Arg's Travel Log

[rooski]

On 6/1/2023 at 8:18 AM, Argonne69 said:

Well, unfortunately that was a very unpleasant round at The Loop. Wonderful course, and good weather, but the bugs were completely out of control. The healthy application of Deep Woods Off only seems to tick them off. I couldn't stand in one place for more than a second or two without the gnats, mosquitos, flies, and other assorted nasties flying into my eyes, mouth, ears, and nose. I had the same thing happen years ago at Bandon Trails, and it really put a damper on what should have been a special round.

 

This makes me wonder, Argonne, if I ever ran across you at Bandon Trails without realizing it those many years ago :). I caddied out there for 8 years and remember the year you're talking about distinctly. For about a month out there at Trails the mosquito population was so out of control I could not believe it. The way I explained it was that there were probably 100-200 mosquitos in every square foot of air. I remember spraying my skin, caddy whites, and hat with the most powerful DEET I could find, while also wearing 5x citronella bracelets on each of my arms and legs and filling all of my pockets with dryer sheets. If you have not experienced an absolute swarm like that, it is really something to behold.

 

Anyways I went on quite a rant here but you mentioning that set off quite the memory in my brain lol! I have a video I uploaded to YouTube from Trails at that time, unfortunately the video only shows probably a third of the actual amount of bugs out there at the time https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ug1eIKbeqPc

 

[Argonne69]

Odd morning. First, another steamy day. A little cooler than yesterday, but that just increased the humidity. After a few holes the sun popped out, and it was a day to find shade when I could. 

 

TimberStone today. The oddness was that they didn't have my tee time on the tee sheet. One of the reasons I don't like booking with the pro shop. Did they simply not enter it correctly when I called, or did they give it away to make room for a foursome? Hmmm. Luckily they were willing to send me out as a single as the third group out, and after playing through the foursome in front of me on the 5th hole I never caught the lead twosome. 

 

The course ranks #15 on GolfWeek's best in state list. Probably right. It's my last round in Michigan on this journey after 6 weeks in the state, and it didn't disappoint. Beautiful parkland layout on hilly terrain with towering pines lining the holes. Pretty much what I expect from Northern Michigan golf. The par 3 17th was a heck of a hike, but gave a fantastic view. Reminded me of the signature par 3 at Treetops. The front nine was pretty sweet, but the back was a little too much straight back and forth. Needed some variety. Not much left/right movement. Bunkering was fairly light. Water in play on 7 holes, but some of it was small ponds. The thick trees were the course's biggest defense. 

 

Moderately challenging off the tee. Plenty of pinched tee shots, and relatively narrow fairways on some holes. A good number were pretty wide, though. Minor misses could find trouble with the rough being fairly short. Big misses were goners. Approaches were mixed. Half the holes were benign with light bunkering. The other half had some odd shapes, plenty of bunkering, and/or trees overhanging the approach. Up and downs were challenging. There were a handful of closely mown areas that gave one options, but more often you'd find an uphill lie in the rough with some decent contouring on the greens. Putting was moderately difficult. A number of greens had some fun swails. The 17th was a double lobe with a steep drop off in the back half. 

 

Par 3s were decent. The towering 17th was tough with a 2 to 3 club drop. The 11th was fairly meh. Par 5s were OK. The 5th and 18th were decent risk/reward holes. Each had a small pond near the green. The 5th was tougher due to the narrowing of the layup area. Short 4s were very good. Decent amount of trouble. 

 

Conditions were playable. The gave the course a thorough soaking early this morning, so the fairways were soft with a few small puddles. Rough was cut low. Bunkers were a mess. Too little sand, too many small rocks, and in need of grooming. Greens were a little bumpy, and rolling only 9. 

 

Played a Boulder/Middle combo at 6240 yds (70.8/135). Couldn't buy a birdie putt today. Five bogies. Highlight of the day was a 21' par putt on the 17th after running my chip down the slope to the back lobe. 

