Arg's Travel Log

[stevopagolf]

4 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Very enjoyable morning. Cloudy and extremely humid. The showers that passes through before dawn didn't help. The sun popped out a couple of times, but it was cloudy most of the round. Arrived two hours early, and sure enough there was a threesome for me to join, allowing me to cancel my later twosome. Don't know why the course can't simply book a single. It was cart path only, but the course allowed walking. I didn't expect speed golf, but I was somewhat surprised that we finished in a hair over four hours. 

 

Virginia Beach National GC today. Disappointing. The Pete Dye and Curtis Strange design was underwhelming to say the least. This was my 42nd Dye course played, and if I didn't see his name on the scorecard it would have been just another layout. No railroad ties. No lateral waste bunkers. No pot bunkers. No undulating greens. I did notice a handful of low grassy areas adjacent to the fairways that may have been waste bunkers at one point, they they were all grown in. Very nice piece of open property, but they didn't do a whole lot with it. Overall it was pretty flat minus a couple of slightly raised greens. A few homes visible off property on the back. The back had a couple of tree lined parkland holes, but otherwise it was a meadow style layout. Fairway bunkering was very light. Greenside wasn't much better. Again, very un-Pete-like. Water in play on ten holes. Half the holes had left/right movement, but only two I'd consider doglegs. 

 

Pretty easy off the tee with wide fairways, light bunkering, and no forced carries. Minor misses would catch the very generous rough. Other than on the couple of parkland holes on the back, big misses were playable from adjacent fairways if they didn't find water or the couple of thick native areas. 

 

Approaches were straightforward. Had a couple of tucked pins with bunkers to be carried, but most were fairly benign. Greens had modest contouring and slope. Can't say putting was easy, but there were no knee knockers. Up and downs were fairly easy. Plenty of closely mown areas and few bunkers meant options with with chances of being shortsided. 

 

Par 3s were rather forgettable. A pair had water in play. The 7th was the best of the bunch. Variety of length was meh. Played PW to 6i. Par 5s were benign. Nothing reachable and little danger. The 5 short 4s were total snoozers. No thoughts required off the tee. 

 

Other than the bunkers, conditions were OK other than being soft and wet. Fairways were pretty lush. Rough was a little patchy in spots, but generally good. Bunkers were trash. Zero sand and standing water in many. Greens were decent. Looked good and were rolling 10 once the morning dew eventually burned off. 

 

Played the Blue/Green combo at 6275 yds (70.6/126). Another decent day driving spoiled by soft, wet conditions. Gotta learn to hit a high fade. Lol. Irons were spotty, but the wedges made up for them. Putter was stone cold. Six bogies. Rare round with no shot of the day. Just plodded along staying out of trouble. Highlight of the day was once again my three local playing partners. Decent players and great company. 

 

Going to be stingy again and go with 5 cows. Nice looking piece of property that could be special if Pete was allowed to do his thing. If he did, and someone messed it up during a renovation, then shame. Needs everything that I look for in a top course. Walking allowed, but no walking rate. Looks like I was charged $20 for a cart. The $100 rate wasn't crazy, but I sure wouldn't pay that again. Weekdays appear to be the same rate. Probably worth a play, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to return. 

 

I believe that used to be called TPC Virginia Beach.  Underwhelming enough to lose the TPC moniker.  I believe I played that when it opened 25 years ago.....

[Argonne69]

Crazy evening. Heavy storms moving through the area with flash floods. Bessie is sitting on high ground luckily, as there is a small lake forming around the perimeter. 

 

 

Probably a good thing I'm taking the day off tomorrow. Looks like scattered rain throughout the day. 

 

[DArnie]

8 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

The Casual Pint Craft Beerstro. 36 taps with a very good mix. Started with a tasty Hardwood Brewing Peach Tripel. On deck is a Big Ugly Ape Hanger RIS. 

 

 

Man that looks tasty!

