East Coast Golf Journey

Social Media Preview: The Ocean Course at the Hammock Beach Resort!

November 15, 2017 By admin

WOW, what a resort, and what a golf course! Knocked down by Hurricane Matthew last year, but with

The gorgeous and all-inspiring 174-yard par-3 17th hole on the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort!

Jack Nicklaus Design’s help and 13 months of repair and renovation, the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort has come back to life better than ever! Think about that, the damage to the six ocean-hugging golf holes, actually the entire golf course was impacted, yet the long-term vision, dedication, and financial commitment by Sheila Johnson and Salamander Hotels & Resorts has preserved one of America’s ocean front golfing experiences! True to Nicklaus’ masterful design, re-grassing with salt-tolerant Platinum Paspalum, reconstruction of tees, bunkers and green complexes, a legendary golfing experience is back alive, thriving, and open to golfers worldwide!

Nothing better than playing golf oceanside!

This is a true Ocean Course with a mile long encounter with the Deep Blue. Speaking of the Deep Blue, lunch in the Atlantic Grille was outstanding! More to be written on this amazing golfing experience! Welcome back Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort!, we missed you and are happy to be experiencing your treasures again!Many thanks for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary! PS: in the market for some new equipment so played with a rental set of Taylormade M2 irons, hybrids & driver! WoWie there is hope for my game! SOTO TP Collection putter was pretty sweet too! (Facebook Post with 30 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 11-16-17)

Here are some pics and a press release too!

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Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort Re-opens after 13-month Restoration Project

Jack Nicklaus Signature Design now features new salt-tolerant greens, fairways and rough

11 / 02 / 2017

PALM COAST, FL – The famed Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort, a Jack Nicklaus Signature Design, today re-opened after a 13-month restoration project.

The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort re-opened on November 2 after a 13-month restoration project. Pictured are holes 17 and 18. Phot Credit: Ryder Haske

The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort re-opened on November 2 after a 13-month restoration project. Pictured are holes 17 and 18. Photo Credit: Ryder Haske

A ceremonial event, attended by golf, tourism and elected officials, featured a first tee foursome consisting of Lee Elder, the barrier-breaking, four-time PGA TOUR winner; Tennis Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl; Brad Hauer, the resort’s director of golf; and Paul Propis, vice president of the resort’s board of governors and golf committee chairman.

The Palm Coast, FL, resort is managed by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, the luxury hotel company founded by Sheila Johnson, and is part of the Salamander Golf Collection.

First Foursome of
Lee Elder, four-time winner on the PGA TOUR and the first African American to play in The Masters, talks with Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, at the re-opening of the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort. Photo Credit: Gregory Heck
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Renowned for its six Atlantic Ocean-hugging holes and closing stretch named “The Bear Claw,” the Ocean Course has been closed since October 2016 after high winds and storm surge from Hurricane Matthew caused damage across the majority of its holes. The resort’s owners and Salamander took a long-term view regarding conditioning and opted to conduct a complete course restoration in conjunction with Nicklaus Design.

Staying true to Nicklaus’ masterful design, the Ocean Course restoration has included the re-grassing of all fairways, greens and rough with the salt-tolerant Platinum Paspalum, as well as the reconstruction of each tee box, bunker and green complex.

The new salt-tolerant grass was tested by high winds and storm surge caused by Hurricane Irma in September, but the turf stood up well and the restoration project completion was only pushed back a few weeks.

The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach re-opened on November 2 after a 13-month restoration project. Photographed, from left to right, are: Prem Devadas, president of Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Terry Bechtold, managing director of Hammock Beach Resort; Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts; Amy Wilde, president of ACP Communities; Brad Hauer, director of golf at Hammock Beach Resort; and Neill Faucett, managing principal of Lubert-Adler. Photo Credit: Gregory Heck

“Today, the Ocean Course reclaims its position as one of the finest golf courses in the country,” said Salamander Founder & CEO Sheila Johnson, who also serves as an executive committee member of the United States Golf Association. “The location is unique, the views are exquisite and the conditioning now matches the spectacular locale. We thank Lubert-Adler, the resort’s owners, for its commitment to the game of golf, and are honored that the Ocean Course rejoins the rotation within our Salamander Golf Collection.”

In addition to the Ocean Course, Salamander is also re-opening its North Course at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa Bay on November 3 – just 24 hours later. The course, designed by Larry Packard, had been closed for four months for a renovation of its greens.

As one of only a handful of courses in the Southeast to feature Platinum Paspalum, the Ocean Course’s new surface features thick, short grass blades. Tolerant of all seasons, the grass is able to withstand seasonal temperature changes yet maintain a beautiful verdant year-round look. The addition of new and bright white Angle-G sand has also significantly brightened the already visually appealing course.

The course’s dune line, which is over a mile long, continues to be carefully restored ¬to state conservational specifications. Newer and stronger dunes are forming, which offer greater environmental protection while also offering golfers some of the most stunning ocean views on the East Coast.

Hammock Beach Director of Golf Brad Hauer hits a ceremonial first tee shot at the re-opening of the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Resort. The course re-opened on November 2, 2017 after a 13-month restoration. Photo Credit: Gregory Heck

“By replacing Bermuda grass with the salt-tolerant Platinum Paspalum, we now offer golfers one of the purest surfaces in the game,” said Brad Hauer, director of golf at Hammock Beach Resort. “And, in addition to improved playing conditions for golfers of all levels, the views of the Atlantic Ocean are simply incredible.”

