Rich Harvest Farms, Illinois
Whereas a lot of wealthy individuals have built golf clubs, very few of them have actually designed the courses. But Jerry Rich, inspired by the late architect Dick Wilson, bought 1,820 acres of farmland 50 miles west of Chicago and with the guidance of course architect Greg Martin, built 18 of the most demanding holes—playing […]
Caves Valley Golf Club, Maryland
The dream to build a world-class club in the rolling hills outside of Baltimore began in 1977 when Les Disharoon, then CEO of Monumental Corporation, moved to the area and quickly discovered that with the exception of Baltimore Country Club, the area was lacking a certain kind of club—one devoted strictly to enjoying golf at its best. So […]
Columbia Country Club, Maryland
Greens Committee chairman Walter Harban couldn’t have been happier: After a dogged four-year effort, the putting surfaces at his beloved Columbia Country Club were in top shape for the 1921 U.S. Open. The legendary Harry Vardon and the reigning U.S. Open champion, Ted Ray, had toured Columbia, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, the previous […]
Plainfield Country Club, New Jersey
Scotsman Tom Bendelow, whose 1898 layout survives in part at Plainfield Country Club, bore the unfair burden of this dismissive catchphrase supposedly describing his course-design methodology. The Plainfield we’re most familiar with today is a tough-but-fair Donald Ross design, but its link to the pre-Ross era only adds to its historical significance. Most tradition-minded […]
Metedeconk National Golf Club
Metedeconk National is a secluded retreat located in Jackson, the geographic center of New Jersey. Yet, it has the advantage of being situated just 60 miles south of Manhattan. It tries hard to be a rustic, off-the-beaten-path golf retreat, but its facilities are so good, its 27 holes so well-crafted and maintained, that it’s […]
Crosswater Golf and Social Club, Oregon
Rare is the golfer who hasn’t driven past a wide-open patch of grass and envisioned a golf course on it. Case in point: Jim Ramey, a former California club pro and avid outdoorsman who moved to Sunriver, Oregon, in the mid-’70s. For years as golf superintendent at Sunriver Resort, Ramey would look longingly on a nearby meadow at the […]
Broken Top Club, Oregon
By the 3rd tee it is obvious. The design team of Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish has succeeded again. As you stand on this 424-yard par 4 and prepare to launch your tee shot, it is impossible not to be overwhelmed by the view straight ahead of snow-capped Mt. Bachelor, all 9,065 feet of it. Here on […]
Eugene Country Club, Oregon
In 1899, in a cow pasture outside the fledgling city of Eugene, Oregon, a group of university professors and local businessmen formed the South Willamette Golf Club, forerunner of Eugene Country Club. Like the rapidly developing territory surrounding it, the club, which switched to its current name in 1912, experienced growing pains. After a 1920 […]
Pacific Dunes Course, Bandon Dunes
When it comes to golf course architecture, opinions run rampant and absolutes are few. That said, there is no debating the single Most Important Decision in the annals of American course design. It happened in 1917, when Samuel F.B. Morse tore up a subdivision plan for the waterfront acreage where Pebble Beach Golf Links […]
Old MacDonald, Bandon Dunes
You don’t go to Bandon Dunes for spas, infinity-edge pools and thread counts. And you’re not there to play 18 leisurely holes per day on a cart before going to explore the resort on a bike. Bandon Dunes is all about Advil, knockdown shots and carry bags. You’re there to stand on the tee […]
