Photograph courtesy of Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Gateway National Golf Links
Location: 18 Golf, Madison, Ill.
Phone: 800-482-8856
Web: gatewaynational.com
Length: 5,187 to 7,128 yards
Par: 71
When it was announced that a new golf course would be built adjacent to the Gateway International Raceway in Madison, Ill., amid the rusting buildings on land once owned by the National Stockyards Company, few could have envisioned the magnificent layout that would eventually welcome golfers. From the start, Keith Foster’s design looked terrific on paper. By the time it was completed in 1998, it looked even better. Six months into Gateway’s life, the course had drawn 20,000 golfers—more than twice the number expected all year—and the owners knew they had something special.
Gateway is one of only a handful of local courses that are both high-quality and consistently enjoyable. The course can play from the tips at 7,128 yards to a par of 71, but has multiple tees to accommodate players of all levels—indeed, this is one of its strengths. Though the course is set on relatively flat land, Foster structured Scottish-style bunkering and mounding—along with incorporating creeks, lakes, ponds, and wetlands—to create a unique golfing experience. Overall, the bentgrass fairways are generous, letting you err a bit and still find the short grass. The greens are receptive, but with their ridges, slopes, and undulations, putting them can test your skill.
Number 10 is a particularly good hole—a classic short par 4 with significant risk/reward opportunities. Only 271 yards from the middle tees, a large bunker sits directly in the middle of the fairway about 180 feet off the tee. The green is set over a narrow creek running parallel to the tee, with a small pond at the front left of the putting surface. The green is easily reachable for strong players, but getting up and down from the green surrounds is not a sure bet. What may look like an easy hole on the card can actually lead to a double-bogey or worse if players make a poor decision off the tee.
If you have not recently played Gateway—considered by many the best public course in the area—you need to update your course listings to include it.
Aberdeen Golf Club
Address: 4111 Crescent, Crescent, Mo.
Phone: 636-938-5465
Web: aberdeengolf.com
Length: 5,125 to 6,933 yards
Par: 72
Located along the Meramec River flood plain in Crescent, Mo., Aberdeen may be as close to a linksland course as can be found in the area. Former TWA pilot Rockney Dollarhide and his wife, Ann, envisioned a course over the 150-acre site that would provide area golfers with both fun and challenges. When the couple tapped Gary Kern in 2000 to design the course, they found a kindred soul who would help them achieve that dream. The course opened a year later, and players made their way down I-44 to Lewis Road to experience this unique design.
Following the trend of the Scots who arrived in the area more than a century ago, Kern named each of the holes, along with their water features. Hitting your tee shot off Patience as you navigate Loch Myst is certainly more memorable than saying you avoided the lake on the ninth hole!
The front nine is generally more open, with water on three holes. Holes 6 and 7 are reachable, back-to-back par 5s, though the bunkering and elevated greens demand accuracy and length to accomplish that task. There are also two double greens on the front—shared by the first and sixth holes, along with the ninth and 18th—which provide further evidence of the Scottish influence at Aberdeen.
The back nine is slightly longer, and also tighter, with most fairways running parallel to each other. The 342-yard 10th—an uphill, short par 4—will tempt long hitters, while leaving awkward lies from the fairway, or one of several fairway bunkers, for shots that fail to find the putting surface. The most difficult hole on the course is the par-4, 452-yard 15th. A bunker guards the left side, while Barry Burn runs the length of the hole down the right. A large, sod-faced bunker—Auberdauber—guards the green at the front left, making a run-up shot the preferred approach.
Making your way around the Eureka course, taking in your surroundings, you may hear the sound of waves crashing on distant shores or sniff the aroma of Scottish brine floating with the breeze. Yes, Aberdeen is a unique and pleasant experience.