The Ocean Course originally opened in April 2000. And, while the integrity of the original design has been retained through the recent restoration, new forward tees have been added to each hole, making six on each. This allows the par 72 course to play as short as 4,100 yards, but retain a challenging overall length of 7,201 yards from its back tees.

Throughout the Ocean Course’s restoration project, Hammock Beach’s other championship layout, the highly-rated Conservatory Course (Tom Watson), has continued to accommodate guest and member play.

The restoration of the Ocean Course follows a number of previous enhancements at Hammock Beach Resort. The resort has recently renovated its grand lobby, refurbished all 15,000 square feet of indoor meeting and event spaces, and re-opened its signature restaurant , The Atlantic Grille.

In mid-November, it will launch its boutique accommodation option: The Lodge at Hammock Beach, which offers an intimate accommodation option overlooking the Ocean Course. It features 20 guest rooms, direct beach access and provides guests with the unique “Lodge Experience” – a VIP service including amenities and daily breakfast. With spectacular ocean views, the Atlantic Grille, led by new Executive Chef Kevin Luque, is serving “Shore to Table” cuisine, highlighting local, freshly caught seafood.

Just south of historic St. Augustine, Hammock Beach Resort presents true luxury nestled among nature and offers an upscale escape surrounded by scenes of Old Florida, with more than 300 luxurious and spacious accommodations. There are numerous golf and social membership options available at the coastal oasis, which operates as both a private club and resort. It offers storybook experiences with two highly renowned and ranked golf courses designed by legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, a 10,000-square-foot ocean-inspired spa and fitness center, multiple restaurants and bars, a multi-level pool complex with adult and children’s areas, oceanfront meeting space, a marina and tennis center, and miles of coquina-laden coastline.

For more information, call Hammock Beach Resort at 866-841-0287 or visit www.hammockbeach.com. Hammock Beach Resort is located at 200 Ocean Crest Drive, Palm Coast, FL 32137.

About Salamander Hotels & Resorts

Salamander Hotels & Resorts is a privately owned and operated company based in Middleburg, VA, just outside Washington, D.C. Founded by entrepreneur Sheila Johnson in 2005, the company has a luxury portfolio featuring two distinct collections. The Signature Collection includes the stunning Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, a 340-acre equestrian-inspired property near Washington, D.C.; The Henderson, a 170-room grand beach resort in Destin, FL; NOPSI New Orleans, a new 217-room luxury historic hotel re-imagined which opened in July 2017; and Hotel Bennett, a 179-room luxury hotel in Charleston, SC, opening in summer 2018. The Golf Collection includes the famed Innisbrook Resort in Tampa Bay, which hosts an annual PGA TOUR on its Copperhead Course; the elegant Reunion Resort in Orlando, which includes Signature Course designs from Nicklaus, Palmer and Watson; and the recently renovated oceanfront Hammock Beach Resort in Palm Coast, FL, home to layouts by Nicklaus and Watson. All Salamander properties are members of Preferred Hotels & Resorts. For additional information, visit www.SalamanderHotels.com.

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Northeast Florida

The Omni Grove Park Inn, An Unmatched American Treasure in Asheville, NC!

November 8, 2017 By admin

I am thinking you will have a wonderful and eye-opening experience at the Omni Grove Park Inn, same as I did!

The Omni Grove Park Inn is a fascinating destination and a true adventure! A place where you cannot stay and visit without taking with you an experience to share for many years to come! Of course, this was perfect for a self-proclaimed golf and life voyager and documentarian such as me!

The magnitude of the Omni Grove Park Inn is massive yet it seems every little corner is intriguing and is a story in of itself! Chimneys, so big that Santa Claus and his sleigh could fit down through, have hidden elevators inside in addition to massive fires. Another lesser known unadvertised secret is a window on the outside of a regular-sized chimney that you will have a hard time finding without a tip (see picture caption below).

The inspirational quotes in the granite stones of the Omni Grove Park Inn guide us on our way to a peaceful rest—from Thoreau (‘Be not simply good—be good for something’); Emerson (in part, ‘every man is a quotation from all his ancestors’); and Thomas Jefferson (‘How much pain have cost us the evil that have never happened.’) There are many more inspirational aspects to be enjoyed by you as so many other souls have enjoyed, for the last hundred years and counting.

A visit to the Omni Grove Park Inn is unique, ultimately comfortable, and certainly a soul-searching experience; and we have not even teed it up on the historical Donald Ross championship golf course!

Fore, let’s do that now!

The presence of Donald Ross permeates the Grove Park Country Club!

First a bit of the golf course history which predates the 1926 Donald Ross design by twenty six years! In 1894 a group of Asheville residents created the Swannanoa Country Club. Their course of five holes was laid out the next year by a member and located in West Asheville. Remember the timing of this from a historical perspective. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island, formed in 1891, claims to be the oldest formal organized golf club in the United States. In that same year of 1894 the United States Golfing Association was created in New York City by delegates from the Newport Country Club (RI), the Saint Andrew’s Golf Club (Yonkers, NY), The Country Club (Brookline, MA), Chicago Golf Club (IL), and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. Talk about having deep roots in American golf lore, this golf club has it!

