William Rankin
Some additional food options:
Breakfast in TC
- Frenchie's (small cramped dining, amazing brunch)
- Bubba's (lots of seating, great worse for the wear food)
- Sugar 2 Salt (near the GT commons)
- The Dandy (right downtown, not the best options for kids menu)
- Sisters (just across the street from Modern Bird)
- Red Spire (in the historic GT commons)
- Chez Amie (reimagined Patisserie Amie in the Warehouse MRKT)
- Potter's (local donut shop)
Lunch in TC
- Chef's Inn (sandwich shop connected to Burrit's Fresh Market for wine, speciality meat, and seafood)
- Chubby Unicorn (sandwich shop in downtown across from Little Fleet food trucks)
- Oakwood Proper (smashed burger shop near the base of the peninsula)
- Glendale Burger Shop (right near M-72 and M-22 intersection on west side of TC, easy if heading to / coming from Leelanau)
Dinner in TC
- Mama Lou's (mexican in downtown)
- Filling Station (brewery + pizza + dog friendly near boardman lake)
- Charles & Reid (detroit style pizza in downtown)
- Forrest, A Food Studio (two person operation with 24 seats, prepared menu, table reservations open the first of the month for the next month and go quickly)
Bars in TC
- Workshop (warehouse mrkt district downtown)
- U & I (local dive bar)
- 7 monks taproom (downtown)
- Low Bar (dark quiet lounge below 7 Monks)
Dessert in TC
- Buchan's Ice Cream (just west of TC near Glendale Burgers)
- Moomer's (just West of TC)
- Dairy Lodge (cash only*)
- Bardon's (base of peninsula near Oakwood Proper)
Leelanau County Spots:
- Art's Tavern (Glen Arbor - cash only*, B/L/D, famous chicken jalapeño soup on Wednesday)
- The Mill (Glen Arbor - dinner spot in renovated mill right on the river)
- Wren (Sutton's Bay - downtown dinner in Sutton's Bay)
- The Tribune (Northport - brunch)
Link to commentRobert Kimball
I volunteered at Gaston CC as a walking scorer and it was one of the coolest things I have done in golf.
Joseph Bramlett was in my group and he was still very much in contention on the final 9. Watching him grind away up close was amazing. He got it up and down from everywhere but unfortunately was undone by a late bogey and missed birdie putt.
I would strongly recommend to the Coop that if you get a chance to volunteer at an event like this, please do it. What a great day. And, it reminds me of just how good these guys are - they play a different game than we do!
P.S. Chesson Hadley was also in the group, but quit after 9. He asked to see the live scoring and realized it was not going to happen.
Link to commentDan Griffith
Ha, I made the same comment to my two fellow architecture-enthused friends who were out there with me, but they were hearing none of it. I think playing it into a three-club wind made trying to be that precise a bit too much of an ask.
Link to commentDavid Salle
Same when I was there, although funny enough I think that made it a better hole. Laying back and left made it a blind approach and pushing it up right gave you a look at the green
Link to commentDonny Amidon
Lowering expectations has helped me. I played in 3 tournaments last year. I felt very prepared and focused going into two of them and before the other I could hardly play due to a minor neck strain and work. I shot 80 in the two and 69 & won that I didn’t prep for. I’m sure it won’t always work that way either but it’s easy to overthink things and think that you need to do all the right things or make the time. I’m trying to be less stressed about it and see how that goes. I also think of the most nervous Or disastrous golf situation I’ve been in. The most nervous being the 1st tee shot at the Old course I hit right down the middle. The most disastrous being a tournament when I was 15 where I shanked the first tee shot OB, popped up my provisional into the water, dropped made 9. Topped my next tee ball into the water and walked off. My dad was watching from the car off the road and was already in the parking lot when I walked in utterly disappointed that I quit. Can’t get much worse than that!