Norman K. Probstein Community Golf Course
Address: 6141 Lagoon
Phone: 314-367-1337
Web: stlouis.missouri.org/citygov/parks/forestpark/golf.html
Length: nine-hole Dogwood (3,110 yards); nine-hole Rosebud (3,162 yards); nine-hole Hawthorn (2,922 yards)
Par: 35
Following its $11 million renovation in 2002, Forest Park’s Norman K. Probstein course debuted a year later to rave reviews. For those who saw the graceful facility languish for decades, it was like opening a gift on Christmas morning.
Founded in 1913 as the first public golf course in St. Louis, the Forest Park Golf Course went through myriad changes over the years. Led by the efforts of then–Parks Commissioner Dwight Davis, the city fathers decided to give area golfers a place of their own. Opening in three stages, nine holes at a time, the original course was where golfers from across the area came as youngsters to hone their skills. Over time, however, it was hampered by budget cuts that impacted all urban areas. It did not take long for the course to fall into disrepair.
When American Golf Corporation came into the picture in the 1980s, the company made visible improvements and saw a resulting increase in play. But it would take the combined efforts of several groups—culminating with its 2002 renovation—to restore the course to its glory days. Led by Jeff Raffelson of American Golf and supported by substantial contributions from Norman Probstein, Forest Park Forever, and the City of St. Louis, the renovation allowed a new course to rise from the 90-year-old turf and shine once more.
The Hale Irwin Design Group, led by architect Stan Gentry, performed its magic across the grounds as it converted an uninspiring layout into a vibrant, exciting 27-hole course. In the process, the group had to dismantle some traditional holes—most notably the fourth along Art Hill and the 17th across the lake—but in the end, the course was better, more playable and positioned to withstand the level of play and number of outings that are now a daily part of it.
The course is busier than ever. The 27-hole layout draws players from throughout the area, as it is once again the recreational jewel of the park. The zoysia fairways, strategically positioned bunkering, wonderful green complexes, and hospitality of the staff guarantee an enjoyable round of golf. The course is now under the umbrella of Eagle Golf, but the same management team remains in place. Further, Eagle Golf recently assumed control of the Triple A Golf Course, giving players yet another nine-hole layout within Forest Park.
Kiawah Island Golf Resort
Location: Kiawah Island, S.C.
Phone: 800-654-2924
Web: kiawahresort.com
Course lengths, pars, and costs available at website
Named for an Indian tribe that occupied the island for centuries, Kiawah Island began its journey in 1974, when the resort’s master plan was put into motion. Two years later, Gary Player designed the island’s first course, Marsh Point (though following a renovation, it’s now known as Cougar Point). Over the next 12 years, the resort opened two more courses—the Jack Nicklaus–designed Turtle Point in 1981 and the Tom Fazio–designed Osprey Point in 1988.
The resort’s second opening came in 1991, when the Ryder Cup was played on Pete Dye’s brand-new Ocean Course. Following the “War on the Shore,” best known for the putt missed by Germany’s Bernhard Langer that gave the U.S. team the victory, the resort garnered international acclaim that vaulted its reputation to the elite top tier of golf resorts. Kiawah has been ranked as the number-one golf resort in the country on more than one occasion and by more than one magazine, and after undergoing a recent renovation, the resort is even better than before.
If you are fortunate enough to secure an invitation to play one of the resort’s two private courses—the River Course by Tom Fazio or Tom Watson’s Cassique layout—you will understand why golf at Kiawah is second to none. For most resort guests, however, the Ocean Course is the main draw. With more holes laid out along the Atlantic Ocean than any other U.S. course, it is a spectacular design and one of the most challenging tests of golf to be found anywhere. (Following your round, a bowl of the restaurant’s delicious She-Crab soup will complete the day.)
There are many who find Osprey Point to be almost as exciting, and it will provide most players with all they can handle. Turtle Point is another solid test of golf, with the closing holes set adjacent to the sea, while Cougar Point has nine holes adjacent to the Kiawah River, providing it with terrific vistas. The resort acquired Oak Point in 1997, giving it five courses open to resort guests.
