Arg's Travel Log

[sabram]

The weeks and months pass by too fast. Have a happy and healthy 2022. 

[Argonne69]

Simply wonderful day at Streamsong. Weather was near perfect, although the winds were up a bit. First visit to the Black course. My first impression was that the course looked more like Erin Hills than the Red or Black course. I mean it's simply wiiiiide open. The fairways are the widest I've ever seen. Made Mammoth Dunes feel like Harbour Town. Lol. While there is some elevation change, it didn't feel as severe as the Red or Blue courses. With the generous fairways it played much different than the Red, too. Bunkering was excellent. They definitely made you think standing on the tee. 

 

Oh, and those ginormous greens. I believe the starter told me that they averaged 9000 square feet. A few were 60 yards deep. Not quite as crazy as Sweetens Cove, but when you factor in the size they were a true challenge. 

 

I really liked the mix of holes. A few snoozers, but a number of memorable ones. The par 5 18th is a sweet risk/reward par 5 that dares you to go for it. Just don't come up short. Par 3s had a very good mix. Depending on the pin position one could be hitting a short iron or a hybrid. 

 

Conditions were less than ideal. The fairways are having turf issues, with a number of bare patches, and some browning. Luckily it didn't effect play much. Bunkers were decent. Greens were very good, rolling smooth and fast. 10 and maybe 11. Pace was a bit slow, as the group in front of us struggled to stay in position. 

 

Frustrating day on the greens. For only the third time I hit all 14 fairways, but that's not saying much. I hit a couple of poor tee shots that still managed to find the short stuff. Irons were very good. Putting was a train wreck. I think I had more three putts today than in the past month. If I managed to get the speed right I missed right or left by 5 feet. If I got the line right it was 6' long or short. Definitely need to play it again to dial in the flatstick. One birdie and seven bogies. 

 

Solid layout. Not sure I'd rate it as my favorite at the resort, but I'd have no problem whatsoever playing it again. Similar to Mammoth Dunes it allows some leeway with your tee shots, but puts a premium on your approach shots if you want any chance of scoring. Simply hitting greens is not going to do it. Seven cows. 

 

2nd into the 18th. 

 

 

Come up short and you pay the price. 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Streamsong Black, Bowling Green, FL 

 

 

 

 

Love a course with a windmill. Lol. 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/eyqhnjjyleveaf0/AABILoqfJ0rI2ys9HbqJ_0Naa?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Sitting in the Red/Blue clubhouse enjoying a beer, and I'll probably stick around for a steak dinner. There aren't a lot of restaurants in the area, and with today being a holiday it might be slim pickings. After a wonderful round of golf I think a nice ribeye and a glass of wine would be a nice finish to the day. 

 

I'm taking tomorrow off after 5 straight days. Monday will be a travel day, so my next round will be on Tuesday in the Sarasota area. Hopefully I can find a handful of courses that allow walking, but I'm not getting my hopes up. 

 

[jerebear21]

Bad timing we couldn’t link up.  It was just us 2 today.  Your pictures don’t do justice on how great the weather is right now in florida; nice breeze and not too humid. As far as elevation goes, I think central Florida isn’t as flat as what a lot of folks on this forum think.  I will agree most golf courses built in communities are often flat. But do some research and you’ll be surprised.  Streamsong plays fast and firm with lots of elevation.  The customer service has improved so give it some love!  Have a safe journey back up north. PM me 2-3 months in advance next time you’re in central florida  and we can hit some privates and give you the real walking experience here. 

 

This guy shot 4 under from the tips today (7300).

 

[hammergolf]

46 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Simply wonderful day at Streamsong. Weather was near perfect, although the winds were up a bit. First visit to the Black course. My first impression was that the course looked more like Erin Hills than the Red or Black course. I mean it's simply wiiiiide open. The fairways are the widest I've ever seen. Made Mammoth Dunes feel like Harbour Town. Lol. While there is some elevation change, it didn't feel as severe as the Red or Blue courses. With the generous fairways it played much different than the Red, too. Bunkering was excellent. They definitely made you think standing on the tee. 

 

Oh, and those ginormous greens. I believe the starter told me that they averaged 9000 square feet. A few were 60 yards deep. Not quite as crazy as Sweetens Cove, but when you factor in the size they were a true challenge. 

 

I really liked the mix of holes. A few snoozers, but a number of memorable ones. The par 5 18th is a sweet risk/reward par 5 that dares you to go for it. Just don't come up short. Par 3s had a very good mix. Depending on the pin position one could be hitting a short iron or a hybrid. 

