64. Trip to Deep South and Lower Plains, October 30-November 9, 2016 (Part III)

Trip to Deep South and Lower Plains, October 30-November 9, 2016 (Part III)

18th--par 5 at Barton Creek Fazio Foothills

Barton Creek Resort—Fazio Foothills, November 7, 2016:  Was up very early and around 6:45am was picked up by David W. (GD rater from Houston with whom I played Bluejack National eight days earlier) who then drove us to the course.  David was driving about 500 miles today…Houston to Austin to San Antonio to Houston…just a great guy.  Looking forward to hosting at Brookline as well as Pinehurst.

Getting on the Fazio Foothills course proved more difficult than expected due to my schedule.  Raters are usually welcome but on Mondays not all of Barton Creek’s courses (they have 4) are open, so raters must play with a member on Mondays.  We played with two members, Tom V. (another GD rater) and Bruce L.  Both were good players and good guys.

Fazio Foothills was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1987.  Subsequently, another Fazio course (Canyons), an Arnold Palmer courses, and a Coore-Crenshaw design were added.  From 1990-1994 Fazio Foothills played host to the Senior Tour’s Legends event.  Today it stretches to 7125 yards (par 72) from the tips.  In terms of Top 100’s, Foothills was rated #60 in the USA on GD’s 1993 list and #94 on GD’s 1995 list, after which it dropped off GD’s lists.  On the merged GW list, it was #64 on GW’s initial 1997 list and #100 in 1998, and then dropped off.

We were the first group off (in slightly foggy conditions) teeing off at 8:00am…we needed to play in 3:30-3:45 as David and I had a drive of almost 2 hours to the course outside San Antonio, and with Standard Time, the sun would be setting by 5:15pm or so.  The course is much better than I expected.  In general, I am not a big fan of Tom Fazio courses; they are simply beautiful and every thing is laid out right in front of the player…and to my mind, the latter is a problem.  I think architecture is a “chess match” between the architect and the player, and the architect needs to disguise or camouflage aspects of the course and leave the player with a bunch of options to choose from…thereby potentially confusing the player.  One Fazio course I love is Gozzer Ranch (ID) that offers lots of options and disguises aspects of holes superbly. 

Overall I liked the course a lot…but it felt “tired” and in need of a renovation.  I doubt that it has the potential to be a top 100 even with a renovation but it certainly could move up in Golf Digest’s Best in State list for Texas (currently #27 in Texas).

I started by hitting the fairway and green on hole #1 a 460 yard (from the back…378 from my tees) downhill dogleg right par 4.  Then I proceeded to sink a 40’ birdie putt (comments from the peanut gallery about that only happening because the fog obscured the hole location are not appreciated) and was off to the races.  Had a 40 on the front and then got hot on the back with an even par 36 for a 76 (birdied signature hole #16 and missed 6’ putt on 18 or would have birdied both signature holes).  See photo below of 18^th hole at Fazio Foothills…560 yard uphill par 5 (I played from 511). Photo taken from my tee box, you can see a deer crossing the fairway ahead of the forward tee box), and green can be seen just above the canyon below the left side of the hotel (just above and to the left of the bunker to the left of the right tree line).  

By far best round of the trip.  And we were super lucky with the weather.  It was cloudy and threatening all through the round, but only rained for about 3 minutes.

After the round, David and I thanked Tom and Bruce and hightailed it to Briggs Ranch, west of San Antonio.  Drive was about 105 miles.  We arrived around 1:40 and were on the course before 2pm. 

Briggs Ranch Golf Club, November 7, 2016:  Briggs Ranch is a very upscale golf club with large high-end real estate lots about 25 miles west of San Antonio.  It was organized by some members of San Antonio GC who wanted a place with no tee times, etc etc.  In May 2014 the golf course and real estate development was sold to Z Golf Properties of Marblehead, MA. 

The course also was designed by Tom Fazio and I liked it, but it shows definite signs of maintenance budget cutbacks.  The course is 7247 yards long (par 72) and had the “feel” of a very “big” course.  The land, close to Texas Hill Country, has good topography and Fazio makes excellent use of the land.  The signs of maintenance cutbacks are obvious just off the course.  So far the course itself had not been affected, but the greens were visually affected by some sort of disease, although they putted well.

The course was on GW’s merged top 100 in 2006, ’07, and ’08 peaking at #81 in 2008. 