The golf course, original Grove Park Inn (C), Vanderbilt Wing (L), and the Sammons Wing (R) are all nestled together on the slope of Sunset Mountain. Photo Credit: Frontier Group Inc.

In 1899, the golf course relocated to the end of Charlotte Street nearby the present-day Omni Park Grove Inn. In 1910 the Grove family chipped in to hire Musselburgh, Scotland’s Willie Park Jr., who combined with his father won a total of six Open Championships. The Park’s were rivals of Old Tom Morris and his son Tommy Junior who together won a total of eight Opens. Fellow Scot Donald Ross first appeared on the scene in Asheville in 1913 to redesign Willie’s work. Ross then went on to design a whole new layout in 1926 for what would then be known as the Country Club of Asheville. Elaine and Charles Sammons, the prior owners of the Omni Grove Park Inn, went from partial to full ownership in 1976. Known as “The Big Swap,” the Grove Park Inn received the now Grove Park Country Club in its very own front yard whereas the private country club took a golf course at Beaver Lake. But for the golf-loving owners at the time, that was not enough so they renovated the golf course in 1984, nearly ninety years after its inception. The famed links were completely restored in 2001 to recapture the spirit and form of the original 1926 Donald Roses design masterpiece. Golf, below Sunset Mountain, at the Grove Park Inn was launched into its second century of existence.

No better sight outside your hotel window or feeling knowing that you will be teeing it up come morning!

The golf course at the Omni Grove Park Inn has hosted the world’s best players over the years. Soon after the original 1926 Ross design grew in, the likes of Harry Vardon and Ted Ray competed in an exhibition. The PGA’s Asheville Land of Sky Open ran for eighteen years through 1951 with the legendary Ben Hogan winning three consecutive years from 1940 to 1942! Some of the Hogan Hawk legend evolved here as one day he had a tap-in birdie on the par-3 7th hole and the next posted an eleven trying and eventually escaping from a ravine. His playing partners noted that the expression on the face of Hogan, the Hawk, never changed from one day to the next! Even the great Bobby Jones came to Asheville and the Grove Park Inn to play the lower mountain golf course that he so enjoyed!

Nice touch with the old entrance to the CC of Asheville being preserved and respected!

But that was then and now is now and let me tell you that this is a great, not-to-be-missed golfing experience! The first nine is the lower nine and can jump up to bite you big time same as it did Hogan. The second nine, closer to the Inn, especially the Sammons Wing, takes you on a challenging and picturesque journey up the gradual slopes of Sunset Mountain.

I particularly liked the par-5 12^th hole, not because I birdied it with a nice little pitch and 10-foot putt, but because it is a series of rolling hills and valleys that need to be navigated a certain way in order to have visibility as to where you are going—classic, pure and strategic Donald Ross! The 12^th hole eventually meanders by the old entrance and stone wall of the original Country Club of Asheville. Give me a beautiful golf course with great shot values and a touch of history and I am a happy golfer!

The Bynum House with the back 17th tee alongside up to the right in this picture!

At the far high point of the golf course, near the par-3 17^th tee, stands the stately stone Bynum House. It was the first piece of property to be sold outside the Grove family in 1920 and it took seventy-nine years to return to the Grove Park Inn in 1999. Enticingly, there is a historical picture of an elaborate party inside the house yet the sign warns one not to get too close. The back tee is situated right next to the house so you can sort of get a glimpse inside. There wasn’t any party or function the day I played, hence no invitation. Perhaps you will be luckier both with an invitation and your tee shot on the 17^th!

The narrow tee shot from the back tee on the par-3 17th alongside the Bynum House! Golf Shot, which I unfortunately did not execute well that day!

Distracted by history and the need to voyage and document, I found myself unprepared when faced with the 171-yard tee shot. Literally in the shadows of the modern Sammons Wing, yet matching the historic part of the Omni Grove Park Inn, the 17^th, while one of Ross’ short holes, is eternally narrow. On that hole on that day I was wholesome entertainment for anybody gazing out their window. The eighteenth is a great finishing hole, nearly all downhill with a dog-leg left fairway that bottoms out and then rises up to another ingeniously elevated and inverted-saucer-sloped green.

Like your visit to the Inn, playing the Omni Grove Park Country Club will be memorable, exhilarating, and fun. A lifetime memory with alternating views of the distant mountains and the majestic red-clay-tile roofed Grove Park Inn. I find it hard to believe, but true, that the Inn was designed from a sketch by Fred Seely, the son-in-law of Edwin Grove, the successful pharmaceutical entrepreneur and namesake of one of America’s true treasures. The sketch and the Inn are remarkably similar.

Seely sketch of the original Grove Park Inn, uncannily similar to what was built!

Basically you need a week, or minimally four nights to get a thorough feeling of the Omni Grove Park Inn! Be sure to take the tour offered on Wednesday mornings at 9 am. Mine was done by a very knowledgeable young lady named Becky from Sales and Marketing. Not surprisingly I also learned that she had a minor in history. One of the best tours I have ever taken. She brought Grove, Seely, and the Sammons to life! The story of the resurrection of the hotel and its transformation into a world-class destination resort for post WWII presidents, movie stars and we the coming and going multitudes is well documented! Don’t miss the elevator ride inside the chimney, the third-floor Palm Court with its skylight, and of course the secluded window in a chimney!

The view up from the entrance of the hidden underground spa… You can see the red clay tile of the roof of the main inn!

