[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

How do you build a "Links" golf course, without an ocean?

Well, Southern Oaks comes to mind. Take a wide open piece of land with very few trees and stick a bunch of flags in the ground. Substitute a Turnpike and some power lines for the ocean and you got something resembling a links course, where the wind is a significant factor effecting play. It certainly doesn’t have the eye appeal of a true links course (or the pot bunkers), but kind of plays like one.

[BrianL99]

In addition to an ocean, I think Southern Oaks is missing most of the other attributes of a true Links Course.

"Links" courses usually rely on "mounds", hills and changes of elevation (dunes) and quirky, difficult greens.

Maybe some similarity to a "heathland" course?

If you would like to play a real "Links Style" course, that doesn't involve an ocean, I think Streamsong Red is the one. BTW, they just announced a Rate drop for FL residents, that I think begins on May 19th. $189 for non-guests, I believe.

5 Different Types of Golf Courses

Here are the 6 different types of golf courses, explained

What is Links Golf? (Links Golf Courses, Explained) • Honest Golfers

[Happydaz]

Sorry about my Indian post reply! I was so excited to talk about the recent book I read I forgot to look at what the real subject was. Maybe the Comanches played golf? Come to think about, don’t some of the golf courses around here resemble the plains of Oklahoma?

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by Happydaz

Sorry about my Indian post reply! I was so excited to talk about the recent book I read I forgot to look at what the real subject was. Maybe the Comanches played golf?

The comanches were too busy playing cowboys and Indians

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

In addition to an ocean, I think Southern Oaks is missing most of the other attributes of a true Links Course.

"Links" courses usually rely on "mounds", hills and changes of elevation (dunes) and quirky, difficult greens.

Maybe some similarity to a "heathland" course?

If you would like to play a real "Links Style" course, that doesn't involve an ocean, I think Streamsong Red is the one. BTW, they just announced a Rate drop for FL residents, that I think begins on May 19th. $189 for non-guests, I believe.

5 Different Types of Golf Courses

Here are the 6 different types of golf courses, explained

What is Links Golf? (Links Golf Courses, Explained) • Honest Golfers

What about Royal St. Cloud in ORL?

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

What about Royal St. Cloud in ORL?

i never heard of it, but looked it up. Looks like they did a decent job.

I'm not huge fan of "manufactured golf courses". The Robert Trent Jones style. He moved everything around, to create what he wanted, as opposed to using what was there (Ferncroft & Ipswich, for example).

I do think they did a great job of "manufacturing" Streamsong, but the whole story of how that came about, lends some credence. It surely isn't a "Links Course" but Coore-Crenshaw did a spectacular job (as always) of creating a masterpiece when they did Red.. (I think the Blue course is awful, but the Black is kind of neat, although different and odd in some ways.)

This thing about "Links" courses when there's no ocean, is a bit like calling the courses in TV, "Championship" courses. I guess you can call 'em whatever you want, it doesn't make it so.

I prefer courses that look like they just naturally arrived, which is why I play Tierra Del Sol most of the time and if I go off campus, I don't go to Juliette Falls, but prefer some place like Black Diamond.

There's some course west of Worcester, MA, where they replicated a bunch of famous holes. I've never played it, but some folks like it. Golf courses are like women. Some guys like .....

... oh nevermind.

(Maybe big doings this week, regarding LIV/PGA. Jimmy Dunne resigned from PGA Policy Board this afternoon. @radaratlas2 says John Henry's plane landed in Teterboro earlier today and Yasir Al-Rumayyan is headed there now.)

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

i never heard of it, but looked it up. Looks like they did a decent job.

I'm not huge fan of "manufactured golf courses". The Robert Trent Jones style. He moved everything around, to create what he wanted, as opposed to using what was there (Ferncroft & Ipswich, for example).

I do think they did a great job of "manufacturing" Streamsong, but the whole story of how that came about, lends some credence. It surely isn't a "Links Course" but Coore-Crenshaw did a spectacular job (as always) of creating a masterpiece when they did Red.. (I think the Blue course is awful, but the Black is kind of neat, although different and odd in some ways.)

This thing about "Links" courses when there's no ocean, is a bit like calling the courses in TV, "Championship" courses. I guess you can call 'em whatever you want, it doesn't make it so.

I prefer courses that look like they just naturally arrived, which is why I play Tierra Del Sol most of the time and if I go off campus, I don't go to Juliette Falls, but prefer some place like Black Diamond.

There's some course west of Worcester, MA, where they replicated a bunch of famous holes. I've never played it, but some folks like it. Golf courses are like women. Some guys like .....

... oh nevermind.

(Maybe big doings this week, regarding LIV/PGA. Jimmy Dunne resigned from PGA Policy Board this afternoon. @radaratlas2 says John Henry's plane landed in Teterboro earlier today and Yasir Al-Rumayyan is headed there now.)

I heard Rory will be in those meetings as well...

[mntlblok]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

I heard Rory will be in those meetings as well...

