To the east of Houston is Tour18 , a replica course featuring copies of holes from some of the most well-known holes in professional golf . Amen Corner from Augusta National is represented . Since most of us won ’ t receive an invitation to the original club , the opportunity to play an imitation should not be missed . Lesser-known holes like the sixth at Bay Hill and the third at Colonial , also make an appearance , and they are a terrific addition to the layout . Most interesting , however , might be the holes from courses that are no longer featured on tour . La Costa in California , Disney from Florida and Nevada ’ s Desert Inn won ’ t be seen on television , but can be seen at Tour18 .
CALIFORNIA ( CORONADO MUNICIPAL )
There is a golfing place across the bay from San Diego ’ s comfortable downtown . It ’ s not , geographically-speaking , an island , but let ’ s call it that for ease of reference . Coronado is home to both a naval base and a well-healed citizenship , offering a unique contrast between the gentry and the commoner . To access the island from the mainland , those with no fear of heights climb the Coronado bridge at nearly a 5 percent grade , twisting and turning hundreds of feet above the water , for two miles . At the base of the bridge is the Coronado Municipal golf course , a tricky and welcoming layout that merits attention in a city starved for good golf . Despite its sun-drenched location , proper golf courses exist but not a single one that compares to the clubs and courses found farther up the coast , in central and northern California .
Coronado began its existence in 1957 , designed by a little-known architect called Jack Daray . Billy Casper , native son to San Diego , signed for a stellar 69 when the course was baptized . Less than a decade later , construction of the bridge required the expropriation of land where the 9th and 18th holes stood , necessitating a truncated redesign of the course . Despite that dagger , the golf course survived and continues to thrive to this day . A great portion of the course occupies a central meadow , where trees , ponds and sand bunkers provide direction and obstruction . A strand of holes on the inward half runs along the waterway to the west , and no hole is ever without a glimpse of the towering bridge that brings golfers out from the mainland .
The most interesting aspect of Coronado is the disconnect between the way it plays and the its foundation . The island is completely sand based , so one would expect a linksy feel to the golf course . Nothing could be more distant from reality . Coronado is neither firm nor fast . It is extremely green and plays much like a midwest parkland course would play in the central USA . The course is thoughtfully routed , so that no two , consecutive holes move in precisely the same direction . Its conditioning is consistent and its pace of play , quite proper . A round of golf around the course moves appropriately and enjoyably . If you ’ re not one for breaking the bank up the coast in La Jolla , at Torrey Pines , a round over the Coronado layout should cushion the wallet and soothe the soul .
WASHINGTON ( CHAMBERS BAY )
After the 2015 US Open , which golfer didn ’ t want to have a go at the course that drove the world ’ s best golfers to the nadir of their skills ? Certainly this one did , which is why I found myself at the Tacoma course precisely one day after completing a five-day visit to Bandon Dunes in Oregon . To properly frame the situation , that was five days of walking 36 holes each day , giving my calf muscles the visage of small grapefruits . After walking a mere 18 holes at Chambers Bay , it felt as if those grapefruits had been squeezed , juiced and carved out . That ’ s how demanding the uphill climbs and downhill trots are at Chambers Bay . There ’ s even a point in the round , after the third green , where a people mover picks up you , your caddy , your push cart , and ferries you one quarter mile to the next tee . Yep , it ’ s uphill . Yep , the pros walked it . Now that we ’ ve passed the fitness advisory , let ’ s talk about the golf course . Chambers Bay was built in the 2000s by Robert Trent Jones , jr ., Bruce Charlton and their team , over the remains
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