The Sagamore's First Hole

The first impression that hits you smack in the face when you pull into The Sagamore Hotel on Lake George, N.Y. is its location. The guest entrance is actually somewhat at the rear of the building so it takes you awhile to realize The Sagamore’s best side faces the lake and what a side it is.

The hotel stands like a majestic white lady, gracing the waters of this classic resort located in Bolton Landing just as it as for over 100 years. One of the coolest parts, literally and figuratively, of a stay at The Sagamore is taking a dinner cruise on the hotel’s yacht, The Morgan, and looking back at the hotel sitting on a slight rise, its manicured lawns and terraces dripping to the shore of one of the country’s truly magnificent (and clean) bodies of water.

Lake George, which French and British settlers and their Native American allies traversed during the 1600’s and 1700’s to stage raids on one another’s land, is a treat for the eyes at any time of the year. I’ve had the pleasure of staying there on a number of occasions. One of the most memorable rides on The Morgan was on a cool late spring afternoon when some snow that had fallen the previous evening still clung to the treetops on the several-thousand-foot Adirondack Mountains that embrace the lake and slide down to meet it. Needless to say, the sunset was glorious, the last rays of the day hitting the tops of the trees and making the white stuff glisten with a slightly golden hue.

The hotel is masterpiece of design—stately and tastefully decorated. The cuisine is excellent and varied and the ambiance subtle but impressive at the same time, especially when sitting on the patio and watching the world sail by.

The Sagamore’s golf course is located about two miles away from the hotel as the crow flies and is sited on a hilltop. The classic resort course, which was designed by, yep, you guessed it, Donald Ross, is considered one of his finest works. The layout has been restored during the past 20 years, and the work only enhanced Ross’s original routing.

From the first tee, with its view of Lake George in the distance, The Sagamore’s golf course is like an unfolding gem of early golf course design, with fairways that follow the natural terrain, dramatic elevation changes, undulating greens and greenside bunkers a whitetail deer could hide in.

The first hole is a perfect way to start a round and it just may the best view on the entire golf course. The 435-yard par-four begins from a dramatically elevated tee that affords a view of Lake George in the distance. The hole drops down into a valley and the approach is back up to a raised green.

The second, a 375-yard par-four is a fun hole. The big hitters shorten the dogleg right by taking the tee shot over a huge pine tree that guards the corner, thus shortening the path to the cup considerably.

The third is a very demanding, 217-yard par-three that plays slightly uphill. Don’t miss the green to the right or you will find yourself in deep trouble in the form of woods and a massive bunker.

I really like the stretch of holes five through eight. They make you think out each shot and use pretty much every club in the bag. The fifth is a 380-yard par-four where I usually hit a cautious driver to the edge of a pond, which leaves me with a short iron into an elevated green. The sixth is a super par-five that plays only 495 yards from the tips. After a good tee shot I’m left with a choice: Go for the green in two with a fairway wood or lay up to around 100 yards and attack with a wedge. For me the play is usually always to go for this green on the second shot but you have to be careful. There’s water to the right of the green approach and a bothersome tree on the left side that I have been behind way too many times, leaving me to try and poke something under the branches and run a shot onto the green.

The sixth may indeed be the best hole on the course. It’s a 425-yard par-four that bends dramatically uphill and to the left. I’ll hit a driver and hug the left side near the woods in order to have the ball roll down a hill and into the fairway. It’s at least a club extra on the approach and you had better not hit it right (woods) or short (deep trap).

The 10^th is another visually attractive hole. Your drive will settle on a hill overlooking the remainder of the fairway and putting surface tucked in a hollow below.

While the seventh hole may be the best Ross designed for The Sagamore Golf Course, the fourth is probably the most demanding. I considered it one of the highlights of my golfing career when I laced a tee shot over a hill to a fairway that lies beyond and is circled by water right and front and woods left. I still had a fairway wood left and I crushed a shot to the elevated green, leaving a 40-foot putt from the left side. Rolling the putt in for a birdie made me feel as if I had just scored a hole-in-one, only that it took me three shots instead of one.

The 16^th is another nice, short par-four. It plays just 366 yards from the back but the tee shot has to be struck well enough to reach the top of a rise to leave an unfettered approach into an elevated green that sits across a stream.

The Sagamore plays quite differently during various seasons. In spring, when the course is wet from the receding snowpack or rains, it plays much longer than its 6,800 yards (par 70). During the summer and fall, the course is in mint condition and drives will roll out, leaving you much shorter approach shots.

Being a great, or even a good, golfer isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying The Sagamore. Immersing oneself in the natural beauty through which many of the holes are routed, and letting the genius of Ross sink in as you face decision after decision is reward enough. By the way, legend has it that Ross imported heather from his native Scotland to plant along some of the holes. The Sagamore has been compared by some as the equal or better than such Ross notables in the region as Oak Hill and Salem country clubs.

The Sagamore is located a half an hour from Albany, two hours from New York City, and three hours from Boston. Other sporting amenities at the resort include tennis courts; an indoor recreation center; boating; sailing; and swimming.

