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There is a lot of legend and lore out there surrounding Shadow Creek, and I can say with absolute certainty that the entire "experience" that is Shadow Creek is incredible. I say "experience" because Shadow Creek is much more than just a great golf course. To me, golf course reviews are a very subjective thing, as we all have our own individual preferences, but when it comes to SC, I can't imagine anyone walking away and not having their expectations met or more likely - exceeded.

Getting picked up from your hotel in a stretch limo sets the tone for what awaits. The facilities are first-class in every respect. The clubhouse is quiet and relaxing. The staff is the perfect combination of professional, friendly and welcoming. The locker room is one of the nicest I've ever been in, public or private - which is to be expected when you see names such as Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Barack Obama, etc. etched in gold plates on the locker doors. SC provides you with a locker for the day, and I was given the locker of a very famous Olympic athlete, which was pretty cool. I'll also note that my friend and I had breakfast and lunch while we were there and the food was excellent.

Upon exiting the locker room and making the short walk over to the driving range, we were promptly greeted by our caddie "Moose" (all groups are required to take a caddie at SC). I've had many caddies over the years at some of the top courses in the country, and Moose was right up there with the best. He was very friendly, personable and extremely knowledgeable about the course (I forgot how many years he said that he had been caddying at SC, but it was a significant number). If you are going to SC, I would definitely recommend Moose as a caddie if you can request ahead of time - you will be guaranteed a good time.

My friend and I (two-some) had a 9:30 a.m. tee time on a Wednesday and pretty much had the entire property to ourselves. I cannot recall seeing another golfer except back near the clubhouse when we grabbed lunch at the turn and then afterwards in the locker room when we finished our round. That being the case, the pace of play was perfect. We took our time and enjoyed the vistas, which are amazing on pretty much every hole. My impression is that SC does not get a ton of play during the week. The weather that day was perfect, upper 65-70 degrees, sunny with not much wind. I hear that it can get breezy from time to time, which is expected in the desert, but the course is set up fair enough that it will still be enjoyable on windy days.

The golf course itself is simply fantastic. The conditioning of the fairways, greens, rough, bunkers, etc was perfect - 10 out of 10. I found it to be very playable from tee to green. It was the perfect combination of challenging but fun. By and large, the fairways are generous enough where you can be comfortable swinging away with the driver. I also was pleased to find that the rough was very manageable, almost to the point where there were some places on the course where I preferred being in the rough just off the fairway, as the grass propped my ball up, in contrast to being on a tight lie in the fairway. Yes, the fairways are cut tight and generally pretty firm, which is not a bad thing, but they are the type of fairways you'll find at major championship venues like Oakmont and Shinnecock. Another thing I like is the collars around the greens are cut super tight, which makes it easy to putt from off of the green if you come up short on your approach.

In my opinion, the most challenging aspect of the course is the greens, which were not only quick, but also had an above-average amount of undulation. The amount of undulation creates a number of tricky pin locations and on at least 3 or 4 holes, I found myself having a putt that first went uphill, and then downhill toward the hole. This made it difficult to get adjusted to the speed of the greens, which I finally started to figure out near the end of the round. It's definitely a course where I'll putt better the more I play it.

The variety of holes is also worth mentioning. No two holes are alike and with an excellent mix of long and short holes, you'll find yourself using all of the clubs in your bag, with chances to be creative in your shot-making. The amount of elevation change is also staggering when you consider the fact that the property was once flat desert floor.

I can see where some people say that $500 for a round of golf is expensive, but Shadow Creek is worth every penny. I have played a number of courses that are $400+ (that don't pick you up in a limo) and very few of them are actually worth the price of admission. Not so with Shadow Creek - I'd be happy to pay the $500 again and will certainly do so in the future. I'm actually ruined for playing golf now in Las Vegas - if I have my clubs there an I'm not playing Shadow Creek, I'll be thinking of where I could be...It's that good.

I played Cabot Cliffs on consecutive days in late June 2017. The first day was warm but overcast and very windy (2 to 3 club wind at times). The second day was warm with virtually no wind and not a cloud in the sky (very unusual for the area). Weather at Cabot can change on a dime, so be prepared for anything and everything (even during the course of a single round).