And the spa, the spa, the spa—constructed underground so as not to obstruct the room views of Asheville and the opposing mountains, at a cost of 42 million dollars when it opened in 2001.

And the cuisine, the cuisine, the cuisine—I so enjoyed the Edison, an innovative and artistic restaurant in design and food, so much I went back there every night of my stay! Discover Edison for yourself or enjoy the Sunset Terrace of the Blue Ridge dining room known for its Friday night Seafood Buffet, Saturday night Prime Rib Buffet, and Sunday Champagne Brunch.

The city of Asheville is literally at your doorstep. The Omni Grove Park Inn is featured Stop No. 6 on the 10-stop Grayline Hop-On, Hop-Off historic tour of Asheville. With no hopping, you can make it around in less than two hours. It’s a great way to see Asheville!

Nothing beats witnessing a sunset from the terrace of the Omni Grove Park Inn! This is the one I had the pleasure to enjoy!

For every season there is a reason to visit the Omni Grove Park Inn. My season was the 25^th Anniversary of the National Gingerbread House Competition but if you miss the actual competition, no worries, as there is an exhibit highlighting it year-round. In a way that is the story of the Omni Grove Park Inn—you will experience its history, all the way back to its founding in 1913 while enjoying the modern luxury that no other resort can match!

Oh, I almost forgot, here is the picture of the window on the outside of a chimney down around the golf clubhouse!

Below is a picture gallery from my visit and below the pictures are my real-time social media posts:

Can you tell I was excited to be at the Omni Grove Park Inn?

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Arrival!

I am here, it is The Omni Grove Park Inn, and it IS Spectacular! OMG, the history (since 1913), the architecture, & their five–star service! Unbelievable beautiful sunset tonight. Room overlooking the golf course, a 1924 Donald Ross design that actually goes back to the 1890s & Willie Park. How am I supposed to sleep tonight? Too excited to play this historic venue in the morning! TROML Baby! (Facebook Post with 30 pics, Andy Reistetter, 11/6/17).

Paired up with a turkey!

I have had to play golf with some turkeys in my life but this was ridiculous!!! Not to name names… (Facebook Post with 1 Pic, Andy Reistetter, 11/8/17)

Great round of golf on this vintage 1926 Donald Ross golf course! With roots back to Willie Park in the 1890s, host of the PGA TOUR in the 1940s & 50s, an expert renovation back to pure Donald Ross was done in 200! Love the Donald Ross quotes & the ‘Hawk’ story too! Here is a great golf course that has stood the test of time & is a thrill, historic & modern, to play! More to be written on this experience! A BIG thank you to Head PGA Golf Professional Simon Andres & direct from Cork, Ireland Assistant Frank Holly for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary! (Facebook Post with 30 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 11/8/17)

Ms. Becky, Tour Guide Extraordinaire!

Sad to check out this morning… but a great way to end my stay with the Wednesday 9 am group tour of the Omni Grove Park Inn. Tour guide Becky, a.k.a. Marketing Expert & Historian was terrific! Oreos, pig babies, & thermometers in the walls! More to be written about my visit… Bye Bye Asheville for now… (Facebook Post with 30 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 11/8/17)

Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey, Featured Golf Resorts & Courses, Travel Golf

The Waterfall Club in Clayton, Georgia; Even More Spectacular in the Fall…

November 5, 2017 By admin

The colors are brilliant at The Waterfall Club especially when the sun peaks out late on a Sunday afternoon!

So came a Fall 2017 visit on top of the initial Summer 2016 visit to The Waterfall Club in Clayton, Georgia! Hoping for a Trifecta with a Spring 2018 visit to cover all seasons except winter! First time stayed in a private residence, this time in the Walnut Lodge Suite which came with an unbelievable view of Lake Burton! David Feherty may have stayed in Coach Saban’s place on the lake but nothing really beats staying on-course with all the comforts of home and more, fine dining, lake access and the club’s own pontoon boat, a spectacular view and all the fresh air that you can breathe in! This is a private residential country club with lots for sale and a brilliant lodge for the members and their guests. Blessed to be a guest now for two visits and to be able to experience The Waterfall Club and Lake Burton! See the link to the article below!

Summer view of Signature Hole No. 2 with Doc Daryl Wiley.

Heading back to The Waterfall Club in Clayton, Georgia on the way to Asheville on the Reprise of the 2017 Fall East Coast Golf Journey! Had a great time there last year and will see the fall colors in peak season this weekend! Amazing place with amazing people, amazing views, and amazing golf! See you soon Chris Schindler! (Facebook Post with 1 Link; Andy Reistetter, 11/3/17)

The Waterfall Club in the N. Georgia Mountains- Beyond Expectations (Summer 2016)!

Fall view of the Signature Hole, the par-3 2nd hole with a 210 feet drop in elevation from tee-to-green!

I can’t tell you how beautiful The Waterfall Club is! Words & pics don’t do it justice! Mountain autumn golf at its best, actually Super Best with bent grass greens! Velvet like greens but still FAST with lots of slope! Shooting 77 with three birdies makes it special too! Super special staying onsite in the Lodge in the walnut suite! Played here last summer, autumn now, hoping for a spring round in the future! Chris Schindler, thanks for hosting Andy’s Golf & Travel Diary! (Facebook Post with 30 Pics, Andy Reistetter, 11/5/17)

Jason LeBlanc You picked a stellar time. Sorry I missed you Andy!

