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Featured Courses & Resorts
Arizona
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain – Where elegance meets adventureBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Janas... MARANA, AZ – “This is a place where elegance meets adventure,” said Head Golf Professional Jeff McCormick, commenting on a golf resort that generously fits his description, the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain, near Tucson in southern Arizona.... Some might say Dove Mountain’s... Read More
California
Aviara Golf Club at the Four Seasons � Exceptional Golf Journey Through a Botanical GardenBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... CARLSBAD, CA � �I want people to leave here thinking they played exceptional golf through a botanical garden,� said Rick Ransburg, Director of Recreation at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, California (part of the Four Seasons Resort).... ... Fortunately for Ransburg and the rest... Read More
Black Gold Golf Club – Southern California’s Oil for Golf Program
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. RendallYORBA LINDA, CA – It seems odd, with the current state of global politics and exceedingly high oil prices, that someone would think it more profitable to trade crude oil for green grass.But that’s exactly what they’ve done at Black Gold Golf... Read More
Classic Club – Tournament Home to the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, Oasis of Prestige
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... PALM DESERT, CA – Golf courses are built for all sorts of reasons – as a business, for recreation, to fulfill a dream, to serve the community, and on rare occasions, to welcome a specific tournament or event.... ... Not many golf courses... Read More
Indian Wells Golf Resort’s Players Course – Giving new vigor to the desert
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... INDIAN WELLS, CA – The Encarta Dictionary defines renovation as “to make something new again – to bring something such as a building back to a former better state by means of repairs, redecoration or remodeling.”... The second definition reads: “to give new vigor... Read More
Lost Canyons Golf Club -- Meeting nature head on, and winning
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Chuck Rendall... SIMI VALLEY, CA – Whenever I’m asked why southern California is such a popular place to live, I always answer, ‘it’s got a little bit of everything – beaches, warm weather, great entertainment, great food, and it’s also close to the mountains or... Read More
Trump National Golf Club -- The Donald's inclusive exercise on the California coast
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... RANCHO PALOS VERDES, CA – “One thing I like to tell people about this layout is, it’s a very inclusive golf course,” remarked David Conforti, Director of Golf at Trump National Golf Club, Los Angeles, commenting on the nature of golf at... Read More
Delaware
Bayside Resort Golf Club – Golf from the inside looking outBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... SELBYVILLE, DE – It’s often the case in modern golf communities that the golf course serves merely as an amenity for the residents – a pleasant grassy environment providing a buffer between the houses and streets.... It’s less frequent that the golf course... Read More
Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club – From phragmites to golf paradise
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... OCEAN VIEW, DE – It’s not easy to turn phragmites into gold, but it’s arguable that’s what they’ve done at Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club near the eastern shore in Delaware.... For those unfamiliar with phragmites (as I was), Wikipedia defines it for... Read More
White Clay Creek Country Club at Delaware Park – Golf’s Call to the Post
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WILMINGTON, DE – If you’re going to play ‘the track’ at Delaware Park, most people would probably believe you’re heading off to lay down some bets on the ponies.... ... But thanks to some forward looking people at the famous racetrack, you’re just... Read More
Florida
Cozumel Country Club (Mexico) – Fertile ground for a good timeBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... COZUMEL, MEXICO – “There isn’t much history to this particular piece of property, but the island itself has an interesting story,” remarked Benny Campos, Cozumel Country Club’s General Manager.... The island of Cozumel is located seven miles off the Atlantic coast of Mexico,... Read More
Iberostar’s (Mexico) Playa Paraiso Golf Club – The Best Laid Plans of PB Dye
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... PLAYA PARAISO, MEXICO – “Plans? What fun would that be?”... ... Imagine you’re the owner of an International luxury resort chain, and you’re meeting with an American golf architect who was recommended to you – to design the golf course at one of... Read More
Georgia
Sea Island Golf Club’s Plantation Course – Wrong Island, Right ExperienceBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. RendallNote: The Plantation Course was closed for overseeding during our visit – and the photos depict a course in transition.ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA – “One of the things I’ve always found interesting about our location -- when you come to Sea Island... Read More
Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course – Satisfying from Start to Finish
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. RendallST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA – Tom Fazio’s impressed with Sea Island Golf Club.“I’d say, in terms of strength and beauty and excitement -- the Seaside Course at Sea Island Golf Club is probably as good a golf course as we’ve ever had... Read More
Sea Island Resort’s Retreat Course – Local Boys’ Dream Design Becomes Reality
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA – How many times have you played your favorite golf course and thought, ‘If only I could have a shot at re-doing this course, I’d… make the driving areas bigger, eliminate the forced carries, design greens like... Read More
Hawaii
Kaanapali Golf Courses’ Tournament North Course – Ancient Royal Retreat, Contemporary Golf ParadiseBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... LAHAINA, HI (Maui) – “During royal times on the Island of Maui, the Hawaiian rulers treasured Kaanapali as their savored retreat and ‘playground,’” remarked Melissa Ludwig, Sales and Marketing Manager for Kaanapali Golf Courses, located just across the road from the famous... Read More
Lanai Golf � The Challenge at Manele � Desert Style on the Ocean
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... LANAI, HAWAII � One common misconception about the Hawaiian Islands is that they�re entirely tropical. Seeing the advertisements, you really can�t blame people for believing the entire state looks like the Amazon jungle with lush foliage and palm trees, sparkling waterfalls and... Read More
Lanai Golf – The Experience at Koele – A Taste of the Blue Ridge in Hawaii
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... LANAI CITY, HI – I’m not sure why you’d travel thousands of miles to play at a ‘local’ feeling golf course, but if you’re an East Coaster looking for a little bit of Blue Ridge ambiance and charm far from home, try... Read More
Makena and Wailea as seen through the eyes of Robert Trent Jones Jr.
