18 replies to this topic

[Kevinmcfl]

I have a life goal of playing in all 50 states.  I am from NY and have played all the states along the east coat except for Georgia.  I gave also played West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Nevada.  My wife and I recently had a baby and life has been hectic.  She knows how important this goal is to me and she has granted me a 4 day pass to go anywhere this July.  Where should I go to get one or more staes off the list.  Heat doen not bother me but the courses must be somewhat reasonable in price.  The other problem is a might have to go alone because most of my buddies take their golf trip in the spring.  19 states and counting.

[bwb]

If you flew into Chicago, I would think it would be pretty easy to play in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan on a 4 day trip. There is some really good public golf at reasonable prices in that area as well as lots of WRX’s to hook up with.
Good luck on the goal and enjoy the baby they grow fast.

[vpd]

Kevinmcfl, on 18 January 2013 - 02:56 PM, said:

I have a life goal of playing in all 50 states.  I am from NY and have played all the states along the east coat except for Georgia.  I gave also played West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Nevada.  My wife and I recently had a baby and life has been hectic.  She knows how important this goal is to me and she has granted me a 4 day pass to go anywhere this July.  Where should I go to get one or more staes off the list.  Heat doen not bother me but the courses must be somewhat reasonable in price.  The other problem is a might have to go alone because most of my buddies take their golf trip in the spring.  19 states and counting.

If you can withstand the heat, Phoenix/Scottsdale will have some great bargains on some extremely nice track. However, the heat in July is god awful.

[Kevinmcfl]

bwb, on 18 January 2013 - 04:31 PM, said:

If you flew into Chicago, I would think it would be pretty easy to play in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan on a 4 day trip. There is some really good public golf at reasonable prices in that area as well as lots of WRX’s to hook up with.
Good luck on the goal and enjoy the baby they grow fast.

[mallrat]

Bandon Dunes and cross Oregon off your list.

[jli2636]

Ive never been up there but Michigan would be my recommendation. Also playing in the Kansas City area you could knock out Missouri and Kansas in one trip.

[2bGood]

mallrat, on 18 January 2013 - 06:21 PM, said:

Bandon Dunes and cross Oregon off your list.

That would be pricey in July - he should save it for an off season buddy trip

[sabram]

A  solo trip with some GREAT and CHEAP golf is Colorado and Nebraska. It will take some driving, but it is well worth it. Fly into Denver there are usually plenty of cheap flights on United from Newark as Newark and Denver are United hubs. Not far from the Denver airport are Buffalo Run, Green Valley Ranch and Riverdale - Dunes. Three excellent public courses that are very reasonably priced. Play one of those and then drive to Ogalla Nebraska to Bayside golf course and stay in one of the cabins at Bayside and play 36 holes They have inexpensive packages. Then drive to Gothenburg and play Wildhorse and play 36 holes there. Wildhorse and Bayside aren't Bandon, but they are the next best thing at a fraction of the price.  It is a 3-4 hour drive back to Denver (less than the drive between Bandon and Portland) You will have a great trip and have  played some of the best public courses in those two states.



Bayside #6 approach - rev by tewiespix, on Flickr



Wild Horse #10 right side 110 yards out - rev by tewiespix, on Flickr



Buffalo Run #2 view back toward tee r by tewiespix, on Flickr



Riverdale - Dunes - #4 par 3 r by tewiespix, on Flickr

[deadsolid...shank]

I like Sabram's idea, plus when you've finished at Wildhorse, go south from North Platte 70 miles and play Heritage Hills in McCook.  Then go continue south to I70 in Kansas and pick up a course in someplace like Colby or Goodland, then back to DIA on I70. A long loop, but some really good golf courses at some really great prices, and three states off the list.

[Kevinmcfl]

sabram, on 19 January 2013 - 05:40 AM, said:

A  solo trip with some GREAT and CHEAP golf is Colorado and Nebraska. It will take some driving, but it is well worth it. Fly into Denver there are usually plenty of cheap flights on United from Newark as Newark and Denver are United hubs. Not far from the Denver airport are Buffalo Run, Green Valley Ranch and Riverdale - Dunes. Three excellent public courses that are very reasonably priced. Play one of those and then drive to Ogalla Nebraska to Bayside golf course and stay in one of the cabins at Bayside and play 36 holes They have inexpensive packages. Then drive to Gothenburg and play Wildhorse and play 36 holes there. Wildhorse and Bayside aren't Bandon, but they are the next best thing at a fraction of the price.  It is a 3-4 hour drive back to Denver (less than the drive between Bandon and Portland) You will have a great trip and have  played some of the best public courses in those two states.



