Jump to content
IGNORED

Best Military Courses?


putt and pray
Note: This thread is 3517 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

I've been out of the military for a while (since 1989), but have played some nice courses, my favorite isn't a military base anymore,

I was stationed in the Philippines, both at Clark and Subic, and the Binictican Valley Golf Club at Subic Bay, was probably my favorite course, I loved the layout (only course I played that you grabbed a rope toe to balance yourself to go from the 2nd hole to 3rd tee.  Everything cut through the jungle, weather was awesome (except the rainy season) and this is where I actually got good playing.  I think I played almost every day for over 2 years, went to the PI as a 9-10 handicap and left as a 2.

The course at Camp John Hay was also very nice, probably the most fun to play as I got to go there TDY to play golf for 9 days in the Fil-Am Golf Tournament.  That was awesome. :-) The Clark AB course was also very nice, but I didn't play that one as much as I was on a detachment to Subic Bay and was there for 2 years.

I kick myself in the ass for not playing the Course at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, in CA, when i was stationed at Edwards AFB (although I did get to see the shuttle land 3 times).  I heard it was almost as nice as the other big name golf courses, Pebble, Spyglass, etc.  Closed in 1994, should have played it when I was there. It's now called the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course and re-opened in the last year, looks awesome on the website.  I also should have played the course at Vandenburg AFB while I was out there as well.

-Jerry

Driver: Titleist 913 D3 (9.5 degree) – Aldila RIP 60-2.9-Stiff; Callaway Mini-Driver Kura Kage 60g shaft - 12 degree Hybrids: Callway X2 Hot Pro - 16 degree & 23 degree – Pro-Shaft; Callway X2 Hot – 5H & 6H Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 7 thru AW with S300 Dynamic Gold Wedges: Titleist Vokey GW (54 degree), Callaway MackDaddy PM Grind SW (58 degree) Putter: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch Heavy Balls: Titleist Pro V1x & Snell MyTourBall

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots but you have to play the ball where it lies."- Bobby Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Other courses played:

Edwards AFB, CA - Pretty decent course

March AFB, CA  -Pretty good course

Laughlin AFB, TX - OK course

Andrews AFB, MD - Pretty good courses

Fort Belvoir, VA - Pretty good courses

Chanute AFB, IL  -OK Course

Randolph AFB, TX - Pretty decent course

Loring AFB, ME - Really good 9 hole course

Brunswick NS, ME - Decent 9 hole course

Fort Meade, MD - Didn't like the course

-Jerry

Driver: Titleist 913 D3 (9.5 degree) – Aldila RIP 60-2.9-Stiff; Callaway Mini-Driver Kura Kage 60g shaft - 12 degree Hybrids: Callway X2 Hot Pro - 16 degree & 23 degree – Pro-Shaft; Callway X2 Hot – 5H & 6H Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 7 thru AW with S300 Dynamic Gold Wedges: Titleist Vokey GW (54 degree), Callaway MackDaddy PM Grind SW (58 degree) Putter: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch Heavy Balls: Titleist Pro V1x & Snell MyTourBall

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots but you have to play the ball where it lies."- Bobby Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

when i was stationed at Edwards AFB (although I did get to see the shuttle land 3 times).

No kidding? I was there '88-'91.

:offtopic:

Craig
What's in the :ogio: Silencer bag (on the :clicgear: cart)
Driver: :callaway: Razr Fit 10.5°  
5 Wood: :tmade: Burner  
Hybrid: :cobra: Baffler DWS 20°
Irons: :ping: G400 
Wedge: :ping: Glide 2.0 54° ES grind 
Putter: :heavyputter:  midweight CX2
:aimpoint:,  :bushnell: Tour V4

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Without a doubt, the best was Marine Corps Kaneohe Bay Klipper course in Hawaii.

Fort Knox had a real nice course with one hole that went right up to the gold depository.  Very cool, but a ball over that fence was GONE, unless you wanted to get shot.

Awase Meadows in Okinawa was a good track that has since closed and reopened as I understand, even better.

29 Palms, CA had a nasty little 9-hole course in the middle of the desert that was better than no golf......but not by a whole lot.

