Bend's 2022-2024 Golf Log

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After playing the Muni, I made the mistake of playing Wild Dunes Links Course. I just started back playing after a 5 year layoff and this course is pretty tight and I lost a TON of golf balls. Conditions in February were perfect. The Harbor course looks to be even tighter. The last few holes were washed out and never rebuilt. Even in February, Wild Dunes was pricey, around $140.

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My next two courses were in March in Mississippi. I played Mossy Oak on a chilly day. I really thought the weather would be warmer, but it really was not. Super windy all weekend also. I played right before the price went up to $200. I think I paid about $90. Conditions were not great as they had a terrible storm a few days prior.

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Before heading back to Cincinnati I played 9 holes at the Mississippi State golf course, which I liked. It had some good holes and a few boring ones. Cheap as compared to Mossy Oak. I would like to play a round with some warmer weather.

[caniac6]

4 minutes ago, BEND OF THE RIVER GC said:

After playing the Muni, I made the mistake of playing Wild Dunes Links Course. I just started back playing after a 5 year layoff and this course is pretty tight and I lost a TON of golf balls. Conditions in February were perfect. The Harbor course looks to be even tighter. The last few holes were washed out and never rebuilt. Even in February, Wild Dunes was pricey, around $140.

The Links Course is one of, if not, my favorite course. The first time I played it, the club house was a double wide trailer. The dunes holes (10-13) are really good, and 18 was a fun risk/ reward par 5 prior to being washed away. Hurricane Hugo took out a bunch of trees, so if you think it’s tight now, you should have seen it then.

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My wife and I have been taking short trips to check out possible areas where we want to move after I retire in 3.5 years. We went to Wilmington, NC and on the way we played Pilot Knob CC, and the Stryker Course on Fort Bragg. Pilot Knob was super fun and although the Stryker Course boasts a Donald Ross pedigree, the conditions were not good at all. Anything Morale and Recreation related on military bases gets zero funding from the government. All of these things are non-appropriated, which means they have to support themselves. Even if the golf course makes money, it's siphoned off to pay for other activities; ie. the bowling alley or the movie theater on base. It's a shame because the Stryker Course could really be a cool golf course.

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Here are a few pics of the Stryker Course on Fort Bragg, soon to be renamed, Fort Liberty.

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We spent a few days checking out Wilmington, NC. We crossed it off our list to move to but their municipal course is great. Perfect walking course, restored Donlad Ross, and the place is mostly walkers which was really cool. It's a course I could play over and over and be very happy. I think I paid around $45 to play. Like many Donald Ross courses, it's pretty flat with really nice green complexes.

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Back in April I headed down to Huntsville, AL on a solo trip and played one of the Links at Redstone Arsenal golf courses, The Warrior course.  They have 36 holes here total. I wanted to play the other course but they were having an event. It was a somewhat boring course, flat and prairie/meadow style. Nothing to write home about, but I like to play military courses whenever I can. For a military course the condition were pretty good overall.

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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On my way to Redstone I hopped out of the car and played the 9 hole Sewanee Golf Course in Tennessee. Super fun nine hole course. If you can be sure to stop in and play here.

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After leaving Huntsville I headed over to Florence, AL and played both Muscle Shoals RTJ courses. I played 36 holes on a Saturday; Fighting Joe is a prairie style layout and the Schoolmaster which is a more traditional parkland style layout. I preferred the Schoolmaster course a little bit more. Both courses were pretty fun and worth a play. They gave me a veteran discount of my first round of $70 and then he only charged me $35 for the replay on Schoolmaster. Can't beat that. The place was packed too!

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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On the way back to Cincinnati I took a break from driving and played Shelby GC in Nashville, which sits in a really cool little neighborhood. It's an old Donald Ross throwback course with tiny little greens. I showed up at 7 am on a Sunday without a tee time and they sent me right out. It's definitely a quirky little course. Conditions were OK at best, I really just wanted to add in another Ross course to my list, a place like this is always at risk of being closed down.