I continued my good play with a 40-41 = 81, playing from 6217 yards, which is fairly long for me these days.

All in all, a course with good bones but in deep need of a big turnaround, which was not visible during our round.  Weather, which was forecast for rain in the afternoon ended up with bright sunny skies for the last 5-6 holes.

After the round, David dropped me off at San Antonio Airport for my flight back to Dallas.  The trip was starting to wind down, and I had somehow survived six straight days of 36 holes/day…even finishing strong on the last day of this stretch.  Flight to Love Field was a little late but with two relatively easy days ahead, I felt I could relax.  Was raining hard when we arrived in Dallas so not sure if Dallas Athletic Club will be open for play tomorrow.

Dallas Athletic Club—Blue Course, November 8, 2016: The DAC started as a downtown Dallas club and opening its initial building in 1935.  In 1954 it purchased a 317-acre plot about 10 miles east of downtown and built two courses designed by Ralph Plummer.  In 1963 the club hosted the PGA Championship on its Blue Course that was won by Jack Nicklaus.  In 1984 Jack Nicklaus led a major renovation of DAC’s Blue Course and then its Gold Course.   The Blue Course’s only presence on a “Top” list was on Golf Digest’s initial 1966 list of USA’s “200 Toughest” courses (listed alphabetically)…note that this was the Plummer design in 1966.  In addition to hosting the 1963 PGA, in 1997 the USGA Mid Amateur Championship was held on the DAC Blue Course.  Today the Blue Course is 6922 yards long (par 72). 

When I left my hotel, the rain had stopped but it had been raining hard through most of the night.  I arrived at the club around 8:00am could see standing water on all the fairways. Thus, I was surprised to be told the course was open for play (carts restricted to cart paths).   But, I figured if they are open, I might as well play. 

I played from the shortest tees on the course…which is the politically correct way of saying that I did not play from the Senior Tees as I usually do, or the Ladies Tees…but from the Old Ladies Tees.  I would guess that something like 70% of the course was affected by “casual water” (per the golf definition…meaning either standing water or water rising from the ground when you take your stance).  I quickly re-learned what a pain in the ass “cart path only” rules were…and started aiming my tee shots in the direction of the cart paths.  I had an 87 and that was with some generous gimmes.  But I did finish my round, just don’t ask me specifics about the course (but it did look like most JWN tracks and suffice it to say that I do not plan a return).  It rained for about 45 minutes during my round…and this of course added to the fun.  In any case, this got me to 16 of 17 courses completed on the trip…one to go tomorrow.

Lesson with Tim Cusick: After the round I dried off my clubs, bag, and clothes as best I could, thanked the staff and was off to Los Colinas…time to catch up with my long time golf coach, Tim Cusick (talk about someone with a tough job…only Pat has a tougher one).

I first met Tim when he was working as golf instructor for Hank Haney at PGA West in Palm Desert, CA in about 1985.  Tim had worked for Hank at Pinehurst Country Club in the early 1980’s and then rejoined Hank in the California Desert.  When Hank moved to Dallas (actually McKinney, TX about 20 miles NE of Dallas) and built his own teaching center (known as the Hank Haney Golf Ranch) in the early 1990’s, Tim moved to Dallas. 

Back when I first started working with Hank in November 1984, many golfing friends asked me why I would spend so much $$ travelling weekends for lessons in Houston, then Palm Desert, and then Dallas.  From a golf standpoint my response is that I probably would have quit the game if I had not…I had been a fairly consistent 8-10 handicap through the 1970’s and early 80’s but had ballooned to a 14 in 1984.  I could hit the ball a very long way, but never knew which fairway I would end up on, or which trees I would end up in.  Starting in November 1984, Hank (with Tim’s able assistance starting two years later) slowly rebuilt my swing.  In 2002-2003 I got down to a 3 handicap (1.9 USGA Index), and right now have a USGA Index (trend) of 7.0…and this is 32 years later…I am 72, not 40!!  From a financial standpoint, in 1992, I invested in HHGR; in 2007 the Golf Ranch closed and my investment liquidated and my annual compound return (pre-tax) worked out to 15.1% per annum.  Trust me, the travel expenses and teaching fees were more than paid for with this return.