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... MAKENA/WAILEA MAUI, HI – “I love Hawaii, it’s my favorite place on earth,” remarked Robert Trent Jones, Jr., in commenting on his work at Makena and Wailea – both of which occupy a beautiful piece of the Aloha State on the island... Read More
Makena’s North Course – Bountifully Delicious
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Chuck Rendall... ... MAKENA, MAUI, HI – “I’ve had lots of people tell me they enjoyed the North Course,” remarked Kirk Nelson, Makena Golf Courses’ Head Golf Professional. “But then one time there was this English chap who described a trip around... Read More
The Plantation Course at Kapalua – Defying description in Hawaii
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Chuck Rendall... KAPALUA, MAUI, HI – “Bill, it rises gently from the sea,” remembered Bill Coore, in thinking back to how partner Ben Crenshaw described the nature of the land on a potential new golf course venture at Kapalua on the west side of Maui... Read More
Wailea’s Gold Course – Champions Skins Game and Vintage Hawaiian Golf
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WAILEA, MAUI, HI – When Wailea Golf Club’s Gold Course was completed in 1994, I doubt anyone could say for sure that one day Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus would make it famous. ... ... But that’s exactly what’s happened to this 7,078... Read More
Maryland
Atlantic Golf at Potomac Ridge -- Aggressively Pursuing EnjoymentBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Aaron Frey... WALDORF, MD - It's a well-known fact in the golf world that courses sometimes receive makeovers to correct glaring problems; and sometimes they change their names; and on other occasions, they'll even transform into something newer and better.... How about all three at once?... That's... Read More
Atlantic Golf At South River Proves Not All Dirt Is Created Equal
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... EDGEWATER, MD -- In today's world, many folks struggle with the concept of equality. Equality's deeply rooted in the written record of our republic, but it still seems there's always some representative of an interest group appearing on TV, telling us for... Read More
Beechtree Golf Club Tempers the Roar of the 20's
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Joe McHatton... ABERDEEN, MD -- Tom Doak, Beechtree Golf Club's course architect, when asked what his aspirations were for the course, replied that "Our goal at Beechtree was to create a public course that played and felt like it was built in the 1920's." Sounds... Read More
Blue Mash Golf Course -- Force Versus Object Equals Fun
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... LAYTONSVILLE, MD -- The irresistible force vs. the immovable object. That's what it must feel like building a golf course these days -- at least in certain locations. It's the developers' organization and vision versus the dogged, regulation enforcing government bureaucracy. And while... Read More
Bulle Rock Proves Great Value Doesn't Always Come Cheap
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Aaron Frey... ... HAVRE DE GRACE, MD -- Value, an interesting concept. We go through life, paying for goods and services and many times don't even take time to think about what really constitutes a solid value. Does value mean something is 'cheap,' or is it... Read More
Cross Creek Golf Club -- Rocky Mountain High in the Baltimore/Washington Corridor
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... BELTSVILLE, MD -- "We're always striving to create different looks with our work," remarked Tom Clark (of Ault, Clark & Associates), when asked about his firm's goals for the golf courses they design. "And Cross Creek presented a genuine opportunity to do that. ... Read More
Easton Club – Leave The Cookie Cutter Expectations at Home
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... EASTON, MD – When it comes to playing golf, we’re hardly creatures of habit.... ... There’s nothing quite as boring or un-interesting as playing the same course over and over again, with the same basic pin positions, the same playing strategy and the same... Read More
Harbourtowne Resort – No Lighthouse, But Plenty of Dye Inspired Delights
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By David Vier... ... ST. MICHAELS, MD – Here’s a question for you golf trivia aficionados: name a state where there’s a Pete Dye designed golf course named Harbourtowne, which is well respected and was one of his very first projects?... ... A no-brainer, right?... ... Well, if you guessed... Read More
Hog Neck Golf Course – Philanthropy In Rolling Waves of Green
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Dave Vier ... ... EASTON, MD – Philanthropy takes many forms, and we’ve heard and seen it play out in a multitude of ways. As an example, our jaws dropped recently when McDonald’s heiress Joan Kroc left a billion dollars to the... Read More
Hollow Creek Golf Club -- Prosperity In A Competitive Situation
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... MIDDLETOWN, MD -- Most people, when faced with a competitive situation, respond in one of two ways -- they wilt, or they prosper (and if you remember this year's Masters, it's mostly wilt).... ... It may seem unfair, but there's little middle ground when... Read More
Lake Presidential Golf Club – Bringing ‘the tree’ to the Mid-Atlantic region
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall and Jeff Smith... UPPER MARLBORO, MD – “Anywhere you see the tree, it’s the same,” remarked Lake Presidential Golf Club’s Head Golf Professional, Nathan Presnal.... The ‘tree’ Presnal was referring to is the symbol that appears on Lake Presidential’s logo, which bears a... Read More
Links At Lighthouse Sound -- Making 'Em 'Like That,' Once Again
... By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... BISHOPVILLE, MD -- 'They just don't make 'em like that anymore.' It's something you might hear from some kindly old octogenarian when reminiscing about cars back in the forties, or even from your mother when talking about the quality of potential mates... Read More
Maryland National -- Puttin' On The Ritz at Maryland National Golf Club
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Rendall and Jeff Janas ... ... MIDDLETOWN, MD – One nice thing about booking reservations with a well-known hotel chain is, you know what to expect -- which is similar to the knowledge employed when making tee times at your favorite golf courses.... ... If you’re longing... Read More
Musket Ridge Golf Club -- Joe Lee's Swansong Spawns Beautiful Lyrics, Indeed
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Jeff Janas... MYERSVILLE, MD -- 'Every new beginning is some other beginning's end,' crooned the pop lyrical philosopher, when recounting the birth and eventual death of barroom inspired romantic affairs. Though hardly fostered at the spur of the moment (or in a barroom), some might... Read More
No Need to Fear This Turtle: Just Respect, Admire, and Enjoy It
Story and Photos by Charles Hancock... ... COLLEGE PARK, MD – In the case of most of us, when we think of College Park, Maryland, we most likely instantly think of the University of Maryland. A public university established in 1856, UM is located in Prince Georges County, which borders Washington, D.C. ... Read More
P.B. Dye Golf Club -- Nassau Gambling On A Grand Scale
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Joe McHatton... ... IJAMSVILLE, MD -- "I told them they were crazy," said P.B. Dye, reflecting back on the day P.B. Dye Golf Club's owners asked him for permission to name their club after him.... ... Dye continues, "They said they were serious, and were very passionate about... Read More
Queenstown Harbor -- Atlantic Golf at Queenstown Harbor's Lakes Course -- A Tale of Two Nines
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... QUEENSTOWN, MD -- It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. No, we're not stealing a line from Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities' -- we're merely borrowing the phrase to make a comparison. While Dickens' 'tale' is... Read More
Queenstown Harbor -- Atlantic Golf at Queentown Harbor's River Course -- Under Your Thumb
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... QUEENSTOWN, MD -- It's hard to imagine what it must've felt like -- being summonsed to appear before the Colonial Lord, then being offered a thumb print's worth of land as a reward for many years of faithful service.... And it's even harder to... Read More
Renditions -- Imitation Is Art at Renditions Golf Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... Note: *** Brad Cheney re-visited the course in July of 2006, and offers his ‘Second Opinion’ at the end of this article.... DAVIDSONVILLE, MD -- Life is full of imitators. Look around and you'll see cloned golf clubs, bad lounge singers crooning contemporary favorites and... Read More
River Marsh – Non-Fiction Golf on the Choptank River
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... CAMBRIDGE, MD – As the title would imply, James Michener’s epic novel ‘Chesapeake’ tells the story (through historical narrative fiction) of life on the great bay, but specifically focuses on a much smaller piece of it, the mouth of the Choptank River.... ... The... Read More
Rocky Gap Resort Offers a Golden Bear Alternative to the Beach
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall ... FLINTSTONE, MD -- It's amazing the difference, between the coastal regions of the Mid-Atlantic, and a couple hundred miles inland. Where the former is largely flat and sandy, the latter's rugged and mountainous.... There's also quite a difference in populations, with the... Read More
Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links -- Built From The Heart, Shot From The Hip
