Arg's Travel Log

[Argonne69]

Another pleasant morning. Got lucky with the weather. The forecast once again called for heavy fog, but I woke up, looked out the window, and it was clear as far as I could see. Not so lucky with the pace. I'm so used to having a course to myself, but today it was solid foursomes for an hour in front of my group. Gotta learn patience. Lol. 

 

Timber Creek GC today. Played the Creekside and Timber Trails nines. Very nice parkland layout with plenty of water in play, mostly in the form of crossing creeks/ravines. Felt a bit like a Carolina course with the tall pines lining the holes. Nice mix of holes. Bunkering was a little light, and the course was mostly flat. Still looked good, though. 

 

For the most part it was generous off the tee. There were a few forced carries, including a 230 yd carry on the TT 7th that I considered excessive given that there was no fairway to lay up short. Misses were very penal, as the rough was narrow, and the junk lining the holes dense. Once again the wet, overseeded, overwatered course was playing long, so approaches were tougher than they would be in firm conditions. Greens were well guarded. Up and downs were tricky from the dormant Bermuda with few closely mown areas. Putts were not quite as tricky as Wilderness or Wildcat. 

 

Par 3s were very good. Two played over 200 yds, and the shorter two had fairly narrow greens. Didn't care for the three 5s. Nothing reachable, and the crossing creeks forced layups to specific distances. Short 4s were blah. 

 

Conditions were typical of the overseeded courses in the area, soft and sloppy. Fairways were patchy. Rough was fine. Bunkers needed sand. Greens had numerous areas where the overseeding didn't take. Speed was glacial. Probably 8. 

 

Played a Blue/White combo on the par 71 layout at 6361 yds (71.0/129). Game is consistent on these soft courses. Decent off the tee, but iffy on the long approaches. Twelve fairways but only 9 GIRs. Seven bogies. No real birdie opportunities, but some nice scrambles. 

 

I'll give TC 5 cows. Was thinking six at one point, but the conditioning tipped the balance. Not quite the layout as Wilderness and Wildcat, but certainly worthy of a visit and regular play as a local. Still can't believe it was only $29 to walk. I'd like to see at least one risk/reward 5, and for goodness sakes design a tough short 4. 

 

[Argonne69]

Timber Creek GC (Creekside/Timber Trails), Friendswood, TX 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8c27ute1rhma0fv/AADnjGWbWO9YbeU-RqT0OvE_a?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

J. Henry's Draught House. A very nice selection of 51 craft beers on tap, but I was totally disappointed that they don't offer flights or half pours. Don't understand offering such a nice selection with no opportunity to sample. Bah. Started with a tasty Boulevard/Firestone barrel aged wheat wine, and finished with an 11 Below Java Space imperial coffee stout. 

 

 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Can Q be sinful? Lol. Wow, this was some seriously evil barbeque. Pappas Delta Blues Smokehouse. Definitely on the pricey side, but well worth the expense. Brisket was tender and tasty, but a little lean. Ribs were juicy and tender. The Pork shoulder was simply amazing. Wow. Best on the trip yet. Tender and dripping. Buttered mashes potatoes were meh. Creamed corn was excellent. The original sweet sauce was excellent. Good balance of sweet and tangy. The rub on the three meats was a little peppery, but it didn't overpower the smokey meat taste. Highly recommended. Only downer was the lack of white bread. Lol. 

 

 

[mshills]

Damn, that looks good.  Almost as good as what I make 😁

 

Nice to find some good pork Q in the Land of Beef.

[Argonne69]

Oy. I really do need to clean out my SUV. Lol. 

 

 

[Bonneville85308]

I can just picture you parking on a slight incline, opening the hatch, and having those balls bounce out all over the parking lot. Would you mind filming it? lol.

[Argonne69]

11 hours ago, Bonneville85308 said:

I can just picture you parking on a slight incline, opening the hatch, and having those balls bounce out all over the parking lot. Would you mind filming it? lol.

 

Lol. It doesn't have to be on an incline. Most days simply taking out my clubs knocks one or two balls off the stack, and I wind up looking like Benny Hill chasing Pro V1s bouncing around the parking lot. Cue "Yakety Axe."