 

I'll give this one a solid 6 cows. I was originally thinking seven, but the stretch of holes from 13 through 16 was monotonous. Definitely a letdown after the front, although 12, 17, and 18 were solid. $139 with no walking rate was rather overpriced. No drinking water on the course was a major annoyance on a hot, steamy day. That said, definitely a must play. 

 

[Argonne69]

TimberStone at Pine Mountain Ski and Golf Resort, Iron Mountain, MI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the 18th 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ji3d0aaxsolxtxu/AADpywq31PffVBEBSGi4mujva?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Before I leave the UP, I had to try a local delicacy, the pastie. It's basically a stuffed pastry similar to a pot pie with meat (steak), potatoes, onion, carrot, and rutabagas. Tasty, but I'll stick with a good chicken pot pie. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Off to Woodruff, WI tomorrow. Enjoyed my time in Michigan, but time to move on. I've now played 19 of the top 20 courses on GolfWeek's best in state list. Never heard of Diamond Springs outside of Grand Rapids. Must be new on their list. 

 

With a round in Wisconsin on Monday I'll have played in every state east of the Mississippi on this trip except for Illinois. Lol. I've played over 200 courses in Illinois, but it's a bit odd that I didn't tee it up in my old home state on this trip. Probably should have knocked a new course out last October near the Quad Cities on my way to Des Moines. 

 

On the way to Woodruff tomorrow I'll pass the 20,000 mile mark on this trip. Honestly never thought I'd put that many miles on Bessie that quickly. I'll likely have close to 50,000 miles on her by the end of the trip. The zig zagging across the plains states this summer are going to rack up the miles. 

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by Argonne69

[AltC]

Arg - “The Pastie” is originally a meal enclosed inside pastry which miners used (as you couldn’t go back upside for lunch) in the UK it’s normally a “Cornish Pastie” which originated in the Tin mines of Cornwall - which is lamb and root vegetables- but there is an opinion that it came from the Spanish Empanada - which was also common in the South American Silver and Tin mines - the Cornish tin mines are older however so I am going with that! However a chicken and tarragon pie takes some beating! Hehe 

Keep on truckin and playing these great courses!

[postfold]

13 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Off to Woodruff, WI tomorrow. Enjoyed my time in Michigan, but time to move on. I've now played 19 of the top 20 courses on GolfWeek's best in state list. Never heard of Diamond Springs outside of Grand Rapids. Must be new on their list. 

 

Diamond Springs is a very good Mike DeVries design, close to Holland and GR but still in the middle of nowhere.  Plenty of things you'd like about it I think, especially the par 3s and the variety of holes, but it's not anywhere near the Arcadia tier.  Absolutely worth a play the next time you pass through.

[ode1]

On 6/21/2023 at 2:56 PM, Argonne69 said:

Hayward

What's the plan there?

 

I'll recommend Tamarack Farms for food.  The pizza and wings are fab.  They have BBQ...owned/operated by Dave Anderson, who has some deep roots to the area, as well as BBQ.  There won't be much for beer selection, but you might try their strawberry rhubarb wine😎

[Argonne69]

7 hours ago, ode said:

What's the plan there?

 

I'll recommend Tamarack Farms for food.  The pizza and wings are fab.  They have BBQ...owned/operated by Dave Anderson, who has some deep roots to the area, as well as BBQ.  There won't be much for beer selection, but you might try their strawberry rhubarb wine😎

 

Golfwise I'm booked at Hayward GC and Lakewood Forest Ridges.

 

[ode1]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Hayward GC and Lakewood Forest Ridges.

Have not played either and look fwd to your reviews!  I was slotted to play Hayward GC last fall, but they punched the front the day before and were punching the back which was closed so we switched gears and headed to Spooner GC.  Of course their site was of no assistance, nor was the person I called to set the time the week before.  They were nice enough to offer looping the front twice🙃(sigh).  

[DavePelz4]

13 hours ago, ode said:

What's the plan there?