Morning view from the Walnut Lodge Suite!

Andy Reistetter I did Jason! Sorry to miss you too! I also missed the Daryl C Wiley clan this time too! But I did see Chris and all 18 glorious golf holes, they really could all be signature holes!

Andy Reistetter Seriously Jason LeBlanc, you have me at Goodbye! With a view like this to awake to from the Walnut Lodge Suite I don’t ever want to say goodbye to the Waterfall Club! If invited, I will be back! Lifetime TROML Experience for sure!

Jason LeBlanc I hope you know you are always welcome.

Here are the pictures from the Fall 2017 visit:

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Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey, Featured Golf Resorts & Courses, Travel Golf

Heartbeat of High Hampton Inn…

October 10, 2017 By admin

Fall 2017 East Coast Golf Journey starts tomorrow as I head to the High Hampton Inn & Country Club, my favorite place in the NC mountains… last time there I met Gaynor & Hap a delightful couple in their 90s. I was able to capture their love story in videos in this article… sadly they have since passed and their daughter made my day by sharing that “the video interview you did of them has become a treasure for our family and Gaynor’s family. Her sons discovered their mother on the internet when she died! Hap and Gaynor both enjoyed the tape many times before they passed. Thanks for the great memory of them.” Love like they had is eternal! God Bless Gaynor & Hap! I will be celebrating them as I hike and golf in a most beautiful place especially this time of year! Hope to see y’all along the Fall 2017 ECGJ… (Facebook Post with 1 link, Andy Reistetter, 10/7/17)

Enjoy the Mountains of North Carolina at High Hampton Inn & CC

Okay, so I wasn’t the one who invited Nate. I regardless, it feels restorative to be back at High Hampton Inn & Country Club. The people here are like family! Setting, historic & comfortable accommodations, room big enough to bring the whole family, what more could one want or need? Incredible first day of the Fall 2017 East Coast Golf Journey! (Facebook Post with 30 pics, Andy Reistetter, 10/8/17)

Quiet morning, tasty breakfast, some TROML Journaling & I am a happy resort guest…feeling & being my Splendid Spiritual Self with Spiritual Love & an overwhelming sense of unity, peace, joy, & freedom! TROML Baby am I… thank you for hosting me High Hampton Inn & Country Club… a beautiful setting of serenity of self & nature… (Facebook Post with 2 pics, Andy Reistetter, 10/9/17)

Day 2 was as exceptional as Day 1 at the High Hampton Inn & Country Club… I so identify with the peace, traquility, & joy of this place! Partial title of my article came to me literally when I heard a rhythmic thump, thump in my room last night. The Heartbeat of High Hampton… Short drive to visit Asheville yesterday & Sylva on the way home to High Hampton. After all, home IS where the heart is as long as it IS beating! Enjoy this day like it is your last! TROML Baby Forever! (Facebook Post with 30 pics, Andy Reistetter, 10/10/17)

Bye Bye for now to all the wonderful people, guests & staff, of High Hampton Inn & Country Club! Tasty omelette, some OJ, & started reading the ‘The Mind of Mahatma Gandhi’ book I picked up at City Lights Bookstore in Slyva yesterday. TROML Baby! Onward to the North, the 2017 Fall East Coast Golf Journey continues… next stop is… (Facebook Post with 30 pics, Andy Reistetter, 10/10/17)

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Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey, Travel Golf

The Waterfall Club in the North Georgia Mountains- Beyond Expectations!

July 3, 2016 By admin

At The Waterfall Club, overlooking Lake Burton, beyond expectations, way beyond expectations!

If there ever is truth in advertising in the golf business, I would have to say you will find it at The Waterfall Club in Clayton, Georgia—above Lake Burton and beyond your expectations!

You may recall The Waterfall Club as the host club for Feherty’s interview with Alabama football coach Nick Saban on The Golf Channel. Coach Saban lives on Lake Burton and is an avid golfer and member at Waterfall. I remember watching that show and thinking what a beautiful place that is and wanting to visit and play the golf course someday soon.

Feherty interviewing Coach Saban at The Waterfall Club. Photo Credit: SECRant.com

That little planted seed came to fruition when Head PGA Head Golf Professional Chris Schindler contacted me on Facebook and invited me to come and experience The Waterfall Club. Maybe I should do a show called Following Feherty? My experience, and hopefully yours too (if you are not already a member), at The Waterfall Club will be beyond expectations. I mean way beyond and my standards are high having visited a good deal of the best golf resorts around the world!

We had a boat full of people and a boat full of fun too out on Lake Burton!

First and foremost are the people of The Waterfall Club. I expect to meet and have wonderful people come into my life. I think that way especially around the game of golf because it acts as a good filter whether on a public municipal golf course or a prestigious private club like this one in the North Georgia Mountains. To play and enjoy golf one has to get honest with themselves and the challenges being confronted. Ego and power and prestige mean little on the golf course. Golf just seems to bring out and embrace people with genuinely good hearts. Every one I encountered, from the wait staff, to the golf staff, to the supportive members were people I would love to see more of for the rest of my life!

CLICK here for a Highlight Video that emphasizes a special spirit for family golf at Waterfall.

With Doc Wiley on the tee at the signature par-3 second hole.

