Sage Meadows in Jonesboro, AK

We were rained out again from golfing at Mirimichi so we decided to start driving home with a little different route so we could golf one more time. Some we drive northwest to Jonesboro. We found this really nice course. It was in the middle of a subdivision however the homes were well placed and out of the "line of fire". The greens were a little rough in spots and some of the tee boxes were beat up. The folks in the clubhouse were great. I think this used to be a private club and was recently taken over by a different group. It had rained the day before torrentially so it was cart path only and it was kind of chilly (about 50). The sand was full of water so if your ball went in there, you didn't often find it again. Some of the holes were really nice, with some interesting uphills and doglegs. We did like the course but would like to golf there on a nicer day!http://www.sagemeadows.com/

Mallard Pointe, Sardis, MS

We were unable to golf at Mirimichi because of the weather but we took a ride over an looked at it. It looks really nice, with a cool clubhouse and some really nice holes. We'll try to golf there tomorrow. We decided to drive to casinos about a half hour away in Tunica, Mississippi. On the way, we found this golf course in a state park in Sardis, Ms. It turned out to be a really nice day and this was a really nice, extremely challenging course. Lots of hills, really nice sand bunkers, water, woods, everything that makes a nice course. Again, there was the strange, yellow, spongy grass but the fairways were nice and the greens were OK. There were a couple bathrooms on the course, which I like a lot better than port a potties. The price was good also. Would definitely golf here again if we're in the area.

Ted Rhodes golf course, Nashville, TN

We decided to take a short driving trip down south to golf at Justin Timberlakes course, Mirimichi, in Tennessee. On the way down we stopped at this course. It was a public, city owned course. There was a pretty steady stream of players. The course was not in the best of condition - don't know if this was because of the time of the year or if it's always like this. It seemed like all the courses down south had that weird yellowish kind of grass that's kind of hard to hit out of, it's so spongy. The tee boxes were rough but OK and the greens, for the most part, were in OK condition. The folks here were really nice - no cart girl at this time of year of course and they didn't sell alcohol, probably cause it's city owned. There were port a potties out there, didn't use one though so no comment about cleanliness. The course was pretty flat with some sand and some water. Jerry ate a sandwich which he wasn't crazy about but I didn't eat anything. It was about $25 a person to golf. There were a few nice holes and, given the opportunity, would probably golf here again.

Sand Hollow, Hurricane, Utah

We had a hard time finding this course - there were no signs at all! And once we found the course, we couldn't find the clubhouse. It looked like a really new community with a temporary clubhouse. The course itself was in beautiful condition - I've rarely seen a course with fairways this nice. The sand traps looked like they were cut out of the ground with cookie cutters! And they were filled with red sand. The greens were in good shape - most pin placements were kind of tricky. They weren't too fast or too slow. The first 9 were pretty flat, winding through the desert. The second nine was a treat - up in the mountains with some pretty spectacular views. There was no cart girl, which was odd on a beautiful Sunday. And with it being a temporary clubhouse, there was not much food or drink offered. There were porta potties on two holes...didn't use them...it was too hot, I retained all my fluids! Would love to come back when it's not so hot and when the clubhouse is finished.

Bucks Run, Mt. Pleasant

The course runs around an old quarry so from the club house you can see hole 8, hole 9, hole 10, hole 12, hole 17, and hole 18. It's a great view. We were told that hitting the ball straight is must on this course and that's exactly right...the brush is quite thick and if you hit your ball in, it's impossible to find it! The picture is Hole 8, a par 3 that's almost impossible! The fairways were in really nice condition and the greens were really, really fast. We had a hard time with them. We were charged senior rates, which was great. There's a couple bathrooms on the course and a pretty attentive cart girl. We had bloody marys which were pretty spicy. We ate at the clubhouse after golf and the food was good. Would definitely like to golf here again.

