Closed Courses You Formerly Played

[bkuehn1952]

Several years ago I discovered that the course in WI, where my golf journey had begun, had been sold and was no longer in operation. A lot of memories plowed under by a bulldozer.

Michigan has many public courses, perhaps too many.  Every year brings a handful of closings.  My personal count of courses I once played that are now subdivisions or farm fields has hit 10+ in the recent years.  I often wonder which course will be next.  So far, none of the closed courses have been part of my regular rota.

Anyone have a favorite course shut down?

[chilepepper]

Fall brook golf course, Escondido CC. These fell into disrepair, lack of maintenance and were questionable for some time before they closed 

  Stoneridge CC closed this past year and was a private track but I got on through a couple Groupon deals. Not really sure why they didn’t try a semi private format and keep it alive. It wasn’t a bad track and the LPGA Kyocera used to be held there

i believe Stoneridge and Escondido were bought by the same developer with the intention of putting in homes but both projects have been blocked

[freshmanUTA]

Ironic you made this post. The first golf course I ever had the chance to play closed down this weekend. Yesterday they had a sign up saying that it was the last day to play in and that they were closing shop. It was kind of run down but it was 9 holes with 2 par 5s and a par 3. As far as I remember it wasn’t ever a horrible course, just a little beat up because they didn’t have any of the proper machinery to maintain the course.

Today, I walked into the shop and told them I just had to play one last round. The owner was inside and told me I was free to play as many holes as I’d like but the course hadn’t been properly maintained in a while cause they had no money.

It’s a shame really, when a i was a kid I remember they had a “driving range,” which was really just mats hitting into a net about 25 feet away, and that was the first place I’d ever hit a ball. 

When I finished going around the course twice i stopped in and shook the owners hand and asked for a few scorecards I can keep for the memories. It was really sad.

[Patch]

I don't remember all their names, but there are quite a few in the Vegas Valley area that closed, that I use to play. Most were pretty old. Places where Crosby, Hope, and other entertainers of that era frequented. 

Craig Ranch was turned into a regional park by the city of North Las Vegas. I did hear a rumor that they may have turned it back into a golf course, but I don't know for sure. 

Mt Charleston Golf Course closed due to lack of revenue. A true mountain course. 

The Dunes course was closed for business reasons. 

One of them, "Fairways to the Stars" closed a long time ago. 

There was another, Desert Inn, that was closed down, and a new one put in it's place. My Dad use to take me there to see the pros play. Palmer was a big draw at the time. I got to play the original. 

There's another one, Black Mountain that a group of investers are trying to close down right now. Lack of revenue being the reason. Local Henderson Nv golfers are fighting to keep it open. They don't have City Hall's backing. 

There is one or two more that closed down. A guy would buy up the land at a cheap price for public use. Build a course, and then a couple years later,  get it rezoned for housing. His reasoning was due to lack of revenue. He was told to stop doing this. Some other folks went to jail over the scheme. 

There is one at Lake Las Vegas that was closed for quite a while. it might be open now. Again, lack of revenue the reasoning. 

[HJJ003]

Texas National in my hometown. Was a great course in its heyday, even had write ups about it in various golf magazines about it being great homage to Augusta. It wasn’t that special anymore when I started playing it in the early 2000s, but it was still a great track. Condition declined severely to the point where in 2013 my buddy and I were paying $20 bucks for all day play with a cart. It officially closed in 2014 or 2015. They could never get enough money to keep the place up to its original standards. I can still remember every bit of the front nine, and most of the back. 

[gregsandiego]

  On 5/13/2018 at 1:11 AM, chilepepper said:

Fall brook golf course, Escondido CC. These fell into disrepair, lack of maintenance and were questionable for some time before they closed 

  Stoneridge CC closed this past year and was a private track but I got on through a couple Groupon deals. Not really sure why they didn’t try a semi private format and keep it alive. It wasn’t a bad track and the LPGA Kyocera used to be held there

i believe Stoneridge and Escondido were bought by the same developer with the intention of putting in homes but both projects have been blocked

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Carmel Highland golf was a nice easy and low cost option. I think it's still sitting there vacant.

 

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/golf/sdut-carmel-highland-closing-golf-2015feb16-story.html

 

[chilepepper]

  On 5/13/2018 at 3:48 AM, gregsandiego said:

Carmel Highland golf was a nice easy and low cost option. I think it's still sitting there vacant.

