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Nearly fifty golfers - spanning a fifty year age range whom hailed from eight states and the District of Columbia - ascended upon the newly reborn Royal New Kent Golf Club - an original Mike Strantz design - for thirty-six holes of fun & games at the inaugural event presented by GolfCrusade.com, #TheIronMaverick. From nearly dawn to dusk, 12 teams competed in a variety of competitive and playful formats to determine a champion team for the event. Minutes after sunset in Strantz Pub, Team 'Animal Golfers' were awarded the Stantzesque Bull Skull Trophy via scorecard tiebreaker (-4). The team from Southern Maryland captained by Robert Broom earned its way into the top flight for round two via the lowest team score on the first 18-hole round. Each player received pro shop credit, a team photo and a 36" x 11.75" hi-resolution panoramic wall print of the sunrise over the 10th & 18th holes, taken the morning of The Iron Maverick. A lo-res sample of the winner's bounty: In the second flight, Team '@StrantzFantzClub', captained by Golf Crusader BMAC, took home top honors, also at four under par. After the morning round (an 18-hole 4-man scramble) was completed, the lowest six scoring teams were placed into the first flight, the other six in flight two and the board wiped clean. After a fantastic lunch spread provided by the RNK team, teams shotgunned off for their second rounds under a trio of formats: Holes 1 - 6 Four Ball - take low score from 4 players playing own ball Holes 7 - 12 2-man Scrambles - take best score between them Holes 13-18 2-man Mod. Alternate shot - all drive, alt shot thru green, best score carded Before each round began, the field was brought together for a single swing of the club - at the same time! To get the morning started, we had ourselves a little 'Firing Squad'! Players lined the edge of the cliff on the 18th fairway. The field was broken into two groups (first riders then drivers of each cart) with $100 awarded to winner of each group. The 125 yard shot was captured in a group video here below. Whoever could hit their ball closer to the pin than their competitors won the cash. Will Barnack of Wake Forest, North Carolina won the first group (above), while local folk hero Ben Gates of Richmond, Virginia took home $100 in group two (below). While one player hit, the other filmed their teammate hit their shot in the 'Firing Squad Start'. Players were then encouraged to upload their videos to us, thus how we got these shots! To get the blood flowing again after lunch, the field gathered once again en mass for a group competition, this time on the chipping green. All players gathered in a circle around a single hole with their putters. Rules were simple, first one at the bottom of the cup takes home the bounty! This time the prize was a deluxe pair of Costa Del Sol sunglasses. One participant gave us the name we'll forever call this little competition... THE #CLUSTERPUTT Bryan Christopher of Rochester, New York found the cup and earned himself a hot new pair of shades (that we're sure he'll break or lose by end of year). We're sure he won't let us soon forget it either, but does provide some great advice (or more like an excuse if questioned under oath)... #DidntTouchAnyBalls Two more winners were crowned for Closest to the Pin (#7) & Longest Drive. Matthew Lawless (Wilmington, NC) had an early lead on the short par-4, thirteenth hole, but couldn't hold on to it after Adam Wimmer (Chesterfield, VA) drove one OVER the green but stayed in the short stuff to win Longest Drive. Closest to the pin was claimed by somebody. If its you, let me know and we'll update this posting. We seem to have misplaced that winner's name. Each winner took home $50 cash and a free round of golf upon their return trip to Royal New Kent. None of this would have been possible without the group of investors whose vision of a full-scale restoration to the former Best New Upscale Course in America (Golf Digest '97) brought back a true work of art. Some artists paint with brush on a canvas. Mike Strantz carried a sketchpad and a pencil while riding on horseback to uncover his holes, then took a bulldozer to them to sculpt his masterpieces. To posses the vision to restore is one thing. To make it happen is another. Such great detail was paid to the restoration of the course that some of the guys from the original Strantz build were brought back to help reshape the bunkers. We never spoke with anyone from the grounds crew, but those guys deserve a medal for the condition in which they've got this course playing just a few short months after reopening. Well done gents! We also owe the golf and service staff a giant thank you. General Manager/Head PGA Professional Chip Sullivan and his crew catered to every need, large or small, for not just the ninety combined rounds we played during the event, but the other eighty players who showed up to play that day too. First class folks all-around! They deserve a visit from YOU! You deserve to play a course like this at least once in your life. If you couldn't play with us this fall, you need to make it happen! Finally, to the participants of The Iron Maverick... We really had no idea what to expect. We had hoped to create an event that was interesting and fun enough that you went back telling your buddies and the social media world about it, mainly in order to bring some good press to a great course that we now know deserves more of it. We did not expect the kind words and support thrown our way. When everyone was asking when the next one was or that they'd be there next year, that sealed it for us. We're definitely bringing it back! Stay tuned to this channel for info on Iron Maverick II - coming Summer 2020! Don't forget to check out the photo gallery - coming next to The Golf Crusade! Thank you all again! See you very soon! Sincerely Fores, BMAC & Dooner

Mike Strantz changed the game of golf course architecture forever and for the better. It is in his honor and in celebration of the rebirth of one of his original works of art that we gather for 36 holes of battle and infinite fun! Two years ago, like many of the approximately 800 courses across the U.S. that faced the same fate in the last decade, Royal New Kent and Stonehouse Golf Clubs closed. It's sad to see any course close, but when one (or two) were designed by Strantz - who only built seven original courses - it stings so much more. Not having the opportunity to play them upon learning of their closures felt like a kick in the gut (or worse). After all, Stonehouse was named Golf Digest's Best New Upscale Course in 1996. RNK followed with the same honor the following year and Strantz' star began to rise! So when we got wind of new life being pumped into Royal New Kent earlier this year, we started making plans to visit the Richmond/Williamsburg, VA area almost immediately. However, when we heard that Stonehouse was also on the road to a rebirth, we started thinking bigger. And while Stonehouse may take a little longer to come around into playing shape, it won't deter the dream! We recruited a couple foursomes and scheduled a golf trip. However, it wasn't enough. It needed more than just a few buddies getting together to play a little golf. From there, an event started to take shape. We say event because we didn't want it to be a regular old 'tournament'. Events are fun. Events are big. Events are things people talk about. The last one is where the conversation turned into a plan. We only had one day that we could play it - so we were obviously wanted to use as much daylight as possible. Think of it as a golf endurance test - an Ironman if you will - but on a course built as tough as iron itself by a guy who was known as 'The Maverick' of golf course design. Just like that, we have a name for the first Golf Crusade event... The Iron Maverick! Enough backstory. This is what we're doing and we hope that you'll join us! Friday, September 20th | ROYAL NEW KENT GOLF CLUB | Providence Forge, VA 6:54am - Sunrise 7:30am - Check-in and Range Time 8:15am - Welcome & Announcements 8:25am - 'Shotgun Spray' (closest to the pin challenge #1) 8:45am - Morning Shotgun 1:00pm - Lunch 2:00pm - Afternoon Shotgun 6:45pm - 'Firing Squad Finale' (closest to the pin challenge #2) 7:00pm - Awards, Food, Drinks & Fellowship at Strantz Pub 7:08pm - Sunset We want to thank the management teams of both courses for working with us and supporting this event. While this event is taking place solely at Royal New Kent, the staff at Stonehouse was more than generous and very much wanted to participate. The course is just simply not yet ready for play. We wish them a fruitful growing season this fall in hopes we can return soon to experience it as well. What does it cost? - The cost will be $125/player ($500/foursome) and gets you all 36 holes with carts and lunch. The Golf Crusade will keep no funds from this event. All proceeds go to the course or prize pool. - We'll also have one giant cash contest before the first round and after the PM round. Bring some cash! What to bring? - Yourself and your best, most fun golfing buddies. - A camera (or a good one on your phone at least). We want to capture as much content (photos, videos, stories, laughs and good times as possible). - Your social media apps. We want everyone to share the experience! How do we register? - After a foursome registers, sit tight and we'll contact you via email to let you know how and where to pay your $125. - Space is limited for the Inaugural Iron Maverick to the first 18 teams that register and submit payment to RNK. We're doing this to ensure a great experience for all participants and so we stand the best shot of finishing all 36 holes before dark! This is a difficult course, so the extra space should help pace of play! Where should we stay if we're from out of town? - RNK is located right off I-64 between Richmond and Williamsburg. - With the NASCAR race in Richmond that weekend (great idea to stay and do the next night BTW!), rooms are scarce. AirB&B or VRBO are always good options to consider. - However, Williamsburg is about the same distance from RNK. We have secured a block room rate at The Hampton Inn (1880 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, Virginia, 23185) for $99/night. You can book it online by clicking here! Group Name: GOLF OUTING. I want to play but might not be able to get a foursome together. Can I still play? - Since space is so limited, preference will be given to foursomes at first. If the field is not filled by August 20th, we'll start building teams of individuals that have pre-registered. Simply fill out the registration, but do not yet call the course to pay. We'll notify you by August 20th to let you know if the event is not at capacity. More details will be released as we get closer to the event. Follow along on our social channels as well as this site. Email us with any questions at thegolfcrusade@gmail.com. Hope to see you soon! Sincerely Fores, Dooner & BMAC