By the early 2000’s my lesson mix had become about 2/3 with Tim and 1/3 with Hank…and when Hank started coaching Tiger, his calendar became impossible, and Tim took the position of Director of Golf Instruction at Los Colinas CC (which has hosted the Byron Nelson Classic event on the PGA Tour since 1986). 

In recent years, my trips to see Tim have been more intermittent, but I have always enjoyed these times…as does Pat when she is along.  Hank is the best teacher of anything that I have ever met…and Tim is not far behind.  He has won North Texas Teacher of the Year twice.  Most importantly, he is a wonderful human being and always great to be with.  His wife, Vicki, is just as nice as is their son Carson, who, not surprisingly has become a very good golfer.  If you do get to meet Tim or Vicki, be sure to ask them about their first date at Wrigley Field for a Cubs game.

Tim watched me hit balls for about 45 minutes and I was hitting it great…much like my rounds the day before at Barton Creek and Briggs Ranch.  Tim pointed out some things I was doing better than in previous visits and emphasized the importance of working to continue these.  After the session, I showered, repacked and headed to DFW Airport for my flight to Nashville. 

In case it escaped you, this was November 8, 2016, Election Day.  Pat and I had both voted the previous week in NC.  I, as you are probably not surprised, voted for The Donald.  I had also voted for him in the NC primary in March 2016.  I grew up in Jamaica, Queens, NY, literally 4 blocks from where Donald grew up…but I never met him as he is 2 years younger than I and went to private school.  I watched the news at DFW but it was too early for any meaningful returns.  On the flight to Nashville, the woman next to me also had voted for Trump and we talked about our election expectations…we were both cautiously optimistic.  Early results from OH and FL looked good but it was way too early to tell without knowing exactly where the votes were from.

Immediately upon landing everyone on the plane accessed the web to see what was happening.  Nothing was clear until I was walking through the terminal and saw on one of the TV screens that NC was too close to call and that GA was awarded to Hillary.  I took that combination to mean that it looked very bad and that Hillary would probably win. 

Listening to a conservative radio talk show during my drive to my hotel, they kept talking about good early results from the Rust Belt (MI, OH, WI, PA).  I wasn’t sure if this was real or whether they were simply trying to make their listeners feel good (and/or make themselves feel good).  But when I got to the hotel and could see real numbers on the TV, the outlook suddenly became very clear and, from my standpoint, very very good.  I went to sleep after the AP awarded PA to Trump and Hillary sent John Podesta to speak to her supporters (I will limit my comment to the following non-PC statement…there are now two reasons that Hillary will never be called a stand-up guy).

I woke up at 4:30am and saw the final confirmation…simply wonderful way to end the trip.

Golf Club of Tennessee, November 9, 2016:  I arrive at GCTN around 7:45 and was immediately impressed by the club.  The clubhouse is certainly one of the best modern clubhouses I have seen.  Set mostly in a valley in the hills west of Nashville, this Tom Fazio course stretches to 7184 yards (par 71) and the facility encompasses 317 acres…equal to the size of Dallas Athletic Club’s facility for 36 holes.  The club opened for play in 1991 and is meticulous.  In 1999 and 2000 it ranked #90 on GolfWeek’s merged USA Top 100 list but has never appeared on a Golf Digest or Golf Magazine Top 100 list.

I started on #2 in order to get ahead of two foursomes.  On this par four I canned a 12 footer for a birdie…good start to a good round.  Had a 39-39 = 78.  Liked the course a lot, but it would be even better with some additional tree removal.  I thought the best holes were #3, #5, #8, #10, and #15.  See photo of #10 below…a 200 yard par 3.

10th hole at GC of Tennessee

Overall this is a very special retreat/national club but not in my mind a top 100 course.  But to be fair, remember that I am not a fan of Tom Fazio designs (or Nicklaus designs).

After the round, it was time to get to the airport for my flight back to Raleigh-Durham.  Pat was due to get back from Yeamans Hall that afternoon and I was looking forward to seeing her.  The next day, Tyler Gosselin, the first Asst Pro at Brookline was coming down to CCNC for a Member-Pro event that should be great fun.  We are playing with our good friend John Hill (of CCNC and Toronto Golf) and his pro partner, Adam Kusher, head pro at Berkeley Hall (SC) and the former head pro at CCNC.  Practice round is Thursday and given I have played 17 rounds over the past 11 days, me thinks less than 18 holes may be in order.

