Dunbar was a tough one to chop off. It is just tough to plan for 36 holes a day for 6 days straight. But maybe we can add it onto our North Berwick day if half of the group is interested. The plan is to go to Edinburgh after North Berwick instead of playing 36 that day…I actually mentioned that I would like to play anstruther, but I figured we could do that as an short add on (I.e. after Leven). I think we could be able to get on anstruther with fairly short notice (it is a bit off of the beaten path), but maybe it is busier than I think / am hoping…I am intrigued by Panmure. Jim Hartsell speaks highly of it in his most recent book. There are just too many highly regarded courses there. Unless you take like a 3 week trip, you will feel like you missed something great
This is a very sensible schedule!! Can share accomodation suggestions with you
I played both. Dunbar was excellent. Panmure cool, and cool logo, but also not true links. Dunbar easy add on to NB. Panmure a bit of a hike from St Andrews.
Yup, everything you said is spot on. 36 holes seems so doable everyday until you’re out there, jetlagged, and perhaps a guinness or two too many the night before. Depending on when certainly ppl get on at the Old Course, that could be a potential day to get out to Anstruther too!
Yeah, as Dylan said it is difficult to gauge how much golf we really want to play and not make each day absolutely exhausting.
Also hard to not pick every course we want. Part of the reason I am planning to stay for an extra week and have my wife come meet me to head to some other spots on the islands.
recommend caddie for second round of days of 36 holes. 36 every other day allows time for travel etc.
I debated lighting the tussle group chat on fire, but this felt proper.
Any Muskoka opinions? Need to narrow this down to probably 3 courses for pre-Tussle golf:
Kawartha
Muskoka Bay
Taboo
Deerhurst Highlands
Seguin Valley
Rocky Crest
Ridge at Manitou
South Muskoka
Lora Bay
Would even take suggestions if you think I missed one!
You might get quicker answers over there… we had a healthy debate about Taboo the other day. I thought it was overrated, but apparently it’s really shining post-renos. Muskoka Bay is a standout, although @ParParTriple disagrees… Lora Bay has its champions - our fearless Roost leader @BigtimePolecat worked there once upon a time. But @alhunter doesn’t get the appeal.
After all that, I haven’t played nearly enough of the courses to give a definitive rundown. Someone else will though. Or drop it in the Tussle chat and fire up some folks.
i was a member at south muskoka and muskoka highlands in the past. kawartha is not close to all the others but its one of my top courses ive played. any preference on links or parkland?
id be happy to help
@muskokaeric Not really much of a preference, but probably moreso something more unique to the area so probably not parkland.
Kawartha seems really fun, I might try and swing that even though it’s a ways away. Leaning Muskoka Bay, Rocky Crest, and Kawartha right now, but nothing is set in stone at all. Always open to more suggestions!
it might not be the same caliber but Lake st george just north of orillia is a hidden gem
This might be a chalk take but Muskoka Bay, Rocky Crest and Manitou would be my three, Rocky Crest should be a slam dunk, Muskoka Bay probably has the conditioning crown and Manitou is probably the best value plus the 18th hole view might be the best in the region.
Those 3 are very similar rockey crest and the ridge just feel like they aren’t on the same lvl as muskoka bay
Ovinbiird is the only place in muskoka i want to play now
I mean at it’s core all the muskoka courses are pretty similar, especially the public tracks. You are right though Muskoka Bay is on a level on to itself.
muskoka highlands has the BEST GREENS in the area majority of the time. its short and par 69 but i love that place. lake st george west and south 9’s are so underrated! west was built in 2002 by bob moote and the south course by robbie robinson in 1974. both worked under stanley thompson. they are not like the other courses in muskoka
I’ll have to check them out with a keen eye next time then!! Interesting to see Robinson did that in 1974 as that is the same year the East nine at Hamilton Golf and Country Club opened, which he designed…intersted to see if there are any obvious similarities/templates
I don’t know much about Hamilton’s East course prior to the major renovation that McKenzie & Ebert completed in 2021. So it is difficult to say there may have been some similarities.
What I do know is that, the East course has been completely transformed and has hardly any characteristics from Robbie Robinson’s design at this point. The greens, fairways and bunkers were all completely blown up and rebuilt. There were even some routing changes made.
Routing changes? That surprises me, I worked on the maintenance team until 2019 and was privy to the plans; at that point there were no plans to reroute anything on the East or the original Colt design. That being said I know things could have easily changed but knowing the membership I would be surprised to see routing adjustments. The greens and bunkers were all 100% redone but only a handful of fairways were slated to be tinkered with and even then maybe 2 or 3 had major adjustments (ie. Additional length etc). I’m excited to see it in 2024.
As for the East before the reno it was wildly different than the Colt 18, definitely see the Thompson stylings via Robinson vs the Colt methodology. Over the last 10 years there was a progressive tree program on the East to open up corridors since this reno has been discussed for years but wasn’t official until 2017/18 when I left in 2019 vs when I started in 2011 most of the nine’s sightlines had been altered.
Any Hamilton members want to take a couple lowly scrub out for a lap?
Grandfather used to be a member wayy back, played pre reno a few times - would love to go back. 3 lil kids means my membership there is a long way away in many ways.
Can vet me on the OG HGCC course at Chedoke first - I tuck my shirt, have good etiquette, only fight on the 10th green and know to change my shoes in the locker room. 