How do you write an introduction for a course whose name bears a legend at a resort built around a lake that bears the name of a local hero? You can try, but you'll fail. So let's just dive into The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort! Introduction Part of the West Virginia State Parks system, Stonewall Resort takes full advantage of its rugged terrain that rises around the state's largest lake named for one of its most famous sons. Stonewall Jackson was born about thirty miles up the road in what is now Clarksburg, West Virginia [Clarksburg was still part of Virginia when he was born nearly 200 years ago (1824)]. Regardless of where the state line was redrawn, you can find a little bit of everything at this excellent state park resort! Course Setting Stonewall Resort itself has a lot; a large lodge/hotel, cottages, RV campground, three restaurants, meeting rooms, a spa, beach, lake activities, hiking, pool and of course, a top 100 level public access golf course. In other words, anything you want! From the clubhouse, you can see the Lodge (below) overlooking the fog-blanketed hills and lake just beyond the tee boxes of the opening hole. The hills frame the man made lake as if the good Lord reached down and created it himself. After all, this is West 'By God' Virginia! If Lloyd and Harry thought John Denver was full of $h*t about the Rockies not being rockier, then they clearly didn't pass through here on their way out West. Clubhouse/Pro Shop/Practice Facilities The clubhouse houses a well-equiped pro shop on the bottom level and one of the resort's restaurants, Lightburn's, on the upper level. It's worth it to grab a sandwich and a beer so that you can take in the views overlooking the lake and course. Unless you're staying on property, you're probably going to be facing a little bit of a drive to get there. Fortunately, the have a pretty great range that features quite the great little cart ride to the top of the mountain to find it! My brother (Crusader Codename: Doughboy) joined me on one visit and recalled, "You know they mean business when the starter tells you how long it takes to drive back down the mountain from the practice tee to the first tee and to not be late!" Who would want to be late for that?? Course Vitals I'll start by saying this... I've played this course twice (a rarity for me and my golf travel habits) in addition to a few other occasions to meet with up with family or friends for dinner. Every time I've been there, I have been absolutely amazed that the course looks exactly the same each time. These visits were years apart in some cases and yet the photo comparisons could have been considered next day. Considering Doughboy (109 courses played - he's no slouch folks!) used this pic as is Facebook cover photo for about three years should tell you how nice it is. In my humble opinion, this is the crown jewel of public golf in the state of West Virginia. Sure, the Greenbrier is "America's Resort", has way more opulence, the PGA Tour and its illustrious history, but you pay for it in a way that it becomes elitist and prices out just about everyone in the state. You're not going to pay $25 for 18 & a cart here either, but the $100 range weekend peak season fee is very fair. If this course were near a major city or golf destination area, it could be $150 (easy)! (SPOILER ALERT: If you can't swing that, we'll tell you later on how you can play for as little as $35!!! ) As mentioned above in a caption, get here early to play. There are not many places on the list of the 430+ courses we've played that I'd say are even on par with the feeling you get being the first one out at Stonewall. It's therapeutic. The course is laid out in a way that you typically never see anything but the hole you're playing. There are a few holes that run parallel to each other, but they are masterfully hidden from one another. If you're one of the ones that loves feeling like you own the place, make that 7:45 tee time (if they let you) and thank us later. Another wonderful surprise you'll experience at this stunning course is all the surprises themselves! Each hole is so unique and since you can't really cheat and look ahead at what's coming, often times the first look you get is on the tee box. No where was this more evident than on the 13th hole. Since the routing doesn't loop back to the clubhouse after the front nine, by the time you finish the Palmer trademark split fairway par five 12th, you're at the furthest point away from the clubhouse. The 13th flips direction and starting bringing you back home, but not before you get to unload on the best tee shot on the course! With five tee boxes to choose from, you don't have to play it all the way back to enjoy the challenge. Here's the view from and of some of the forward boxes: There are some great long views out here too. Looking at the two holes below, you might think they're consecutive. They're not. The 14th is a reachable par four (left side below) and the fall off the cliff par three 16th. Tip: hit your 185 club off the tee on both holes! Sandwiched between those two strategic holes is the highest point - and best view - on the course. The 15th is also a short par four, but we promise you won't remember what you hit off the tee or even what you score on it. You'll remember this... The 17th has a cool story around 'The Ghost Tree' if you're into course architecture. You have to play around or over this dead but interesting tree in the middle of the marsh if you want to reach the green in regulation on this long par four. The home hole is a nice, but tough way to finish. Honestly though, it looks its best first thing in the morning! Make sure you get your looks in before you tee off! Bring that camera up to the second level deck overlooking the hole as well. As a final mention to the conditions, here you have the same hole shot from almost identical locations four years apart. Not much difference in conditions aside from a little less mowing in the non-essential areas. Conclusion You should play this course if you haven't already gotten the hint. The first time I played here was a couple years after I had played the nearby and heralded Pete Dye Golf Club (top 50 club on its worst day). They are hard to compare because, let's face it, Arnold Palmer courses and Pete Dye courses don't mix as well as iced tea and lemonade do, but I felt that The Palmer Course at Stonewall Resort more than held its own against its brawny neighbor, less some of the bells and whistles of a golf course carved out of a coal mine like PDCG. Crusader Rating: 4.9 stars Last Played: 2014 (the only thing keeping it from 5 stars is the time lapse since we played it. It could very well be 5 stars today, but if you have played it recently, check in with us or comment below to keep us all up to date!) The fact that kids 18 & under play FREE with a paying adult gets me excited. Well done!!! CRUSADER TIP: So you wanted to know how to play this bad boy for less? They have unveiled a new short course routing for the Palmer Course, aptly named, "The King's Course". Here's a shot of the tees from the scorecard... It plays just under 2600 yards and has holes ranging from 34 to 245 yards, so it looks like you're going to get to use almost every club in your bag, so don't come toting just a wedge and a putter. As soon as we can make it up there to play it, we will! For $30, that's got to be the steal of the millennia! Call the pro shop for availability of this cool new option. Until then, here's a few more pics to hold you over! Sincerely Fores, Dooner

The golf conversation in this Western New York city usually begins with Oak Hill Country Club - and rightfully so. It has hosted every major men's championship possible, Ryder Cup included. However, the conversation doesn't end there... This sneaky good - if not short-seasoned - golf town has some really good public tracks you can play and at some of the nation's best prices. While you may not think of Rochester as a place to take a golf trip, maybe you will after you spend the next eight minutes reading this? About the Region: Aside from its famously long, harsh winters on the shores of Lake Ontario, Rochester is a beautiful place for at least 6 weeks a year. We kid, it's a great town to visit and getting to go back to visit has become something we both look forward to (we both grew up here but left for warmer climates 20 years ago and never looked back). It's got everything you'd want for any number of types of trips; family, buddy, golf, sports, business, etc. Here's what you can expect to see and do while in town: Lake Ontario gives you everything from beaches to deep sea fishing. Rochester's city core has a vibrant, born again downtown with great restaurants, breweries, shops and festivals. Its an older, northern city, so you get hip neighborhoods to go with it. Also check out the Erie Canal towns & suburbs like Brockport, Pittsford, Fairport & others. All are great places to experience a little history or a summer/fall festival. Wine Country is just a few miles to the southeast. The Finger Lakes Region is the country's second-highest wine producing area (behind only Napa). For families, it even has its own medium-sized amusement park called Seabreeze that sits right up near the lake. No summer was complete without a trip there as a kid! Want sports? In addition to all those golf championships hosted, Rochester is home to Red Wings baseball (AAA Twins) as well as the Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League (indoor version). The Buffalo Bills even host their preseason training camp at St. John Fisher College (right near Oak Hill CC) each summer. Wegmans Grocery Stores. It's an experience to go to one, but it's a way of life here. We love learning about a new area as much as playing golf in it. If you're the same way, you'll love this. A story known all too well to locals, but probably unbeknownst to our readers, is the relationship & history that the city has with photography & film. It's best unreeled in this quick snippet previewing the Photo City documentary As they mention in the clip, "Rochester, New York in 1964 was the Silicon Valley of its era... The image capitol of the world!" Bausch & Lomb, Xerox and Kodak were all HQ'd here. It's a really interesting - and unfinished - story. Watch the clip if you didn't already. Now that you know where it's been and what to do off the course, let's get on the links! About the Golf: Oak Hill Country Club. You want to play it. You're probably not going to. Let's just move on... Fear not! There are plenty of places to play that will get you and your group out of bed to be first on the box! Trust us, we both grew up here; BMAC on the west side and Dooner a bit more to the east in the Finger Lakes. We've played nearly every course in a 40-mile radius of town! There are some we haven't played, but not many... That's a lot of flags and favorites mixed in there and pretty evenly split. For this reason, we thought it'd be fun to have a draft to pick the best places in town to build around. We'll alternate picks and trading is not allowed. As for the format... We will each pick three public courses in our common draft. We will then have a supplemental round where we'll select one private course (just in case you're savvy enough to pull it off, we'll send you after the right ones!). We'll each sign one "undrafted free agent" that will serve as our 'sleeper pick'. One thing to remember, like most large cities (Rochester has close to one million people), most of the courses in city proper are private, leaving the public tracks to the suburbs. However, the urban sprawl is so great now that most of the 'burbs are considered city anyway, but felt we needed that disclaimer. So without further ado... The Golf Crusade Rochester Golf Course Draft is now OPEN! ROUND 1 With the First Pick of the TGCRGC Draft, BMAC selects: The Links at Greystone | Town of Walworth | designed by Craig Schreiner Draft Pick Analysis Dooner: You (jerk). I thought for sure you'd go Mill Creek and I'd get a steal with Greystone at #2. I digress... great pick. BMAC: Go big or go home Dooner! I put Greystone very close to my top 10 overall. It's the first golf course I ever played that left me in awe. Dooner: That's high praise! I'm a bit surprised by that honestly. Especially someone as accomplished as you were as a scholastic player in the area. You've played all the good stuff! BMAC: You walk into a place like CC of Rochester, sure you're in awe of the club atmosphere and the history and the ambiance, but the course really isn't that inspiring. Its really nice don't get me wrong, but you're not in awe of it. I was in awe of Greystone the first time out. I love it. Dooner: Great description. After looking back through some pics like these, it's hard to argue - especially in a unique links golf setting like they've created there. It's not missing anything. With the Second Pick of the TGCRGC Draft, Dooner selects: Mill Creek Golf Club | Churchville | Raymond Hearn & Paul Albanese Dooner: You didn't think I'd let you get both links courses would you? BMAC: Damn... Dooner: Question - Would you have taken Mill Creek #1 if their short course was still open? BMAC: No, but Mill Creek is solidly at #2 either way. Dooner: Fair enough. 