Next Post:       Update of CCNC –Dogwood, Pinehurst, NC

                        Update of Old Town Club, Winston-Salem, NC

                        Update of Chechessee Creek Club, Okatie, SC

63. November 23, 2016…Current News…Getting Old Ain’t So Bad

November 23, 2016…Current News…Getting Old Ain’t So Bad

This is not a continuation of my October 20-November 9 trip. 

Pat and I are in Bluffton, SC spending five days with three other couples around Thanksgiving.  It is the fifth straight year that we have come down here to Chechessee Creek Club, a Coore-Crenshaw course completed in 2000.   I love this course, which is a wonderful throw back to earlier times, and beautifully done.  But this post is not about Chechessee.

We arrived around 11am on Tuesday, November 22, had a quick lunch.  Then, naturally it was off to the golf course.  I had been playing very well over the past two weeks.  On Tuesday I fired a very solid 77 and felt great about my game…and had won $4.  Tuesday was also my 72^nd birthday.

Then today, Wednesday, we were off at 10:10am, and I started with a birdie on #1…but that was followed by bogies on #2 and #4.  To make a long story short, I was one over par through 15 (par for 18 holes at Chechessee is 70).  I had a bogey on #16 (a long tough par 3), then parred #17, and hit a perfect drive on #18.  Leaving my second shot to 18 near the front of the green, I hit a crisp chip but left it 15’ short.  Unfortunately, I pulled that putt a hair and ended with a 73…so missed another chance to shoot my age.  Boy, this round felt good almost all the way.  My caddy gave me fabulous reads and I really stayed focused.

Can’t remember the last time I wanted to lie about my age (upward!!).  Was a LOT of fun.  Have to keep plugging.  Most importantly…have a GREAT THANKSGIVING!!

62. Trip to Deep South and Lower Plains, October 30-November 9, 2016 (Part II)

Trip to Deep South and Lower Plains, October 30-November 9, 2016 (Part II)

Annandale Country Club, November 2, 2016:  For the last two years I have been trying to set up a trip through LA and MS to play Timberlane and the three courses I am scheduled to play next in MS.  My first efforts to play these four fell apart as I was not able to arrange play at Annandale without playing with a member…and given that I had never been to the state it was not surprising that I didn’t know any members.  Then I realized that I had met Michael W. of CT at an event at Brookline and that he had played a USA Top 100 list.  I contacted Michael and he gave me the name of the member he had been put in touch with, and that seemed to quickly solve my Annandale problem.  Michael W.’s contact was Michael C., a former president of Annandale and a retired wealth management banker.  Michael C. and I arranged to have dinner together that evening before my round with him.  I planned to arrive in Jackson MS just in time for a quick shower before dinner, but given that I had played Fallen Oak about 90 minutes earlier than planned, I arrived in Jackson early and had a short but precious nap.

MC is a very engaging man…a former music professor, very bright guy, and good listener.  Sense that he has been very successful.  Joined Annandale shortly after its opening in 1982.  Dinner was very good and we confirmed that we would play at 8:30ish (MC said that would guarantee we would be the first off).

Arrived at the club around 8:10 and sure enough it was quite deserted.  We hit a few balls and were off the first tee by 8:25.   Annandale was one of Jack Nicklaus’ early designs.  It now stretches to 7199 yards (par 72) and the course rating/slope is a hefty 75.8/132.  I was surprised by the course rating, as the greens are subtle and difficult to read but not wildly undulating, and the bunkers were not a deep as most JWN bunker complexes.  On the other hand, we were playing it fairly early so the dew was keeping the greens slower than usual. …and yours truly did not exactly tear it up firing an 85 with some very generous gimmes (for you non-golfers…that is the way we golfers cheat semi honestly).  It is a very fine members course in a beautiful setting, built on excellent topography, and hosted the US Mid-Amateur in 1986.  In terms of ratings, it made the GD Top 100 at #75 in both 1987 and 1989 (probably after a positive reaction from participants in the ’86 Mid-Am).  Best hole is #18 a flat 532 yard par 5 requiring players who do not hit a good drive to decide whether to hit into the peninsula in front of the green, and players who do hit a good drive to decide whether to go for the green (which is fronted by a wide stream) in two.  At the end of the round I was able to claim a total of 44 states (need to start thinking about that for 2017…especially regarding Iowa, North Dakota, and South Dakota which are close together).