Side trips into historical Charleston are a memorable diversion. You can walk through Fort Sumter, as well as tour many of the plantations that surround the city. In particular, Middleton Place, a National Historic Landmark, is wonderfully preserved, illustrating 19th-century life in the South.
Three Resorts in Boyne, Mich.
Location: Boyne City, Mich.
Phone: 800-462-6963
Web: boyne.com
Course lengths, pars, and costs available at website
With eight courses and 162 holes, Boyne might just rival any golfing area in the country. Located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the Boyne resorts have long been a summer respite for weary urbanites from Detroit and Chicago looking to get away from the sweltering summer heat. But with quality courses by outstanding designers—Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones, and Arthur Hills—the resorts now draw golfers from across the country.
Boyne Highlands Resort is perhaps the best known of the three. Ranked among the country’s top resorts, it features four courses that will challenge any golfer. The Heather is considered the best (Golf named it one of the “Top 100 You Can Play,” and Golf for Women named it one of the “50 Best Courses for Women”), while the Moor, the Donald Ross Memorial, and the Arthur Hills courses are all top-notch. The resort also has the par-3 Cuff Course, which is free for all guests.
Bay Harbor Resort offers two courses, Bay Harbor and Crooked Tree. The former features three nine-hole layouts by Arthur Hills—the Links, Quarry, and Preserve. Each has a distinctive feel. The Links offers a seaside design, while the Preserve is more of a lush, wetlands layout; the Quarry will amaze you as you play amid 40-foot cliffs with ponds and waterfalls.
The Bavarian-themed Boyne Mountain Resort has two courses—the Alpine and the Monument, the latter of which has hole names honoring significant golf-course architects over the years. The resort also offers three-day and five-day golf academy programs, where you can sharpen your game for the years ahead.
The Boyne resorts offer four seasons of activities, including skiing, water sports, biking, hiking, fishing, tennis, youth camps, and many family activities, all designed to make your visit there a memorable one. There are also complete convention facilities and a highly rated spa.
While the golf season may be shorter than in some areas—June to mid-September is ideal here—the best rates are found in early May and into October, when the weather may be a bit less predictable.
The Resort at Squaw Creek
Location: Olympic Valley, Calif.
Phone: 800-327-3353
Web: squawcreek.com
Course lengths, pars, and costs available at website
This resort, located in Squaw Valley, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is just 10 minutes from the north end of Lake Tahoe. While the resort is perhaps best known as an outstanding ski spot, its Robert Trent Jones 18-hole course will get your adrenaline pumping from the moment you step onto the first tee.
Set at an elevation of 6,200 feet, the resort is surrounded by the majestic Sierra Nevada. Laid out in a valley between the massive peaks, the course is certified as a Cooperative Sanctuary by Audubon International. Consequently, the abundance of wildlife to be found on the course, as well as in the creeks and ponds dotting the layout, will astound you.
The golf course plays to a par 71 at 6,931 yards from the gold tees. Rather than raw strength, however, it is accuracy that these holes demand. The front nine begins among the tall pines that line the mountainside. Precise ball placement is necessary on these early holes, as players find the forest to be unforgiving. The back nine will take you to the valley floor, where the holes wind through wetlands of tall grasses and marshes, once more demanding very accurate shot-making. The signature hole here is the sixth, a par 3 over water. Views from the surrounding peaks can distract players as they attempt to find the green.
The wind can be a factor when it comes howling through the valley off the mountains, turning what would be an easy 100-yard approach into a hard, low 5-iron attempt at the green. But the course is still family-friendly and fun for all levels, with four sets of tees, including a complete set placed just 150 yards from each green.
As you would expect, Squaw Creek has all the amenities of any top resort: a spa, shopping, four restaurants, a health and fitness center, and numerous activities. Most players fly into the airport at Reno, Nev., and then make the hourlong drive. For those looking for side trips, Yosemite is just four hours away. If you’re seeking a different kind of adventure, there are a number of casinos in Nevada that would welcome your attendance.
