Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, Looper34 said:

Did you ever play Quail Ridge or Hyland? They're nice enough tracts if you're looking to get out.

 

No on both. I'll check them out. 

 

Edit: Booked Hyland for tomorrow morning. Reasonable price and they allow walking. 

 

Edited May 20 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Wonderful morning. Got lucky with the weather. Mostly sunny skies until I finished my round, and then the clouds roled in. Humidity wasn't bad. Got very lucky with the pace. Arrived an hour early, and it was looking like I'd be following several groups. The first twosome out invited me to jump out ahead of them, and walked the beautiful course in 2:30. My kind of golf. 

 

Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst's Magnolia course today. Love golf in this part of the country. Could have used without the homes lining the course, but they were generally tucked behind the tall pines. Nice rolling parkland layout. The Gene Hamm design opened in 1980. Fairway bunkering was pretty good. Greenside was mixed. Plenty of deep front bunkers, but there were also a handful of greens with very light bunkering. Water in play on just four holes. Eight holes with left/right movement including three doglegs. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with relatively generous fairways and few forced carries. Minor misses would catch the generous light rough. Big misses would likely hit a tree, but OB was looming on every hole. 

 

Approaches were moderately tough. Many greens were raised with deep bunkers. A handful were at fairway height with little protection. Greens had moderate contouring and slope. Putting wasn't difficult, but there were very few easy putts. Up and downs were also mixed. Had a few easy chips, but also some tough pitches from uneven lies on the mounds. 

 

Par 3s were decent, but forgettable. Variety of length was poor with three playing the same 7i distance, and one at PW. Par 5s were pretty good. Three were reachable with solid drives, and the Z shaped 8th was a nice risk/reward hole. The 2nd corner had a couple of trees in play, but one could go for the green by playing through the gap. The green had several deep front bunkers. The three short 4s were meh. If you're going to have a short 4, maybe consider a little trouble? 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways were a little thin in spots, but generally lush. Rough was cut low. Bunkers had plenty of sand. Greens were firm and rolling nicely. Speed was at least 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6263 yds (70.9/127). Very good day ballstriking. Wedges weren't quite on. Putter was like warm, but I struggled with many of the reads. One birdie, four bogies, and a double. Shot of the day was the drive on the downhill par 5 13th. OK, it was severely downhill, but I don't hit many long drives these days. Lol. Lowlight was leaving a ball in the bunker on the 11th. Had an awkward sidehill lie and simply buried the club. Oy. Highlight of the day was being out on an empty course on a gorgeous morning. 

 

I think 6 cows here. Beautiful piece of property and quite a few great looking holes. Loved the tall trees and the dramatic elevation changes. Could use a few more fairway bunkers, a long par 3, and tough short 4s. The $200 weekday walking rate was very high. It's a semi private, and priced accordingly. Playable, but can't say it's a must play. With so many excellent courses in the area, this one doesn't quite measure up. 

 

[Argonne69]

Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst, Magnolia Course, Pinehurst, NC 

 

 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the par 5 8th 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/iccwudggpybusfp7dpa9c/ANcklMdZFEcyRp-927BjYtE?rlkey=g32612u8vadaiy3n4mgwt5958&st=eobhzfjb&dl=0

 

Edited May 20 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Something a little different today. I wasn't expecting to get out first on the course, and finish two hours before the brewpubs opened. Rather than drive 20 minutes back from the RV park I decided to stop for breakfast. Haven't had a pancake in a while. The Village Cafe isn't fancy, but it serves a decent breakfast. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Third or four visit to Southern Pines Brewing. 40 taps with a decent mix. Started with their Delighted Devil Belgian Strong Golden Ale. Going to finish with a couple of samplers of their Liquid Aloha Friday imperial stout, and Bourbon Barrel Aged Partisan Rock Russian imperial stout. 

 

 

[islesmb]

I actually have a BBQ recommendation for you in that area. The Pick N Pig in Carthage is very good or at least was good, it's been a few years since I ate there. Not that far from Pinehurst. It's in the middle of nowhere in an airfield.  Get the Nanner pudding for dessert...