We finished around 11:30 and shortly after that I headed north to Columbus, MS and Old Waverly, a drive of about 2 hours 15 minutes. 

Old Waverly Golf Club, November 2, 2016:  Located in the northeastern part of MS, Old Waverly is about 40 miles south of Tupelo.  I first became aware of it in 1999 when Julie Inkster won the US Woman’s Open there.  It is located in the town of West Point, MS, very close to Mississippi State University. 

It plays to a relatively long 7088 yards (par 72).  It was built in 1988 and designed by Bob Cupp and Jerry Pate.  It has appeared on a USA Top 100 five times, three on GD (1987, ’89 and ’95) and twice on GW’s merged list (1998 and ’99) and always within a  fairly tight range, #84 to #98.

I thought it was very very good.  It has a dramatic entrance via a long driveway between two rows of magnolia trees to a beautiful clubhouse, with the golf course sitting right behind the clubhouse (where have I seen that before?).  Best holes are #1, 6, 10, 15 and 16 IMO, but there is a bit too much water on the back nine for my taste.  Course in excellent condition and fun to play.  Played well and had a 40-40 = 80.

Added local feature is the newly completed Mossy Oak course designed by Gil Hanse which literally sits right across the street from Old Waverly.  I was not aware of Mossy Oak and my schedule was much too jammed to fit it in, which was too bad.  Next USA golf “destination”…West Point, Mississippi?  Who would have thunk it?

After the round, it was another 150-mile drive, this time to Memphis, TN.  Arrived at hotel around 9pm after a very long day.  Immediately hit the sack.

Memphis Country Club, November 3, 2016:  Was scheduled to play Memphis CC first thing in the morning and awoke early to do some research.  My spreadsheet showed it to have hosted the US Amateur in 1948 (among a total of 7 USGA and Western Golf Association events) but its only appearance on a Top 100 was on GD’s 1966 and 1967 200 Toughest lists (where courses were only listed alphabetically).  It is a Donald Ross design (recently renovated by Kris Spence who just finished the renovation of CCNC’s Dogwood course) and opened in 1917 (the club was founded in 1905 and initially had a nine hole course at another location).

Searching the web found close to nothing, and I began to wonder if this was a club that had quietly gone under or become semi-private or public.  Literally, Google found no club website and only one USGA Journal article discussing the 1948 US Am.

I arrived at the club around 8am…and trust me this club had not disappeared, it just chooses to remain well under the world’s radar (couldn’t do a better job of that if it was located in Death Valley CA).  When I arrived, there was one member around (hitting balls on the range before work) otherwise the entire facility was close to deserted.  It is located in an old part of town near the University of Memphis.  It is Memphis’ old waspy club and is simply wonderful.  I even took a few pictures, including the one below of a plaque near the first tee commemorating Cary Middlecoff’s membership at MCC. 

 

Plaque behind Memphis CC 1st Tee

To fill in for you kids, Middlecoff was one of the great players of the 1950’s and 1960’s (when Rock and Roll music was great) and won 40 PGA Tour events including the Masters in 1955 and the US Open in 1949 and 1956 at Medinah and Oak Hill respectively.  He was a practicing dentist before becoming a professional golfer and had a reputation as one of the slowest players on the Tour (which probably means that he would be a fairly quick player today).

I met the head pro, Tim Rush, and he confirmed the club’s desire to remain under the radar.  My guess is that its absence from Top 100 lists since 1967 is due to the fact that most raters do not even know about it and it lacks the minimum number of ratings. 

The course is in wonderful condition with Zoysia fairways and Tif-Eagle Bermuda greens.  It has a very simple and wonderful routing (front nine circling property in counter clockwise direction, and back nine inside…like Quaker Ridge) with tees very close to previous greens and good topology.  The fairways are line with magnificent old oak trees, which I was told have been thinned out considerably (yours truly would take more out).  I was hitting the ball poorly which was unfortunate, as I really loved the design…simple and clean.  Favorite holes were par 5 3^rd and the green complexes on #14 and #17 (see pictures below). 

#3 par 5 uphill...note long stretch of trees bordering OB to right

Memphis CC back of green #17--sharp falloff

Relatively short but comfortable 6717 yard par 70…another great “play every day” track.  Good thing for this club, which is trying to stay hidden, that this blog is read about as much as liberal newspapers these days J.  After leaving the club, I realized that I had neglected to get a look at Elvis Presley’s old locker (just kidding…).