Grand Cypress, Orlando

This was definitely the best of the 3 Orlando courses we did. It also cost the most at about $80. We did the North & South courses...the East had a island green I would have liked to try, but oh well. The "new" course is the links style which really isn't too much different than any Florida course! The fairways were in great condition on the North...not so nice on the South but still good. The greens were fast but deceptive. They looked straight but definitely weren't. There was the usual water and lots, lots, lots of sand. It was a very challenging course. We were behind a kind of slow foursome even though we started at 8am. We eventually went through because we had to check out of the room by 1pm, we had a late check out. The bathrooms were very nice and there were ice & water stations on the north...not on the south. We ate in the clubhouse after...it was too hot and humid to stop...we just kept going. The food was expensive but very good. Would golf (& stay) here again in a minute.

Falcon's Fire, Kissimmee, Fl

This was the better course I talked about in the Hunter's Creek post. It cost about $50. Another typical Florida course - just a little more challenging than the Hunter's Creek one. Still pretty flat, lots of water & sand and still really hot & humid. I did try a bloody mary here...not very good...only a slice of lemon in it! But again the course was in really nice condition and all the employees were so nice and friendly. There were bathrooms on the course and the cart girl was very accessible. We golfed at 8:30 so it wasn't very crowded. The greens were nice, fast but kind of straight. Most of the fairways were pretty good. Would definitely golf here again.

Hunter Creek, Orlando, Fl

Golfed again on 1/9/15...was surprised to notice there were no trash cans or ball cleaners (or very few anyway)...it was very crowded and we weren't even able to finish golfing because of slow groups in front of us. However, we still like this course.

Golfed here on a recent golf trip to Orlando. Stayed at the Villas of Grand Cypress which is a golf resort. Very beautiful place with 27 holes and the "new" course which is a links style course. Included in the resort fees was free driving range, putting & chipping green, iron range and 3 practice holes - a par 3, par 4 and par 5. We golfed at Hunters Creek which wasn't too far from the resort. It was in another "golf" community. We ended up doing kind of a good, better, best type deal...this course being the good one. It cost about $35 and was well worth that price. The creek meanders through the course and offers some nice water challenges. There's enough sand too. The greens were fast and the fairways were in good condition. It was a typical Florida course...flat but sand and water challenges...not many trees. It was quite hot and quite humid - the cart girl was around frequently and there were bathrooms accessible. We didn't really order any food or drink here...it was too hot! We just wanted to get back to the pool! But we had no complaints and would golf this course again.

Collins Park, Toledo, OH

We golfed this little 9 hole course because we were driving south looking for some place where it wasn't raining. We paid $14 each, which I think was a little too much for this course. It was really unique...every hole was straight. There was no water other than the water from the heavy rains. There were no bunkers other than those made by the holes made by carts in the mud. There were really no fairways...it was just a big meadow. Obviously there was no cart girl but there was one port a potty out there. It is a city owned course in a city owned park so it was well maintained. The greens were in surprisely nice condition...very straight so we made a lot of putts. We had a hard time finding the tee box shown above...it was way left of the fairway. The picture on the right shows where Jerry was hitting to. The fairway was on the right of those trees. Very unusual course but must be very popular in the area cause they had a scramble every Friday. However we accomplished what we set out to do which was golf a little...

Timber Ridge, East Lansing

Very nice course...it was very, very hot so it was hard for us to enjoy it but would love to go back when it's cooler. We got senior rates on a holiday weekend! The course advertises "a natural golf course" which means lots of hazards...trees, water, rough. There were gps systems in the cart...mine kept going in and out but worked for the most part. You could keep score on the gps also. We all lost lots of balls. Lots of bathrooms - not porta-potties, cart girl was attentive and made great bloody marys. The course was in really good condition with nice fairways and really fast greens that, for the most part, were also in good condition. They had some really nice par 3s. We had nachos in the clubhouse later...not worth the money.

Hawk Hollow, Bath

Very nice course...mix of links and woods at a decent price. We were able to get out early, thank goodness, cause it was quite hot. Nice condition course with some challenging holes. Nice mix of water, trees and sand. Some really nice par 3s - hole 17 especially had a beautiful view of the clubhouse and was a great par 3 with some water. Decent bloody mary...nothing special. Decent bathrooms. Would be happy to golf here again.

