Olympia Fields Country Club

 


      This past weekend, I played golf Olympia Fields Country Club, one of the most prominent clubs in Illinois, if not the world. A couple of months before, I received an invitation to play here from a member. Immediately, we worked to set up a tee time, and soon we decided on playing the 3rd Friday of May. As soon as we pulled up to the course, I knew I was in for something special. The expansive clubhouse with its world famous clock tower was a sight to behold, and the rolling, perfectly groomed, emerald fairways looked like something out of a golf magazine. Next, we had met with our host (I am truly grateful. He made this an amazing experience). Then we went off to the range to hit some practice balls. Then, it was off to the first tee.

    The entire front 9 flows very well together. It plays through centuries old trees and over gentle hills. Some of the most exciting holes were the 3rd, a world class par 4 were the tee shot is blind and the second shot plays over a creek and an interesting, old fashioned bunker complex, and the 6th, a fun downhill par 3. The front 9 closes with a monster of a par 4 that may be one of the hardest holes on the course.

    However, it is really the back 9 when this classic layout begins to show its style. The best holes start at 12, a par 4 were you must negotiate with water, trees, and a tricky green. Next is the 13th an interesting, middle length uphill par 3. Then comes 14, a classic golf hole. This extraordinary par 4 consists of an elevated teebox, 2 creek crossings, and an uphill 2nd shot (that may be partially blind depending on where your tee shot landed). 15 is a bruiser of a par 5 with a hazard along the right side. 16 is a solid par 3, 17 a par 4 with interesting bunkering. Finally, 18 is the final test; a 500 yard par 4 from the back tees that may make or break your round. Overall, this course is a fun, tough, traditional, and all around outstanding course with a world class closing stretch.

Top 10 Public Courses

This is only a list of my favorite courses I have seen or played, so many top courses will be missing, and some courses you've probably never heard of made the list too.

Golf Digest Top Hundred Public Ranking In Parenthesis ( some are out of order)

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links (1)
2. Whistling Straits (Straits) (3)
3. Arcadia Bluffs (13)
4. Spyglass Hill (11)
5. Erin Hills (10)
6. Cog Hill (Dubsdread) (47)
7. Whistling Straits (Irish) (35)
8. Old Works Golf Club (88)
9.Bully Pulpit Golf Course
10.Thoroughbred Golf Course

Old Works

 Over the summer, I was able to play several amazing new courses. A couple of those stood out to me as excellent venues for golf, one of which was Old Works in Anaconda, Montana. This Jack Nicklaus designed course is built on the site of an old copper mine and includes several remnants of the mining operation. Some of these are: old copper smelting ladles, large ruins of stone buildings from the mine that once stood there, and all the bunkers were filled with slag, which is a very fine black sand, a byproduct of copper smelting. Also there are several heaps of slag that are used as waste areas, a strange and unique touch.
   
   As for the course, it was wonderful (top 100 in the U.S), even though I was only able to play the front nine, what I found was a unique course in great condition with some stunning holes. Hole five, a downhill par 4 with a waste area and a pond guarding the green was fantastic.

 Hole 5

 #6

 The next hole, #6 is one of the best par fives I've ever played. This hole offers many interesting shot options as it weaves through several piles of slag. Hole seven  is a short but awesome par three that ends a fantastic three hole stretch of 5, 6, and 7. The shot plays from atop a slag heap to a green surrounded by waste areas, a great par 3.

Hole 7

The rest of the course was also very good, some of my other favorites are 3, a tough but fun par 5, and 9 a par 4 with a huge green (70+ ft putts). Overall, it was a great experience for a very reasonable price ($49 or less with cart).

Champions Course at Tukwet Canyon

I had the privilege of playing this fantastic golf course on spring break earlier this year. I came with high hopes and was not dissapointed. Start with 2 championship golf courses, add great conditioning, a huge clubhouse, and good views and you get Tukwet Canyon.

 The course starts off with a pretty easy par 4. It's a good "warm-up" hole to prepare a golfer for the rest of the round. The front nine winds through the hills and gullies, and features well placed irregular shaped bunkers. Some of my favorites on the front nine are hole 2-4 and hole #9. The second hole is a fun downhill par 3 with a large bunker short-right.