[bcjim]

7 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Last, but not least, was a stop at Las Palmas. It appears to be a local chain, but don't let that stop you. The mole pablano was excellent. Not quite the thick stuff I prefer, but it sure packed a punch. The salsa was meh, but the margarita wasn't bad. 

 

 

Sounds like a generic name but I used to often dine at a "Las Palmas" in Nashville when I lived there some years ago.  Cheap and reasonably good as I recall.  

[ssp]

On 6/13/2025 at 2:03 PM, Argonne69 said:

Enjoying a tasty Polaris Winter Tripel at Reaver Beach Brewing Company. Don't recall ever having a winter tripel. It is a tad darker than usual. Small brewery with the usual suspects on 18 taps. 

 

 

Love that style of beer glass.

[Looper34]

1 hour ago, ssp said:

Love that style of beer glass.

Cool logo too. 

[Argonne69]

Short drive to the boardwalk in Virginia Beach for breakfast and a stroll. I was here in 2007. Doesn't appear to have changed much. 

 

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Drove out to Fort Monroe. I've visited a few old forts, but this one was massive. I believe it's the biggest stone fort built in the US. Took a stroll along the upper perimeter that had to have been a good mile. 

 

The architecture of the buildings inside and outside the fort are pretty interesting. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/q6akuh3ynkneive10qx98/AEaO7jw6ptp6lZlCBU5WRoM?rlkey=q8fddw5z1ths09ziwvgealdws&st=r8kj4sgi&dl=0

 

Edited June 15 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Final stop on my short sightseeing adventure was the USS Wisconsin battleship. Three years ago I visited its Iowa class sistership, the USS New Jersey across the river from Philadelphia. Always fun roaming around a large ship trying not to get lost. Unfortunately this one was quite restrictive. General admission did not provide access to the bridge or engine room. Those spaces were separate tours. One couldn't access the powder/magazine room below the big 16 inch guns, either. One could climb into the turret of the big guns, though. I squeezed myself up through the hatch, and then proceeded to smash my head into one of the sighting periscopes. Ouch. I'm not 18 anymore. Lol. 

 

When the ship was reactivated in the 1980's it was given a fresh coat of paint, but the paint has reacted with air pollution and turned the ship a nice shade of pink. Operation Petticoat? Lol. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/mstm75iy5iloicyowoz3a/ABHX66U3STBEzr8mTHdmN_g?rlkey=g4jkvad4r87eyz7nzsiwmn0s2&st=ybt2h8bi&dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Kicking back enjoying a tripel and listening to the rain on Bessie's roof again. The heat and high humidity has really created perfect conditions for these late afternoon storms. I was hoping to catch the finish of the US Open, but sure looks like a Monday finish. 

 

 

There's a 50% chance of thunderstorms when I tee off tomorrow morning, but it should clear up shortly after. 

 

Edited June 15 by Argonne69

[imkirby34]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

When the ship was reactivated in the 1980's it was given a fresh coat of paint, but the paint has reacted with air pollution and turned the ship a nice shade of pink. Operation Petticoat? Lol. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a coincidence - I just watched that movie for the umpteenth time last weekend.  It was part of my own WWII submarine double feature with another movie I've watched umpteen times, The Enemy Below.

 

 

[Argonne69]

8 hours ago, imkirby34 said:

 

What a coincidence - I just watched that movie for the umpteenth time last weekend.  It was part of my own WWII submarine double feature with another movie I've watched umpteen times, The Enemy Below.

 

 

Nice. The Enemy below is probably the 2nd best sub movie ever made. Das Boot is #1 in my books.

 

[imkirby34]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Nice. The Enemy below is probably the 2nd best sub movie ever made. Das Boot is #1 in my books.

 

 

No argument from me on that #1 choice.  I've watched that one so many times, I sometimes don't bother turning on the English subtitles.  

[Argonne69]

Ugh. Sloppy day, but at least it didn't rain. Cloudy and extremely humid. Course was saturated after more rain last night, and cart path only. Got out as a single behind three members, and we finished in 3 hours. Impressed with their pace given the CPO. 

