2019 New plays?

New plays in the UK – well to be honest I try to stay well away from most new course because they represent what I call international courses which are based upon the American model. That model, for me at least is one of easy, of made to be golfer friendly rather than course to play golf upon. They throw in island greens, very short cut fairways and rough than most Greenkeepers would be proud to call fairways. The fun, the challenge is taken away from the player/golfer, even bunkers around the Green tend to be shallow with hard compacted bases which in truth are just an extension of Fairways. The idea on many a modern design is the make the player feel he is better that he really is, this I believe is wrong, and to make him even more inclined to relax they promote carts to help their finances, not realising that they are taking the ability to understand golf course architecture and so the game from the golfer making him just a player. Respect seems to have disappeared to a great degree, because you don’t have to be a scratch player to be a golfer. Still I fear its disrespectful to offer up some of these new courses as places to play golf and don’t get me started on clubs who ban Walking – they are NOT golf Clubs at all. All the blame cannot be put to the feet of Designers, clubs too have to take the blame for they want championship course so that they can make money by charging accordingly – but that just not right – I do not believe anyone can built a championship course that comes with time and much errors, but time is not the key word when profit is at the heart of the matter. Guys if you love golf, you have to think outside the box, embrace the rawness of real golf because that is what makes you want to play even more and start seeking to play the same course twice in a day – if for no other reason than you get to understand it through its different moods. Give me a good old tried course that reeks of age and woodworm and you will have found a gem that will pull you in time after time for me Luffness New GC – its Scottish Golf with a touch of old world charm. A more basic course is Killin GC basic but a fun old course.

Here’s the new ones I have scheduled that I know about at this point (all in Michigan):
Travis Pointe CC (GAM 4-ball)
The Loop (both ways)
The Medalist
Angels Crossing
Bay Pointe

Hopefully some others will happen, in addition to these. I’m hoping to qualify for the Michigan Am, which is at Oakland Hills North. Also hoping to get up to play the South at Arcadia, but I need to get that worked out.

Been a pretty good year thus far for me.

Franklin Hills
Monroe GC
Sweetens Cove

On Deck:
Tobacco Road
Mid Pines
UofM

I think that I’ve counted 25 new courses in 2019 (with courses in 6 new states)!

Audubon Park (LA)
Brattleboro (VT)
Crumpin Fox (MA)
Edgewood Tahoe (NV)
Forest Hill Field Club (NJ)
Galen Hall (PA)
Green Valley Ranch (CO)
Haggin Oaks-Mackenzie (CA)
Hillsborough (NJ)
Incline Valley-Championship (NV)
Incline Valley-Mountain (NV)
Knoll West (NJ)
Lake of Isles-South (CT)
Lakewood (NJ)
Lawsonia-Links (WI)
Metairie CC (LA)
Money Hill (LA)
Oak Hill (NJ)
Overpeck (NJ)
Pasatiempo (CA)
Preakness Valley West (NJ)
Rock Spring (NJ)
Weequahic (NJ)
White Beeches (NJ)
Yale (CT)

My top 5:
Pasatiempo
Yale
Lawsonia
Forest Hill
Edgewood

Lakewood Golf Club (AL)
Rock Creek (AL)
Ozaukee (WI)
Tripoli (WI)
Kenosha (WI)
Blue Mound (WI)
Lawsonia (WI)

Winner was Lawsonia! I can’t wait to go back there some day. What a treat.