Photo: Al Badia Golf Club clubhouse

[Tifosinumerouno]

[IMG]http://i890.photobucket.com/albums/ac107/MOMAZBOI4U/RossBridge3.jpg[/IMG] I'm a big fan of Ross Bridge in Hoover, AL. Part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and available to the public.

[MS256]

I'm a big fan of Ross Bridge in Hoover, AL. Part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, and available to the public.

I've always wanted to ride down and play that course, but at over 8,100 yards it will probably make a fool out of me.

[mchepp]

Next time I'm in the area I'll see if we can get a foursome together, still know a lot of the guys there.  I'm a popular guest in the Member-Guest tournaments ;-)

That would be excellent!

[Righty to Lefty]

I like it all, to me it is about the experience of seeing and playing different places.

Don't think it will be on my bucket list unless I won the loto, but would not turn down a chance to see and play there.

Thanks for sharing the pictures.

My thoughts exactly.  I'm never going to talk about the clubhouse that looks like my house. I 'm going to talk about the "the big ass Falcon Clubhouse in Abu Dhabi." The golf course is the real story and why people come there.

[Lihu]

Abu Dhabi Golf Club  U.A.E.

I think it takes the cake as the coolest clubhouse I've ever seen.

"Where's Emirates flight 4554 to LAX, please?"

[Lihu]

@Ernest Jones ,

How about this one?

[nevets88]

@nevets88 Take me with you.... I have been trying to get on Cal Club for some time now. The guy I know threw is back out and has not been playing golf for over a year now. So I am stuck waiting.

[quote name="mvmac" url="/t/70857/photo-al-badia-golf-club-clubhouse#post_914804"] Yeah grew up playing there, my Dad was a member for 25 years. Next time I'm in the area I'll see if we can get a foursome together, still know a lot of the guys there.  I'm a popular guest in the Member-Guest tournaments ;-)   [/quote] If I could get on @mchepp I'd invite you and everyone on TST! mvmac, you're a gentleman and a scholar. How would you compare golf in SF vs SD?

[Righty to Lefty]

"Where's Emirates flight 4554 to LAX, please?"

I've played golf in Southern Cali but have you played in the Middle East?  Don't knock it til you've played there. The golf is real good in the region and hospitality is second to none I assure you.

[Lihu]

I've played golf in Southern Cali but have you played in the Middle East?  Don't knock it til you've played there. The golf is real good in the region and hospitality is second to none I assure you.

Sorry, I didn't mean any offense. It looks like an expensive airport. It also looks like golf is taken very seriously there. I looked up the rates and converted them to dollars, and they actually seem quite reasonable considering the rich and posh exterior.

[mvmac]

mvmac, you're a gentleman and a scholar. How would you compare golf in SF vs SD?

Night and day.  Best course down here is Torrey Pines South, Rancho Santa Fe Country Club or San Diego CC and I would say they are good but not great.  After those two, there is a bunch of mediocre golf.  You just don't have the classic courses like Olympic, Harding, SF CC, Pasatiempo or Cal Club.  One reason I was told was that most of the "big" money back in the early 1900's stopped moving south once they got to LA.  We know of the great courses in that area.  So there just wasn't the "investment" that you might see in areas like SF, New York, etc.

Courses can also struggle with conditions due to lack of water, salt content in the water and poor soil conditions.  Don't know what it is but they have a tough time growing grass in San Diego.  On average, course conditions are much better in Nor Cal.

Currently watching the Champions Tour at Harding and I'm loving it.  Played A LOT of golf at Harding, with my grandfather and in The City.  My great uncle was the head pro at Harding in the 60's and 70's, my Dad starting working in the cart barn when he was 13, my uncle won The City in '82, so lots of family ties to Harding.

[mchepp]

Currently watching the Champions Tour at Harding and I'm loving it.  Played A LOT of golf at Harding, with my grandfather and in The City.  My great uncle was the head pro at Harding in the 60's and 70's, my Dad starting working in the cart barn when he was 13, my uncle won The City in '82, so lots of family ties to Harding.

Harding is very different now then it was then. They have changed quite a bit in the last 8-10 years.

[nevets88]

Night and day.  Best course down here is Torrey Pines South, Rancho Santa Fe Country Club or San Diego CC and I would say they are good but not great.  After those two, there is a bunch of mediocre golf.  You just don't have the classic courses like Olympic, Harding, SF CC, Pasatiempo or Cal Club.  One reason I was told was that most of the "big" money back in the early 1900's stopped moving south once they got to LA.  We know of the great courses in that area.  So there just wasn't the "investment" that you might see in areas like SF, New York, etc.

Courses can also struggle with conditions due to lack of water, salt content in the water and poor soil conditions.  Don't know what it is but they have a tough time growing grass in San Diego.  On average, course conditions are much better in Nor Cal.

Currently watching the Champions Tour at Harding and I'm loving it.  Played A LOT of golf at Harding, with my grandfather and in The City.  My great uncle was the head pro at Harding in the 60's and 70's, my Dad starting working in the cart barn when he was 13, my uncle won The City in '82, so lots of family ties to Harding.

Nice to have family in the game, huh? Interesting. SF gets about 20 inches of rain per year compared to SD's 10, but courses look very green. Water retention? Fog? Ahem, marine layer ?

[nevets88]

My new favorite. Functional, spartan, lots of windows.

[nevets88]

Forget if this was in Australia or New Zealand.

BC