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... BERLIN, MD -- "When you're building everything from your heart and shooting from the hip, and you don't have a regulated set of drawings, you never build the same golf hole twice," said PB Dye, when asked why his courses seem to... Read More
Swan Point -- Goin' To Swan Point In My Mind
SBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Aaron Frey... ISSUE, MD -- Three and a half decades ago, James Taylor recorded a song called "Carolina In My Mind," where he croons romantically of going to Carolina in his thoughts -- which certainly sounds like his version of heaven on earth. Taylor's vivid... Read More
Waverly Woods Golf Club – Signifying the Age of Independence
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Joe McHatton and Bob Kubler MARRIOTTSVILLE, MD – There comes a time in everyone’s life when you realize it’s time to go out on your own… branch out… leave the nest… blaze new trails. How ‘bout starting a new career? That’s a little tougher, at least... Read More
Whiskey Creek -- Golf And Scenery Make Sweet Music At Whiskey Creek
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... Ijamsville, MD -- There's a famous song about Maryland -- the melody of which most people recognize, though few correctly attribute to the state itself. It's played occasionally--every year before the Preakness Stakes, (the second leg of the triple crown run at Pimlico... Read More
Wisp Resort – Golfing the Slopes of Western Maryland
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Scot Rendall... ... MCHENRY, MD – There’s one school of thought in golf architecture that emphasizes the ‘natural’ state of the land when laying out the golf holes – in other words, leave it up to God’s good imagination and creation to... Read More
Woodlands (The) Golf Course – Seeing Is Disbelieving
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... BALTIMORE, MD – The folks at The Woodlands Golf Course (about 20 minutes west of downtown Baltimore) want you to walk away in disbelief.... ... That sounds a bit harsh, so perhaps I should explain – or better yet, let them tell it. Joe... Read More
Worthington Manor -- No Branding Irons Required To Play Worthington Manor
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... URBANA, MD -- Make sure you close the gates, or the cows might knock over the flagstick.... We hear a lot these days about turning former farmland into golf courses. It makes sense to build a golf course on a retired farm -- after... Read More
North Carolina
Bayonet at Puppy Creek -- Lay the turf and they will comeBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... FAYETTEVILLE, NC – It’s a hard thing to contemplate – but when you go to a golf course, how often do you really stop to think about the turf (unless it’s bad, of course)?... Turf grass is far from a dispensable commodity on a... Read More
Carolina Club (OBX) -- The Carolina Club -- Former Potato Field Yields A Bumper Crop Of Golf
By Mike Tanner, Photos By Steve Dandy... GRANDY, NC -- The road to North Carolina's Outer Banks is lined with piney woodlands and farm fields, along with numerous produce stands promising a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables to passersby. In the town of Grandy, right next to a particularly well-stocked... Read More
Currituck Club (OBX) -- Variety Adds Spice at This Coastal Golf Course
By Mike Tanner, Photos By John Stackpole... ... COROLLA, NC -- Turning off Highway 12 in the far northern reaches of North Carolina's Outer Banks, you get the idea that The Currituck Club isn't your typical pancake flat coastal golf course.... ... The handsome beige clubhouse, highlighted by a stone foundation and white-painted window... Read More
Cypress Lakes Golf Course -- Fayetteville's warmest welcome from the 'Home of the Floyds'
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... HOPE MILLS, NC – Everybody’s got to be from somewhere, and it’s always a bonus when that ‘somewhere’ happens to be someplace pretty nice – and that’s certainly the case for golf legend Raymond Floyd, who hails from a region of North Carolina... Read More
Kilmarlic Golf Club -- Newly Minted Legendary Course Quickly Making A Name For Itself
By Mike Tanner, Photos By Steve Dandy... ... HARBINGER, NC -- According to the printed card displayed on the front of my golf cart, I was about to "Play the Legend." Quite the boast for a course that opened less than a year ago, in the fall of 2002.... ... But as I found... Read More
Little River Golf & Resort – Crossing the finish line a winner
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... CARTHAGE, NC – Dan Maples has been involved with golf course design his entire life (let’s just say it runs in the family), so when he says a project was probably the most unique to build that he’s ever been associated with, it... Read More
Mid Pines Golf Club – Donald Ross in His Original Form
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Kevin Gaydosh and Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... SOUTHERN PINES, NC – “You could easily say that Mid Pines is the only truly original Donald Ross golf course in the Pinehurst area,” said Chip King, Director of Golf at the Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club.... ... Does... Read More
Nags Head Golf Links -- Blowin' in the Wind
By Mike Tanner, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... NAGS HEAD, NC -- There's an old saying among golfers in Scotland, "Nae wind, nae gowf." The same can be said about playing Nags Head Golf Links on North Carolina's Outer Banks.... ... Just a few miles south of the place where the Wright Brothers followed... Read More
Pine Needles Golf Club – Donald Ross and a Restored Legacy
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh and Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... SOUTHERN PINES, NC – You can fix it, you can maintain it, but you can’t really restore it to what it once was. When it comes to owning a golf course, change is inevitable, and you can’t do much... Read More
Pinehurst No. 6 -- Golf's revival begins at Pinehurst
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC – Many people would say the golf industry’s gone through a rough stretch the past couple years, but golf architect Tom Fazio says it was just as bad, if not worse, in the mid-to-late seventies.... Seeing as Fazio’s a historian in the... Read More
Pinehurst Resort -- Significance Onto Itself
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC -- Significance onto itself -- that's golf at Pinehurst.... When wealthy New Englander James Walker Tufts purchased 5,000 acres of North Carolina Sandhills land in 1895 (for $1 an acre), people thought he was wasting his money. After all, this particular section... Read More
Pinehurst Resort's Centennial Course Number 8 -- Take the 'Pinehurst Spirit' Home With You
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC -- Practically every step you take at Pinehurst Resort exudes golf. You could literally spend hours just walking down the hallway of the main clubhouse, reading the news clippings from tournaments long past, examining the photos from decades of golf's greatest... Read More
Pinehurst Resort's Course Number 4 -- Harmonic Marriage of the Elements
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC -- Ever wish you could just start over again?... We've all had the feeling. You go through years of the doldrums, devolving into the same old habits, looking for more patchwork solutions, not really coming, not really going. But then some bit... Read More
Pinehurst Resort's Historic Course 2 -- Exceeding Expectations
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... (Ed Note: This story was written in June of 2003 -- it tells the tale of the historic Pinehurst #2, and provides some insight into what the pros will face during the US Open in 2005.)... PINEHURST, NC -- "It exceeded every expectation," replied... Read More
Pinehurst's Course 7 Adds Luster to the Concept of Working at Home
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC -- And you thought working at home could never be prestigious. But it very well can be, if the 'home' you're talking about is Pinehurst Resort, which truly is the 'Home of Golf.'... Rees Jones, course designer for Pinehurst Resort's #7 Course,... Read More
Pointe GC -- Playability is the Name of the Game at The Pointe Golf Club
By Mike Tanner, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... POWELL'S POINT, NC -- In this age of supersized golf courses that stretch out to well over 7,000 yards of tortuous fairways, cavernous bunkers and humpbacked roller coaster greens, it's nice to know that places like The Pointe Golf Club are out there.... ... Located a... Read More
Seascape Golf Links -- A Masters Champion's One-And-Done Legacy on the Outer Banks
By Mike Tanner, Photos By Dale Banks... ... KITTY HAWK, NC -- How many of you have ever heard of Art Wall? Unless you're a relative, eligible for the Champions Tour or the historian at Augusta National Golf Club, you probably didn't know that Art Wall won the Masters Tournament in 1959.... ... On... Read More
St. James Plantation's Members Club – You May Even Get a Member Bounce
By William C. Denfeld, Photos By William C. Denfeld... ... SOUTHPORT, NC – Membership means belonging; being a part of something exclusive to the members. Many memberships require an individual to pay for the privilege of membership. While The Members Club at St. James Plantation has many dues-paying members, the general public... Read More
St. James Plantation’s Founders Club – Throwing Down The Gauntlet
By William C. Denfeld, Photos By William C. Denfeld... ... SOUTHPORT, NC - In medieval times, knights wore heavy gloves, or gauntlets, to protect their hands and wrists from damage in battle. These were noble times when challenges were issued to test the strength of one’s adversaries. To issue a challenge to... Read More
St. James Plantation’s Players Course – Can You Give Me an Amen!
