Heading to the Masters for the first time this year and was looking to play some golf along the way. We are already playing Tobacco Road in NC but because we are driving we have a lot of flexibility on where we can play with the free time we have. We were throwing around the idea of playing a big name course on Easter. The two we came up with are TPC Sawgrass and Kiawah Island (Ocean Course). My main question is does anyone have any experience playing these courses at a discount? It is prime time down south now and the lowest rate I can find is north of $400. I looked everywhere online and cannot find any discounted rounds even later in the day. Any information or input would be appreciated.
OT: Masters/Golf question
- Thread starter PSU0622
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No and No...........but, you'll like the food and merchandise
prices at the Masters. Enjoy....Augusta National is the most beautiful golf course I've ever seen.
prices at the Masters. Enjoy....Augusta National is the most beautiful golf course I've ever seen.
Holy crap! People are paying $400 for a round of golf.....
and I hated paying $40 a round back when I used to golf.
and I hated paying $40 a round back when I used to golf.
Golf
Just got back from Kiawah, played a 5 day Pro-Am a lot of fun. Ocean Course is amazing played it twice. Walking course only . If you take a caddy looking at a $90-100 tip. Cougar Point on Kiawah is also a very nice course. Wouldn't waste my time with Osprey or Turtle Point. Don't know the greens fees, but a pretty nice and varied track. Never any discounts at Ocean.
I heard Pine Needles near Pinehurst is a very good bang for your buck.
Just got back from Kiawah, played a 5 day Pro-Am a lot of fun. Ocean Course is amazing played it twice. Walking course only . If you take a caddy looking at a $90-100 tip. Cougar Point on Kiawah is also a very nice course. Wouldn't waste my time with Osprey or Turtle Point. Don't know the greens fees, but a pretty nice and varied track. Never any discounts at Ocean.
I heard Pine Needles near Pinehurst is a very good bang for your buck.
Thanks for all the information. I may need to just pony up and play the ocean course. It is a course that is on my golf bucket list but I am young so I know I will have lots of opportunities in life to play. Really cannot wait for the trip. Being able to walk Augusta is still unreal for me to even think about.
The Ocean course is the hardest course I've ever played
and its not close. More than 9 holes (I think 11) play from N to S along the beach with a prevailing wind going from left to right. When I played, that wind was ~ 20mph. Plus, there is soft sand, water and knee deep weeds instead of rough on both sides of the fairway. I have a natural slice that I can control strait or curved. But I cannot draw the ball. Even when I hit the ball perfectly, landing on the left side of the fairway, it would roll across the entire fairway and into the crap on the right. My point is, if you cannot draw the ball on even a normal wind day, you will be very frustrated. Watch the Ryder Cup and see the players fall apart under those conditions with the pressure. The par 3 16, where several went OOB and Bernhard Langer missed a six footer that allowed the USA to retain the cup is an experience. The wind there makes the ball move on your put...very tough. IIRC, one US player put his ball into the water on 16 causing him to lose his match. After finishing, he went to the beach and cried for some time before he could compose himself.
Kiawah is a wonderful resort, one of the best I've ever been too. There are four great courses there that are interesting because they carry the personality of the player:
Gary Player course: short with crap everywhere. You play every club in the bag. Fun for short hitters and good putters. Jack Nicholas course: Long and strait. Big flat greens. Grip it and rip it. Three beautiful holes on the beach. Very pretty track.Fazio course: Platform golf, meaning the fairway is raised about 3 inches from the rough. if your ball rolls off the fairway a few inches, its frustrating. Big bonus for keeping the ball in the fairway here. One quick story...I was there once when a storm blew a small palm tree over in the front yard of our condo. I went to breakfast in the city and came back in the early afternoon. The tree was gone, the hole was filled and grass was laid down. In a matter of a few hours, you didn't even know it happened. Beautiful place, great biking and fishing (caught two bonnet head sharks at bohicket marina). Also, there are some nice courses nearby that are much cheaper (Oak Point near Bohicket Marina and the entrance to Kiawah). Bohicket has a nice place to eat (fresh Grouper) and the Island has many fantastic places to eat. There is a place nearby named "Gilligans" that is fun and cheaper for a bunch of dudes.
and its not close. More than 9 holes (I think 11) play from N to S along the beach with a prevailing wind going from left to right. When I played, that wind was ~ 20mph. Plus, there is soft sand, water and knee deep weeds instead of rough on both sides of the fairway. I have a natural slice that I can control strait or curved. But I cannot draw the ball. Even when I hit the ball perfectly, landing on the left side of the fairway, it would roll across the entire fairway and into the crap on the right. My point is, if you cannot draw the ball on even a normal wind day, you will be very frustrated. Watch the Ryder Cup and see the players fall apart under those conditions with the pressure. The par 3 16, where several went OOB and Bernhard Langer missed a six footer that allowed the USA to retain the cup is an experience. The wind there makes the ball move on your put...very tough. IIRC, one US player put his ball into the water on 16 causing him to lose his match. After finishing, he went to the beach and cried for some time before he could compose himself.
Kiawah is a wonderful resort, one of the best I've ever been too. There are four great courses there that are interesting because they carry the personality of the player:
Gary Player course: short with crap everywhere. You play every club in the bag. Fun for short hitters and good putters. Jack Nicholas course: Long and strait. Big flat greens. Grip it and rip it. Three beautiful holes on the beach. Very pretty track.Fazio course: Platform golf, meaning the fairway is raised about 3 inches from the rough. if your ball rolls off the fairway a few inches, its frustrating. Big bonus for keeping the ball in the fairway here. One quick story...I was there once when a storm blew a small palm tree over in the front yard of our condo. I went to breakfast in the city and came back in the early afternoon. The tree was gone, the hole was filled and grass was laid down. In a matter of a few hours, you didn't even know it happened. Beautiful place, great biking and fishing (caught two bonnet head sharks at bohicket marina). Also, there are some nice courses nearby that are much cheaper (Oak Point near Bohicket Marina and the entrance to Kiawah). Bohicket has a nice place to eat (fresh Grouper) and the Island has many fantastic places to eat. There is a place nearby named "Gilligans" that is fun and cheaper for a bunch of dudes.