Edited May 20 by islesmb

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, islesmb said:

I actually have a BBQ recommendation for you in that area. The Pick N Pig in Carthage is very good or at least was good, it's been a few years since I ate there. Not that far from Pinehurst. It's in the middle of nowhere in an airfield.  Get the Nanner pudding for dessert...

 

Yeah, I stayed at the RV park at the small airport the last two times I was in the area. The Pik N Pig isn't open until Thursday. Might check it out on Friday.

 

[cassel191919]

Not sure of your next destination, but there is a place in Knightdale called Prime Barbeque and its the best BBQ I've had. They gave me a pretty cool tour of their smoke house and their festival awards.  

Edited May 27 by cassel191919

[Argonne69]

24 minutes ago, cassel191919 said:

Not sure of your next destination, but there is a place in Knightdale called Prime Barbeque and its the best BBQ I've had. They game me a pretty cool tour of their smoke house and their festival awards.  

 

I'm heading west to Charlotte next Monday, but I'll be in Raleigh in a couple of weeks. I'll try to check out Knightdale.

 

[david.c.w]

@Argonne69  Perhaps it is linked somewhere in the thread somewhere, but the search function sucks eggs and I can't re-read all 358 pages.   Is there a "Where has Arg been?"  map somewhere?  Would be cool to see the cumulative travel over the past couple years, and maybe a "Here is where I plan to go" that looks like a hurricane map.  

[Argonne69]

48 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

@Argonne69  Perhaps it is linked somewhere in the thread somewhere, but the search function sucks eggs and I can't re-read all 358 pages.   Is there a "Where has Arg been?"  map somewhere?  Would be cool to see the cumulative travel over the past couple years, and maybe a "Here is where I plan to go" that looks like a hurricane map.  

 

Here's the latest CSV file with the courses and locations. One can upload the file to Google Maps. I really should capture a screenshot of the map. I'm sure Google has a complete history of my location data. That would be quite something to see. Between Bessie and the Honda I've driven over 80,000 miles. 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/jijvz2lbfbpjd5cu293io/ArgsCourseRatings.csv?rlkey=wlmjew3zwfj0h54fvigda5qyw&st=ox4aqvxi&dl=0

 

[postfold]

4 hours ago, islesmb said:

I actually have a BBQ recommendation for you in that area. The Pick N Pig in Carthage is very good or at least was good, it's been a few years since I ate there. Not that far from Pinehurst. It's in the middle of nowhere in an airfield.  Get the Nanner pudding for dessert...

 

The Pik N Pig burned down a few years back, good to see them re-open. 

 

8 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Edit: Booked Hyland for tomorrow morning. Reasonable price and they allow walking.

 

Looking forward to your review of Hyland.  Might be my favorite course in the reasonably priced tier in the area, nice piece of property.  Doesn't measure up to the best of the best, of course.

 

Not surprised Pinewild was expensive, the price tag always kept it out of our packages when we had the option to play Pine Needles or Mid Pines instead for less.

[Argonne69]

Got lucky again today. Woke up to the sound of rain on Bessie's roof, but the thin line of rain passed before I teed off. A few lingering clouds early, but then plenty of sunshine. Don't know why the course was so empty on a beautiful morning, but I'll take it. Went out solo behind a lead single riding, and basically had the course to myself. Nice walk on the rolling terrain. Big tip of the hat to @Looper34for the recommendation. What a hidden gem. 

 

Hyland GC today, the "Gem of the Sandhills". Previously known as Hyland Hills. The parkland layout was designed by Tom Jackson in 1973. As much as I love rolling parkland layouts with tall pine trees lining the holes, the open area with holes 3 - 6, 12, and 13 were stunning. Haven't taken this many photos in a while. Just over half the holes are fairly flat, but the rest have some nice elevation change. Homes are visible off property, but not overly intrusive. Fairway bunkering was OK, but I'd like to see a few more. Greenside was pretty good. Definitely liked the natural looking bunkers with the dreaded eyebrows. Water in play on just four holes. Eight holes with left/right movement including two doglegs. 

