Arg's Travel Log

[caniac6]

Talking to our pro this morning, and we agreed that the humidity has been a lot worse the last several years. It usually gets hot here in NC in the summer, but the humidity has made it unbearable. 

[TheBear95]

It's not the heat, it's the humidity!

[Argonne69]

31 minutes ago, TheBear95 said:

It's not the heat, it's the humidity!

 

Current temp in Harpers Ferry is 90. RealFeel is at 106. Dewpoint this morning was 73 degrees. Ugh.

 

 

[TheBear95]

2 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Current temp in Harpers Ferry is 90. RealFeel is at 106. Dewpoint this morning was 73 degrees. Ugh.

 

 

 

Brutal stuff. For me, anything over 65 on the dew point is misery. The dew point is interesting. Just a small 10 point swing is the difference from comfortable to pure hell.

 

I'm surprised you didn't come further north for the summer months.

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, TheBear95 said:

 

Brutal stuff. For me, anything over 65 on the dew point is misery. The dew point is interesting. Just a small 10 point swing is the difference from comfortable to pure hell.

 

I'm surprised you didn't come further north for the summer months.

 

Working my way north. Lol. Thought it would be bad, but not this bad. 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

14 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Current temp in Harpers Ferry is 90. RealFeel is at 106. Dewpoint this morning was 73 degrees. Ugh.

 

 

Meh. We get 5 months of that each and every year. Slightly less humidity, but a bit more temperature. I don't even try to walk. They don't put out enough water around here and I can't outright carry enough.

[mci711]

Worthington Manor Golf Club - Arg did you ever get around to playing The Harvester in Iowa? First place I thought of looking at these pics. 

[Argonne69]

14 minutes ago, mci711 said:

Worthington Manor Golf Club - Arg did you ever get around to playing The Harvester in Iowa? First place I thought of looking at these pics. 

 

Unfortunately not. Harvester went private before I got a chance to get out there. 

 

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, ThinkingPlus said:

Meh. We get 5 months of that each and every year. Slightly less humidity, but a bit more temperature. I don't even try to walk. They don't put out enough water around here and I can't outright carry enough.

 

Thankfully Worthington had plenty of drinking water on the course. Probably had a water station every three holes. I downed a 16 bottle at every stop. 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

13 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Thankfully Worthington had plenty of drinking water on the course. Probably had a water station every three holes. I downed a 16 bottle at every stop. 

 

That's really good. It gives you a fighting chance of staying hydrated.

[bcjim]

5 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Wow. I. Am. Spent. Another brutally humid day walking a hilly course. It was tougher today because there was plenty of sun, and very few trees to provide shade. Thought I was going to melt. It was so humid that I had trouble taking photos because I couldn't open my phone at times. The screen was wet, and even though I had two towels, they were both soaked. I didn't have a single piece of dry cloth to wipe of the sweat. Joined a nice couple and another single, all members, and we buzzed around in just over 3 hours. Pretty sure they could have played faster, but I was the boat anchor today. Lol. 

 

Worthington Manor GC today. Beautiful meadow style layout on an old farm. The course was designed by Ault and Clark. The course ranks #6 on GolfWeek's best in state list. Might be a couple of spots too low. The course hosted a US Open qualifier earlier this year. Looks much different than the last two courses with few trees and views in all directions. Don't know if I'd call it hilly, but it sure wasn't flat. Fairway bunkering was good. Could use a few more. Greenside was very good. Water in play on 13 holes, but I'm pretty sure one can lose a ball in the native junk on every hole. Could use a few more red stakes. Nine holes with left/right movement with one dogleg. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee with a couple of short forced carries, and some sloping fairways that would feed balls down into the rough. Minor misses would catch the generous thick rough. Stuff was cut, but still very penal, especially on an uneven lie. Big misses might get lucky and find an adjacent fairways on a couple of holes, but practically speaking the ball would be long gone in the junk. Stuff was wickedly thick. 