 

Conditions were less than ideal. The fairways are having turf issues, with a number of bare patches, and some browning. Luckily it didn't effect play much. Bunkers were decent. Greens were very good, rolling smooth and fast. 10 and maybe 11. Pace was a bit slow, as the group in front of us struggled to stay in position. 

 

Frustrating day on the greens. For only the third time I hit all 14 fairways, but that's not saying much. I hit a couple of poor tee shots that still managed to find the short stuff. Irons were very good. Putting was a train wreck. I think I had more three putts today than in the past month. If I managed to get the speed right I missed right or left by 5 feet. If I got the line right it was 6' long or short. Definitely need to play it again to dial in the flatstick. One birdie and seven bogies. 

 

Solid layout. Not sure I'd rate it as my favorite at the resort, but I'd have no problem whatsoever playing it again. Similar to Mammoth Dunes it allows some leeway with your tee shots, but puts a premium on your approach shots if you want any chance of scoring. Simply hitting greens is not going to do it. Seven cows. 

 

2nd into the 18th. 

 

 

Come up short and you pay the price. 

 

 

If it was just somewhere near civilization it would be such a better visit… Great courses!

[Argonne69]

4 minutes ago, jerebear21 said:

Bad timing we couldn’t link up.  It was just us 2 today.  Your pictures don’t do justice on how great the weather is right now in florida; nice breeze and not too humid. As far as elevation goes, I think central Florida isn’t as flat as what a lot of folks on this forum think.  I will agree most golf courses built in communities are often flat. But do some research and you’ll be surprised.  Streamsong plays fast and firm with lots of elevation.  The customer service has improved so give it some love!  Have a safe journey back up north. PM me 2-3 months in advance next time you’re in central florida  and we can hit some privates and give you the real walking experience here. 

 

This guy shot 4 under from the tips today (7300).

 

 

D45D3138-A6EC-431D-85E2-CA4835B106B7.MOV 4.21 MB · 0 downloads

 

Customer service has been excellent today. From the attendants at the bag drop and the pro shop staff to the bartender and wait staff I've been treated wonderfully. This is my 3rd visit, and I certainly hope to be back in the future. 

 

 

[Argonne69]

3 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

If it was just somewhere near civilization it would be such a better visit… Great courses!

 

It's actually not too bad. It's 90 minutes from Tampa International Airport. Certainly easier to get to than Bandon Dunes. 

 

That said, there's simply not much out here other than the golf. 

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Argonne69

[mci711]

 

par 5 #4 is one of my favorite holes in the world. I had never played anything like that the first time I played it and was completely taken away. I played that day on my own and remember vividly thinking all of my golf partners need to see this. 

[Argonne69]

10 minutes ago, mci711 said:

 

par 5 #4 is one of my favorite holes in the world. I had never played anything like that the first time I played it and was completely taken away. I played that day on my own and remember vividly thinking all of my golf partners need to see this. 

 

That is a sweet hole. It was 230 to carry to the left fairway, so I opted to go right. That left a difficult 2nd back to the left fairway, as it looks like there's little room for error. Laying up on the right side would have left 170 to the green, so left was the only real choice. I carry a 9 wood, so I was able to hit a high cut that stayed just short of the bunkers on the far side of the left fairway. 

 

My 2nd back over the bunkers. 

 

 

Edited January 1, 2022 by Argonne69

[sabram]

4 hours ago, mci711 said:

 

par 5 #4 is one of my favorite holes in the world. I had never played anything like that the first time I played it and was completely taken away. I played that day on my own and remember vividly thinking all of my golf partners need to see this. 

I really like that hole

[Shades234]

Fun read. Will try to follow along. Would be interested in seeing a cost breakdown of some sort if you're game to do it. I've never travelled by RV so when you mention RV parking being crowded and more expensive than expected, I don't know what that really entails. Also, how receptive are courses to you rolling up with Bessie? Or do you mainly go to the RV park first and drive your little cow over?

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, Shades234 said:

Fun read. Will try to follow along. Would be interested in seeing a cost breakdown of some sort if you're game to do it. I've never travelled by RV so when you mention RV parking being crowded and more expensive than expected, I don't know what that really entails. Also, how receptive are courses to you rolling up with Bessie? Or do you mainly go to the RV park first and drive your little cow over?