'The Highest Point in Monroe County Golf', as they used to call it, sits on a piece of land reminiscent of Shinnecock Hills or Bulls Bay, just with trees on the drumlin of which the clubhouse sits atop. If they cut those trees down, man, this place would be pushing a top 100 public list or two, dare I say. BMAC: Totally agree. The west side of town has a lot of public options but Mill Creek (literally & figuratively) stands above the rest with its great design, terrain and (hopefully still great) conditions. Dooner: The other fun part of this course is the number of options you get to play each hole. Take a look at a few holes and the different paths to the green on each: ROUND 2 Pick 1, #3 overall, BMAC selects: Ravenwood Golf Club | Victor | Robin Nelson BMAC: This course is a bad mamma-jamma! Dooner: Ravenwood kicked my ass a long time ago. I think I broke my hand hitting out of the rough. BMAC: That's because you suck at golf. Dooner: Fair point. Still, I'd like another crack it though - conditions were tremendous. It was brand new when I played it, I'd like to see how it has matured. BMAC: Ravenwood gets a lot of accolades and I'm not one to argue too much with what it receives. A lot of people that just read the rankings would probably be surprised it's wasn't the #1 pick in this draft, but this is where I feel it belongs. Dooner: Preach! Pick 2, #4 overall, Dooner selects: Bristol Harbour Resort | Canandaigua | Robert Trent Jones UPDATE: Ownership decided to close the golf course at the end of 2021. #WTF BMAC: I knew you'd go for that one. Dooner: Got to represent the Finger Lakes! Also, you won't find a more different set of nines on our entire courses played inventory (that are as close to being as good as one another). The front plays linksy on the rolling hilltop with no trees before the back dives in and out of the ravine creating the memorable shot values. Any course that is good enough for Jack Nicklaus to still hold a course record means it is one you want to tackle. BMAC: Maybe because it was so long ago, I don't remember it being that memorable. Dooner: You're not completely off-base there. Being so close to the lake, I wish you got more views of it. You get some, but it's as good a course as there is in the Finger Lakes & the views of the surrounding hills are nearly unbeatable in the region. It is a bit of a drive out there, but if you don't steal my next pick, I might be able to use it to make a wine country golf pairing! NOTE: We profiled Bristol Harbour Resort in an earlier story. Check it out for the full scoop. ROUND 3 Pick 1, #5 overall, BMAC selects: Blue Heron Hills | Macedon | Pete Craig & Dick Bator (w/ input from Jack Nicklaus) BMAC: BHH has a classic old school feel. It is situated in a very low-lying area which brings into play some wetlands; the habitat of choice of the Great Blue Heron, or Ardea herodias. Dooner: (Nerd) I mean great choice! It pairs perfectly with Greystone. They are three miles apart as the Heron flies. BMAC: Nice pun. Speaking of pairings, check out this weekend twilight deal at Blue Heron... Dooner: So you can play 18 in the AM at Greystone, practically walk over to Blue Heron Hills for 18 in the PM and they'll give you a steak dinner when you're done? BMAC: If that doesn't say perfect golf trip Saturday, I don't know what does? Dooner: Nice research there, Sir! Great find! Pick 2, #6 overall, Dooner selects: Reservoir Creek Golf | Naples | Blaine Harrison Dooner: Thank you for passing on RCG. BMAC: I didn't want your tears on my conscience. Dooner: Whatever helps you sleep at night! If you weren't already at Bristol Harbour (my previous draft pick), this might not have been an option. However, since you've found yourself out that far though, get yourself a grape pie & bring an open mind for a fun round at RCG. BMAC: Grape pies were my Grandmother's thing! Dooner: Yeah! She was a Lake Lady! BMAC: You're right about the course being way the F out there! Dooner: Yes it is (FACT CHECK: GoogleMaps puts RCG exaclty one hour from downtown Rochester). RCG is basically a one-off design, so it is a little overcooked. Buuut, when I said the views are Bristol Harbour were nearly unbeatable, this is the one that beats it. There are some really good holes here (and a couple that I hope they've updated) but because its so rural, you don't hear anything about it. SUPPLEMENTAL ROUND - PRIVATE COURSES BMAC - Monroe Golf Club | Pittsford Donald Ross did at least six courses in Rochester. This is the best one outside of Oak Hill's property line. It's all golf, has no houses and the conditions are Oak Hill level. On top of that, Gil Hanse freshened it up in 2008 - I hear he does nice work. While he was there, he added a four-hole short course that features replicas of holes on the championship course to prepare you for your round. It tips out at just under 6900 yards (par 70) which keeps it from hosting pros, but it has hosted the Monroe Invitational - one of the oldest amateur tournaments in the country - every year since 1937. Some guy named Woods played in that event in 1993 and lost in the (then) match play final. That's significant, as it was Tiger's only match play loss in a five-year span that began with three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateurs (1991–93) and ended with three consecutive U.S. Amateurs (1994–96). Dooner - Cobblestone Creek | Victor Contrasting BMAC's classical pick, this modern Michael Hurdzan design has all the bells & whistles of a high-end private course. It's signature double bridges on the 9th are the site of as many wedding photos as they are of memorable golf shots from its fairways (click on the link above and there's a great drone video that plays as soon as you hit the site that shows this). There is so much to see here in front of you as you're playing that it really gets your adrenaline going. Eye candy to the max! Only a string of average holes in the middle of the back nine keep this from being mentioned in a larger conversation in my eyes. It's awesome. Flip through a few shots on a rainy day (use arrows)... UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS - LOCAL GEMS BMAC - Deerfield Golf & Country Club | Brockport | Pete Craig You could probably make a golf trip - in terms of number of courses (8) and number of holes (126) at least - out of the public tracks in Brockport alone. Deerfield is the best of them and has 27 holes, even if we'd love to redesign the extra nine. Dooner - The Pheasant Golf Links | Manchester | Pete Craig (original 18), Roc Furfari (ROC 9) Cheers to Pete Craig! That man made himself a nice living designing courses in the area. After Donald Ross, he may be our most played architect (16 by my count). My choice is another 27-hole course, but its the newer 'ROC' nine that gets me off the couch. The original 18 is a good, parkland style course while the ROC is straight links fun. DRAFT SUMMARY Team BMAC - Greystone, Ravenwood & Blue Heron Hills w/ a Deerfield bonus play. Monroe if you're lucky. Rent a house in Pittsford, Fairport or Victor. Team Dooner - Mill Creek, Bristol Harbour & Reservoir Creek w/ The Pheasant extra. Cobblestone Creek if you're lucky. Rent a lakehouse near Canandaigua. As always, feel free to bounce around the site a bit. Hit the TRAVEL & DESTINATIONS tab at the top of the page to dig up more articles like this one or use the MAP & TRACKER with its interactive map to learn more about each course we've played in the Rochester area and beyond. You never know what you'll find until you look! Remember... It's not about the list, it's about the journey! Cheers! BMAC & Dooner

One of the best course architects you've probably never heard of laid down an absolute gem amidst rocky peaks, waterfalls and calm lakeshores at Lake Toxaway Country Club in the Cashiers/Highlands area of the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. Introduction The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau is home to some of the most incredible landscapes in the United States, if not the world. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in the country for good reason. True, while most of the official park lies on the Tennessee side of the range, this area is home to some of the country's elite, if only for the summer months. There is a gluttony of high-end, private courses here. You've got Mountaintop (#3 in state), Wade Hampton (top 100 on many lists) and Highlands CC (Bobby Jones summer retreat) to name a few. In fact, there is only one regulation course open to the public up here of the dozen plus championship clubs. That brings us to Lake Toxaway Country Club. Yes, it is private like all the others. That doesn't mean you can't play it though. Through a partnership with the neighboring Greystone Inn - boutique resort which was featured on The Today Show in early 2019 as a 'place to stay' about which you had no clue existed - you can play as part of your stay. We're here to say on the topic of a great place to visit, it lived up to the hype. The Greystone Inn is marvelous. It featured fantastic accommodations in the old mansion house that adorns a hilltop peninsula that extends out into Lake Toxaway - the largest privately held lake in North Carolina. It also includes a bit more modern condo style rooms, a terrific full-service spa (as my wife will attest), a rustic pub within the mansion house and a full service restaurant with floor to ceiling windows that make it feel like you're staring at a painting instead of one of God's great creations. They even have a wooden boat that takes guests out on the lake nightly! Here's the kicker... guests at the Inn also get full run of the services offered at Lake Toxaway Country Club. That includes golf, croquet, tennis, its own restaurant and bar found within its brand new $6M clubhouse, warm up range, Fazio Golf Center down the road, and a soon to be built pool and pickle ball courts. You're given a guest number upon check-in to use it at the club just like you would if you were a member. Services are billed to your room, so there's no need to even carry cash or card with you. This is Southern Hospitality at its finest. My wife and I visited for our 10th anniversary and would recommend to anyone looking for a similar excursion, golf trip, girls weekend or just a quiet weekend away. Course Setting As we noted and you can see from the photos already, you kind of have that Shoeless Joe Jackson moment the first time he steps on the ballfield in Field of Dreams... "Is this Heaven?" No. And its sure not Iowa (no offense Iowianerists - I'm sure your state is lovely). The lake has an interesting history itself. It's man made and was solely dammed up for recreational use, but it isn't the first Lake Toxaway. The first lake (born in 1890!) was washed away by a dam failure in 1916. The current lake made its reappearance in 1960 when the Lake Toxaway Company purchased the land and rebuilt the dam. While we hadn't visited before this trip, it's got to be safe to say this is undoubtedly its best time in its history. Course Vitals Course architect Kris Spence, known more for his restoration work on Donald Ross courses, took a sleepy middling country club course, tore it completely down and turned it into a spectacular