Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Driving around old Savannah. Love the canopy of trees overhanging the streets with the moss hanging down. The numerous squares are also interesting. Each has a different look and feel. 

 

Stopped for a vanilla and chipotle imperial stout at White Whale Craft Ales. Only 12 taps, but something for everyone, except a Belgian. Bummer. 

 

 

 

I spent an hour online this morning trying to find an RV park near St Augustine. Prices are starting to climb, and availability is getting scarce. I couldn't find a spot for 4 consecutive nights, so I had to split my stay across two parks. 'Hope the rest of Florida is better. 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Whether you call it a late lunch, or an early dinner, you can call the the shrimp and grits (w/ andouille sausage) at Crystal Beer Parlor amazing. Oh my. The onion rings are excellent as well, and the brownie stout is a nice compliment. 

 

 

What the heck. Let's make the day complete by throwing in a helping of fried pound cake with carmel and chocolate. If I die in my sleep tonight I will be quite happy. If not, Sea Pines had better let me walk tomorrow. Lol. 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Argonne69

[hammergolf]

12 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Driving around old Savannah. Love the canopy of trees overhanging the streets with the moss hanging down. The numerous squares are also interesting. Each has a different look and feel. 

 

Stopped for a vanilla and chipotle imperial stout at White Whale Craft Ales. Only 12 taps, but something for everyone, except a Belgian. Bummer. 

 

 

 

I spent an hour online this morning trying to find an RV park near St Augustine. Prices are starting to climb, and availability is getting scarce. I couldn't find a spot for 4 consecutive nights, so I had to split my stay across two parks. 'Hope the rest of Florida is better. 

 

You're starting to get into snow bird time for FL. so it will be pretty busy. But if you are still looking to make it down the Atlantic coast you have some really good options. Hammock Beach Resort is a really good on in Palm Coast, about 45 min drive from St. Aug. They have a two course deal for around $180. Both are really good ones. Then you can drive down to Deland (About an Hour drive) and play Victoria Hills ( One of the few areas in FL that has a little bit of rolling terrain). From there, drive to Port St. Lucie (about 2 hours) and play any of the three courses there at PGA Village: The Wannamaker, Ryder, or Dye. Btw they also have an incredible practice facility where you can hit as many balls as you want for a daily rate. If my memory serves me right I think it was $25. From there you’re about 45 minutes from PGA National. The Championship course is a tough one. If you enjoy a challenge then you will love it. It is Nicklaus design at it's most difficult. Very shallow and angled greens, and not a ton of room off the tee either. You also have an option in Jupiter, (about a 30 min drive from Port St. Lucie) at Abacoa if you do't want to make the splurge at PGA National. Would be an easy 5 or 6 day trip. If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

https://www.hammockbeach.com/packages-specials/golf-packages-1/

 

https://www.victoriahillsgolf.com/

 

https://www.pgavillage.com/golf/wanamaker-course

 

https://abacoagolfclub.com/course-details/?doing_wp_cron=1639171433.4217860698699951171875

Edited December 11, 2021 by hammergolf

[miamistomp]

 The Quebecois are here in force and it is not pretty

  I am not much for dress code but jorts ( on old men 😱) , housecoats, golf sandals and umbrellas look crazy

 

 Don't know how they survive the fire ants

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, hammergolf said:

You're starting to get into snow bird time for FL. so it will be pretty busy. But if you are still looking to make it down rthe Atlantioc coast you have some really good options. Hammock Beach Resort is a really good on in Palm Coast, about 45 min drive from St. Aug. They have a two course deal for around $180. Both are really good ones. Then you can drive down to Deland (About an Hour drive) and play Victoria Hills 9One of the few areas in FL that has a little bit of rolling terrain). From there, drive to Port St. Lucie (about 2 hours) and play any of the three courses there: The Wannamaker, Ryder, or Dye. Btw they also have an incredile practice facility where you can hit as many balls as you want for a daily rate. If my memeory serves me right I think it was $25. From there youre about 45 minutes from PGA National. The Championship course is a tough one. If you enjoy a challenge then you will love it. It is Nicklaus design at it's most difficult. Very shallow and angled greens, and not a ton of room off the tee either. You also have an optioon in Jupiter, (about a 30 min drive from Port St. Lucie) at Abacoa if you do't want to make the splurge at PGA National. Wopuld be an easy 5 or 6 day trip. If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

https://www.hammockbeach.com/packages-specials/golf-packages-1/

 

https://www.victoriahillsgolf.com/

 

https://www.pgavillage.com/golf/wanamaker-course

 

https://abacoagolfclub.com/course-details/?doing_wp_cron=1639171433.4217860698699951171875