 

I'll recommend Tamarack Farms for food.  The pizza and wings are fab.  They have BBQ...owned/operated by Dave Anderson, who has some deep roots to the area, as well as BBQ.  There won't be much for beer selection, but you might try their strawberry rhubarb wine😎

 

Depending on your route, I'd consider hitting up the Delta Diner.  It's in the middle of literal nowhere but has some of the best, and eclectic food imaginable.  Believe Guy Fieri made a trip there a couple of years ago so now it's "famous."

 

Forgot to add that they also have "The Tap Shack" which has live music, a few Superior WI craft beers and is also part of the DD family.

Edited June 26, 2023 by DavePelz4

[Argonne69]

Semi enjoyable morning. Dreary, cool, breezy day with an on and off off mist. The forecast called for scattered rain, but I was lucky enough to avoid that with a quick early morning round. I knew the day was going to be iffy when I stepped out of Bessie and into a black cloud of mosquitoes. Thick as motor oil. I couldn't stand in one place on the course for more than two seconds before they were on me. I'm a fast player, but that was ridiculous. Lol. 

 

Northwood GC near Rhinelander today. With the threat of rain, I decided to schedule one of the "lesser" courses in the area. Good choice. On the plus side, the parkland course sits on a beautiful piece of rolling terrain. North woods is a fitting description. Heavily wooded on most holes with a few water holes. They did a great job finding the high spots for the tee boxes with some nice views of the course. Unfortunately bunkering was extremely light, and much of the front nine was fairly benign. The back had a little more variety, and character. Only one dogleg, but a couple of sweepers. The 7th hole had what looked like a domed tent in the fairway. Thought it might be workers protecting themselves from tee shots. As I got closer I could see that it was a green painted rock. Apparently it's a Hodag, the local mystical beast that roams the northwoods. Lol. Nice. Best hole was the par 4 17th, a dogleg left with a forced carry over a pond to a peninsula green. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee. Not much bunkering, but not a heck of a lot of room put there on most holes with narrow rough. Minor misses could be costly, as the rough was low and patchy. You might stay in play, but more likely you'd find the deep woods. Big misses were goners. Thought most of the holes should have been marked as red PAs, but you poke one left or right and you're hitting 3 off the tee. Approaches were easy with accessible greens that were lightly defended. Up and downs from short of the green were benign. Left or right could find a crummy lie in the patchy rough. Putting was fairly straightforward. Greens weren't pushovers, but the contouring was light with very apparent breaks. 

 

Other than the 11th, the par 3s were boring. The 11th was very good with a forced carry over a pond to a peninsula green. 5s were meh. The 7th was reachable, but zero risk. Short 4s were also benign. 

 

Conditions were playable, but spotty. Yesterday's rain left the course wet. Practically no rollout on drives. Rough was patchy. Bunkers were poor with more rocks than sand. Greens were decent, though. Rolling close to 10. 

 

Played the Blue tees at 6425 yds (71.4/130). No idea what I was thinking. Lol. Drives were going nowhere, and I should have played a blue/white combo. Eight bogies. Couldn't get a fairway wood close for a good look at birdie. Highlight of the day was avoiding the rain. 

 

I'll give this one 4 cows. Very nice piece of property that once again needs a golf course architect to set it right. Amazing what some bunkering can do. That said, the $35 senior walking rate gets a big thumbs up. It's definitely not a destination course, but an enjoyable local course that playable if you find yourself in the area. 

 

[Argonne69]

Northwood GC, Rhinelander, WI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4prjsuucxwylo8x/AACOfzC97x0OLtGIg5zfwY6ya?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Rhinelander Brewing Company. Decent selection with 14 taps. The Chocolate Reign Imperial Brown Ale was very tasty, and the Dubl' 'Dag Belgian Dubbel was quite good. 

 

 

[mci711]

Arg, have you played Mystic Creek in Ark? I was just looking at golfweeks 2023 best public and it was 37. I've never even heard of it. (this has nothing to do with your current location, sorry)

Edited June 26, 2023 by mci711

[Argonne69]

41 minutes ago, mci711 said:

Arg, have you played Mystic Creek in Ark? I was just looking at golfweeks 2023 best public and it was 37. I've never even heard of it. (this has nothing to do with your current location, sorry)

 

Yes, I played it in early November of last year after Branson, and on my way to Texas. Pricey, but definitely worth a visit. 