 

The RV parks in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina were running $40 to $50 a night. My week's stay in Myrtle Beach was $49 a night with the weekly discount. Many RV parks offer ~10% off if you stay a week. Once I crossed into Florida the rates shot up. They're now in the $65 to $80 range. I was originally expecting to spend $1500 a month, but it's more like $1800.

 

After 2 months and just over 2000 miles I've spent close to $900 on gas. Prices have been averaging $3.10 a gallon at 7.5 mpg.

 

I've parked Bessie at 3 courses now, along with the night's stay at the Inn at Sea Island. I called ahead each time to ask about parking, and was giving the go ahead in each case. However, I was hoping to play a few courses that couldn't accommodate the rig,  so I had to pass. Besides having the space, I also have to determine if there is clearance. Looking at Google satellite gives me an idea if there are trees covering the parking lot, and low hanging branches are a no-no. The parking lot at King and Bear was tough. I was scraping some if the smaller branches, and in hindsight would have been better parking elsewhere. 

 

Generally I've been stopping at the RV parks and setting up camp before heading to the course in the calf. I did that yesterday before driving 30 minutes to Streamsong. However, that too can be troublesome, as my site may not be open early in the morning. I've gotten lucky a few times being able to check in early, but in a couple of cases my spot was still occupied. Just like a hotel, checkout is usually 11 am to noon, so I can't expect a spot to be open if I roll in at 10 am. 

 

Golf has certainly been more expensive than I expected. Playing my usual rotation of munis back in Chicago over the summer I was paying $30 to $60, with the majority being under $50. I've played a handful of cheaper courses on this trip, but a lot of them have been in the $100 to $150 range. Sea Island, Kiawah, and Streamsong were each over $250. No surprise there given the nature of the courses. Hopefully there will be some cheaper ones along the way, but I'm not going to pass on an excellent course on this dream trip due to the cost as long as it's not crazy. I passes on spending $617 to stay/play Pinehurst #4, and the $700 to stay/play May River. 

 

I've been eating out a little more than planned, but it hasn't been over the top. I used to eat out twice a week, and I'm probably averaging three times a week now. Of course the beer stops have added to the budget woes. Lol.

 

I'm hoping that prices drop some as I head into the Gulf Shores area later this month. The weather is not as nice as southern Florida, so it doesn't get quite the wave of snowbirds.

 

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

The RV parks in Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina were running $40 to $50 a night. My week's stay in Myrtle Beach was $49 a night with the weekly discount. Many RV parks offer ~10% off if you stay a week. Once I crossed into Florida the rates shot up. They're now in the $65 to $80 range. I was originally expecting to spend $1500 a month, but it's more like $1800.

 

After 2 months and just over 2000 miles I've spent close to $900 on gas. Prices have been averaging $3.10 a gallon at 7.5 mpg.

 

I've parked Bessie at 3 courses now, along with the night's stay at the Inn at Sea Island. I called ahead each time to ask about parking, and was giving the go ahead in each case. However, I was hoping to play a few courses that couldn't accommodate the rig,  so I had to pass. Besides having the space, I also have to determine if there is clearance. Looking at Google satellite gives me an idea if there are trees covering the parking lot, and low hanging branches are a no-no. The parking lot at King and Bear was tough. I was scraping some if the smaller branches, and in hindsight would have been better parking elsewhere. 

 

Generally I've been stopping at the RV parks and setting up camp before heading to the course in the calf. I did that yesterday before driving 30 minutes to Streamsong. However, that too can be troublesome, as my site may not be open early in the morning. I've gotten lucky a few times being able to check in early, but in a couple of cases my spot was still occupied. Just like a hotel, checkout is usually 11 am to noon, so I can't expect a spot to be open if I roll in at 10 am. 

 

Golf has certainly been more expensive than I expected. Playing my usual rotation of munis back in Chicago over the summer I was paying $30 to $60, with the majority being under $50. I've played a handful of cheaper courses on this trip, but a lot of them have been in the $100 to $150 range. Sea Island, Kiawah, and Streamsong were each over $250. No surprise there given the nature of the courses. Hopefully there will be some cheaper ones along the way, but I'm not going to pass on an excellent course on this dream trip due to the cost as long as it's not crazy. I passes on spending $617 to stay/play Pinehurst #4, and the $700 to stay/play May River. 

 

I've been eating out a little more than planned, but it hasn't been over the top. I used to eat out twice a week, and I'm probably averaging three times a week now. Of course the beer stops have added to the budget woes. Lol.

