(July 7th) Day 32 – The Architects Golf Club, Phillipsburg, NJ and Pilgrim's Oak, Peach Bottom, PA drove 206 miles
Long story, Long day
It was about a 30 minute drive to The Architects Golf Club from where I stayed the night in Somerset. I don't usually eat breakfast, with my coffee, but the White Castle disappointment left me hungry and I stopped at a little corner deli for a breakfast burrito that was really good.
It had rained quite a bit overnight and when I got to the golf course I was afraid it was going to be soaked and sure enough, it was. It was too wet for golf carts so this became a CART PATHS ONLY round of golf. Cart paths only is usually well enforced and I stayed on the path the whole round, but with the wet ground and walking out to my ball and back to the cart for every shot (until I got near the green of course) it was exhausting. Whenever I get in this situation I TRY to hit my tee shots near the cart path to decrease the distance to and from the ball. Some days it works, this day not so much. A person would actually walk less if they just walked the course. If I had had a push cart I would have done so.
The golf course itself was recommended to me by a local PGA professional FROM Omak, Loren Jeglum. Loren is Ed's son, and Lynn Jeglum is his aunt. I don't know if many know this, but with Rod Carlson (who co-owns Quail Ridge Golf Course here in Asotin County, Washington), Steve Conner (who is the Head Pro at Downriver Golf Course in Spokane) and Loren, Omak has a pretty good golf presence in eastern Washington. I don't think Loren played golf in high school. I think he was a cross country runner and probably ran track in the spring.
ANYWAY, The Architects Golf club is 18 holes of plagiarism, so to speak. The have built holes that very closely resemble golf holes designed by classic and well known golf course architects from the past. There copies of holes designed between 1885 and 1955. The 13th hole is nearly a copy of the 13th hole at Augusta National (The Masters golf course!) and it actually makes for a pretty interesting course to play as it is not just one style of hole or another. It changes style on every hole. The golf course would have you believe that is unique in what they have done, but other golfers have told me there is a course called Renditions (in Davidsonville, MD) that is also a course based on existing holes at famous golf courses. Maybe on my next long trip???
I played the shortest tees with a rating for male golfers I could, 5625 yards. Part of my reasoning was that the course would play long with the wet ground, and I didn't need to walk out and back to my ball anymore times that I was already going to have to. Even at that short of yardage, the course had a slope of 122 which is the same slope we have at our 6400 yard course here in Clarkston. It worked out OK. I had a decent score, but was pretty tired when I was done. It's a very good golf course, reasonably priced and I can recommend it.
After Margaret left for home I decided I would hustle up the rest of the trip and try to get home a little earlier than I had originally planned. I had made a tee time at a course on the southern end of Pennsylvania for the afternoon. It looked like I would get there a little later than planned. I called the course and told them I was likely going to be late. "No problem, we will get you off the first tee when you get here."
It's a GOOD thing I called. The route I had chosen (to avoid Philadelphia traffic) had road construction for at least half of my drive. Total pain in the ass, but I might have needed the break to recover from the long walk I just had. I got to the course about an hour later than planned, but it was still plenty early to get in 18 holes. I put my clubs on the cart and got ready to go. I REALLY wanted a beer or two to take with me on the course, but saw nothing in the pro shop cooler except soft drinks and Gatorade. I asked the young man in the shop about it and he said "Oh, you just bring your own here." SHOCKER! Almost every golf course I have ever been to has a sign "No Outside Coolers or Alcohol Allowed", but this place WANTS you to bring your own.
It was going to have to be Gatorade and water for me, and it's probably a good thing I wasn't drinking beer, because it was HOT that afternoon, and humid. I drank my Gatorade and water rather quickly and luckily they have ice chests at several locations on the golf course where you can get bottled water for 50 cents a pop. Besides what I started with I drank four more bottles of water along the way,
This may be the toughest golf course I played on the whole trip. I played the white/gold combo tees at 5828 yards with a slope of 130! The course is fairly steep and hilly, particularly the back nine. The greens are good, but smallish and few of them have shoulders (where the ball will stop if you are a little left or right) so you need to be accurate. They are not fast greens, but they putted very true. There are also some blind shots on the course that a first timer will likely have trouble with. I did!
There was a threesome ahead of me that I caught on the fourth hole. They were GOING to let me play through, but every time I was close I would hit a horrendous shot and they, of course, weren't going to wait for me. They finally let me through at the turn and my tee shot on ten was probably my best drive of my round so I didn't hold them up once I got by them. I played a little better on the back, but shot a 97 and I have to admit I was happy just to have stayed under 100.
The course was a bargain at $ 40.50 with cart & I recommend it, but BRING YOUR OWN BEER, and expect that this course will probably kick your ass.
After two tough rounds (one because of the walk and one because of the heat and the golf course), I was tired, but had about an hour and a half drive to my lodging in Delaware. And tomorrow I'm going to play 36 holes AGAIN!
Randy’s golf course ratings play again could recommend Price
Prairieview GC (Byron, IL) 5 YES YES $
Wine Valley (Walla Walla, WA) 5 YES YES $$$
Dakota Winds (Hankinson, ND) 5 YES YES $$
The Links at Greystone (Walworth, NY) 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 $$
Lake Panorama Nat. (Panora, IA) 4 no*1 YES $$
Houston Oaks (Paris, KY) 4 YES YES $
Brandon GC (Brandon, SD) 4 YES YES $
Viroqua Hills GC (Viroqua, WI) 4 YES YES $
Portland GC (Portland, CT) 4 YES YES $
Green Valley CC (Portsmouth, RI) 4 YES YES $$
Snow Hill CC (New Vienna, OH) 4 YES YES $
Links at Union Vale (Lagrangeville, NY) 4 YES*2 YES $$$
Pilgrim's Oak (Peach Bottom, PA) 3.5 YES YES $
Lochmere G & CC (Tilton, NH) 3.5 YES YES $$
Rivers Edge (Burley, ID) 3.5 YES ? YES $
Eastern Hills (Kalamazoo, MI) 3.5 YES YES $
Brattleboro CC (Brattleboro, VT) 3.5 YES ? YES $$
Martindale CC (Auburn, ME) 3.5 YES ? YES $$$
Bear Slide GC (Cicero, IN) 3.5 no YES $$
Birch Creek (Smithfield,UT) 3.5 no good golfers only $
Kimball Golf Club (Kimball, MN) 3 no no $
Buffalo Golf Club (Buffalo, WY) 3 no no $$
Pryor Creek (Huntley, MT) 3 no no $ Johnny Walker Course (there’s also a Country Club course, but you need to play with a member!)
The Brookside Club (Bourne, MA) 2 no no $$
Jones Course (Wheeling, WV) 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.
These first three pictures are of Architects.
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