 

Pretty easy off the tee with generous fairways and only a handful of risky bunkers. Minor misses were no problem finding the generous light rough. Big misses were generally trouble, but you might get lucky and clip a tree and be hitting out of the pine straw. 

 

Approaches were fairly tough. Seemed to be staring at front bunkers all round. A few greens had odd shapes, which meant a few narrow fingers with tucked pins. Greens had a nice amount of contouring, tiering, and slope. Putting was actual work. Up and downs were generally tough. Had a few straightforward chips, but more than a few shortsided flops over the bunkers. 

 

Three of the four par 3s were very good. The 6th and 13th played over the same big pond with shallow greens. Variety of length was a bit lacking playing 9i to 6i. Needed a short and long one. Par 5s were meh. Two were reachable, but not much risk. The 12th was tough, though. One needed a solid drive to be able to get over the pond with the 2nd from a downhill lie. Laying up short of the pond left the 245 yds uphill to the front. The three short 4s were benign. The dogleg 18th had a very large bunker on the inside corner that one could attempt to carry, but it didn't really get you much. 

 

Conditions were a little scruffy, but still playable. Fairways had a few iffy patches with bare dirt or thin turf. Rough was pretty good. Bunkers were excellent with plenty of nicely groomed sand. Greens looked and rolled great. Just a few blemishes. Speed was at least 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6273 yds (67.6/124). Was thinking about a Blue/White combo until I saw "plays longer than it measures" on the back of the scorecard. That it did. Driver and irons were very well behaved today. Wedges were spot on, and the putter made a few putts. Also left a few out there. Took advantage of the short par 5s with three birdies to go along with the four bogies. Shot of the day had to be the 9W on the par 5 9th that rolled between the two front bunkers and settled 18' behind the back pin. Missed the eagle putt, but the tap in birdie was fine. I think the 9W on the par 5 12th was better, though. From a slightly downhill lie I had 190 yds to clear the pond. I think I cleared it by a foot. Lol. Highlight of the day was walking a beautiful course in near perfect weather. I was laughing to myself that I must be dreaming. The area is one of the top golf destinations in the country, and I'm out on a beautiful day on an empty course. 

 

Lowlight of the day was tripping over the leg on my stand bag in the parking lot and taking a rough tumble. Landed on my bad right wrist, and felt a sharp pain. Seven months after injuring in California falling off a ladder it's still not close to 100%. This didn't help. Also managed to smash my right elbow on the asphalt. Being a klutz is no fun. Lol. 

 

Going with a solid 6 cows. Needs the usual design tweaks to get the extra cow, but it's still a gem. The look of the place is reason enough to visit. No walking rate, but the $79 weekday rate was a bit of a bargain for the area. With so many great courses in the area, I can't call it a must play, but if you're looking to fill out your schedule and save a few dollars, it's definitely worth a visit. 

 

[Argonne69]

Hyland Golf Club, Southern Pines, NC 

 

 

Ahh, sunshine 

 

 

 

The dogleg par 4 5th was a beaut 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/j0z7hy80wgrd72jah9rgf/APQbOOdZtTvqBFy53zmIbus?rlkey=0wqvshq3sj4fmrhpwzzhpzr6a&st=kl8yl7lw&dl=0

 

Edited May 21 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Trying to kill the pain in my wrist with a tasty Golden Hour Delight Blonde Ale at Pinehurst Brewing Company. Been here on each of my previous visits. Small brewery with just 8 taps. It's located in an old steam plant. 'Nice digs. 

 

 

The BBQ was nothing special. Got the four meat sampler. Brisket was too lean. Hot link was very good, though. Pulled pork was OK. Chicken was dry with very little meat. Beans and mac and cheese were pretty good. Didn't care for the vinegar sauce, but the hickory, spicy, and mustard sauces were all very tasty. The cornbread would have made a good hockey puck.

 

 

Had a great conversation with a patron sitting at the bar. He works at the Pinehurst golf school. I attended their 3 day school back in 2008. His boss was my old instructor. 

