JasonDeeganGA

The golf experience on Betsie Valley has always been considered a step down from Mountain Ridge. The gap is closing with a renovation that is altering several holes, opening up corridors and making them more playable. With fewer trees, conditions should improve.
On the day I played, several holes had temporary greens, but you could see the potential. I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Mountain Ridge has gained fame as the host of the Michigan Women's Open, an event that attracts aspiring pros from around the country.
It's the perfect resort course - tough enough for a highly respected championship but fun and engaging for 9-10-handicaps like me. It's generally flat until the final stretch climbs up the ski hill and ends dramatically with a go-for-it-in-two downhill par 5. It's great fun.

There are 121 bunkers on Sundance, and I think I found a quarter of them. Despite my pathetic game, I enjoyed playing the course for the first time since its 2005 grand opening. It's absolutely striking with elevated tees featuring nice vistas. The collection of par 3s are varied and stout.
The pizza kitchen is a great new addition. I ordered a BBQ chicken pizza for breakfast and it hit the spot before my 11 a.m. round.

I played the Wolverine the day after getting beat up by The Bear, and what a difference it made with my post-round mood. Shooting 83 is so much more enjoyable than struggling to 96.
The Wolverine still has its challenges. The elevation changes are more dynamic than The Bear. The greens and bunkering remain plenty demanding. The first time I played it, I didn't appreciate its beauty. Now I do. It's my favorite course at GTR.

The Bear never lets up.
I have played 3-4 rounds here, and every time, my game does not hold up to the constant pressure supplied by tough carries over water and bunkers and greens that aren't easy to read or putt. It's a championship test with just enough wiggle room for resort players to get by. I wouldn't mind seeing the rough a little shorter. With so many penal aspects to the course design, players deserve some sort of concession. It might be the key to getting more players to embrace its challenges, instead of shying away from trying again.

I've probably driven by Antrim Dells quite a few times wandering around northern Michigan. I'm glad I finally had time to play. A massive tree removal program (400 in the last few years) and better care of the turf has this unsung beauty looking fantastic.
The course sits on a ridge overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. This makes sunset dining on the patio of the hilltop clubhouse a special treat after a round. The opening holes on each nine drop off the ridge, while the rest of the layout wanders through wetlands and a mix of open and forested terrain. It might be the best course at A-Ga-Ming, although there's plenty of competition between The Torch, Sundance and Charlevoix CC.

I had never heard of Spring Valley until my traveling foursome decided to give it a whirl. What a discovery! One member of our group is already planning to go back a week later.
Spring Valley is hidden in the hills east of San Jose. We picked it because the temps there are slightly cooler than the 100 degrees closer to home.
The layout is rudimentary in spots with few bunkers. There are, however, nice elevation changes and a pond impacting three holes (9, 11, 18) that gives it some character. The endearing trait is the surrounding hills that tower over you and protect the valley from any intruding homes. It's a pleasant walk and a chance to shoot a career-low round.

My first impression wasn't a great one. We spent the first seven holes as a three-some behind a five-some, but then they walked off the course, probably to get drinks and the club's famous BBQ (which I haven't tried yet).
The condition of the course was a pleasant surprise. I had been warned the greens were in bad shape, but they have improved immensely from winter to summer. No complaints about their speed or roll.
The layout is tight where stray shots from beginners tend to cause some havoc. There are a couple compelling holes. I'll give Sunken Gardens another chance, but for what they charge, I'm not sure the course will make it into my playing rotation. Maybe I'll change my mind if I bring driver, which I didn't do. There are some risk-reward short par 4s that might elevate the excitement factor.

This review is my recollection from a 2014 visit to Kent when I played Royal St. George's in the morning and the links locals call "Deal" in the afternoon.
RSG felt like the supermodel that I had no chance with. It was out of my league, so to speak, golf wise. By contrast, Deal felt like the cute, charming, approachable girl next door. It had such a welcoming vibe, both off the course and on. On the course, Deal was much more playable, quirky and interesting than RSG. There were more memorable blind shots and unique holes. Off the course, the clubhouse patio overlooking the bay felt like a great place for a pint while settling up a bet. I didn't have to don a jacket and tie to enjoy the facilities. Deal might be out of the modern Open rota, but it would be clearly on my playing rotation if I lived closer.

This review is a recollection of my day playing Royal St. George's in 2014. RSG is the kind of links you jump through hoops to play, and that's exactly what I did. I abandoned my wife and two kids in London by hopping a two-hour train ride to Kent to play 36 holes on Royal St. George's and Deal.
The forecast was a drenching rain all day. Somehow, I escaped both rounds without needing waterproofs. I played with the club secretary, who pointed out all the places where historic shots had been played through the years.
My lasting impression is Royal St. George's demanding shot-making. Although there's really only one section of big dunes, holes 4-6, every hole had uneven, wavy fairways; deep revetted bunkers and tricky angles to navigate. It keeps your game off balance and on the defensive. It's not a glamorous links with grand views or an inspiring landscape. Shot for shot, though, there's few better.
I didn't get to spend any time in the clubhouse or enjoy its jacket-and-tie lunch that's well-known throughout the UK. That experience remains on my bucket list.