By William C. Denfeld, Photos By William C. Denfeld ... ... Ed Note: Photos were taken during an overseed period, so the course may appear a bit less green than normal.... ... SOUTHPORT, NC – There are many recognizable nicknames in golf. Fans of the game have heard of “the Shark”, “the Walrus”, “the... Read More
The Pit Golf Links -- Purgatory at its best
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... PINEHURST, NC – Golf courses acquire all sorts of reputations, some for historic value, some for conditioning (good or bad), some for great service, and some for nothing at all (meaning they’re not worth remembering).... And it’s not often that an infamous reputation acts... Read More
Oregon
The Bandon Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – Purists Prevail Without ‘Style’By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Charles Rendall... ... BANDON, OR – “There’s nothing ‘style’ about this at all,” remarked Scottish Golf Architect David McLay Kidd, commenting on his first and only American design, Bandon Dunes, which resides at the resort of the same name along the cold... Read More
The Bandon Trails Course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – Complimenting the Extraordinary
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Chuck Rendall... ... BANDON, OR – It’s never easy when following in someone’s footsteps, and doubly hard when the imprints are made by large and successful feet. It’s almost like playing quarterback on a college team the year after a Heisman Trophy... Read More
The Pacific Dunes Course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort – Golf’s Quasi Religious Awakening
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall and Charles Rendall... ... BANDON, OR – Many have portrayed golf in the most personal of terms, and many others have described its greatest golf courses using religious terminology – at times, borrowing words like ‘shrine’ and employing concepts such as ‘pilgrimage’ in... Read More
Pennsylvania
Carroll Valley Resort – Close Enough, But Definitely Far AwayBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... CARROLL VALLEY, PA – There’s a lot to be said for relaxing environments, and there’s quite a bit more to verbalize when talking up the game of golf. Put these two together, and you’ve got a pretty desirable product – and that’s... Read More
Hershey Golf Club’s East Course – Built for Pros, Enjoyed by All
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... HERSHEY, PA – Golf courses are built for a variety of reasons. Some are for fun, some are for challenge, some for looks, others for practicality – your guests need something to do, right?... ... Some special courses are built specifically to host professional... Read More
Hershey Golf Club’s West Course – Feeling at Home with Golf
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... HERSHEY, PA – Lots of people own homes next to golf courses – there’s certainly no need to extol the popularity of golf course real estate in the 21st century. For some reason, even people who don’t play the game still want... Read More
In the 21st Century, All Roads Still Lead to The Links At Gettysburg
Text and Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... GETTYSBURG, PA -- Some things happen by chance -- you could call it luck, or you might just as easily call it fate. Having two 19th century armies meet in this small town in the middle of Pennsylvania farm country just across the Mason-Dixon... Read More
Nemacolin Resort’s Mystic Rock – Pete Dye’s Rocky Horror To Riches Story
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... FARMINGTON, PA – “I can’t build a golf course here,” replied Pete Dye, after looking over a piece of property owned by Joe Hardy at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. Hardy was collecting Dye’s thoughts on the land’s potential to build a world-class golf... Read More
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort – Attitudes and Latitudes Collide in Pennsylvania
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos Courtesy of Nemacolin Resort... ... FARMINGTON, PA – Nemacolin Woodlands Resort’s slogan is ‘West Coast Attitude. East Coast Latitude.’... ... By the sound of it, that means Nemacolin’s close to most of the population of the United States, yet carries with it the aura of ‘free-spirit’ that you’d find... Read More
Penn National Golf Club's Founders Course -- Come Back And Play It Again
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... FAYETTEVILLE, PA -- 'I want to go play it again,' answered Penn National Golf Club's General Manager, Bill Klimkiewicz, when asked what impression he'd like players to leave with upon finishing a round on his club's Founders Course.... ... The return customer -- perhaps a... Read More
Penn National Golf Club's Iron Forge Course Proves Different Siblings Aren't Necessarily Squabbling Kinsmen
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... FAYETTEVILLE, PA -- It's strange how two siblings can come from the same family, yet appear and act so differently.... ... Likewise, it's somewhat odd how two golf courses can co-exist at the same locale, yet look and play very distinctly. That's the case for... Read More
Seven Springs Mountain Resort’s Golf Course – Mountain Setting, Flatland Feel
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... CHAMPION, PA – There are times when you’ll read about a golf destination, start formulating a set of assumptions, then when you get there, it turns out completely differently.... ... That’s the situation at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands – an... Read More
Tom’s Run at Chestnut Ridge Golf Resort – A Good Thing Gets Even Better
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... BLAIRSVILLE, PA – It’s always nice when someone takes a good thing and makes it better.... You have to admire the American entrepreneurial spirit – the sense that ‘good enough’ isn’t always the end-all when it comes to a product you’re offering to... Read More
South Carolina
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Cougar Point Course – Gary Player’s Architectural MulliganBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – Everybody’s done it – something in life that you knew was a mistake at the time, yet did it anyway, and regretted it for years.... ... If only we could relive the past, plaster over the blunder, and re-write history –... Read More
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Ocean Course – An Exhilarating Pounding
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – “It was the hardest golf course I’d ever seen when we came to play it in ’91,” remarked CBS Golf Commentator David Feherty, remembering back to his Ryder Cup appearance in 1991 as a member of the European Ryder... Read More
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Osprey Point Course – Member Favorite, Resort Experience
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – Kiawah Island Golf Resort is known for many things, probably the most notable being its hosting of the 1991 Ryder Cup matches – the famous ‘War by the Shore,’ where the United States Team dramatically captured the Cup when European... Read More
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s Turtle Point Course – Best of Both Worlds
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – When talking about golf courses, much has been written about how a golf architect does his best work when he’s friendly to the high handicapper, yet demanding to the better players.... ... It’s the ultimate design challenge, to leave enough room... Read More
Kiawah Island Golf Resort’s ‘The Sanctuary’ – Haven to Lavish Relaxation
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos Courtesy of Kiawah Island Golf Resort and Kevin Gaydosh... ... KIAWAH ISLAND, SC – If there’s one thing to be said about all of the east coast’s super-luxury golf resorts, it’s that they’ve got first-class sleeping accommodations and fine dining to go along with their pristine links... Read More
Virginia
American Golf's Virginia Golfer's Club Offers More For LessBy Jeffrey A. Rendall ... Just look around and you'll notice buying stuff in bunches brings good value. Wholesale outlets and fast food joints pioneered the concept -- Costco cuts cents off the pound when buying whole chickens, or McDonald's discounts through super-sizing one of their 'value' meals. When you buy... Read More
Augustine Golf Club -- Role Model For Public Golf
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Joe McHatton and Brad Cheney.... ... Note *** Brad Cheney re-visited the course in May of 2006, and offers his ‘Second Opinion’ at the end of this article.... ... STAFFORD, VA -- Augustine Golf Club’s named after a Washington.... ... No, it's not named after George, and it's not coined... Read More
Bay Creek Golf Club -- Classic Without Cobwebs
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... CAPE CHARLES, VA -- I think you'd agree, in most ways, maturity's essential for success. It takes several years of aging to soften a great Cabernet Sauvignon; decades of study to attain a doctorate; hundreds, if not thousands of years to render a... Read More
