RTJ Course Reviews
Just wanted to provide some quick reviews of the courses that we played on our Deep South Golf Outing. So, here's what we thought, in the order that we played 'em:
Magnolia Grove - The Crossings Course - Mobile, AL
We arrived at Magnolia Grove on Sunday afternoon to check everything out. Hit a bucket of range balls to get the kinks out, did some chipping and putting, and then grabbed a beer in the clubhouse. Great spot, friendly people, really nice big modern clubhouse with a good pro shop, a cool bar, and a huge wraparound porch. Great stuff.
After grabbing a bite at Wentzell's Oyster house in Saraland (two thumbs up) and catching some sleep at the Holiday Inn Express Saraland (two thumbs down), we headed back to the course on Monday morning to play the Crossings 18.
The Crossings was really nice - a lot of difficult holes, and many elevated greens. Well-protected, heavily bunkered greens - I became very familiar with the fine white sand. Before playing, we overheard someone say "how can every hole on a course be uphill?", and after playing it, we were asking ourselves the same thing. It was a tough course to walk, and we played it on a hot, humid day, so we were pretty beat after the round. But all in all, the Crossings was a nice way to start out or trip.
Cambrian Ridge - Short Course - Greenville, AL
After our round at the Crossings, we grabbed lunch at the clubhouse (try the club sandwich - two thumbs up), and hopped on I-65 for a quick 2.5-hour drive north to Cambrian Ridge in Greenville. The setting for Cambrian Ridge is very dramatic - the clubhouse is set high on a hill, and the three championship nines, the short nine, and the huge practice facility are all layed out in a valley below - really beautiful. The clubhouse is similar to the one at Magnolia Grove - maybe a bit smaller, but with even better views from the porch.
We arrived with just enough time to play the nine-hole short course. This course was really, really fun - with all nine of the par three holes wrapping around a lake at the bottom of the valley. Really tricky multi-tiered sloping greens made for tricky putting. I love the idea of short courses - they make for fantastic practice - I wish there were more of them around the northeast.
Cambrian Ridge - Sherling 9 / Canyon 9 - Greenville, AL
After a comfortable stay at the Greenville Best Western (thumbs up), we were first off the tee for the Sherling 9 and Canyon 9 at Cambrian Ridge. The Sherling 9 was outstanding - Classic Robert Trent Jones design - fair, challenging holes, and absolutely beautiful. The Canyon 9 seemed a little more gimmicky - didn't seem to fit the terrain as well, and seemed like it was hilly just for the sake of being hilly - my least favorite nine of the ones that we played.
We decided not to play the Loblolly 9 - but here's the description from the web site: "the Loblolly nine, with its gently rolling fairways, cathedral-like pines, and water-fronted greens, exudes a stately, Augusta-like quality." Whatever.
Instead of the Loblolly course, we decided to grab lunch at the clubhouse (try the white bean and chicken chili - two thumbs up), and then head over to Magnolia Grove to play the short course.
Magnolia Grove - Short Course - Mobile, AL
After the drive back down I-65, we got out to play the short course at Magnolia Grove. The Magnolia Grove Short Course has been named the best par-3 course in America, and we saw nothing that would cause us to disagree. Great, difficult holes, and really beautiful. So much fun. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of traffic on the course, so we only had time to play the front nine.
Magnolia Grove - The Falls Course - Mobile, AL
After a restful night at the America's Best Inn (just fine, but perhaps not America's best), we were first off the tee at 7am on the Falls course. The Falls course was near perfect - gently rolling slopes, massive scale, perfectly fit to the terrain, and really interesting, fair, challenging holes. Just outstanding. We all agreed that it was our favorite one that we played. We also had perfect weather for it - chilly to start, and gradually warming up throughout the morning. Plus, we had it entirely to ourselves - we didn't see any other players on the course during the entire round. A perfect way to end the trip.
(click here for additional photos)
Magnolia Grove - The Crossings Course - Mobile, AL
We arrived at Magnolia Grove on Sunday afternoon to check everything out. Hit a bucket of range balls to get the kinks out, did some chipping and putting, and then grabbed a beer in the clubhouse. Great spot, friendly people, really nice big modern clubhouse with a good pro shop, a cool bar, and a huge wraparound porch. Great stuff.
After grabbing a bite at Wentzell's Oyster house in Saraland (two thumbs up) and catching some sleep at the Holiday Inn Express Saraland (two thumbs down), we headed back to the course on Monday morning to play the Crossings 18.
The Crossings was really nice - a lot of difficult holes, and many elevated greens. Well-protected, heavily bunkered greens - I became very familiar with the fine white sand. Before playing, we overheard someone say "how can every hole on a course be uphill?", and after playing it, we were asking ourselves the same thing. It was a tough course to walk, and we played it on a hot, humid day, so we were pretty beat after the round. But all in all, the Crossings was a nice way to start out or trip.
Cambrian Ridge - Short Course - Greenville, AL
After our round at the Crossings, we grabbed lunch at the clubhouse (try the club sandwich - two thumbs up), and hopped on I-65 for a quick 2.5-hour drive north to Cambrian Ridge in Greenville. The setting for Cambrian Ridge is very dramatic - the clubhouse is set high on a hill, and the three championship nines, the short nine, and the huge practice facility are all layed out in a valley below - really beautiful. The clubhouse is similar to the one at Magnolia Grove - maybe a bit smaller, but with even better views from the porch.
We arrived with just enough time to play the nine-hole short course. This course was really, really fun - with all nine of the par three holes wrapping around a lake at the bottom of the valley. Really tricky multi-tiered sloping greens made for tricky putting. I love the idea of short courses - they make for fantastic practice - I wish there were more of them around the northeast.
Cambrian Ridge - Sherling 9 / Canyon 9 - Greenville, AL
After a comfortable stay at the Greenville Best Western (thumbs up), we were first off the tee for the Sherling 9 and Canyon 9 at Cambrian Ridge. The Sherling 9 was outstanding - Classic Robert Trent Jones design - fair, challenging holes, and absolutely beautiful. The Canyon 9 seemed a little more gimmicky - didn't seem to fit the terrain as well, and seemed like it was hilly just for the sake of being hilly - my least favorite nine of the ones that we played.
We decided not to play the Loblolly 9 - but here's the description from the web site: "the Loblolly nine, with its gently rolling fairways, cathedral-like pines, and water-fronted greens, exudes a stately, Augusta-like quality." Whatever.
Instead of the Loblolly course, we decided to grab lunch at the clubhouse (try the white bean and chicken chili - two thumbs up), and then head over to Magnolia Grove to play the short course.
Magnolia Grove - Short Course - Mobile, AL
After the drive back down I-65, we got out to play the short course at Magnolia Grove. The Magnolia Grove Short Course has been named the best par-3 course in America, and we saw nothing that would cause us to disagree. Great, difficult holes, and really beautiful. So much fun. Unfortunately, there was a little bit of traffic on the course, so we only had time to play the front nine.
Magnolia Grove - The Falls Course - Mobile, AL
After a restful night at the America's Best Inn (just fine, but perhaps not America's best), we were first off the tee at 7am on the Falls course. The Falls course was near perfect - gently rolling slopes, massive scale, perfectly fit to the terrain, and really interesting, fair, challenging holes. Just outstanding. We all agreed that it was our favorite one that we played. We also had perfect weather for it - chilly to start, and gradually warming up throughout the morning. Plus, we had it entirely to ourselves - we didn't see any other players on the course during the entire round. A perfect way to end the trip.
(click here for additional photos)
posted by TILeach at 7:33 AM
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