Then I'm so *confused*! Got the sense that Dunne wanted merger progress and wasn't seeing it with players being the majority on the board. But, Henry's not a player and this sounds like merger progress. No idea where Tiger stands other than being pretty sure that he's against whatever Phil and Greg want. :-) Hearing that Rory and Tiger are now seeing things differently. Saw a suggestion this morning that LIV will end up with the top 50 or so with all the other tours being "feeders" and can see some logic in that. Will Keselowski be at this meeting? :-)

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

There's some course west of Worcester, MA, where they replicated a bunch of famous holes. I've never played it, but some folks like it.)

Hmmmm, our northern home is in western Mass and I’ve been playing golf in that area for a very long time and never heard of that? Some courses in the area I do enjoy include the Ledges, the Ranch, Crump’in Fox, Chicopee, Southampton, Westover, Oak Ridge, Cold Springs, Tekoya, Bas Ridge, Agawam, St. Ann’s, and Wyckoff. Playing Eastern Mountain this afternoon with my wife, not one of my favorites, it’s too easy (referred to as easy mountain), but she likes it so it’s all good.

If you know someone who knows the name of the referenced course, please let me know and I’ll give it a try : )

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Hmmmm, our northern home is in western Mass and I’ve been playing golf in that area for a very long time and never heard of that? Some courses in the area I do enjoy include the Ledges, the Ranch, Crump’in Fox, Chicopee, Southampton, Westover, Oak Ridge, Cold Springs, Tekoya, Bas Ridge, Agawam, St. Ann’s, and Wyckoff. Playing Eastern Mountain this afternoon with my wife, not one of my favorites, it’s too easy (referred to as easy mountain), but she likes it so it’s all good.

If you know someone who knows the name of the referenced course, please let me know and I’ll give it a try : )

Red Tail....Devens
Shining Rock...Northbridge

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Red Tail....Devens
Shining Rock...Northbridge

Thanks, look like nice tracks, but both are east of Worcester and too far off the beaten track for me. The farthest east I’ll travel for a round is to Cold Springs in Belchertown, which takes me quite a bit longer to get to by car than it does to get to Southern Oaks by golf cart in the Villages.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Hmmmm, our northern home is in western Mass and I’ve been playing golf in that area for a very long time and never heard of that? Some courses in the area I do enjoy include the Ledges, the Ranch, Crump’in Fox, Chicopee, Southampton, Westover, Oak Ridge, Cold Springs, Tekoya, Bas Ridge, Agawam, St. Ann’s, and Wyckoff. Playing Eastern Mountain this afternoon with my wife, not one of my favorites, it’s too easy (referred to as easy mountain), but she likes it so it’s all good.

If you know someone who knows the name of the referenced course, please let me know and I’ll give it a try : )

I think it's the "Ranch", but I'm not sure. I looked it up and that's the only one I can find close. Does that not have "replica" holes?

I used to play Crupin-Fox occasionally, when Bill Sandri owned it. He also owned Fox Hollow in Trinity (near Tampa), where I was a member, so CF was very inexpensive for me to play. Last few times I played CF, it wasn't in great condition. A couple of years ago, when they started harvesting trees.

One of the coolest golf courses in your area (& they used to have an awesome non-resident membership deal) is The Orchards, which is a Donald Ross design.

I'm sure you know, the old Hampden CC has been transformed into Great Horse and it's quite a place. I played it once back when it was Hampden, because my friend Phil Pittorino (owner of Wedgewood Pines) owned it. The guy who bought it, claims to have spent $50M transforming it and completely redid the entire property.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Red Tail....Devens
Shining Rock...Northbridge

Red Tail is a decent track, but the conditions were sometimes spotty. Weird ownership deal up there. A Super they brough in was very sharp, but he left to take over at The International, about 3 months before IGC filed BK. Escalante has kept him on. The head Pro for many years, retired a few years ago and a fiend of mine took over as GM ... he's since left to take over PV.

Shining Rock is different, you'll certainly use all your clubs. Tim Gordon who did the deal to turn Saddle Hill into Hopkinton CC, also did the Shining Rock deal. If I told you who the money guys are, you'd know exactly who they are and you'd laugh.

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

I heard Rory will be in those meetings as well...

Rory is too busy in court.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

I think it's the "Ranch", but I'm not sure. I looked it up and that's the only one I can find close. Does that not have "replica" holes?

I used to play Crupin-Fox occasionally, when Bill Sandri owned it. He also owned Fox Hollow in Trinity (near Tampa), where I was a member, so CF was very inexpensive for me to play. Last few times I played CF, it wasn't in great condition. A couple of years ago, when they started harvesting trees.

One of the coolest golf courses in your area (& they used to have an awesome non-resident membership deal) is The Orchards, which is a Donald Ross design.

I'm sure you know, the old Hampden CC has been transformed into Great Horse and it's quite a place. I played it once back when it was Hampden, because my friend Phil Pittorino (owner of Wedgewood Pines) owned it. The guy who bought it, claims to have spent $50M transforming it and completely redid the entire property.

I’m sure you both remember Pleasant Valley CC in Sutton. Three decades of hosting the PGA Bank of Boston tournament. Arnie, Nicklaus and the LPGA had stops there as well. Sorry, just reminiscing!