July 22th Day 47 - Turkey Creek Golf Course, McPherson, KS                                                                                                          Drove 426 miles

I planned on playing two courses in Kansas on the 2020 trip, but only I got to play Sand Creek Station in Newton. It was actually the best golf course I played on my winter/spring trip before everything shut down and I headed for home. Turkey Creek was the other one and I have to say, it too is a great golf course. The towns of Newton and McPherson are only about 50 miles apart and if you are going to be anywhere near central Kansas, play both of these courses. You will be glad you did!  Also, stay in Newton, there is just more going on there than there is in McPherson, but stay somewhere away from the railroad tracks as Newton has a LOT of railroad traffic.

I think Turkey Creek is owned by the city, although they have a nicer pro shop than most municipal courses I've been to. There is also a LARGE junior golfer program there and 60 to 75 kids were out on the golf course when I started, playing 2 or 3 holes with instructors in each group. I have seen so much junior golf instruction on this trip that I think participation in the game of golf will continue to grow for a long time. About half the kids were girls which is great. The growing number of women golfers helped keep  the sport alive when interest in the game seemed to have waned and many golf courses were closing. 

This is a par 70 golf course and I played the white tees at 5727 with a slope & course rating of 117 & 68.2. The longest tees are 6338 (70.7 & 122) and the shortest tees are 4853 (69.9 & 109). The course is flat (this IS Kansas after all) and water CAN come into play on all but three holes. I shot a 90 with 35 putts. Not that good for a par 70 golf course, but I hit balls into three water hazards and spent a lot of time waiting (some days its hard to be a single on the golf course)!  The greens are great at this course and there so many turtles on this golf course they could have named it Turtle Creek. Oh yes, the Senior rate with cart was $ 33.00!

After golf I made the LONG drive to Norman, Oklahoma. I did my laundry for the fourth and last time (on this trip) and now I have enough clean clothes to make it home. I ended up having a late dinner and slept like a log. 


          Randy’s golf course             ratings          play again               could recommend           Price

Prairieview GC (Byron, IL)               5                  YES                           YES                           $

The Boulder Course (Winchester, VA)    5            YES                           YES                           $$

Wine Valley (Walla Walla, WA)         5                  YES                          YES                            $$$

The Walker Course (Clemson, SC)    5                  YES                          YES                            $$

Dakota Winds (Hankinson, ND)        5                   YES                          YES                           $$

The Links at Greystone (Walworth, NY)   4.5        YES                         YES                            $$

Turkey Creek GC (McPherson, KS)  4.5            YES                          YES                           $

Slammer & Squire GC                      4.5                 YES                          YES                           $$$       (St. Augustine, FL)   

Links On The Bayou  (Alexandria, LA)   4.5         YES                          YES                           $ 

Raccoon Creek (Littleton, CO)         4.5                 YES                          YES                           $$

Brooks Golf (Okoboji, IA)                 4                   YES                          YES                           $$

The Legacy (Springfield, TN)            4                   YES                          YES                           $

Awarii Dunes (Kearney, NE)              4                   YES                          YES                           $$

Chicopee CC (Chicopee, MA)           4                    YES                          YES                           $ 

The Architects Club (Phillipsburg, NJ)   4               YES                          YES                           $$

Lake Panorama Nat. (Panora, IA)      4                   no*1                           YES                          $$

Heritage Shores (Bridgeville, DE)      4                   YES                           YES                          $$

Houston Oaks (Paris, KY)                  4                   YES                           YES                           $  

Eagles Landing (Ocean City, MD)     4                   YES                            YES                          $$    

Brandon GC (Brandon, SD)               4                   YES                             YES                         $

Viroqua Hills GC (Viroqua, WI)        4                   YES                             YES                         $

Magnolia Grove Crossings GC          4                   YES                             YES                         $$$

Portland GC (Portland, CT)               4                    YES                             YES                        $

Green Valley CC (Portsmouth, RI)    4                    YES                             YES                        $$

Snow Hill CC (New Vienna, OH)      4                    YES                            YES                        $

Eldon Golf Club (Eldon, MO)            4                   YES                            YES                         $

Links at Union Vale (Lagrangeville, NY)   4           YES*2                         YES                        $$$

Bear Slide GC (Cicero, IN)                 4                    no                               YES                        $$

Pilgrim's Oak (Peach Bottom, PA)    3.5                  YES                             YES                        $

Lochmere G & CC (Tilton, NH)       3.5                  YES                             YES                        $$

Rivers Edge (Burley, ID)                  3.5                  YES ?                          YES                         $

Natchez Golf Club at Duncan Park  3.5                  YES                             YES                        $                 (Natchez, MS)

Eastern Hills (Kalamazoo, MI)         3.5                  YES                              YES                        $

Brattleboro CC (Brattleboro, VT)     3.5                  YES  ?                          YES                        $$          

Monroe CC (Monroe, NC)                3.5                  YES                              YES                        $

Martindale CC (Auburn, ME)           3.5                  YES   ?                         YES                        $$$       

Birch Creek (Smithfield,UT)             3.5                    no                       good golfers only           $

Fort Myers CC (Fort Myers, FL)        3                    YES                             YES                        $

Kimball Golf Club (Kimball, MN)     3                      no                                 no                         $

Buffalo Golf Club (Buffalo, WY)       3                      no                                 no                         $$

Pryor Creek (Huntley, MT)                 3                      no                                 no                         $        Johnny Walker Course (there’s also a Country Club course, but you need to play with a member!)

Indian Hills Golf Resort (Fairfield Bay, AR)  2.5       no                                 no                         $

The Brookside Club (Bourne, MA)    2                      no                                 no                         $$

Crosswinds Championship GC          1.5                    no                                 no                         $  (Savannah, GA)

Jones Course (Wheeling, WV)            1                      no                                 no                        $$$

Langston GC (Washington D.C.)        1                       no                                no                        $$

*1 = would play again if a different yardage was offered, with slope and course ratings

*2 = would move up a tee and NOT pay weekend green fee. M-Th fee is $ 77 and $ 61 after 2 p.m. 






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