The heart of The Waterfall Club is the 18-hole championship golf course designed by Scott Pool. The course features bent grass fairways and greens with Zeon zoysia tees. It’s a green environment unlike any other unless you have played Augusta National in the springtime. It’s mountain golf at its best on strategically leveled out terrain of the Chattahoochee National Forest. Mostly though the terrain is natural. The well designed and memorable holes appear natural to all fortunate enough to put a tee in the ground at The Waterfall Club.

The name of the club comes from the signature par-3 second hole which plays much shorter than the scorecard distance of 185 yards. The tee sits atop a natural waterfall that cascades 70-some yards down to the green. There are many other gorgeous mountain and Lake Burton views, including the 15th tee where the mountain tops seem to be infinite in number and beauty as far as the eye can see. This club could have just as easily been called The Most Beautiful and Natural Golf Club in the World!

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Ian Murphy, GCSAA Golf Course Superintendent

With Chris Schindler, Ian Murphy and Jason LeBlanc (L to R).

With my hosts Chris Schindler, Ian Murphy and Jason LeBlanc (L to R).

A big part of the heart of The Waterfall Club is the big guy named Ian Murphy, the Golf Course Superintendent, who likes to be outside. He likes challenges too—like growing bent grass at an elevation of 2,000 feet above sea level in a temperate rain forest where day and night temperatures can vary widely. Ian who doesn’t play golf puts it simply—”I went to school, got into turf and now am up here in the North Georgia Mountains growing grass.” With a supportive greens committee he is thrilled to be at The Waterfall Club and makes one heck of a boat captain too!

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Chris Schindler, Head PGA Golf Professional.

My host for the Waterfall visit was Chris Schindler, who along with General Manager Jason LeBlanc, made my time in the North Georgia Mountains, both on land and on water (even in the sand too) quite extraordinary. If you know Bill Hughes, PGA Master Professional and General Manager at TPC Sawgrass then you know Chris Schindler. They worked together back in the early days of TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas and are two of the nicest, most professional people in golf. Chris, a product of the acclaimed Ferris State PGM program lists Lake Burton, the lifestyle and the golf course as his ever expanding membership’s Top 3 reasons for loving The Waterfall Club.

CLICK here for the Full Video of Fun on Lake Burton with the Doc Wiley Family!

Although it was the 4th of July weekend it sure felt like Thanksgiving to me!

As the ultimate host Chris set me up to play golf with Dr. Daryl Wiley, his son Carson, and his son-in-law Sam. It was an extraordinary time golfing with more fun to come afterwards. You can’t miss the dramatic views of Lake Burton while on property at The Waterfall Club unless you are mesmerized by the dramatic views of the mountains. The Lake, the Lake, the Lake was on my mind throughout the morning round while crisscrossing a gorgeous piece of property that use to be a horse farm.

As fate would have it I ordered the Birdie Burger for lunch in the clubhouse as I had no birdies on the golf course. I think Carson had five, his Dad a couple and Sam one. Me no birdies, but I love how they treat guests at The Waterfall Club. After lunch we headed for the lake and a pontoon boat captained by Superintendent Ian Murphy. Watch the video, what a fun afternoon with a wonderful family!

It’s all about the golf with me but The Waterfall Club is so much more! Here is our golfing foursome- Sam, Carson & Doc Wiley and me (L to R).

I could go on and on about The Waterfall Club but let me just mention that they have a mountain lodge with luxury accommodations for guests of the members. I stayed in a beautiful and comfortable private residence but would love to come back and stay in the lodge with all its conveniences and magnificent views. The dining at the club is exceptional as well. I had dinner in the dining room and it was an amazing experience. Culinary delights and The View, The View, and The View!

The Waterfall Club—above Lake Burton and beyond your expectations!

On the green at No. 2 with the signature waterfall and tee above behind me.

The BIG Georgia Peach with the little one!

Doc Wiley’s favorite vista on the way to the 18th tee. I agree wholeheartedly!

Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey, Featured Golf Resorts & Courses, Travel Golf

Play Jones Creek GC in nearby Evans, GA during The Masters!

April 3, 2016 By admin

Augusta Time is Friends Time golfing at Jones Creek with Tall Jim & Happy Bill!

Inspired by the junior golfers competing in the National Drive, Chip & Putt Finals at August National… played Jones Creek Golf Club with two good (won’t say old because we are,all young, just have known each other a long time) buddies- Bill Wolfe & Jim Hughes… awesome time… original Rees Jones renovated by Tom Fazio… Georgia golf at its best, & beautiful! Masters week off to a great start!Inspired by the junior golfers competing in the National Drive, Chip & Putt Finals at August National… played Jones Creek Golf Club with two good (won’t say old because we are,all young, just have known each other a long time) buddies- Bill Wolfe & Jim Hughes… awesome time… original Rees Jones renovated by Tom Fazio… Georgia golf at its best, & beautiful! Masters week off to a great start! (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 4/3/16 with 17 Pics)

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Filed Under: East Coast Golf Journey

Adena Golf & Country Club, Florida’s Hidden Gem in Ocala

February 9, 2016 By admin

The par-3 15th at Adena Golf & Country Club.