Thoroughbred Course, Double Jj Ranch, Rothbury

This supposed to be one of the most woman friendly courses in the state, according to the girl who set up this trip. I'm not sure about that but we did like this course. It was very hilly, very picturesque, and a lot of fun. There wasn't much water or sand but there were lots of hazards. We all lost lots of balls and there was poison ivy so we weren't looking for them. The par 3's were all really accessible, the par 4's and 5's were challenging. The greens were in good shape and pretty fast. There was a cart girl Sunday and her bloody marys were good but only pickles in them. There was no cart girl on Monday. There was a turn and the food was really good - had a brat on Sunday and a hamburger on Monday. No one had anything bad to say about the food. Especially like the finishing hole which we could see from the tee box at a 90 degree angle over a lake...that green was under our room's balcony. (In the picture, the green...then across the lake, the tee box.) The hole had lots of angled fairways with dips, downhill, sand, marsh, rocks, water, etc.

Thornapple Pointe, Grand Rapids

Only golfed the first nine here but really enjoyed it...very pretty course. There was an outing in front of us so we got kind of backed up and folks were right behind us. The course was in good condition, there was some elevation, and it was pretty wide open - not many trees. The carts were equipped with a gps system which worked really well. There was a good cart girl but the bloody mary she made was awful - do not order one! There was no turn, so I'm glad we ate lunch before we left. The food was OK, nothing special but the service was good. There was a nice bathroom/hallway house with a pop machine in a really picturesque stop near a river that ran along part of the course.  Would definitely like to come here again!

Inkster Valley

Golfed here in another outing. Again, there were very few women. This is a hard course for women, I think. There was a lot of marshland we had to hit over - or try to hit over. It was a long course with a lot of twists and turns so strategy was involved. There were some nice elevations also which I like. Not too much water or sand. The course was very pretty though and I would like to try it again.

Gateway Golf Club, Romulus

This is a new course (about 4 or 5 years old) that I've been wanting to try. Didn't really enjoy golfing here - mostly because it was just too crowded! We let a couple of guys go in front of us and they were really slow. There was a threesome behind us who kept driving up on us when we were teeing off...a little too friendly! The course was OK...really links style and mostly flat. I guess I should golf here again to see if what it's really like...I was just too distracted by the stop and go pace to enjoy it. I know one thing I liked was even though there were homes around the course, they weren't too close so there was no chance of hitting them or anyone in their yard!

Links of Novi

Really picturesque links style course...a little tight and on the smaller side. Very reasonably priced - $22 senior rates. The women's tee boxes were awful...hard to find a flat spot. The greens and fairways were OK. For $22, would try it again. It was a shorter course, so a little more woman friendly. There was no cart girl but there was a turn so that was OK.

Twin Lakes, Oakland MI

Golfed here in the UAW outing. Lots of guys...in fact, we were the only female team! So of course, we won longest drive, closest to the pin, etc! The course is nice...not really women friendly...kind of hard for us. But we did enjoy the course - it was picturesque and in nice condition. Kind of an up north course...not a lot of sand and not a lot of water, but lots of trees. Some of the fairways were kind of close to others...we were almost hit twice - once we were on a green and a ball landed just off the green from a different hole and once we were on our tee box and it came over from the left and landed right behind us. But I would like to try this course again.

Mountain Ridge, Crystal Mountain, Thompsonville, MI

There are two courses at the Crystal Mountain Resort... Mountain Ridge and Betsie Faire. We stayed off of the Betsie Faire, which is more rolling hills and water, and golfed at Mountain Ridge, which is more trees and more trees. Cons of the course: no starter...they put another couple with us (without telling us) so they kind of got our tee time because we let them go (we were experiencing technical difficulties and didn't want to golf with others). The couple turned out to be really good so we had no issues with them but for the first 9 there was a group of women in front of them (a little slow), four men in front of them (one of whom hadn't golfed in 5 years) and then a really slow foursome who we caught up with on the back 9. Another con no turn or half way house and no one told us...we would have taken more water or a cooler out with us. The cart girl was around once on the front nine (early on) and once on the back nine. The water in coolers on the course stunk...sulfur...undrinkable. Pros...the course was set up so we spread out quite quickly, and was in good condition with nice greens and fairways and good tee boxes. Lots and lots of port-a-potties which were really clean. We really enjoyed a lot of the holes...between 16 and 17 there was a long drive upwards with a little scenic rest stop. Crystal Mountain Resort was really nice...very big but condensed so you could walk most places. We stayed in Pinehurst condos...asked for golf course view, but didn't get it. Really small patios...room was small but adequate. We ate at the pro shop where the nice restaurant is...it's small but the food was excellent. Because this is a spa, you could get healthy, tasty food. We ate breakfast at the Wild Tomato which was really good also. Pool area looked really nice. When I go back, I'll stay in the cottages by the pool...or if I'm with a group, the mountainside townhouses!