BTW...Wild Dunes is nice
and so is Bald Head Island.
To your question about discounted rates, they used to discount them after 3:00 if you called the clubhouse directly. The challenge is that you tee off into the heat of the day and it can be challenging to finish up 18, if its busy. Kiawah does have golf packages, but you pay through the nose renting there. My experience is that you just pay more for the accommodation, and less for the golf but it is net/net similar.
and so is Bald Head Island.
To your question about discounted rates, they used to discount them after 3:00 if you called the clubhouse directly. The challenge is that you tee off into the heat of the day and it can be challenging to finish up 18, if its busy. Kiawah does have golf packages, but you pay through the nose renting there. My experience is that you just pay more for the accommodation, and less for the golf but it is net/net similar.
Curious...
Did you get Masters tickets by winning the lottery? Or buy tickets? They are known to go for more than the Superbowl these days so just curious how you scored the tickets...
Did you get Masters tickets by winning the lottery? Or buy tickets? They are known to go for more than the Superbowl these days so just curious how you scored the tickets...
If you enjoy Tobacco Road you should consider Caledonia and True Blue in Pawleys Island. Great spot just south of Myrtle Beach and 1 hour north of Charleston. Both courses were designed by Mike Strantz (same as Tobacco Rd) and are known as some of the best in MB area. Caledonia is on a lot of highly rated course lists. Both are expensive for Myrtle area but still shjould be in the $150-175 range so it is a lot cheaper than Kiawah.
I would also highly recommend Sea Island as an alternative to Kiawah Island.
I would also highly recommend Sea Island as an alternative to Kiawah Island.
Phil Mickelson at the warm up round I few years ago...
Number 10 green. A lot of big homes along the right side. First one is huge with a big pool on the roof. During the practice round Phil heard the people on the roof cheering hit it here. Bones shot the distance, Phil autographed a ball and Phil hit it 140 yds into the pool
Number 10 green. A lot of big homes along the right side. First one is huge with a big pool on the roof. During the practice round Phil heard the people on the roof cheering hit it here. Bones shot the distance, Phil autographed a ball and Phil hit it 140 yds into the pool
Re: The Ocean course is the hardest course I've ever played
Played the OC 15 years ago with periodi 40 mph gusts. Played with 3 pros, 2 from the course. Low score for the round was 86. I did not break 100
Played the OC 15 years ago with periodi 40 mph gusts. Played with 3 pros, 2 from the course. Low score for the round was 86. I did not break 100
wow...at the time, I was shooting for bogey golf
averaged 86. I was at 100 after 16. I skipped 17 & 18. It was a great experience. I enjoyed hitting from where players in that Ryder cup hit (at least I didn't get my ball wet on 16). But I really don't care to go back and play it again.
averaged 86. I was at 100 after 16. I skipped 17 & 18. It was a great experience. I enjoyed hitting from where players in that Ryder cup hit (at least I didn't get my ball wet on 16). But I really don't care to go back and play it again.
I'm a bit miffed. I get that you're driving and have that extra flexibility, but if you're already going to be in Tobacco Road why not just stay in the Pinehurst area to play courses there? And that would leave without driving all over the SE. There are plenty of clubs in the Pinehurst area that are great and would be nice to play. Pinehurst #2, Mid Pines, Pine Needles, Dormie Club, etc. And if you want something to play closer to Augusta you could play Cuscowilla or some of the other courses at reynolds plantation.
Well that was discussed a lot actually and can still easily be a possibility. The decision making process for me is I still never had the opportunity to play an ocean course in my life and if I was going to play my first why not go with one of the best on the east coast. As far as TPC Sawgrass a friend of mine just played and it looked amazing. I also have a goal to play the top 20 public courses in the country. I am only 27 so by playing Kiawah I will already have three crossed off my list.
Have you played Pinehurst #2? That would meet the criteria you've set and is more historic than either of the other two courses you're discussing.
If you're not a good player in the wind, the ocean course is likely to be a rather miserable experience. Flushing a 3-iron 160 yards is always fun
If you're not a good player in the wind, the ocean course is likely to be a rather miserable experience. Flushing a 3-iron 160 yards is always fun
I have not played #2 but would like to. The only issue with that is unless you stay there you cannot book an advance tee time. The website says to call 24 hours in advance to try and get times. We can certainly try that but I wanted to have everything booked ahead of time.
If you are looking for something different and cheaper than the resort courses try some of the outstanding college courses on the way to and near Augusta. We played UNC (Finley) and Clemson on the way south from PA. I know others that have played UGa and Duke as well.
Reynolds Plantation is about 70 miles West of Augusta, exit 130 on I-20. Reynolds has a couple of great course, Great Waters (Nicholas), Plantation (Zeller), National (Fazio) and some others. Easy access to Augusta. From Atlanta, 90 miles east of the airport, 1 hour to Augusta National. There is a Ritz Carlton on the Lake as well. Cuscawilla is another course close by, next to Great Waters. Used to live in the area and loved travelling to Augusta when I could get tickets, it is a great experience. If you go, Matt G. at the Wine Cellar is a good friend and tell him his friends from Vero say hi!
