The Fantasy “Back 9”
By Joe PassovTee–off from the most spectacular holes in nation
There’s not a sane, red–blooded golfer alive who hasn’t daydreamed about teeing it up at Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. Or perhaps you’d prefer smashing high–altitude drives at Denver’s Castle Pines, or maybe a romp along the Pacific Ocean at uber–exclusive Cypress Point Club. The problem with these dream courses is that for most of us, getting to play them is just that–a dream.
10 Chambers Bay Golf Course
University Place, Washington
10th Hole, Par–4, 398 yards
Architect: Robert Trent Jones II
Green fees: $49–$170
Book it: 253–460–4653
www.chambersbaygolf.com
Eyebrows arched when the United States Golf Association tabbed this new Seattle–area municipal layout to host the 2015 U.S. Open. One look at this faux–Irish spread will tell you it’s worthy. There’s eye–candy and shotmaking galore at the 10th, which ribbons through massive dunes and sports a backdrop of the Puget Sound and Olympic Mountains. “The view is wide open, with the sea in the distance,” says the designer, Robert Trent Jones Jr., “yet it still feels claustrophobic.”
Stay: The stunning glass art displays alone are worth the stay at Hotel Murano in downtown Tacoma, some 25 minutes from Chambers Bay. 253–238–8000. — www.hotelmuranotacoma.com
Eat: Reel in the Northwest Cioppino at the Pacific Grill on downtown Tacoma’s Restaurant Row. It’s chock full of Dungeness and Jonah crab, clams, mussels and scallops. — www.pacificgrilltacoma.com
11 TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Scottsdale, Arizona
17th Hole, Par–4, 332 yards
Architect: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish
Green fees: $77–$287
Book it: 480–585–4334
www.tpc.com
Perhaps the arena–like par–3 16th grabs more glory, but the biggest galleries on the PGA Tour know that the drama quotient is higher here, a driveable par–4 that’s splashed with water and strategically placed bunkers, and is backdropped by the McDowell Mountains. In 2001, Andrew Magee recorded the only ace on a par–4 in Tour history. Co–designer Tom Weiskopf calls it “classic risk/reward…there are so many ways to play it.”
Stay: The Fairmont Scottsdale touches the 4th and 5th holes and features the terrific Willow Stream Spa. 480–585–4848. — www.fairmont.com/scottsdale
Eat: Longtime favorite The Grill at the TPC Scottsdale has revamped its menu to feature sustainable seafood, plus a Friday night clambake, to accompany the view of the 18th hole. — www.fairmont.com/scottsdale
12 Fossil Trace Golf Club
Golden, Colorado
12th Hole, Par–5, 585 yards
Architect: Jim Engh
Green fees: $43–$79
Book it: 303–277–8750
www.fossiltrace.com
Mention “Golden, Colorado” to serious suds guzzlers and a certain Rocky Mountain brewing company springs instantly to mind. Indeed, you can see the Coors plant from the 13th tee–and you might be ready for a cold one or two after dueling with the 12th, which features a plunge to a fairway sprinkled with sandstone pillars, remnants from a clay mining operation that architect Jim Engh left in during the design. Squiggly sand slivers and rock outcroppings cap a memorable hole. Don’t forget to tour the triceratops and palm frond fossil exhibit on your way to the next tee.
Stay: Designated as Colorado’s first “Green Hotel,” The Westin Tabor Center, Denver is close to downtown attractions, 16 miles from the Coors Brewery and features The Palm Restaurant for fans of serious steaks. 303–572–9100. — www.westintaborcenterdenver.com
Eat: If local dives are your thing, make the drive south to Bud’s Bar in Sedalia, which has dished out some of the state’s best hamburgers since 1948. The cheap, simple eats (no fries, just chips) makes Bud’s worth finding. 303–688–9967.
13 Bandon Dunes Resort (Pacific Dunes)
Bandon, Oregon
13th Hole, Par–4, 444 yards
Architect: Tom Doak
Green fees: $75–$275
Book it: 888–345–6008
www.bandondunesgolf.com
It’s absolutely worth the four–and–a–half–hour drive south from Portland to sample three (and very soon to be four) of the finest coastal courses anywhere. The best hole on the best Bandon course is Pacific Dunes’ 13th, an oceanside stunner that’s bracketed by a gigantic natural dune to the right and by cliffs along the Pacific to the left. When the winds howl–which is often–bogey is considered a great score.
Stay: Bandon Dunes Resort offers a variety of accommodations, including a new 39–room coastal lodge called the Inn that’s close to both golf and clubhouses–and you can’t beat the access to Bandon’s courses. 888–345–6008. — www.bandondunesgolf.com
Eat: Grandma’s Meatloaf and Braised Lamb Stew are among the hearty, stick–to–your–ribs dinner entrees at the resort’s McKee’s Pub. — www.bandondunesgolf.com
14 Coeur d’Alene Resort
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
14th Hole, Par–3, 203 yards
Architect: Scott Miller
Green fees: $200–$270
Book it: 800–688–5253
www.cdaresort.com
For two decades, island greens were all the rage in architecture. Coeur d’Alene’s version, however, remains unique. Golfers hit to a true floating island, one that’s capable of moving up or back on any given day, thanks to a system of cables attached to the bottom of 26–acre Lake Coeur d’Alene. A six–passenger boat called “Putter” transports you to the green, where you dock, then putt out. Scores of red geraniums, a pair of gleaming white traps and a smattering of evergreens add beauty at the green, but most beautiful of all is the certificate they create for you if you make par.
