AKFooFighter

Word is an ownership change and some grounds crew issues a few years back forced something of a decline in the course. You could see glimpses of greatness from a design standpoint, but too much burnt out grass, spotty fairways and empty water hazards caused some disappointment. Still, it's always fun to visit new courses when traveling. If only my play was anywhere close to as good as the Foo Fighters' performance Saturday night at Safeco Field.

Much like Coach Shula, the place is old school...in a good way. Reportedly built in the 1950s, the course's true sense of history and longtime durability is hard to miss. A lot of fun...the greens have a lot of character.

The wind picked up at times throughout the day, so proper club selection to beat that wind is a necessity. I joked that I'd left the course and was still trying to wrap my head around the speed of the greens for hours later. Quick in a good way, but you'll guessing during your first visit.

Winter can be the rainy season in The 808. While it didn't rain much on us, the course was a bit soggy. Balls plugged and could be difficult to locate. Otherwise, a brilliant place to okay and a wonderful day.

The wind howled early in the day, but started to subside as things motored along. A real, fun layout with multiple astounding views. For the greens fee cost, I was a little surprised the post-round staff wasn't a little more attentive. But it wasn't a too big a deal.

It's truly difficult to gauge how well we played considering the windy conditions. But the Lexington course does live up to its billing as Concord's big brother. Lexington is showing its age a bit in comparison to Concord, you noticed some rougher looking tee boxes and traps. All in all, a fascinating and fun experience.

As I drove away, a simple edict played through my head. Keep the ball in play, and everything will be OK.

Get your pars and birdies(?) in early because the back nine always plays tough. Great, great value for the money.

I grew up in W. Michigan, but hadn't heard of Macatawa Legends until launching the GolfNow.com search. What a gem...just a ton of fun to play. The entire set up is extremely impressive.

With 100+ bunkers, it's nearly impossible to hit a shot without a fear of getting sandy. A fun, fascinating challenge. Welcoming, friendly staff. A wonderful experience.

You never know what you might get when visiting a course for the first time. Steele Canyon qualifies as a destination course for those of us living on non-golf friendly climates. I was paired with a wonderful married couple, and we hit it off splendidly.

You can't beat the price. But if you're vacationing in SoCal, you can easily find more "destination"-type courses to play.