Gone but not forgotten: a tribute to closed courses

[DrOldSchool]

Course I grew up playing back in Maryland - West Winds near New Market, MD closed a couple years ago. Had a couple goofy holes, and they ruined a few more when they stuck additional houses along it in the early 90s but played there many times in my teen years, up to a rainy Christmas round a few years ago. Sad to see it go, would hate to live in that neighborhood now. Couple others closed around Frederick that couldn't keep up with development and the bigger boys that opened in the golf boom - the 9 hole VFW course and executive course Hope Valley (which was a Boy Scout camp before a golf course when I was a kid).

 

Since I moved to Indiana, a couple courses I enjoyed have closed. Stonehenge was a fun course that I played just once a few weeks before it shut down. It was a nice layout, and had a neat clubhouse. Killbuck near Anderson was Ford or GM's private course back in the day, and it was good for an after work round since it was about half way between work and home. Nothing special, but had some tricky greens.

[Bonneville85308]

That brings back some good memories, thanks. Circa 2006 I had a work project within a mile of that course, there were many sunny summer afternoons where I would wrap things up early to drive 2 minutes to Beckett to get in 18 holes. The layout was nothing special but it was in the right place at the right time for me.

[Jungleland]

I was a big fan of the course, as I am most Doak courses, The front was a bit more open and then it got tight on the back. We used to have 36 hole days with Beachtree in the morning and Bulle Run in the afternoon.

[Fuscinator]

Played it only once, but I loved it. All my friends hated it.

[MountainGoat]

We lose more than 200 courses a year in the US.

[Jungleland]

It was a love it or hate it course. I found it tougher then Tobacco Road, some of the holes were just ridiculous.

I thought PH used it for parking during the last U.S. Open

There was a mention that Coore & Crenshaw have walked land, not sure if anything came of it.

[BIG STU]

When I lived in Charlotte that was one of the courses on our rotation along with Beacon Ridge and Foxfire over in Hoffman NC. At the time public golf absolutely sucked in Charlotte on the weekends. We were always playing Calcutta auctions and side bets and had usually 30 to 40 players. It started out with Foxfire and those folks were more than glad to accommodate us especially in the hot summer. Some of the guys that had families would drive back because it was only 75 miles. I was single at the time and stayed and they gave us great rates and of course we had party girls come down too. Foxfire always accommodated us even if we were playing somewhere else. Man those were the days

[caniac6]

I've stayed, and played at Foxfire. Thought both courses were fun. Whispering Pines has a similar set up.

[Fuscinator]

I suspect the ridiculous holes were the ones I liked best.

[cbbaron]

I liked Belle Terre in Myrtle

[BIG STU]

I have lived down here 20 years and Belle Terre was closed when I moved here along with one of the 18s at Burning Ridge. Which I was told there was another 9 at Island Green but it closed that 9 before I moved here. Of course all of Island Green has been closed close to 5 years now.

[BIG STU]

Yeah with this thread I am starting to see that now. it is not only an epidemic in the Grand Strand area of SC. I think it was said on the TV the other night here that The Grand Strand area has lost 25 courses in the last 10 years or so

[jli2636]

Both courses I grew up on are no longer open. Detweiller golf course a 9 hole par 29(par 3’s and the last 2 were really short par 4’s) in Peoria, IL. Was right on the river and prone to flooding but was great for kids. Also Donovan Golf Course in Peoria, IL. Both of these were run by the Peoria Park District. Donovan is now a park operated by the same park district with a restaurant that bought the clubhouse and operates out of it now.

[bill.ig]

Had a nice winters day about 30 years and drove down to NMB from Durham for a couple of days and one night. My wife and I played Possum Trot, she had one daughter in the cart and I had the other daughter in another cart. Good memories. Nice pleasant course.

[driveandputtmachine]

North Myrtle to Brunswick County

Ocean Harbor - shot 62 out there while I was a college golfer, not sure how it happened and I never hit the ball that well again. March Harbor - never played it well, but loved it.Angel's Trace - North and South. Greatest local course around Bay Tree - was a favorite of the snowbirds for a short term membership in the winter (Three courses I believe)Ocean Isle Beach GC Robber's RoostGator HolePossum TrotHeather GlennI keep hearing Glen Dornoch will be closed, but it is still around. Quite a few others I am forgettingI hear there are some 36 hole venues thinking of going to 27. I know a few courses have changed hands recently as well. I have either lived or vacationed in the area since 1990 and a bunch has happened down there. Lived there for 6 years.

The biggest losses? The two harbors were big loses and had amazing views, there are few current courses that can match them for views over 18 holes. Angel's Trace was a big loss for for good value, especially for the locals.

[BIG STU]

Robbers Roost that one was a kick in the gut for me because my old man and me too had a lot of history involving that place. Bay Tree sat vacant for close to 2 years or so until they started developing it about 2 years ago. Remember the water tower shaped like a golf ball on a tee? They decided it was outdated for the new water system. They had a heavy contractor come in and take it down. I drive a truck for a metal recycling company and I hauled 12 loads of metal from that thing. The data plate for the tower with the date it was built hangs in my shop. Another one we forgot is Waterway Hills closed about 2 years ago they are building houses on it as we speak

[driveandputtmachine]

Before my parents bought a condo in OIB we stayed in Cherry Grove quite often for our vacations. Played Gator Hole and Robber's Roost quite often. As a young kid during the summer in OIB I played the OIB Golf Course, Angel's Trace, Pearl, and Sandpiper quite often. Ocean and Marsh Harbor were both rounds when I played with my dad and his group.