The course seems to be designed to be played under windy conditions, having generous landing areas and ample room to be creative from tee to green. I actually had more fun the first day taking on the above-average wind. The elements are one of the main defenses of this course - without the wind, it's not overly challenging. Case in point - on the first day, #16 (the postcard par 3 where the green sits out on the cliffs above the ocean) was 155 yards and I hit 5 iron (my 185 club). On day 2, I hit 8 iron (my normal 155 club) from the exact same tee.

The conditioning of the course was very nice, although the greens are very slow. I have to give Cabot a pass though on the green speeds, as the greens are still maturing and Cabot is understandably being protective. At least the speeds are consistent on all of the holes and putts roll true to the breaks that you'll read. It's actually good that the greens were slow on the first day, otherwise the wind would have blown the balls around (the wind was definitely a factor on putts that day). Another comment on conditioning would be raking of bunkers. There was some rainy weather the night before I arrived and it did not appear that the maintenance crew had raked all of the bunkers in the morning, which you wouldn't expect at a world-class resort.

As mentioned above, the fairways are generous and I'd go so far as to say Cabot Cliffs could be classified as a bomber's paradise. Even in the wind, I often found myself hitting driver/short iron on par 4s and a few of the par 5s are reachable in 2 for bigger hitters.

There some blind shots to deal with off the tee (and a couple of approaches as well), so it helps to have a caddy the first time around, but overall the blind shots are not a big factor (don't forget that landing areas are generous in most cases). The caddies seemed a little hit or miss, but overall adequate.

The vistas are spectacular, just like you see in the pictures (only better in real life). And so many memorable holes that are impossible to recreate anywhere else on the planet, especially #17 which is difficult to put into words (331 yards from the tips but reachable with a well placed shot over the ocean, clearing the cliffs and then funneling down an extremely steep fairway to the green). One thing is for certain - Mother Nature intended this property to be a golf course. Visually, it's absolutely incredible.

Aside from the slow greens, other cons you might experience are pace of play can be slow at times with all of the par 5s and Cabot is not necessarily easy to get to (3.5 hour drive once you actually get to the airport in Halifax). I also found that they did not change the pin locations on a number of holes on consecutive days, which was a little disappointing, plus, they used the same green (with same pin location!) on #4 on consecutive days, which to me is unacceptable. Fortunately one of the caddies in my group had a shag ball in his pocket and let me play a second tee-shot to the alternate green, so at least I got to experience what it is like to play the hole to both greens from the tee.

Overall, I thought Cabot Cliffs was a ton of fun. Fun dealing with the wind, being able to bomb away with the driver, with room for creative shotmaking, all while soaking in the natural beauty and unique holes that can be found only on this special property. I'm not sure I'd rank it up there at #19 in the world yet (Golf Digest 2017), but it definitely should be on the "to-do list" of any avid golfer.

Cabot Links is a TRUE links golf course, the only one on the eastern seaboard of North America. For that reason alone, it is worth the trip - not easy to get to, but still probably easier than getting to Ireland or Britain (or even Bandon if you live in the eastern USA or Canada). I played with a nice couple from Toronto who had just been to Scotland, and they said Cabot Links is "exactly" like the links courses over there. A quick note on its sister course, Cabot Cliffs - I do not think Cabot Cliffs is a TRUE links course - it has many features (fescue grass, hard bouncy turf with long roll-outs, slower greens and windy conditions most days), but I wouldn't classify Cabot Cliffs as a true links course.

So back to Cabot Links. What a treat. It's the first time that I have ever played true links golf, and it really is a different game in many regards. The day that I played was warm but it rained pretty hard for the first 3 holes and the wind was howling. By the 4th hole, the rain was finished, but the winds kept going strong (which I assume is pretty much the norm at Cabot, given the fact that the holes have reinforced steal at the bottom to hold the hefty flag sticks in place). Even though the course had taken on quite a bit of water over the previous 12 hours (it had also rained the night before), the fairways still played bouncy and fast like you would expect with links golf. It really made playing in the wind a lot of fun, because you could hit the ball low (stinger and punch shots) and still get the distance you need while keeping it under the wind. It's also a lot of fun to swing away and ride the wind on the holes where the wind is at your back. For example, #7 is a par 3 that was playing 188 yards downwind and I hit a three-quarter 8 iron (my usual 155 club) that ended up on the very back of the green. Then at #10, a 355 yard par 4 playing downwind, both me and my playing partner hit our drives over the green. Point being, you'll end up hitting shots at Cabot that you've probably never hit before (unless you've been to Ireland, Britain or Bandon).