Bay Creek Golf Club’s Nicklaus Course – Doubling the Classics on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... CAPE CHARLES, VA – It’s a writer’s worst nightmare, basically needing to tell the same story twice, yet trying to find ways to make it sound different. Many a lonely soul has retreated into the bottle or the realm of plagiarism when faced... Read More
Bide-A-Wee Golf Course -- Complete Remake of Portsmouth Layout Makes It Easy To Want To 'Bide-A-Wee'
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... PORTSMOUTH, VA -- Two thoughts strike you as you take your first glances over the golf course known as 'Bide-A-Wee.' The first is -- 'I can't believe this lush green landscape is a municipal course,' and the second, 'What the heck does Bide-A-Wee... Read More
Birdwood Golf Course – College Golf, Virginia Style
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Ah, reflecting back on college. For most of us, it was a time for taking classes on stuff we’ll probably never think about again, pulling all-nighters when papers were due and celebrating good times with friends (not necessarily in that... Read More
Birdwood Golf Course – Going even greener on the golf course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – One thing’s for sure – ‘going green’ is certainly ‘in’ these days.... Regardless of your political affiliation or your views on the merits of global climate change theory, it’s safe to say that everyone is concerned about the environment –... Read More
Blue Ridge Shadows Golf Club – Sometimes New Really is Better
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... FRONT ROYAL, VA – If you’ve played golf for a long time, you’ve probably learned just because something’s new doesn’t always make it better.... How many times have you tried a new golf course or bought new equipment only to discover there was... Read More
Brickshire -- The Golf Club At Brickshire -- A Solid Foundation For Success
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... PROVIDENCE FORGE, VA -- There's no mistaking it -- when you're laying a foundation, you've got to go one brick at a time. It takes patience, perseverance and courage to keep working -- resting only on the notion that one day all... Read More
Bristow Manor -- Virginia Countryside Meets Scotland at Bristow Manor
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Aaron Frey... BRISTOW, VA -- I don't consider Bristow Manor any further out in the country than some of the other upscale public golf courses in the Washington DC metro area. But it sure feels that way.... The country theme has its appeal though--and one of... Read More
Broad Run Golf & Practice Facility -- In Pursuit of Practice Heaven
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Smith ... BRISTOW, VA – It’s often said that practice makes perfect. That’s highly debatable, and when it comes to playing the game of golf, it’s downright false. ... But if the pursuit of golf perfection is what you’re looking for, then one of the best... Read More
Bull Run Golf Club -- Satisfy Your Daily Learning Quotient at Bull Run Golf Club
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... HAYMARKET, VA -- There's an old saying that goes 'you learn something new everyday.'... When you think about it, you'd hope to understand at least one new tidbit each day, considering there're an infinite number of things to know, but a very finite... Read More
Cannon Ridge Golf Club – Throwback to History, Definitely a Keeper
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Jeff Janas... ... FREDERICKSBURG, VA – “I designed Cannon Ridge to be what I call a real ‘throwback’ golf course,” replied Deane Beman, former PGA Tour Commissioner and sometime golf course designer, when asked what his thoughts were for the new golf facility along the banks... Read More
Colonial Golf Club -- First Timer Comes Through Under Pressure
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Janas... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- There's a certain amount of pressure you accept when giving someone a first shot at greatness.... After all, there are only so many immediate success stories. Not many baseball pitchers struck out the side in their first inning pitched. Only a... Read More
Colonial Heritage Club – Conquering the Hills of Williamsburg
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... WILLIAMSBURG, VA – “This used to be called ‘Windy Hill Farm,’ which is very appropriate, since there always seems to be a breeze here,” remarked Jon Sandelin, the Head Golf Professional at Colonial Heritage Club, one of Williamsburg’s newest golf offerings.... Traces of the... Read More
Cypress Creek Golfer's Club -- Someone's 'Amen Corner' Of The World
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... SMITHFIELD, VA -- It's safe to say, if you're a golfer, then someplace, somewhere you've got your own personal version of an 'Amen Corner.'... Though most people associate the heavenly term with that famous stretch of holes at Georgia's Augusta National - holes 11,... Read More
Fairfax National -- Grave Satisfaction Found At Fairfax National
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... CENTREVILLE, VA -- There are numerous golf courses in Virginia that play on a Civil War theme, and that's appropriate. For this state was home to more battles, more casualties and more property destruction than any other during the War Between the States -- it's only natural... Read More
Ford's Colony -- Pinehurst Meets Williamsburg At Ford's Colony's Blue Heron Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Pinehurst. There's something about the place that draws golfers to it like Muslims to Mecca. That may be a bit of a stretched reference, because no piece of golfing ground could ever truly be considered holy -- yet if... Read More
Ford's Colony -- Weigh Anchor On The Blackheath Course At Ford's Colony
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Water, water, everywhere. Most of the time, having water surrounding you isn't a bad thing. After all, folks pay large sums to live near the ocean, sail on a cruise ship or kayak down a raging whitewater river --... Read More
Ford's Colony -- Whispering Down A Well At Ford's Colony's Marsh Hawk Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Secrets, everybody hates 'em. Let's face it, you can't stand it when someone's got the dirt on you, and it's equally hard trying to keep it to yourself when you've got a juicy clip on someone else. When the... Read More
Forest Greens -- Square Deals Found At Forest Greens Golf Club
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... TRIANGLE, VA -- Golf's expensive. Really going out on a limb for that one, huh? It's no secret these days that the monetary stakes in the golf industry are being raised in virtually every category -- for example, PGA Tour purses and appearance... Read More
Fredericksburg Area Golf – Still Geographically Desirable
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Jeff Janas... ... FREDERICKSBURG, VA – By a trick of fate, Fredericksburg was stuck in the middle. The year was 1862, and this small city in north central Virginia just happened to lie halfway between the capitals of warring ‘foreign’ nations (in... Read More
Gauntlet -- Bring The Heavy Armor To Run The Gauntlet
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... FREDERICKSBURG, VA -- Whenever I hear the word 'Gauntlet,' my mind flashes to the 1970's Clint Eastwood movie -- you know, the one where he's a Phoenix cop, assigned to 'escort' a Las Vegas hooker to his city's justice system to act as... Read More
General's Ridge -- New Identity Breathes Life Into General's Ridge At Manassas Park
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... MANASSAS PARK, VA -- Identity is important -- and changing it can sometimes get you in trouble.... For a brand name, what you call yourself often means the difference between huge profits or Chapter Eleven. For example, Coca-Cola made a huge mistake in the eighties when it decided... Read More
Golden Horseshoe's Gold Course -- Constant In An Everchanging World
By Jeffrey A. Rendall (For photos, check the pictorials section)... It's inevitable that with the passage of time there will be changes. Sometimes, even timeless classics will transform themselves -- some for the better, others for the worst. Recently, The Golden Horseshoe Golf Club's Gold Course, a timeless classic in its... Read More
Golden Horseshoe's Green Course -- If the Slipper Fits, It Just Might Be the Green Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Jeff Winters, Head Golf Professional at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club’s Green Course, said “We have a tremendous golf course here,” then paused. “But we still can’t get the respect that the Gold Course does.” After seeing both, one... Read More
Golden Horseshoe’s 40th Anniversary – Milestones on the Road to Excellence
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA – Henry Fonda delivered one of the all-time classic movie lines in On Golden Pond, when his birthday celebrating character, Norman Thayer, was asked how it felt turning eighty years old: “Twice as bad as it did turning forty,” Thayer grumpily... Read More
Hanging Rock Golf Club – New Thoughts of Southwestern Virginia
