XXXII Review of "Entrada (at Snow Canyon)"

ENTRADA, St. George, Utah: This is my favorite of the St. George area courses. Better score on the front side here. The back nine is devilish eye-candy with lava fields (if you are not in the fairway) and the Johnny Miller factor. He is a tough customer as a golf course architect. St. George is also not far from Mesquite, Nv., which has more great courses and casinos galore, if you like gambling. RATINGS: 73.6/131 COST: Rates available for guests of Inn at Entrada only.

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A Great Move Every Time

I have lived in many regions of this beautiful country for golfing.
Here are some courses highly recommended.
I lived near Phoenix, Arizona and would like to go back and play "The Monument" at Troon North, Scottsdale; The original We Ko Pa course at Fort McDowell, now called "Cholla"; Boulders Resort in Carefree, either course is awesome; Grayhawk in Scottsdale, either ditto; and a hidden gem, "Apache Stronghold", San Carlos, Az.
I am originally from the Chicago area, which has too many great courses. I frequented these: "Cog Hill #4" (Dudsdread), Lemont, Il; "Golf Club of Illinois" in Algonquin; "George W. Dunne National", Oak Forest; "Kemper Lakes" (you will have to know someone), which has hosted a PGA Major, in Kildeer, Il.; and in Stevens Point, Wi., the "Sentry World" course.
I now live in Oregon. The best so far are: Any of the Bandon Dunes Resort courses, of course; "Running Y" in Klamath Falls; "Crosswater", Sunriver Resort; "Ghost Creek" at Pumpkin Ridge, in the Portland outlier of North Plains.
Northern Michigan has some of the best courses, due to a short season. I favor "The Donald Ross Memorial Course" in Harbor Springs; "The Legend" at Shanty Creek in Bellaire; "Masterpiece" at Treetops Resort in Gaylord; and a Nicklaus design in Acme (near Traverse City), "The Bear".
The Interstate 70 corridor in Colorado is loaded with golf, through the desert and mountains. When I lived in the area I loved "Redlands Mesa", Grand Junction, Co.; "Battlement Mesa", near Parachute; "Beaver Creek" in Avon; Jack Nicklaus designed "Breckenridge" in the same named town; Pete Dye's "Cotton Ranch" in Gypsum is great.
The best courses for the money, in my opinion (and two year stay) in the Four Corners area are: "Rio Grande" in South Fork, Co.; "Dalton Ranch" in Durango, Co.; "Pinon Hills" in Farmington, N.M.; "Black Mesa" in Espanola, N.M.; and the almost unknown "The Hideout" in Monticello, Ut.
Well I never lived in Hawaii or the Las Vegas area, but played plenty of golf there. Hawaii boasts these beauties: "Makalei", Kailua-Kona, on the Big Island; The "Francis I'i Brown" (South Course) at Mauna Lani Resort, on the Kohala Coast of the Big Island; another Big Island course, "Kings Golf Course", at the Waikoloa Resort; and on the island of Kauai, "The Prince" at Princeville is awesome; the best value in all of Hawaii is "Wailua" in Lihue, Kauai. These are great, within driving distance of Las Vegas: "Entrada" in St. George, Ut.; "Green Springs" in the same town, which boasts the hardest hole in the state; The "Palmer Course", which is the original course at the Oasis Resort in Mesquite, Nv.; and the obscenely difficult and beautiful "Wolf Creek" in the same town. Leave your clubs in the car, or maybe try "Palms" instead if you want a score; and in Las Vegas, I like the courses at the Las Vegas Paiute Resort.
Let's see, how about Arizona in December or January? As for Hawaii, I like to be there during the Ironman Triathlon (October), but any time is great. Illinois and Wisconsin have good weather in May and September. October then for Oregon golf. The desert in Nevada and Utah would be good in February or March. The summer or early fall is my pick for Michigan golf. I like Colorado mountain golf in the summer. Grand Junction is a little hot though. The Four Corners area can be accessible much of the year, other than South Fork and Monticello in the winter.

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XXXI Review of "Talon"

TALON (at Grayhawk), Scottsdale, Arizona: This is your standard unbelievable Sonoran Desert course, designed by David Graham and Gary Panks. Tucson has great golf but doesn't compare to the Phoenix metro area, which Scottsdale is part of. I could not even sneak any Tucson courses onto my top 50 list. It gets a little warm here though. In the summer you can play for $50 after 10 A.M. Quite a deal, if you can take the sun. I have not played the "Raptor" at the same resort but it's a Tom Fazio so it is good. RATINGS: 74.1/143 COST: $50 (summer)-$190 including cart.

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It Couldn't Happen But Did

#1, Tiger Woods had never been beaten in a Major when he led going into the last round. #2, Tiger Woods had never won a Major coming from behind in the last round. On August 16, 2009 things switched from #1 to #2 during the round and he did not win. Instead we got the first Asian Major championship winner. Who knows what one may overcome if one does not think in Tiger's language.

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El-dre(a)d.......Again

As Tiger closes in on his 15th. Major title, I am reminded that when he is is on his game, no golf god of any time could have beat him. Who, what, when or where, I don't care. Featherie, gutta percha, Hogan, Morris, spoon or brassie, I don't care. I am an old stubborn Jack fan. Tiger Woods started earlier, had better equipment, better teachers, no challengers. What about 1st's and 2nds. combined? It's just blah blah. I became a believer when the guy won a U.S. Open on one leg last year. That's impossible against the best players in the world, right? I call that one of the most unbelievable sports accomplishments (for overcoming injury or illness) in my elder memory. It goes with: #1 Lance Armstrong's first of seven straight Tour de France (the hardest competition in sports) victories in 1999, after overcoming advanced cancer. #3 Crippled Kirk Gibson's one-armed home run in a World Series game against one of the best pitchers in baseball. "I don't believe what I just saw!"..Jack Buck. #4 Michael Jordan's NBA Finals performance in 1997, when he could hardly walk or stand or see. He only got 38 against a decent Utah team.

Here's a couple of other Hall of Famer's besides Tigger who played with no wheels. Jack Youngblood played the 1980 NFL playoffs, Super Bowl, and even the Pro Bowl with a broken leg. Bob Gibson pitched to two batters and into a partial count on the third before his broken leg snapped in July, 1967. The leg had been broken earlier, due to a Roberto Clemente line drive laser.

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XXX Review of "Battlement Mesa"

BATTLEMENT MESA, Battlement Mesa, Colorado: This is another hidden gem. But the course is almost sitting on scenic Interstate 70, about an hour east of Grand Junction, so you'll find it. It was originally commissioned by Exxon when they had too much money in the 1980's, during the last oil shale boom in the area. Come to think of it, the big E is still doing alright. Anyway, the '80s boom went bust but the course survived. Bad for the local economy, good for the public. The layout is a Joe Finger/ Ken Dye design and a top 10 public course in the state (says Golf Digest). RATINGS: 73.4/130 COST: $59 including cart

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