City Park Denver Golf Review

Colorado is an underrated golf state. Sure you don't get any ocean views in Denver but there are plenty of great golf courses and the mountains frame so many shots. On a recent trip to the Mile High City, my buddy suggested we play the City Park course which is closing soon for a massive $40 million dollar overhaul by Hale Irwin.

Wanting to see a classic course before it goes under the knife (or the chainsaw considering what I have heard about the renovation) I checked out 9 holes. What I found was a course with amazing views of Denver and while it has a rather standard parkland routing, the holes use the terrain well giving a golfer many different up and down shots. 

Clearly though, the City of Denver dominates the proceedings and the holes maximize the views to the golfer's delight. As the course moves down to flatter terrain there is excellent use of trees and city landmarks to supplement your round.

The conditions of the course were fantastic which was surprising given how close to closure the course is. It goes to show you how much the greens crew cares about the course. The greens rolled rather slow which isn't unusual for a muni course.

I wish I could recommend playing the course but alas it will be closed until 2019. Once it re-opens I look forward to playing all 18 and seeing how they made a good course even better.

For more information on City Park, check out this link: https://www.cityofdenvergolf.com/golf-course/city-park

Clear Creek Tahoe

This place is outrageously good and you can probably tell my excitement in how I wrote up my recent adventure. Check it out!

http://www.coorecrenshawquest.com/2017/10/clear-creek-tahoe.html

Colorado Golf Club

Hey everyone! I checked another Coore and Crenshaw course off my bucket list so head on over to my quest page to see how I get it on Colorado-style!

http://www.coorecrenshawquest.com/2017/10/colorado-golf-club-review.html

Warren Golf Course

Resting in the middle of the country, Warren is a heck of a golf course and a worthy site for the upcoming US Senior Open. Check out my thoughts by clicking the link below!


http://www.coorecrenshawquest.com/2017/10/warren-golf-review.html

Black Sheep Golf Club

A golfer can dream can't he? If I had unlimited money, what courses would I join? Welp, if I had the money and lived in Illinois, sign me up to be a member of Black Sheep Golf Club, a 27 hole gem in the middle of Illinois that is one of the best tracks I have played in a long time.

Designed by the criminally underrated Dave Esler, BSGC uses a former corn field to amazing effect, creating a links-style course that is both fun and challenging to any golfer.

My favorite holes would be the ones running on the North side of the property which bisects and runs parallel to a creek and irrigation pond. The setting serene, the routing sublime, the course is magical.

The clubhouse constantly frames the proceedings which reminded me a lot of Shinnecock and National although with more corn surrounding the course than the ocean (seriously, there is nothing BUT corn in Sugar Grove Illinois).

The ribbons of fairway amongst the fescue is inspired and while there is plenty of room on the fairway, don't go too far off of it or else you are going to be hacking out of some thick stuff.

Dave Esler created as masterpiece here and also a thinkpiece. Second and third shots need to be contemplated with care as there are a lot of bunkers and carries that necessitate your irons and wedges being sharp.

The green complexes roll true and with speed but not crazy speed. It is a very fair test once you get to the green and wedge shots will hold on the greens despite their speed.

While many members use carts, the course is very walkable and the only time you will be huffing and puffing is each of the ninth holes which trudge back up the course to the clubhouse.

Triple bonus points for perhaps one of the best logos in golf!

For more information about Black Sheep, check out the link here: https://www.blacksheepgolfclub.com/

Feel free to sponsor me for membership :P!

ReGripped's Quest To Play Cypress Point Day 778

This is one of several posts about my attempts to play the ultimate course, the Cypress Point Club. If you have any tips for me or want to invite me to play (!!!) please email me at peterflanigan@hotmail.com I promise total discretion for anyone who helps. Thanks! 

Ok here we are, well over 2 years into my quest to play the top course in the world. What has been happening since the last update?

I have not found a member for a direct invite so I continue to try and find more circuitous routes onto the course with people who know people who know people. This has been bolstered by social media and for all the naysaying about how nothing gets done via social media, it HAS connected me to certain people who know the people.

For everyone who has offered to help over the last 200+ days since the last update, I say THANK YOU! It is amazing to find golf nuts willing to help other golf nuts achieve their dreams.

I also learned that Rory McIlory himself is questing to play Cypress Point. This comes from No Laying Up's fine podcast interview with him which is well worth a listen.

Thanks to @NoLayingUp podcast I've learned that @McIlroyRory also is questing to play #cypresspoint! Somehow I think he'll get on before me

— ReGripped (@ReGripped) September 20, 2017

In an attempt to get physically closer to CPC, I have decided for my 40th birthday year (screw the day, I am celebrating all year!) I am going to go up and attend the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the first time. I have always wanted to go and while I am up there, I am definitely doing the 17 mile drive and cruising past Cypress. Who knows, maybe I will meet a member or even meet up with Rory? Stranger things have happened.

Finally, my love for CPC knows no bounds and I have complied some great old timey photos of the course culled from various sources. It is fascinating to see MacKenzie tour the course he built photographed from interesting and not often seen angles. The composition of the photos really brings out the stark contrast between the rocky coastline and the golf course (even in black and white!). Enjoy Cypress' past while I look to the future of playing there!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these photos but offer them here for news and commentary purposes only.

Mammoth Dunes Golf Review

Mammoth Dunes is the second course to be developed at Sand Valley but it is set to eclipse its older brother Coore/Crenshaw course to become one of the best, fun golf courses in the state of Wisconsin.

Where to start? The routing is fantastic going over hill and dale while offering a few straight ahead holes as well. The fairways are wide which allow you to try a variety of routings to the hole all while keeping golf balls in your bag.

The bunkering is intoxicatingly beautiful and has a great mix of naturally occurring sand blowouts along with more traditional bunkers.

Speaking of the bunkers, I love the disguising David McLay Kidd does here on this par 3 where neither bunker is in play but yet frames the golfers eye like few others.

The green complexes are huge, absolutely gargantuan. They still have enough undulations to make you think but not enough to make you rip your hair out.

The main takeaway from the course is that it is fun. Golf is challenging enough as it is and no golfer really wants to play Oakmont every round. They want to hit the ball and have fun and this course has the F word in spades. I haven't been this impressed by a course in a long time and even though I only played 9 holes, I checked out several others and can attest that this place is going to be very special.

Once the fairways are grassed, run don't walk to Sand Valley to play this course.

For more information about Mammoth Dunes, check out the link: http://www.sandvalleygolfresort.com/mammoth-dunes/