Arg's Travel Log

[slocagolfer]

On 4/7/2023 at 12:48 PM, Double Mocha Man said:

 

I took that trip a few years ago from Vancouver, B.C. to Banff.  Stayed in the Banff Springs baronial castle hotel and went cross-country skiing on the golf course.  It's an overnight trip going to Banff and woke up in the morning to snowy mountains and breakfast in the dining car, with white linen tablecloths.

My wife and I had that trip booked for 2020. Thank you, Mr. Covid for cancelling our vacation!

[deadsolid...shank]

Arg, unless you have something special there, skip Cheyenne. Really nothing there stop worthy. Instead, stop 60 miles east of there on I80 at Kimball, NE. 4 Winds Golf Course. Literally three minutes off I80, they’ll let you walk, it’s cheap, it won’t be busy, and while it’s not pristine (and has a cheesy cement pond), it’s got a terrific variety of holes. It doesn’t have many bunkers though. 

[Argonne69]

10 hours ago, deadsolid...shank said:

Arg, unless you have something special there, skip Cheyenne. Really nothing there stop worthy. Instead, stop 60 miles east of there on I80 at Kimball, NE. 4 Winds Golf Course. Literally three minutes off I80, they’ll let you walk, it’s cheap, it won’t be busy, and while it’s not pristine (and has a cheesy cement pond), it’s got a terrific variety of holes. It doesn’t have many bunkers though. 

 

Thanks for the tip. Was planning to play Cheyenne CC, which is ranked #5 in the state by GolfWeek. 'Probably not saying much.

 

Would love to play Ballyneal along the way, but not sure if it's possible to get on.

 

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

I really wish I had spent more time in South Dakota than North Dakota this past summer. South Dakota is much nicer and has more to do. Other than Bully Pulpit GC and Hawktree GC, it really was not too exciting. Links of ND was terrible as well. Skip that one, it was in POOR shape overall. 

 

I was only able to play Elkhorn Ridge in South Dakota, it was pretty good. Nothing exciting but good. We stayed in Spearfish and really liked it for a small town.

 

Hopefully I can sneak out with you when you are in Cincinnati, assuming I am allowed to play. I go back to the Doctor on the 21st.

Edited April 13, 2023 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[deadsolid...shank]

12 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Thanks for the tip. Was planning to play Cheyenne CC, which is ranked #5 in the state by GolfWeek. 'Probably not saying much.

 

Would love to play Ballyneal along the way, but not sure if it's possible to get on.

 

Cheyenne CC is a fairly fun course. If I remember correctly it’s a 6-6-6 course. Six par threes, six par fours, and six par fives. It’s only about 6600 from the tips….

at 6,000’ of elevation. 
 

But I would play Kimball probably 8 times out of ten between the two. Even though it’s not nearly as manicured. I admittedly don’t have real high standards for courses, but I (and my group) just have always really enjoyed the course. I advocate for it here quite a bit (probably too much) as it’s such a cheap and quick round right off I80. 
 

I drive back (100 miles each way) a couple times a summer to meet my old group (only about 50 each way for them) for a round. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by deadsolid...shank

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Cheyenne CC is only open to the public on certain days IIRC. I never made it up there, wish I had played there instead of the Links of ND.

 

The other one I missed playing was a 9 holer, in the middle of nowhere, Medicine Hole GC. 

[Argonne69]

Busy day tomorrow. I turn 60 years old, so I thought what better way to celebrate than to schedule a colonoscopy. Lol. Fitting way to celebrate getting old(er). I'll enjoy a beer in the afternoon.

 

Today I'm on a clear liquid diet, and I'm getting cranky with no food in my stomach. The real fun starts in four hours when I have to drink half a gallon of the Gavilyte-C solution and hang out near the bathroom. The remainder of the solution has to be downed tomorrow morning. Oh joy. I had the procedure done ten years ago, and the massive headache from becoming dehydrated was the absolute worst part. 

 

[sunbeltgolfer]

7 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Busy day tomorrow. I turn 60 years old, so I thought what better way to celebrate than to schedule a colonoscopy. Lol. Fitting way to celebrate getting old(er). I'll enjoy a beer in the afternoon.