 

I'm hoping that prices drop some as I head into the Gulf Shores area later this month. The weather is not as nice as southern Florida, so it doesn't get quite the wave of snowbirds.

 

As you go north and west it will get less expensive. You’ll have some good options to play as well.

[pseudoswede]

I'm enjoying reading this.

 

A suggestion...create a new thread for each month of travel--or maybe even by state (it seems like you tackle one state at a time, but that might change as you head north or start straddling borders). You can then compile links to all threads and post them in the first post of each thread.

Edited January 4, 2022 by pseudoswede

[Argonne69]

After Streamsong on Saturday it was back to the mundane today. A chilly 49 degrees when I teed off at River Run Golf Links in Bradenton. I was pleasantly surprised to find a cheap walking rate. The course wasn't much, but for $39 I was happy. Short with four near 90 degree doglegs, I swear it was an Arthur Hills design. Bunkering was light, but with plenty of tight holes it required some precision off the tee. Greens were small, with little slope. Pretty much what you'd expect from a cheap muni. No real standout holes, but nothing too terrible either. 

 

Conditions were OK. Playable, but far from pristine. Again, cheap golf. Greens were in nice shape. 

 

Did I mention the need to be precise off the tee? Yeah, not today. Ugh. My driver bailed on me today, and no amount of scrambling was going to save this round. One birdie, six bogies, and a double. There are some days where you just don't have it. Highlight of the day was seeing a metallic blue SUV in the parking lot. Don't think I've ever seen this color on a vehicle that wasn't a Mattel Hot Wheels. 

 

 

Had fun nonetheless. My playing partners were good company, and distracted me from the poor golf. Hope to get back on track tomorrow. Three cows. 

 

Edited January 4, 2022 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

River Run Golf Links, Bradenton, FL 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8i5qb7wtpx6qui4/AACN7G-nhIuxzKTvr1msoCkua?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

When your game goes (farther) south, a quality barrel aged imperial stout can help soothe the pain. 'Found a smooth Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Wood at Lost Kangaroo Pub in downtown Bradenton. With over 25 taps they have a little bit of everything. 

 

[Roc-A-Fella_1]

I can’t recall, is your rating system out of 5 or 10 cows?

[Argonne69]

9 hours ago, Roc-A-Fella_1 said:

I can’t recall, is your rating system out of 5 or 10 cows?

 

10.

 

I've never played a 10, but I imagine that Augusta National or Cypress Point might come close.

 

A 1 is basically a cow pasture with 18 flags stuck in the turf. 

 

A 5 is a course that I would likely play on a regular basis if I was a local, or a course I'd play to fill out a schedule if I was in the area playing another better course, but one that I wouldn't necessary travel to play, aka a destination course.

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

Fun morning at another local course, The Preserve GC (at Tara). Typical Florida course (no surprise) with plenty of water. Fairly tight off the tee. It's routed through a housing development, but they did a good job of hiding most of the houses. A large number of holes felt quite isolated. Unfortunately a number of holes play close to the interstate, so the din of traffic is heavy. Nothing really stood out. Well, maybe the par 5 10th. The sliver of a fairway in the layup area couldn't have been more than 20 yds wide. A bit goofy if you ask me. Greens were benign, and bunkering was on the light side. Plenty of thick jungle if you get wayward, though. 

 

Conditions were barely sufficient. Tee boxes were a mess. Fairways were patchy. Greens were grainy and bumpy, and only rolling 9 at best. Bunkers were poor. For $69 I expected better. 

 

Much better day off the tee. One birdie and five bogies. Highlight, or low-light, not quite sure, was soiling my pants on the 13th hole when I nearly walked into a gator. Lol. I pushed my tee shot near the cart path that runs parallel to a pond. I was walking along the path looking right and left to see if my ball might have stayed dry. Note to self, remember to look up now and again. When I did eventually look up I was maybe 15 feet from a gator. Too close for comfort!

 

Other than my encounter with the gator it was a forgettable course. Still, I'm considering myself lucky in finding courses that allow walking. Probably going to wind up riding the next two days. Three cows. 

 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Argonne69

[Argonne69]

The Preserve GC, Bradenton, FL 

 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xdvfal1z91c6uoj/AABF3XJuXrpPKXOPp4TD0Ea7a?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Scullers Draft House in Bradenton. Another "taproom" in a mall, similar to World of Beer, with a decent selection of brews. 32 taps with a decent variety. I'm enjoying a sample of Roman Ename Tripel, a Prairie Artisan Christmas Bomb, and Cycle Cuvee Just Maple Imperial Stout. 