Stay: Many rooms at The Coeur d’Alene Golf & Spa Resort sport outstanding lake views and sunken living rooms, and the two–level, 15,000–square–foot spa is among the most distinctive in the U.S. 800–688–5253. — www.cdaresort.com
Eat: Beverly’s at the Coeur d’Alene Resort peers out at Lake Coeur d’Alene from its seventh–story perch and serves up regional favorites, such as the Huckleberry soufflé. — www.cdaresort.com
15 The Broadmoor (East)
Colorado Springs, Colorado
18th Hole, Par–4, 433 yards
Architect: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones
Green fees: $100–$225
Book it: 719–577–5790
www.broadmoor.com
Some courses are soaked in golf lore. Others are positively drenched in it. The 18th at Broadmoor (East) fits the latter description. It was here, in the shadows of the stately hotel that Jack Nicklaus clinched his first major, with a birdie to win the 1959 U.S. Amateur. That might explain why he calls The Broadmoor, “the ultimate in mountain golf.” The 18th demands a drive down the left center of a skinny fairway to provide an ideal angle for an approach over a disturbingly large pond. A diabolically sloped green awaits, where avoiding a three–putt is cause for celebration.
Stay: Celebrating its 92nd year in 2010, The Broadmoor is one of the planet’s premier resorts, thanks to its gorgeous mountain setting, off–the–charts service and an activity package that never quits. 719–577–5790. — www.broadmoor.com
Eat: The Broadmoor bursts with dining options, including award–winners such as the Penrose Room and the Summit. For maximum fun, atmosphere and value, however, do the Golden Bee, an English–style pub which features soups, chili and Shepherd’s Pie, along with hoist–your–tankard sing–alongs. — www.broadmoor.com
16 Doral Resort & Spa (TPC Blue Monster)
Miami, Florida
18th Hole, Par–4, 467 yards
Architect: Dick Wilson
Green fees: $210–$325
Book it: 800–713–6725
www.doralresort.com
Set midway between the fun of Fort Lauderdale and South Beach is the Sunshine State’s most serious hole, the wind–blown, palm–lined Blue Monster, a hole that has terrorized the PGA Tour’s best since 1962. Threading the needle between water, sand and trees, then firing at a back–left pin on this diagonally configured, lake–guarded green takes a shot of courage–and perhaps an extra ball or two. Raymond Floyd, the 1976 Masters champ says, “I’ve made sixes and sevens on it hundreds of times,” and calls it the toughest par–4 in the world.
Stay: Doral Resort’s pioneering luxury spa holds its own against countless newcomers, its golf is right outside your door and the 125–foot waterslide at its Blue Lagoon Water Park will appeal to both kids and the to the young at heart. 800–713–6725. — www.doralresort.com
Eat: Never mind the two–hour waits at prime time–it’s well worth the effort to dive into the namesake fare at Joe’s Stone Crab, a Miami Beach institution since 1913. — www.joesstonecrab.com
17 Whistling Straits (Straits)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
17th Hole, Par–3, 223 yards
Architect: Pete Dye
Green fees: $230–$400
Book it: 800–344–2838
www.destinationkohler.com
Hard by the shores of Lake Michigan is this beautiful brute that beat back the world’s best at the 2004 PGA Championship, won by Vijay Singh. Yank it left and you might find the lake, or else one of more than 1,000 bunkers that dot the course. Push it right and a massive mound awaits, topped with sand and dense fescue grasses. Tiger Woods advises, “You have to throw it in there high with some kind of fade on it and try to hold it against that wind, which makes for a difficult golf shot.” Look for more mayhem this August when the PGA Championship returns.
Stay: The American Club is the finest golf hotel in the Midwest, due not only to the golf, but also to the superior service, dining and Kohler Waters Spa. 800–344–2838. — www.destinationkohler.com
Eat: Special occasions call for dinner at the resort’s Immigrant Room, but what you can’t miss is the Sheboygan Double Beer Brat sandwich at the resort’s Horse & Plow Restaurant, or the Sticky Toffee Pudding at the Whistling Straits Clubhouse. — www.destinationkohler.com
18 Shadow Creek
North Las Vegas, Nevada
18th Hole, Par–5, 529 yards
Architect: Tom Fazio
Green fees: $500
Book it: 702–399–7111
www.shadowcreek.com
A risk/reward hole is the best way to close our fantasy round and there’s no better gambler’s par–5 than here among the high rollers. Tiger Woods and Fred Couples share the course record of 60, but Michael Jordan has likely logged the most rounds. You can get home in two and putt for eagle, provided you carry a lake edged with waterfalls. With a slender green cocooned by grassy slopes, pine trees and flowers, you’d never believe you were in the desert.
Stay: You have to spend a night in an MGM/Mirage property to play Shadow Creek, so make it the Bellagio, a 5–Diamond rated palace in the center of The Strip that’s fronted by an 8–acre lake, complete with fountains and music. 702–693–7111. — www.bellagio.com
Eat: Las Vegas is smothered with amazing dining experiences, but the best one at a golf clubhouse is Cili, at Bali Hai Golf Club at the south end of The Strip. It’s upscale Asian/American overlooking tropical lagoons. Hey, it’s Vegas. — www.cili.com