 

Edited May 21 by Argonne69

[tw422]

23 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Wonderful morning. Got lucky with the weather. Mostly sunny skies until I finished my round, and then the clouds roled in. Humidity wasn't bad. Got very lucky with the pace. Arrived an hour early, and it was looking like I'd be following several groups. The first twosome out invited me to jump out ahead of them, and walked the beautiful course in 2:30. My kind of golf. 

 

Pinewild Country Club of Pinehurst's Magnolia course today. Love golf in this part of the country. Could have used without the homes lining the course, but they were generally tucked behind the tall pines. Nice rolling parkland layout. The Gene Hamm design opened in 1980. Fairway bunkering was pretty good. Greenside was mixed. Plenty of deep front bunkers, but there were also a handful of greens with very light bunkering. Water in play on just four holes. Eight holes with left/right movement including three doglegs. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with relatively generous fairways and few forced carries. Minor misses would catch the generous light rough. Big misses would likely hit a tree, but OB was looming on every hole. 

 

Approaches were moderately tough. Many greens were raised with deep bunkers. A handful were at fairway height with little protection. Greens had moderate contouring and slope. Putting wasn't difficult, but there were very few easy putts. Up and downs were also mixed. Had a few easy chips, but also some tough pitches from uneven lies on the mounds. 

 

Par 3s were decent, but forgettable. Variety of length was poor with three playing the same 7i distance, and one at PW. Par 5s were pretty good. Three were reachable with solid drives, and the Z shaped 8th was a nice risk/reward hole. The 2nd corner had a couple of trees in play, but one could go for the green by playing through the gap. The green had several deep front bunkers. The three short 4s were meh. If you're going to have a short 4, maybe consider a little trouble? 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways were a little thin in spots, but generally lush. Rough was cut low. Bunkers had plenty of sand. Greens were firm and rolling nicely. Speed was at least 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6263 yds (70.9/127). Very good day ballstriking. Wedges weren't quite on. Putter was like warm, but I struggled with many of the reads. One birdie, four bogies, and a double. Shot of the day was the drive on the downhill par 5 13th. OK, it was severely downhill, but I don't hit many long drives these days. Lol. Lowlight was leaving a ball in the bunker on the 11th. Had an awkward sidehill lie and simply buried the club. Oy. Highlight of the day was being out on an empty course on a gorgeous morning. 

 

I think 6 cows here. Beautiful piece of property and quite a few great looking holes. Loved the tall trees and the dramatic elevation changes. Could use a few more fairway bunkers, a long par 3, and tough short 4s. The $200 weekday walking rate was very high. It's a semi private, and priced accordingly. Playable, but can't say it's a must play. With so many excellent courses in the area, this one doesn't quite measure up. 

 

I don't know....2:30hr round and walking should be worth at least 1 1/2 cows!  

[ZephyrS4]

Very pretty course…..you scored on the weather too! Looks perfect!

[Argonne69]

It's a pity to be in the Pinehurst area and skip playing one day, but my old body needs a rest. I have rounds booked tomorrow and Friday, and I think I'm going to take an actual day off on Saturday to recoop.

 

I booked a Sunday morning round at Pine Needles. I played the course three and a half years ago during my first visit to the area, and it kicked my behind. Looking forward to seeing how my game has improved. Hopefully. Lol. 

 

Still can't believe that Pinehurst Resort isn't allowing any outside play. There have to be a handful of openings on 1, 3, and 5, no? 

 

[Dancin]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Still can't believe that Pinehurst Resort isn't allowing any outside play. There have to be a handful of openings on 1, 3, and 5, no?

There surely are but filling the rooms and keeping those guests happy is more important for their profits than grabbing a few extra dollars on the tee sheets. It's also why they require on site stays for their best courses.

 

They already have disgruntled guests that can't play #4. They can try and assuage that with faster rounds on the replacement courses

Edited May 21 by Dancin

[Argonne69]

Well that was a blast. The weather was excellent. Mostly sunny early, but oh those pesky clouds. Two hour round trip drive wasn't too bad, but in hindsight I should have played the course in two weeks when I'm in Greensboro. Got out in the first group, and we finished in 3:30. Not bad. Tough course to walk, but I survived. Can't say it's the toughest I've walked, but it's certainly in the Top 10. 