 

I played the two courses at Hammock Beach a few years ago. I thought the Conservatory course was the better of the two. I also played Victoria Hills on that trip. Solid layout, but I preferred Deltona Club. LPGA International was also a stop. Meh. 

 

I'll probably stop in Titusville for a few days after St Augustine before continuing on to Port St Lucie. The Dye and Wannamaker courses are likely plays. Don't think I'm going to pay the $300 for a stay at PGA National resort just to get on the course. Abacoa sounds like a better option. 

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by Argonne69

[heavy_hitter]

21 hours ago, sabram said:

You could say that almost every Florida course is hot and sticky in the Summer. The Disney courses are not more so than any other inland Florida course.  Streamsong can be brutal in the Summer.

 

I don't know when you last played Shingle Creek. It was remodeled a couple years ago to expand the hotel. They took away a few of the best holes there and replaced them with holes on different land that are not as good.

I don’t play.  Used to.  My son is a high level junior tournament golfer that plays all around the state.  The Disney Course and Old Corkscrew are two of the hottest courses I have ever been on.

 

Kid played Shingle Creek last Spring for a FSGA Am qualifier.  He didn’t say anything about holes being moved around.  Last time I was there was 2017.

 

Old Corkscrew in Ft. Myers is one of the hardest golf courses in Florida.

[heavy_hitter]

22 hours ago, sabram said:

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by heavy_hitter
Multiple post

[heavy_hitter]

22 hours ago, sabram said:

 

Edited December 11, 2021 by heavy_hitter
Multiple posts

[Argonne69]

Old Corkscrew was fun. 

 

Just looked at my list of courses played. I was a little surprised to see that I've played 60 courses in Florida. Regatta Bay in the panhandle to Crandon Golf in Key Biscayne. 

 

[heavy_hitter]

13 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Old Corkscrew was fun. 

 

Just looked at my list of courses played. I was a little surprised to see that I've played 60 courses in Florida. Regatta Bay in the panhandle to Crandon Golf in Key Biscayne. 

 

Talked to the golf coach at Florida Gulf Coast a few years ago.  Told me the only time they came over to Old Corkscrew was when he wanted to humiliate them because it is hard.  It is fun but man those tiny greens with all of the undulation can put up some higj numbers.

[Argonne69]

Gorgeous morning in Hilton Head at the Atlantic Dunes course at Sea Pines Resort. Temps were in the mid 60s, the sun was out, and the breeze was light. Perfect golf weather.

 

I was not overly impressed with the course. Decent layout with plenty of trouble off the tee with bunkers and water, but for $150 I was expecting much more. A handful of greens had water in play (#9, #17, and #18), but the majority were simply point and shoot. Greens were quite benign. Resort golf I guess. Good mix of holes. A couple required working the ball quite a bit, which added a bit of a challenge. 

 

Conditions were very good. There were a few thin spots in the fairways were the overseed was still coming in, but otherwise it was fine. Bunkers were excellent. Greens looked great, but like Hilton Head National they were only rolling 9 or so. 

 

I'm glad to have the i200s back in the bag. Iron play has been solid these past two rounds. One birdie and four bogies today. 

 

If you're traveling to Sea Pines Resort to play Harbour Town Links, then you're probably going to add a round at Heron Point or Atlantic Dunes. The two sister courses are fine, but you won't be blown away. Five cows. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Atlantic Dunes at Sea Pines Resort, Hilton Head Island, SC 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7qed6jbxf6pns3t/AAByBIBNcHrMPi3EdB3O-NSwa?dl=0

 

[caniac6]

6 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Gorgeous morning in Hilton Head at the Atlantic Dunes course at Sea Pines Resort. Temps were in the mid 60s, the sun was out, and the breeze was light. Perfect golf weather.