The Sagamore

Bolton Landing, N.Y. on Lake George

866-385-6221

www.TheSagamore.com

Royce Brook Golf Club

The owners and operators of Royce Brook Golf Club in Hillsborough, New Jersey have continually invested money and energy into the property’s two championship golf courses, the clubhouse, and practice areas.

Royce Brook, which is owned and operated by Billy Casper Golf, boasts two of the highest rated courses in the state. The private West Course and the daily fee East Course, tracks that always impress with their routing, well-manicured fairways and demanding shot values, all of which helped earn the Royce Brook Golf Club the New Jersey Section PGA “Golf Club of the Year” in 2005.

Located just an hour’s drive from both New York City and Philadelphia, Royce Brook Golf Club also has award-winning restaurant and banquet services, as well as an expansive practice facility that includes one of the top golf academies in the state, with highly regarded PGA instructors and state-of-the art swing analysis on site.

Said General Manager Dan Guinle, “We are creating practice hub for the members by enhancing the performance and presentation of the short game area. It will have three activity zones–chipping, bunker play, and pitching–centered around three USGA-regulation greens. Adjacent to the short game zone near our practice tee we are installing a canopied hitting area for an improved full-swing experience in both the heat of the summer and in inclement weather.”

Noted golf course architect Steve Smyers did a masterful job designing both layouts at Royce Brook. The two courses are pleasingly different from one another in nature and shot values.

The more open West Course has a real links feel to it, with wide fairways, plenty of bunkers, a rather treeless landscape, rolling greens and tall fescue grass that grows off the fairways in the summer and fall.

The East Course is more of a traditional American parkland course. While there isn’t a lot of water on the two courses what there is comes into play, especially on errant shots. The courses are laced with bunkers and numerous doglegs make well thought-out tee shots a must in order to set up reasonable approaches to the rather spacious greens.

Considered more challenging by some, the private West Course can be stretched to 7,200 yards. It has a slope of 135 and a rating two shots above its par of 72, which tells you something about the challenge that awaits here.

The West Course’s 419-yard par-four fourth is a superb design. You’ve got a decision to make on the tee box, and that’s whether to take your tee shot right or left of a gaggle of bunkers in the fairway landing area. Left shortens the hole, but the bunkers must be avoided at all cost if you want to have a realistic chance of getting on the putting surface in two shots. Thick rough further left of the bunkers also must be steered cleared of to prevent bogey or worse from rearing its ugly head.

The 14^th hole on the West Course could be the toughest short hole on either course. The par-three is a beefy 219 yards from the tips to a green that is protected by water right and rear and numerous bunkers. Number 18 on the West is a good finishing hole that decides the outcome of many a match. There are no tricks on this hole, just lots of length—like 461 yards from the back markers–and nasty fairway bunkers.

The East Course is what might be called a more player-friendly layout and plays a tad below 7,000 yards from the tips. It features rolling fairways and subtly undulating greens, which still demand precision off the tee and a good short game once you get on or around the putting surfaces.

The seventh hole on the East Course is a classic, double-dogleg, 495-yard par-five that has multiple bunkers, both in the fairway landing area and by the green. The 12^th is another good par-five, measuring 492 yards, with water on the right. And the 429-yard par-four 16^th is a beast of a hole with water guarding the right side.

The aforementioned Academy of Golf, which has been listed by Golfweek magazine as one of the top 25 golf schools in the country, offers personalized curriculum, state-of-the-art equipment, a 24-acre, double-ended practice range that has been rated the best on course practice facility in the state, and climate controlled classrooms that are always available for lectures, video reviewing and discussions. The Academy has various packages available for golfers of all skill levels.

Royce Brook Golf Club

Hillsborough, N.J.

908-904-0499

www.roycebrook.com

Wescott Plantation

The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation in North Charleston, just minutes from downtown Charleston, offers 27 holes of fabulous golf.

 Michael Hurdzan of Hurdzan/Fry Golf Course Design, the 2007 recipient of the Donald Ross Award from the American Society of Golf Course Architects and one of the most respected course designers in the world, put his masterful touches on the three nines at Wescott Plantation. The result was 27 holes of fun, challenging and eminently approachable golf.

The course, which opened for play in 2000, is sited on and somewhat unique for the Lowcountry in that all 27 holes are tree lined, resulting in excellent definition of the entire layout. The routing of the golf course, combined with the abundant trees, provides a sense of isolation because you rarely ever see another golf hole. Each of the three nines stretches to over 3,550 yards from the back tees, so any combination of nines will result in a back tee length of over 7,100 yards. But with at least five tees on each hole, golfers can choose to play anywhere from 5,120 yards up to 7,100 yards, depending on their ability.

The designer’s intent was to capture the flavor of low flowing earthworks, classic bunkering, and each hole separated and framed by the vegetation. To this were tied wide landing areas, strategic and offset angles of play from various tees and fairway landing areas. The course will reward intelligent shot selection as much as skillful shot making. In keeping with the traditional flavor of the course the name of the three nines, Oak Forest, Burn Kill and Black Robin, all are derived from the history of the site.