 

Heron Ridge GC today, a Fred Couples design. The parkland layout is located in a housing development, but no holes route through the homes. Minor elevation changes on a few holes, but it's basically flat. Fairway bunkering was very light. Greenside was a tad better. Looks like several were converted to grass bunkers. Water in play on a dozen holes, but several more had thick junk that could easily be red staked. Seven holes with left/right movement including two doglegs. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with light bunkering and only one short forced carry. Minor misses would catch the generous light rough. Big misses could get lucky on a couple of holes finding an adjacent fairway, but otherwise they were lost in the junk. 

 

Approaches were moderately difficult due to the smallish greens. A couple were moderate in size, but most were a notch above postage stamps. Greens had gentle contouring and slope. Didn't break a sweat putting all round. Well, not because of the contours anyway. Up and downs were mixed. Had several easy chips from just off the putting surface, but also had a few shortsided pitches over the lakes, umm, bunkers. 

 

Par 3s were mixed. The first three were pretty good, but the 17th was meh. The 15th was the best of the bunch with water in play. Variety of length was poor playing 7i to 4i. Par 5s were very good. Three were reachable with two that could be considered risk/reward with the greens stuck behind ponds. Not much danger laying up, though. The four short 4s were mixed. Three were benign, but the dogleg 12th was driveable cutting the corner to a blind green surrounded by junk. 

 

Conditions were mixed. The fairway turf was in nice shape, but the ground was saturated. Standing water and practically every step brought water to the surface. My poor arches are killing me from walking on the squishy turf. Rough was a good height. Bunkers were a mess. Most had small ponds in them. A couple had so much water that no sand was above water. Greens were soft, no surprise, but rolling nicely. Not quite 10. 

 

Played the Blue/White combo at 6281 yds (70.6/131). Same 'ol story. Solid day off the tee, but negative zero rollout in the slop with the low draw. I'll gladly buy anyone a nice barrel aged imperial stout if they can teach me how to hit a high fade. Lol. Irons were spotty, but misses were manageable. Didn't give myself many good looks at birdie. One birdie and seven bogies. No real shot of the day, but the 9i on the final hole to 12' to set up the lone birdie definitely helped the cause. 

 

Solid 6 cows here. Very nice looking course. Could use some elevation change, but it's coastal Virginia. The greens definitely need a few buried elephants. Bunkering was much too light. Needs a short and long par 3. Appreciated that they allowed walking, but being charged $20 for an unused cart was a kick in the head. $86 for a Monday round. Meh. Definitely not a must play, but it's worth a visit. 

 

[Argonne69]

Heron Ridge GC, Virginia Beach, VA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunker? 

 

 

 

Lol. I've played close to 1500 courses now, and have never seen a pump attached to the back of a tractor. Originally thought he was crazy driving his rig into the bunker to "groom" it, but then he fired up the pump... 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/657dm2rh6q7hxosxxd8f4/APmFN0qoxsC3KWN_HO6hbj8?rlkey=h0fr4wg52845x1h6z0r895zmv&st=v1kuuunk&dl=0

 

Edited June 16 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

32 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

 

No argument from me on that #1 choice.  I've watched that one so many times, I sometimes don't bother turning on the English subtitles.  

 

'Definitely watch it in the original German. There's so little dialog that it never bothered me. I used to use the depth charge scene as a demo for my home theater. I swear I used to duck when one of the bolts popped, and whizzed behind my head. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

The Enemy below is probably the 2nd best sub movie ever made. Das Boot is #1 in my books.

 

 

Several years ago I created and produced a half hour TV show that interviewed novelists, screenwriters and poets. It ran for 43 episodes. We were so very fortunate to have Wolfgang Peterson on the show to discuss the writing of Das Boot. The only more interesting guest I had on the show was Timothy Leary. Fresh out of prison and rejecting drugs. He had just written a book on the computer revolution, would not accept an on-set coffee.  I fetched him a 7UP to go into his coffee cup. No caffeine.