 

I was not overly impressed with the course. Decent layout with plenty of trouble off the tee with bunkers and water, but for $150 I was expecting much more. A handful of greens had water in play (#9, #17, and #18), but the majority were simply point and shoot. Greens were quite benign. Resort golf I guess. Good mix of holes. A couple required working the ball quite a bit, which added a bit of a challenge. 

 

Conditions were very good. There were a few thin spots in the fairways were the overseed was still coming in, but otherwise it was fine. Bunkers were excellent. Greens looked great, but like Hilton Head National they were only rolling 9 or so. 

 

I'm glad to have the i200s back in the bag. Iron play has been solid these past two rounds. One birdie and four bogies today. 

 

If you're traveling to Sea Pines Resort to play Harbour Town Links, then you're probably going to add a round at Heron Point or Atlantic Dunes. The two sister courses are fine, but you won't be blown away. Five cows. 

 

 

Looks to have the potential for a fancy pair of golf shoes.

[Argonne69]

Another enjoyable morning on Hilton Head Island. Overcast and on the cool side, but with few players out it felt like I had the course to myself (again). Palmetto Dunes (Arthur Hills) today. Felt like another HH course. A little more challenging than Atlantic Dunes. First, Arthur Hills loves his doglegs. Very few straight holes here, so be prepared to pay a premium on tee shots. In addition there's plenty of water that comes into play, both off the tee and on the approaches. At least 1/3rd of the greens required one to avoid water. Driver and irons have to be dialed in. Once you're on the green you're quite safe, as the greens are boring as heck. 

 

Par 3s were decent. Three of them played over water. Two of the par 5 greens were protected by water as well. Not much in the way of bunkering off the tee, which was actually fine given the other trouble that awaited. 

 

Conditions were so-so. It rained last night, and the course was a bit soft. Overseeded fairways were thin or brown in spots. No where near as green as Atlantic Dunes. Greens were bumpy and only rolling 9. Bunkers were very nice, though. 

 

Not much in the way of highlights today. Course played long with the soft fairways and the breeze. With so much trouble awaiting I played rather conservative. No birdies and six bogies. Had a few looks at birdie, but couldn't quite find the right speed and/or line. 

 

Definitely a challenging course. It's not going to knock your socks off, but as a resort course it has its moments. A little pricey at $107 given the conditions, but it is Hilton Head, and a better value than Atlantic Dunes. Five cows. 

 

[Argonne69]

Palmetto Dunes Arthur Hills, Hilton Head Island, SC 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ddlbf7li86ijope/AAAo13dgSiAQT-NRRDKzlHgja?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Pimpin' After Dark at Hilton Head Brewing Company, a blend of pumpkin lager and Old Man porter. Not bad. 15 taps with a decent variety. 

 

 

Short drive tomorrow morning to Sea Island, GA. Playing the Sea Island Plantation course in the late morning, and the Seaview course on Tuesday. Hopefully there's room in the parking lot at the Inn for Bessie. 

 

[golfortennis]

On 12/10/2021 at 4:09 PM, hammergolf said:

You're starting to get into snow bird time for FL. so it will be pretty busy. But if you are still looking to make it down the Atlantic coast you have some really good options. Hammock Beach Resort is a really good on in Palm Coast, about 45 min drive from St. Aug. They have a two course deal for around $180. Both are really good ones. Then you can drive down to Deland (About an Hour drive) and play Victoria Hills ( One of the few areas in FL that has a little bit of rolling terrain). From there, drive to Port St. Lucie (about 2 hours) and play any of the three courses there at PGA Village: The Wannamaker, Ryder, or Dye. Btw they also have an incredible practice facility where you can hit as many balls as you want for a daily rate. If my memory serves me right I think it was $25. From there you’re about 45 minutes from PGA National. The Championship course is a tough one. If you enjoy a challenge then you will love it. It is Nicklaus design at it's most difficult. Very shallow and angled greens, and not a ton of room off the tee either. You also have an option in Jupiter, (about a 30 min drive from Port St. Lucie) at Abacoa if you do't want to make the splurge at PGA National. Would be an easy 5 or 6 day trip. If you have any other questions, let me know.

