Top 10: New Courses I Played In 2017

The golf itself was often mediocre, but there's no denying I had a great year when it came to seeing new golf courses. Ten courses. I'm almost positive I've never played more new courses in a year than I did in 2017. And we're not talking about bitter dregs here either, I played some really good golf courses this year. So, I thought, hey, we all love rankings, right? Let's rank all those golf courses! I've done reviews for most of these, even if you haven't seen them yet. I could wait, but this list would be kind of silly in March of 2018, now wouldn't it?

The one caveat I have is that I had to have played it for the first time in 2017. That eliminates the Greens at Hamilton Run, Clearwater (both of which I have reviewed), and Dunedin (which you haven't seen yet). Now that we've established the rules, let's get to business!


10. The Landings Golf Club

Something had to be in last place. And suffice to say, a bit of land next to an airport is hardly going to make for compelling golf. Even by the standards of Floridian golf, this is incredibly flat land. The Landings is an 18 hole executive course (9 par 4s and 9 par 3s), that has not much going for it. I played here running on three hours of sleep after driving almost 18 hours from Maryland to Clearwater. All I was looking for was some golf to warm up on, and in that regard, The Landings delivered. That's about all it delivered.

9. Richland Golf Club

I thought about putting this one last. It's close, but The Landings really is so boring that Richland, a golf course where the golf course plays second fiddle to real estate, manages to edge it out. There's a couple decent holes here, price and conditions were good considering it was February when I played here, and I got a complimentary yardage book, which was nice. But in terms of thought-provoking, interesting golf? No, you won't find it here.

You can read my review of Richland here.

8. Inniscrone Golf Club

Now, to be fair, I freely acknowledge that Inniscrone was never going to be my cup of tea. It's a product of the modern age, running through severe terrain and environmentally sensitive areas. This is always going to lead to a disjointed course lacking a sense of flow and (more importantly to my sensibilities) places to miss. It's not a forgiving golf course. There were several places where I could see the strategy. But the identity of the course felt muddled to me, it felt like it wanted to be quirky and challenging at the same time, and it didn't pull either off. But the big thing that turned me off to Inniscrone wasn't the challenge, the lack of space and flow, it wasn't even the smell of mushrooms. It's such an absurdly easy thing to fix too. To the people who manage Inniscrone, water your course less! Not only is it making your course worse, it's actively bad for the grass. It's not healthy! I played during a dry spell, but the course felt like it had just gotten four inches of rain. The conditions cost Inniscrone at least two spots.

You can find my review of Inniscrone here.

7. Piney Apple Golf Course

This is a fun hole.

I'm sure even the people who run Piney Apple would be surprised to see it this high up the list. It's so much anything this course did well so much as the three below did wrong. It's definitely a better course than The Landings, but in terms of golf offered, of course Richland and Inniscrone are better. But because those courses are actual golf courses, rather than something some guy decided to cook up on his apple orchard, I'm less willing to forgive their mistakes. Also, Piney Apple has that one hole. The twelfth hole. I genuinely enjoyed playing it just as much as anything I played further down the list, and certainly I enjoyed it more than anything at Richland or Inniscrone. That alone was enough to elevate Piney Apple to seventh place.

You can find my review of Piney Apple here and here.

6. Glade Valley Golf Club

I haven't talked much about this place. I played it way back in February, and I didn't take any pictures, since I thought I'd be back. Well, I didn't get back. But it was a thoroughly average golf course. Nothing worth mentioning, really, but nothing offensive. Just a golf course. Moving on.

5. Wentworth Golf Club

This is the other new golf course I played in Florida, and I wish I could put this course higher up. The front nine was fantastic. Sure, it was narrow, but it was fun. The soil was sandy, and the design played this up to full advantage. There was strategy, and the aesthetic reminded me a bit of Sand Belt courses, or someplace like Pinehurst. Unfortunately, the back nine was far more Floridian. More houses, more water, more out of bounds. The front nine was narrow, but a miss would stay on the course. The mediocre back nine brings the course down a lot. Had the back nine been the same quality as the front, Wentworth would have been a solid third, and maybe could have snuck into second.


