Having already played 6 rounds, I feel a little remiss that I haven't posted my annual "Must Plays" list for the year... but then again, after looking back through the archives, it seems I didn't post one at all last year. Oops.
Anyway, before we get to the lists, let's go back over the ground-rules:
- "Must plays" for the year (or the next 5 years) cannot be courses that I played last year.
- "Must plays" for this year should all be fairly local so that it's realistic (with one notable exception this year, as explained below); must plays for the 5-year list can be a bit more extended.
- I want to be somewhat pragmatic.
As it turns out, I've already played one of the Must Plays for this year, so let's start there:
MUST PLAYS FOR 2012
1. Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, Bloomfield, CT. Wintonbury marks the approximate half-way point between Westchester County, NY and Boston, which makes it an ideal meeting point for my brother and I (assuming, of course, your definition of "ideal" is an hour and 45 minute drive to play golf. We discovered it 2 years ago (and I wrote about it here), and it is well worth the drive time. We played it last last weekend, just shortly after it opened, and it was everything I remembered -- great hole variety, a definite challenge but fair, with friendly staff and excellent conditions (though the last part I'm grading on a scale given the time of year). Even though I've already played it this year, I'd still put it on the Must Plays (again) list for this year.
2. Meadow Brook Golf Course, Richmond, RI. Another course that will require a bit of a drive, but one I'm definitely planning on getting to soon. Apparently this was once a rinky-dink pastureland track; now redesigned and under new management it ticks in at 7400 yards from the tips with a course rating of 74.4 and slope of 130. The pictures on the website look fantastic. It's close to the 2 Connecticut casinos. I'm all in.
3. Acushnet River Valley Golf Course, Acushnet, MA. Acushnet (the town, not the course) is the home base for Titleist. The course is probably the best bargain in Massachusetts: under $60 including cart on the weekend for a Brian Silva-designed course with light play and great conditions. I've also had some success here, posting a 74 that flirted with even par a few years ago. I need to go back.
4. The Springfield Country Club, West Springfield, MA. This winter I had my first close friend join a country club (the esteemed Dr. Asher, founder and chairman of the Asher Invitational). I'm psyched, and completely looking forward to an invite to the member-guest this summer (hint hint). The course itself is a Donald Ross design, 6500 yards, par 72 (somewhat uniquely 35 on the front and 37 on the back). Can't wait to test it out.
5. The Ailsa Course, Turnberry Resort, Ayrshire, Scotland. July 31, 2012, 7:00am. That's my tee time. It is (I believe) the first tee after the British Senior Open Championship concludes. I literally cannot wait. Every golf thought I've had since this became a reality has been Turnberry-focused -- I'm playing every round as a practice round for the Scotland links and wind. Even if I shoot 110, it's going to be awesome. (But, of course, the goal is even par.)
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| Any tips, Mr. Watson? |
MUST PLAYS FOR 2012-2016
1. Chambers Bay, University Place, WA. Still #1 on this list, and it will likely remain that way until I play it. In fact, it seems like it would be the perfect warm-up for Turnberry, doesn't it? Ideally, I'd love to get there before it hosts the US Open in 2015. Keeping my fingers crossed....
2. World Woods Golf Club, Brooksville, FL. There are 2 courses here, but the feature is Pine Barrens, ranked #55 on Golf Digest's Top 100 Public list. The other course (Rolling Oaks) is supposed to be no slouch, either. They are supposedly modeled after the top 2 courses in the country (Pine Valley and Augusta National, respectively). World Woods is located about an hour from where my parents live, so there's no question that I'll be getting there sooner or later. (As a bonus, the practice facility there is generally considered either the best or 2nd best in the world, depending on your publication of choice.)
3. Ballyowen Golf Course, Hamburg, NJ. Scottish links in central Jersey? You better believe it. I think this is my favorite course that I've ever played. That probably bodes well for the Turnberry trip, no? They host an annual "Brews and Birdies" tournament, played as a 2-man scramble. At some point my brother and I will be participating.
4. The Oaks, The International Golf Club & Resort, Bolton, MA. The International is supposed to be spectacular. The "other" course -- The Pines -- is the longest course in North America at nearly 8400 yards, and it remains exclusive to members. The Oaks, however, is newly offering "select daily tee-times" to the public. In truth, I should probably include this on the list of must-plays for 2012, because you never know how long the opportunity will last.
5. Boston Golf Club, Hingham, MA. This is probably a pipe dream. But before Gil Hanse was the talk of the golf world for winning the rights to build the Olympics course in Rio, he designed the very exclusive Boston Golf Club, and it is considered a secret gem of New England, with a rugged style similar to Pine Valley. There's virtually no way of playing there without being invited by a member; and, to my knowledge, I do not know any members. But I'm listening if anyone is offering!