showpiece for the region. We are thrilled to have gotten the chance to play it and now share it with you! Spence's Ross restoration work in North Carolina is universally praised. A few of his projects we've visited - such as Mimosa Hills in Morganton and the Grove Park Inn in Asheville - are tremendous, but its the Seth Raynor-like holes he added at Blowing Rock CC that drew the most admiration from yours truly. The first hole at Lake Toxaway even had a bit of a Raynor-esque rectangular green. Here's an example of the old soul that Spence bring to his greens. The first is an image of a Ross green at Mimosa Hills, the second is a Raynor style box green from Blowing Rock and finally is his own hybrid of the two (1st hole at Lake Toxaway). I always wondered what kind of course Spence would build if not burdened by living within the confines of someone else's design - even those as great Ross and Raynor built. Wonder is a good word. This course is a wonderful exercise in framing, strategy and fun. The hills frame the course at nearly every turn. That's not hard given the region's plethora of peaks, but as LTCC head PGA Professional Will Bartram explained, Spence turned 14 holes around in the reverse direction. The results speak for themselves. Enjoy a few looks... The only - and I do mean only - asset this course doesn't have is big length. It tips out a little over 6400 yards, so as you’d expect, strategy is paramount. That doesn't mean you have to layup on every tee box, but there are options that reward the bold. Take into account the 3000+ foot elevation and you'll get a little extra 'feel good' on your shots and you can carry a lot of the trouble that finds your eye from the box. Trust it and let it rip! The real defense of the course is in the greens. Even though they were aerated about 8 days prior, they were near fully healed. The grounds are loved here - that much is evident and appreciated by membership. Bartram said in prime condition they keep them stimping at a 10 or 11 because anything more would be cruel. You'd probably expect someone who spent so much time and effort restoring Ross greens to know a thing or two about laying down some bent grass. If you did, you'd be correct. As if the course wasn't good enough, we ate lunch and dinner at the clubhouse. Both were excellent. Having the luxury of three dinning options (pub, club and inn restaurant) make the remote area you find yourself in feel like home. I mean come on, who wouldn't enjoy a view like this with a cold IPA, a glass of wine or bourbon over ice after a round or a meal? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. You get to Happy Gilmore ball flight one into a mountain with a giant waterfall on it on the 4th tee. No biggie, just wanted to get that one in there! You know, in case you didn't want to play it bad enough already... Conclusion For a secluded mountain course, the terrain isn't as severe as you may expect. The front nine would actually be a pleasant walk. In fact, we did just that the night we arrived. The cart paths are extra wide since the community is allowed to bike or walk it after 7pm daily. We didn't do the whole front loop, but the short distances from green to tee make it possible. The NC Golf Panel ranks Lake Toxaway CC the 69th best course in the state for 2019. If there are 68 courses better than this one, even in a state with as many great places to play as the Tar Heel State, I'd be shocked. We've played over 70 in the state and I'd feel very comfortable throwing it in our NC Top 10. Lake Toxaway CC - awesome. 4.75 Stars The Greystone Inn - awesome. 4.75 Stars (Downtown Highlands, NC - awesome too BTW - great shopping, food and Ice Cream!) We will be back. If you haven't been here before, you need to go. Maybe we'll see you there!? Cheers, Dooner Enjoy some more of the best views of The Greystone Inn and Lake Toxaway Country Club.

We've all seen these lists before right? If LeBron James were a WWE Superstar, who would he be? Well, Google tells me that the space for the PGA/WWE comparisons was vacant! With the biggest events of the year in their respective calendars occurring in within the same week this year, we decided the timing was perfect to fill the void in our lives! One disclaimer - we own no rights to any of these photos/media. If any of them belongs to you, please let us know and we'll apply credit. Thank you to those that took them for allowing us to have some fun with this! With that said, there's only one thing left to ask... Are you ready? Then... for the thousands not in attendance... and for our mothers reading this online a bunch of times thus bumping up our SEO without knowing what that means... LET'S GET READY TO... To kick off any list of this kind... you've got to start at the top, right? Here we go! Tiger Woods | The Rock Mount Rushmore talent that took the world by storm becoming a crossover star and cultural phenomenon. Could come back at anytime to a Beatles-like response and show the young guns what its like to go one-on-one with the GREAT ONE! Jack Nicklaus | Hulk Hogan Charismatic icon with beautiful golden locks & broad-shoulders that ran wild for decades. It wasn't until a generation later that people started to even question that he wasn't the greatest of all-time. Sergio | Warrior Household name - by one name - to those that don't even follow the sport. History will remember him more fondly than his number of championships might dictate. Known to lose temper, throw a fit or dress like a girl's bicycle. Patrick Reed | X-Pac No one likes him. I mean, NO ONE!!! Moving on. John Daly | Scott Hall Hey Yo! Huge talent but sadly possessed some demons just as large. Entertaining to all and still a fan favorite, even as the occasional heel. Still found signing autographs at the local run-down shopping mall or bingo hall. Phil Mickelson | John Cena All-time great still in search of one more major title to cap a first ballot HOF career. Half the crowd cheers wildly for him; half the crowd says he sucks. Paige Spiranac | Torrie Wilson Ladies are a big part of the sport too! Known perhaps more for looks at this point in her career, she's built an Instagram empire (click names above) that transcends her athleticism. Talent is important, but so is branding! Gary Player | Triple H Ambassador. Ageless. Fitness freak of nature. Could have enjoyed retirement and spoils of a legendary career, but passes along their craft and knowledge to the next crop of hopeful stars. Arnie | Andre A man literally larger than life itself. When his name is mentioned, its spoken with a reverence and respect reserved for not only a King, but a Giant among legends. Dustin Johnson | Kurt Angle Blue Chip Prospect > became a champion of and for the United States > Became the best in the world > Weird Injury > Drug Problem > Overcame demons > Comeback to become best in the world > Repeat all after Weird Injury again 6 more times. Ian Poulter | Nikolai Volkov Public Enemy #1 to the USA. Best heel of his generation... and he knows it! Brooks Koepka | Goldberg Came out of nowhere to win major titles in no time! Easily the most jacked dude in the locker room. Doesn't say much, but doesn't need to with that kind of power! Miguel Angel Jimenez | Val Venis Fun Fact: Val Venis retired from wrestling, took up golf & changed his name to Miguel Angel Jimenez. Prove us wrong. Bryson DeChambeau | Konnan "Hey... You like my hat? Want to touch it? That's enufffffff!" Bobby Jones | Bret Hart The best there is. The best there was. The best there ever will be. Period. Paula Creamer | Bayley Idol for many young girls wanting to follow her path. California born, raised and bred into the sport, now spends time wearing pink, doing charity work when not playing and giving out hugs. Rules of Golf | Mr. McMahon "Congratulations on your win! It was a hard fought victory. You beat the best of the best... Just kidding, you're disqualified & you're stripped of the championship. Hahahahahahaha!" Bubba Watson | Stone Cold Country boy done made it big and on his own terms. Owner of his own unorthodox style and adored by his fans, he also enjoys alternative modes of transportation while at work. Was voted "Most likely to raise hell and pound beers on the roof of the General Lee" in his high school yearbook. Loves jean shorts & overalls. David Duval | Marty Jannetty Riding a wave of momentum to the top, built from strong performances & fan support, got thrown through the window by the other guy in the photo above that turned out to be the GOAT. Was never the same again. *Unless you're a big 1980s old-school WWF fan, you probably don't get that one, sorry. Video of 'The Barber Shop' segment will help! And finally... We had to go to the World Long Drive Tour to find the perfect fit for the stylin', profilin', wheelin', dealin', kiss stealin', son of a gun... He does such of good job of explaining why he's the 16-time World Champ, we'll let him tell you! Maurice Allen | Ric Flair Thanks for visiting! Subscribe above and comment below on who we missed or who you would pair. Nothing says we can't do this again! Add us to your favorites, follow us on Instagram / Facebook and become part of our Golf Crusade! Cheers, Dooner @GolfCrusade

We love Mike Strantz golf courses and want everyone to love his courses too. We want them to prosper so his legacy survives and want their success to bring attention back to his remarkable vision for golf course design. We were devastated finding out that both Stonehouse and Royal New Kent had gone under in recent years which was multiplied by not having played either before their demise. As luck would have it, there is new life in the pipeline for both courses and our plan is to bring attention back to all his work so that an unseemly ending will never happen again. This club is a way for us to remind as many people as we can that his imagination on a golf course was like no other and is deserving of praise and admiration alike. Please follow along on Instagram, @strantzfantzclub, as we highlight our own photos of his work as well as sending in your own, which will be credited, so we can all celebrate his brilliance. We also feel that to be a true fan club we need to have admission criteria. Let’s start simply and say anyone who has played one of his courses would fill said criteria. (in broad, boasting tones) “So on this day in the year 2019, we hereby declare the Strantz Fantz Club officially open for admission.” If you want the official Strantz Fantz Club certificate, please email us at strantzfantzclub@gmail.com and we’ll send it out along with requirements for properly displaying said achievement. For those of us who have completed the so-called ‘Maverick Trail’* by playing all 9 of the attributed courses, the distinct honor of ‘Maverick Status’ will be granted and again, email us at the above address and you will receive a better...er version of the original certificate. Feel free to lord this over your buddies and their inferior golf achievements. For those of us who have never had the honor of standing on a Mike Strantz designed property, please do so soon because as long as we keep playing and talking about these great courses, the longer we will be able to do so. Go forth and conquer and never forget to #respecttheskull. Respectfully, BMAC The official course list: Caledonia Golf & Fish Club True Blue Golf Club Bulls Bay Golf Club Tobacco Road Golf Club Tot Hill Farm Golf Club Royal New Kent Golf Club *Open for business as of 4/26/19 Monterrey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course redesign Silver Creek Valley Country Club - redesign Stonehouse - anticipated opening summer 2019 *working title and admittedly could be better **Fun fact: Tot Hill was the site of BMAC’s very first golf photo back in 2003, which was taken (on film) to spite Dooner for not being able to play that day.