4. McCullough's Emerald Golf Links

Oddly, the quirky, offbeat golf course full of replica holes is slightly let down by not being quirky and offbeat enough. Still, this is the sort of golf course one expects from Atlantic City

The idea of replica courses is a tempting one, and it's a nice way to experience classic golf without knowing someone or spending huge amounts of money. This particular course replicated holes from Great Britain and Ireland, focusing on more lesser known courses. It's a good idea, and I appreciated the idea, but the entire time, I could tell the course was pulling its punches. It softened features to make them more accessible. It's a common trade-off in public golf. I wanted to like McCullough's more, and I already liked it quite a lot. And there were a couple instances where holes really did go for the gusto, and those were the best holes. I wanted more of that.

You can read my review of McCullough's here.

3. Cacapon State Park Golf Course

This is the point where we get to courses I would gladly play again. Specifically for this course, I'd like to play it in late October. There's some quality views on this course, and I imagine all the fall colors would make those views even better. Cacapon is let down by boring greens, but everything else is very enjoyable, the routing up and down the valley ensures that it's an easy walk despite being a mountain course, and the hole corridors are wide enough that most people won't encounter much in the way of tree trouble.

One thing though if you are considering a tee time here. At 2 PM in the summer, the price drops from something like $35 to $22. It's an incredible bargain. Unfortunately, I think everyone knows that, so if you try, you'll probably have an incredibly slow experience. It took me a little more than 5.5 hours to get around. So if you want my advice, shell out the extra money and don't get herded by foursomes that are moving at a pace glaciers would consider lazy.

Read my full review of Cacapon here.

2. P.B Dye Golf Club

This might be a bit contentious. When I played P.B Dye in early April, there were no native areas with long grass to lose golf balls in. According to my brothers, who played there in the summer, this had changed. So if I do play here in the summer, I'll be sure to update my thoughts about the course. But for now, we're sticking with the golf course that I actually played. And that golf course was fun. Difficult, yes, but never in an annoying, lose ten golf balls sort of way. And there's a sense of humor here as well. The greens are ridiculous, and the Dye aesthetic is in full display. A silly, over the top golf course is a lot easier to swallow when it knows just how silly and over the top it is. P.B. Dye is comfortable being the guy wearing clown makeup. Go in expecting a laugh, and you'll be just fine.

You can find my review of P.B Dye here.

1. Atlantic City Country Club

I like this one so much, it's my background on my work computer.

Without question or hesitation, Atlantic City Country Club was not only the best course I played in 2017, but the best golf course I have ever played. It's not even close. There's just something about playing a seaside course on a windy day that stirs the soul. More than any inland course, it feels like you're playing real golf. This isn't a links course, not by any means, but it's open, doesn't have a lot of trees, and is bursting with strategy and charm. There are a few weaker links, and I don't think I'd call any hole there truly great, but there's no hole I disliked, and the seaside holes are excellent. In terms of delivering sheer golfing pleasure, Atlantic City stands far above the rest, and I've wanted to go back from the moment I left.

Why yes, this was a nice excuse to bring out these pictures again.

You can find my ACCC review here and here. If you haven't, you should.

If you're curious, I'd put the Greens at Hamilton Run at the very bottom, Clearwater between Piney Apple and Glade Valley, and Dunedin between Wentworth and McCullough's. Dunedin is a good course, but you'll just have to be patient for that review.

Well, that was 2017! I imagine 2018's going to look pretty much the same, I'm aiming to bring out one course review a month, just like I've been doing. I hope I can hit 10 new courses again, and I also hope to play one special course. Something on the level of Atlantic City. No idea what that course will be, or when that'll happen, but stay tuned.

Review: Clearwater Country Club (Part 2)

Alright, we've gone through the front nine, let's hit the back. The tenth hole is parallel with the first, and plays fairly similar. Easy drive, then a pitch to the green. Only one greenside bunker instead of bunkers on both sides though.

You can see what was pretty obviously a pond in the foreground.

The tenth green from the fairway.

The eleventh hole is a fairly long par 3 at just over 210 yards. We're entering the longest stretch of holes on the course now, and the most difficult. Well, least easy. I hesitate to use the word difficult to describe anything about this course. Anyway, other than that one bunker, there's not much to this hole other than length.

The twelfth hole is the longest par 4 on the course at a mildly lengthy 414 yards. There's a road to the right, and the driving range is left, but there's a ton of room between them, you'd have to be some sort of monumental idiot to not get your drive in between (ahem). All things considered, this is probably the toughest hole on the course. It's fairly long, and there's a couple of greenside bunkers to think about.