 

Today I'm on a clear liquid diet, and I'm getting cranky with no food in my stomach. The real fun starts in four hours when I have to drink half a gallon of the Gavilyte-C solution and hang out near the bathroom. The remainder of the solution has to be downed tomorrow morning. Oh joy. I had the procedure done ten years ago, and the massive headache from becoming dehydrated was the absolute worst part. 

 

Hope you've selected some good reading material to peruse while seated. What a miserable night that cocktail brews up.

[@_the_crook]

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Busy day tomorrow. I turn 60 years old, so I thought what better way to celebrate than to schedule a colonoscopy. Lol. Fitting way to celebrate getting old(er). I'll enjoy a beer in the afternoon.

 

Today I'm on a clear liquid diet, and I'm getting cranky with no food in my stomach. The real fun starts in four hours when I have to drink half a gallon of the Gavilyte-C solution and hang out near the bathroom. The remainder of the solution has to be downed tomorrow morning. Oh joy. I had the procedure done ten years ago, and the massive headache from becoming dehydrated was the absolute worst part. 

 

been there, done that and no way am I wanting to remember the prep.

not gruesome but awkward.

the twilight sleep they put me in was OK.

Doc complimented me on being 'clean'.

the next few meals were mighty welcome.

 

best to you on the results.

 

[hammergolf]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

Busy day tomorrow. I turn 60 years old, so I thought what better way to celebrate than to schedule a colonoscopy. Lol. Fitting way to celebrate getting old(er). I'll enjoy a beer in the afternoon.

 

Today I'm on a clear liquid diet, and I'm getting cranky with no food in my stomach. The real fun starts in four hours when I have to drink half a gallon of the Gavilyte-C solution and hang out near the bathroom. The remainder of the solution has to be downed tomorrow morning. Oh joy. I had the procedure done ten years ago, and the massive headache from becoming dehydrated was the absolute worst part. 

 

Happy birfday Arg! Not the best present though. 

[mci711]

Saw this today and thought of you.. Looks like drive to Bandon, Chambers, Tetherow, Pronghorn, etc. would be pretty good drinking and golf for you. 

 

[Argonne69]

30 minutes ago, mci711 said:

Saw this today and thought of you.. Looks like drive to Bandon, Chambers, Tetherow, Pronghorn, etc. would be pretty good drinking and golf for you. 

 

 

Portland is a great craft beer town. I've heard good things about Bend. 

 

[stevopagolf]

Heard today the craft beer is exploding in PA.  Philly in particular.... though the public golf you have pretty much hit.   That said I think you missed Pilgrim's Oak, Wyncote and I might be able to come up with a couple extra.  both of those are not far from the Northern Maryland area....

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

PRO TIP: "Near the bathroom" is NOT "close enough" when that stuff really kicks in. 

 

PS: Happy Birthday!

Edited April 13, 2023 by BEND OF THE RIVER GC

[ssp]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:26 AM, Argonne69 said:

Back to the journey for a minute. 'Spent some time yesterday doing an initial plan for the next year. Wow, this is a big country. After a year plus traveling through the eastern states, the trip west is going to require a lot more driving, and a lot more miles. This is all tentative at this point, but it's a good start.

 

I'll probably start with a short drive south to Indy, and then drive the Honda down to play the PFAU course in Bloomington. After that it would be short stays in Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, Port Huron, and Saginaw/Bay City. A week in the Gaylord area would be next with rounds at The Loop Black, Belvedere, The Bear, Hidden River, and Treetops Fazio.

 

Then it's across the Mackinac Bridge to the UP and a stop in Marquette to play Marquette GC (Greywalls). I'd continue west to pick up rounds at Island Resort (Sweetgrass), TimberStone, and Sage Run before heading south into northern Wisconsin. It doesn't look like there are any nationally ranked courses in NWI, but I'm sure I'll find one or two decent tracks.