The Quest, Houghton Lake, MI

We haven't golfed here in over a year but we do like this course. It's in nice condition, reasonably priced with just the right amount of challenge. It was a little slow this time...we were behind some elderly gentleman who did the whole 18. There was a threesome of women behind us who were quite good and we felt kind of sandwiched in. It was quite hot also so that didn't help. But we'll also go back to The Quest.

Grand Bend Ontario, Canada

Stayed in the resort here for two nights and golfed two days. Unfortunately, there was a big storm earlier in the week and 4 of the holes on the course were closed. We were able to golf on as many and whatever holes we wanted to. The first day we golfed was quite cold but the next day was much better. The first and tenth tees were on a patio by the clubhouse which was elevated so they were lots of fun. The course was kind of short with shorter holes which called for a lot of strategy. We liked the rooms which had nice patios and a little gazebo room at the end of the hall where we played cards. The resort had a nice indoor pool with an indoor and an outdoor whirlpool. It was in walking distance to the beach through a really nice neighborhood. The clubhouse and the dining room was quite nice. There wasn't much nearby but the "main" street was quite cute with some really nice restaurants & bars. Would love to go back with the Matildas.

Rattle Run, Clair, MI

We golfed here on the way to Canada. Nice course, in good condition. But a hard course also - quite long. We enjoyed this course and will golf it again, I hope, even though it's far from home.

The Chief, Bellaire, MI

Day 2 of our golf package...had a beautiful day for golf. We thought we were going to have a thunderstorm however it turned out to be a perfect day. Although we were a little overdressed when it turned out to be so warm. This was a little more of a links style course with big bunkers. The course was not in as great condition as Hawks Eye but it was still very nice. I don't think we've every driven so far between some of the holes...we felt very isolated. I know there were other people out there but we never saw a soul. Some really nice elevations here...it was a pretty hard course...we were hitting uphill a lot and some of the fairways were quite narrow. There was no turn, which no one told us, and the halfway house wasn't open, which no one told us, and the soda machine was broken. But there were quite a few port-a-potties and the bathrooms in the halfway house was open. Also there was quite a bit of fresh water available. We did like this course and are looking forward to trying it again. But it is not a course for seniors!

Hawks Eye, Bellaire, Mi

This is hole 1 of Hawks Eye. It was our first time golfing here this year. It's one of my favorite courses. Already, this early in the season, the course was in really good condition. There was a foursome in front of us who were a little on the slow side but the two some behind us were taking their time so it was fine. It was a little on the chilly side too but we enjoyed playing this course very much. Greens were a little slow, probably because of all the rain we had. The clubhouse wasn't open yet, which was funny for Memorial Day weekend but we were able to get an OK chicken sandwich from the clubhouse. We were on a weekend package deal so we stayed at the Legends Lodge which is part of Shanty Creek. It was OK, nothing fancy, but adequate. Will probably golf here again this year...love this course.

Longaberger, Nashport, Ohio

This was our annual trip to Longaberger. Love this course. But it played quite a bit harder than last year because there was three days of rain prior to us golfing. It was cart path only and because it's such a hilly course, this made it quite tiring for us. But it was in good condition, as it was last year. The greens were pretty fast and the pin placement was pretty challenging on most holes. Women's tees are quite a bit forward of the men's - which is nice. They had a cart girl this early in the season! Darius Rucker (of Hottie & the Blowfish) was golfing in a foursome in front of us. We didn't see him...the girl at the turn told us he was there. The weather was nice, golf moved at a pleasant pace, and all in all, it was a really good day. Had a glass of wine up on the patio over the 18th hole after golf which made it even better!

