Since you're staying on the south end, I'd play your not played south end courses Tradition, River Club, Litchfield Blackmoor, maybe Whispering Pines and do the north end courses the next year or one of the north ends on your way home. My guys prefer shorter drives on golf days so they can spend more time golfing, sleeping, drinking back at the condo, whatever. Your played list is similar to mine. I think I'm around 65 courses now so I have to pick and choose each trip.
This is good advice IMO
jw11
"King Of The Mid-tiers"
We do not have the room booked at this point, based on the courses, seems like we will stay in NMB.
Putting the list out to the crew and letting them tell me what they want to play, including a few courses that only a few of us have played, so I could be replaying a course, but most of the guys would not be. Brings some other options in for the group - Cape Fear, West, Southcreek.
Cape Fear is pretty hard for a couple of the guys to play. West or Southcreek would be better for the couple poor players.
Do you have many in your group who research and request courses?
Only a couple in my group ever talk about picking courses and they only
think of those courses that they remember well. I never get requests
for courses that the group hasn't played or a request of why haven't we
played XYZ in 10 years. Most are just happy to be in MB playing a
nice course.
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Last time we played there, we rode the much smaller boat & the indoor cabin was full, so we had to stand between the cabin & the rail & hang on, cuz it was windy & pretty choppy & we kept getting hit hard with spray.
We were soaking wet when we got there, but the silver lining to this touch of gray is the marginal weather kept the locals home & we had the course to ourselves.
Most peaceful setting I've ever played golf in....no cars allowed on the island.
Golf can best be defined as an endless series of tragedies obscured by the occasional miracle.
Our group went from 4 to 8 about halfway into the 12 years we have been going. One of the group and I have gone a couple times without the group, family trip, trip to watch my daughter run a track meet at Coastal Carolina (she goes to a school in RI). Plus, I have a few trips with family trips where I played with FIL.
One of the original members loves to play new courses, wants to get them all, type (have been friends with him since 1978 when I was 8). Guys from the 2nd four want to hit some of the classics that we have spoken about over the years. We have obviously hit Caledonia, King's North, Pawleys type with them, but courses like Heritage and TPC are courses they would like to get on. As the person setting up, I try to do a little bit of both. Money comes into play as well, a couple of them are not loaded, so a Barefoot, True Blue, Caledonia trip would not happen (which sucks).
Hence - you guys help me figure it out. Sent an email to everyone about sort of what I am thinking (thanks to all of you). Would guess, outside of BHI this trip is pretty cheap, so could add something that not everyone has played that cost some money. Will most likely get a couple figures from Brian on two or three options and let them tell me. I am sold on Brunswick and BHI and Farmstead - don't think that is slumming it by any means. The last course will be fine.
Now that you mention it on our return ferry ride there was a long line to board. It was obviously the daily workers (construction, lawn care, etc) going home. We had to ride outside as well. We did not get soaked.
Back when we had 8 guys there were maybe 3 who might request to play a certain course. Now with 4 there is one guy who hasn't been going as long as the rest of us who will request a course we have played and liked but he hasn't. I usually try to pick a couple old favorites and a new course. That's getting harder since we've played most courses.
Another endorsement for BHI - a unique golf experience and a terrific course. My recollection is it's actually very reasonably priced when compared with the other top half dozen courses win MB which is where it sits in terms of quality. As others have said your ferry trips are included and the green fee is for unlimited golf - you could play as much you can fit in although 36 is your realistic number.
We stay at Barefoot and it's an hour's drive to Southport from there - give yourself half an hour to 45 minutes from arriving at the ferry terminal to the boat departing as you'll need to unload your clubs at the terminal, park your car in the car park and pick up your tickets from the ticket office. The ferrys are from memory on the hour to the island so there's no point cutting it fine as you'll have a bit of a wait if you do miss the ferry. We usually book the 8am ferry when we go and try for a tee time around 9:15/30 so that we can tee off again around 2:00 so we aren't going to be getting too late a ferry back. As others have said there are no cars on the island so there is a little golf cart trailer connection between the ferry and the golf course.
There are sometimes competitions going on and the course is one that has members so it's not like many MB resort courses that have an open tee sheet for external play every day - Brian will be able to let you know about availability but it's the course to check on first and potentially be flexible about which day you can play it.
I'd recommend you get the breakfast casserole to go from the little cafe in the ferry terminal to eat on the boat - it's terrific and is usually open just in time for the 8am ferry. The boat is a decent size although some are larger than others with inside and outside seating. We always sit outside and eat our breakfast as it's a beautiful trip and you are very likely to see dolphins and pelicans along with lots of other birds and wildlife.
There are a couple of decent bars down by the harbour if you have a bit of time before your ferry back and there are food and drink options at the golf course as well.
Hope you enjoy it - I'd recommend it to anyone.
Played Brunswick 2 weeks ago....first time in about 20 years...was very impressed. Outstanding conditions.
Played Brunswick a few weeks ago and they had the nicest and fastest greens we played in two weeks, which surprised us
Hopefully things will improve by the time you get here, but right now International Club is a hot mess (see my post from a few weeks ago, things have not improved at all since then).
Litchfield is probably my least-favorite course I've played down here. It's probably a lot more fun if you know the course well, but there are a lot of blind shots with trouble you have absolutely no chance of seeing from the tee box, and that also don't show up on GPS apps. Things like trees in the fairway that block approaches from one side, but they're around a corner or over the top of a hill, and you have no idea they're there until after you tee off.
Of the ones you listed for your Sunday option, Blackmoor is my personal favorite. Conditions have always been excellent (though you do have to worry about excess water if there's a ton of rain), and it's fairly forgiving off the tee, but challenging on green approaches. Tradition is a solid choice as well.
Might want to check on Bald Head...I heard a rumor from a friend the other day that they are currently not allowing "outsiders" on the island due to covid protocol. That being said you know how rumors are so take it for what it's worth and verify the accuracy. Also such restrictions seem to be loosened up weekly so even if that's the case now hopefully it will be good to go in the fall.
My guess for the 5 that most of the group will tell me is: Farmstead (not sure how we have not gotten there), Blackmoor, River Club, Tradition and Arcadian Shores.
All courses that are very playable and should be ticked off your list. Pick up the other ones missing the next time.
Golf is just an excuse to drink whiskey and smoke cigars
I agree with UGP Play the Playable ones first.
Let the Big Dawg Bark!!!
Pretty happy with the main 3 (BHI, Brunswick and Farmstead). We may get creative on the 4th.
Next year would seem to be pretty easy, stay south and hit - Tradition, Blackmoor, River Club + 2 replays.
The remaining courses will just get picked up one or two at a time after that, as cheaper courses to work in.
Burning Ridge is always in great shape. Enjoyable layout as well. I love playing it