Andrews AFB was ok.

MCAS Cherry Point in NC was ok, but I liked Camp Lejeune, better.  They had two courses, and you had to have an established handicap less than 18 in order to be allowed on the better of the two courses.  That was nice...... :-)

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I've been out of the military for a while (since 1989), but have played some nice courses, my favorite isn't a military base anymore, I was stationed in the Philippines, both at Clark and Subic, and the Binictican Valley Golf Club at Subic Bay, was probably my favorite course, I loved the layout (only course I played that you grabbed a rope toe to balance yourself to go from the 2nd hole to 3rd tee.  Everything cut through the jungle, weather was awesome (except the rainy season) and this is where I actually got good playing.  I think I played almost every day for over 2 years, went to the PI as a 9-10 handicap and left as a 2.     The course at Camp John Hay was also very nice, probably the most fun to play as I got to go there TDY to play golf for 9 days in the Fil-Am Golf Tournament.  That was awesome.  :-)   The Clark AB course was also very nice, but I didn't play that one as much as I was on a detachment to Subic Bay and was there for 2 years. I kick myself in the ass for not playing the Course at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, in CA, when i was stationed at Edwards AFB (although I did get to see the shuttle land 3 times).  I heard it was almost as nice as the other big name golf courses, Pebble, Spyglass, etc.  Closed in 1994, should have played it when I was there. It's now called the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course and re-opened in the last year, looks awesome on the website.  I also should have played the course at Vandenburg AFB while I was out there as well.

I spent some time in Subic and Olongapo back in the mid-80's, but I never seemed to make it to a golf course...... :-D

In David's bag....

Driver: Titleist 910 D-3;  9.5* Diamana Kai'li
3-Wood: Titleist 910F;  15* Diamana Kai'li
Hybrids: Titleist 910H 19* and 21* Diamana Kai'li
Irons: Titleist 695cb 5-Pw

Wedges: Scratch 51-11 TNC grind, Vokey SM-5's;  56-14 F grind and 60-11 K grind
Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi S
Ball: ProV1

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I never played many during my tour during the entirety of the eighties.

Played in Mt. Home AFB Id. ...a nice little course but nothing stood out about it.

Played Clark's course in the Philippines in the mid-eighties while I was TDY for Cope Thunder exercise. Nice layout, but the biggest thing I remember about that course was the heat and humidity. Had to use rental clubs without a glove and couldn't hold on to them after the second hole. That and cracking up over the Filipino kids fighting over who got to be our caddies and being warned to look out for cobras.

Lowry AFB in Denver was a decent course but the best one of the courses I played would have to be the old Fitzsimons Army hospital in Denver. A stately old course covered with 100 year old oaks. Fairly hilly, on one hole you had to turn around to look up a mirror mounted in a tree to see when it was clear to tee off. Another hole teed off just across the street from the east west approach at  the old Stapleton Airport. The approach lights started literally 100 feet from where you teed off. It felt like you could hit an airliner of you skied it off the tee and the vortexes off the wingtips played havoc with the treetops lining the hole. The approach was directly straight at you coming from the green to the tee box. Fun times.

Looking at that list I just realized that Mt. Home is the only one of those bases that is still around.:(

Lee

In My Bag... Driver:Titleist 913D3  3 Wood: Dunlop 16deg railer  Hybr:Titleist 910H 24deg  4-GW:Mizuno JPX825Pros

                        Sand Wedge: Titleist Vokey 256-14  60deg: Mizuno Zoid   Putter: Odyssey WH Rossie (Left handed)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


No kidding? I was there '88-'91. :offtopic:

Yes, was there from May 87 to May 88 when I got out of the service.