 

Approaches were tough primarily because of the firm greens. Landed a couple of short irons on the front of the green, and the ball settled on the back fringe. Started playing short of the green and hoping for a forward kick. Greens had excellent contouring and slope. Toss in the speed, and it was a challenging day with the putter to say the least. Putts from above the hole would require a gentle tap, and they'd roll twelve feet past the hole. Up and downs were nearly impossible. Chipping out of the thick rough produced zero check, and the ball wouldn't stop. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Nothing wowed, but they were solid. The 6th was probably the best of the bunch with all carry over a large pond. The long downhill 17th was tough with zero room to miss. Variety of length was lacking. Played 7i to 5i. Par 5s were lackluster. Nothing really reachable. The 18th was a good finishing hole with a split fairway. I took the easier lower part, and had a tough uphill approach with two bunkers staring me in the face. The narrow upper fairway was the play. The four short 4s didn't excite. Tough greens, but not a lot of thought off the tee. Special mention to the par 4 3rd and 12th, the #1 and #2 handicap holes on the course. Tough as nails. 

 

Conditions were excellent. Fairways were lush. Rough was very thick, but cut to a height that was manageable for us mere mortals. The native looking bunkers had just enough sand. Greens looked good, and were slick. At least 11, and more like 12+ on the downhill putts. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo at 6280 yds (71.2/134). Yikes. Ran out of gas today. A couple of iffy drives into the rough were costly. Irons were spotty. Wedges were meh. Putter struggled on the tough greens. Two birdies, eight bogies, and two doubles. Ouch. Shot of the day was the 6h off the tee on the downhill par 3 17th. Anything on the green would be golden, and the ball finished pin high on the left fringe. Was able to cozy the 27' downhill lag to tap in distance. At that point I was giddy. Lol. Highlight of the morning was my three local playing partners. Solid games on their home course, and great company. 

 

Another solid 7 here. Beautiful layout and a real test. There was once again zero wind today. I bet it's a real beast if there is any wind. I'd like to see more variety in the par 3 lengths, a good risk/reward par 5, and a tad more trouble on the short 4s. That said, the course certainly has plenty of trouble. Lol. Appreciated that they had a walking rate. $91 for a weekend wasn't bad. I don't consider it a must play, but here's the thing. Combined with Musket and Whiskey, and you have a heck of a trio. I bet PB Dye is going to join the club, so definitely make the trek from DC for a long weekend of solid golf. 

 

The 8th can be rough with a front pin. Seen many people chip or putt from above the hole 40y off the front of that green.   And #2 once I blasted a 8 foot uphill putt 4 feet past the hole,  and it reversed course into the cup.  #3 is particularly difficult because of the angle of the green impacts your yardage so much,  and the length of the hole.  You almost have to have a short club in but it's a long par4. And even with a short club,  you have to trust that yardage to the pin and hit it the right distance. Bail out with a long approach to that collection area is maybe the best play.  That hole has my number.   12th I've figured out.  

[TomRUtah]

I'm from the DMV area and moved away 2 score minus 1 year ago.  Every time I visit the area I'm reminded of why I'll never move back: the humidity.  I'll take 100º with low humidity any day over 85º and high humidity/dew point. 

[bcjim]

5 hours ago, ThinkingPlus said:

Meh. We get 5 months of that each and every year. Slightly less humidity, but a bit more temperature. I don't even try to walk. They don't put out enough water around here and I can't outright carry enough.

Definitely, we only get 6 - 10 weeks of this really. Less some years but this summer has been really sticky and fairly hot.  But S. TX is another planet.  But we also a month or so of too cold to play and 2 additional months of too cold to play but we play anyway with 6 layers on.

[ThinkingPlus]

18 minutes ago, bcjim said:

Definitely, we only get 6 - 10 weeks of this really. Less some years but this summer has been really sticky and fairly hot.  But S. TX is another planet.  But we also a month or so of too cold to play and 2 additional months of too cold to play but we play anyway with 6 layers on.

We might get a couple weeks of colder, wetter than you would like weather in the "winter" here. For the most part October to April is generally pretty nice except we get wind all year.

