golf experience in the world. Old Tom and Tom Simpson are credited for most of the original design with a redesign of #9, 10, and 16 coming in 2014. If you love blind holes, #3, 14, and 15 will be some of the best you will ever play. After your round be sure to stop by for drinks and dinner in the club's dining room. We ate most all of our meals here, as the food is delicious and the service wonderful especially if your server is the delightful Irene B. On my first trip we stayed at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel, most recently we stayed in a nice, sleeps 8 home across from the clubhouse.

Within a 30 minute drive South you can play the magnificent Trump Scotland course, Royal Aberdeen, Newburgh-on-Ythan, and Murcar Links- one of my least favorites with some of the narrowest fairways ever. To the North 35 min is Fraserburgh and Peterhead. Cruden Bay is a laid back town, with very friendly people, and sensational views. You can easily spend a week here golfing and recharging your batteries. Call +44 1779 812285 for tee times.

"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."- Mark Twain

#874 The Links Club at Spruce Creek South

Located in Summerfield, FL this 1995 Terry Doss design was one of the better courses I have played regarding risk/reward. His dogleg designs are 90 degree so you can bite off as much as you want, some will require you to take on treelines. On the F9 I liked #4,6,7,and 9. My favorite was the straight away 487 yd par 5 #6 which has a large pond that comes into play on your second shot with a light house to the its right. The B9 starts out with a blind tee shot, short, DL 290 yd par 4. If going for this big risk/reward green you have to take on a small cattail area on the left side of the hole. I played it safe to the right and made an easy par. The 370 yd 12th, if you are JD, you could try and go for the green on this sharp DL right. Fall short and you will be in heavy grass in a depression. Again, I played it safe to the left of the treeline and made a birdie. #17 was my favorite hole on the course. A long 417 yd challenging DL left protected by trees on the left to a tiered geeen. I got stuck under the trees and was happy with a bogey to this back pin. #18 is a very challenging, serpentine par 5 which I usually like strong finishing holes. Except, I HATE to layup off the tee on a par 5. I hit driver, instead of 3W, trying to negotiate a narrow isthmus and ended up left into a heavy grass depression losing my yellow Chrome Soft. That shot screwed up a good B9. Conditioning was good except on 3 or 4 greens and it was a fun course to play with the risky holes. With the $25 coupon I had it was a great value and I will return again. White+

"Every day above earth is a good day."- Ernest Hemingway

Return to County Donegal and Rosapenna 2022

After over 2 years of Covid craziness I am hopeful of finally getting out of the country and returning to Ireland for the third time this Fall. On my 2011 trip I started in Dublin and went across the top of Ireland ending up in Carne. 23 rounds in 18 days and 10 lbs lighter I felt like I could have played golf forever. On that journey I had one stretch of real bad weather and it was in the NW Donegal region. At Ballyliffin Old it rained non stop the whole round (no Photos), next day was Sandy Hill and it snowed (would have frozen to death if Frank didn't make me take a buggy which allowed us to come back in and warm up), the third day was Cruit Island which I could not find so I headed south to Nairn and Portnoo where the winds were 45 MPH sustained and my traveling partner threw up on the way due to the winding roads. Can't get much worse than that stretch so I am returning with high hopes of sunshine and dry September weather.

I just confirmed the trip plan which is 12 nights and 12 rounds of True Links golf all in County Donegal. The highlight will be playing the new Tom Doak, St. Patrick's design at Rosapenna Resort twice. Below are my scheduled rounds:
Gweedore(14)
North West
Dunfanaghy
St. Patrick's x2
Coastguard Nine(9)
Sandy Hill
Old Tom Morris
Cruit Island (9)
Bundoran
Narin and Portnoo
Donegal

"The bond that links your true family is not of blood, but of respect and joy of each other."-Richard Bach

Favorite Golf Destination #2- St. Andrews, Scotland

Three times I have traveled to St Andrews and was fortunate to have played three rounds on The Old Course plus ten other courses in the immediate area. It is a close second to BDGR in my all time trips. From watching The Open for many years I was surprised at how small St. Andrews really is. My first glimpse of the Old Course was the 18th hole and I couldn't believe I was standing on the street right next to the green. Basically it is, two main streets, a University, lots of neat pubs and golf shops plus 7 golf courses affliated with the Links Trust. There are another 10-15 courses you can play within a 45 min drive. Dundee which is 30 minutes north opens up Carnoustie and its courses. My favorite course was Kingbarns and yes, I was a bit underwhelmed by the Old Course. A new links course, Dumbarnie, has recently opened nearby and maybe someday I will return. It is a trip every golfer should make at least once and its golf ambience is next to none. My last trip I didn't even play any golf, just walked around the town, hung out at The Dunvegan, and visited the Golf Museum.