 

Tot Hill Farm today. What a gem. Another Mike Strantz masterpiece. I'd probably put it a hair above Tobacco Road. The course ranks #48 on Golf Magazine's Top 100 Public list. Much too low. Fantastic piece of property with wonderful elevation changes. Not sure if there are were any 100' drops, but a few were close. The exposed rocks and stone walls were a fun addition. Clanked my drive on the par 4 10th off the stone wall in the fairway. Don't recall that happening before. Never got boring with one unique hole after another. The cart path tunnel behind the 10th green and next to the 13th green was a first. I've seen hundreds of tunnels that go under roads, but never one in the middle of a course with turf in play above it. Lol. Thought the fairway bunkering was light, but with so many zany fairways it's probably for the best. Greenside was decent. Water in play on 14 holes. Seven holes with left/right movement including two doglegs. 

 

I'd say moderately difficult off the tee. There were a handful of tough driving holes with forced carries and/or crazy serpentine shaped fairways where you had no idea what line to take. Forget straight holes with clean rough edges. For added fun there were the exposed rocks. A few holes were fairly easy off the tee with generous fairways. Minor misses were no picnic. Very little traditional rough here. You miss a fairway and at a minimum you're going to have a severely uneven lie. Big misses were burnt toast. 

 

Approaches were very tough. Plenty of odd shaped greens with skinny fingers. Add the elevated greens with a few severe false fronts. Toss in some crazy bunkering, and you had to be completely dialed in with your irons. I wouldn't call the greens Goofy, but Disney is probably getting royalties. Plenty of contouring, tiering, and slope. The par 3 13th had its pin center left on a tiny shelf that was at least 2 feet above the rest of the green. Can't even begin to describe the par 4 10th's green. If you were on the right tier or in the right section of the green putting wasn't overly challenging. Otherwise it was painful. Up and downs were even tougher. In addition to the greens, the area around them had very few flat lies. Pitching from below the putting surface, or from an awkward downhill lie in the rough wasn't uncommon. 

 

The five par 3s were excellent. Nothing but trouble with water and rocks in play on all of them. In spades. The short 15th was pretty sweet, but there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Variety of length was lacking with lengths ranging from PW to 6i. Definitely needed a long one. The five par 5s were no slouches. Three were reachable with the 5th and 16th being solid risk/reward holes. The 5th was crazy good. With a downhill teeshot the green was tempting, but oh, the humanity. The green had three small lobes, and zero room to miss. Technically there were no short par 4s, but the downhill dogleg 12th could possibly be driven by cutting the corner over the pond if you'd consumed a few too many fireballs. 

 

Conditions weren't perfect, but close to it. The fairways had a few areas marked GUR as they resodded the turf. Otherwise they were fine. What little rough there was was cut low. Bunkers were pristine. Greens looked great. Speed was on the slow side early due to the morning dew, but were rolling 10 after a few holes. 

 

Played the Strantz (Silver) tees at 6203 yds (71.0/137). What a crazy up and down day. Driver was Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde. Irons were decent, but the small misses were costly. Wedges were solid, and the putter has seen better days. Two birdies, seven bogies, and two doubles. Definitely the bug on the windshield today. Can't say there was a shot of the day. A couple of nice wedges on the par 5s set up easy birdies. Highlight of the day was being able to walk the picturesque course and snap a ton of photos. My three playing partners from Portland, Minneapolis, and Raleigh were a blast. 

 

Easy 8 cows. Don't use the adjective spectacular very often. Great looking and a real kick in the head. Certainly tests all aspects of your game. Would need to play it a few times to really get a feel for it. I would like to see a few more bunkers, and a couple of short 4s. No walking rate, but appreciated that they allowed walking. The $145 weekday rate wasn't cheap, but surprisingly cheap for a Top 100 course. Definitely a must play. 

