GolfWeek's Best Courses (You Can Play) - Are they Right for Your State?

[mcanadiens]

9 minutes ago, The Flush said:

I have heard that Cooks Creek is now just about out of business.  They are down to only 9 holes and don't have carts because they weren't paying their bills and now no-one will lease carts to them. It is sad because the couple times I played there it seemed to be really nice.

Yep That's what I hear.

My Columbus people say it isn't worth the gas to get there now.

[georgep]

Last time I played Cooks (2 years ago) the fairways and greens were still good but everything else was rundown. It’s a really good layout but it may soon join the list of good Cbus tracks that bit the dust.

[saevel25]

10 hours ago, georgep said:

Last time I played Cooks (2 years ago) the fairways and greens were still good but everything else was rundown. It’s a really good layout but it may soon join the list of good Cbus tracks that bit the dust.

It's been at least 8 years since I played that course. It was in great shape back then. I enjoyed the course. I think I shot like an 85 with 4-5 lateral hazards. Every time I hit a ball in the water I hit the green and made the putt. It was just a weird round. 

[KMP]

Washington

Best Courses You Can Play

1. Gamble Sands, Brewster (No. 42 m)
2. Chambers Bay, University Place (No. 50 m)
3. Wine Valley, Walla Walla (m)
4. Salish Cliffs, Shelton, (m)
5. Olympic Course at Gold Mountain, Bremerton (m)
6. Palouse Ridge, Pullman (m)
7. White Horse, Kingston (m)
8. Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, Port Orchard (m)
9. Loomis Trail, Blaine (m)
10. Semiahmoo GC, Blaine (m)

 

Chambers is #1 IMO. What I don't understand is why The Home Course never appears on any list. 

[The Flush]

I played Eagle Sticks, #10 on the Ohio list, yesterday. It is a nice course. Greens and fairways were in good condition. Certainly not boring. As others have said, there are no flat lies on the course other than the tees. Beautiful terrain. 

My only real complaint is the the bunkers need a lot of attention. It was not just the standing water from all the recent rain, but it looked like they have not had fresh sand in a few years. They were mostly hard and compacted with no loose sand although I did end up in one green side bunker that someone raked before me and I was able to play a proper bunker shot (my only good shot of the day).

We had a GroupGolfer deal to play for $25 including cart and range balls.  So that was a good deal, although it was a 2 hour drive each way.  The forecast was good a week ago when we booked our tee time, but it started raining just before our 12:48 start and rained for over an hour.  We were soaked, but dried out after the rained stopped.  It took almost 5 hours to play with us and the group in front of us waiting on every hole. There were 2 groups waiting on #10 tee. My son almost drove the green on a short par 4 while the group in front was still putting and the group behind us did the same on another short par 4. Honest mistake both times. A course employee picked up my son's ball in the rough on one hole, that kind of sucked. I don't know how much of the slow pace was due to the rain, the difficulty of the course, 5 par 3s, or the skill or attitude of the players.

I would play again for $25, but don't think I would drive 2 hours for the regular rate.

[saevel25]

Ohio - Best Courses You Can Play

1. Manakiki, Willoughby (c)
2. Fowler’s Mill (Lake & River), Chesterland (m)
3. The Virtues, Nashport (m) - Played
4. Boulder Creek, Streetsboro (m) - Played
5. Sleepy Hollow, Brecksville (c) - Played
6. Stonelick Hills, Batavia (m)
7. The Quarry, Canton (m) - Played
8. Little Mountain, Painesville (m)
9. Cooks Creek, South Bloomfield (m) - Played
10. EagleSticks, Zanesville (m) - Played

I need to played the last remaining 4 courses. Especially when 3 out of 4 are with in a 1-1.5 hour drive of me. Stonelick is almost the furthest you can get away from Akron in Ohio. 

 

[iacas]

You haven't played Little Mountain?

[saevel25]

Just now, iacas said:

You haven't played Little Mountain?

Correct, I haven't had the chance to play that one yet. 

[mcanadiens]

30 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Ohio - Best Courses You Can Play

1. Manakiki, Willoughby (c)
2. Fowler’s Mill (Lake & River), Chesterland (m)
3. The Virtues, Nashport (m) - Played
4. Boulder Creek, Streetsboro (m) - Played
5. Sleepy Hollow, Brecksville (c) - Played
6. Stonelick Hills, Batavia (m)
7. The Quarry, Canton (m) - Played
8. Little Mountain, Painesville (m)
9. Cooks Creek, South Bloomfield (m) - Played
10. EagleSticks, Zanesville (m) - Played

Dayton-area courses never make these sort of lists and, sadly, my traveling days are over.

Is The Virtues slipping? Thought they used to take the top spot all the time.

[saevel25]

1 minute ago, mcanadiens said:

Dayton-area courses never make these sort of lists and, sadly, my traveling days are over.

Is The Virtues slipping? Thought they used to take the top spot all the time.

There is many more golf courses in NE than SW Ohio. Especially the Dayton area. 

Beavercreek is a fun course. I would put it up there with many courses I played in NE Ohio. 

[mcanadiens]

4 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Beavercreek is a fun course. I would put it up there with many courses I played in NE Ohio. 

That's my old hometown. Got a friend that takes me out there once or twice a year and I agree that it is very nice. 

 

[SG11118]

Minnesota

1. Giants Ridge (Quarry), Biwabik (m) 
2. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay, Tower (m) 
3. Breezy Point Resort (Deacon’s Lodge), Brainerd (m) 
4. The Classic at Madden’s, Brainerd (m)
5. Chaska Town Course, Chaska (m)
6. Meadows at Mystic Lake, Prior Lake (m)
7. Jewel GC, Lake City (m)
8. Dacotah Ridge, Morton (m) 
9. Rush Creek, Maple Grove (m)
10. Giants Ridge (Legends), Biwabik (m) 
(m): modern
(c): classic

I've only played 1, 2, 8, and 10 from this list.  Kind of weird that not a single classic course shows up on this list, and only two in the Twin Cities area.  I guess most of the good classic courses in Minnesota are private...  I probably would have had a little different list taking off the ones I haven't played and putting on my favorite other 6 courses that I have played.  

 

[ChetlovesMer]

Ohio - Best Courses You Can Play

1. Manakiki, Willoughby - 
2. Fowler’s Mill (Lake & River), Chesterland - 
3. The Virtues, Nashport - Played 👍I only played it once. I'm thinking I should give it another day in court. 
4. Boulder Creek, Streetsboro - Played it a lot. 👍I give it a thumbs up. Having said that it is probably over-rated. 
5. Sleepy Hollow, Brecksville - 
6. Stonelick Hills, Batavia - 
7. The Quarry, Canton - Was supposed to play it. Got rained out. 
8. Little Mountain, Painesville - Played. 👍Might be my favorite on the list. Not sure why, but I enjoy this one. 
9. Cooks Creek, South Bloomfield - Played years ago. I've also heard it's fallen on hard times. 
10. EagleSticks, Zanesville - Played a few times. 👍I like it. Not perfect, but you can get it at a good value. For what ever reason Golf Websites are always running this one at value prices. 

So, I've only played half the courses on the list. In August I will have lived in Ohio for 10 years. So, I better get on it and knock a few more of these off the list. 

 

On 6/21/2021 at 12:14 PM, saevel25 said:

Beavercreek is a fun course. I would put it up there with many courses I played in NE Ohio. 

I second that. Beavercreek is a good one.