[DArnie]

On 7/9/2025 at 11:59 AM, Argonne69 said:

Enjoyable morning, but oh this humidity is rough. Bet I lost 3 lbs of water weight. Mid-70s early, but mid-90s by the end of the round. No wind, and a few bugs. Nice drive to the course through the rolling hills of rural Maryland. I can't recall ever having driven through three states to play a round. Lol. Went out as a single walking behind a threesome and single riding, and never caught them. Loved the 2:50 pace. 

 

Musket Ridge GC today, a Joe Lee design. The hilly parkland layout ranks #1 on GolfWeek's best in state list. Solid layout, but I don't think I'd putt it ahead of Bulle Rock. The clubhouse sits at the high point with the 1st and 10th playing downhill, and the 9th and 18th playing back uphill. I think I saw a couple of homes off property, but otherwise it's you and some nice views of the countryside. Fairway bunkering was light. Greenside wasn't a lot better. Water in play on five holes, but several more that thick junk under the trees that was red staked. Seven holes with left/right movement including two doglegs. 

 

Fairly easy off the tee with somewhat generous fairways, light bunkering, and one short forced carry. Minor misses would catch the generous rough, but an uneven lie would be likely. Big misses were a mixed bag. Plenty of adjacent holes, and clear areas under some trees, but there as many holes with dense junk waiting. Got lucky on the 5th when I blocked my teeshot into the middle of the 6th fairway. 

 

Approaches were moderately tough primarily due to the elevation changes and uneven lies in some fairways. A handful of greens were on the smallish side. For the most part greens had gentle contouring and slope. Getting very bored with these benign greens. The 18th had a nice upper deck. Up and downs were tricky coming out of the thick rough from mostly uneven lies. 

 

Other than the 2nd, the par 3s were meh. The 2nd had a carry over a pond with a deep bunker in front. Par 5s were OK. The dogleg 6th had a somewhat narrow layup area with bunkers on the inside corner. The short Z shaped 12th could probably be considered a risk/reward hole. Not a lot of room to miss left. The two short 4s were mixed. The dogleg 11th was driveable over the corner to a blind green. The opening hole is tough with the green protected by a pond right. 

 

Conditions were mixed. Fairway turf was decent, but I don't recall seeing a course with so many unfilled divot holes. Like a minefield out there. Rough was thick, and in the process of being cut. Bunkers were awful. Don't know why they bother running a rake over them because there's little sand. Greens were good. Speed was close to 10. 

 

Played the Blue tees at 6416 yds (71.3/136). Minus two shots the driver was well doing it's job. Irons had a nice two way miss going. Wedges helped limit the damage. Putter was cold. Two birdies, four bogies, and a double. Shot of the day was holing out a 28' pitch over the left greenside bunker on the par 4 14th after hooking my approach. Low-light came on the next hole when I blocked my teeshot into the PA leading to the double. Highlight of the day was getting a nice workout.

 

I was originally thinking six, but going with 7 cows. Definitely think Bulle is better. Very nice looking course with more than a few fun holes. A few too many meh ones though. Needs more bunkers and some contouring on the greens. Par 3s need a little more trouble. No walking rate, but the $86 weekday rate was fine. Don't think it's a destination course, but it's certainly worth playing if you're in the area. I'd definitely be a regular if I was a local. 

 

Lol, I've never played a Joe Lee design that needed more bunkers! That would be a first for me.

[Argonne69]

Well, at least I survived. I think. Lol. Current temp in Frederick is 90 degrees, and the RealFeel is 108. Got a little lucky with a few clouds and a light breeze. Sure beat no clouds and no wind. Thankfully the course had water stations every three holes. Joined two young doctors walking. Always nice to be in a group of walkers. Pace was OK for a busy Saturday morning at 4 hours. 

