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I have been fortunate to play many great courses. Pine Valley was the ultimate. It was 105 degrees the day I was there. My caddie was not the best either. He misclubbed so bad on a par 3 that my ball hit in a tree over the green. The other caddie asked my caddie what club he had me hit....6 iron...The other caddie actually punched him and told him I shouldn't have hit any more than a 9 iron.[it was our 4th hole but we teed off on 10] There are no yardage markers. Not on any teebox or on any sprinkler. You must have a caddie and you must trust each other. The par 3 was a severe downhill hole. Pine Valley is like entering a foreign territory.....You meander all over trying to find it and then as you go down this seemingly deadend trash dump side road you turn right 90 degrees cross over some RR tracks to enter Shangra La. It's set up as it's own town. Pine Valley. So they can govern their little kingdom as they see fit. Due to numerous misclubbings I knocked down a 90. While capping at 6 at the time. And I actually hit a lot of good shots. But blowing a driver thru a dogleg and second guessing your caddie all day hurts. Two holes with multiple greens. Just a spectacular place. I'd recommend World Woods in North of Tampa as a very nice knock off. If you are the adventerous type. Find Pine Valley on the map[so jersey near philly]. Drive to the end of that dead end type road. Park your car on the left and act like you have a flat.....The first person that stops and asks if you need a hand.....He's the guy that will get you on the #1 course in the world for the past 2 decades if you can close the deal. Just look and act the part. I am quite envious of the Augusta posting. And for me, That is saying a lot.

Believe the original post utilized the wrong adjective. Ostentacious better suited for the discussion. Obnoxious contains a certain hostility. But to the point. The beauty of Golf is it's accessability to virtually all. The Old Course at St Andrews is a muni and on sunday is open for family picnics but NOT for golf. And in the hierarcy of games that divide the haves from the havenots golf is no where near the top. Try taking in a Polo Match then alone actually play in one. Classic Race car racing.....Boat Racing....Airplane racing...Those are sports of the ostentacious/obnoxious. There's no game as grand as golf that can be enjoyed by all.

I have a group of guys I play with once a week. We're in CT and travel around. I set up trips for groups as my semi retired occupation. Predominantly to three locals. Scotland/Ireland and Bandon Dunes. There's a group that operates out of Boston called BAGS-Boston Assoc Golf ...They also have a CTBAGS. They have tournaments every weekend and travel all over. They get on a number of private courses too. It's a pretty substantial group. I use Golfnow and EZ Links to procure discounted teetimes. Our rotation this year has included Wintonbury, Gillette Ridge, Both at Lyman Orchards, The Shattuck, Ledges, St Annes, The Ranch, Ipswich, Great River, Oxford Greens and Lake of Isles. My fav is Great River. It's quite challenging, in great shape. We got on Ipswich by me buying a teetime off Bidding for good. I got the 4some for $340. Ipswich is fabulous. My motto is try to play the best available, but try to get it discounted. Hit em straight. Doug

Here is a tip that helps me. When you initiate your stroke, first pull the putter up just a tad so the stroke initiates from a point with the club in the air rather than grounded. Try it you may find you will be making a purer stroke.

Your scoring starts at the hole. Work back from there if you want to bring a 20 handicap down. And any 20 who says he shapes shots is outta touch with reality. If your range is mats vs grass then banging a bunch of balls can cause tennis elbow. Chipping and putting should be over 50% of everyone's practice. It's over 50% of your stokes.

There's lots of discussion regarding Euro events and appearance fees. What most don't realize is that fees are paid to many players at many US Tournaments. While it is illegal to pay appearance fees many tour stops contract out for service dates with players they want to show up. These are one off arrangements but still execute the gameplan that is desired. The most innovative way that a player has been certified was coordinated by the Deutsch Bank. I believe the first call made by them was to Tiger. He advised he'd show up and play if the charity proceeds went to Tiger Woods Foundation. Wala Tiger appears every year at The Deutsch. Gotta say that was a great maneuver by them. The event got instant credibility and has had a good run. So what do you think about the end around utilized by the US Tour stops?

http://www.golfinternational.com/index2.html Good Luck

Augusta...I have had opportunity to play just about all the great tracks. Old at St Andrews is a muni. All you have to do is show up and pay the freight. Getting on Augusta, well that's just near impossible. Beautiful thing about all the great courses in Scotland/Ireland/England they allow us to come over and play them. The best in US are typically not amenable to outside play without member being there. So Augusta is my pick, due to the difficulty of Gettin on it. Check out the posting under Architecture regarding getting on Top Courses....Here's a good one. Visited my daughter in Pittsburgh. We took that crazy bus/trolley around town. I was wearing a golf shirt. The driver engages with me and says ever play Oakmont.....I say No. He says you wanna.... Ya just never know when ya might get an opportunity to play!

I love how posters on sites like this berate individuals they know nothing about. My comments were directed at the French....Travel there then comment. The French generally hold total disdane for Americans and their difficulty with Bubba is just common to their difficulty about anything American. I propositioned that in my trite comment. Anyone with the slightest intelligence would pick up on that. I'm no kid and have traveled the world quite a bit. You travel all over Europe and everyone loves Americans. Go to France, Quite a different story. That's my experience. Maybe a few of you posters should get a first hand experience in France to know of what I speak. So will the French invite and pay Bubba to come back? But of course. Will Bubba go??????And 1800 posts in 2 years I guess means he has a life......Yea! I guess you think I actually read these posts closely. Yea....My aim was to initiate dialogue away from the idiocy of Bubbadumby....The only dumbasses are the dumbasses dumb enough to be concerned about what the arrogant French think about Bubba. If I have offended you, good that was my intention. So many smartass punks think they know so much and have so little real world experience. And am I a bigot. No I just don't buy anything French.