Love this idea


Bayside #6 approach - rev by tewiespix, on Flickr



Wild Horse #10 right side 110 yards out - rev by tewiespix, on Flickr



Buffalo Run #2 view back toward tee r by tewiespix, on Flickr



Riverdale - Dunes - #4 par 3 r by tewiespix, on Flickr

[bppry]

Northern Michigan is it. Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes are worth it alone. Throw in options like Cedar River, Locenheath and Bay Harbor just to mention a few of other additional tracks close by each other and its a trip of a lifetime. Plus end of July the weather is perfect.

[Kevinmcfl]

How far a drive from Detroit would it be?

[bppry]

Kevinmcfl, on 19 January 2013 - 07:22 PM, said:

How far a drive from Detroit would it be?

From the airport you are looking at around 4 hours to Traverse City area. Forest Dunes is about 3.

Delta flies into Traverse as well. Or plenty of good tracks on the way up as well.

Edited by bppry, 19 January 2013 - 07:45 PM.

[BG5]

If your going to northern Michigan then here would be my suggestions.  I have played them all and there are a couple you have to play.

day 1 - PlAy Forest Dunes but.stay in Gaylord and play 36 holes @ treetops.  I would suggest the Fazio Premier and the Jones Masterpiece.  These courses provide you with some of the best golf views in Northern Michigan.

Day 2 - Black Lake in Onaway and the play Bay Harbor.  Stay at boyne..

Day 3 True North and Kingsley club..stay in traverse city.

Day 4 Arcadia bluffs

There would be a little driving involved but you would be playing the best courses in Michigan

[Kevinmcfl]

I like the northern Michigan idea but might be a little expensive as a single.  Might want to save that for a guys trip.  Looking for something in the middle of nowhere.  Hidden gems anyone?

[Jon Robert]

bwb, on 18 January 2013 - 04:31 PM, said:

If you flew into Chicago, I would think it would be pretty easy to play in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan on a 4 day trip. There is some really good public golf at reasonable prices in that area as well as lots of WRX’s to hook up with.
Good luck on the goal and enjoy the baby they grow fast.

Similar Fly to Memphis and play Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky in about 150 mile radius

Edited by Jon Robert, 24 January 2013 - 07:54 PM.

[johnnylongball]

Jon Robert, on 24 January 2013 - 07:54 PM, said:

bwb, on 18 January 2013 - 04:31 PM, said:

If you flew into Chicago, I would think it would be pretty easy to play in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan on a 4 day trip. There is some really good public golf at reasonable prices in that area as well as lots of WRX’s to hook up with.
Good luck on the goal and enjoy the baby they grow fast.

Similar Fly to Memphis and play Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky in about 150 mile radius

This is a good suggestion to maximize the number of states, which is what I thought the OP was asking.  You can add Alabama to the above list of states.  The RTJ at Muscle Schoals is also approx. 150 miles from Memphis.

[Kevinmcfl]

Love all your ideas.  Thinking about flying from NY to Atlanta and playing The Frog on day 1 and then driving to Opelika to play all 54 holes at Grand National on day 2. For day three I was going to drive to Choctaw, Mississippi to play 36 at Dancing Rabbit.  On day 4 I was either goi g to drive to Louisana and play TPC La and fly home from New Orleans or driving back to Atlanra with a round at Kiva Dunes.  Still thinking about the Colorado/Nebraska idea.

[sabram]

johnnylongball, on 25 January 2013 - 01:15 PM, said:

This is a good suggestion to maximize the number of states, which is what I thought the OP was asking.  

That  isn't  what he had. He asked:  "Where should I go to get one or more states off the list."

I take that to mean he's looking for the best trip but doesn't want to play in a state that he had already played, so even a great trip that only added one new state would be in the mix.