The 3rd Hole

 Hole 3 is a shorter par 4 that plays uphill and has some very interesting bunkers. The 4th hole, a personal favorite of mine, features a split fairway and some interesting risk-reward options. Those hoping to get home in two should try to carry the creek on their drive to get to the 2nd fairway, while conservative players should stay in the first fairway. Also, there are risk-reward options on a layup shot as well. To finish off a great first 9, the ninth is a par 5 that perfectly fits the landscape, has good views, and is sprinkled with several bunkers.

The 9th

The back 9  is very similar to the front, but personally, the second nine is my favorite. It is slightly more quirky, but not overdone, and it includes some of the best holes on the course: 13, 17, and 18. The thirteenth hole is definitely the best hole on the course, and one of the best holes I've played in a long time. The tee shot on this par 4 plays downhill from an elevated tee to a wide landing area. But watch out for the bunker in the center of the fairway. The best play is a shot short-right of the bunker, where you can have the best angle to a green with a creek in front and an insane amount of sand bunkers around it. The 17th is a beautiful hillside par 3 that should be easy if played right. But if you get out of position, a par is really difficult. The final hole is also fantastic. The tee shot has to avoid several stylish fairway bunkers, and the approach is over a lake to a large green. This is a great hole to finish such a fun course. I would highly reccomend this course especially since its a good value. $30 with cart.

Pacific Grove Golf Links

         Located in Pacific Grove, California, Pacific Grove Golf Links is in the shadow of the famous  Pebble Beach courses and Cypress Point. However this muni packs a punch, with eighteen holes containing plenty of good views and a back nine designed by Jack Neville that plays on the coast amongst sand dunes. Golf Digest ranked it one of the most fun courses in the nation and now, after playing it, I understand why.

          Now, I'm just gonna go ahead and say this, the front nine is not anything special. The only thing that keeps you going are the beautiful glimpses of ocean you can see through the trees, and the abundant wildlife. Think of it more as a nature walk as you make your way toward the splendid back nine. I'm not saying the front nine was all bad, there were some fun holes, including a trio of holes #7-9 that are good, old-fashioned golf. But I'm just saying that the real fun comes on the back nine.

The back nine starts off easy enough with a short par 3. But you can tell by the views of the ocean and the sea-breeze that there's going to be a lot of fun ahead. As soon as you step on the 11th tee, the WOW factor really hits you. From the tee box, the ocean, the tumbling dunes, and of course the fantastic golf course come into view. The 11th is a short par 4 with a downhill tee shot, a green backed by dunes, an OB fence left, and a wide fairway with a lot of room for a slice. This reminds me of how St. Andrews was designed: trouble on one side, room on the other. But the closer you get to the trouble, the better the angle to the green.

The 11th

 Now for the 12th, probably the greatest hole on the course. It is a par 5 that winds its way to the right around dunes with spectacular views of the ocean and sand dunes in play on every shot. There is no pLace I'd rather be.

The Oceanside 12th

Next, the 13th hole is a very solid short par 4. It doglegs left around a string of dunes to a green tucked into a natural amphitheater.

 The 13th Hole

Following 13 are two par 4s both similar to each other in length, that wrap through the dunes and near the ocean. On these couple holes there are excellent, post-card worthy views of the tumbling dunescape and ocean. The 16
th hole is a par 4 with a tee box situated in the dunes, right next to the Point Pinos Lighthouse. The hole doglegs left and drops down to a green guarded by bunkers and water.

Great Views on the 16th

Point Pinos Lighthouse

The 17th is a par three that plays over a water hazard named Crespi Pond to a green framed by large cypress trees. This is one of the better par 3's on the course. Lastly, the 18th hole is a straightforward par 4 that offers a final scoring opportunity. However, you can't be too reckless on this hole, because the 18th has one of the narrowest fairways on the back 9. After your round, sit back and relax in the clubhouse to remember a great round, especially the links-style back 9.