The fairways are planted with the newest generation super grass called “Tifsport” that offers superb playing conditions, while being the most environmentally adapted. Any ball in the fairway is rewarded with a fine lie. Naturally, there are a profusion of natural elements on the courses, such as streams, ponds, wetlands, sentinel trees, and holes play in various directions and lengths around these features. The average size green is 6,000 square feet and feature “Tifeagle” grass, with the putting surface s having soft contours, although when “shaved down,” they can be fast and tricky to read.

There are not an excessive number of bunkers on the course, but each one is well thought out and demands careful shot selection and execution. The bunkers have nearly flat sandy bottoms, but steep grass faces. There are some forced carries at Wescott Plantation, but few and none that will overwhelm the average golfer.

Westcott’s best hole may be the eighth hole on the Burn Kill Nine, a beautiful par-three that can play anywhere from 115 to 200 yards. With a lake running all the way down the left side to the green, hitting it fat, chunky or left is not an option.

The fourth on the Oak Forest Nine, a 528-yard  par-five, may be the best long hole on the course. It’s a slight dogleg to the left that is reachable in two for the big hitters, but if you get too greedy a lake on the right side of the green comes into play.

The second on the Black Robin Nine is a short par-four that plays 355 yards for the tips. At 250 yards the fairway bends 90 degrees, with water protecting the right side of the green on the approach shot.

Wescott Plantation also offers a large driving range/learning center, practice putting green, full service clubhouse, on-course shelters and restrooms, and easy access to and from the clubhouse.

www.wescottgolf.com.

Brandel Chamblee

After a 15-year PGA Tour career that included more than $4 million in earnings, Brandel Chamblee made a full-time transition to the broadcast booth in 2004. Currently, Chamblee serves as lead analyst for the Golf Channel’s network’s PGA Tour coverage and also as a studio analyst for Golf Central, Golf Central Pre Game and the network’s Live From telecasts during majors weeks. A three-time All-American at the University of Texas, his career highlights include victories at the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open on the PGA Tour and the Ben Hogan New England Classic on the Nationwide Tour in 1990. He finished within the top 100 on the PGA Tour money list seven consecutive years.

How did you get into broadcasting?

As a rookie on tour in 1988, I was asked to write a column for Golf World along with Gary Van Sickle. Some TV execs liked the work and asked me if I would be interested in doing some TV. Nobody, does “some” TV, once you’re in, you’re all in, and I’ve been all in since 2004.
Was it something you always wanted to do as a player?

I never thought about TV as a career until I was asked if I would consider doing it in the late 90’s and it took a few years to germinate. But yes, once I got the idea in my head and a few shows under my belt the rush to “get it right” is consuming.
How does being a player help you as a broadcaster?

My experiences give me the direction I need to search for answers and try to shed some light on and bring more value to what the audience is watching.
Is it difficult to approach players for interviews having been “one of them” in the past?

No, but sometimes in the course of my job as an analyst I have to criticize players and that makes interviewing them more difficult sometimes. It comes with the job.

Do you feel today’s players respect you and the job you do?

I hope so. It is always my goal to look for things that interest me as a golfer and form opinions based upon my observations and research, and then to talk about them with the passion I feel for the game.
Do you still get to play some?

Yes, I still play, but it is not my priority. I have three children and when I am not working my time is theirs. When I do play, I play all over Scottsdale, Az., which has a dizzying array of courses and once a year I take a golf trip with a few guys.

Do you miss competing on Tour?

I do miss competing and the camaraderie of the players. But when I start getting ready to play in an event I am reminded of all that goes into competing; the grinding and ceaseless battle to sharpen all aspects of one’s game is all consuming and I am consumed with other thoughts.

What do you feel your strengths are as a broadcaster?

My preparation. I made it a goal, years ago, to approach each show in the same way and archeologist looks at a pile of dirt, I dig.

What is your favorite event to cover?

The next one. As they say you are only as good as your last show and they are all a challenge.

How do you feel about the state of golf, both the pro tours and at the grassroots level?

Golf is too expensive and time consuming. Courses should not have any rough to speak of and very few bunkers or big water hazards. The joy of golf should be in the beauty of being outdoors and in the fun a flailing away without too much worry as to where the ball goes, with the challenge primarily lying where everyone comes together, on the greens. Alistair McKenzie knew what he was doing. Every course should have children’s tees and holes cut much bigger on the other side of the green for them to putt to. Professional golf has never been better. The players are doing a great job marketing themselves, and the round-the-clock coverage allows us to cover every story and every player, which brings more interest. With the Olympics on the horizon, golf will grow as it never has before, at least globally. Here at home, it needs help.

Coosaw Creek's Number 12

I just couldn’t wait to get to Coosaw Creek Country Club. I had heard so many good things about this Arthur Hills-designed gem, located in North Charleston, S.C., that I was simply itchin’ to try it out.

It was a delightfully warm early January day, you know, the kind that makes you wonder why the heck you live anywhere else than in the Southeast, as I drove through the attractive community that surrounds the golf course, stately brick homes gracing quiet streets. Once I arrived at Coosaw I was greeted by the friendly general manager and director of golf, Mike Benner, and his staff who, in typical Lowcounty fashion, welcomed and wished me a great day on the course.