The Princeville Makai lives up to its name on Kauai's north shore. It is ocean royalty.
The ocean holes are gorgeous. The 338-yard 14th over an ocean cove might be the best short par 4 ever designed by RTJII. Even after a successful tee shot, the second is a daunting flip wedge over a front bunker to a cliffside green.
Lost is the greatness of the ocean holes is the dramatic 3rd, a par 3 that plummets from an elevated tee to a green protected by a pond. The water-logged 18th is equally compelling, playing over a pond twice as a risk-reward par 5.
Lots of great holes and scenery for days out here. If your spouse or family don't play, it might be worth signing them up for a "sunset" tour around the course. It's a chance to share a special place with those who are special to you.

Hokuala ranks right up there with Kiawah Island's Ocean Course for its combination of scenery and difficulty. You can lose a handful of balls in the jungle on the front nine and more in the ocean on the back nine. It's quite the test in the wind.
The Jack Nicklaus design features the longest, continuous stretch of golf on the ocean in all of Hawaii. Once you turn the corner toward the 13th tee, a sea of blue takes over the backdrop. Some of the holes coming home get a little awkward. The 15th is a cruel par 4 with a blind tee shot over a bunker to a tilted fairway that kicks balls hard left into a water hazard. My advice on the blind 16th is to layup with a 7 iron. The fairway narrows and drops to a green in the shadow of the harbor lighthouse. It's tricky.
More water on nos. 17 and 18 requires golfers to finish strong or risk limping back to the clubhouse.

I fell hard for Wailua for its welcoming vibe and its wonderful interactions with the ocean at No. 1 and No. 17. Golf on the ocean for less than $60? It sounds too good to be true.
Some tees were in rough shape, but the conditions of the greens was excellent. The routing is challenging and fun. The bunkers are plentiful and daunting. With the whites playing roughly 6,500 yards, Wailua will give you everything you can handle, especially when the trade winds kick up.

Phil Mickelson shot 59 to win the Grand Slam of Golf at Poipu Bay back in the day. My 77 - with an even par back nine - was my version of that incredible round. It came out of nowhere and remains one of my best scores ever.
So, Poipu Bay's easy, right? Hardly.
I was lucky to catch it on a calm day, but there's a fair bit of water near the greens ... on 7, 11, 13 and 18. The greens are big and undulating. A couple of the holes play quite uphill, the par-4 8th and par-5 14th, so those holes are never simple.
Overall, Poipu Bay is as enjoyable and as scenic as any resort course in all of Hawaii. The adjacent Grand Hyatt is also one of my favorite Hawaiian resorts. I can't recommend a stay-and-play enough. You won't regret it.

I play the course every spring as part of a media group. It's never in prime shape that early in the season (nobody's fault but Mother Nature). It was drier than normal and the greens were good. The fairways are always patchy with some rough spots. The setting without homes and the beautiful holes that interact with the river make up for any shortcomings.

I was blown away ... literally ... playing Edgewood on one of the windiest days I've ever experienced on a golf course. The lake was angry, my friends.
The course was in great shape (as always) and the sun was shining, but a steady four-club wind made the lakeside holes almost unplayable. I can't say it was enjoyable, but it was memorable. One of those rounds I'll be talking about two decades from now.

The Mountain vaults to the top of the list when it comes to the best short courses in the country.
At the whim of a playing partner, we played a three-club challenge. I was able to negotiate all the hills, creeks and tight, tree-lined corridors with one ball. It was great fun. It took the seriousness out of the game.
Whether you want to have fun or give your short game a serious workout, this is the place. It's scenic and challenging. Well worth your time and money.

The $2-million renovation was ongoing the day I played. The greens looked great, but were ultraslow. Two holes played as temporary par 3s. Once they open (I'm told by the end of June) and the greens are cut, Tahoe Donner will be ready to compete with the area's top courses.
It's got an incredible setting and some fun surprises, like trees in the middle of the fairway, a periscope on no. 18 and a foursome of greens sunken below the fairways on the front nine. Save some time for post-round food and drinks in the clubhouse.

Thanks to the redesign by Tiger Woods and his TGR Design team, The Hay has been elevated to the level of the other courses at Pebble Beach.
It was in prime condition on grand opening day. Even with a foursome of talented golfers, we all made our fair share of bogeys. The greens are demanding, even if the distances (40 to 107 yards) aren't. You'll have a good time, especially with family, friends and kids who don't normally play the game. When the clubhouse debuts this fall with its food and drink offerings, it will take The Hay to the next level. The free putting green is a welcome addition to the resort and could become a hangout for all ages.

I realize Chambers Bay isn't in everybody's wheelhouse - the walking, man-made dunes and difficulty. Even so, it's a personal favorite. This despite the fact that it doesn't always fit my game.

I think I've double bogeyed the uphill 7th and narrow par-5 8th high above the bottom of the bowl each of the now four times I've played here. It's an unrelenting challenge, but it's so darn beautiful and interesting.

This is my first time seeing the new greens. They were solid and much improved from the days of temporary greens when I last played here 8-9 years ago before the 2015 U.S. Open. When you catch Chambers Bay on a sunny day as I did, it's as good a walk as there is in resort golf.