 

 

[Argonne69]

Well, that's more like it. Nice to be back out on an empty course. A front blew in this morning, and the temperature dropped from the early morning high, along with the humidity. Pretty windy out there, which (mostly) helped keep the skeeters at bay. Eagle Pointe today. As I pulled into the parking lot I thought, oh no, not another housing development course. However, other than a few homes visible along the perimeter on the front, it was a a very nicely isolated parkland layout with a few nice elevation changes. A handful of really nice holes, but a few too many meh ones. The parallel 1st and 10th had a great view from the elevated tees with a creek splitting the two holes. Nice mix of left/right holes. A couple of small ponds were in play, but also a number of creeks. Fairway bunkering was rather light, but greenside was a little better. 

 

Another layout with generous fairways. Only issue was reaching the corner on two of the longer doglegs. Misses weren't punishing, as the trees were cleared underneath, so balls could be easily found. Catch a bad break and it might require a punch out. Approaches were straightforward. Most greens were at fairway level with openings wide enough to run a ball up. A few had bunkers guarding the front, and had to be attacked from the air. Up and downs were fairly easy. Combination of closely mown areas and fairly flat greens. Likewise, putting was straightforward. Not a lot of movement, but there were a couple of larger greens where I had lengthy lags. 

 

Par 3s were unexciting. Good mix of lengths, but not much danger. The three 5s were snoozers. Nothing reachable, and not much danger. Short 4s were meh. 

 

Conditions were soft, but better than the last few rounds given that the course doesn't overseed. Fairways and greens were either dyed, or colored with fertilizer. Rough was a good height. Bunkers were mixed. They were in the process of being groomed, so a number were very good, while the remainder were compacted. Greens were very nice, and rolling at least 10. 

 

Played a Blue/Green combo on the par 71 layout at 6187 yds (70.7/123). Decent day off the tee, but irons were spotty. Benign green complexes allowed my scrambling to save my behind. One birdie and seven bogies. Highlight of the day was a very nice 33' birdie putt on the 13th. 

 

EP gets 5 cows. Very nice piece of property, but the course needs teeth. Greens are boring. Fairways need more bunkers. Decent value at $52, but no walking rate. A bit of a hike from downtown, but probably worth the drive for a single play. I drove nearly an hour, and I wouldn't do that again. 

 

[Argonne69]

Eagle Pointe GC, Mont Belvieu, TX 

 

 

 

 

The par 5 9th from the tips. Tough driving hole tucked back in the trees. 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/33iw2pvs6d288vw/AADyQXpzqiXlmEedu3QgHt4Ba?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Craft 96 Draught House in Mont Belvieu. This is the sister store to J. Henry's, but unlike JH they have 5 ounce pours. Nice. Sixty-three taps with something for everyone. Unless of course you drink Lone Star. Lol. Enjoying a very nice B-52 Lost Wanderer barleywine, and will follow that up with a couple of imperial stouts. 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Argonne69

[Double Mocha Man]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Eagle Pointe GC, Mont Belvieu, TX 

 

 

 

 

The par 5 9th from the tips. Tough driving hole tucked back in the trees. 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/33iw2pvs6d288vw/AADyQXpzqiXlmEedu3QgHt4Ba?dl=0

 

 

Looks like in the summer, with the nice mix of deciduous and conifer trees, it would be a beautiful course.

[Argonne69]

Packing up and heading to The Woodlands tomorrow morning. I have rounds booked at High Meadow Ranch on Saturday, Hermann Park on Sunday, and Tour 18 on Monday. Looks like rain is going to move in Monday, and Tuesday and Wednesday may be washouts. Hopefully only Tuesday will be a rain day. 

 

[SnowbirdTom]

31 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Packing up and heading to The Woodlands tomorrow morning. I have rounds booked at High Meadow Ranch on Saturday, Hermann Park on Sunday, and Tour 18 on Monday. Looks like rain is going to move in Monday, and Tuesday and Wednesday may be washouts. Hopefully only Tuesday will be a rain day. 

 

I’ll be at Longwood in Spring on Monday with our geezer employee gang.  Got some round credits to burn up.  Like you, hoping the rain comes late.  Enjoy HMR - I know you will.  
 

And Tour 18 on Friday!

Edited January 12, 2023 by SnowbirdTom

[ode]

8 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

barleywine

Yum.  One of the local breweries tapped a bourbon barrel aged barleywine.  The non barrel aged version was very good and after resting in the barrel added some plum and it turned out great.  Smooth taste with a tinge of sweet and the booziness catches up after it goes down the hatch.