The twelfth from the tee.

The twelfth green from underneath a live oak.

The thirteenth hole is the first in a pair of back to back par 5s. I'm afraid I can't speak particularly authoritatively on this hole, since I spent most of my time on this hole on the next hole. But I feel confident in saying that there's not a whole lot to it. There's OB right, and anyone going for the green in two will have a fairly tough shot since the green is bunkered quite well.

The fourteenth hole is the thirteenth hole, but going in the opposite direction. Seriously, they're the exact same yardage, both are straight, and both play slightly uphill on the drive, then go slightly downhill on the second. Both have bunkers front left and front right. This one at least has the railroad on the right side. That's a cool hazard, I liked that. And it is in play, I had to hit off of it twice. Not on this hole, but on the last hole, and on the next hole. Yes, on thirteen I went so far left I went through the entire hole next to it. Fun.

The fourteenth green.

The fifteenth hole is the second longest par 4 on the course at just under 400 yards. The railroad is to the right this time, and since I wasn't satisfied with one trip on the railroad tracks, I went for a second. The train tracks are the most interesting thing about this hole and the fourteenth hole.

You can just see the railroad crossing sign on the right.

Here's a much better view of the tracks. I don't know if they're still in use. Probably not.

The sixteenth hole is a fairly short par 3, and is probably the best hole on the back nine. It's well-bunkered, and the green is decently sized for once. It's not an easy shot. Playing to the center of the green is the best play.

The sixteenth is just about the only hole that doesn't look completely apathetic.

The seventeenth hole is, once again, a short par 4. We had to get back to it at some point. The drive is open, but going left gives you the best angle at the green. And the railroad makes its last appearance left of the green. You don't really need to think about it too much, but it's there!

The seventeen hole.

This is a good place to hit your drive.

The last hole is a short par 4. Of course it is. There is a decision to be made on this tee though! A stream cuts through the hole 240 yards from the tee, so do you lay up or go for it? Very exciting. Either way, a tree and a bunker both suggest a tee shot down the right side. You know those golf courses that go for a really tough finish. This isn't that.

Does Clearwater have the bones of a good course? Maybe, buried deep, but it would take a lot of money to restore it. It's only 6,200 yards, and there's no room to lengthen it. It's not on a big property, and the town has the course completely surrounded. It would be nice to see it restored, but given the limited room, it would only be a curiosity, and I doubt anyone would want to sink a lot of money into the course for that. It would raise the price to play, and I doubt anyone would want that either. If I had to pick one of the two old courses I played in Florida to restore, I wouldn't pick this one.

So, what about the course that is actually there? I mean, I've played worse courses. Clearwater is a  good option if you're looking for an easy round, it's pretty well priced, and the conditions were decent. Good if you're on vacation, and on a budget. I wouldn't go out of my way for it though, if I'd traveled more than 20 minutes to play it, I think I would have been disappointed.

Next month we'll go through a golf course that's a little more interesting to look at. Here's a sneak peak at Wentworth Golf Club.

Yes, that is a blue sky.

Review: Clearwater Country Club (Part 1)

Winter has come to the Mid-Atlantic. It's cold, it's dark most of the time, and there's precious little golf to be played. It's not impossible, Maryland's just far enough south that you can almost always sneak out once or twice in January and February, but by and large, we're pretty much done until March. To keep the one course a month thing going, I either needed the weather to cooperate during the winter or I needed a backlog. I decided to go with the latter, and not in the way I was initially expecting. Someone's been traveling again. It's not any old place I've gone to, no, for the next four months, I'll be bringing you golf course reviews from the Sunshine State. Be prepared for lots of palm trees, and uh, not as much sunshine as you might expect.

My home base for this little jaunt south was Clearwater, which is near Tampa. So, what better way to start off than with Clearwater Country Club? The name is more impressive than the course, this is a very public golf course. It dates back 1921, and was designed by Herbert Strong. If you know your golf course architecture, you may recognize that name, Herbert Strong also designed Canterbury, Engineers, the original Ponte Vedra Beach course, Saucon Valley, and Inwood. Clearwater is not as good. Frankly, I'm not sure how much of the original is left. Unlike another old course I played in Florida, this one barely even feels like a Golden Age design. Who knows how much abuse it's suffered, or what features have been softened or removed entirely? Even so, there were some interesting bits, so let's dig in.