 

https://forums.golfwrx.com/topic/1842161-args-travel-log/?do=findComment&comment=24493523

 

 

Edited June 26, 2023 by Argonne69

[TBone0576]

Some pretty tight chutes to aim down in Rhinelander.   That Hodag rock is pretty cool, unless you hit it of course.   I was born up that way ( Wausau ) so knew about the Hodag, just never make it up that way for vacation or anything.    Do you have Big Fish Golf Club on your list near Hayward?   I'd heard in the past that it was a nice track designed by Pete Dye. 

[Argonne69]

2 hours ago, TBone0576 said:

Some pretty tight chutes to aim down in Rhinelander.   That Hodag rock is pretty cool, unless you hit it of course.   I was born up that way ( Wausau ) so knew about the Hodag, just never make it up that way for vacation or anything.    Do you have Big Fish Golf Club on your list near Hayward?   I'd heard in the past that it was a nice track designed by Pete Dye. 

 

No, not on the list, but I'll check it out.

 

Edit: I went ahead and booked Big Fish. I'll cancel my tee time at Hayward, as it's a late morning round on a long holiday weekend, and I wouldn't care for the long day. Looking forward to playing another Pete Dye layout. 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Gorgeous morning. Didn't have to fight off the skeeters today. Clear skies and cool temps. Nice day for a walk. Timber Ridge today. Technically it's a housing development course, but the homes were few, and tucked behind the trees. Parkland layout with a few prairie style elements. There are a couple of minor elevation changes, but it's no Northwoods. Most holes were pretty flat. A couple of doglegs and sweepers, along with a handful of small ponds. Bunkering was pretty decent. Green complexes were fairly meh. 

 

Mixed bag off the tee. There were a handful of narrow holes and/or narrow chutes, but most of the holes were pretty open. Rough was thick and wide enough to capture minor misses. Big misses were generally big trouble, but there were a few parallel holes that might find a wild shot. Approaches were no issue. Greens were fairly large with moderate defenses. Up and downs were straightforward. Putting was moderately difficult. Greens weren't crazy, but had enough slope to move the ball left or right a few feet. 

 

Par 3s were mixed. The 9th and 16th were decent with forced carries. 5s were also mixed. The pair on the back were boring, but the two on the front were interesting. Both were similar with a short dogleg near the green that positioned the green behind the trees. Each could be reached in two with a high cut over the trees. The 7th had more risk with a PA under the trees and a large front bunker. Short 4s were snoozers. 

 

Conditions were decent. Fairways were drying out after the rain, but had a few brown or patchy areas. Rough was thick and cut to a nice height. Bunkers needed sand and rakes. No rakes? Oy. Greens were very nice, rolling near 10. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo at 6383 yds (71.7/129). A bit of a wonky driver early that cost me a few strokes, but straightened it out on the back half. Four bogies and a double. Clipped two trees coming off the tee, one of which led to the double. Couldn't quite dial in the speed and lines on the greens. 

 

Not a lot of memorable holes here. Decent enough, but I missed the big elevation changes from yesterday. Still, a slightly better design, so it gets 5 cows. Not a must play, but worth a visit if you're passing through. The $67 weekday walking rate was a little pricey. 

 

[Argonne69]

Timber Ridge GC, Minocqua, WI (#10 Start) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go or no-go on the 4th 

 

 

Go or no-go on the 7th 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/y5ig4j72ny1m2pz/AAABuDGsYUx64B0rltagwZZAa?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Minocqua Brewing Company. Lol. First taproom that I've visited that didn't have taps. Everything served from a can. Not a big selection with only 9 varieties, but the 'La (Kamala) imperial coffee stout isn't bad. Would be better in a glass. 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Argonne69

[503Mike]

Reminds me a lot of some of the non-links, coastal courses in Oregon.

[ode1]

8 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Big Fish

Good choice, look forward to your review.  Definitely a tail of two different nines!  