 

https://www.hammockbeach.com/packages-specials/golf-packages-1/

 

https://www.victoriahillsgolf.com/

 

https://www.pgavillage.com/golf/wanamaker-course

 

https://abacoagolfclub.com/course-details/?doing_wp_cron=1639171433.4217860698699951171875

 

Might be a bit of old info here.  PGA Village *did* have a great practice facility, but that closed a few years ago.  Don't believe the range at the main facility is open for day use(though I could be wrong, but I wouldn't make plans on it.)

 

 

 

[hammergolf]

57 minutes ago, golfortennis said:

 

Might be a bit of old info here.  PGA Village *did* have a great practice facility, but that closed a few years ago.  Don't believe the range at the main facility is open for day use(though I could be wrong, but I wouldn't make plans on it.)

 

 

 

That’s sad. I moved from Boca 6 years ago. I used to enjoy driving up for the day to get a good days practice in.

[golfortennis]

7 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

That’s sad. I moved from Boca 6 years ago. I used to enjoy driving up for the day to get a good days practice in.

 

What is really horrible is they had made a huge membership push a couple years before(completely changing course about destination resort), and that was a huuuuge benefit to membership there.  They "expanded" the range at the main facility, but at the expense of #10 on the Ryder course(it's now a par 3). 

 

I still think the whole situation is a combination of too much money to know what to do with, a consultant-type mentality that requires a change for change's sake, political posturing with hands out for money.....  with a dose of incompetence thrown in.  But enough positive things about them.  

[Argonne69]

I booked the King & Bear for Thursday, and Slammer and Squire for Friday. Teeing off in the late morning saved a few dollars.

 

I booked an RV Park near Titusville for 4 nights for Saturday, so I'll be looking for courses near the space center. The Savannahs and Indian River Preserve look nice. Anything near Port Orange worth playing? It's a short drive from St Augustine, so I might play a round on the trip down. 

 

[Argonne69]

Fun day at Sea Island Plantation. I was bummed at first because they said I couldn't walk because I wasn't a member. Sigh. Then they told me that I could walk with a caddie that was included in the resort fee, and I'd pay a tip only. Heck yeah. I had a great time talking my head off with my caddie, which was the highlight of the day. He also likes to take a lot of solo golf trips, so we traded stories for most of the round as we waited on the groups ahead of us. 

 

As for the course, meh. I certainly hope Seaview is better tomorrow. No surprise that the coastal course is flat. Water does come into play on a number of holes, but it was no where near as dangerous as Palmetto Dunes. Most of the fairways were quite generous. Par 3s were very good. Par 5s offered good risk reward. A couple of short par 4s were tough. The 10th reminded me of the 17th at TPC Scottsdale Stadium, a driveable hole with water left of the green. Greens were challenging without being silly. Multiple segments or tiers put a premium on the iron play. 

 

Conditions were very good. Greens were rolling ~10. 

 

I guess I had a decent round. I actually stopped keeping score on the back as I was a little too busy yacking with my caddie. One birdie on the 10th, and a few too many bogies and doubles. Wedges were dreadful today. I can't count the number of greens I missed with a wedge in my hand. Ugh. Oh well. Some days it's more than the score. 

 

Tough to grade this one. Basically it's not worth $225 and a stay at the resort. Solid layout, but easily forgettable. Four cows. 

 

Edited December 13, 2021 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Sea Island Plantation, Sea Island, GA 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/k3lhuzw50hqvkis/AABdCXB9wNrEgkKBF8h67j3Da?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Sitting in the clubhouse having a post round beer. It's a heck of a clubhouse. The locker room is huge, with hundreds of lockers and a bar. Not much of a beer selection though. 

 

It's going to be weird sleeping in the Inn tonight. There's a BBQ joint near the inn, so dinner should be tasty. 

 

 

[Dancin]

Will be interested to see if Sea Island seaside is still kept to immaculate condition. When I played it 20+ years ago early in the morning there were only a few divots on the whole course. I swore they had someone cutting and replacing from a nursery plot every night.