 

Edited May 22 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Tot Hill Farm, Asheboro, NC 

 

Liked that the clubhouse was actually an old farm house 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The crazy downhill 10th plays over the highway from the tips 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/i7zscgwp1iryg5gf3sex4/AFLyboEsf6wkU3DXkMIlxb8?rlkey=v1o3dixe17saox7ukcmd1eg0c&st=n7pdupi2&dl=0

 

Edited May 22 by Argonne69

[Mullenboy]

"I wouldn't call the greens Goofy, but Disney is probably getting royalties."

 

That is a GREAT line.  😉

 

[ZephyrS4]

Very cool looking! Sounds fun!

[vallygolf]

Arg,  you may not even pay attention or care about easiest/hardest, and I get that easy/hard can be a function of ones game; but what would you say is the easiest and hardest course you have played?  Tot Hill seems like it skews harder for the first time player for sure.

[postfold]

I think I only played Tot Hill Farm once, back in 2011.  From the photo gallery it appears that it's in much better shape even than it was back then, and I played it before the years of reports of bad conditions even started coming in.  Credit to the owners for sinking a bunch of money into it and bringing it back.  Personally I liked Tobacco Road better - once played a second time it's a very manageable course, you can see what Strantz was doing.  Tot Hill was one hole of "WITAF IS THIS" after another.

 

As always thank you for the review and the photo gallery.

[Argonne69]

32 minutes ago, vallygolf said:

Arg,  you may not even pay attention or care about easiest/hardest, and I get that easy/hard can be a function of ones game; but what would you say is the easiest and hardest course you have played?  Tot Hill seems like it skews harder for the first time player for sure.

 

I've played many easy courses with little trouble off the tee, and lightly defended benign greens. A few too many to count. 

 

Tot Hill Farm was definitely one of the tougher courses, especially for a first time visit. 

 

Prairie Dunes CC was probably the hardest course I've played on this trip. 73.6/143 from 6400 yds was a real test. I failed miserably. Lol. 

 

Bethpage Black was tough. Bear Trap Dunes was one of the toughest courses off the tee. 

 

[Gdane]

Thank you for the photos of Tot Hill! I played it just before the renovation, for $70ish if I remember correctly, almost begrudgingly after not really enjoying Tobacco Road at all.  What a 180 I did on Strantz after Tot Hill.  SO much better than TR.  Now I'm on the chase to play all of his courses, knocking out True Blue (my current favorite Strantz) & Caledonia last fall, and the Virginia courses on the agenda for Spring 2026. 

[Faucette]

I enjoy your rating system. What is it the range, 1 to 10 cows? 10 being the best?  Do any courses qualify for Goat status. Goat meaning Goat Track not Greatest of All Time

 

Your in my area at the moment. If I wasn't tied up with family I would have invited you to legacy Golf Links. It's in Aberdeen and they have done quite a bit of work to it, turning out very nice. 

[Argonne69]

11 minutes ago, Faucette said:

I enjoy your rating system. What is it the range, 1 to 10 cows? 10 being the best?  Do any courses qualify for Goat status. Goat meaning Goat Track not Greatest of All Time

 

Your in my area at the moment. If I wasn't tied up with family I would have invited you to legacy Golf Links. It's in Aberdeen and they have done quite a bit of work to it, turning out very nice. 

 

Yeah, 10 is the GOAT. Haven't play a 10 yet. A handful of 9s, but I'm sure there's a 10 out there. 'Probably private, e.g. Cypress Point.

 

Isn't Legacy undergoing quite a bit of construction/renovation at the moment? I had it on my list, but the recent reviews are pretty bad. Probably play it the next time I'm passing through.

 

[islesmb]

1 hour ago, Faucette said:

I enjoy your rating system. What is it the range, 1 to 10 cows? 10 being the best?  Do any courses qualify for Goat status. Goat meaning Goat Track not Greatest of All Time

 

Your in my area at the moment. If I wasn't tied up with family I would have invited you to legacy Golf Links. It's in Aberdeen and they have done quite a bit of work to it, turning out very nice. 

I'm playing Legacy for the first time at the end of June. Looking forward to it.