-Jerry

Driver: Titleist 913 D3 (9.5 degree) – Aldila RIP 60-2.9-Stiff; Callaway Mini-Driver Kura Kage 60g shaft - 12 degree Hybrids: Callway X2 Hot Pro - 16 degree & 23 degree – Pro-Shaft; Callway X2 Hot – 5H & 6H Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 7 thru AW with S300 Dynamic Gold Wedges: Titleist Vokey GW (54 degree), Callaway MackDaddy PM Grind SW (58 degree) Putter: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch Heavy Balls: Titleist Pro V1x & Snell MyTourBall

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots but you have to play the ball where it lies."- Bobby Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I spent some time in Subic and Olongapo back in the mid-80's, but I never seemed to make it to a golf course...... :-D

I was at Clark AB from Sept. 1985 to feb 1986 and then got transferred to Subic until May 1988, worked at an AF fuels pump station, I played golf then went downtown and visited the sites or I stayed all knight, got up and then played golf. ;-)

-Jerry

Driver: Titleist 913 D3 (9.5 degree) – Aldila RIP 60-2.9-Stiff; Callaway Mini-Driver Kura Kage 60g shaft - 12 degree Hybrids: Callway X2 Hot Pro - 16 degree & 23 degree – Pro-Shaft; Callway X2 Hot – 5H & 6H Irons: Titleist 714 AP2 7 thru AW with S300 Dynamic Gold Wedges: Titleist Vokey GW (54 degree), Callaway MackDaddy PM Grind SW (58 degree) Putter: Ping Cadence TR Ketsch Heavy Balls: Titleist Pro V1x & Snell MyTourBall

"Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots but you have to play the ball where it lies."- Bobby Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Coronado is good and Kaneohe Klipper golf course in hawaii

Driver: Titleist 915 D3
3 wood: 15 Callaway X Hot pro
Hybrids:  18 Callaway X Hot Pro
Irons: 4-GW Callaway Apex
project x 6.0
Wedges: 54 , 58 Callaway
Putter: 2 ball
Ball: Callaway Chrome

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

I'm gonna make you all feel old... I wasn't even born til 89' !! I appreciate all the great answers so far! I've been to Subic twice on the USS Denver but I had not yet discovered golf... So much for that opportunity. The only "cool" thing I've done is watch a practice round at Augusta National while working at Fort Gordon.
Link to comment
Share on other sites


Kaneohe Klipper as some have mentioned was my regular track for 3 years. Air Force academy and West Point both have excellent courses. Other than those, Lackland AFB in San Antonio had a pretty good course with lots of trees and elevation changes.

Kevin

Titleist 910 D3 9.5* with ahina 72 X flex
Titleist 910F 13.5* with ahina 72 X flex
Adams Idea A12 Pro hybrid 18*; 23* with RIP S flex
Titleist 712 AP2 4-9 iron with KBS C-Taper, S+ flex
Titleist Vokey SM wedges 48*, 52*, 58*
Odyssey White Hot 2-ball mallet, center shaft, 34"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Played the course at Parris Island. A beautiful piece of property, and very reasonably priced. Played with a buddy that was stationed at the Naval hospital in Beaufort,SC. Played on a Friday, and went to the third round of the Masters on Saturday. Great weekend!
Link to comment
Share on other sites


I've played many courses.. the best and usually voted is the USAFA Course.

Courses I've played..

Ft.Bragg

Ft.Carson

USAFA

Ft. Lewis

Mchord AFB

Keesler AFB

Whiteman AFB

NPS naval course

Bayonet and Blackhorse

Nellis AFB

McDill AFB

White Sands

Maxwell AFB

Hickman AFB

I thin that might be it. These are in no particular order.

Tools in the Ogio bag.
Driver      Callaway
 Razr Fit Xtreme 8.5* Extra Stiff

3 wood   Callaway X hot Stiff flex

Hybrid     Ping I20 3H 20* & 4H 23*
Irons       Ping  I20 5-PW

Wedges  Ping Tour Gorge 52 & 56 Callaway Mack daddy 60*

Putter     Scotty Cameron Monterey

Balls      Bridgestone B-330

Shoes          Skycaddie SGX

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I've been out of the military for a while (since 1989), but have played some nice courses, my favorite isn't a military base anymore,

I was stationed in the Philippines, both at Clark and Subic, and the Binictican Valley Golf Club at Subic Bay, was probably my favorite course, I loved the layout (only course I played that you grabbed a rope toe to balance yourself to go from the 2nd hole to 3rd tee.  Everything cut through the jungle, weather was awesome (except the rainy season) and this is where I actually got good playing.  I think I played almost every day for over 2 years, went to the PI as a 9-10 handicap and left as a 2.

