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Tour 18 Houston, Lakeside CC Reviews

John — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:25:29 +0000

A promise is a promise, so here are my reviews of the two golf courses I played in Houston; Tour 18 Houston and Lakeside Country Club.

Tour 18 Houston

Tour 18 is a composite of great holes from great courses. The idea here is that the average amateur can get a taste of what some of pro golf’s most famous and most storied holes are about. The course isn’t ridiculously pricey, which means it gets a lot of play. When I was there in December the big fall golf season in Houston had just ended. The course was in good shape, but you could tell it had been played hard.

First and foremost, this course is fun just for reading the history and stories of each hole on the tee box plaques. If you watch much pro golf, you’ll conjure up your own memories. Each hole is a classic, like the famous island 17th at TPC Sawgrass. It’s a kick just to make up your own scenario – say to go one up on Tiger on Sunday - and see if you can hit the green. I played in a threesome and I can say we all had a great time playing the course while walking down memory lane.

If you’re looking for an exact replica of each hole, you’ll be disappointed. There’s no way a public course can match the quality of the greens for one. But they were all in good enough condition to take nothing away from the round.

The last hole is a replica of the 18th at Doral’s Blue Monster. I checked scorecards and found the back tees to be 26 yards shorter in Houston. Other things that are different; elevation changes, bunkering, some of the water and foliage. Hey, who would even dream of trying to replicate the magnolias at Augusta!

The first hole is a copy of the 18th at Harbour Town. Here again the distance is a bit shorter, the tall pines are missing as well as some of the water surrounding the hole. While the holes aren’t ‘exact’ replicas they are close enough to make for an enjoyable round. The next time I watch a pro event, I’ll have a different perspective for some of the classic holes like Augusta’s 12th. This is a fun course to play at least once, probably more if you live in Houston.

Lakeside Country Club Houston

Lakeside Country Club is a private Houston club and I was fortunate enough to have a friend who is a member there. This club is one of the top four or five private clubs in the Houston Area and is built around a lake/river as the name implies. As you would expect of a private course, the facilities, practice area and course conditions are impeccable. There are lots of tree-lined fairways and plenty of water, sometimes appearing as a lake and at other times a meandering stream.

The greens are first-rate and add a lot of character to the course. I understand that the club is in the process of rebuilding many of their bunkers, but I found most of the existing ones to be good. While the land is flat and definitely park like, the course is very well laid out. You almost always feel separated from the other holes and for a Texas course, the plantings are very lush.

A couple of holes really stood out. If I hadn’t misplaced my scorecard I could tell you what number the par 3 was that is flanked by water on the left and in back, while the narrow green is well protected by traps in the front. This one is a real challenge and plays harder than the replica of Sawgrass’s 17th at Tour 18.

I absolutely loved the last hole. It’s a fairly long par five that turns right from the tee and then slightly back left at the hole. Add to that an elevated green with steep banks and water on the front and left and it’s nearly impossible to reach in two. It’s as interesting an 18th hole as I’ve seen in a long time and must make for some dramatic finishes. I’m sure many a club player has gone down in flames on this one. By yourself a beer if you par it.

Bottom line on Lakeside, it’s a first rate course that has to make no apologies to anyone. With difficult greens, challenging hole layouts, and varying tee boxes this is one you’d be happy to call home. If you’re in Houston and know a member at Lakeside, it’s a must play. If you haven’t played a Tour 18 course, be sure to try one out.

Next Year’s Golf Vacation

John — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:12:28 +0000

Even if you can’t afford to visit a top golf course or two next year, it’s fun to daydream. A great place to start is the website for ‘Top 100 Golf Courses’. They have just released their new listings for the world’s top courses for 2010. I suppose I should be wrapping presents, but I’ve had a lot of fun just perusing their list to find out where my favorites rank.

What’s especially nice about this website is that you can look at a global ‘top 100′ list or browse by region. If you want more information and background on any given course, you can click on it for more details including photos of some holes.

I was fortunate enough to play Oak Hill’s East Course in Rochester, NY as a teenager. It ranks 29th in the US and 52nd in the World. From the website I learned that Ben Hogan didn’t think the course was good enough for a US Open until he played it in 1954 and lost by one shot to Cary Middlecoff. Afterwards he declared the first hole to be the toughest he ever played.

