Mike Strantz Courses

[PNB_Golf]

Has anyone played all 7 of Mike Strantz's solo designed courses? If so which was your favorite?

[CDM]

> @PNB_Golf said:

> Has anyone played all 7 of Mike Strantz's solo designed courses? If so which was your favorite?

 

I have played 4 of his courses... but as I know it he has 9 courses...??

 

**_Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (South Carolina)

True Blue (South Carolina)

Bulls Bay (South Carolina)

Tobacco Road (North Carolina)

Tot Hill Farm (North Carolina)

Royal New Kent (Virginia)

Stonehouse (Virginia)

Silver Creek Valley (California)

Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course _**

 

_EDIT: As to thoughts...love **Caledonia**. **True Blue** is also really good. **Tobacco Road**.... 13-14 great holes... 4-5 "WTF" holes.. LOL. **Tot Hill**.... I will just say "Interesting"_

 

_EDIT TWO: Granted Stonehouse never did find a new owner and just sold like 2-3 months ago for $800,000. I know Royal New Kent found a new owner and it seems to be working???_

[raynorfan1]

> @CDM said:

> > @PNB_Golf said:

> > Has anyone played all 7 of Mike Strantz's solo designed courses? If so which was your favorite?

>

> I have played 4 of his courses... but as I know it he has 9 courses...??

 

 

MPCC and Silver Creek Valley are technically redesigns not solo net new courses.

[dcbogeyman]

I'm a big fan of his courses. My favorites that I have played in order are:

 

1. True Blue

2. Caledonia

3. Royal New Kent

4. Tobacco Road

5. Stonehouse

6. Tot Hill Farm

[Billy__Baroo]

I'm from the Midwest, so I haven't had too many opportunities to play his courses, but of the 3 I've played I'd rank them at:

 

1. Caledonia

2. Tobacco Road

3. True Blue

 

We did 36 at True Blue and Caledonia when we were in Myrtle and Caledonia really blew me away. From the second we drove onto the property, it just had a special aura. Super southern vibes that we weren't used to. I also preferred Tobacco over True Blue just because of the pure ridiculousness that Tobacco Road is. It's like golf on acid and steroids at the same time. I would absolutely love to play more Strantz courses. Dude was a visionary.

[razor_1]

All but Bulls Bay and the CA courses. Not a big fan. Putt Putt with a full set of golf clubs.

[nathanrbell]

I really like Mike Strantz and his outside the box philosophy. I have played three, I want to play Caledonia and Tobacco Road.

 

1. Royal New Kent (played twice, I heard it has recently been restored)

2. Tot Hill Farms (played twice, visually intimidating, but not as difficult as it looks)

3. Bulls Buy (Did a lot with a flat piece of land, very cool club)

 

All 3 were great.

[DrOldSchool]

Played 4 of them, my rank:

 

Caledonia (Solid throughout, a fun test, best in MB area)

Tobacco Road (So unique and quirky it's just fun)

True Blue (another solid, great course with wide fairways and a playable layout)

Tot Hill (never played it in the same conditions as the others above. Tricked up like Tobacco, but not as much. 18 doesn't fit the rest of the course)

[PNB_Golf]

> @CDM said:

> > @PNB_Golf said:

> > Has anyone played all 7 of Mike Strantz's solo designed courses? If so which was your favorite?

>

> I have played 4 of his courses... but as I know it he has 9 courses...??

>

> **_Caledonia Golf and Fish Club (South Carolina)

> True Blue (South Carolina)

> Bulls Bay (South Carolina)

> Tobacco Road (North Carolina)

> Tot Hill Farm (North Carolina)

> Royal New Kent (Virginia)

> Stonehouse (Virginia)

> Silver Creek Valley (California)

> Monterey Peninsula Country Club - Shore Course _**

>

> _EDIT: As to thoughts...love **Caledonia**. **True Blue** is also really good. **Tobacco Road**.... 13-14 great holes... 4-5 "WTF" holes.. LOL. **Tot Hill**.... I will just say "Interesting"_

>

> _EDIT TWO: Granted Stonehouse never did find a new owner and just sold like 2-3 months ago for $800,000. I know Royal New Kent found a new owner and it seems to be working???_

 

Yeah RNK is in much better shape since the restoration. Bunkers and greens are better than they've ever been. Fairways could be better but its still early in the year and they're not bad at all. Hopefully Stonehouse can have a similar successful renovation but i think we'll be waiting a while for that one.