After a chat with the affable starter, I hooked up with a psychiatrist from Portland, Oregon, who was visiting the area. I figured it would be a great opportunity to get a little free advice on my mental state of being, but I wound up giving him tips on how to hit from and chip out of the sticky and tricky Bermuda grass.

Before I tell you about the course, first a primer on Arthur Hills, who, I do believe, is one of the most under-appreciated golf architects of his time. Still at it at the age of 82, he has designed more than 180 new courses and renovated or modified more than 120 others, including some of the most significant clubs in the country, often in preparation for major USGA or PGA championships. He has laid plans to Bonita Bay and the TPC Treviso Bay in Naples, Florida; The Champions in Lexington, Kentucky; Wolfdancer Golf Club in Lost Pines, Texas; the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio; Half Moon Bay Golf Links’ Ocean Course in California, and Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California.

Hills is known for his wise use of the natural terrain and is big on making a player think his or her way around a layout rather than simply trying to overpower it. His courses are laced with water hazards and sand bunkers, and the greens are usually undulating and difficult to read, as is certainly the case at Coosaw Creek.

The first hole at Coosaw gives you an indication of the fun you’ll have here. There’s a bunker that sits on the right side of the fairway about 210 yards out from the tee box of the 336-yard dogleg right par-four. The temptation, which I readily fell victim to, is to take it over the large bunker and shorten the hole by 50 to 60 yards. I did indeed carry the trap, left myself with a short wedge, stuck it to 12 feet and made the putt for birdie. Ahh, for once the reward was well worth the risk.

Despite being located in a residential community, Coosaw Creek has the feel of a course in the wilds. That is because much of the natural area, i.e. wetlands and woods, were left intact by the developers in a wise move that only enhances the pleasure of playing their golf course.

The overall length of the holes is modest; the track plays 6,593 yards  from the tips and just over 6,000 yards from the second set of markers down. But there is enough trouble around to make you place your tee shots in the proper position or club down a bit to leave yourself with unfettered approaches to the putting surfaces.

I thought one of the best short holes was the 160-yard third, a sweet par-three that demands a tee shot over water to a very deep green. You can make birdie or an easy par here, though if you come up short or push your tee shot a bit right you are going to hear a splash and are looking at double bogey.

The back nine has quite a bit of water on it, but most of the wet stuff can be cleared with relative ease off the tee.

The 16^th hole is the best par-five on the course. It’s 516 yards from the tips and big hitters can get close to a pond that kisses the fairway about 270 yards from the back tees, which will leave you with a chance to get onto the green in two. I preferred to play it safe after a so-so drive and hit a four-iron to the fairway layup area to steer clear of sand traps, which left me with a short iron into another deep green. A two-putt from the front of the putting surface made par feel real nice. My playing partner continued to have trouble chipping out of the Bermuda grass and made a tough bogey after getting close in two. The thing about Bermuda grass I have learned is that you really have to commit to the shot, whether it is a five-iron from the rough or a delicate chip from beside the green. If you don’t, the creeping grass has a tendency to grab the club and either turn it over or stop if from moving through the ball properly.

Many designers like to beat you up on the way into the clubhouse. Not at Hills’ Coosaw Creek, which ends with a delightful, 343-yard par-four that doglegs sharply to the left. The hole plays slightly uphill (by the way, the elevation changes here, although slight, are atypical of Lowcountry courses), so that makes the 18^th play a tad longer than its yardage. I hit a good drive and was left with a wedge into, yes, another deep and very narrow green. As is the case with most of the putting surfaces at Coosaw Creek, you’d better be true with your approach or you will be left with a tough up and down. I pushed my shot a bit and wound up in a depression off the right side of the green, short siding myself. After a good 60-degree wedge just to remain on the green that sloped away from me, I two-putted and thus ended a most enjoyable traverse of one very fun test of golf.

As I said, Coosaw Creek won’t beat you up but it doesn’t hand out birdies easily either. This is a course where it is wise to take what the holes give you, think before pulling driver out of the golf bag, and don’t get too greedy on your approach shots. The conditions were very good through the green.

www.coosawcreek.com.

Statistics show that in 2009 and 2010, golf industry sales shrunk from $5 billion a year to $4 billion. And, the number of golf retailers declined in the United States by 50 percent in the past 10 years. Not nice numbers. Yet, Golfsmith has expanded while other retailers have closed their doors.

Says Golfsmith Interational’s President and CEO, Sue Gove, “Golfsmith is a golfer’s paradise. Whether you are a scratch golfer or someone looking to get into the game for the first time, we offer the best selection of the biggest brands in a truly unique environment. Today’s hi-tech clubs offer more features than ever like adjustable loft and shot shape options. Our store associates are experts in helping golfers of all skill levels find the right gear for their game. In fact, we have renamed our associates `Adjustability Experts’ for the kickoff of the season.”

In addition to clubs, balls, shoes, tees and other golf essentials from brands like Titleist, PING, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, PUMA, NikeGolf, Mizuno and more, Golfsmith offers a wide selectionof authentic golf apparel brands and fashions not found in a typical department or discount store. Golfers will also find the latest hi-tech accessories, such as GPS units, swing analyzers and rangefinders.

