Golf Top 18 Recent Courses Blog - Golf Top 18

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.

Minor Update

11/25/2017

Carlsbad Golf Picture

I made a minor update to the Crossings at Carlsbad review after playing it for the first time in 5 years this fall; three holes/pictures were added by my overall assessment of the course remains unchanged.

2017 has marked another year where the number of my golf rounds played has dropped, but the percentage of good/new courses remains decently high. I do have some great rounds from November/December that will show up in the next two months, so stay tuned...

Squeezing in a Few More Pictures

10/14/2017

Ventura Golf Review Picture

One thing about trying to always improve the golf course reviews on this site is when I play a golf course I like a lot and have played a lot, I have to balance taking pictures and reviewing more golf holes just because I can versus adding holes that I don't consider "worthy" of the recognition. On a recent golf trip with my buddies, I visited a couple of my favorites in this regard and was able to justify adding in a few more holes. Both Rustic Canyon and La Purisima definitely have robust golf course reviews on this site, if you count the # of golf holes represented.

Windsor in Wine Country

9/29/2017

On a recent trip to Sonoma County, known for its wines, I was able to play Windsor Golf Course, which is a relatively short, but fun and challenging golf course. The staff was especially courteous and I recommend the course for those going to the area who want a nice, relaxed golf experience.

Windsor Golf Course Review Picture