[Argonne69]

So tonight's dinner plans took an interesting twist. It turns out that the BBQ joint is not located next to the inn, but rather 2 miles away, halfway between the Sea Island Resort courses and the inn. While I was waiting for the shuttle to take me back to the resort I was chatting with one of the valet attendants, and he said that Southern Soul BBQ was definitely worth a visit. He said he'd ask the shuttle driver if he could drop me off at the restaurant. Unfortunately the driver said he couldn't make any stops, or he'd get in trouble. Bummer. 

 

However, the valet attendant said not to worry, he'd drive me there, and then on to the inn. I wound up grabbing a delicious three meat platter to go, and eating it inside Bessie in the inn's parking lot. That was some seriously good BBQ. It was wonderful that the attendant went above and beyond to take care of a guest. 

 

[Argonne69]

A wonderful morning at the Seaside course at Sea Island. Weather was once again beautiful with mostly sunny skies and light winds. I have to be honest, after yesterday's less than impressive walk around the Plantation course, I was prepared to be underwhelmed. Well, that was quickly dispelled. What a wonderful course! It's not the Ocean Course with its natural look, but it's definitely in my top 20. Amazing what a few hundred yards closer to the River/Sound can do. Marshes as far as the eye can see. Bridges and sea walls. There were a couple of look alike holes, but the vast majority were unique. The 18th was a bit of a letdown. After so many great looking holes it was rather bland.

 

Bunkers were large, and plentiful. Good mix of holes. I hit less than driver on three or four. Par 3s were not quite as impressive. Fairways were on the generous side, but there were a few forced carries that allowed you to cut off as much as you dared. Greens were very tough. Not quite in the same class as Sweetens or Pine Needles, but holding many of them proved to be a challenge. I can see why the course is ranked #1 in the state and #50 on Golf Magazine's Top 100 Public list. I'd definitely put it higher. 

 

Conditions were excellent. The course looked amazing. Overseed was a little thin in spots, but overall very playable. Greens were near perfect, rolling near 11. The greenside bunkers were the only (slight) negative. My caddie said that they removed sand after the RSM Classic a few weeks ago, so I didn't get quite enough of the fluffy stuff. Playable, but a tad thin.

 

You know it's not your day when the highlight of the round takes place on the practice green near the 1st tee. Lol. I made a few short putts, and then switched to the lag putting. I picked a hole 24 ft away, and drained the putt. And the next. And the next. 1 in 100,000 odds? Anyway, the actual round was rather brutal. Another solid day driving the ball, but a combination of poor iron play and the course playing long killed me. I didn't realize the course is a par 70, and I definitely chose the wrong tees. No birdies, eight bogies, and two doubles. Ouch. Highlight on the course was my teeshot on the 18th. With a nice helping wind, and a downslope in the landing area, I hit the best drive of the day right down the middle. We were expecting 270/280. Ha! Try 243. Did I mention the course plays long? 

 

The only negative about the day was finding out that I was given incorrect information about the caddie yesterday. A walking caddie is not included in the resort fee, which I found out when I checked out of the inn. A forecaddie is included if you ride. I say it's still worth taking a caddie and enjoying the walk.

 

Anyway, Seaside is a must play, even with the the resort stay required and the caddie fee. Skip the Plantation course and save a few hundred. Eight cows. 

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Sea Island Seaside, Sea Island, GA 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jfga2l0y6qmrczw/AAB0mxmt142ahWnkRybIMKuQa?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Walking tour of old St Augustine today. My feet are killing me. Much rather walk on turf. Taking a break at Ancient City Brewing. Enjoying a Pumquistador pumpkin ale. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9ksyylns35b0hni/AACTXKf6VdqC-tlnXbN82KHFa?dl=0

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

I think I'm safe to say that poutine is not a regional dish of Florida, but the ribeye poutine at Grilled Cheese Gallery is amazing. Tough choice between this and a specialty grilled cheese sandwich. Bummer that they don't offer a combo. 

 

 

[miamistomp]

 Somebody puked on your fries....

  😱