 

The Club at PB Dye today. Another local gem. What a brute. Obviously designed by PB Dye, the meadow style layout had many similarities to Worthington Manor with few trees and more than enough thick native areas. Plenty of up and down, and several fairways with uneven lies. Don't recall seeing a home. Lol. Fairway bunkering was somewhat light. On several holes my Skycaddie showed extensive bunkers, but there were only one or two. I asked the marshal about it, and he said that they tamed the course a few years ago removing many bunkers and a couple of ponds. Greenside bunkering was decent. Water in play on a dozen holes, but every hole had dense native areas that should be red staked. Nine holes with left/right movement that included three doglegs. Looks like they flipped the nines recently. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee due primarily to the forced carries. Minor misses would catch the generous thick rough, which was very penal. Our group spent plenty of time marching back and forth trying to find balls that settled down in the stuff. Big misses need not apply. You might get really lucky and find an adjacent fairway, but 99 percent of the time it was a lost ball in the junk. Normally I can find a few balls walking through the stuff, but it was a lost cause here. 

 

Approaches weren't that bad because the greens were massive. Good luck two putting, but you can pad your GIR stats. Greens had some fun contouring and slope, including a few with multiple tiers. Had one pitch that looked like it was going to stop on the upper tier, but it started inching down and wound up 60' below the back pin. Actually had to pitch the ball from the front part of the green due to the shape of the green. Putting was hard, but due to the slower speeds, not quite as tricky as Worthington Manor. Up and downs were mixed. There were plenty of greens with light bunkering and large closely mown areas. Lengthy, but fairly straightforward chips or Texas wedges. OTOH, there were plenty of tough pitches out of the thick rough from uneven lies. 

 

Par 3s were very good with plenty of trouble. The 2nd was the best of the bunch with water short and left. The long uphill 17th was tough. Variety of length was poor. Three played PW to 9i. The 17th was a fairway wood. Par 5s were somewhat disappointing. Three were reachable with good drives, but not a lot of risk near the greens. The 3rd did have a somewhat tricky layup with a carry over a crossing creek from a downhill lie. The sole short par 4 1st was OK. The dogleg could be driven by cutting the corner, but not a ton of risk. Definitely seemed a better hole as the old 10th. 

 

Conditions were excellent. Fairways were lush. Rough was thick, but cut to a consistent height. Bunkers had plenty of sand. Greens were in nice shape. Speed might have been close to 10. 

 

Played the White tees at 6356 yds (70.7/134). Minus one drive, it was a good day off the tee. Irons were good until late in the round when I simply ran out of gas. Wedges have been better. Putter was pretty good given the number of long lags. One birdie, seven bogies, and a double. Shot of the day was a nice 21' birdie putt on the par 5 8th. Also hit a couple of nice hybrids and 9Ws that found the large putting surface on the long par 4s. Highlight of the day was my playing partners. Not much of a game, but both had extended layoffs during their residencies. Good company. 

 

Being lazy and going with a solid 7 cows. Very tough course if you're not a str8 hitter. Honestly, it's hard to pick one of these last four courses as the top pick. I said it yesterday, the four would make a great three day golf trip. Dulles is an hour away. Fly in, play Musket the afternoon of arrival, PB Dye and Worthington Manor on day two, and finish with Whiskey Creek on the third day before flying home. I'd like to see the old bunkers put back. Lol. Needs a mid-length par 3, and a little more risk on the par 5s. I'd like to see the greens a little speedier, but that would be a punch in the gut for most players. No walking rate, but the pro shop gave me a senior rate that usually doesn't apply on the weekends. $89 was a bargain. Destination course? Don't think so, but it's definitely worth a play. I'd be happy to be a local here playing these four courses every week. 

 

[Argonne69]

The Club at PB Dye, Ijamsville, MD 

 

 

 

Forgot to mention the numerous blind shots 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wouldn't be a Dye course without a volcano bunker 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/hyfptqn9l5s8hcwdkol2d/AHkXHBYh25faJc6NnA0OuzE?rlkey=4lqx9qeadz0no9rwi271kngel&st=19cn15bq&dl=0

 

Edited July 12 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

There are a handful of breweries in town, but their lineup is meh for this malty beer lover, so it was back to Steinhardt Brewing Company for their tasty Orange Punch Belgian Golden Strong Ale. 

 

 

[ZephyrS4]

Great looking as usual lately…..bummer about the weather!

[Argonne69]

12 minutes ago, ZephyrS4 said:

Great looking as usual lately…..bummer about the weather!