 

 

[DE-ILLINI]

Thanks for taking us along on this journey.  Nice diversion for a dreary winter day.

[Chanceman]

2 hours ago, DE-ILLINI said:

Thanks for taking us along on this journey.  Nice diversion for a dreary winter day.

And the golf is good fun too.

[Argonne69]

Another gorgeous day in sunny Florida. Light winds and mostly sunny skies made for a very pleasant walk this morning at IMG Academy GC. I was originally told that it was riding only, but when I got there this morning they said that it was OK to walk. Nice. Not an overly interesting course. At least I didn't have a run in with a gator. Plenty of water and excellent bunkering, but it didn't really have any memorable holes. Greens were benign. I guess I'm asking too much to have some tiering or undulation. Par 3s were meh. Par 5s a little better. Fairways were generous. There were plenty of homes adjacent to the course, and it did have a pinched feel off the fairway. 

 

Conditions were very good. Bunkers could use some more sand. Greens were excellent. Super smooth and running close to 11. Nice to be able to simply put a light stroke on the ball. 

 

Another solid round with two birdies and five bogies. Highlight of the day was once again my playing partner, a nice guy from Indy. The twosome that was supposed to join us canceled, so the two of us were out there killing time in a sea of foursomes. We traded plenty of interesting stories. 

 

I'm 40+ rounds into the trip. One the one hand I'm simply happy to be playing golf in great weather. I know I can't tee it up on a top ranked course every day, or every week for that matter. On the other hand the courses down here seem to come out of a cookie cutter. After a short time they all blend together. I'll give this one 4 cows simply because the greens were in such nice shape. At $80 it wasn't a bargain, but at least it wasn't $120. 

 

[Argonne69]

IMG Academy Golf Club, Bradenton, FL 

 

 

 

 

Full photo set: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/d4zr9c67023kzxf/AAASPPD2F4rVw-gbFSUGFKrza?dl=0

 

[Argonne69]

Oh, my poor liver. The Bradenton/Sarasota area doesn't seem to have much of craft brewing scene, but they do have some decent bars with a good variety of taps. Craft Growlers to Go today. 44 taps with a very nice variety. First place I've ever seen a 15 pour flight. Oh my. Tempting, but I took a pass. Enjoying a more manageable flight with three Belgian beers, and a nice imperial stout. 

 

 

 

[buckrogers71]

30 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

Oh, my poor liver. The Bradenton/Sarasota area doesn't seem to have much of craft brewing scene, but they do have some decent bars with a good variety of taps. Craft Growlers to Go today. 44 taps with a very nice variety. First place I've ever seen a 15 pour flight. Oh my. Tempting, but I took a pass. Enjoying a more manageable flight with three Belgian beers, and a nice imperial stout. 

 

 

 

Thats wild for a flight of that many! 

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Another gorgeous day in sunny Florida. Light winds and mostly sunny skies made for a very pleasant walk this morning at IMG Academy GC. I was originally told that it was riding only, but when I got there this morning they said that it was OK to walk. Nice. Not an overly interesting course. At least I didn't have a run in with a gator. Plenty of water and excellent bunkering, but it didn't really have any memorable holes. Greens were benign. I guess I'm asking too much to have some tiering or undulation. Par 3s were meh. Par 5s a little better. Fairways were generous. There were plenty of homes adjacent to the course, and it did have a pinched feel off the fairway. 

 

Conditions were very good. Bunkers could use some more sand. Greens were excellent. Super smooth and running close to 11. Nice to be able to simply put a light stroke on the ball. 

 

Another solid round with two birdies and five bogies. Highlight of the day was once again my playing partner, a nice guy from Indy. The twosome that was supposed to join us canceled, so the two of us were out there killing time in a sea of foursomes. We traded plenty of interesting stories. 

 

I'm 40+ rounds into the trip. One the one hand I'm simply happy to be playing golf in great weather. I know I can't tee it up on a top ranked course every day, or every week for that matter. On the other hand the courses down here seem to come out of a cookie cutter. After a short time they all blend together. I'll give this one 4 cows simply because the greens were in such nice shape. At $80 it wasn't a bargain, but at least it wasn't $120. 

 

Lived in Florida for 15+ years. No doubt, blessed with weather, but not much in topography. When I moved to the Midwest, my playing partners were laughing at me constantly because I was always commenting on how much different it was to play golf up and down hills….