Golf Top 18 - Golf Top 18 Recent Courses Blog

Join Together With the Band(on)

7/8/2018

Bandon Dunes Golf Review Picture

Reaching all new lows with my pun titles, this The Who reference is meant to point to my latest trip to Bandon Dunes in Oregon, where, this time I went with five friends and enjoyed the golfing related bounty that is Bandon. Beyond the flagship course mentioned before, I've also updated the reviews of the other courses there. The personal headline was that I FINALLY broke 80 on Pacific Dunes, on my 5th try. I also played a personal best (on any course) at Bandon with a 76 at Old MacDonald and, sadly, Bandon Trails, as usual, continues to prove to be the hardest course at the resort, kicking my butt twice.

One Course, So Many Updates

6/23/2018

Lake Las Vegas Golf Picture

I first played Reflection Bay in the mid 2000s and then, after a couple of rounds there while vacationing with my wife, it closed in the Great Recession. It re-opened a few years back and I finally made it out there. Of course, they flipped the nines as well, which means there is a full re-do of the review and one of the holes (formerly #7 and now #16 got bumped from one of my lists, but stayed on another and it is still a fabulous golf hole and a great golf course).

Going "Straits" to the Top

6/8/2018

Top 100 Golf Picture

I am aware this is the second consecutive blog with a pun reference to "the top" but since both are about Wisconsin golf, I'm sticking to my guns. After playing both the Irish Course at Whistling Straits and the flagship Whistling Straits course, I knew there would be more to update than just referring everybody to the new reviews. I was not wrong; some havoc was set loose upon the top 18 listings; for those of you who have memorized the listings (he laughs at the prospect that there is more than zero who have done that) you will also note that there were some other pre-blog update changes also reflected beyond those added / moved due to the aforementioned Wisconsin trip. Due to another golfing trip recently taken, and an unexpected turn of events at an old course, a few other things jumped around, making this the most active month in Top18 listing movings since the inaugural month of the website (i think). Stay tuned for those updates (except for you list memorizers who clearly already know what they are).

Making a (Blackwolf) Run at the Top

5/12/2018

Blackwolf run river golf course Picture

Kohler, Wisconsin has long been on my list of places to visit, and not for the cheese curds or solidly made sinks, but for the golf. On a recent business trip to Chicago, I met a friend there and we made the trek up to Kohler. The first place we played was the River Golf Course at Blackwolf Run. Playing in May meant start of the golfing season, which came with less leaves on the trees and lighter rough, even if the Sheboygan river was completely swollen and spilling onto the golf course, leaving less rough to find. Overall, I took advantage of the "easy" conditions on this very tough course, and broke 80, which is a feat I'm not sure I'll be able to ever repeat. The golf course has so many difficult shots and a wonderful mix of holes that it blasted it's way onto the GolfTop18 Course Listing, coming it at #13. The amazing, sweeping dogleg right 11th also cracked the "Par 5 Listing". As always, look for the displaced, but still wonderful golf courses that left the list on the "Honorable Mentions".

The Usual Drought

3/25/2018

Ventura Golf Course Review Picture

Given my profession (I know, it's surprising that I'm not a professional "blogger"), this time of year sees my usual golfing drought. That is not due to bad weather, and, usually, SoCal, where I reside, has quite good weather, in large part due to the real dry and drought-like conditions we live with half of our collective lives. Ironically, this year, the last planned golf was actually rained out, but the sole round played in February, was done on a classic SoCal February day with temperatures in the 70s. This allowed for an update to the Vineyard Course at River Ridge in my original home town of Ventura. Here's to the upcoming "golfing" season, which draws near.

The Southern Hemisphere Makes an Impact

2/4/2018

Top New Zealand Golf Picture

The last update from New Zealand is to mention that the amazing 5th hole from the Nicklaus designed Kinloch has cracked a few lists. First, it has made the Dream 18 holes list and is the first update to that in two years. Second, it's also on the Par 4 Listing. Last, it dislodged a worthy opponent from both lists onto the Honorable Mention page.

An Unexpected Turn of Events

2/3/2018

The final two golf courses that I played on my recent trip to New Zealand have now been added: Cape Kidnappers and Kinloch. This duo of golf courses, more than any other I can remember, illustrated the difference between the cerebral golfing experience and the emotional one.

On paper, Cape Kidnappers is one of the Top 100 courses in the world, and folks will carve out an entire day in New Zealand to find it and play it. Kinloch is far less famous, brand new, and in a small town north of Lake Taupo. I didn't know about Kinloch until 2 weeks before my trip when I randomly found that it was 20 minutes from where we were staying. I was looking for an option to play with my son and this seemed to fit the bill. Cape Kidnappers I had researched, planned and "drooled" over playing for well over a year and knew it was too pricey and tough for my son to join.

I must say that neither golf course disappointed, but Cape Kidnappers I played by myself on a dreary day. This ended up being fortunate for my golf score as the normally blustery winds that make scoring so challenging laid low to a light breeze and I was able to squeeze in a round in the 70s. However, the stunning vistas that help make the course so memorable were hampered by a horizon that melted grey sky into grey ocean. So, I knew I was playing a great golf course, which it is, but I can't say I fell in love with it.

Top 100 Golf Course Picture

Kinloch, on the other hand, I played on a sunny day, in the morning, with very few clouds and very little wind. My son was with me, was granted a great junior discount by the nice staff, and off we went as a father-son duo on a nearly empty course. We did not wait for any golfers and none waited on us. I played very well (breaking 80) and my son had his second best score ever, breaking 100 as a nine year old. In my mind, yes, the course exceeded expectations, even if it is not as spectacular or heralded course as Cape Kidnappers, but the joy of playing Kinloch was so complete from the perfect weather to the bonding with my son, to the scoring, that it actually went down as one of my favorite memories from the trip as a whole, and possibly one of the best all around golfing experiences of my life.

Top New Zealand Golf Review Picture

Half A World Away

1/21/2018

new zealand golf course review Picture

For the first time in my life, and, thus, in the history of this website, the Southern Hemisphere has been visited by the author. A rather amazing tour of New Zealand and a quick stop in Fiji allowed for new reviews of courses in the "lower half" of the world. A few golf courses have been added and a couple more are on the way.

Mexico Update

1/14/2018

Puerto Los Cabos Golf Review Picture

Puerto Los Cabos has been added to the list of Mexico courses played. As mentioned in the review, the current routing will likely be altered with more holes being added in 2018 and beyond as part of the master plan for this community on the east side of San Jose del Cabo, but it was a fun one to play as is nonetheless.

Diamonds with no Rough

12/9/2017

Top Cabo Golf Picture

I was able to go back and play both the El Cardonal and Dunes golf courses at Diamante in November. I was amazed how much more I learned about the golf courses in the second visit. For both golf courses, the more you get to know them, the better they seem. The service and amenities at the private resort is top notch. See updated reviews.