 

Next stop would be Duluth and northern Minnesota with rounds at Giant's Ridge (Quarry), Wilderness at Fortune Bay, and Giant's Ridge (Legends). A drive to Brainerd would pick up Breezy Point Resort (Deacon's Lodge), Grand View Lodge (Pines), and Madden's on Gull Lake.

 

Minneapolis would see rounds at Chaska Town Course, Meadows at Mystic Lake, StoneRidge, and The Wilds.

 

It's then on to North Dakota and the eastern half of North Dakota with stops in Fargo or Grand Forks, Bismark, Minot, Ray, Medora, Billings MT, and Buffalo MT. I'll then head back east through South Dakota with stops at Rapid City (Sturgis), Sioux Falls, and Sioux City.

 

Omaha would be next, and then a long drive across the state to Cheyenne. I've played most of the top courses in Nebraska, so I'll skip them and try to find something new along the way. Would love to get an invite to play Sand Hills, but probably not going to happen.

 

Colorado comes next with stops in Denver, Wolcott (Red Sky), and Colorado Springs. There are some nice courses tucked back in the mountains, but I'll pass on them on this leg.

 

Back east again through Kansas to Topeka and Wichita, and then down to Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Long drive after than to Albuquerque with a possible stop in Amarillo. 'Been there before, and not much left to play.

 

From there it's south for the winter months with extended stays (likely) in Las Cruces and Tucson. Wasn't originally planning to travel west to SoCal, but I might hit San Diego, LA, and Palm Springs .

 

Late winter or early spring will take me north to Las Vegas, Mesquite/St Georges, Moab, St Lake City, Rawlins WY, Jackson WY, Yellowstone, and Bozeman MT. After that I head north towards Glacier and Alberta.

 

I wasn't originally planning to play in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, but given that I played at least one round in five of the eastern provinces, it might be worth a daytrip to play a round in each. 'Probably would have to travel to Winnipeg from Grand Forks, and Moose Creek from Ray, ND. It would be a long day, but it's probably doable.

 

It looks like I'm going to skip northern Montana, at least the eastern part. Beautiful scenery from my vantage point on Amtrak's Empire Builder heading to Glacier, but a little too remote. "Same with northern Minnesota.

 

I have played a couple in Manitoba - near Winnipeg area ... Bridges Golf Course — Starbuck Golf | Manitoba Golf

 

Then a little north in Riding Mountain National Park ... Clear Lake Golf Course | Wasagaming MB

 

Both are solid courses and enjoyable.  Clear Lake is a beautiful spot.

 

[@_the_crook]

 

because we care, Arg -

 

Edited April 13, 2023 by @_the_crook
pic

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Arg,

 

Cincinnati has some of the best craft beer in the USA. A ton of places to choose from! Let me know when you get close.

[TBD203]

Happy birthday Arg!

[Argonne69]

Back in one piece. Still a little woozy from the anesthesia. Two small polyps, but nothing to worry about said the doctor. They'll biopsy them, and I'll get the results next week. Hopefully I won't have to repeat this in 5 years instead of the regular 10 years. 

 

Might have to wait a few hours to crack open a birthday beer. Lol. 

 

Another busy day tomorrow. Taking the commuter train downtown for an early afternoon follow up visit with my kidney doctor, and then it's off to the eye doctor for an eye exam. 

 

[caniac6]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Back in one piece. Still a little woozy from the anesthesia. Two small polyps, but nothing to worry about said the doctor. They'll biopsy them, and I'll get the results next week. Hopefully I won't have to repeat this in 5 years instead of the regular 10 years. 

 

Might have to wait a few hours to crack open a birthday beer. Lol. 

 

Another busy day tomorrow. Taking the commuter train downtown for an early afternoon follow up visit with my kidney doctor, and then it's off to the eye doctor for an eye exam. 

 

Sounds like the medical community is glad you’re home.

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

Sounds like the medical community is glad you’re home.

 

Next week I have my biannual physical, and a dentist appointment. Lol. Hopefully I won't fall down and break a leg. 

 

Figured I'd knock it all out before I'm back on the road. Probably not going to be back in Chicago for some time. 