If you’ve got nothing better to do while waiting for Santa, give this website a visit. If you’ve been really good this year, he might just stuff a golf vacation into your stocking.

Golf in Scotland Resource Guide

doug — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:11:10 +0000

I wanted to do something a little different in a post so I decided to compile a LOT of great content about golfing in Scotland. I had no idea we had this much Scottish golf content!

So if your ever looking to take a Scottish golf trip this might be a good post to look at (and refer to) for research before you embark.

My GolfDash partner, John, returned from a trip recently with tons of good Scottish golf course recommendations, places to stay, how to handle those knarly links conditions and other observations.

Additionally, he has written many other terrific pieces featuring golf in Scotland so I’ll let him take all the glory.

I think there is a lot of value in these types of posts as they cull a lot of good information together in one place. Please give us your thoughts if this is something you would like more of.

Review Of Scottish Links Courses

Gorse & Heather, Scottish Golf Hazards

Brown Courses are Good Courses!

Scottish Golf Course Design

Scottish Courses Are More Fun

Golfing In Scotland During Hard Times

Golfing In Scotland During Hard Times – Part 2

Scotland Golfing Highlights

Scottish Links Golf Not For Everyone

Travel Tips for Scottish Golf Holidays

Weather And British Open Courses

Cruden Bay – A Very Special Place

Scotland Golf Trip Is On!

Scottish Golf Trip Course Rotation

John’s Big Golf Adventure Begins – Moray Golf Club

John’s Scottish Golf Adventures Continue – Nairn

John’s Scottish Golf Adventures Continue – Cruden Bay

John’s Big Adventures Continue – Fraserburgh

John’s Big Golf Adventure Continues – Peterhead

John’s Big Golf Adventure Continues – Royal Aberdeen

John’s Big Golf Adventure Continues – Royal Dornoch

John’s Big Golf Adventure Continues – Monifieth

John’s Big Golf Adventure Continues – Montrose

John’s Big Scottish Golf Adventure Ends at: Panmure

Scottish Trip Wrap-up

Scottish Golf B&B’s

B&B’s For Scottish Golf Vacation

The Rain in Spain Falls Mainly in . . .

golfdash — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:18:58 +0000

I have been itching to looking into golfing in Spain since my brother visited it and was wowed by the beauty and hospitality of the country. Oddly enough it’s one of the few European countries I have never visited – and being an art buff, too is a major travesty.

And now doing some research, I have found, contrary to it’s reputation as an elite hangout for the rich, it’s actually very affordable. With rates on terrific courses from $41 on up to over $450 to play Valderama, it won’t require a cash advance unless you choose the high end courses. But bargains now abound so do your homework.

One of the top destination has to be Valdrama. Valderama was designed in 1974 by Robert Trent Jones, Sr,. Valderama also gained much notoriety in 2002 the Club hosted the 32nd Ryder Cup, won by Europe in a spectacular finish.

The fairways have been described by top pros and leading golf writers as the best in Europe, if not the world. It is not an easy course – nor was it intended to be. It is designed so as to call forth thought and precision for every shot. If you can, it’s a must play.

One of the best places in Spain for golf is the Costa del Sol, which has become known to fans of the game as the Costa del Golf, or the Golf Coast is now home to over 130 golf courses.

The climate on the Costa del Sol is ideal golfing weather, as it lies in southern Spain (on the Mediterranean coast) where the climate is sunny and mild during the season.

One course that deserves a visit is the San Roque Club – in the Andalucia region of Spain. Designed by Dave Thomas with bunkers redesigned by Seve Ballesteros, The Old Course is rated amongst the finest in Europe. The center piece is a magnificent mansion, formerly the home of the Domecq sherry dynasty.

The Old Course is a beautiful walk amid the foothills, where many green locations show off the Sierra Bermeja mountains and overlook the Mediterranean.

In Andalucia you find the essence of Spain. Bullfighting began here (at Ronda), tapas (hint: tapas bars don’t get lively until after 9 pm or so) was invented in Seville; Jerez produces the crisp, clean taste of fino sherry – the region’s favorite drink – sounds good to me!

One of the newest and hottest areas of golf is the Costa Brava area – underlining that Spanish golf is not necessarily focused on the south.