The first hole is a short par 4, which is something I'll be saying a lot in this review. Seriously, out of the 12 par 4s on the course, one is over 400 yards, one is just under 400 yards, and the rest are under 375 yards. This is a gentle opening, there's no trouble at all off the tee save the occasional tree. The green is flanked by bunkers, and there's OB long, but if you've hit a good drive, you'll probably just have a wedge into the green. The greens here are not exactly great, but they're not devoid of interest. You can find some decent slope in them, and they're probably the biggest giveaway of the course's age. 

The first green

You can see the tenth green and the eleventh hole in the background.

The second hole is 370 yards, fairly long for this course. There's a bunker on the right side of the green, which suggests a drive down the left side, closer to the trees and the road. But the bunker's not big enough to be very threatening, so I'm going to guess it was probably bigger at some point.

Even with OB left, it's a fairly open drive on the second.

Yes, those are railroad crossing signs behind the second green. We'll get to those.

The third hole is another short par 4 (the course opens with 5 par 4s in a row). It's a fairly sharp dogleg left, with a drive over a little stream. And yes, that is a hill it climbs. A hill in Florida. The second shot is to an absurdly small green with a bunker left. The entire course is like this, the first two greens aren't bad, and some are worse than others, but I'm almost positive that all the greens were bigger at some point. You can just sort of tell by looking at how far the green line is from any bunkers around it, and from the general green area. Anyway, this is a decent little hole, and I appreciate any sort of elevation change on a Florida golf course. It's amazing how much they stand out, and how much a simple ten foot elevation change adds to a hole.

The third from the tee.

I hope you can see what I'm talking about in terms of greens. The third has a ridiculously small green. There's no way that's full size.

The fourth hole is another short par 4, nearly the same length as the first and third, but this is a much more interesting hole than either of them. The drive is over a pond, but the water doesn't come into play for most. But look, the tee shot is blind! And there's a stream which cuts off the fairway about 50 or 60 yards from the green. And there's more elevation change! This hole has things going on. It's probably the best hole on the front nine. I wish the green was a little bigger, but otherwise, it's another good hole.

Fun fact, as my group was teeing off, a bald eagle landed on the other side of the pond, which was the first time I'd seen one up close. 

Can't see much from the fourth tee.

The pitch to the fourth green isn't an easy one.

The fifth hole is a par 4 that manages to be 100 yards shorter than the previous hole, which was not a long par 4 either. This is a 245 yard par 4, and it also happens to be home to the only fairway bunker on the golf course. Fairly certain the course probably started out with more. You can try going for the green if you'd like, it's not a long shot, but with a stream running right in front of the green, I wouldn't recommend it. I laid up. You may also notice the wooden trestle behind the bridge. That's the railroad track, and that's probably the most interesting feature on the golf course. It's not in play now, but it will pop up again on the back nine.

It's best to lay up on the fifth.

Yes, it was raining quite hard while I was playing the fifth hole.

The sixth hole is the first par 3 we get to. It's 175 yards, and there's a bunker front right. This is a less interesting hole.

The seventh hole is the longest par 4 on the front nine, at 371 yards. The drive is pretty simple, but there's a pond lurking to the right of the green. It's not excessively in play, but you do have to think about a little, especially if you go right off the tee.

The seventh from the tee.

The seventh from the fairway.

The seventh green from the fourth tee.

The eighth hole is the first and only par 5 on the front. There's a road that runs quite close to the fairway for the entire length of the hole, and it is very in play. Of course, I hit onto it. But this is still a 460 yard par 5, so I was able to save bogey by hitting the green in two. It's a tricky second shot, there are three bunkers circling the green, a stream in front, and the road is still there. If your drive is straight, it's a birdie hole.

The eighth hole. I'll address this now, the lighting was weird on some pictures. It wasn't a great day for photography.

The second shot to the eighth is not easy.

The ninth hole is a hole that I like, but I'm not entirely sure why. There's a bunker left of the green, but you can barely see it, and it's not a big concern. It may be because the hole rests upon the landscape very gently. It doesn't try to do anything exciting or dramatic, it just sort of suits the surroundings.

That brings us to the end of the front nine! It's been a little while since I've done a two-parter, but I think we'll do one here, and get the back nine another time.