[Argonne69]

Love a brewery that's open at 11 am on a Monday. Lol. Aslin Beer Company has a very nice selection with 24 taps. Enjoying a very nice Alba 09 Oak-Aged Belgian Tripel. 

 

 

The bartender saw my scorecard and asked me about my round this morning. Turns out that he spent a few years in Chicagoland, and worked at Prairie Landing in West Chicago. I've played it numerous times, and it's certainly one of the top 10 courses in the area. 

 

 

 

Edited June 16 by Argonne69

[Tyrus Webb]

On 6/11/2025 at 2:46 PM, me05501 said:

The course nearest me is kind of a parkland layout on a mountaintop site. It's compromised in a lot of ways, pinched in from every angle by private property and built across broad slopes with solid rock about 15" below the turf.

 

 

Signal?  There are a handful of holes where a perfect drive straight down the fairway bangs around like Plinko! 

[me05501]

3 hours ago, Tyrus Webb said:

 

Signal?  There are a handful of holes where a perfect drive straight down the fairway bangs around like Plinko! 

Yep. It’s the closest course to me but I just can’t get excited about it. 

[bcjim]

7 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Heron Ridge GC, Virginia Beach, VA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bunker? 

 

 

 

Lol. I've played close to 1500 courses now, and have never seen a pump attached to the back of a tractor. Originally thought he was crazy driving his rig into the bunker to "groom" it, but then he fired up the pump... 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/657dm2rh6q7hxosxxd8f4/APmFN0qoxsC3KWN_HO6hbj8?rlkey=h0fr4wg52845x1h6z0r895zmv&st=v1kuuunk&dl=0

 

That's a lot of water. Permanent and Temporary.  Played one round like that last year. Tee boxes were like walking on a waterbed. I wondered why they let us out. I had onset of Trench Foot by hole 7, I think.

[Argonne69]

Minus the humidity and soft conditions it was a pleasant morning. Crazy finishing a round and being soaked to the bone with no rain having fallen. Joined two members walking in the third group out and we finished in just under 3 hours. Nice. 

 

Well, I finally got to play Cypress Point. Unfortunately this one is in Virginia. Not quite in the same league. Ho hum parkland layout in a housing development. Very minor elevation changes. Very light fairway bunkering. Greenside was OK. Water in play on three holes. Six holes with left/right movement. Not a bad looking course overall, but it sure didn't excite. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee, but there were a few narrow fairways, and a few trees that needed trimming. Minor misses were no problem catching the generous rough. Big misses were a coin flip. Clip a tree and fall straight down and it could be played from the dirt or pine straw. Miss a branch and it was OB. 

 

Approaches were a little tougher due to the smallish greens. Several tucked pins did add a little excitement. Greens had moderate contouring and slope. Putting was a challenge because the greens haven't been cut in some time. Glacial. Up and downs were mixed. Miss in the right spot and it was an easy chip. Wrong spot and it was a high lob over a bunker. 

 

Four of the five par 3s were meh, but the 17th was decent with a forced carry over a pond. Variety of length was poor. 9i to 7i. Don't know how that's possible with five of them. The five par 5s were also disappointing. Nothing reachable, and little risk otherwise. The three short 4s were toothless. The dogleg 16th was probably the best of the bunch. I guess one could attempt to drive the (hidden) green, but less than driver still left a wedge in 

 

Conditions were once again soft. Cart path only for the riders. Not quite as squishy as yesterday, though. Fairways looked nice. Rough was cut low. Bunkers were trash. Small ponds in many, but practically no sand in the dry ones. Greens looked good, but were slow and bumpy. 7 is being generous. 

