Whistling Straits is one of the top golf courses in Wisconsin.
Getty Images
Even though our 50 states may sometimes seem divided, we can argue about something harmless: which of them are the best golf destinations.
The topic came up on golf's new travel-themed podcast Destination Golf, and my co-host Simon Holt and I went back and forth on the podcast, each ticking off our favourites. Four golf states.
Simon's first choice is hard to beat. He chose Oregon, which you might say has an unfair advantage as the home of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. As Simon points out, in Bandon alone, all five of their 18-hole courses (Pacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Old MacDonald, Bandon Trails, and Sheep Pasture) are on GOLF's 100 Best Courses to Play in the list. But golf in Oregon isn't limited to its southern coast. Head inland into the high desert and you'll find two more Top 100 tracks, the Nicklaus and Fazio-designed Pronghorn Raceway, while in the Portland area there's a string of bright public courses at Waiting for you.
As a counter, I brought up Wisconsin. I'm thinking of Sand Valley, which has four massive courses (Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Sedge Valley and its semi-private sibling Lido), There’s also Kohler, Erin Hills, Lawsonia Links, SentryWorld, and more. The Badger State punches well above its weight.
I also claimed my home state of California out of greed. I suggest that a trip here start from San Francisco (Harding Park), go south through Santa Cruz (Pasatiempo) and Monterey (Pebble Beach), then to Los Angeles (Country Canyon), and then Head east to Palm Springs. There's a good reason why golf-loving rats hang out there.
But California is a big state, and Simon doesn't, as he puts it, “enjoy spending a lot of time behind a windshield.” With that in mind, he countered with North Carolina (you can play golf in the sand dunes a lifetime and never get bored); South Carolina (Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head, to name just two of the state's top quality/high value areas); Streamsong and Cabot Citrus Farms, Florida are home to an abundance of first-class resorts.
Of the two remaining options, I chose New York (Bethpage Black is a big target in my mind, but there are four other courses in that state park, all worth playing) and Michigan, during the peak of summer During this period, the weather remains clear after 9 pm, which gives you plenty of time to visit must-see attractions such as Belvedere, Forest Dunes, Arcadia Bluffs, and American Dunes. Eight hours later, you can get up and do it all over again.
You can listen to the full groove conversation here.
Listen and subscribe destination golf No matter where you get your podcasts: Apple | Spotify | My Heart | Amazon
Source link