There are two reasons why the Costa Brava is among Europe’s fastest growing destinations: the region’s micro-climate ensures that it remains dry and warm for much of the year; secondly, the Costa Brava boasts four courses ranked inside the continent’s top 50, and a further 3 that have been chosen to host European Tour events.

These include PGA Golf de Catalunya and Emporda – both who are featured as one of the top 10 courses in Spain.

Golf in Spain is truly a destination that now has me licking my chops after reviewing some of these courses. not sure when exactly I’ll get there, but I know one thing – it’s got everything I want and need for a truly memorable golf holiday – some stunning golf courses, superb weather, some of the best food in the world and great art.

PS: You might also want to check out these fabulous Barcelona Hotels while in Spain.

Ram Rock Course at Horseshoe Bay, Austin

John — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:46:04 +0000

Horseshoe Bay is actually about 1 hour northwest of Austin, Texas – up in Hill Country above Lake LBJ. This is a full service resort with 4 golf courses and a marina to boot. I played their highest rated course, Ram Rock, designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. With 4 sets of tee boxes we selected ’regular’ which measures 6405 yards, is rated 73.2 with a slope of 135 – you’d better bring your A game! From the tips the course measures 6926 yards for those who can hit it 300+ off the tee.

The overall setting of the resort is breathtaking. Being an hour from Austin (Golf.com says it’s the “#1 Golf City in America!”), the bustle and population density of the city recede quickly in the rear view mirror. This is a place to come for a well deserved rest or maybe better – retirement. The Ram Rock course is high up in the hills quite a ways from lake LBJ below.

Most of the fairways are bordered by tasteful homes which add lots of ambiance. There were at least two homes on each hole where I could picture myself grilling on the patio enjoying the slow parade of golfers as I enjoyed a well deserved beer or martini.

It should be no surprise that the facilities as well as the service are top notch. We had such a good time on the course that we spent another hour in our own tournament on the putting green. With a late afternoon perfect blue sky what else were we supposed to do?

The course itself is made up of Bermuda tees and fairways with Bentgrass greens. The condition of the course was great overall. The greens could have been one notch faster for my taste, but don’t get the idea that they are slow. This is a first class layout throughout.

The rough wasn’t particularly high, but there are plenty of obstacles with 62 traps and a fair amount of water. Number 4 is a par 3 with a true island green. If you’re smart you aim for the center and give yourself a pat on the back if your tee shot is dry.

There are also plenty of elevation changes, which is no surprise if you’ve been to Texas Hill Country. This course is not as steep as the La Cantera Golf Club, but it would be a workout to walk. Ram Rock has some of the most interesting trap layouts I’ve seen. While some holes are almost devoid of traps, others appear to be nothing but! You definitely want a sand game if you’re going to play this track.

If there’s a negative to the course, then it’s all the dogleg lefts. If you’re hitting your drives at least 250, then you’re going to have to cut a lot of corners or have a great draw in the bag. For the most part the trees at the corners aren’t high, you just need some carry.

In all, I really enjoyed this place. You can’t help but be relaxed even if the course is giving you everything you can handle. This is the kind of place where you could build a retirement home and be perfectly happy to play Ram Rock every day!

For those lucky enough to really live here, they’ve got 3 other courses to choose from if they ever feel the need for change. Come to Austin for the football, the food, the music and, most certainly, for golf at Horseshoe Bay.

La Cantera, San Antonio Golf Resort Gem

John — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:57:45 +0000

If you’re a bottom line type of person, then here it is for La Cantera - when in San Antonio you’ve got to play this course! It has terrific golf, a beautiful resort and great views of this part of Texas. This place has all the amenities you’d expect of a first class Westin resort. The impressive golf facilities are run by Troon Golf.

I played the Resort Course from the Gold tees at 6406 yards with a rating of 69.6 and a 127 slope. For those with more gas in your tank you can always try the tips at 7021 yards. The course itself is a great blend of golf architecture design techniques – it has a little bit of everything.

The Texas Valero Open was played here in 2006 and 2007. I understand that the pros love the course but don’t like the walking. That’s not hard to understand once you’ve played it. I like to walk courses, but unless you’re getting in shape for a trek to Mt. Everest you’d be well advised to take a cart.

This resort sits in the ‘hill country’ outside of San Antonio which equates to constant and significant elevation changes. The upside is the spectacular views you get of the entire region including San Antonio itself and the Six Flags resort which is right next door.