There's about 140 tracks in Orlando area. Kinda depends on where you are too. One of my favs is 1 1/2 hours Northwest....World Woods. Good deals in summer too. Orange County National 2 great tracks. Love the New course at Grand Cypress, a knock off of Old at St Andrews. Bayhill around noon and you may run into Arnie.....Enjoy

You made it personal douche-bag. I guess you must be a dumbass frog. And get a life Mr 1800 posts in a year. And How the heck did you know my 3rd house was a log cabin. And again I repeat If the French are PO'd with Bubba....Great. What's Bubba doin goin to a slimball event like that anyway?

Agreed. Aronomink is very worthy and will host a major by 2020. The membership issue and then a slight conditioning issue a few years back. But the ATT has been a success and it just points out the fabulous Philly area and the multiple GREAT courses in the area.

F the French. How soon we forget. The French are a disgrace to society. Especially Americans. Do a little homework. So Bubba tells em to F off. Good for him. And Oh by the way he is BUBBA. You don't get named Bubba cuz you're a silver spoon boy. AND if the French are so up in arms.....Don't invite him back.

I seek out tough courses. From what I've garnered Koo'lau may be toughest but I haven't been. My list: Each over 150 Kiawah Ocean-I hope they punish the pros in 2012 at PGA and stick all the tees back... Wolf Creek-Mesquite- Backs are over a 150. Visually stunning. Reserve at Thunder Hill- Ohio 7800 with 150+ slope. Gotta think a couple times just to find the backs.... International from Tiger Tees...named prior to our #1 golfer. You will not break 90. Unless you're a + handicap. Shattuck-NH- short 6700 but every shot target. and targets small... Tobacco Road- NC-Mike Strantz best. Play it just for that reason. Concord Monster-Catskills-NY The original This Course Is Too Long Course..... But for all the 150+slope tracks I've played my alltime toughest was Muirfield Scotland a few weeks after Open with a stiff breeze. We played via local rule....Doug's rule...Me. Lost ball in 3 ft high heather. drop in vicinity no stroke....Still shot 102 with 6 handi at time. These newer tracks with stupid yardages....Yea....Stupid. If you get chance though Kiawah Ocean is special...

I have played Doonbeg on two different trips. Been to Ireland many times. Doonbeg while nice is overpriced. There are many better options. If not for Norman's influence they were going to reconstruct the course. Lahinch nicer and much history there. Head North to Carne. It will make you forget Doonbeg exists at 1/3rd the cost. Having played 60+/- courses in Ireland with vast majority being Links, I'd put Doonbeg in my top 20 maybe.....Lodge is over the top. But just my opinion.

Hitting Bandon in August with 8 guys. Got house on cliff just north of Bandon Dunes. Bandon just amended policy regarding teetimes and staying at Resort. They surcharge but staying there is the killer. Rooms are so overpriced. Really looking forward playing the new Old Macdonald...But if you like Links Golf. Best place in USA....What a rotation of gems.

Your post is funny. They are Beverage Babes. Look around at course. Who's the average Joe there. So Leopard Skin High Heels Big Fake Boobs.....Fits right in to Big Tips.....I have played Meadow Farms. My Fav hole was the par 3 in the Old Stone Foundation with island green....I skipped it right thru the little gully around green.....And yea the baseball diamond...Good memories. I didn't get to experience the BevBabe you did though...

I do lots of golftrips. Everywhere. When you go to crazy busy places, every teetime is 4some. They love single walkups to fill in. The first and primary decision though is $$$$. Based on that you decide where. Just do it. Enjoy.

With swingspeeds under 100mph the bridgestone 330 rx pretty darn good.

Had chance to play Wolf Creek. Also played 1/2 price by contacting a guy who sells teetimes last minute. Could only book 24 hrs in advance. Got first teetime. Absolutely stunning course. Bring camera. Enjoy. I'll toss out a # but really don't know if is correct but worked for me 2 years ago. 866-711-2665.

Ya know comparing states is like saying Fords are better than Chevys. TX is about the size of all of New England. And check any top 100 list....TX courses aren't there. CT is about the size of Houston and we have more quality and better quantity than Houston. AND Ohio a top state....Gimme a break. PA is twice as nice as Ohio. Just Philly is better than all of Ohio. So compare places that in an hour you can play tracks. Then we get a good discussion. Myrtle, South Jersey, Orlando, RTJ Trail, Vegas, Palm Springs, Cape Cod, Compare Cali to say Mid Atlantic cuz that's about the size of it. But in the end give me Bandon.......

If in NYC area gotta get to Bethpage. If in CT central gotta get to Great River. If in NH gotta swing by Shattuck. If in Vegas go north an hour and play Wolf Creek. If in NC central gotta do Tobacco Road. If in Tampa area ya have to head to World Woods[Pine Barrens]. If in USA YA GOTTA PILGRAMAGE TO BANDON....... BEEN TO SCOTLAND/IRELAND 10 TIMES AND BANDON THE EQUAL AT HALF PRICE.

Palm Coast at Ginn Hammock with Ocean/Conservatory and World Golf Village nearby as well as could shoot to Sawgrass. Given your past two this seems appropriate. Not Amelia Island.....

I saw this special and it is fabulous. TPC Sawgrass is a GREAT Track. The price for this package is a good deal. It will be warm bt hey it's worth it. The Valley is very nice too. And the hotel is nice. Sounds like a winner to me. I'd do it but was just down there. I paid plenty more.

When convenient swing by pull into parking spot and ask folks already lined up. You'll have your answer. Guys hanging will share a brewski or two and there's a decent meal to be had and you might have a great time. Anything's possible as a single....Good Luck