In one of the prettiest small towns in the southern string of the Appalachians, you'll find a quiet river valley adorned with a Jack Nicklaus signature course that fits as perfectly into its surrounds as it does into the charm of the neighboring village. And when we say charming, we mean it in the best sense for both entities. Welcome to Dahlonega, Georgia and Achasta Resort . Introduction WINTER GOLF NOTICE - If you want to play 1000 courses, you play in the winter. Don't judge a course by it's winter photos and dormant Bermuda grass! Normally when we're playing out of town, we'll have at least a few weeks to research the area or talk to some folks we trust on the ol' Instagram. Rarely does the trip happen where golf is an afterthought, but such was the case here. Thanks to the perfect storm of 60+ degree temps the first weekend in January, an uncle itching to get back on the golf horse (Thanks Kev!), a cousin (Thanks Jammie!) with a friend (Thanks Wes!) who just happened to join the only club in town close enough to make it work time-wise, Winter Storm Achasta was born! Or this might have just been the perfect instance of having a golf website for which to fill content to convince my better-half that this was a worthy venture (Thanks Boo)! Either way, you don't look a gift course in the mouth - especially in January! Course Setting As mentioned above, Achasta sits in a quiet river valley perfectly sized for an 18-hole championship course. The Chestatee River cuts pretty straight through the property, but evenly distributed so that about half the holes play either along side or over water. The course is gated, but it was nice that it didn't hit you in the face right as you turned in. It was actually on the opposite side of the valley, so it allows folks just wanting a peek at it to do so since you drive right through the middle of the course. Aside from a lucky few residents on the hillsides and a few condos near the clubhouse, the course is virtually devoid of homes - and it is glorious. Since we'd had so much rain the night before, we had the entire course to ourselves save for a couple folks getting some swings in on the range. It's the combination of the modest hills, flowing water and pings of pings echoing through the expansive setting that gives full pleasure to the player. That said, the entire place wont play more than 20 feet up or down the whole day. Course Vitals Since the course plays so flat and can stretch out over 7000 yards, it is a popular qualifier site for many tours and tournaments. It also hosted the Georgia High School Championship tournament, so you're going to get a pretty good test. However, since its a mostly member and resort play facility, it's not overly hard if you know where to throw it. In fact, I managed to shoot even par on the back. I'll tell you how later. The course has a great hole-by-hole tour on their website - with images pulled from the GPS system the carts employ. You can check out that tour here. Having played many of Jack's courses, this was the first one I'd played that didn't feature at least a little undulation in the property (NOTE: While Harbour Town was technically a Jack/Pete Dye collaboration originally, most folks - us included - think of it as a Dye course). I kept waiting for the course to creep up the slopes in the pinch at the end of the valley, but it never came. Instead, the highest points on this course are on one of the many - and very expensive - bridges that cross the Chestatee River. I'm not an engineer nor a contractor, but there has got to be a million dollars tied up in the steel arches. There are four of the massive spans for golf carts alone, then two more for cars - one with a tunnel for carts to pass through after the first and third holes - that bring more than just a means of transportation to the day. The 4th and 5th greens (the entire 5th hole actually) play on an island in the middle of the river. You should be able to score a bit if you're warmed up thanks to a short par four 2nd and moderate par three 3rd immediately before the manageable par five 4th. Got all that? Among my favorite #Jackholes on each Nicklaus design are the par threes. Each course we've visited of his (or Jack II's too for that matter) have featured multiple, memorable par threes. Achasta is no different. They are the clear show stoppers here. Cooler still are the two one-shotters on the backside that play as numbers eleven and seventeen, but whose greens are neighbors as the course winds back upon itself to close the loop. Here are two shots of each par three, first playing in then behind the greens (in order top to bottom holes 3, 5, 11 & 17): Ok, so earlier I said that I shot even par on the back and that I'd provide tips on how to do it yourself. Here's how you do it: Schedule a 2pm tee time in January when the sun sets early. Play the front nine then play 10, 11, 17 and 18 coming back in. So yeah, it was only over four holes. Sue me. Probably happens for BMAC all the time, but not for this guy! I'm counting it. It was also completed by chipping in on 18 after sending my tee ball in the water, which made it that much more memorable. Conclusion This is a really fun course. We certainly can't hold the rain against them - but for a river valley setting the course drained exceptionally well. Would love to play some winter golf in our region with some overseeded fairways, but it just doesn't seem to be in the budgets for the courses in the southern Appalachians. None of that will change our opinions - the people, the town and the course are some of the best you'll come across. If you're visiting Atlanta, Dahlonega is worth a 60-minute drive and a daytrip. Play a round then head into the downtown square to check out one of their amazing restaurants, learn about the Dahlonega gold rush or take a horse-drawn carriage ride at Christmas time. It's like a scene straight out of Charles Dickens' works! CRUSADER RATING: **** Last Played: January 2019 GPS: 639 Birch River Drive, Dahlonega, GA 30533 Phone: 706-867-1660 It's open to the public - so tee away! Bonus Sights! The University of North Georgia is just a stone's throw away from downtown. It is one of the handful of civilian and military colleges in America. If you're lucky, you might be on the drillfield when they retire the colors for the day.

