The work of Mike Strantz, as a golf achitect, is very interesting to me. In the past, Strantz was hired by the Myrtle Beach's Legends Group as Director of Golf Design for their Parkland course. He has built also: Caledonia, True Blue, Tobacco Road, Bulls Bay, Stonehouse, Royal New Kent and MPCC. Most were built in the Carolinas and Virginia states. Others, in California.
Have you play some of these Strantz's golf courses in the Carolinas? Which one have you prefer?
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
I have only played Caledonia. True Blue is a bucket list course. Caledonia is among my favorite MB courses.
Nothin Could be Finer !!!!!!
I love this topic. Strantz is my all-time favorite designer, I just wish he didn't die so young so he could have done more. Ive played all except his California course and each is unique in its own right. If I had to rank them it'd be:
1)Tobacco Road- although now grossly overpriced, the layout here best defines what his vision of a course should be...visually stunning and tremendously penal to bad shots, but playable and scorable to those who can keep it in the short stuff.
2)True Blue- a must play on every trip(except closed for aerifying this year for our trip)...you'll hit every club in your bag
3)Tie- Tot Hill Farm and Stonehouse- Again, the layouts are incredible. Tot Hill Farm would rival tobacco road if not for the last two holes, where strantz either ran out of real estate or just sad f it...the first 16 are awesome. Stonehouse has a great variety of holes with some truly scary results around some of its greens if you miss.
5)Caledonia- a beautiful course but number 9 ruins it for me. Also, not as intimidating as his other tracks.
6)Royal New Kent- still a decent course but not as many memorable holes
Was not Cape Fear National his last course?
I have played: Parkland, True Blue, Caledonia, Royal New Kent, Stonehouse.
I only played RNK + SH once 10 years ago, so it's hard to rank them.
Cal is his first solo design, so I guess he didn't want to overdue it and the property
is more for a traditional design, than a big links course.
It takes Avid Golfers and a Vacation Resort to support expensive difficult courses
like these.
Cape Fear is not a Stranz course. It is Tim Cate.
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it's such a shame that he died so early, as he was truly a genius. There are just some folks that have the artistic and technical know-how and talent combined with a bold spirit that move the needle. I think Strantz was that sort of man.
Citing RJ Daley, an expert in golf architecture, these lines explain why Strantz was different:
"His work at New Caledonia was a demonstration of ability to work a bit different approach to almost parkland terrain. And right across the road at True Blue, another change-up. The engineering plan and work at Bulls Bay is once again bold, shows great talent to create and plan a property from essentially nothing to a sprawling big time course with the creation and routing scheme off the central mini-mount they constructed. I only saw the photos of MPCC, but what has been posted in photos, along with a few of his artistic painting hole concepts shows the flair and creativity that burned in Strantz. Then... when you consider the physical struggle he endured with his mouth and throat cancer, yet pressing on through what must have been agonizing days and months during the project, was a measure of passion we must give great reverence to such commitment. And, I have never heard a bad word as to the outcome of that project."
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
I am a person that loves his designs. I have played both in MB, Tobacco RD and Tot Hill. I was super impressed with all of them, even with the weird last 2 at Tot hill.
He was taken from us to soon.
Let the Big Dawg Bark!!!
I have played Caledonia, True Blue and Parkland. Caledonia is 1A to 1B Rivers Edge for me in MB. Flip a coin tell me which one I "have" to play - all good. Parkland was nice - scored well there as well as at Caledonia. True Blue was CPO the day we played and made it very difficult. Long course if on the wrong side of it. Should be playing Caledonia & True Blue in the fall again. Would love to get to Tobacco Road. Going to be in the area this summer, so hoping it may work out. Really enjoy his courses - fun to play.
I've played Parkland, True Blue, Tobacco Rd, Caledonia in that order.
Tobacco Rd is one of my all time fave courses. TR, Cal, Parkland, TB are my order. Hope to get to Tot Hill next trip, maybe the 2 Virginia courses also if they are open.
I have played Tobacco Road, Tot Hill Farm, True Blue, and Caledonia. I think Tot Hill is the hardest of those that I have played. Tobacco Road takes 2 or 3 times playing it to appreciate it and understand. The first time I didn't like it. But, then it grew on me. True Blue is probably my favorite. Caledonia gets the hype, almost too much hype sometimes. Caledonia is probably the less intimidating of all those. Not easy by any stretch of the imagination, but the others can be brutal if you are off your game.
Great comments Herdman. Thanks for them. Caledonia and True Blue are two layout very different. Strantz was an artist. Visual effect is intimidating on some holes. In reality, the holes are easier to play than they appears.
''It's just golf, let's have fun''
well this was interesting