I miss Angel's Trace the most, my Grandparents would stay at the condo all winter and joined Bay Tree, so I played out there a good bit with them too. They also joined down at "The Gaulntlet" at St. James one winter, which became The Founders club I believe. That Bay Tree Golf ball on a tee water tower was iconic.

[Celebros]

Weatherwax Golf Course in Middletown, OH - closed in November 2016. Saw steady play all the way until the end and conditions were always very good for a public course, but it wasn't enough to offset the upkeep for such a large facility. Now part of the local park district.

Great 36-hole Arthur Hills course and have a lot of memories from my high school golf days there - it hosted the annual Hadley Invitational as well as Districts for for the Division I state tournament every year.

 

 

 

[smashdn]

The Trace at Bays Fork - Alvaton, KY (Near Bowling Green) - Nothing fancy but was the only other public 18 hole course in Warren Co.

There was a privately owned public nine hole that closed in Bowling Green about 15 years ago.

Both driving ranges in Bowling Green are now closed.

For a town with upwards of 70k people and the metro area is 180k, it has a dearth of public golf options. One 18 hole municipal course, two nine hole municipal courses. Land is just too valuable to put a golf course on it I guess.

 

Russelville Country Club was a nine hole private that closed a few years back.

Novadell in Hopkinsville was a really neat looking golf course that I never got to play before it closed.

Nine hole par three in Scottsville closed about five years ago.

South Highland CC in Sedalia closed.

Course north of Fairdealing on 58 that closed a few years back.

There was a course down around Paris, TN that closed as well.

[Pulledabill]

Salem Oregon has lost a few over the years.

Battlecreek GC- A nothing special of a course but it served its purpose of a reasonably priced game for all levels.  Played 100's of hundred of rounds there over the years.  Cottonwood- Not an old course but was a good community 9 hole par 3 or mostly par 3's if I remember right.  Development of houses took out the course along with long time Salem Driving Range.  Auburn- Par 3 course that I never loved but it served its purpose for short game work.  Went under a few years ago and I assume it went to houses.Clear Lake/Cherry Pines- So many memories here growing up.  Fruit tree lined fairways on this 9 hole par 3 course that every kid in Keizer grew up on.  Family would go out and play in the summer.  Buddies and I would ride our bikes the 3-4 miles with a few  balls in our pockets and 3 or 4 clubs on the handlebars.  Sometimes one parent would drop us off at 7am and we would golf until another parent would pick us up around 3 or 4pm.  We would gorge on fruit, drink from the hose, and gold all day for like $5.  Hawks Creek over on the coast in Neskowin.  Fun hilly course that I think was 9 but I don't really remember it much as I only played it a few times.  Not really sure what happened, but I would assume the property was sold. 

I am hearing rumors of all the City of Portland golf courses being sold and developed.  I think that would be Heron Lakes, Redtail, Broadmoor, and Colwood.  Maybe one or two Im missing.  Im assuming it would go to houses and industrial use depending on the course. 

[CDLgolf]

Thunder Hill in Madison Ohio closed several years ago.

It was built on an old fish hatchery. Had something like 75 ponds and 125 bunkers on the course. Every tee shot and most approach shots were over water.

One of the most unique golf courses I've ever played.

[Sjewell94]

Carmel Mountain Ranch near San Diego, CA. Great public course.

[dupaloop3611]

northwest ohio had a bunch close in 2019

 

Detwiler

Tamaron

Cottonwood creek

Ottawa park(closed for 2 months, re opened but complete dump after 2 months of little care)

 

[BIG STU]

My old man ran a course but he was also a golf hustler And we would come down here in the summer for months at the time. There were a lot of big money matches at the Roost and Bay Tree in those days.

Founders Club is on the south end of Pawleys Island and used to be the old Sea Gull course. Around 15 years ago now someone bought it and did an extensive redesign and rebuild including the Club House. 5 or 6 years ago now a Chinese Investment group bought it and that was the first course they bought including 21 others. Since Founders Club was the first course they bought they named their company Founders International.

[driveandputtmachine]

The founders club I am talking about is the one at St. James plantation. It is.a PB Dye design, they changed the name a few years back from The Gauntlet. The money games I played were at Barefoot on Saturdays, but i heard a bunch of guys talk about the big games that used to be at The Roost.

[meaks17]

I found out several years ago that the local course I fell in love with the game at, Bald Mountain Golf Course (Lake Orion, MI) was shut down. It bordered the state park and my friends and I used to go sneak on from there to look for balls and even play a few holes with a single club. I also have some fond memories of playing the executive course and later the regulation course with a group of friends, one of which who passed away from an additction a couple of years ago. Needless to say it will always have a special place in my heart even though I outgrew it and moved on to bigger and better courses.

[Dancin]

Shame to hear about Ottawa Park. I always liked that course growing up there.

[shotmark]

I visited Myrtle Beach from the UK with my late Father back in 2001.

We played Angels Trace, Sandpiper Bay, WildWing Woodstork and the Witch.

I believe only the Witch and Sandpiper Bay still exist.

[caniac6]

Not a closed course, but I really liked the 18th hole at Wild Dunes before they had to turn it in to a par 3 from a par 5.

[PNB_Golf]

It's still a very good hole though