Golfsmith is an experiential retail model and provides products and services beyond equipment sales. Last year marked a major expansion period as Golfsmith opened 10 new stores and relocated four to larger models. When you walk into a Golfsmith store there is so much more than golf clubs. There’s an extensive selection of apparel and accessories and you’ll see more floor space to non-equipment items. The firm also offers a number of custom fitting options for golfers at all levels and invites customers to come in and try before they buy by using hitting bays and putting greens.

Company officials have identified more than 100 possible new locations for Golfsmith in the future. These markets represent significant growth potential and Golfsmith chooses its new locations carefully, sizing up markets that have potential growth, studying the rate of golf product sales in specific regions, the number of competitors, and other market conditions before it commits to a market or store plan.

Founders Carl and Barbara Paul started Golfsmith in 1967. Before co-founding the company, Carl Paul, an engineer by trade, was invited to play golf with a neighbor and borrowed some golf clubs. He became fascinated by the design of clubs and the way they were put together. Upon researching opportunities to buy the parts and pieces to build clubs, he realized there was an unfilled niche in the industry for custom-made golf clubs and components. The couple started operations from the basement of their Edison, N.J., home, and sent out a typewritten, hand-illustrated catalog.

After Carl Paul’s brother, Frank, joined Golfsmith the company moved to Austin, Tx. in the 1970’s.There, Golfsmith opened its first showroom in 6,000 square feet of unused army barracks. By 1976, Golfsmith had grown to gross more than $1 million a year. In 1992, the company moved to its current headquarters in Austin, a 40-acre campus that includes corporate offices, a practice range, a 30,000-square-foot Golfsmith store, and 240,000 square feet of shipping and distribution facilities. Three years later, Golfsmith opened retail stores locally in Houston, Denver and Dallas.

Today, Golfsmith employs approximately 1,800 people and is the nation’s largest specialty golf retailer, with 89 retail locations (by the end of 2012) to complement its robust online operations, www.golfsmith.com.

Last year Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. agreed to a $97 million sale to Canadian golf retailer Golf Town, a deal that created the world’s largest specialty golf retailer. Golf Town has 54 stores in Canada and seven in the Boston area.

The company also offers a “Play Better Guarantee.” If the consumer buys clubs from Golfsmith and doesn’t play better, the firm will give him or her full credit back toward other clubs. This offer stems from the Golfsmith’s heritage and focus on custom fitting. Having custom fit well over one million golfers in its 45-year history, Golfsmith now offers club fitting experience through its new Advanced Custom Fitting program. Performed by a Golfsmith Master Club Fitter, this service is designed for the golfer who wants the “ultimate” club fitting experience, both in expertise and technology. Customers can schedule an Advanced Fitting session through an online appointment tool.

Last year, Golfsmith launched the industry’s first national on-line custom fitting appointment scheduler. The online scheduler allows golfers the ability to book a new Advanced Club Fitting session at any of their locations nationwide. Golfers can visitwww.golfsmith.com/customfitor the company’s new custom fitting education site, www.MakeEverySwingCount.com,to secure an appointment for an Advanced Custom Fitting session.

The Classic Ninth Hole at The Club at River Oaks

What makes a golf hole cool?

Well, it has to have, as they say, that “wow” factor. By that I mean it has to visually knock your golf shoes off your feet, which often means dramatic elevation changes and breath taking views. It should have some element of risk/reward and forces you to think your way to the flagstick. It should play differently day to day depending upon the weather conditions. And it should be approachable for the average golfer. A 625 par-five isn’t cool just because it is long. And while I’m on the subject of length, these holes are listed at their maximum yardages. We strongly encourage all golfers to play each hole from the tee box best suited to their ability. Each of the holes in our “Cool 18” offer several teeing options that still stand up as a great test.

So, here are 18 cool golf holes, both public and private, in Connecticut, all adding up to one very hip “fantasy” par-72, 18-hole golf course that would be one heck of a fun track to play if it really existed. How many of these holes have you played?

#1: The 18th at Fox Hopyard GC, East Haddam, Par-5, 551 yards

A par-five is a great way to begin a round and let you stretch the muscles a bit. This is a beauty, with the drive needing to stay clear of bunkers, and the second, or third, shot to a large green that is protected by a pond on the right.

#2: The 2^nd at Bull’s Bridge GC, Kent, Par-4, 322 yards

Magical is the view from the tee, as the green sits some 70 feet below with a pond protecting the right side. Big hitters can drive the putting surface but it’s a risk.

#3: The 8th at Blue Fox Run Blue Course, Avon, Par-3, 175 yards

A great short hole that has, for all intents and purposes, an island green (a small strip of land connects the green to a cart path). A well-placed mid-iron will be needed to find the short grass. You may hit everything from a 9-iron to a 5-wood, the latter when the wind is howling in your face.

#4: The 9th at The Club at River Oaks, Sherman, Par-4, 435 yards

By the look from the tee box you could be playing golf in Vermont rather than Connecticut, as the hole offers a stunning view of the surrounding hills and countryside. The tee shot on this dogleg left has to find a smallish landing area between fairway bunkers, and the second shot is across a waste area. No room for nerves here.