[Argonne69]

Well, I almost stayed dry. Seventeen holes before the sky opened up. Bah. Lol. Staying dry was unfortunately the least of my problems today. Another round nearly spoiled by the mosquitoes and flies. Gotta find a better brand of bug repellent, cause even though they don't bite, the swarms in your eyes, ears, nose, and mouth are annoying to say the least. 

 

St Germain GC today. Once again, a nice piece of heavily wooded rolling terrain that had too many mundane holes with too little bunkering. There were a handful of nice looking holes, but the vast majority were totally forgettable. Water in play on a couple of them. Nice blend of left/right holes. Best of the bunch was the 9th with a fairway split by a grove of trees, and water near the green. The S shaped 5th was very good with two ponds in play. 

 

Play was similar to TR yesterday. Moderately difficult off the tee on many holes with narrow driving chutes, and narrow rough. A handful of holes were quite generous, though. Rough was thin and narrow, so minor misses could spell trouble. Big misses were goners in the heavy woods. Approaches were easy with fairly generous greens and large bunkers positioned out of the way. Up and downs could be tricky due to the patchy rough, but anything short of the green was an easy chip. Putting looked easy, but there was more break there than met the eye. 

 

Par 3s were meh. Not much trouble or variety in length. Par 5s were unexciting. No risk/reward holes. The layup on the 18th was tricky due to a narrow landing area pinches by two large bunkers. Short 4s were benign. 

 

Conditions were very good. Fairways were wet due to an early morning watering. Rough was low and patchy. Bunkers had plenty of sand, but needed a proper grooming. Greens were very nice and rolling at 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6305 yds (70.3/122). Never got into a rhythm rushing through nearly every shot trying to avoid the bugs. One birdie and nine bogies. Highlight of the day was joining the single ahead of me on the 10th tee. It's been weeks since I actually played with someone, and the company helped distract us from the skeeters. Solid player from the Twin Cities. 

 

SG gets 4 cows. Very similar to Northwood in that it has a nice piece of property to work with, but they didn't do much with it. I like the elevation changes on Northwoods better. The $62 walking rate was way overpriced. Playable, but very forgettable. 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

St Germain GC, St Germain, WI 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f8rougmyj7dfle4/AADxUggcUmHYkhuNghUcL69ra?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

I'll be in Duluth next week. Is it worth driving nearly 2 hours north to Superior National? Would be a long day. I could possibly play Lakeview National on the way back. It's at the halfway point, so I could break up the long drive. 

 

[Argonne69]

Back on the Q wagon. Bad Bones BBQ in Arbor Vitae. Not too shabby. Brisket was tender, but a little too lean. Ribs were very good. Tender and smokey. Beans were about average, and the slaw was a notch better than average. Had fun trying the dozen sauces available. The Golden mustard based sauce was a surprise. In the end the Memphis and Kansas City Sweet ruled the roost. Worth a visit. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Rocky Reef Brewing Company in Woodruff. Nice selection with 20 taps. Starting with a sample of their two imperial stouts, and I'll finish with the Formerly Divine Belgian Golden Strong. 

 

 

Looks like more rain tomorrow morning. Hopefully the skeeters sleep in. 

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2023 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

On 6/26/2023 at 10:32 AM, DavePelz4 said:

 

Depending on your route, I'd consider hitting up the Delta Diner.  It's in the middle of literal nowhere but has some of the best, and eclectic food imaginable.  Believe Guy Fieri made a trip there a couple of years ago so now it's "famous."

 

Forgot to add that they also have "The Tap Shack" which has live music, a few Superior WI craft beers and is also part of the DD family.

 

Delta Diner is conveniently located on my route from Hayward to Duluth. Would be a great place to stop for breakfast. Unfortunately the parking lot looks small, and several reviews mention the difficulty of finding a spot. I'll probably drive by, but if I can't find a large spot to park Bessie, I'll have to pass. 

 

[mci711]

Not sure of your direction, or if you you're stopping back in Chicago etc. But are you going to make it to Landmand as you go west? They've been posting when they have cancelations on their socials and I am very close to pulling to trigger and last minute driving up to Nebraska. Looks amazing.