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... SALEM, VA – If you mention ‘Virginia’ to people on the street, and asked them to give you thoughts about the state that come to mind, you’ll invariably get the famous stuff as answers – Monticello, George Washington, Colonial Williamsburg, the Confederacy,... Read More
Hell's Point -- Hell's Point Puts Eighties Golf Design In Perspective -- It's Traditional
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... Let's face it, the eighties gets a bad rap. And I'm not referring to politics or techno-pop, either. I'll be more than happy to debate the relative merits of Ronald Reagan, Culture Club or Duran Duran in some other forum -- here, I'm... Read More
Heron Ridge Proves A Cornfield Can Also Be A Golfer's Field Of Dreams
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- "If you build it, they will come," or so the ghostly voice whispered to Kevin Costner's corn farming character in the movie "Field of Dreams." Costner had it easy, though -- all he had to do to fulfill the specter's prophecy was plow... Read More
Homestead -- Starting Off At The Homestead's Old Course Couldn't Be Finer
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... HOT SPRINGS, VA – Everyone’s got to start somewhere. Certainly a well-worn cliché’, but one that’s inherently true and not even that ridiculous when you really think about it. And it’s definitely gospel when you’re talking about the Old Course at The Homestead,... Read More
Homestead -- The Cascades Course At The Homestead -- Living Up To Number One
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... HOT SPRINGS, VA -- It's hard being #1 -- just ask Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, or any other legend, and I'm sure they'll tell you it ain't always wine and roses at the top. But there are certainly some perks that go along with the honored place... Read More
Homestead -- The Homestead Resort -- If You're In Hot Water, Don't Forget The Champagne
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... HOT SPRINGS, VA -- It all started with seven people in hot water. Such a simple and basic statement only suggests what it then became -- but what we now call The Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, began with a traveling physician's... Read More
Homestead -- The Lower Cascades at The Homestead -- Legacy In The Making
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... HOT SPRINGS, VA -- Babe Ruth; Lou Gehrig; Joe Dimaggio; Mickey Mantle; Reggie Jackson; Derek Jeter -- all Yankees, and a murderer's row that spans decades and numerous World Series championships. An undeniable winning legacy, even to non-baseball fans or Yankee haters (I'd... Read More
Homestead Golf Advantage School – GAS and Much More
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... HOT SPRINGS, VA – If there’s one thing you’ll take from golf school, it’s that next time you head to the golf course, you won’t forget your GAS.... ... We’re not talking about the stuff you put in your car’s fuel tank, and it has... Read More
Hunting Hawk Golf Club Offers Pleasing Environmental Exposure
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... GLEN ALLEN, VA -- Almost as if in the words of a John Denver song, when I see a hawk gliding effortlessly through the air, my mind yields several impulsive thoughts. The first is freedom (no, I'm not confusing a hawk with an... Read More
Independence GC -- Virginia Golf Finds Home Sweet Home at Independence Golf Club
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... MIDLOTHIAN, VA -- Baseball and football are classic American games, no doubt about it. Both sports have thrilled fans for over a century, making legends out of players and accumulating a sizeable stock of memorabilia for commemoration and remembrance. Fittingly, perhaps, some forward thinking folks got together... Read More
Kastle Greens -- Spicy Variey In The Country
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... MIDLAND, VA -- If variety's the spice of life, than Kastle Greens Golf Club rates at least Cayenne Pepper. Set in the rustic countryside of Midland, Virginia, Kastle Greens presents enough great golf hole variety to please even the most finicky of golfers. The club prides itself... Read More
Keswick Club -- Partake In The Pursuit of Happiness At Keswick Club
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... KESWICK, VA -- I've always surmised being around crowds is over-rated, but now I'm sure of it. Every time I journey to Costco or the supermarket, it's always the same -- playing 'cart chicken' to make it down any of the spatially challenged... Read More
King Carter Golf Club – Joining the Virginia golf family
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Kevin Gaydosh... IRVINGTON, VA – “We need more King Carter’s to help grow the game,” remarked Joel Weiman, Senior designer for McDonald & Sons, Inc. (of Jessup, MD) – and lead designer of King Carter Golf Club, which resides in Virginia’s Northern Neck area.... Taken alone,... Read More
Kingsmill Resort -- Way Ahead Of Its Times
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Kingsmill Resort would've looked awful strange to them -- meaning, the first group of English settlers sailing up the James River to establish a foothold in the New World. Jamestown Settlement, North America's first permanent European colony, is just a... Read More
Kingsmill Resort's Plantation Course -- The King Finds A Home In Virginia
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Only in America would a King end up building a Plantation in Virginia. No, I'm not talking about King George III and Mount Vernon. That particular King and that particular Plantation probably wouldn't have gelled very well. But when it... Read More
Kingsmill Resort's River Course -- Like No Other In Virginia
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- The River Course at Kingsmill is one of a kind in Virginia. Sure, it’s got green grass like every other golf course -- with eighteen holes, tees, fairways, rough, bunkers, water and a nice clubhouse. But it’s not a stretch... Read More
Kingsmill Resort's Woods Course -- Good Things Come To Those Who Wait
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- It's often said that good things come to those who wait. I used to think the saying was just a ploy utilized by mothers to help keep kids from opening their presents before Christmas morning -- or as a rationalized... Read More
Kingsmill’s Renovated River Course – Correcting the Mistakes of Time
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA – Pete Dye’s a candid man. When I asked why he went in and renovated Kingsmill Resort’s River Course (starting) in May of 2004, he replied: “Because Anheuser-Busch (Kingsmill’s owner) had screwed it up for the last twenty years. How’s... Read More
Kiskiack Golf Club – Half Trash-Dump, Half Sand Pit, Half Pristine Forest
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall and Jerry Jutras... ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA – “I’m a golf architect, not a math major,” said golf architect John LaFoy, after he’d estimated his Kiskiack Golf Club creation was made up of 1 ½ parts – half former trash-dump, half former sand pit... Read More
Lansdowne Resort -- Growing The Toughest Mile
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas and Lansdowne Resort... ... LANSDOWNE, VA -- Lansdowne Resort's expanding -- and for those familiar with the excellent quality of the existing product, that's certain to be a good thing.... ... For Lansdowne's (Managed by Benchmark Hospitality) long been known for offering one of the best... Read More
Lansdowne Resort’s Norman Course – Outside the Box Mindset Required
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... LEESBURG, VA – We’re all entrenched in the mindset we take to golf courses, especially the ones we’ve never played before. Pick a set of tees, keep it in play, look over the yardage guide for the hole layouts and try to... Read More
Laurel Hill Golf Club -- Golf’s ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ Card
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... LORTON, VA – Traveling past a prison is always a sobering experience, considering not only what’s living behind the barriers, but also what it must have taken to put the inmates there in the first place. ... ... Nobody wants to live by a... Read More
Lee's Hill Provides Multi-Dimensional Golf Experience
Text and Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... FREDERICKSBURG, VA -- Few would dispute -- there's a timeless quality to historical sites. Even fewer would contest the notion -- when you're at one, the past inspires the present. Sure, history is dimensional, very much part of our perceptive human world of time... Read More
Mattaponi Springs Golf Club – Patient Beginner Makes Good
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... PENOLA STATION, VA – Golf Course Designer Bob Lohmann says his experience at the brand new Mattaponi Springs Golf Club (in Penola Station, VA, midway between Fredericksburg and Richmond) was different than anything he’s ever worked on.... ... It wasn’t because of Mattaponi’s sandy... Read More
Meadows Farms Golf Course -- An 'Unusually' Cool Outing