Not all trips have a Golf Digest Top 100 Course on their itinerary and that’s OK in our book. We relish finding a hidden gem tucked away or an older venue lacking proper Instagram love. Sometimes, with careful planning, those finds can make a great golf trip. With that in mind, we’ll tip our hand to some trips we are planning or wanting to make happen. Hopefully they are worthy of the great ‘weekend golf trip’ title and hopefully we can help you figure out how to pull them off. Alabama bound? Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve thought about golf in Alabama. I feel the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail has been lost in the bevy of newer destinations, i.e Bandon, Streamsong, Sand Valley, etc. I know these places look great, but I’m tired of seeing how expensive they are in reality. I recently saw an email for a 2 night, 2 round deal at a prestigious resort and the starting price was $2295 per person. That’s not how we roll. We find deals and use them. The Trail was an unbelievably ambitious project and the fact that it was pulled off - and is still affordable - is remarkable. Right now on The Trail, it is $82 to play all day - range included. It’s time to bring some attention back to The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail and get it on the forefront of golf’s collective mind. Since we now have a growing social media following (thanks Mom!), let’s put this feature back on the map and see how we would go about doing it. 468 holes...26 courses...and 11 sites make for an ambitious plan. I doubt it would be completed in short order, but careful planning can help make the goal easier to attain. Considering many of us get one golf trip a year, this may be a long-term goal. However, we feel it can be done in six weekend trips. Alright, so ‘weekend’ may be a misnomer. ‘Three-day weekend’ would be more accurate. Take a look through the itineraries we’ve provided and see if you and your crew could make it work. We plan to delve in ourselves and can’t wait to say we’ve played them all. In fact, we feel if you finish The Trail, a significant acknowledgement should be bestowed upon you. I’m ready to petition the Alabama Ministry of Golf for some sort of official ‘Alabama Golf Czar’ or ‘Deputy of The Trail’ badge...or a championship belt at minimum. Bragging rites are fine, but some hardware would make completing The Trail that much sweeter. How To Play The Trail Trip #1 The Shoals/Hampton Cove - 3 full days 90 holes Friday - Fly into Hunstville early, 30min to HC and play River and Short courses. 90 min drive to The Shoals at night. Saturday - Play Fighting Joe and The Schoolmaster. "Tips to Teal Challenge" Sunday - 90min drive back to HC and Play Highlands course 30 min to airport. Scouting Report - The Shoals two courses, Fighting Joe and Schoolmaster, boast over 16,000 yards of golf from the tips. Just plain nuts. I consider myself, BMAC, to be a bit of a golf masochist and even I think that is extreme. I also can’t wait to play there but that’s my issue, not yours. White tees are 6,200 at each course for the more sane among us. We’d personally suggest the TTC, playing one ball from the Black tees and one from the Teal, if time permitted. It would be about a 6,000 yard difference between the tees over the 2 rounds. It’d be like playing 4 courses in one day. Hampton Cove has 3 courses aptly named Highlands, River and Short. Got to love the simplicity here, Short=18 par 3s. River=water on 16 holes. Highlands=High Land...I’m just assuming since I’ve never been, but seems to fit the trend. Trip #2 Magnolia Grove/Lakewood - 3 full days 90/108 holes Friday - Fly into Mobile early, 20min to MG and play Falls and Short courses. Saturday - Drive to Lakewood, 60 min and play Azalea and Dogwood, drive back Sunday - Play Crossings and possibly Spring Hill College Course*, Looks like a goat track so may be quick and about $25-30. 20min to airport. Scouting Report - Magnolia Grove’s two big courses have been renovated within the last decade and its Short Course, aptly named, will give you another 18 chances at Hole-In-One glory. They used to have an LPGA tour stop on the The Crossings course as well as junior tournaments in the 90s where 'you know who' grinded away to finish in the back of the pack, questioning his life's choices on every step. Trip #3 Ross Bridge/Oxmoor Valley - 3 full days 72/90+ holes Friday - Fly into Birmingham early, 9:30am, drive to RB 30min. Play Ross Bridge, $200 to play all day. Saturday - Play 2 Oxmoor courses, Ridge & Short. May find time for replay, 2 miles from RB. Sunday - Play Valley and maybe catch Highland Park Golf Course* on way to Airport, $27 - home of Bobby Jones’ first victory. Scouting Report - Ross Bridge is 8191 yards...Black Tees...8191...the good news: water is everywhere so the course rating of 87.2 seems legit. I may be exaggerating but a 78.1 rating is “tough” to say the least. Oxmoor’s Ridge has elevation in spades. Par 3 #8 has a 2 club downhill slant and advice to not be ‘long or short’...good luck. Luckily the Short course will give slightly better odds on your Hole-In-One dreams - So you got that going for you, which is nice. Valley has a few rail ties integrated throughout and is lacking descriptors like “Roller Coaster” and “devastatingly long” which may make it a relaxing experience and you may enjoy yourself. Best of luck. Trip #4 Capitol Hill - Weekender 54+ holes Saturday - Fly into Montgomery early, 30min to CH. Play Judge and Legislator. Sunday - Play Senator, maybe an extra nine and head to airport. Scouting Report - The Gem of The Trail, so to speak. The Judge was rated as #6 in state by Golf Digest...Enough said. Trip #5 Highland Oaks/Cambrian Ridge - 3 days 72/81 holes Friday - Fly into Montgomery early, drive to CR 50min and play Canyon and Loblolly nines. Drive to Dothan, 135min. Saturday - Play 36 at Highland Oaks. Sunday - Drive to CR and play Sherling and Short nines. Consider the Gateway Golf Course nine holer, 15min from airport. Scouting Report - The Marshwood nine at Highland has a 700 yard par 5 but the other two ‘regulation length’ nines have been voted as a ‘Places to Play’ by Golf Digest. Cambrian Ridge also has 4 nines including a Short. Got to love that The Sherling nine starts at the highest point in Butler County** and I’d say Loblolly looks almost ‘Augustish’ via tour and satellite. I think we can all agree Augustish is a real word. Trip #6 Grand National/Silver Lakes - 3 full days 90 holes Friday - Fly into Montgomery early and drive to GN, 75min. Play Lake at GN and drive to SL, 135min. Saturday - Play 36 and drive back Sunday - Play 36 Links and Short at GN, drive to airport 75min. Scouting Report - The Links course at Grand National boasts one of the best finishing holes on The Trail as well as ranking #7 in state. The Lake course has the 'old' Nos. 1/6 double green along with being ranked #9. All I see is water everywhere, even though it seems quite picturesque. Silver Lakes may lay claim to the best named courses in America with Backbreaker, Heartbreaker, Mindbreaker and...Short. Short only has water on 7 of 9 holes...so good luck with that. So... where we going first? Carry on, BMAC *extra golf never hurts on the road to 1000. **Not the only course to claim the highest county point. Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville, NY has the highest point in Monroe County on the 10th tee box as well as its place on The Golf Crusade.

What is left to say about a course that has had literally everything said about it? Well, not much. Aside from the 'new' El Camino par three routing over the front nine (which we have a hole by hole review of it here), there is nothing really that is left to be said about a course that was so innovative and polarizing that it became a lightening rod for future golf course design. That doesn't mean it's not worthy of conversation... Ask yourself, "Would there be a Streamsong or a Sand Valley without Tobacco Road?" If you haven't played it, chances are good you've heard of it. Chances are also good that you've heard both ends of the spectrum from its past players. In July of this past year (2018), we gathered in Pinehurst to play the 400th course on our Golf Crusade. There was only one of the seven courses that we played inside 48 hours that wasn't a new course for us - Tobacco Road. While BMAC had not seen it for himself, Dooner (yours truly) had the privilege to play it way back in the early 2000s. Since it was so long ago, I certainly desired a replay knowing the course over matched and intimidated the shit out of me the first time. Also, seeing as how the few surviving pictures I had left of the course (after 3-4 new computers, crashes and multiple new generations of digital cameras) pretty much sucked, it was due for a proper re-shoot with modern gear and upgraded skills. We're excited to provide you a glimpse through our eyes into the genius that Mike Strantz possessed with his. While Strantz was taken from us far too young, we are left with his 5th Symphony of earth & turf, sand and blue skies. Without further ado, we present you with the Strantz masterpiece, Tobacco Road Golf Club. HOLE 1 HOLE 2 HOLE 3 HOLE 4 HOLE 5 HOLE 6 HOLE 7 HOLE 8 HOLE 9 HOLE 10 HOLE 11 HOLE 12 HOLE 13 HOLE 14 HOLE 15 HOLE 16 HOLE 17 HOLE 18 We hope you've enjoyed our trip through one of golf's ultimate thrill rides! Do yourself a favor and play The Road the first chance you get. It is truly a place to be revered, cherished and loved (or hated depending on how you play). Just as they say, "don't judge a book by its cover," judge not the course on the first round. View it as merely the first chapter. The more you play it, the more likely it is you can't turn the page (i.e. plan your next visit) fast enough! Hit'em Straight! -Your Golf Crusaders

If you're looking for a recommendation or tips on going to Sand Valley, Streamsong or Pebble Beach, you're probably looking at the wrong site. Don't get me wrong, we'd be the first ones on the tee if presented the opportunity, but if you live within a six hour radius of Wheeling, WV (go ahead and check, we'll still be here after), then Oglebay Resort (pronounced OH-gul-BEE) should be on your radar when planning your next buddy golf trip. About the Region: Wheeling is found in the northern panhandle of West 'By God' Virginia. It's actually very accessible (via I-70) and is a pretty easy drive from Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincy, Columbus, Indy, Buffalo, DC/Baltimore, Charleston, WV etc. Even Louisville, Kentucky and Detroit, Michigan are less than a five hour drive away. So while it isn't the first place you think of, this little burgh of about 50K on the Ohio River has great accessibility if you're willing to rise with the sun, hit the road and make it on the box for an early afternoon tee time to get things started! The Oglebay Resort itself has a plethora of things to do besides golf. A few mentions include their own Zoo, typical spa and restaurants, gardens, a lake, horseback riding, an aerial challenge course, and more. In wintertime, they have skiing, sledding and tubing, plus their own drive-thru Christmas light display! If that's not your speed, then they've got a horse track and casino on an island in the middle of the Ohio River! About the Golf: The best part of a weekend trip here is that you never have to drive more than a mile to do anything. It's not a gated-resort, so its very low key and relaxed, adding to the charm of this place. If staying on property (more on that in a minute), then you have about a half-mile drive to your morning tee time, or your afternoon one, or the next day, etc. You don't have to replay