What I really like about the course was that it seemed to have every type of hole you could imagine which equates to ‘never a dull moment’. There are flat holes and elevated holes, small greens and big greens, water and no water, traps galore and almost no traps – get the picture.

You can’t just use one strategy to get around this course, you really have to look at each hole individually and create your plan of attack. A course guide or GPS is a big help when 220 or 280 is a perfect tee shot and everything else is trouble.

Unfortunately, when we played, the greens looked like they had been sliced and sanded in the not too distant past. They didn’t roll as well as they should have and the sand made the subtle breaks hard to read. But that was overshadowed by the pure ‘fun’ this course produces if you don’t take yourself too seriously. You can make a snowman in the blink of an eye!

My wife, an 18 handicapper, played from the Jade tees and had a great experience. They play 4940 yards and are rated at 67.1. If we both had good drives we were pretty much next to each other. Don’t expect to play ‘bump and run’ at this course. It isn’t going to happen. The greens are well protected in every way imaginable and the small openings almost never line up with the fairways.

The golf facilities are first class all around from the pro shop, to the practice facilities to the 19th hole. The staff went out of their way to be nice and helpful. Surprisingly the pace of play was excellent for the most part. My one complaint would be the music played on the practice tee, but I understand that this isn’t uncommon in Texas. I gladly go back to La Cantera in a heartbeat.

Hitting The Texas Golf Trail

John — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:12:39 +0000

My wife and I are in Texas visiting family who have been kind enough to set us up with golf at some of the Lone Star state’s most challenging courses.

We started at the Resort Course at La Cantera, a 7100 yard monster that has 5 sets of tee boxes for maximum challenge and sweeping views of San Antonio if you can’t stand the on-course carnage.

Next we hit a real ‘hill country’ beauty, the Ram Rock course at the Horseshoe Bay Resort about an hour and a half outside of Austin. This is a beautifully lush course with well sheltered holes that ramble among gracious retirement homes.

For a change of pace we headed to Tour 18 in Houston. This is a ‘reproduction’ course where each hole is designed after a Pro Tour classic like the 17th at Sawgrass that have witnessed some of the greatest shots every played.

Finally we finished up with at a beautiful private Houston course called Lakeside that I would call a classic Texas parkland layout. If you haven’t played golf in Texas you’re missing out on courses that have honed the games of some of the best players to ever tee it up.

Over the next couple of days I’ll review each one. If you’ve played any of these, post a comment. I’d love to hear your opinion. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Golf at the Elite Liberty National Golf Club

doug — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:18:18 +0000

I found this article by Mike Palmer on Liberty National Golf Club and thought you might enjoy it.

“When we hopped out of the golf cart on the second tee, we took in one of the most spectacular views on a golf course I’ve ever seen – the Statue of Liberty stood right behind the pin. Beyond that, the entire Manhattan skyline.

That’s when my friend, David Galland, turned to me and said: “It’s just another sign that we’re in the declining days of the Empire.”

You see, David’s had a theory for years that America’s extravagances and over-the-top spending are similar to what happened in Rome 1,600 years ago.

It’s hard to argue with him when you see a place like the Liberty National Golf Club…

This place is over-the-top in so many ways:

• First of all, Liberty National is as close to Wall Street as a golf course can possibly be. It rests on a 160-acre peninsula with a mile of waterfront that juts out from the western shore of the New York Harbor. The Statue of Liberty is just 1,000 yards away.

• The course sits atop an old chemical dump. It took 13 years and 80,000 truckloads of dirt to build. The cost: about $250 million (a record for golf courses).

• The 50 current members each paid a whopping $500,000… plus another $25,000 in annual dues. (The club is opening up another 100 spots soon and will cap membership at 300.)

• The details are extraordinary: The golf cart bridges are made of fieldstone… the walking bridges are granite… the golf cart paths (which alone cost more than $1 million) are made with hand-set Belgian blocks. Sub-air technology that will keep greens heated year-round. The maintenance shed cost $2 million.

• The $60 million clubhouse created on a New Jersey peninsula is glass and steel, and it reflects and blends with the Manhattan buildings it faces. Designed by the New York architectural firm Lindsay Newman, the building also has a nautical feel, which is far from unintentional given its setting. Its dining rooms, lounges, sitting areas and even the locker rooms have an outward focus, with views of New York Harbor through 32-foot glass-curtain walls.