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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My ex-wife is from Dearborn, Michigan and I golfed a lot in Michigan and met some guys golfing at Rackham GC. I still golf with one of those guys, but he lives in Chicago now. We met up at the Pfau Course on a Saturday morning at Indiana University. It's a difficult, but a very fun golf course. I liked the Pfau course a lot. It was $95 walking or riding, same price. If you are near Bloomington it's worth a play for sure.

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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Sometimes my wife will play golf with me, sometimes she won't. Today she did! We headed down to Lexington in late May and we played CC of the Bluegass AKA Widow's Watch GC. It's fun and overall it's a pretty decent golf course. I always play better when I play with her because I am not trying to kill the ball. This course was around $45 for 18 holes with cart. For late Spring, it was in pretty good shape overall.

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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I didn't take a very many pictures of these two courses near Indianapolis that I played back in April. Southern Dunes GC and Hickory Stick GC. Both are housing development courses. Hickory Stick was slightly better, and more character than the Southern Dunes course. I have played 9 new golf courses in Indiana alone this year! I have pretty much played everything around Indy with the exception of a few privates like Crooked Tree, CC of Indianapolis and The Broadmoor. One can only hope that I get an invite to play one or all three someday!

Edited October 31, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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Lancaster CC, South of Columbus, Ohio. Formerly a private country club, it went under and was purchased and went to a semi-private business model. It's old school for sure. I drove up on a Sunday afternoon and played it. Front nine was designed first by Donald Ross and the back nine was added later by Jack Kidwell, who has designed many courses in the Midwest. Lancaster is a somewhat tight, tree infested parkland layout. Decent enough, but not really worth the travel time there and back. Just your typical, classic older golf course. If I lived closer I might play it more often.

Edited October 18, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[caniac6]

12 hours ago, BEND OF THE RIVER GC said:

My wife and I have been taking short trips to check out possible areas where we want to move after I retire in 3.5 years. We went to Wilmington, NC and on the way we played Pilot Knob CC, and the Stryker Course on Fort Bragg. Pilot Knob was super fun and although the Stryker Course boasts a Donald Ross pedigree, the conditions were not good at all. Anything Morale and Recreation related on military bases gets zero funding from the government. All of these things are non-appropriated, which means they have to support themselves. Even if the golf course makes money, it's siphoned off to pay for other activities; ie. the bowling alley or the movie theater on base. It's a shame because the Stryker Course could really be a cool golf course.

Pilot just reopened in August, after converting their greens to bermuda. I have not played it, but a friend has played it several times, and said they did a good job. I believe that they softened some of the slopes on the greens to get some more hole locations, and to make them playable with the new grass.

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Made some plans for a few rounds this weekend. Headed in the Supra down to Tail of the Dragon. Of course, I'll get a few courses in:

 

Sequoyah National (NC)

Old Toccoa Farm (GA)

Old Union (GA)

 

Hoping for decent weather. Next month and prior to Florida at Thanksgiving, I'll head either to Pinehurst, Augusta,  or to the RTJ golf trail at Prattville. 

Edited October 26, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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Played an awesome course in North Georgia yesterday, Old Toccoa Farm GC. Awesome course, great conditions, lightning fast greens, at the end of October even! Pure cart golf, quite hilly. Even perfect golf shots can end up terrible here. I played with a super nice golf journalist from Germany and a younger guy from Atlanta. Pace of play was pretty good considering the difficulty level here. We played it at about 6300 but it probably played closer to 6700-6800 with all the uphill shots. $125 with cart. It was ~37 degrees when I teed off and about 73 degrees when I finished up. Cancelled my tee time at Sequoyah National today due to a lot of rain. Got a few laps with the Supra in on Tail of the Dragon before going home as well. Great driving roads all over down here. I'll be back down there (NC/GA) in the Spring to do some driving as well as  play Sequoya National and Old Union.