 

As wicked as it was, it was certainly better than the t-storms that were forecast earlier in the week. I really should have taken an umbrella today. Not much shade out there. 

 

Edited July 12 by Argonne69

[ZephyrS4]

True…..you’ve had some great courses to play. Have you stepped on a scale recently? Bet you’ve lost a little weight sweating it out.

[Argonne69]

Just now, ZephyrS4 said:

True…..you’ve had some great courses to play. Have you stepped on a scale recently? Bet you’ve lost a little weight sweating it out.

 

Lol. Actually I did. Still at 220. No idea why I'm not at 199. 'Might have something to do with the brisket, ribs, and tripels. 😊

 

[ZephyrS4]

Yeah, there’s that…..lol. If you didn’t walk so much you’d be 320! 😂

[Double Mocha Man]

23 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

There are a handful of breweries in town, but their lineup is meh for this malty beer lover, so it was back to Steinhardt Brewing Company for their tasty Orange Punch Belgian Golden Strong Ale. 

 

 

 

100 bucks says you can't find a beer with a one word name.  Budweiser doesn't count.  If you do you'll need to understand the concept of "Check's in the mail".

[Argonne69]

Oy. Lol. Frederick seems like a nice town, but 17 minutes to travel 3 miles is killer. 

 

Stopped for gas along the way. Remember when premium gas was 10 or 20 cents more than regular? Luckily the CR-V takes regular, because paying $1 a gallon more than regular for premium is a crime. 

 

[buckI]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Lol. Actually I did. Still at 220. No idea why I'm not at 199. 'Might have something to do with the brisket, ribs, and tripels. 😊

 

It is Saturday so don’t forget the mole, margaritas, chips and salsa! 😂

[Argonne69]

Yeah, it wouldn't be a Saturday without the mole. Got back to the RV park to find the power out. Over an hour without power, and the Verizon and T-Mobile coverage here is garbage. Normally I get 100 to 150 Mbps with the T-Mobile Hotspot, but here I'm getting 3 Mbps. Oy. 

 

Stopped at Fajita Grande in Frederick. OK I guess. I've certainly had better, but I've also had worse. Looked at a dozen restaurants before finding one with mole. The salsa was very good. Margarita wasn't bad. Can't say I'd recommend the place. 

 

 

Edited July 12 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

I'll be in southwest Pennsylvania in mid-August, and Ohio in early September. I was considering a stay and play at Nemocolin (Mystic Rock), and Firestone CC (South), two of the few Top 100 public courses I haven't played. 

 

Cheapest room at Nemocolin is $1000+ a night. No idea what the golf runs. Pass. 

 

A room at Firestone seemed "reasonable" at $450, but the greens fee at the South course is $560. What? Is it my imagination, or is paying nearly as much as Pebble Beach for the 91st ranked course a little nuts, not to mention the hotel price? 

 

These stay and play deals have gotten absolutely insane. I have money to burn, but I'm not completely nuts. 

 

[StoutKing]

On 7/11/2025 at 11:51 AM, Argonne69 said:

 

Working my way north. Lol. Thought it would be bad, but not this bad. 

 

Arg, you're always welcome in SoCal.  Haven't really needed the AC this year yet.  Low humidity with no clouds and low 80's during the day, 60's at night.  We will probably see clouds in December though...;)

Edited July 12 by StoutKing

[StoutKing]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

I'll be in southwest Pennsylvania in mid-August, and Ohio in early September. I was considering a stay and play at Nemocolin (Mystic Rock), and Firestone CC (South), two of the few Top 100 public courses I haven't played. 

 

Cheapest room at Nemocolin is $1000+ a night. No idea what the golf runs. Pass. 

 

A room at Firestone seemed "reasonable" at $450, but the greens fee at the South course is $560. What? Is it my imagination, or is paying nearly as much as Pebble Beach for the 91st ranked course a little nuts, not to mention the hotel price? 

 

These stay and play deals have gotten absolutely insane. I have money to burn, but I'm not completely nuts. 

 

That is insane.  Good course but not 560 good.  Jeepers