 #5: The 3rd at Gillette Ridge GC, Bloomfield, Par-4, 431 yards

Another dogleg left where precision is a must on the approach shot. You also need a good drive, as you will not want to come in with anything more than a mid-iron. The green is surrounded by water left and back.

#6: The 13^th at Torrington CC, Goshen. Par-4, 319 yards

Again, a sumptuous view of the Litchfield County hills from an elevated tee and big hitters can drive the green. But woods lurk on the left side and the putting surface is ridiculously slopped.

#7: The 13th at Great River GC, Milford, Par-4, 435 yards

The approach shot has to clear a pond. But that comes only after you thread the needle and steer clear of the water on the right with your tee shot. A par here is a great score! That’s how tough, and good, this hole is.

#8: The 13th at The Stanwich Club, Greenwich, Par-3, 198

A gorgeous little par-three and this great course’s postcard hole. From the blue tees, it plays over a creek, then a lake, to a slightly-elevated L-shaped green built around a deep bunker across its left front. The putting surface is built up from the front, then falls away in its left-rear sector. Oh, those Stanwich greens are fassssttttt.

#9: The 10th at The Hartford GC, West Hartford, Par-5, 512 yards.

Not long but anything from eagle to snowman lives here. A stream dissects the fairway on the sharp dogleg right about 250 yards out, so you’ll need to lay up between two fairway bunkers. The green angles awkwardly around a left-front bunker and trees are all around on this hole.

#10: The 10^th at Lyman Orchards GC (Jones Course), Par-4, 412 yards

The hole is literally all in front of you visually from an elevated tee box. The decision must be made: How much of the yardage can you cut off by going over a pond on the left side of the dogleg left? Man up and let it fly.

#11: The 17^that Lake of Isles North Course (public), Stonington, Par-4, 384 yards

Visually stunning from the tee this “little” par-three can be a bear. Your tee shot is an easy carry over a pond and then the fun begins. There are sets of bunkers up the left side and woods on the right. A back left pin makes you think twice about forcing the issue.

 #12: The 14^th at Wintonbury Hills GC, Bloomfield, Par-4, 455 yards

The tee shot must steer clear of water to the right. You can bail out left but a steep hill deadens the ball and leaves you with a long-iron or fairway wood into a green that is protected by wetlands, woods, and bunkers. Whew!

#13: The 16^th at Shennecossett GC, Groton, Par-4, 400 yards

The tee shot is over a marsh and the second is at a green that truly offers one of the coolest views of any in Connecticut, as the putting surfaces basically borders Long Island Sound. Every so often you’ll see a submarine coming or going to the naval base. How neat is that!

#14: The 17^th at Shorehaven CC, Norwalk, Par-3, 155 yards

Location, location, location! A short downhill par-three with a well-bunkered, crowned green that is backed right up to the Long Island Sound. Club selection on any given day can go from pitching wedge to hybrid depending on the wind. This hole proves short par-threes can be awesome!

#15:  The 11^th at The Black Hall Club, Hamden, Par-5, 570 yards

A well-designed, fair, challenging par-five, it has fairway bunkers, water to the left of the hole, and lots of sand guarding the putting green. This is indeed a true three-shot par-five from one of the toughest courses in the state.

#16: 15th at TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Par-4, 296 yards

Two factors put this hole on the list, where it falls on the golf course and the risk versus reward. Longer hitters may try to drive the green, but there is a pond to the left of the putting surface and chipping from the right side is no bargain. A wildly undulating green keeps three-putting in the equation.

#17: The 17^th at Wethersfield CC, Par-3, 210 yards

The 17^th at Wethersfield, former site of the Greater Hartford Open, is as sweet a short hole as you will find, with water front, bunkers left and right and a green that seemingly aches for a great shot.

#18:  The 12^th at Richter Park GC, Danbury, Par-5, 527 yards

One of the state’s signature holes, this par-five goes uphill, bends right and ends with a green that sits on a peninsula in a reservoir. The match is in the balance…do you feel lucky? Another superbly thought out design that is stunningly beautiful in autumn.

Charleston National CC

The coolest thing about playing golf as a daily fee golfer at Charleston National Country Club in Mount Pleasant, SC. is that it was never supposed to happen that way.

You see, Charleston National was originally conceived as an exclusive, well, “National” club, along the lines of Augusta National Golf Club. An airport was even built not far from the club that would welcome members on a private runway. Rees Jones was hired to transition his drawings onto hundreds of acres of pristine lowland, full of marshes, flora and fauna about 20 miles away from the city of Charleston.

The course was pretty much built when plans were altered dramatically when Hurricane Hugo roared into the area in 1986 and totally altered the landscape, tearing down thousands of beautiful, old live oaks that were draped with Spanish moss. The original two dozen or so members, their product damaged and changed, began to withdraw and the developers decided to switch gears and make their club a public one, while building attractive communities on much of the rest of the property.