[Argonne69]

Safe trip through Houston on I-45 this morning. I waited until late morning, so traffic wasn't horrible. The signage downtown is simply awful. Wound up in the wrong lane simply trying to stay on I-45, and nearly headed west to SATX. 

 

The craft beer scene north of the city is a world apart from the south side. It's Friday, so time for a little treat. Hop Scholar Ale House has 39 taps with some real gems. My flight includes a Spoetzl Shiner Candy Cane King imperial porter, a Lakewood Bourbon Barrel Temptress X imperial stout, a B52 Bourbonator Seventh Addition Wild Turkey Bourbon Barrel aged doppelbock, and an Equal Parts Black Rain imperial stout. Yum. Debating if I should have a burger, Cuban, or the loaded Kimchi fries with bulgogi beef kimchi, and a duck egg. Hmmmm. 

 

 

[mshills]

Loaded kimchi fries every day and twice on Sunday!

 

I almost never eat beef but bulgogi is in its own category. 

[Argonne69]

50 minutes ago, mshills said:

Loaded kimchi fries every day and twice on Sunday!

 

I almost never eat beef but bulgogi is in its own category. 

 

Lol. Yup, kimchi fries for the win. Great kick! 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Well, it wouldn't be a trip to Houston without a round in the 30s. A very brisk morning at 35 degrees. I was actually quite surprised that there was no frost delay, as it sure looked like frost out there. With light winds, and cloudless skies, it warmed quite nicely and reached the mid 60s by the final hole. 

 

High Meadow Ranch today. Very much above average for a housing development course. The heavy woods block most of the homes, and the ones that are visible are quite nice. Most of the layout is fairly flat, but there are a few small elevation changes, in addition to the ravines that cut across a number of holes. I've played close to 1000 courses, and I believe this is the first one I've played that actually has three six hole sections. Great idea for a quick six after work. There were a number of really nice looking holes out there, but a few snoozers as well. Bunkering was mixed. Very good on some holes, and non-existent on others. Just one pond out there, but plenty of meandering creeks. Good mix of hole lengths and right/left movement. 

 

Moderately difficult off the tee. The 4th had a split fairway with a creek running through the center. Trees crowded a few teeboxes. Minor misses weren't overly penal, as the rough was somewhat generous. The trees were clear below, so big misses could still be found, but could require a punch out. Approaches were mixed. Plenty of benign greens at fairway level with decent sized opening in the front. Unfortunately the overseeded fairways were soft as mush, and running shots up was a no go. A handful of greens were very well protected. Up and downs were also mixed. The rough was cut down, so lies were decent, but there were a few elevated greens where an uphill lie could present a challenge. Putting was a bit tricky, as the speeds got up there as the frost/dew burned off. A number of greens were fairly meh, but many had some very good contouring. 

 

Par 3s were fairly meh. The 5s were very good. Three were reachable with a good drive, with plenty of risk/reward. The 2nd had a PA short and left, with a very narrow fairway leading up to the green. Short 4s were boring. Sheesh. 

 

The course was quite soft, and many holes were CPO. Once again the overseeding madness rears its ugly head. Rough was cut down rather short. Bunkers were excellent. Greens were also excellent. Probably rolling 10 in the early morning, but 11 by round's end. 

 

With temps in the mid 30s and soft conditions, I decided to play the Green tees at 6258 yds (70.0/121). Still played long. Two birdies and seven bogies. Highlight of the day was my tee shot on the long par 3 9th. It's 198 on the card, but I had the markers at 220 into a breeze. Hit a nice high cut with my mini driver to 15' to set up a stress free par. 

 

Tough call here. At $106 (no walking rate) it's more than double the cost of most of my previous rounds in the area. Worth it? Not really. Very nice course, but it's not twice as nice as the others. Nice greens. Definitely worth a visit, and I'd probably play it a couple of times a year if I was local, but it wouldn't be a regular stop. Par 3s and short 4s need a little spice. I'll give it 6 cows, but I think I'm being one cow generous. 