Apple Valley Golf Course, Howard, Ohio

We tried to golf this course on Monday but got rained out. We were only able to do 3 holes...it was just drizzling but very cold and windy. The clubhouse gave us a raincheck with no problem and we golfed there today. It was still cold but we were better prepared...cuddle duds, winter gloves, etc. The course was very, very wet...I don't think I've every golfed on a wetter course...and was cart path only. I liked the course - even though it was a bit side by side. The holes were nicely set up, nice mix of dog legs, water and sand. Some of the fairways were a bit narrow but not many. The par 3s were nice, long but not too long. The women's tee boxes were nice and the greens were OK, a bit fast. It was hard to tell about the fairway conditions because it was so wet but they appeared to be in good shape for so early in the season. I didn't see any bathrooms so I'm going to assume they'll have port-a-potties out. There was no cart girl, which was OK, but when we went in at the turn we asked for coffee and were told there was none. We asked could they make it and were told no...just no! We got hot chocolate, which was good, and asked for Bailey's...none of that either! Got Kahlua, which was good in the hot chocolate. I just couldn't believe they said they wouldn't make coffee - it doesn't seem you should say that to customers. We had sandwiches, which they made fresh and were quite good. Would golf here again...in nicer weather of course!

University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM

This was a really beautiful course...it was like golfing in a park. I guess because it's a college course they keep it beautifully maintained. It wasn't a really long course but played really well. The tee boxes (both men & womens) were in mostly good shape. The fairways were beautiful and manicured! The greens were nice though challenging. There wasn't a lot of water on the course but there was a nice par 3 (hole 11) with water in front of it and a nice dogleg par 4 that a river on the left side that was really pretty. There were rabbits everywhere. Nice bathrooms and a very attentive cart girl. We got hot dogs on the turn which weren't really good but we were in a hurry and didn't want to wait for a sandwich to be made. Would definitely golf here again!

Towa Golf Course, Sante Fe, New Mexico

This was another very scenic course like we golfed at yesterday but not in as nice condition. It was quite rough, the tee boxes, fairways and greens. However, we still liked it! The course was long but very playable. They advertise that they have the only island green in New Mexico (see picture) which is a nice par 3 with an elevated tee box. There were lots of elevated tee boxes, which I enjoy. There were nice bathrooms on the course but no cart girl this early in the season. Would golf here again but later in the year when it would be in better condition.

Paako Ridge, Albuquerque, NM

Golfed here Tuesday, April 5th. Very nice course with impressive views. The course wasn't in really good condition this early in the season, but it wasn't too bad either. They had areated the greens on the back nine and we couldn't even get the flags out of the holes on 3 of the holes. We teed off on several elevated tees and the views were spectacular. The fairways were in good condition and the greens on the first nine were OK. It started out kind of cool but warmed up quick. The clubhouse was really nice - but didn't eat here so can't talk about the food. Would golf here again in a minute.

Apollo Beach, Florida

We golfed at the Apollo Beach Golf Club yesterday. It was another older course, 45 years old we were told. This was a very windy day and the ranger suggested playing the forward tees, which Jerry did. There was water on every hole which made it quite challenging. There were also quite a few sandtraps and bunkers. The fairways weren't very nice yet and the greens were nice in some areas but not so nice in others. Some were really fast and some were really slow. We did see course workers working on the greens, though. No cart girl but lots of water on the course and a bathroom accessible from several holes on each 9. We were behind a foursome that kept us waiting quite a bit (especially when they were putting), but it was much quicker than the day before. We liked this course and will probably play it again.

Silver Dollar Golf & Gun Club, Tampa, FL

This is the course we started to golf in January but got rained out (stuck in the men's room). I added the "gun" to the name this time because we really could hear the gunshots today! Today was one of the few 5 1/2 hour rounds I have ever done. It is a community in Florida so we followed an older foursome that really held up the entire course. Fortunately, everyone behind us saw what was happening. There are 3 nine holes - the Bobcat, Panther & Gator. We played the Gator & the Panther. The course was pretty flat but there was a lot of water holes that kept it interesting. The fairways were in good condition especially considering the time of year and the greens were OK too, although pretty tough because there were a lot of odd pin placements. Women have a huge advantage here cause our tee boxes were much closer. There was a bathroom on the Gator but I didn't see one on the Panther. The cart girl was around frequently and had hot dogs on her cart! I wouldn't mind playing here again cause I par'd almost every par 3 but it's not a must if I come to Tampa again.