We, the paying public, were left with one heck of a course, the routing of which was only slightly altered and it clubhouse moved inland and off the ocean where it was originally sited, as was the proposed finishing hole. The changes left most of Jones’ layout in place. So, it has become our treat to play the once-private-now-public Charleston National, which only costs $50 or $60 bucks for 18 during the week and slightly more on weekends.

The course was carved out of property near the intracoastal waterway, through natural wetlands and lagoons and a pine and oak tree forest. The result was a championship caliber golf course with some of the best views on the southeastern coast.

Charleston National, which was voted the number one non-resort golf course in the Charleston area by Golf Magazine, is the only Rees Jones design in the Charleston area open to the public. The par-72 stretches just over 7,100 yards from the tips, and there are five sets of tee markers to accommodate all playing levels. The greens are undulating, as befitting a private course, although kept on the slower side to accommodate all public golfers. A number of wooden bridges are strategically placed to carry players over the natural areas from tee box to green. Go slow and you may see egrets blue herons, alligators and other wildlife floating or crawling by as you pass. The finishing holes at Charleston National are among the prettiest in the region.

The first time I played Charleston National, ironically on a cold February day (well, cold by South Carolina standards) I fell in love with the layout. Playing 18 holes is like hitting golf shots in a Lowcountry nature preserve. The holes stand apart from one another (sometimes way apart) and there is immense solitude to be found, especially on the back nine on quiet days. Hugo left enough old oaks and other trees to frame some of the holes, mostly on the outward nine.

Jones designed a course that is challenging from the back markers but very approachable from one or two tees down. There are quite a few forced carries, mostly over marshes, but none that will cause you to shake and shiver. The par-threes here are all superb, starting with the seventh, a 218-yarder and ending with the 188-yard 18th. That the finisher is a par-three is a bit odd, but that is because the owners flopped the nines several years ago for pace of play purposes and to allow players to stop at the clubhouse on the turn. All of the short holes demand shots over the marshland, which is in abundance at Charleston National, but if you play one marker down you’ll be hitting nothing more than a mid-iron and sometimes a short-iron into the large and receptive greens.

One of my favorite holes the course is the fourth, a 360-yard par-four that plays towards a bay that is visible as you approach the green. There’s a pond on the left side and large homes hug the water’s edge, with mounding on the right. The sixth is a perfect example of a good, short par-four. It plays 360 yards from the back markers, only around 300 yards from the next two sets of tees, and a good drive leaves me with a short-iron or wedge into a small green that is guarded by a tree on the right and marsh front and left.

The 12th hole is perhaps the most daunting hole on the course. My tee shot always favors the right side of the fairway to avoid bunkers and marsh on the left. Do that and you are left with a choice to either lay up to around the 150 mark, or try and carry a marsh and shorten the hole. But the fairway landing area beyond is rather small and my play is to lay up and have a mid-iron into the green, which is elevated and has deep bunkers guarding it. Par here feels like birdie and I’ve only made a few of the former but I take a big number out of the equation.

As I mentioned above, the back nine is, I believe, the best nine holes in the area, and that includes some real fine golf courses. The views are magnificent and there isn’t a weak hole, save for perhaps 17, which measures 438 yards but is rather boring in that it is straight and has no real distinctive features to it, except for some bunkering and a large, deep, sloping  green. It almost feels that Jones fit this one into the layout but I’m quibbling because the rest of the holes are so darn good.

I must mention the 16th, another sweet risk/reward hole. It plays only 325 yards from the back and again offers eye candy views of the marshes and some magnificent homes that are located about a wedge shot away from the tee box. The safe play is to lay a five-wood or long iron out onto the fairway and have a nine-iron in your hands for the second shot. But I always pull driver, take it over the left side of this dogleg left and try to shorten the hole into a chip shot. It isn’t out of the question for big hitters to reach the green, especially from the tees down from the back markers. But again, there are woods to the left and marsh right, left and long of the small putting surface, so you had better be accurate.

The conditions at Charleston National are very good. It must be challenging for the superintendent and his staff to care for a course that is surrounded by Nature that would love to turn the land back into what is once was, one of the most stunning pieces of real estate in Mount Pleasant.

Give Charleston National Country Club a try. You’ll be back for more.

For more information, visit www.charlestonnationalgolf.com.

Meadow Brook Golf Course

Some people are calling South County, R.I. the Golf Coast of New England. With 17 public courses offering challenging play for golfers of all abilities, South County is a destination for a day out, a weekend or an extended vacation.

Designed by noted golf course architects, the area’s courses are carved out of the beautiful landscape of South County, with fairways lined with coastal pines and stately hardwoods, traversing streams and even incorporating 17^th-century stone walls, a reminder of the historic aspects of this scenic area.

Hospitality is an important part of South County’s personality, and the courses offer great clubhouses with outstanding food, ranging from a quick snack to fine dining and impressive banquet facilities. That makes South County’s golf and country clubs a great setting for your corporate golf outing, a family celebration or even a wedding!

Located close to South County’s 100 miles of sandy beaches, wonderful historic sites and shopping in quaint villages, South County is a great destination for the non-golfing members of the family as well. So come tee off in South County- New England’s Golf Coast and so much more!