After the round, drove over to Colonial Country Club in Memphis’ eastern suburb of Cordova for my afternoon round.

Colonial Country Club (South), November 3, 2016:  This is the Colonial in Tennessee, not the one in Ft. Worth, TX (otherwise known as Hogan’s Alley).  This one is known as “The Home of the 59” since Al Geiberger fired a 59 during the 2^nd round of the Danny Thomas Classic in June 1977 (the week before the US Open held at Southern Hills in Tulsa, OK---more about Tulsa later).   Shooting a 59 is something huge (this was the first 59 ever shot on the PGA Tour), but this was shot on a course that measured 7193 yards playing with persimmon woods and balata balls when the average distances on the Tour were about 80-90% of today’s (for you folks who didn’t major in arithmetic, that makes Colonial in 1977 equivalent to a course measuring between 8000 and 9000 yards!!).  After playing this course, I find it inconceivable that someone shot a 59 there playing 1977 equipment.

Today’s Colonial stretches to 7334 yards (141 yards longer than in 1977) and remains a par 72.  The club was founded in 1913 and the next year opened an 18-hole course in Memphis. In 1968 the club purchased 385 acres in the suburb of Cordova and soon thereafter commenced construction of two courses (North and South) designed by Joe Finger that opened for play in 1972.  The Memphis Invitational Open (which became the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic and later evolved into the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic) was last played on Colonial’s South course in 1988. Colonial-South was included in the GD USA Top 100 in 1975, 1977, 1979, and 1981…and in all four of those bi-annual listings it was included in the #51-100 bracket (which was listed alphabetically).

I loved the course and fired a 40-36 = 76.  Came very close to a hole-in-one on #12 (218 yards from back, I played from 158 yds) as ball ended up pin high 6” to the right of the cup.  Picture below is from behind the green on the par 5 16^th.  

Colonial South---hole #16 par 5 from behind green

Greens were perfect and very fast.  Course has good topography and is a very big course.  Strange the difference in how I hit it at Memphis CC in morning and in the afternoon at Colonial, but as we all know, that is golf.

After the round I rushed to the Memphis airport to see if I could catch an earlier flight to Dallas Ft. Worth and connecting on to Tulsa, OK.  Was not to be.  This was my only “connecting flights” of the trip and the connection was tight, but I made it (as did my luggage) and arrived at my hotel in Broken Arrow, OK around 12:15am.

So, here I was shooting a great round for me…heading for Tulsa…just like Geiberger did after his 59.  Oh well, I thought that was interesting, even if you did not!!

Cedar Ridge Country Club, November 4, 2016:  Founded in 1967, Cedar Ridge today stretches out to 7444 yards (par 71).  In 1983 Cedar Ridge hosted the US Woman’s Open, and from 1975-85 it was included in GD’s #51-100 bracket on its USA Top 100.  It also was designed by Joe Finger and today is undergoing a renovation directed by Tripp Davis.  Met head pro, David Bryan, whose predecessor’s son, Tracy Phillips was an assistant pro at Hank Haney’s teaching center in McKinney, TX (near Dallas) in the 1990’s.  I had not seen Tracy since about 1994 and it turns out that he is the teaching pro at Cedar Ridge, and I just missed him when I left after my round.  Tracy had the best and most creative short game I have ever seen, and it would have been fun to catch up.

I played with another GD rater, Jack C., a very good guy and good player.  Jack clearly has been very involved with Cedar Ridge’s renovation and has a wonderful understanding of its history.  The golf course itself is very long and tough.  It beat me up pretty well (actual score is classified but posted to help my handicap).  I thought best hole was #3 a 382 yard par 4 dogleg left with a creek protecting the left side off the tee and the front of a two-tiered green sloping sharply from back to front.  Also liked #5, a 571 yard par 5 uphill (with a pond left off the tee) to a green tucked right and well protected by a very large front right bunker. 

Overall, I would classify Cedar Ridge as a very very good championship test but I would not want to play it every day.  Too long and tight, with not enough angles and options.

After the round, I drove about 110 miles west to Oklahoma City, where I had three courses to play.