 

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/golf/sdut-carmel-highland-closing-golf-2015feb16-story.html

 

Expand  

Oh yes.....forgot about that one...drive by it daily

[The Recreational Golfer]

Auburn Center Golf Course, built in Salem, Oregon in 1959, a 1,330-yard executive 9-holer, closed last year. I played it all the time when I wanted to scratch my golfing itch but didn't have time to go to the bigger courses. It's being turned into a church parking lot.

[Buckeyebowman]

Well, let's see. There is Doughton Golf Course, the first course where I actually "witnessed" a round of golf between my Dad and the next door neighbor. Candywood GC, a gorgeous track with beautiful greens. Copeland Hills GC, 7000+ yds with enormous fast and sloping greens. A true test of golf! Salem Hills GC, another beautiful layout bought at auction by the next door farmer, The pro convinced him to let him try to make a financial go of it! So far, so good!

There have been others further afield like Orchard Hills, which was also a wonderful course. I live in NE Ohio and yes, we were "overbuilt" for golf!

[mcanadiens]

I'm not entirely sure if it is actually shut or not, but the scene of my first-ever round of golf is making way for senior housing. That course is/was the par-3 Rollandia GC in Dayton OH. Rollandia is just long enough to allow you to hit your big clubs a couple of times, without beating up the beginners. With a nice range, it was a great place to get started.

From what I have heard, the place was making money, but the land it was on was just too valuable.

 

 

[NM Golf]

http://www.cougarcanyonliving.com/main/golf

Cougar Canyon Golf Club in Trinidad Colorado. Never understood why someone would build a Nicklaus course like that in the middle of nowhere. It was an awesome course, ranked among the best in Colorado during its 5-6 year run. Someone lost a bundle of money on that one.

[Swindon]

Salt Creek in Chula Vista, San Diego.  Sad, shot my career low there.

[Bucki1968]

I used to play a nice little 9 hole course in Kalamazoo Mi. Ironically it was called Oakland Hills. Also in Lakeland Fl. Bridgewater closed (it was featured on HBO sports). Bridgewater was a really good track. I hated to see that one go. We just had one re-open that had been closed (Plantation Palms) just north of Tampa with new owners who are apparently sinking some money into it. I know of a couple more in the Kalamazoo area in Michigan that have closed (Indian Hills is one).

[sheepdog]

There was a nice little nine hole golf course near Union, Missouri that closed around 2008 or 2009. My in laws live there. It was owned by Larry Ziegler or maybe his family who played the tour back in the 60s or 70s. Nice little hilly course that surely wasn't set up by any golf architect. The 9th was a dogleg left par five of about 500 yards, straight up a hill for the last 150. Had a little creek that ran across the fairway about 280 or 290 out. I used to love to try and hit it over it, usually without much luck. The last time I played there I put one of the best swings on a driver I ever made and flew it by about 15 yards. Hit 5 iron to the front edge and two putted for birdie. Might have shot 34 or 35.

Nice course, a lot of fun, next time I showed up it was overgrown grass and weeds, shame.

[dennyjones]

I wouldn't call them favorite courses but there are two in the Grand Blanc area that have been closed for a few years.  One really was a goat track and the other was a private course near Warwick.   

 

[DaveP043]

I can think of five right off the top of my head, including two that were among the first I ever played.    Most (Pinecrest 1 and 2 and Cedar Crest CC in Fairfax County, VA, Cheviot Hills north of Raleigh NC) have been closed for a couple of decades, in every case for more lucrative development.  The most recent, Goose Creek near Leesburg, VA, just closed over the winter to make way for new housing.  

[Buckeyebowman]

My memory just came up with a couple more. Mohawk Trails, just over the line in PA. Decent little local course with "domed" greens kind of like Pinehurst #2. I can remember playing there with a buddy who hit a line drive approach to a par 5. It didn't hit the right spot on the green and bounded away. He started raging. "Jes** Chr***! Stick a flag up on a bald guy's head and try to hit it up there!" I just laughed.

And there was Valley Greens, a real goat ranch!

[iSank]

There’s two courses that I have enjoyed that are now closed. 

The Kalakaua golf course closed on 2004. Opened in 1922 and located on Schofield Army Barracks. The army was pretty cool and would let us on base with only our drivers license. During WW2 P-40’s would sometimes land on the par 5 eighth occasionally scattering the golfers. It’s now military housing. 

Saddest of all are the empty fairways of The Experience at Koele on Lanai. I usually play Cavendish every morning when on Lanai and sometimes I walk back across the quiet Koele course. Played that course the morning before my wedding. Really enjoyed that course. 

Aloha,

iSank