The condition of the course was magnificent. The greens were definitely slower than what I am accustomed to playing back home, but that's links golf and with the wind that day, it was probably a good thing because if the greens were cut down, the balls would have been rolling off.

Difficulty wise, I think Cabot Links is probably more difficult than Cabot Cliffs, as there is a little more high grass and tall fescue which makes the Links seemingly tighter than the Cliffs. That said, there is still room to be creative with the wind and hit lots of different kinds of shots.

Overall, I had a blast going around Cabot Links. Links golf is so much fun if you play it the way it was meant to be played - I can't wait to go back someday.

Quick note on the facilities - there is no driving range at the Links - it's over at Cabot Cliffs, which is about a 6 or 7 minute drive in the car or shuttle vans provided by the resort (nice range over there). I ate all of my meals at the Cabot bar on site, and found the food to be excellent. The rooms at the resort are decent and all of them have amazing views of the Links and ocean. If you go, I'd suggest staying at the resort to get the full experience, as it made everything very convenient, plus I do not think there are many other options close by the golf courses. Most people at Cabot stay for a couple days because it's not easy to get there and often end up playing 36 holes a day, so it's nice to have your room right there were you can go rest and maybe change/shower between rounds. Also, right off of the resort lobby are locker rooms with showers, so even if you had to check out of your room prior to your last round, you can still take a shower and clean up after golf (before leaving to go home).

Just played TR for the first time while on a Pinehurst road trip with my father. We both had an absolute blast and agreed that although we have played a wide variety of courses all around the USA, we have never played anything quite like TR. It's hard to describe TR in words, but the one word I find myself coming back to is "unique".

The facilities are decent. Neat little clubhouse with a log-cabin/wild west feel to it. The driving range is adequate for a public course with nice grass to hit off of. The practice putting green is something to behold - it has two tiers, which are separated by a very severely sloping "ramp", which has got to be about 5 or 6 feet high - giving you a preview of what you're in for when you head out to play the course.

The staff at the bag drop and in the clubhouse/golf shop were very friendly and welcoming. We played on a Saturday morning, so there was a starter on the first tee to keep things moving. Before we teed off, the starter questioned my decision to play from the back (Ripper) tees and asked me if I was a "scratch" golfer and if I'd seen the slope/course rating on the scorecard. I told him I'm not a scratch but that I'd be fine and he joked to the rest of the group that I would probably be having a change of heart heading to the second 9 (and would no longer be playing from the tips). Turns out I was 2 over par after the first 9, so no problem.

The course itself is a one-of-a-kind, out-of-the-box, rollercoaster of a good time. It has a little bit of everything - doglegs left, doglegs right, blind shots, elevations changes, huge bunkers/waste areas, undulating greens, tiered greens, false fronts, collection areas, forced carries, water (on only one hole as I recall, but was a big factor on that hole), risk/reward opportunities, etc. Fortunately we were paired with another twosome that was from the area and had played the course multiple times. This was key because they were able to describe each hole to us, which is extremely helpful at a place like TR with all of its twists and turns and blind shots, etc. If you are going there for the first time, I would highly recommend downloading the TR course APP for your smartphone - very helpful.

The course was in great shape and well manicured. The greens were fantastic - nice pace and just the right amount of undulation to keep things interesting.

TR is not a long golf course, I played the back (Ripper) tees at just over 6,500 and my father (who is 73 but still hits it well) played from the middle (Disc) tees at 6,300 and it worked well for us. TR is fairly generous in terms of landing areas off the tee - fairways are pretty easy to find. TR looks more difficult than it actually plays. Lower handicap players will have a ton of fun navigating the vast bunkering, elevation changes and blind shots (you really need to trust your game and know/have confidence in your club distances). It's definitely target golf, with fair, fun and interesting targets. Higher handicap players may have a bit of a struggle with some of these elements and may not have the same level of enjoyment on certain holes (e.g. #9 which is a gem of a hole). It helps to be good out of the sand (regardless of your skill level, you will inevitably find a bunker or two on your way around TR). You also need to be able to hold a green on approach shots.

I love walking when I play, but here, I'd probably recommend riding - especially if you are playing with a group. I've never driven a cart through a green-side bunker, but at TR, no problem, happens all the time (again, unique)!

Overall, TR was a fabulous experience. I wish I lived closer, I'd definitely make it a point to get back there sooner rather than later. The design and construction of the place is one heck of an engineering feat.