... Text and Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... LOCUST GROVE, VA -- I've talked often during my Mid Atlantic golf course reviews about layouts that offer a 'different' experience than your run-of-the-mill golf outing. These atypical golf courses accomplish distinction through location, design features or services that are either difficult or impossible... Read More
Ocean View Golf Course -- Tracing The Steps Of Legends
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... NORFOLK, VA -- Some places are known because of what they are; some are known because of what they once were; others are known because of what they have become. And some rare places are known for all three at once. Such is the case for Ocean... Read More
Old Hickory Golf Club -- Heading Frustration Off At The Golf Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WOODBRIDGE, VA – Anyone who’s ever picked up a golf club and earnestly tried to golf a dimpled white ball into that tiny little hole knows the game is frustrating. It’s the thrill of the chase that keeps golfers going back, time... Read More
Ospreys -- The Ospreys at Belmont Bay Proves Looks Are Often Deceiving
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WOODBRIDGE, VA -- Believe only half of what you see, and none of what you read. This assertion may be the ultimate pessimistic anthem, but when it comes to the Ospreys Golf Club at Belmont Bay, they're words to live by. At first... Read More
Packsaddle Ridge Golf Club – Rock Solid Legacy with Some Grass on Top
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... KEEZLETOWN, VA – There’s something about fulfilling a lifelong dream that adds a special quality to finishing a project, once that ‘vision’ turns into reality.... ... In Virginia, we’re fortunate to have many golf clubs that started out as the inspiration of their individual... Read More
Pleasant Valley and South Riding - Upgrading Performance
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall and Pleasant Valley... CHANTILLY, VA -- You hear it a lot these days, from athletes, corporate CEO's, celebrities -- everyone talks about upgrading their performance.... That's good. Nobody really likes the status quo, and it doesn't matter whether you're Bill Gates or the... Read More
Pleasant Valley Golf Club – Sweetly Ripened Fruit In Chantilly
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... CHANTILLY, VA – Greg Nesbitt, Pleasant Valley Golf Club’s General Manager, uses a clever analogy to describe his golf facility: “We’ve always considered this property as ‘low hanging fruit’ – it’s just there for the taking, and all it needs is a little... Read More
Poplar Grove Golf Club – Knowing Sam Snead’s Mind, Then Building A Golf Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... AMHERST, VA – We’d all like to think we’ll get to know someone well enough to know his or her mind. It can come through months of correspondence, years of companionship, or decades of observation. But even then, there are always questions.... ... What... Read More
Primland Resort -- The Sound of Silence was never so sweet
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Kevin Gaydosh and Primland Resort... MEADOWS OF DAN, VA – “Primland’s overwhelming attraction is its sound of silence, and escape from the real world,” remarked Primland Resort’s Head Golf Professional, Jeff Fraim, in touching on what sets his resort apart from the rest.... It might take... Read More
Primland Resort – Leading the Search for Adjectives
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... MEADOWS OF DAN, VA – ‘Searching for adjectives,’ I thought, as someone asked me recently to describe my trip to the brand new Primland Resort in Southwestern Virginia, and that’s exactly what I told them – it’s hard to find the words.... ... Read More
Providence GC -- 'Rain Man' Makes The Routing At Providence Golf Course
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh and Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... RICHMOND, VA -- David Malone, Providence Golf Course's Director of Golf, says Golf Architect Lester George has special abilities - and Malone's even got a unique way of describing them: "He's a great designer in all aspects of course... Read More
Raspberry Falls Proves It's Cool To Be British
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Aaron Frey... Note *** Brad Cheney re-visited the course in June of 2006, and offers his ‘Second Opinion’ at the end of this article.... LEESBURG, VA -- It's cool to be British. And that’s not just because Austin Powers is from Britain, or because many of the... Read More
Red Wing Lake Golf Course In Quiet Phase Of Renovation: Watching Grass Grow
By Mike Tanner, Photos by Mike Tanner... ... VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- The dull clank and rattle of excavating buckets has faded away. Huge trucks no longer rumble across bare dirt. Massive bulldozers root and roar their way across other pastures now. At Red Wing Lake Golf Course, near Virginia Beach, Virginia’s... Read More
Renovating Red Wing Lake Golf Course: A Not So Extreme Makeover
... By Mike Tanner, Photos By Mike Tanner... ... As anyone who watches TV can tell you, makeovers are hot. Don’t like your body, call in the plastic surgeons. Don’t like your house, call in the construction crew and interior designers. Don’t like your lifestyle, call in the Fab Five.... ... But what do you... Read More
Riverfront Golf Club – Feeding Yourself on Golf
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... SUFFOLK, VA – Ever walk out of an eatery wondering why you paid a hefty some for a half empty stomach full of blah tasting slop?... ... That ‘walk away empty’ feeling equally applies to golf, and it’s something you’ll avoid when playing... Read More
Rock Harbor Golf Course – Filling Niches
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... WINCHESTER, VA – The term’s not often mentioned in reference to golf, but sometimes the game fills a niche. Even rarer, perhaps, Rock Harbor Golf Course in Virginia’s famed Shenandoah Valley actually fills two of them.... ... The Encarta Dictionary defines niche this way,... Read More
Somerset Golf Club -- Not Just Back, But Better
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... LOCUST GROVE, VA -- "I guess you could say it's almost like returning from the dead," remarked Somerset Golf Club's General Manager/Head Golf Professional, Bart Wolfe, when describing the short but eventful history of his golf club.... Somerset did just that -- return... Read More
South Riding Golf Club – Come Join the Community
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... SOUTH RIDING, VA -- “I want our golf course to engage the community,” answered South Riding Golf Club’s General Manager, Greg Nesbitt, when I asked him about his course’s goals for the future. South Riding GC lies at the southern end of the... Read More
Spring Creek Golf Club – Monument to the value of teamwork
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... GORDONSVILLE, VA – Golf Architect Ed Carton said there were many things that stood out about his work at Spring Creek Golf Club, but what he’ll always remember was the team effort needed to bring it into being.... “I’ll always look back on... Read More
Stonehouse Distinguishes Itself From All The Rest
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... It seems like everybody's aiming for distinction these days. For example, automakers spend billions on research every year to design new four wheeled vehicles that won't be confused for another's. Or basketball players sport ever wilder tattoos and hairstyles to set themselves apart from their competitors. Even... Read More
Stonewall Golf Club -- Standing Firm Against An Onslaught Of Expectations
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Rendall & Bob Kubler... GAINESVILLE, VA -- I'll admit, I've always found it curious when folks name someone or something after a famous individual. It's odd, in that it heaps instant expectations upon that person or 'thing' to achieve or replicate the notoriety of... Read More
Summons the Luck of the Irish at the Tradition Club at Royal New Kent
... By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Images by Jeffrey A. Rendall and Jerry Jutras... ... PROVIDENCE FORGE, VA -- ‘Come to rural New Kent County, Virginia, for a taste of Ireland.’ Somehow, I doubt that’s a thought rolling through the minds of many folks, but if it finds its way into your noggin’, you’d... Read More
The River Course of Virginia Tech – Splendid way to consume time
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Mike Tanner... RADFORD, VA – John Norton is the Head Golf Professional at the River Course of Virginia Tech, but he’s also a philosopher. “There’s a saying in the golf business,” Norton waxed poetically – “that we’re not consuming anything except time, and time is... Read More
TPC of Virginia Beach -- Take Note When Mr. Dye Comes To Town
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... Virginia Beach, VA -- Just hearing the names Pete Dye and TPC (Tournament Players Club) together gets your heart pumping. Instantly your mind flashes to the famous seventeenth hole at Dye's TPC Sawgrass -- the dreaded island green -- and your palms sweat... Read More
Twin Lakes' Lakes Course -- Resting On A Bed Of Golf Balls