 

[Argonne69]

High Meadow Ranch GC, Magnolia, TX 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very tough approach on the 18th to a shallow green protected in front by a creek. 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kw8d2njuub3mow7/AADkhlZgn4iMi3_KcBWd327ca?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Paradigm Brewing Company in Tomball. 20 taps with the usual stuff. The Belgian Quad is excellent. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Lol. Get. Out. This is going to be a fun week in north Houston. Tapped Drafthouse in Spring. A five pour flight for $12.99 including the high octane goodies? I'm game. Enjoying a nice True Anomaly Sixteen Sunsets Belgian Tripel and four imperial stouts. Going to have to put a bar bite in the 'ol stomach to soak some of it up. Good thing I have nothing but time today. 

 

 

[mci711]

21 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Lol. Yup, kimchi fries for the win. Great kick! 

 

 

 

You've posted a ton of good food on here, and I love BBQ, but this right here takes the prize. 😍 looks amazing. 

[Argonne69]

So glad I skipped the bar bites and headed over to Crust Pizza Company a mile away. Excellent tavern style pizza that doesn't charge for "extra" ingredients. Pick your size and select your toppings at a fixed price based on crust size. Very tasty. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

Stopped at PGA Superstore to see if they had a SkyCaddie SX550, but wound up walking out with a 12 degree Ping G425 Max with a Tensei Orange stiff shaft shaft. Hoping the additional loft helps get the ball in the air, or at a minimum dialing down the loft and opening the face helps with the lefts. 

 

I was also looking for a long sleeve quarter zip. Oy veh. When did shirts start costing $80 to $110? Ridiculous.

 

What's with the butt ugly hoodies? They were everywhere. I'm playing golf, not hitting a half pipe. Ewww. 

 

[Double Mocha Man]

2 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Stopped at PGA Superstore to see if they had a SkyCaddie SX550, but wound up walking out with a 12 degree Ping G425 Max with a Tensei Orange stiff shaft shaft. Hoping the additional loft helps get the ball in the air, or at a minimum dialing down the loft and opening the face helps with the lefts. 

 

I was also looking for a long sleeve quarter zip. Oy veh. When did shirts start costing $80 to $110? Ridiculous.

 

What's with the butt ugly hoodies? They were everywhere. I'm playing golf, not hitting a half pipe. Ewww. 

 

 

You should be sleeping after that pizza...

[ode]

44 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

was also looking for a long sleeve quarter zip. Oy veh. When did shirts start costing $80 to $110? Ridiculous.

 

What's with the butt ugly hoodies? They were everywhere. I'm playing golf, not hitting a half pipe. Ewww. 

LOL, avoid the 'golf style and accessories' forum, it could get aggravating 🙃

[Argonne69]

Well, my little golf trip has hit a bump in the road, or should I say debris in the road. Driving to Hermann Park this morning on I-45 near Spring, TX I hit something in the road. I was shocked that it didn't take out one of my tires. A half mile up the road I saw several cars on the shoulder, so it seems I wasn't the only unlucky one. Thought I might have gotten away from any serious damage, but I smelled gasoline, and pulled to the shoulder. I look under the Honda and see gas coming out, and a metal tube that's either a piece of my suspension or the debris I discovered. I pulled off the interstate and the vehicle died just as I was pulling into a mall parking lot. Loss of fuel pressure I guess. 

 

Sitting in the vehicle waiting for a tow. Of course it's a Sunday, so nothing is open. I'll probably have it towed back to the RV park, and then contact a Honda dealer first thing tomorrow morning to get repairs rolling. I'm guessing it'll be several days before I'm back out on the road/course. Sigh. 

 

I guess it could have been worse. My tires appear to be OK, and the vehicle was tracking OK, so hopefully there's no serious suspension damage. I hope a Honda dealer can handle the repairs. 

 

[Argonne69]

A little good news. The tow truck driver arrived quickly, and said there was a Honda dealer 20 miles away that was open on Sundays. It's now sitting in the service bay getting inspected. Best case I get it back on Tuesday. They have loaners, so I'll have wheels for the next few days. Going to stick with the original plan and play Tour 18 tomorrow, and I'll probably book a round at Cypresswood on Tuesday. 

 

[ishank1]

Glad you're OK, Arg.  Hopefully it won't be an absurdly expensive repair.  Guess you'll just have to delay testing out that new driver you just picked up.  Been reading about your adventure since day 1.  Thanks for keeping us updated.  Checking on your travels, golf and after round adventures is so much of my daily routine that if I don't give my wife the daily update she asks for one.  Best of luck to you!