Las Vegas Golf Club, Las Vegas

Golfed here yestereday. If you're looking for a cheap place to golf, this would be one of the places you could go to. As a rule, I don't consider $49 that cheap but for Vegas, it's very cheap. The course says it's the only municipal course in Vegas and the oldest in Vegas. I usually like old courses because they have a lot of character. This course didn't. The fairways were in OK condition but were mostly side by side. There were few sand traps and trees were really spaced. Only one hole had water on it, a nice really short par 3. There were lots of bathrooms and a very pleasant cart girl who came frequently. The greens were in rough condition and the women's tee boxes were rarely flat. It was quite cold and windy this day and there were no windshields on the carts. When we asked the clubhouse if they had windshields, we were told we could buy one by the club pro. I won't go back, not worth it...

Wildhorse, Henderson, NV

This was a really nice course for women...it's a little shorter which makes it a little easier for us. It was a little narrow which made it a little harder for the guys. The fairways and tee boxes were in great condition. The greens could use a little work...there were some mossy areas. The folks here were really nice, the food was good and the bloody marys were spicy. There were nice bathrooms that were easily accessible. The course was interesting with some challenging holes. We booked using twomenwhogolf.com and got a great deal so it was well worth the money.

Brooker Creek Golf Club, Palm Harbor

Golfed here January 13th. It was kind of cold when we started so I got a coffee and baileys from the clubhouse...what a difference from yesterday! A huge coffee with a generous dollop of baileys for $7! Because of the cold, the course lowered the price to $21 which was a great price for this course. It wasn't in the same condition as Lake Jovita (where we played the day before) but what a difference good service makes! I liked the course because I like a course with character and this had plenty of it...old trees, older homes, lots of water. Because of the price, there were more golfers which caused a little slower pace of play than I like but it wasn't too bad. Nice bathrooom on the first 9 and a couple port a potties on the back 9. No cart girl, but I didn't really expect one here in January. The greens were a little rough (some had spots with sand in them!) and the course is really kind of small, about 6000 yards total, but I wouldn't mind playing here again when it's a little warmer!

Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, Dade City, FL

We golfed here on Tuesday, January 12th. It was a nice course in good condition. However, I will not go back there. On the web it is described as "an upscale master planned community". There are two 18 hole golf courses...we played the north. I was disappointed in the service...I think because we weren't "members" they were kind of dismissive of us. No one told us there wasn't a turn. The cart girl came around at the 2nd hole - I asked if she had coffee and she said no - she had run out and looked at me blankly. When I said well, when you come out again could you get some and put some baileys in it (it was a little chilly), she looked at me blankly again and said oh no, they didn't have bailey's in the grill...that was in the bar. I've golfed at several nice courses where the cart girls run and get what the guests want and bring it out to them, of course for a nice tip. This girl didn't have a clue and we didn't see her again until about the 12th hole. When we asked about what she had to eat, another blank look and oh, I have two sandwiches left. Thank goodness she did, we were starving by then. They did have a bathroom on the course, another thank goodness, and there were a couple of really nice holes but for the most part, I wasn't impressed. Not really worth the price. We were following a foursome that was following another foursome (members) who were really quite slow so it took a long time to complete this course. The course itself was good, I have no complaints there except it was pretty bland...few holes had any character (trees, water, elevation). But it was in fairly good condition.

Silver Dollar Golf Club, Odessa, FL

Started a 3 day golf trip on January 11th in Tampa. This was the first place we golfed. There are 3 nine hole courses here. We were able to golf 7 holes here yesterday before we were rained out. Interesting course - right in the middle of a senior community. It would be unfair of me to judge on just the first 7 holes - we have a raincheck and will come back. However, we were trapped by the storm in the bathroom on the 7th hole for an hour and NO ONE came to check on us. Of course, it was kind of our fault because we didn't go in when it was raining lightly - we thought it would blow over! We did get up close & personal with a hell of a storm though...