 

Played the White tees at 6210 yds (69.0/118). I was planning to play a Blue/White combo, but after watching my opening tee shot kick up a rooster tail I figured White was plenty. Same ol issue with the driver in the wet conditions, but wedges were more cooperative today. Two birdies and five bogies. Shot of the day was probably the teeshot on the par 3 17th to 2' for an easy birdie. The 24' Texas wedge for birdie from 2 yds off the green on the 4th was a bonus. Highlight of the round was my two playing partners. Solid games, and didn't mess around. Both of them were poker dealers at the local casino, so we had plenty to chat about. Late in the round they admitted that they were hesitant to play with me after seeing my knee braces, left arm brace, and right wrist compression sleave, as they thought I'd be a boat anchor. After a few holes they realized that I'd be more than capable of keeping up. Lol. 

 

Stingy Arg is going with 4 cows. I did like the look of the course despite the housing, but the design needs all the usual stuff, starting with some variety in the par 3s and one or two reachable par 5s. The $45 weekday walking rate was just right. I'm sure I'd be teeing it up here regularly if I was a local, but it's an easy skip if you're passing through. 

 

[Argonne69]

Cypress Point Country Club, Virginia Beach, VA 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dkcj8k9yq92uct7jbo0kb/AORFYz0pXJ2b3hUDhPTaS-o?rlkey=g82majie42fx1fpo9z3vya3i7&st=6lhg7gpk&dl=0

 

Edited June 17 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Wasserhund Brewing Company in Virginia Beach. Small brewery with a dozen taps, but I was happy to see a Belgian Strong Dark Ale on tap. Very tasty. Hope they have it in cans to go. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Was planning to head back to the RV park early, but stumbled across Union Alehouse a mile down the road. The brewpub offers 20 national taps, and I saw a few that tickled my fancy. Enjoying a sampling of Ommegang Gnommegang Belgian Strong Golden Ale, Founders Breakfast (Imperial) Stout, and Boulevard Bourbon Barrel Quad. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Heading to Richmond tomorrow morning, and I'm already stressed. I noticed on my drive to Fort Monroe on Sunday that the I-64 tunnel has a clearance of 13' 6".  Bessie's clearance is probably an inch lower. I really do like the ACs.

 

US-17 appears to be a bridge, but it'll add a lot of time. Looks like the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel (I-664) is the alternative route. 

 

Edited June 17 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Frustrating day. The three hour drive to Richmond was the usual combination of heavy traffic, 30 miles of construction on I-64, and bridge joints that could break bones. We've been building modern roads for over 75 years, so why can't someone design a bridge joint that stays flush? Love the sounds of items crashing to the ground in Bessie's living area. 

 

Looks like I'll be without satellite service for the stay. I asked for a site with no trees, so of course they put me in a site with a row of trees blocking the southwest sky. Tried setting up the portable dish, but no luck with that either. First time in three and a half years that I won't have service. 

 

 

Booked an RV park in Harpers Ferry for mid-July. I was hoping to stay closer to Frederick, MD, but there are no RV parks within 20 miles. Like Kitty Hawk, it looks like I'll have a few long drives each morning. 

 

Probably head out for a drink and a bite to eat shortly. I have a round at Mattaponi Springs tomorrow, Hanover on Friday, and the 12 hole Belmont GC on Saturday. 

 

[Argonne69]

No luck with the satellite. Tried several locations with the portable dish, but nada. Grrr. 

 

Ran out to Capital Ale House for a beer and a burger. Extensive beer list with 60 taps and over 100 bottles and cans. Their to-go prices are very reasonable, so I might take home a mixed six pack. 

 

Starting with a Brasserie d'Achouffe La Choufee Blonde Belgian Strong Golden Ale. 

 

 

Wings were excellent. 

 

 

The Bacon, Black, and Bleu double smashburger sure hit the spot. 

 

 

Edited June 18 by Argonne69

[buckI]

Richmond has a pretty good microbrew selection and many open early!   Personally I like Veil but Hardywood has a great setting on the west side in addition to the one in town and has a bourbon barrel cru that might be up your alley!  

[buckI]

2 minutes ago, buckI said:

Richmond has a pretty good microbrew selection and many open early!   Personally I like Veil but Hardywood has a great setting on the west side in addition to the one in town and has a bourbon barrel cru that might be up your alley!  

Ardent might also have some brews that fit your tastes!