anything either, which is a huge plus for golf nerds like us! You've got two very good championship tests provided by the Speidel Golf Club within the resort grounds. The older of the two, the Klieves Course, a Robert Trent Jones design, hosted the West Virginia LPGA Classic for over a decade, so you know you're going to use every club in your bag. You can play it anywhere from 5500 to over 7000 yards, something of a rarity for courses in the Mountain State. Keep in mind these are the hills of West Virginia when selecting how much of the course you want to try to chew off... The other big boy was laid out by Arnold Palmer. The King himself even hit the first tee shot on the course upon its opening. While earth was undoubtedly moved to help find some green sites and tee boxes, both courses at least appear to follow the original contours of the land extremely well. The Palmer Course can play much shorter if you desire at just 4200 yards from the forward tees, but still packs a punch from the tips at 6800 yards and change. The conditions on the Palmer seemed to be the best of the lot. It's not that anything was lacking with Jones' Course, but the bunkers and turf on the Palmer seemed superior vs. the Jones - perhaps due to nothing more than advancements in architecture between the two builds. But we're not done yet... Easily the shortest of the three 18-hole regulation courses on site, the Crispin Course would be considered by most to be a 'local course' instead of resort worthy. Our guess is that some golfers may even scoff at the top yardage of 5627 yards, lack of a big-name architect, think it isn't worth their time or effort and go find somewhere else to play a third round or replay one of the big boys across the street. That'd be a mistake. Crispin should be the last course you play here. Not because it's easier (it is), not because its cheaper (with a stay and play package it only carries a $15-$20 add on for your cart), but because it is like playing in a time warp. The guy that built this course (Robert Biery - please don't think we knew it, we Googled it) only built this course. He was a local guy that wanted to build a golf course. Don't think this is just some grass cut to different lengths though. It was pretty clear to me that Mr. Biery played himself some golf in his day. It's got some hints of a Raynor-like (half) Punchbowl (seen at left on desktop/above on mobile) to go along some of the best views on the expansive property. There's not a lot of bell-and-whistle here, but that's the fun of it. Where as the other two courses have upwards of near 100 bunkers combined, the Crispin course has just five. If the two courses at Speidel followed the land pretty well, this course takes it to another level. The greens aren't as fast, but they are smaller, encouraging the safe play to the tight space. All in all, it's just the right way to end your trip here. Except of course for the nine hole Par III course. No pictures of the Par III survived the trip, mainly because it was an impulsive decision the morning of our departure. We maybe had a few bets to settle, so six of the eight of us that stuck around, drove over after our complimentary breakfast at the lodge (comp in that it was included in our package each morning) and found that there was no one there to take our money. So, all six of us took with us a putter, one club each and some cash to try and end the weekend on a high note, though most of us probably wish we had just hit the road when we had the chance. There isn't much to it, but if you are a course collector - you need all the help you can get! Accommodations: I'm sure the hotels in town are the same as you see everywhere, but there's just something authentic about staying in a cabin, on-property no less - with all your group all together grilling out on charcoal, drinking beer and smoking cigars until the wee hours. Golf groups of 8 or more will find plenty of options at through Oglebay Stay & Play offerings. This was the first trip we embarked on with this group. We left wanting to make it an annual event and created rules for trips based on our tremendous stay at Oglebay, like everyone having to stay together under one roof, no re-buys during no-limit Texas Hold-em and everyone shares in the dinner duties. Our trip was meant to bring friends together and deepen bonds formed in our formative years. Oglebay was the perfect setting for such a reunion. We hope it is for you as well! Pricing for what we had (taken from Oglebay's website based on 2018 pricing): Eagle Weekend Package ALL SEASON: Starting at $299 (March 23rd to October 27th) Call 800.577.1289 to Book your Next Package! Package includes: • One round on the Arnold Palmer Course • One round on the Robert Trent Jones Course • Friday/Saturday night lodging at Wilson Lodge (CRUSADER TIP: Groups 8+ can get golf cabins. Make sure you ask about it!) • Mountaineer Buffet Breakfast each morning • Bucket of range balls at the Speidel Driving Range • Crispin Course green fees based on availability. Golf cart not included. In case you didn't get enough, here's more of the best from Oglebay! JONES COURSE (Klieves) PALMER COURSE CRISPIN COURSE Thanks for visiting! Feel free to check around the site and drop us a note using the form on the ABOUT page! Until then, keep it off the cart path. Sincerely Fores, Dooner

The courses have been played. The votes have been cast. We're pleased to announce our first annual Golf Crusade Best of 2018 Lists. We say lists because we're not really awarding anything to anyone... However, if any of the courses mentioned would like a certificate to hang in their pro shop, please let us know and we'll happily oblige! NOTE: If you are here to see the latest category release & have read the other categories already, scroll all the down to bottom of article then scroll up to first line break. The Process We played 24 new courses to go along with another half dozen or so replays, giving us about 30 courses from which to choose. One of us had to have played it in the 2018 calendar year for the course to be eligible. We have settled on the following categories to recap 2018. We will each pick winners in each of the following categories with one lone course being the choice for our 'Course of the Year'. Best New Public Best New Private Biggest Surprise (a diamond in the rough or a course that exceeds the hype) Best Replay (course we've played previously but got another spin this year) Course of the Year (joint pick for our best we played in 2018) So without further a do, let's get to the courses! Best New Public BMAC's Picks 1. The Cradle | Pinehurst, NC 2. Lake Jovita (North Course) | Dade City, FL 3. Dormie Club | West End, NC Dormie - This course had the most hype of any I played this year and although those high expectations may be why it's not my top pick, it is still an incredible experience.  Few courses play as BIG as Dormie and the interesting design, seemingly cut out of the hills in NC, really make for a fun round. Jovita North - I'll just come out and say this first, I LOVE Jovita...North and South.  The North was new to me and I was totally blown away by its tough play and incredible elevation changes.  That's right, I said elevation changes.  This is not the prototypical 'Florida' course your aunt plays every Wednesday with her cronies.  This is a course befitting of significantly more praise than the almost zero I've found.  Play this course.  In any other year, this would have been my first choice but then I got the chance to  play... The Cradle - The BEST experience I've had on a golf course to date.  I was literally giddy running around this little track - which may have been due to the impending thunderstorm we were dodging, but - a smile never left my face the entire time.  I have been trying to figure out ways to invite myself back ever since.  I would play these nine holes for the entire day.  $50 is not cheap for nine but the fact you can play all day for that price has me itching to go sun up to sun down out there.  Other golf destinations should learn from and do everything they can to emulate this magnetic course. Dooner's Picks 1. The Cradle | Pinehurst, NC 2. Dormie Club | West End, NC 3. Verdict Ridge | Denver, NC It's a clean sweep for the Tar Heel State! That was a little surprising to me, but when 75% of the new public courses I played were in North Carolina (9 of 12), I guess it really shouldn't be. Verdict Ridge (above) gets the nod for 3rd place over Gatlinburg (TN), Raven Rock (KY) & the rest of the courses we played on the Pinehurst trip due to its unique design features, memorability & great conditions for late October. The course was a one-off design by a local judge (hence the cool name). I guess we both envy the armchair architect who actually gets to design their own course! While coming in at the runner-up position, Dormie Club is my top traditional layout in the New Public category. The team of Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (NC's only C&C design) certainly drew up a spectacular course on an amazing property while Zach Peed and his Dormie Network of courses continue to improve conditions. It's going private in the next couple of years, so you still have time - and should make time - to go play it! As much fun as Dormie was, The Cradle Short Course at Pinehurst Resort takes the top spot in my Best New Public list. The Cradle isn't just fun, it is the future. I'm not sure how many of these luxurious short courses will pop-up, simply because this one cost about $2MM to build. However, you can build something perhaps a little simpler (without all the Pinehurst Resort-level bells and whistles) and still make it just as fun. After all, the entire course fits on 10 acres, only 7 of it being grass, so that's not a lot of annual operating cost. Every city over 250,000 people should have (at least) one of these!! Yes, it does seem on the surface like the $50 green fee seems a little steep for the sub-800 yard loop, but that $50 gets you on the course all day. The Golf Crusade has even thought about inquiring as to find out what the record is for holes played in a single day in order to make a run at the mark sometime in 2019. The only thing we feel this course lacks is lights to play deep into the night! Best New Private BMAC's Pick The Ridge Club - Sandwich, Massachusetts This course is well run (ClubCorp) and well maintained, the greens especially.  They can be so fast and undulating that being in the wrong position will have you putting off the front a la Shinnecock at the Open...but I like that level of penalty on a green.  I had the privilege to play in a Member/Guest this summer and enjoyed every minute of it. One unique thing you'll find here are random trees in the fairway. Normally that'd be a bad thing, but here they were all manicured in a way that they weren't in positions to grab a lot of shots unless your previous shot was off-line. In this fantastic hole, the tree adds an attractive contrasting element to the multi-level fairway. The preferred line is the low side anyway, so you shouldn't be cussing at the tree if you have to play around it. The course was designed by Robert von Hagge, who designed the French course for The Ryder Cup, and really shows similar elements to his other fine works around the world.  