 

[Argonne69]

Follow up with my urologist today. Good news, bad news, good news, bad news. Turns out the cyst was cancerous, but the doctor believes he got all of it. The odds of it reappearing are very low, but I'll require a scan in 6 months, and then annually for a few years to verify it hasn't returned. I consider myself extremely lucky in that I stumbled across it and got it out before it grew and spread. Not entirely happy that I'll have to have regular CTs, but it sure beats the alternative. 

 

Good news in that I can hit the links in two weeks. The doctor suggested that I ride or use a pushcart for a few weeks, which I can live with. Looks like I can start booking RV parks next week depending on the weather in Michigan. Itching to hit the road again. 

 

[caniac6]

Be a good time to play the courses that either don’t allow walking or don’t have a walking rate.

[Argonne69]

Booked a train trip for the week of April 24th. I'll fly down to Miami on Monday, and spend the night. On Tuesday morning I hop on the Silver Meteor for an overnight trip to DC. Booked a sleeper car for that leg. Arrive in DC early Wednesday morning, and then hang out a few hours until my 4 pm departure on the Capital Limited heading westbound overnight to Chicago. I booked a coach seat, but I'll see if I can snag an upgrade to a roomette when I board the train. 

 

Unfortunately the Silver Meteor isn't a particularly interesting trip from a scenic standpoint. Probably explains why I haven't ridden this route yet. The train spends almost the entire day in Florida. The scenery of the Carolinas is viewed at night. The southbound train from DC to Miami isn't any better. 

 

[Argonne69]

Had to run to my storage locker in the near north suburbs of Chicago this morning, so of course I'm going to make a stop at one of my favorite places, the Revolution Brewing taproom. Sampling a couple of their new releases. The Sanctuary #31 Amburana Double Barrel Deth Jacket barrel aged imperial stout (15.8%) is heavenly. 

 

 

I'll probably walk out with 3 or 4 cases of Deth's Tar for the road, given that I likely won't be back in town for some time. Expensive stop. Lol. 

 

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

Arg,

 

When do you think you will be in Michigan? Have you played Arcadia South or anything around Grand Rapids?

[imkirby34]

Ok, @Argonne69, after seeing so many tripels, I picked up a few different bottles to try at the local, um, chain liquor warehouse.  I realize that I don't have the appropriate drinking vessel and probably didn't pour it correctly, but here's the first one that I'm trying.  

 

[JungleJimbo]

2 minutes ago, imkirby34 said:

Ok, @Argonne69, after seeing so many tripels, I picked up a few different bottles to try at the local, um, chain liquor warehouse.  I realize that I don't have the appropriate drinking vessel and probably didn't pour it correctly, but here's the first one that I'm trying.  

 

@imkirby34so... how was the Tripel? 🍺

 

[Argonne69]

3 hours ago, BEND OF THE RIVER GC said:

Arg,

 

When do you think you will be in Michigan? Have you played Arcadia South or anything around Grand Rapids?

 

I'll probably be in Detroit the 2nd week of May. After that I'll hit Port Huron, Saginaw, West Branch, and Gaylord before crossing into the UP. 

 

Yeah, I played Arcadia South three years ago. I've played a handful of courses in the Grand Rapids area. On this trip I'll be in the eastern and northern parts of the state. 

 

[imkirby34]

1 hour ago, JungleJimbo said:

@imkirby34so... how was the Tripel? 🍺

 

 

It was quite good.  I spend most of my time in the IPA aisle and rotate between a handful of "favorites" but also like to grab single cans/bottles of whatever catches my eye.  No one is going to confuse me with an expert critic as I don't have a very discerning palate, but I won't hesitate to try more Tripels if this was a good representative.  One of the others I grabbed was La fin du Mond (?) - from a Canadian brewery, I think.  That'll have to wait until next weekend.

 

Edit to add:  By coincidence, with regards to the previous posts about trains, I was catching up on my YT and one of the travel people that I subscribe to did a 2-part series on "The Canadian" (Toronto - Vancouver). which I believe was specifically talked about.  What timing.

Edited April 17, 2023 by imkirby34