Link to commentDonny Amidon
Lowering expectations has helped me. I played in 3 tournaments last year. I felt very prepared and focused going into two of them and before the other I could hardly play due to a minor neck strain and work. I shot 80 in the two and 69 in the woke I didn’t prep for. I’m sure it won’t always work that way either but it’s easy to overthink things and think that you need to do all the right things or make the time. I’m trying to be less stressed about it and see how that goes. I also think of the lost nervous Or disastrous golf situation I’ve been in. The most nervous being the 1st tee shot at the Old course I hit right down the middle. The most disastrous being a torment when I was 15 where I shanked the first tee shot OB, popped up my provisional into the water, dropped made 9. Topped my next tee ball into the water and walked off. My dad was watching from the car off the road and was already in the parking lot when I walked in utterly disappointed that I quit. Can’t get much worse than that!
Link to commentMatt Rouches
Yes, it was! 17 also used to have some more menacing bunkers and mounds dividing the fairway almost like a “hells half acre” which was strongly linked to Pine Valley.
Link to commentSm Kerr
Cherry Hills a great finish 14-18. But the overall course doesn’t represent all the wonderful championships it has hosted. I am a Colorado native who believes that Ballyneal is our finest course.
Link to commentSm Kerr
Was the 17th hole island green in Flynn’s original design?
Link to commentSam Weitzman-Kurker
I'm jealous! I had some fun playing partners, but I definitely wished throughout the round I could drop balls and hit different shots. Nonetheless, what a freaking round. I strongly believe it's going to shoot up rankings and establish itself on the shortlist of best public courses in the US.
Link to commentRichard Morrison
Very impressive & enjoyable read... great to learn more about The Eden Golf Course...fantastic photos, as well. Thanks Matt!!!
Link to commentCody Webster
This is awesome info! Thank you! Love the idea of a quick extra loop.
Link to commentEric Gordon
Cody -- I'll second Will and Beau with all things Napa/Calistoga.
Now I will offer a few Course things I'd recommend:
- You're covered for the day of golf, so if you are an absolute sicko, bank on a few extra holes after your lunch to mess around with the firm turf without worrying about score and try some different versions of approach shots (aka try a putt from ~80 yards out, putt from off the green with your 3-wood, use some hickories if you got them! etc...)
My favorite sub 18 hole loops are:
- 3 hole loop: 1, 17 -- tee off from the fairway (make it a long par 3) , 18
- 4 hole loop: 1 - 2, 17- 18 (just have to walk back to 17 after 2 on the dirt road that connects them )
- 7 Holes (My Favorite); 1-3 , 15 - 18
- 10 holes: 1- 5, 14 - 18 (Most of the time this is too much for me unless I'm there all day)
- If your caddy has been there for a while, some topics you can ask about while on course:
- The sheep
- The turf and rough that is being experimented with.
- Jame's Duncans bunker (off the right of 4 tee)
- Who shaped each green (Coore, Crenshaw, James Duncan, etc.)
- The Abner/Duncan play on 11. (Deep cut here -- may not get an answer on this one)
- Current Course record (and the match it was part of)
Link to commentNick Nelson
You simply can’t translate the score you shoot in an official tournament round vs a casual round. As you mention - these are two separate things! My suggestion is to take a hard look at what shots gave you the most grief during your tournament as well as which shots made you most nervous. These shots should be your go-to points of practice.
Link to commentJames Reader
Interesting that you describe the 17th as a Road Hole homage. Around the green, yes (although a pretty poor homage), but the tee shot is actually a more challenging version of 16 on the Old, because the option of a bail out left doesn’t really exist. Standing on that tee with a decent medal card going and the wind into off the left is no fun at all!
Link to commentGarrett Morrison
The work of Donald Steel and his heirs Mackenzie & Ebert tends to inspire such phrases.
Link to commentBrendan Porath
Is this the first time in recorded history that golf holes have been described as "deeply criminal" ?
Link to commentMike Ihm
Well put. Played it in April also and we had the same conversation, "why isn't this talked about more?" Used hickories which made it less of a driver wedge. Caddy rumors that they may take 2 holes from Strath to correct that shitty corner. Im sure Mackenzie and Ebert will come in and make it worse somehow.
Link to commentMark Harbeson
Those greens look amazing. And I can second the recommendation for the Steak Barn.
Link to commentDan Griffith
That first green stuck with me as much as any other on my entire visit to the region. At least it looks like they cut down the rushes from the pond on 14/15. When I played there last summer, it was completely overgrown with 6-7' rushes that you couldn't even see over.
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