NCR Country Club - South Course

I recently had the opportunity to play the NCR Country Club South Course, located in Kettering, OH, outside of Dayton.  NCR CC's South Course is a Dick Wilson design, and currently ranked 70 in the top 100 classic courses according to Golfweek raters.  

The course is an absolute gem.  

Cherokee Town and Country Club (South)

I was fortunate enough to be invited to play the newly renovated Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta recently.  The Fazio team was invited back to the club to update the South course, and the changes are very impressive.

Golf Course Design: The Redan

Several types of golf hole have distinguished themselves from the indistinct masses over the years, and have left an indelible mark on the game.  This is the first in a series of posts about notable golf hole designs written for readers that are just beginning to discover the world of golf architecture.

"Redan" hole discussed after the jump!

Rivermont

Name:  Rivermont Golf Club
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Accessibility: Private
Walkability: Walkable (except from 9-10)

There aren't many that have heard of Rivermont Golf Club in Roswell Georgia - including among Atlanta residents.  It is hidden among a 1960's housing development, snaking its way through Brady Bunch ranch homes and towering pine trees.  Research it enough though, and you will find that Rivermont is regarded as a fantastically under-rated course - a true example of a hidden gem.    Without pomp or circumstance, but with a respectful nod to the history and traditions that make golf great, Rivermont is a wonderful course.  The layout is a perfect mixture of strategy and luck, and with a few exceptions the course is beautiful to take in.

Rivermont is a no-frills experience.  They focus on providing a solid golf course with a classic feel.  There is no tennis complex or tricked out swimming pool.  This keeps dues low and the membership strong.  I've been told Rivermont has never levied an assessment as a result.

Pictures after the jump.  Note that when I played Rivermont, the course was in the middle of a greens-replacement project to switch over to tift-eagle.  This project actually helped a lot of my photos - you can see the green off in the distance in many shots as a large bright sandy area that looks like a massive bunker.

Brunswick CC

Name:  Brunswick Country Club
Location: Brunswick Georgia
Accessibility: Private
Walkability: Highly Walkable

Brunswick Country Club is a great course for the high to mid-handicapper. This course was designed by Donald Ross in the 1920's, and is a fair test for any golfer.  The greens were re-done in 2007 to restore the original Ross design.  During the renovation the original earth layers set down by Ross's team were discovered, which allowed the renovation to truly uncover the original design.

Many have played the course and criticized its flat layout.  I thought it was a great layout for walking, with plenty of aesthetic and challenge for my playing partner and me.  It is a great example of what the forefather's of golf course architecture had to do in order to make a course interesting and challenging.  They were moving dirt with horses and shovels, not with diesel powered hydraulic lifts.  The result is a course that truly reflects its surroundings, having been carved from land, and not simply dropped on top of it.  I've posted more pictures after the jump:

American Club Resort - Whistling Straits - The Irish

I don't have a ton of shots from the Irish course, because in true Irish fashion it rained hard for 17 holes.  Our poor caddy did a fantastic job, but I could tell he was miserable.  My dad and I were all smiles.  

A couple of shots of the clubhouse and first hole after the jump. My take on the course is forthcoming.

American Club Resort - Whistling Straits - Straits

Of the four courses at Kohler, the Straits Course is probably the best and most well known.  Straits has hosted several PGA, most recently the 2010 PGA Champtionship.  For my money it is one of the more memorable PGA's in recent history due to the penalty incurred by Dustin Johnson for grounding his club in a waste bunker..  It is also due to host the PGA Championship this year (2015), as well as a Ryder Cup in 2020.  This is not a mistake.

The Straits Course takes you right out to the bluffs overlooking the Western side of lake Michigan, and is either on the water or one hole removed the entire round.  The bunkers are deep. The waste areas are wasted.  The wind is windy.  It is a hell of a challenge, and for the most part a little unfair; but it is so beautiful that you just don't notice.

On this course, more so than other Dye courses I've played, the penalties for mis-hits are just too extreme.  By mis-hits, I don't mean shanking one into the cabbage fifteen yards out of bounds.  I mean three feet off the green.  Hole after hole includes drop-offs and deep bunkers that force you to hit shots that you just can't practice at home.

One of the joys of playing Kohler is that is attracts passionate golfers.  The guys that my dad and I were paired up were another father and son team from the East coast that had traveled all over the country playing courses together.  It was great to hear their perspective on different tracks around the country - they definitely planted a seed for me to start my own journey playing great golf courses.

More Pictures after the jump!