Here’s a look at a few of the courses that make South County, R.I. a must vacation this year.

Meadow Brook Golf Course in Richmond sits on the site of a former nine-hole layout that Roger Rulewich and David Fleury, along with hands-on owners Pete Hendrick and son Jay, turned into a fine 18-hole daily fee course that already rivals some of the best layouts in Rhode Island despite only being open since early 2010. Meadow Brook can play as the longest course in the region, topping out at around 7,500 yards from the tips, although four other markers and expansive teeing areas allow players of all abilities to test it out.

Not far from Meadow Brook is Richmond Country Club, located in the pine forests of the town it takes its name from, which is reminiscent of Carolina courses because of the tall pines and the rather flat terrain over which the track is routed. The pines frame each hole and make the tee shot crucial to playing the holes well. The course is not particularly long from the member’s tees but can stretch to almost 6,900 yards for the best players.

About a half hour from Richmond is Exeter Country Club in the small town of Exeter. This is another well-maintained layout that is more of a parkland routing with some holes passing through stands of trees. The course can stretch to almost 7,000 yards from the back tees, although the play for most is the middle tees that measure 6,406 yards. There are just enough bunkers to keep your attention on approach shots and the greens are true and medium in size.

Fenner Hill Golf Club, another track that is only a few years old and located in Hope Valley, is another shot maker’s course. Longer than Laurel Lane and Beaver River at 6,650 yards from the back markers, Fenner Hill places a premium on accurate drives and careful approaches to the greens. There are a number of forced carries here, which can complicate matters but also add to the thrill of playing.

Laurel Lane Country Club, located in West Kingston, bills itself as “The Gem of South County,” and features immaculate conditions and a player-friendly routing. This is another relatively short, 6,128-yard course that has two par-fours that play over 400 yards, the first and 10^th, with a number of short “fours” that allow the player to get it as close to the green as possible with driver or play safe with a fairway wood or long iron off the tee.

North Kingston Golf Course in North Kingston is a favorite of locals and visitors alike. The classic layout was designed by Walter Johnson, an associate of the legendary Donald Ross. While the total yardage of North Kingston GC is 6,200 yards, with a par of 70, the breezes off the Narragansett Bay add to the challenge of this venerable layout.

For more information about these and the area’s other superb courses, visit www.SouthCountyRI.com.

Atlantic City Country Club

As singer Michael Buble might croon, It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for golf in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Thanks to an innovative and visionary program driven by the state’s governor, Chris Christie and the Casino Redevelopment Department, the city that never sleeps is finally being marketed as a golf destination. What with 19 superb daily fee layouts to choose from, the golf is grand in Atlantic City. And, of course there are the casinos, nightlife, the famous Boardwalk, almost 150 restaurants, beaches, fishing, sightseeing, shopping and a whole lot of other things the area has got going for itself.

According to Tom Sullivan, president of the Greater Atlantic City Golf Association and General Manager of McCullough’s Emerald Links, “We have great golf courses in our portfolio, from high end clubs to affordable courses and everything in between. We have such a great diversity and history with our courses (that grew from seven to 19) in our Association. We have Atlantic City Country Club that hosted six USGA championships, Seaview, where Sam Snead won his first PGA, and Brigantine Golf Links, where Harry Vardon and Walter Hagen used to tune up their games before heading over the play the British Open. There are a number of fabulous new courses, and our members run from Cape May National in the south to Sea Oaks Golf Club in the north of the Atlantic City area”

Sullivan said one of the major factors Atlantic City has working in its favor is that it is within easy driving distance of the major metropolitan areas along the East Coast.“We’re the best kept secret on the East Coast. If you look at the top golf destinations like Myrtle Beach, or Ocean City, Md. they do a great job of marketing to the golfer. Atlantic City has a great golf product that is on par with those destinations. Our greens fees and golf experience is comparable with those destinations. What Atlantic City can offer is a better experience beyond the golf course. We have never before been able to launch a strategic marketing program of this magnitude. With the momentum created by the Do AC Campaign, this was a perfect time to capitalize on getting out the message that AC is a great place to play golf.”

GACGA has the advantage of being able to offer golfers a wide variety of accommodations-from budget rooms to full scale suites. In AC alone there are 150 world renowned restaurants, entertainment and nightlife choices abound, as do amenities like spas, shopping and other recreational activities. Such offerings within the close proximity of great golf courses is hard to find anywhere else.

Said Sullivan, “The thing that always hurt is that people didn’t know about the great golf here. They knew about the casinos and the Boardwalk but now we are going to be known for more than the gaming, as a real vacation destination that has so much to offer. Ron Jaworski (former National Football league quarterback and ESPN analyst) owns two courses in the GACGA and he has become a great ambassador for us. We are very excited about the future of Atlantic City golf.”

The GACGA is working with three firms that are custom tailoring packages to fit the desires and needs of those wishing to spend a weekend or a week or more in the Atlantic City area.

“One firm is amenity-based, another is price sensitive and the other balances those two things,” said Sullivan.

Visit www.GACGA.com and start booking your action-packed golf trip now.