Edited October 30, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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It looks like I am finished golfing for the year, I have another torn elbow tendon (lateral this time). I could probably try golfing at Streamsong in December (have reservations for Black and Red) but I do not want to get halfway through my round and not be able to finish. Especially at $350 a night for the room and each round at least $250 each!

 

Looks like at least two rounds of PRP for me in Jan and Feb and hopefully I'll be able to pick up where I left off in mid April. PRP really works, but it is a very painful procedure for sure as I have has 7 other treatments on the inside (medial) of my elbows. 

 

I'll be back!

Edited December 1, 2022 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[NCLancer]

Sorry to read about your injury but it sounds like you have been down the road before and know the twists and turns involved.  I have enjoyed your reviews and pics and look forward to more in '23 but don't rush back.  Take your time and get right.

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Had my first PRP treatment today, another one in 4 weeks. It's terribly painful. 

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Round two of platelet rich plasma (PRP) is in the books. I go back in a month for a follow up to see if two treatments was enough. Not fun at all! KFC is damn near impossible to eat with one arm!

Edited February 9, 2023 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[hammergolf]

Heal up soon.

[Chanceman]

At least there’s no blood or I would pass out.

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Had my follow up appointment to check my elbow after two (VERY PAINFUL) rounds of Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections.

 

As of right now, good news, I do not need a 3rd round!  I go back at the end of April to see again to make sure. After insurance I owe about $650 for each injection. Money better spent on other things, but at least I am not in pain any longer. 

 

I'll probably wait until May or even June to pick up a golf club though. Right now my only firm golf plans are in August to play Sand Valley, The Lido, Mammoth Dunes and maybe a few on my way up and on my way back from Wisconsin. 

 

Maybe I can talk the wife into going to Streamsong so I can play Red and Black that I had to cancel over New Years.

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2nd follow up visit went well. I am allowed to start swinging a driver! I am going to try to get a round in during the month of May. I got some bad news as well. The left side is also partially torn, but it's causing me any real problems so I'll wait to do any more PRP since it is so painful!

 

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Well, that was a long a** 7 month wait to play golf again! Have not even hit a range ball since October. Elbow held up for 9 holes. On the way up to Michigan today to visit the Henry Ford Museum and the wife and I hopped out of car and played nine holes at Ottawa Park GC in Toledo, Ohio. Course opened in 1899, so it's pretty old. I liked the layout, although it was only 5100 yards from the tips. Both par three's were less than 100 yards. Played fast and firm as it has not rained in a while and I didn't see any sprinklers anywhere. This week I'll head up to Columbus and play the Eagle Eye Defense Supply Center 9 hole golf course. 

Edited June 6, 2023 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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My elbow was bothering me a bit after (not at all during) golfing, so I took another little break for a few weeks. Headed to Portugal tomorrow with the wife for 2 weeks. Got "permission" to play three times while we are there, with rental clubs. I hate rental clubs, but this is not a golf vacation so not bringing my clubs this time around. We'll probably be doing quite a bit of sight seeing for the most part..

 

Troia

West Cliffs

Pine Cliffs

 

 

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I played the Troia golf course in Portugal yesterday. Course number 559.  Super fun, at first glance it looked like it would be very narrow, but honestly it did not play that way. From tips the course is ~6300 yards. It's main defenses are sea level, more sand than you could imagine and smallish sized greens. Anything landing inbetween holes is pure sand! The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. It was playing pretty fast and firm and I really liked the conditions. It was not manucured, but I enjoyed the setting. I REALLY hate using rental clubs, it's quite annoying. I came close to eagling a par 4. Hit a monter drive (I'm not long) and then from 125 yards I hit the pin up high and it almost went in. That would have been cool. We really liked the area around here. Super laid back. The course was not crowded at all. My wife and I buzzed around in about 3 hours. So far, the elbow appears to be holding up just fine, no pain even with having to use steel shafted irons, which I no longer use to help my elbows out a bit. I'll probably only play once while here as my wife arranged and designed this whole trip, don't want to wear out my welcome.

Edited August 11, 2023 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

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Here are some more pics.....