• The course provides two luxury shuttle boats (complete with full locker facilities) to whisk member to and from Manhattan. This way, when the markets close, and you’ve made your last trade of the day, you can be on the first tee in about 15 minutes.

• Other amenities include an on-site heliport, yacht services, a spa and a restaurant

Does this place make economic sense? Probably not.

But that’s beside the point. Liberty National was built by an extremely rich man – Paul Fireman – who started Reebok and sold it to Adidas last year for more than $3 billion.

Paul’s got plenty of money to burn… and he’s sparing no expense. Right next door, they’re building three 40-story towers that will look something like the Sydney Opera House… with space for nearly 1,000 condos.

The place is truly spectacular… a little slice of golfing paradise reminiscent of the links of Ireland or Scotland… except that you’ve got the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline on the horizon.”

Note: Liberty National is located in Jersey City, New Jersey with a 7,346 yard course designed by Robert E. Cupp and Tom Kite.

PS: While in the Big Apple you might want to check out these sweet New York Hotels

Golfing the Fox

doug — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:44:16 +0000

Anytime you play golf in November in New England you consider it an immense gift from the golf gods. And yesterday I and a few friends played the Crumpin Fox Golf Club on just about a glorious golf day as could be found (temps in lower 70′s).

You can see from some of the pics I included that there are not many leaves left on the trees – almost all have fallen. Just a bleak reminder of what’s around the corner for us Northern folks – namely that white powdery stuff (and I’m not talking about drugs!)

I DO love this course. It’s not the easiest golf – as almost everything is carry. I barely broke 90 but hit some pretty decent shots and a bunch of “not so good” ones.

But you’d be pressed to find a more beautiful course in the Northeast (and I’ve played bunch of them!) It’s always in great shape, has a nice friendly staff and a terrific rustic clubhouse with a huge roaring fireplace that makes it very cozy this time of year.

The pics I shot yesterday and included are (from top to bottom): Hole #1 closeup. Signature hole #8 (par 5) hugging the water. Hole #9 (par 3) View down the line of the par 4 2nd hole and the par 5 hole #14.

If you are ever up in this neck of the woods (Bernardston, MA – about 15 minutes south of the Vermont border) I highly recommend you check out this terrific golfing venue.

La Manga: Golfing Heaven in Southern Spain

doug — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:35:30 +0000

So my brother is heading on a honeymoon in Spain. I am a wee bit jealous as Spain is, strangely, one of the few countries I have not visited in Europe – why, I’m not exactly sure.

One of my favorites artists, Picasso, of course hails from Spain and my first stop would probably be the Museu Picasso in Barcelona . I have visited the Picasso Museum in Paris – and it was just fabulous.

So besides the Picasso museum and a tour of the incredible Antoni Gaudi architecture in Barcelona - I would HAVE to get in some golf.

One destination that I have heard great things about from my European friends is the La Manga golf resort – a 1,400 acre sporting paradise nestled between the low hills which separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor sea in south eastern Spain in the southeast corner of Southern Spain.

The La Manga Club & Resort has always been synonymous with golf and with its three championship courses and outstanding practice facilities, it is hardly surprising that it has been voted Europe’s top golf resort twice in the past five years.

The 3 courses are the North, South and West (did they forget the East one?) The South is considered the premier layout which was reworked by Arnold Palmer in the early 1990′s. The other two courses are quite challenging as well, but in different ways.

The South Course has been the venue for many major professional tournaments; Spanish Opens (both ladies’ and men’s), PGA Championships and Qualifying Schools for both the men’s and ladies’ European Tours.

The North course (6,291 yards) has more palm trees, lakes, larger greens, tighter fairways and ‘barrancas’. These natural storm gullies feature on all three golf courses and add an extra dimension to the game.

The West course is set amid serene pine woodlands, the West Course’s design closely follows the natural contours of the undulating land. Its distinct character makes it a good alternative to the other, more classical championship courses.

The West is many golfers’ favorite, both because of its unique setting and outstanding views. It weighs in a bit longer than the North at 6,529 yards.

We’ve made it a goal to do more traveling the next few years and with the kids getting older. One stop will surely be La Manga in Southern Spain.

“If I had to choose one golf course to play before I die, it would be the South Course at La Manga.”
Lord Deedes – Editor of the Daily Telegraph