Twin Hills Golf & Country Club, November 4, 2016:  Designed by Perry Maxwell, Twin Hills opened for play in 1923.  In 1935 it hosted the PGA Championship won by Johnny Revolta (5&4) in a match play final against Tommy Armour.  The course had recently been overseeded and was literally soaking wet.  Playing in those conditions is not great fun and the Maxwell features were well disguised by these conditions.  Enough said!!

Quail Creek Golf & Country Club, November 5, 2016:  I guess my compulsion with bucket lists goes back a long way.  In 1965 Sports Illustrated published the pages from the Dan Jenkins/Ben Hogan book that presented Hogan’s favorite 18 holes in the USA.  The list consisted of Hogan’s favorite first hole (#1 at Merion), second (#2 at Scioto), though Hogan’s favorite 18^th (#18 at Pebble).  Of course #6 was at Seminole (Hogan called it his favorite hole anywhere).  Interestingly, no hole on Cypress Point made the list.  I also remember that Quaker Ridge’s 6^th hole was Hogan’s second choice for his #6.

I played my first of these 18 in 1969 when I played Pebble (it was the 34^th course I had played), and I reached 17 of the 18 by playing Scioto’s #2 in 1982 (it was the 248^th course I had played).  Since 1982, over 34 years had passed and I had not played Hogan’s #17 until this day (and this was my 887^th course played)!!

Truth of the matter is that the course is good but not great, and the 17^th hole is far from what I would call the best 17^th hole in the USA.  Today it plays 462 yards, is relatively flat (with some nice rolls in the fairway) and is dead straight.  A 10 yard wide creek crosses the fairway about 40 yards short of the green but really does not come into play unless the player hits his drive in the rough.  The green is well contoured and protected by a large bunker front left.  But it is always great to finish a list. I had the book version of Hogan’s list but gave it to Brookline for its library a couple of years ago.  Will need to check it out in detail next summer.

I played reasonable well at Quail.  It is 6919 yards, par 72 (I had a 40-42 = 82) and played with a group that goes off at 9am…and managed to win $20 in the process.  The guys were a fun bunch.  It is amazing the great group of individuals one meets playing golf around the world.  The course was in tough condition due to an invasion of nematode worms that had severely damaged the greens.  Happily, the greens seem to be recovering.  The club itself seems to be very active and family oriented.

Quail Creek appeared on GD’s USA Top 100 from 1966-1971 with its inclusion in the 1966 and 1967 200 Toughest, the 1969 Best Tests list’s #81-90 bracket, and the 1971 100 Greatest list’s #51-100 bracket.  It opened for play in 1962 and was designed by Floyd Parley and later remodeled by Robert von Hagge in 1986 and Steve Wolford in 1999.  It hosted the PGA Tour’s Oklahoma City Open from 1962-68 and then the Southwestern Bell Golf Classic from 1987-1990.

After a nice lunch with the guys I played with, it was time for a short drive to Oklahoma City G&CC for the trip’s final stop in OK.

Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club, November 5, 2016:  OCGCC was founded in 1911 and in 1929 opened it current course designed by Perry Maxwell (with co-design credit to Alistair MacKenzie).  Today it measures 6861 yards from the tips (par 71).  While OCGCC has never been included on a USA or World Top 100, it did host the 1953 US Amateur won by Gene Littler.

I arrived at the club around 2pm and met the head pro, Tim Fleming.  I played with three members (Jonathan, Jonathan, and David) who were about to walk their 2^nd 18.  Now one of them was about 35 years old so walking a second 18 was no big deal…but the other two were clearly in their mid 60’s or so…very impressive.  The practice range at OCGCC is very interesting…it crosses the first fairway (and of course uses yellow golf balls), which is a clever way to fit in a driving range where there never was one in the original plans.  The perimeter of the course is lined with beautiful homes, and I got the sense that this is the premier top club in OKC. 

The greens have very steep slopes and feature many of the infamous “Maxwell Rolls”, usually created by a mound located in the middle of the green.  Course was in good shape although the fairway grass was a little long, and I was surprised by the large number of broken and full tees left behind by members and their guests.  I shall spare you readers from suffering through another of my rants about free tees, but do suggest you take a trip to OCGCC to see the impact yourself!  Last criticism is par 5 13^th hole which is a roundhouse right 563 yard hole.  I was playing from tees totaling 5997 yards and this hole played 540 yards…plus, because the hole takes a sharp right turn over it last 150 yards, a shorter hitter must play further left to have any chance to hit toward the green on their third shot…which makes the hole play more like 560 yards….way too long and unfair for that length tees…the hole should be played from the 495 yard tee.  Despite these criticisms I very much liked the course.  It also clearly won the award for having the largest men’s pit stop in golf at the turn.