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... CLIFTON, VA (January, 2003) -- Sometimes you have to wonder -- what'll happen to that ball you just plunked in a lake? Sure, you figure it'll be resurrected at some point, pulled from its watery grave by some guy in a wetsuit,... Read More
Twin Lakes' Oaks Course -- Minimalism At Its Finest
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... CLIFTON, VA -- Golf traditionalists are minimalists (how's that for a tongue twister?). They subscribe to the "less is more" theory.... When you think about it, minimalism makes sense. If you want an intimate wedding, you should only invite a few people. If you want higher quality products,... Read More
Virginia National Golf Club -- A Layout With Personality
June, 2006 -- Note -- Cliff Boyd is no longer at Virginia National, and the golf course is under new management. The weblink below is no longer active, but the telephone number is still current.... ... By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... BLUEMONT, VA -- It's often said that houses... Read More
Virginia Oaks -- Not Just the 'Other' Course on Lake Manassas
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Brad Cheney... ... Note *** Brad Cheney re-visited the course in May of 2006, and offers his ‘Second Opinion’ at the end of this article.... ... GAINESVILLE, VA -- “I like to design hard golf courses,” said PB Dye with a chuckle when I asked him what his... Read More
Vista Links – Worthwhile Journey to Affordable Golf
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... BUENA VISTA, VA – “We believe people will travel an hour to play affordable golf,” remarked the Vista Links’ Head Golf Professional, Edward Armentrout.... ... In covering golf in the Mid-Atlantic region, there’ve been many occasions to proclaim ‘if you build it, they will... Read More
West Neck -- Get the 'I took 'em' feeling at The Signature At West Neck
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- Ever walk out of a store after buying something thinking "Hey, I really took those guys for a ride"? It's a darn good feeling -- almost like arriving home and discovering an unexpected gift on your doorstep, or... Read More
Westfields Golf Club -- A Hauntingly Fine Golf Experience
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Janas and Westfields... ... CLIFTON, VA -- In the Mid-Atlantic region, there's little doubt that spirits of the past are neighbors of ours -- in one form or another. Without getting into belief systems, there are battlefields, stately Colonial mansions, shipwrecks, museums, parks, relics and... Read More
Williamsburg National Proves Jack's Still Got It
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall ... WILLIAMSBURG, VA -- Watching the Battle of Bighorn recently (2002), it seemed clear that Jack Nicklaus ain't what he used to be.... But despite some obvious age-inspired physical limitations, he played well through 15 holes and even contributed several valuable birdies to... Read More
Williamsburg National’s Yorktown Course – Worthwhile effort equals satisfaction
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... WILLIAMSBURG – There’s an old saying that goes, ‘Nothing in life that’s worthwhile is ever easy,’ which has certainly been proven true in nearly every instance, even if we’d all prefer a path that’s simple and satisfying without much sweat and toil.... The... Read More
Wintergreen -- The Devil Be Damned At Wintergreen Resort's Devil's Knob
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... WINTERGREEN, VA -- Wintergreen Resort's original golf course is an Ellis Maples design that opened in 1976, known then and today as Devil's Knob. It's a curious title, in that hell is supposedly hot and excruciatingly painful -- and neither of those adjectives... Read More
Wintergreen Golf Academy and Resort -- Delivering The Personal Touches
By Jeffrey A. Rendall... WINTERGREEN, VA -- The personal touch, it's underrated. Most businesses claim to offer it, but few truly deliver. That's why it's refreshing when it's promised and delivered, like at Wintergreen Resort's Golf Academy.... Wintergreen guarantees an instructor-to-student ratio of no more than 3-to-1, which means you won't be... Read More
Wintergreen Golf Academy – Finally, a school modeled to your needs
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... WINTERGREEN, VA – “Two things,” remarked Wintergreen Resort’s Director of Golf, Sean Taylor, when I asked him what he and his staff hoped to accomplish with students attending their Golf Academy.... “First, we want everyone to have a really good time, and second,... Read More
Wintergreen Resort -- A Healthy Pinch of Mountain Seasoning
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... WINTERGREEN, VA -- Looking back, when you think of childhood trips to the mountains, you probably remember skiing, hiking -- or maybe camping. ... You recall the days of yore when Mom & Dad packed you, your siblings and all your camping knick-knacks in... Read More
Wintergreen Resort – A Place to Go Back to
... By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... WINTERGREEN, VA – Some places you just hate to leave.... Going on vacation is something we all look forward to, an opportunity to get away from the daily routine and experience some different surroundings. It’s a way to shut things off for a... Read More
Wintergreen Resort – Preparing for the Canadian Invasion
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ... WINTERGREEN, VA – In June, a little bit ‘o Canada’s coming to central Virginia, and we’re not just talking about vacationing NHL players invading after the Stanley Cup’s been fought over and won.... ... For the second consecutive year, Wintergreen Resort will host the Canadian... Read More
Wintergreen Resort's Stoney Creek Golf Club -- Natural Splendor In The Valley
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... WINTERGREEN, VA -- "If you're standing on the tee, and can't see precisely what's called for on the shot, then you're not on a Rees Jones designed golf course" said Wintergreen Resort's Stoney Creek Golf Club's Director of Golf, Mike Mayer. "Visibility is... Read More
West Virginia
Glade Springs Resort’s Cobb Course – Lone Star State of Mind in West VirginiaBy Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... DANIELS, WV – At Glade Springs Resort, George Cobb must’ve thought he was in Texas.... ... Vernacular included, there ain’t much that’s small in the Lone Star State. Big ranches, big steaks, big politics, big sports, big talk – when you’re thinking Texas, better... Read More
Greenbrier Meadows – Synthesis of Artistic Influences
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV – I think you’d agree, many of the world’s greatest artistic creations were solo endeavors. The old saying goes… too many chefs spoil the broth, and that’s probably because they can’t all agree on the recipe.... ... Art is inspiration, by... Read More
Greenbrier Old White – A Century Old, Yet Looking Fresh
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV – “The best stuff is yet to come,” remarked Golf Architect Lester George, when describing his restoration plans for one of the Mid-Atlantic’s oldest and most storied golf courses, the Old White Course at The Greenbrier.... ... Strange that George should... Read More
Greenbrier Resort’s Greenbrier Course – Taking One for the Team(s)
By Jeffrey A. Rendall; Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV – There’s little doubt, in contemporary times, professional golf’s team competitions have taken on lofty meanings – and almost by default, the venues they’re contested at earn legendary reputations.... ... The Ryder Cup for men, and the Solheim Cup for women,... Read More
Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain – Hours from Somewhere
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... SNOWSHOE, WV – “Three hours from nowhere,” I heard them say when talking about the Raven at Snowshoe, rated by several publications as West Virginia’s top public-access course.... ... “But you must go there,” they said in the same breath.... ... Taking the advice,... Read More
Stonehaven Golf Course at Glade Springs Resort – More Than They Bargained For
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeffrey A. Rendall... ... DANIELS, WV – Traveling around Glade Springs Resort’s new Stonehaven Course, you can’t help but marvel at its impressive scale, as well as its incredible natural beauty. True to its name, the course offers continuing glimpses of the rocky sub-surfaces that support... Read More
Stonewall Resort -- Delightful Sensory Overload
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Jeff Janas... ROANOKE, WV -- It's easy to get sensory overload these days. Face it, there's a lot to see, hear, taste, smell and touch -- and these sensations, when added to the everyday stimulations of caffeinated coffee and the stressful morning commute, can be... Read More
The Greenbrier – Defying Categorization
By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos By Kevin Gaydosh... ... WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, WV – Mineral waters, railroads, General Robert E. Lee, WWII ‘Enemy Alien Diplomats,’ Sam Snead, Dorothy Draper and the Cold War Bunker – that’s The Greenbrier, or should it be said, a small sampling of the things that went into... Read More
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