If you need assistance in planning a Scottish golf vacation or want the best caddie for your Old Course experience contact: John Boyne at CaddieGolfTours@gmail.com

"A $600 Club doesn't fix a $1 Swing"

My Favorite Destinations/Resorts 1-10

I have been very fortunate to have played at most of the great destinations in the golf world. If you asked where I would go if I only had one trip left, it would be Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (BDGR). The following are some of my other top golf destinations.

1. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, USA-Located on the Pacific ocean in Oregon, my first trip to BDGR was in 2006 which opened my eyes to True Links golf (only 250 worldwide). I have since returned three more times to play a total of 24 rounds with ten of those on my favorite course, Pacific Dunes. BDGR has six top rated courses with excellent lodging and food service options available onsite. It is only a 25 minute shuttle ride from the airport (OTH), so there is no need to rent a car even if you choose to stay in the small town of Bandon. There is no finer collection of firm and fast playing golf courses in the world. All courses are walking only with amble number of caddies available, if you don't want to pull or carry your bag. On the horizon is a second public course in Bandon, New River Dunes to compliment Bandon Crossings, plus a Doak Par 3 at BDGR. You could easliy spend a week in Bandon experiencing all the fantastic golf. To book your trip call 855-220-6710

2. St. Andrews, Scotland

3. Cruden Bay, Scotland

4. Pebble Beach, USA

5. Troon/Turnberry, Scotland

6. Rosapenna, Ireland

7. Royal County Down, Northern Ireland

8. Pinehurst, USA

9. The American Club/Kohler, USA

10.Big Cedar Lodge, USA

Stay tuned as I write a short article on each of the above.

"I do not exist to impress the world. I exist to live my life in a way that will make me happy."- Richard Bach

#873 Otter Creek at The Plantation GC 1/21/22

The Plantation is a 36 hole complex in Leesburg, FL. The two nines at Otter Creek had to have been designed a few years apart or by different architects because they are so dissimilar. The front nine is very poorly conditioned with only four holes interesting-3,6,8,9. The back nine has newer housing and six nicely designed holes but again the conditioning is spotty at best. I would rate the F9 a Green and B9 a White for this 1988 George Clifton design. I had a $20 Group Golfer voucher and would say that was a fair value for this 18, with $15 of it going towards the back nine. Will wait until May to come back and try the other course and hope for better conditions. White-

Why no photo's of this course? I only photograph above average courses (Black, Blue, Gold rated), True Links, and Villages Championship which make up about 60% of the courses I have played. The lesser courses usually don't have enough quality holes of interest. I do post a few pictures of every new course I play on my Instagram account @inpursuitof1000

Golf is a never ending journey, it can and will take you places you never dreamed of.

Silver Springs Shores 1/14/21-Revisited

Desmond Muirhead designed The CC at Silver Springs Shores in 1969. At this time in the 60's he was one of the top architects in the world and soon after partnered with Jack Nicklaus. He held Jack's hand in his formative years of design and was instrumental in designing Muirfield Village and several other projects the seven years he was with him. Desmond was an urban planner and architect who got into golf course while he was planning a golf community in Arizona. After his experience with Nicklaus he stepped away from golf for 10 years and resurfaced with several eye opening "land sculpture" designs. SSS is by far one of the best designs in this region with excellent green complexes and challenging assortment of holes. Since I last played here 3 years ago the club has hired a new superintendent. The conditions are now very good which prompted me to take a full array of photos with my Iphone. Gold+
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https://photos.app.goo.gl/v7YmTKEZoFgzQPxSA

"Think about the next shot, not the last shot."- Johnny Bulla