After the round, I faced a 3 hour 15 minutes drive south to downtown Dallas.  I had survived the first four of my six consecutive 36 holes days and the next two appeared to be threatened by rain.  One final note before leaving OK…loved the gasoline prices…saw regular as low as $1.589/gallon. 

As I exited I-35E in downtown Dallas I headed east for the hotel, and in less than a mile realized I knew where I was driving.  I was headed east on Commerce Street…I was entering Dealey Plaza going in the opposite direction of JFK’s motorcade that fateful day in 1963.  A chill went through my body.  I had been here once before, but this time I was totally unprepared until I saw the shape of the roads, the “grassy knoll” to my left, and the Texas Book Depository Building ahead to my left.  Enough said.

I arrived at my hotel (a very hip “W” hotel) around 10pm, but fortunately we turn the clocks back an hour this night…so I can get some sleep before my 6:55am tee off.

Cedar Crest Golf Course, November 6, 2016:  Got up early and repacked…the really tough part of this trip has been one night stands in 10 different cities…10 different hotels…figuring out where the bathroom is when I wake up at 3am, etc. etc.  Good news was that the forecast was much improved, although still not good.  Had my breakfast and drove about 15 minutes to Cedar Crest, which is south of downtown Dallas.  Now, if you know Dallas, you know that south of downtown is not the place to be.  But at 7am on a Sunday morning the streets were totally empty and it was an easy drive.

I was surprise to find a large, clean, modern clubhouse.  Cedar Crest originally opened as Cedar Crest Country Club designed by A. W. Tillinghast.  In 1927, the club hosted the 10^th PGA Championship, won by Walter Hagen.  The club had closed in 1929, was eventually purchased by the city of Dallas in 1946 and today is a munid. 

While never on a Top 100 list, this is a superb municipal course.  It just opened after a very good renovation and is in very good condition.  The property is very hilly…there is not a flat hole on the course.  The course plays 6701 yards (par 71) and the best hole is #10 a 460-yard downhill par 4 with a creek fronting the green (see pic below):

 

Cedar Crest Hole #10...creek fronting green in depression and not visible above

My honest opinion is that Cedar Crest may be one of the best 25 true munis in the USA…glad I played it.

After the round, I drove about 20 minutes northwest to Brook Hollow Golf Club, one of Dallas’ great old clubs located right next to Love Field, in another bad neighborhood of Dallas. 

Brook Hollow Golf Club, November 6, 2016:  Brook Hollow was also designed by Tillinghast and opened in the early 1920’s.  Today it is 6752 yards long, and plays to a par 71.  The bunkering here is both beautiful and tough, the airways are generous and the greens large and devilish.  Overall, with its large bunkers, trees and greens, the course has a very “large” feel to it. 

I played with Owen H. a member of Brook Hollow and CCNC, and Jay L., a friend of Owen’s.  Both were real troopers.  The weather seemed threatening when we teed off…I have learned in previous trips to Dallas what “layered” clouds portend.  Fortunately, that did not occur, but it did start raining when we reached the 4^th hole.  The 6^th comes back to the clubhouse, but by then the rain had stopped, only to restart on #8, a tough downhill par 3 over water.  When we made the turn I asked Owen and Jay if they wanted to go in, but they would have no part of it.  Most of the back nine was played in rain but we did finish.   I could get a good sense of the course and loved it…a great classic Tillie track.  Just a shame to have a round on one of the best courses of the trip affected by weather, but given my luck on this trip and all my trips to date, I cannot complain.  Look forward to playing with Owen on his next trip to CCNC and hopefully at Brookline as well.

Took a nice warm and long shower, an even better dip in the whirlpool bath (who transported me to Japan?), and dressed and repacked…flight to Austin coming up with rounds in Austin and San Antonio scheduled for Monday.  Thirteen rounds completed and four to go!!

Flight to Austin went smoothly but had to wait about 45 minutes for a taxi (no Uber cars available in Austin…isn’t this supposed to be one of the high tech capitals of the world??).  Finally to bed around 11pm…first tee time Monday is 8am.