I had the most amazing experience recently visiting & playing Adena Golf & Country Club… a top Golf Digest rated golf course that opened in 2015 … spectacular views, design, and clubhouse with over-the-top hospitality… envisioned, designed and built by Canadian businessman Frank Stronach… seriously this is a masterpiece design built around two limestone quarries… I agree with 2015 Senior British Open Champion Marco Dawson “Adena is unlike any other course I have played in Florida.”

Only meats born and raised on the nearby 90,000 acre Adena Farms are served.

The Adena Grill, really a 5-star restaurant, is a culinary experience beyond compare… if you can make this place your home, do it and let me come visit you!… definitely a must-play experience if you have the opportunity! Thank you John Reger Jr and all the marvelous staff at Adena! I will be writing more about this experience once I have recovered from it, simply amazing… can’t believe the gofl course is this young…took over 600 pictures and want to publish 60 of them… here is a taste… (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter 2/21/16)

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

Trilogy Golf Club at Ocala Preserve Defines Golf’s Future

February 2, 2016 By admin

It is not every day that one gets to see the future and the past come together in the present. That’s what happened to me when I attended the Grand Opening of the Tripp Davis & Tom Lehman golf course at Trilogy at Ocala Preserve.

The experience took me back to my childhood and learning the game from my Dad up on the Par-3 golf course at Ely Park Municipal Golf Course in Binghamton, New York. Simple holes with a simple goal to develop my golfing skills and graduate to the “big course.”

At Trilogy at Ocala Preserve, playing the Gallery Loop of six par-3s and then the Players Course of six championship holes (four par-4s, a par-3 and a par-5 at an 18 hole equivalent of 6,732 yards) showed me golf of the future—customized to your available times, play how many holes you like, fun, good variety of holes, traditional yet visionary and a viable lifestyle for the Trilogy residents with a focus on exploring, connecting and having fun and being fit and healthy.

This concept is the real life production of what has been talked about in the golf industry for years. It’s a way to bring young and old to the game of golf, give them a fun experience and encourage them to come back. During the course of playing the six championship holes I passed by six other green complexes. With the loops-within-loops design concept there are four different course configurations or if you like an 18-hole par-3 course. The six- hole concept is validated by the United States Golf Association as evidence of their system being changed to allow the posting of a 6-hole round at Trilogy at Ocala Preserve.

With holes ranging from 155 to 520 yards, tees that are both flat and sloped to accommodate a match-play option that allows players to select the tees and holes they wish to play. Kind of like a golf version of the classic basketball game, HORSE. With 18 holes to choose from maybe five letters isn’t enough and this new golf game will go down in the annals of golf history as TRILOGY!

Experience Golf’s Future at Trilogy at Ocala Preserve!

Experience Trilogy as I did in the real-time Facebook posts below:

Heading to Ocala, Florida today to open a new Tripp Davis & Tom Lehman golf course at Trilogy at Ocala Preserve… going to be an interesting & fascinating day for sure! Here’s why… ever play one like this? http://www.trilogygolfclub.com/ocala/

Trilogy® Golf Club at Ocala Preserve redefines the game. Conceptualized by celebrated golf course designer Tripp Davis and PGA Tour star Tom Lehman, Trilogy® Golf Club at Ocala Preserve is where golf changes forever. Not only does the course include all the challenges of a traditionally-styled golf course, but its revolutionary routing provides maximum flexibility in terms of playability, challenge and time commitment. Not least of all, the course’s footprint — on 50 acres as opposed to the 100+ required by conventional, full-size courses — reduces its environmental impact. The result is a course that can be played in multiple ways, each offering a new experience. (FB Post 2/1/16 Andy Reistetter)

Grand Opening in progress… Tripp Davis/Tom Lehman… innovative design… 4 golf courses in 1 on 50 acres… golf & a party… Andy is here! (-: (FB Post 2/1/16 Andy Reistetter)

This is quite interesting to hear Tripp Davis & Tom Lehman describe their vision behind this revolutionary design… very excited to play Trilogy Golf Club tomorrow morning… (FB Post 2/1/16 Andy Reistetter)

Totally new golfing experience today… revolutionary new golf course design by Tripp Davis & Tom Lehman… on a GSC Golf Skate Caddy… but with same old golf game… will be FUN! (-: (FB Post 2/2/16 Andy Reistetter)

Great golfing experience today with my media buddies & Tom Lehman… he said my swing looks more like John Daly than Jim Furyk… LOL.. striped one down the middle & he bunkered right… then a hit a nice hosel lateral shot that he helped me find… a bit embarrassing even for me! LOL… great guy… great golf course designed by Tripp Davis & Tom Lehman… definitely has a place in the game… 6732 from the tips, 3X around the Players Loop or a challenging par 3 course… 18 well designed green complexes in all! (-: (FB Post 2/2/16 Andy Reistetter)

Tom Lehman reveals his secret to success—”hitting the ball facing the ball”—during lunch after the Grand Opening of the Trilogy at Ocala Preserve revolutionary new golf course designed by he and Tripp Davis. Reminded me of watching golf on TV growing up and my Dad, his brothers and my older brother LP would get the golf club out of the corner and demonstrate a few swing tips… miraculously never hitting anyone or anything in our house! Here in this video John Duval, 2015 World Amateur Team USA member listens intently while golf real estate insider Scott Kauffman nods appreciatively at the end realizing this could be the swing tip to get his name on his bag like John! (-: (FB Post 2/3/16 Andy Reistetter)

