Ninja15

Never heard of Take Hill....how was it?

Will be visiting for a few days while my better half is taking care of business just southeast of Jacksonville. Should have time for 3 mid-priced rounds (no TPC Sawgrass or King & Bear unfortunately) and have come up with a short list of nearby public tracks and would appreciate any feedback on which ones to play/avoid. St. John's Golf & CC South Hampton Windsor Parke Bent Creek Eagle Landing

The only true links course I've played (or heard of) in Canada is Cabot Links on the east coast. Both Eagles Nest & Pipers Heath would be two of the better links style courses in and around the GTA though.

I had high expectations for Greywalls and thoroughly enjoyed it...great shape and incredible views with lots of elevation changes. However from a golf standpoint I thought TimberStone had more of a wow factor. Only negative was the 4 greens that were in really bad condition. Sweetgrass was nice too but definitely a distant third to the others.

Took longer than planned but finally made it to the U.P.....here's my updated list (in order): Arcadia Bluffs Forest Dunes Timber Stone True North Black Lake Shepherds Hollow Greywalls Red Hawk Bay Harbor Elk Ridge Arthur Hills Tullymore The Gailes Sweetgrass Grand Traverse Bear Treetops Masterpiece Black Forest Ostego Tribute Shanty Creek Legends Blackheath Fore Lakes Next up.....western Michigan.

A lesson for you kids out there....don't drink and post!!

True North Black Lake Forest Dunes Bay Harbor Boyne - Hills* Treetops - Masterpiece* *Great courses (although not the best) but ideal for 36 because you could change it up with Heather & Signature. Personally I would sub in Elk Ridge for Treetops.

Great list.....now you have me considering the U.P for next summer. Totally agree with your top 3...only change I would make would be to slide Black Lake into the #4 spot. I thought it was an amazing track!

Headed to Mesquite next month....already have Wolf Creek booked but will only have time for one more round. Can anyone make a recommendation..... Casablanca or Falcon Ridge perhaps? How does Conestoga match up?

We get down to Phoenix/Scottsdale every other year or so...just can't beat it. My favorite so far has to be Troon North....hope to play We-Ko-Pa next visit though. Have they started putting homes up around Vista Verde yet?

Did you get to play Vista Verde? Any other decent courses?

It was okay but our whole group thought Vista Verde was a LOT better. That was a few years ago...not sure if they've built the subdivision around it yet.

Just saw that track featured on Golf Destinations (from the Golf Channel) along with Shepherds Hollow.....might have to switch to a southern/western swing next year. Still haven't done the U.P. yet either.

Fortunately my better half enjoys the game as much as I do....we've been doing north Michigan for the last 4 or 5 years. Matter of fact I'm already working on next years trip....any suggestions would be more than welcome!

Just played a couple great tracks at the Boyne Highlands Resort this week. Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry)-playing the Links was an incredible experience, tough as nails with the wind blowing in off the water. The Quarry wasn't quite as scenic but still a great test. Arthur Hills -a subtle layout but makes you think on every shot. The back nine has a bit more character with some drastic changes in elevation. True North -a true gem, definitely one of my new favs....a must play! Black Forest -a decent track but not in the same class as the aforementioned. A list of my favorite north Michigan courses in order of preference.... Forest Dunes Arcadia Bluffs True North Black Lake Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry) Red Hawk Boyne-Arthur Hills Elk Ridge Tullymore The Gailes Grand Traverse Bear Black Forest Treetops Masterpiece Otsego Tribute Shanty Creek Legends

Really? Is that including Bay Harbor?!?

Anyone play the new Harbor Shores course west of Kalamazoo? I'm curious if it's worth the drive....sometimes they open these tracks before they're ready.

Anyone play both the Hills & Heather courses in Boyne? Any preference of one over the other?

Not sure which track you played at Cardinal (hopefully Redcrest) but Angus is definitely heads & shoulders above the rest. How did the 4 Seasons sneak into your rotation....did you lose a bet?!?

Last year they were charging $58 to walk. It's a fairly easy stroll until the final few holes.

Don Valley is a short but fun course. The conditioning can be hit and miss and the final five holes are a bit quirky for my liking. However it might be a decent option for your higher handicappers. Reservations can only be made 5 days (or maybe it's 7 now) in advance and will book up very quickly. The new course at Cardinal (Redcrest) has some great holes on the front nine and some reasonable twilight deals occasionally. I would also suggest looking at the Durham region northeast of the city....TONS of great options if you don't mind a 45-60 minute drive from downtown.

Golfweek just announced it's Top 25 pubplic courses for Michigan. Never played it but surprised Bay Harbor is ranked so low.... 1. Arcadia Bluffs , Arcadia (m) 2. Greywalls at Marquette GC, Marquette (m) 3. Forest Dunes , Roscommon (m) 4. Tullymore , Stanwood (m) 5. Lakewood Shores Resort (Gailes ), Oscoda (m) 6. Black Forest at Wilderness Valley, Gaylord (m) 7. Black Lake, Onaway (m) 8. Treetops (Rick Smith Signature), Gaylord (m) 9. Belvedere GC, Charlevoix (c) 10. Angel’s Crossing, Vicksburg (m) 11. Eagle Eye GC, East Lansing (m) 12. Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry), Bay Harbor (m) 13. True North, Harbor Springs (m) 14. Sweetgrass, Harris (m) 15. Treetops (Tom Fazio Premier ), Gaylord (m) 16. Orchards GC, Washington Township (m) 17. Arthur Hills GC, Harbor Springs (m) 18. Pilgrim’s Run, Grand Rapids (m) 19. Mines GC, Grand Rapids (m) 20. Heather GC, Harbor Springs (m) I've bolded the ones I've played

Our resources only allow us one premium round (Troon North) and a few mid-range courses (Anthem, Wildfire & ???).

Heading to Scottsdale this weekend and looking to fill out my rotation with one of the following. Any input (good or bad) would be appreciated..... Whirlwind The Phoenician Talking Stick (North) Kierland TPC Champions