I recently turned 30 and not too long after my birthday I realized something. I realized there are quite a few golf courses that I need to start playing. These are courses that are open to the public. If I included any courses that are private, then I would never get my list done. You see, I have a full time “real” job during the day and I only dream of one day running this blog and my other web properties for a full time living. If that every happened, maybe one day I will have more time to travel to these courses. Until then, I have my list, and I need to get traveling…
1.) Pebble Beach Golf Links– If you ask ten golfers what course they want to play the most, I am confident saying all ten golfers will say Pebble Beach is #1. What else can I say about it?
2.) Bethpage Black– This course I hear is impossible to get on. I am planning a trip to New York later in the year and this may be the first one checked off my list.
3.) Kapalua Resort (Plantation)– Site of this week’s Hyuandai Toournament of Champions, you can’t go wrong with a week in Maui and playing one of the most scenic
golf courses around.
4.) Spyglass Hill– If I ever get to play Pebble Beach, I can also knock out Spyglass in the same weekend. Sounds good to me.
5.) TPC Sawgrass– My dad played this course 20 years ago, before all the changes made were made. My dad reminds me everytime we watch The Players Championship that he pared #17 two days in a row, and I want to do the same.
6.) Torrey Pines– Along with TPC Sawgrass, this is another course my dad has played and raved about. Looks like I have quite a few U.S. Open venues on my list..
7.) Pinehurst No. 2– This is the site of the 2014 U.S. Open, and if I don’t play this one in the next couple years it will be shut down for an entire year leading up to 2014, then I would have to wait until after the tournament.
8.) Whistling Straits– When I get to #18 I am going to go to that infamous bunker and ground my club in it, just like Dustin Johnson did.
9.) Bay Hill– Arnold Palmer’s gem in Orlando is another course that is high on my list. Maybe a four or five day trip to TPC Sawgrass and then down to Bay Hill could be in the works.
10.) Shadow Creek– Built on top of the desert sand, extra dirt, grass and trees were brought in to make this golf oasis right in the middle of the Las Vegas desert. I have always wanted to play Shadow Creek but never been high roller enough..
While I put this list together, I realized I can probably get four courses out of the way in just two trips. While I really do want to get these courses checked off, getting them done within the next five or six years is probably out of the question, but who knows.
Cameron Moore says
I’ve played all on your list except for Whistling Straits. You left the biggest and best off’! Bandon and Pacific Dunes! These are top of my list now and I’m going to try to knock them out within the next month while they are cheap! $75 rounds. Bay Hill is private, you have to stay at resort to play. Enjoy your list, you have a good one!
Front9Back9 says
Hey Thanks Cameron for your input. I guess I have to add Bandon and Pacific Dunes to my list and I better get to traveling a little more. Let me know how they are when you get out to play them.