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

Hammock Dunes, Florida Golf at its Best

January 31, 2016 By admin

Magical Florida evening & sunset… (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 1/30/16)

Played the Links Course today with Kathleen Wolfe & host Brad Batten… the best Tom Fazio design I ever played… loved the greens even though I had 38 putts… shot 85 with one birdie, a tap-in deuce on the 9th… playing the more difficult Rees Jones designed Creek Course tomorrow morning, then Home Sweet Home to OG in Ponte Vedra Beach… (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 1/30/16)

From sunset to sunrise… another TROML Day… taking the mystical path to the Sun in the magical Sunshine state of Florida… (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 1/31/16)

Folks were right, Reese Jones designed Pendleton Creek Course is quite special & extraordinary. Figured the greens out, shooting a 39 on the second nine with 16 putts. Thanks again to host Brad Batten & Kathleen Wolfe for making this visit possible! (Facebook Post, Andy Reistetter, 1/31/16)

Filed Under: "Play-Write" Golf Courses, East Coast Golf Journey

Think The Hammock Coast When You Think Myrtle Beach

December 2, 2015 By admin

The coast and the hammock are waiting for you!

We all know what a hammock is, right? Those hanging rope beds that are couch-like and let us snuggle away for an afternoon nap every once in a while. Well do you know where the first American rope hammocks came from? Well, you are right, if you guessed that 20-mile or so stretch of South Carolina just south of Myrtle Beach.

The Hammock Coast, as it is known, is the same right answer if you are looking for golf, fishing, water activities, entertainment and restaurants away from the hustle- and-bustle of Myrtle Beach proper. And there is a special place to stay, whether you are a woman or a man, called the Inlet Sports Lodge, also known as a boutique hotel. Plus there are two nearby sister courses side-by-side that will satisfy all your golfing desires and are known as the very best in the area, including all of the Myrtle Beach area—the Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Golf Club.

The beauty of Caledonia hits you immediately, this is the 2nd green complex.

This was my last stop on the 7-week, 17-state, 6,000-mile 2015 East Coast Golf Journey so I was ready to get home by the time I hit South Carolina. But after two nights at the Inlet Sports Lodge and playing Caledonia and True Blue I wanted to stay longer and play longer.

The golf is vintage Mike Strantz, who was based in South Carolina and was named as one of the “Top 10 Greatest Golf Architects of All Time” by Golfweek magazine in 2010. Five years later, having designed only nine golf courses, stricken with cancer he died after barely turning 50 years old.

The difficulty of Caledonia lingers around and culminates at the 18th hole, here looking back over the forced carry to the fairway.

Caledonia was Strantz’s first solo design and is strikingly different than True Blue. Caledonia is a classic and traditional parkland course that weaves through twisted live oaks with hanging Spanish moss. Some say it is like “playing golf in a garden.” Water comes into play in strategic spots like all the way down the left side of the 415-yard par-4 fourteenth hole and a forced carry to the devilish green on the 383-yard par-4 home hole. Assistant Golf Professional Zach Lawther shares his personal insight into the golfing experience at Caledonia:

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Zach Lawther, Assistant Golf Professional at Caledonia

Not only is the 3rd hole at True Blue an island but there is a mound hiding the green and flagstick! Difficult but fun to play!

True Blue, on the other hand, is more wide open, with wide fairways and large greens and playable sandy waste areas. Untrue to its name, water hazards are present but not exceedingly so, most notably on the 190-yard par-3 third hole with an island green, all the way down the left side of the 548-yard risk-reward par-5 fourth hole. Later in the round there is water in front of the 208-yard par-3 seventeenth hole, all the way down the right side of the 449-yard par-4 seventeenth hole and all the way down the left side of the 437-yard par-4 finishing hole. Head Golf Professional Bart Romano, with ten years experience at True Blue, shares his personal insight into the golfing experience at True Blue:

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Bart Romano, Head Golf Professional at True Blue

With Catherine Rotman and Warren Beckham, loving life at the Inlet Sports Lodge!

Caledonia and True Blue complement each other like the ying-and-the-yang. So do General Manager Warren Beckham and Marketing Coordinator Catherine Rotman at the Inlet Sports Lodge. Sounding like a man’s hotel but with carved mahogany wooden doors, Heart of Pine floors, nine-foot ceilings, granite countertops, Rainhead showers with four massaging body jets and custom china in the kitchenettes, it’s really a woman’s boutique and luxurious hotel. As you can tell in the videos’ introduction I had a lot of fun meeting Warren and Catherine and the rest of the staff at the Inlet Sports Lodge. Warren’s ties to Myrtle Beach go back to 1936 and his family and several others have been getting together to break bread and have a fish dinner on Thursday nights for the last 62 years! This is a unique, casually friendly but quite comfortable 34-room home-away-from-home. I really did not want to leave!

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Catherine Rotman, Marketing Coordinator

CLICK here for a Video Interview with Warren Beckham , General Manager

I think this is my room but they will let you stay there too!

Looking for a romantic couples get away, a girls or guys golfing trip or a place to stay while traveling for business, the Inlet Sports Lodge is the place to stay on the Hammock Coast in South Carolina just south of Myrtle Beach. If you are a golfer, make sure you make time to play Caledonia and True Blue. The fishing, water activities, dining in what is known as the Seafood Capital of South Carolina, entertainment and shopping is good too.

You can even pick up a good rope hammock to take home with you!