The course at Camp John Hay was also very nice, probably the most fun to play as I got to go there TDY to play golf for 9 days in the Fil-Am Golf Tournament.  That was awesome.    The Clark AB course was also very nice, but I didn't play that one as much as I was on a detachment to Subic Bay and was there for 2 years.

I kick myself in the ass for not playing the Course at Fort Ord in Monterey Bay, in CA, when i was stationed at Edwards AFB (although I did get to see the shuttle land 3 times).  I heard it was almost as nice as the other big name golf courses, Pebble, Spyglass, etc.  Closed in 1994, should have played it when I was there. It's now called the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course and re-opened in the last year, looks awesome on the website.  I also should have played the course at Vandenburg AFB while I was out there as well.

It was always called Bayonet and Blackhorse.. and it was a beautiful course, before and even better after the remodel.

Tools in the Ogio bag.
Driver      Callaway
 Razr Fit Xtreme 8.5* Extra Stiff

3 wood   Callaway X hot Stiff flex

Hybrid     Ping I20 3H 20* & 4H 23*
Irons       Ping  I20 5-PW

Wedges  Ping Tour Gorge 52 & 56 Callaway Mack daddy 60*

Putter     Scotty Cameron Monterey

Balls      Bridgestone B-330

Shoes          Skycaddie SGX

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 4 months later...

The best I've played, in order of preference:

1. Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course, Marine Corps Base Hawaii.  It's a fun course, and you can't beat the views.  It won't offer much of a challenge though, even from the tips.  But playing the 13th is worth the entire green fee all on its own.  Conditioning was super

2. Eisenhower Golf Course (Blue), Air Force Academy.  Nice test of golf with great views of the Rockies - and always in great condition.

3. Andrews AFB near DC.  Andrews has three tracks, but the South is the best of the bunch.  I might have ranked it higher if it didn't remind me of every course I play around home in southeastern VA.

4. Mamala Bay, Hickam AFB in Hawaii. The winds off Pearl Harbor make this much more difficult than it looks.

5. Sea 'N Air Golf Course, I had never heard of it until I went to Coronado Naval Base on business.  Couldn't have been more impressed, despite bumpy greens (an abnormal condition, from what I heard).

6. Eisenhower Golf Course (Silver), Air Force Academy.  More fun, in my opinion, than the much more championship ready blue course - but at 6500 yards in the mountains, it's basically pitch and putt.

Tracks I wouldn't rank near these ...

Eaglewood Golf Course, Langley AFB in VA.  Not bad after Hurricane Isabel destroyed to the point of a required re-build, but still not worthy of ranking.

The Pines at Ft. Eustis, VA.  Total garbage.

Tinker Golf Course, Tinker AFB in OK City.  Wasn't bad; just not a lot of character and wasn't in good condition when I played it.  Play it in the winter and hitting into the greens is like playing onto the hardwood floor at Chesapeake Arena.

Navy-Marine, Pearl Harbor.  Good course.  Played it when it was jam packed and hard as a brick, but a good test of golf.  However, with Mamala Bay and Kaneohe so close, it couldn't compete.

Sunrise Vista, Nellis AFB outside Las Vegas.  Worst military course I've ever played, bar none.  Especially when you consider the alternative public courses nearby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


I've played both course at McDill AFB in Tampa and Moody AFB (9 hole) in Valdosta Ga. All are pretty nice.

Driver.......Ping K15 9.5* stiff 3 wood.....Ping K15 16* stiff 5 wood.....Ping K15 19* stiff 4 Hybrid...Cleveland Gliderail 23* stiff 5 - PW......Pinhawk SL GW...........Tommy Armour 52* SW...........Tommy Armour 56* LW...........Tommy Armour 60* FW...........Diamond Tour 68* Putter.......Golfsmith Dyna Mite Ball..........Volvik Vista iV Green Bag..........Bennington Quiet Organizer Shoes.... ..Crocs

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 3517 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...