[DrDon]

I played Royal New Kent about 10 years ago, and the golf course was in horrendous shape. Bunkers were washed out and unplayable. The rest of the course conditions were not much better.

[firstbatch]

Royal New Kent is back!!! Love it!

 

https://richmondbizsense.com/2019/04/05/prized-possession-local-golf-course-reopens-18-month-hiatus/

 

 

[ALTSean]

Any updates on Stonehouse?

[produff26]

Played Caledonia, True Blue, Tobacco Road and Royal New Kent. Loved them all. Royal New Kent was the toughest. Tobacco Road was my favorite. Such a fun course to play.

Caledonia and True Blue make for a great 36 hole day as they are right next to each other.

[Jungleland]

Stonehouse reopened last year as well, I told it’s coming back but years of neglect will take a bit to overcome.

[ALTSean]

I read that too and it would be great to hear from someone who has played it recently. With the mild winter in the area, hopefully it is doing well and will have a good year.

 

[PNB_Golf]

Haven't played it since it re opened but heard its in pretty good shape

[RichieHunt]

Mike was a trailblazer. I think he had a better vision of being that exotic designer than any other designer that wanted to make some exotic designs had in mind. I used to work at Caledonia.

 

At the time I had been reading about Jackson Pollock and how people didn't realize that he was a very accomplished contemporary artist before he got into drip painting and more avante garde work. He stated to the effect that you need to master the rules before you have the right to break them. And that's why I always resented other drip artists, they were just aping his idea and being lazy so they could call themselves an artist while Pollock did something that was extremely bold (it could have completely ruined his career).

 

With Caledonia, Strantz showed he could master the rules. Nothing stands out as being outlandish and too exotic at the golfer's expense of enjoyment. Just so many great holes from a strategic and visual standpoint. The par-3 3rd and 6th holes are great examples. They're not spectacular like 12 and 16 at Augusta or 7 at Pebble, but between the size of the green and the numerous tee boxes these holes can play almost night and day differently. I remember having anything from a 4-iron to a 9-iron on #3, depending on the pin and tee box locations. I had everything from a 6-iron to a SW on #6 as well.

 

#8 is a classic debate of whether to go for it. #10 is spectacular followed by a spectacular par-3 in the 11th hole. And you really hit a nice stretch of holes from #13 thru #18.

 

I had many golfers come up to me and tell me that they preferred Caledonia over Pebble Beach. Granted, at that time Pebble didn't have the conditioning and golfers were shelling out big bucks for subpar conditions. But the general sentiment was that Pebble had the spectacular holes, but the other holes were very plain and boring (their words, not mine). And Caledonia just had strong holes, one after another. Even the rinky dink par-3 9th hole, with the large green complex made the hole different every day.

 

After showing he mastered the rules, Mike could now effectively break them and he created True Blue, Tot Hill Farm, Royal New Kent and a host of others.

 

He was gone way too soon.

 

 

 

RH

[caniac6]

I played Caledonia around 2000. It was Easter Saturday, and all the azaleas were in bloom. With the exception of ANGC, it was the most beautiful course I had ever seen. I can't remember how I got it, but I got his phone number, and talked with him for a bit. He was a very nice guy.

[Vespar]

We played Tobacco road twice, back to back 36. It was fun.

 

But Tot hill Farm was really cool, almost like an amusement park ride.

[postfold]

Have only played Tobacco Road and Tot Hill Farm. Have played TR several times and like it, played THF once and that was plenty, though maybe I would have liked it better if I had a rangefinder at the time.

[Bucken77]

I have played Stonehouse, Royal New Kent, True Blue, Caledonia, Tot Hill Farm, and Tobacco Road. My favorite and it's not even close is Caledonia. It's a special place. I enjoyed playing the other courses but Caledonia might be my favorite course I have ever played.

[Nollster]

Played Tot Hill Farm back in '07 and I can barely remember it...I've been working out a trip to play them from PA to Myrtle -- should be a great one!

[Chanceman]

Let us know the route, I could be interested. But a question - how many are private/public?

[PNB_Golf]

Only Bulls Bay is private but you can still get on. I have heard the unaccompanied fee is $250-300. The other 6 are public.

[sheppy335]

Love his courses, i would play them all the time if i could.