Totally worth the effort to get yourself invited out there if you get the chance. Runner-up: Atlanta National - Milton, Georgia. This course is a P.B. & Pete Dye collaboration that is also part of the ClubCorp network. The closing four or five holes here hold up against anything you'll ever play. it was early in the year and bitterly cold when we played, but we try to look past those barriers and view the course for what it is. Click the course name just above this to learn more about our visit. Dooner's Picks 1. Grandfather Golf & Country Club (Championship)- Linville, North Carolina 2 (tie). Tennessee National - Loudon, Tennessee & Blowing Rock Country Club - Blowing Rock, North Carolina I'll start by saying this was my hardest pick. If not for the quality of the courses (there was a lot of it), then definitely by the quantity of courses (there were a lot of them). Normally I'd play only a couple, maybe three, private courses each year. Since we've both played up most of the public inventory in the places we've lived, it's hard to find new courses outside of a golf trip or three/four hour round-trip in the car (on top of 4-5 hours on a course), except of course for the private courses. That all said, good things come to those who wait. Blowing Rock Country Club was my last round of the year... and boy was it awesome. For decades, the club has been considered a Donald Ross design, but since a clubhouse fire destroyed all the records back in the 70's, no one said otherwise. It wasn't until the past couple of years that management uncovered evidence that showed Seth Raynor actually designed and built the original nine holes, giving BRCC the only Raynor course in the state. Ross more than likely laid out the back nine, with Raynor protege Charles 'Steam Shovel' Banks renovating some of the Ross holes years later to bring them more in line with the Raynor flavor. Regardless of which holes belong to whom, that's three giants of the architecture game that have left their stamp on this property. The other course in my tie for runner-up for Best New Private Course is Tennessee National. When we won a foursome in the 'Rounds for Research' auction, I thought we probably paid about what it would be worth if you played a really nice public course ($110 per, $440 foursome). After we stepped on the first tee however, I knew we got a steal! There is just a lot of WOW to this Troon Golf managed, Greg Norman signature design. We took about a billion photos, the best of which we whittled down and condensed them into a little photo essay about the course. If you've got a minute - it's worth it. If not right now, then hopefully here's a reason that will make you come back... In any other year, either of those two, or a place like Cobblestone Creek in Victor, NY that didn't even get mentioned, would be a runaway winner for Best New Private honor. That said, this year it goes to the Championship Course at Grandfather Golf & Country Club. This course has been on the bucket list for at least 15 years. The NC Golf Panel ranks it their second best course in the state (behind only #2). Now, with all the rain the NC Mountains received due to the rogue Hurricane that rolled through, it wasn't in top form according to the staff. However, the layout that Ellis Maples carved into the slopes of North Carolina's highest peak is considered one of the finest mountain courses anywhere in the world. We can (finally) attest to that. Golf Digest currently has the course ranked at No. 121 in their America's Second 100 Greatest Courses, but has been as high as No. 65 this century. While those rankings fluctuate based on a number of things, our opinions of the course won't. This is a bucket list course worth finding an invitation to if you can! No struggle is too great; no drive too far to make. Biggest Surprise Dooner's Pick: Tobacco Road - Sanford, North Carolina If my Best New Private winner, Grandfather G&CC had been on my bucket list for 15 years, Tobacco Road was on it about five years before that. Thankfully, I had crossed it off the list about the time Grandfather went on it. I played it at a time I had played a few nice places, but no real big brand name courses that can psyche you out before you even tee off. I remembered little about my first round at Tobacco Road outside of a few very early digital photographs and putting four tee shots in the drink on the par-3 14th hole (see below). Needless to say, I did not play well the first time, but I still held the course (and its architect) in high regard. So when we decided to put this little site together earlier this year with our course count nearing 400, we planned a trip to Pinehurst to play the milestone number together. I'd played a handful of the public courses in the area, but only one name was worthy of a replay. I wanted another shot at the Road. I'd played well over 100 courses since the last visit, so I felt much better equipped to handle the psychology game Mike Strantz throws at you sand dune after sand dune, hole after hole. I played better for sure, but the surprise was how much I LOVED THIS COURSE the second time around. I get giddy on courses like this. I almost don't care what I shoot on the scorecard if I shoot "under par" behind the lens of my camera. Throw in the new par 3 routing for the front nine called El Camino (click link for our story on it) and it's now a brilliant two-for-one for course collectors, garnering even a replay on the O.G. worth it if not just for the opportunity to collect a new scorecard for El C. BMAC's Pick: Lake Jovita North - Dade City, FL February golf trips sound like an oxymoron in most parts of the country but Florida is a different world unto itself. Heading back to Lake Jovita this past winter, north of Tampa, I was excited because I feel the South Course is worthy of a Monogamy Award (happy to play it and only it for the rest of your life). Playing the North was just an added bonus, really an afterthought as it had been around for over a decade and I had yet to see the first tee box. In predictable fashion, I was blown away by the North Course for its huge design and presence, 7200+ yards, as well as its use of elevation throughout. Elevation is never really used to describe Florida courses so its inclusion here is truly unique because downhill par 3's and uphill tee shots don’t exist in the typical ‘Florida course’. The feeling I left with, having played both that day, was just plain confusion. For years I was certain the South was my hidden Florida love but now the North has stolen my heart. Either way I see it, I cannot wait to get back to Lake Jovita. Best Replay Dooner's Pick: Tobacco Road - Sanford, NC Since I may have gone a little overboard on my Tobacco Road "Course Crush", you can re-read that because there's not much more to say that hasn't already been said about The Road. Hey, that sounds like a good opportunity for a photo essay in the next couple weeks? To fill the space, I wanted to highlight two local courses that impressed this year. Honorable Mentions: Johnson City CC - Johnson City, Tenn. Cattails at Meadowview - Kingsport, Tenn. Some courses just grow on you. Johnson City Country Club fits that phrase to a tee (pun intended). The first few times I play it seven years ago I thought it was a good, local private club. The best thing going for it were great conditions and the fact it was a 1913 design by A.W. Tillinghast of all people. It's very walk-able in that the tees and greens are very close to each other and not overly lengthy (while keeping in mind this is still East Tennessee). However, since the property is smaller, some of the holes feel cramped or pigeonholed in there next to one another. I've since changed my opinion of those features and now only appreciate them more as old world golf design charm and character. After all, the course was designed with horse and plow! Driving your tee ball on #8 over the 7th green used to seem out of place, now it's part of why I play most of my local rounds here. The best part of the course remain its signature Tilly, deep bunkering. You'll especially find this true at the 15th (pictured above) and 18th holes. The finishing 3-hole stretch is as good a variety of finish you'll find that adds scoring opportunity as well as challenge to a competitive match! Rounding out my list was is the Cattails Course at Meadowview Resort in Kingsport, Tennessee. A Dennis Griffiths design with a tremendous back nine and meh front nine, I played the full course (scramble tourney) for the first time in many years. I came away very impressed and even a little disappointed in myself that I hadn't remembered the course actually being that good. I love it when I make that mistake and can correct it! I'd often walk the front side here somewhat regularly because it is dead pan flat and one of the few in our area that you can consider walker-friendly. They have a great staff, stocked pro shop and while you pay a little more per round here than most in the area, it'll pay off for you if you're just passing through. The course also served as host for the World Long Drive Championships in August. The grid was hot, as was the crowd around the traditional first tee box. Even the TV commentators (lead by The Coach himself, Johnathan Coachman), ended the broadcast by saying it was the best crowd they had ever had on tour! Turns out that WLD thought so too as it appears they are coming back the next couple years (at least)! BMAC's Pick: Lake Jovita South - Dade City, FL This is my Graceland. No, I'm not talking about Ray Finkle's house from Ace Ventura (though that was also in Florida). I may be overstating, but I really do hold this course firmly in my top 10. I love tough courses, I love long courses, I love unique courses and I love Live Oak trees - Quercus virginiana. The South has it all. It’s unique feature is elevation. In fact, the 11th hole features a drop of 94 feet from tee to green on the 559 yd par five, the most you’ll find on a single hole in all of Florida. I find little fault while playing out there, aside from my game. It had been about 12 years since I last played but it held up well against my memory (better than Dooner's on Tobacco Road at least!). I would also consider this course an excellent value. It’s nice to be able to play a favorite for less than $60. All in all, I’d challenge you to go there and play because it is that good. Throw in the North Course and maybe the World Woods twins less than an hour away and you’d have a golf trip to rival any other. And if you need a fourth for you trip... fill in the form on the About page and I'll clear my schedule. I wasn't really on the golf photo train yet when I played this year, so that also gives me another excuse to return - and soon! Honorable Mention: Rogers Park Golf Course - Tampa, FL My home course in college. It may be rough around the edges but I still consider it my home course even though I’m nearing 40 and live in Charleston, SC. It’s a great add-on when in Tampa because it’s usually less than $40, but keep in mind the condition may not rival Augusta National. It’s a fun track with lots of water on the back and on clear days you can hear screaming from the roller coasters at Busch Gardens across the Hillsborough river. I’ve seen several tour pros and have witnessed THREE deuces on the par four 7th, so you never know what a round will bring out at Rogers Park. Course of the Year: The Cradle If you’ve read this far you know that we have gushed enough about The Cradle, and frankly this column went a little long - but we encourage all of you on your next/first trip to Pinehurst, get that tee time (just not on a day we go please!). enjoy a few more lasting images from our round this past July ahead of a very serious thunderstorm hit as we were running off nine green. Thank you for being a part of our crusade in 2018! As we turn our focus to what's ahead in 2019, we’d invite your to add us to your favorites, share with friends or introduce someone new to the game. May your drives be long, your irons true and putts be few. -Dooner & BMAC