JayCoffinGC

I covered the 2012 British Open at Royal Lytham and liked the course a lot that week, but didn't love it. That quickly changed. Now, I absolutely love the place.

This day was totally sunny, but the wind was blowing at least 30 mph the whole time, conditions we don't often get in the U.S. Still, it was fun to hit a wedge 160 yards downwind on one hole, then hit a driver only 180 into the wind on the next. And the bunkers, well...you'll see for yourself.

The course, drenched with history, was in fantastic shape and looked like it could host an Open on a days notice. I've been fortunate to play several courses on the British Open rota, and this one has now quickly moved up the list among my favorites.

Hesketh is the oldest golf club in Southport, England and is drenched with as much history as its more famous neighbor Birkdale.

We played this round with a member, and it was an absolute delight. His course knowledge saved me 10-12 shots during the round right from the beginning. On the first hole, I had 150 yards into the green, he told me to hit it like it was a 110 yard shot. I did, and the ball ended 15 feet from the hole.

I didn't know what to expect at first, but the layout is sneaky good. Enjoyable time was had by all. Give it a look if you're in town.

Full disclosure, I played this course off the plane immediately after an overnight, 8-hour flight from Orlando to Manchester. So I wasn't necessarily in the tip-top shape required to be at my best on this challenging layout.

But, Wallasey is the home of Stableford scoring, so we played that format on this day, which meant I could pick up the ball whenever it was clear I was going to make a score worse than double bogey.

The rough was extremely thick and severe on this day, which made it difficult to find balls. But if you did find the fairway you'd often be presented with a reasonable chance of making par.

A neat experience, which is not far from Royal Liverpool. Have a pint off the porch when you're done, and watch groups finish up on 18.

Full disclosure - I played here after an overnight flight and two-hour drive from Dublin. I was extremely dreary but it did not dampen my determination.

A buddy and I should've went with caddies. We did not, and it was a big mistake. There are several blind shots, which could frustrate you the first time you play, but a caddie would've remedied that problem.

I loved everything about it, even though I needed to buy golf balls after the round. I hit it all over the place that day, and lost so many golf balls in the infamous gorse bushes.

The ninth hole is a treat, and provided the best spot on the course and one of the best in the world. It's a place where you cannot be disappointed with poor play because the surroundings are so fantastic.

So, then, the question always pops up - Royal County Down or Royal Portrush? I'm a Portrush guy. Thought it was more playable and more in front of you. If I played both multiple times, my view likely would change. But I only played them both once.

Full disclosure, I goofed. I drove there from Orlando (2 hours) and only played 18 holes - the Blue instead of the Red.

The Blue (Doak) was good, but from most reviews it sounds like the Red (Coore/Crenshaw) is clearly the crown jewel of the resort. So if you only have time for 18 holes, play the Red. If you go 36 holes then take a crack at both.

The Blue was good, but you have to be ready for the tricky greens. In fact, a couple of them seemed over the top. If you're above the hole you're going to have a tough time keeping the ball on the green. That happened to me a couple times, and I feel like I hit the ball well most of the day.

Make sure you select the proper tees too. The silver (6,200 yards) were to short and the black (6,700 yards) were to long on this fairly windy day. So we had our forecaddie figure out a hybrid of tees that made the day enjoyable.

A last-minute, late afternoon tee time fell into my lap so I made the journey across town to play and was pleasantly surprised.

This Donald Ross gem was an absolute joy to play, and it was a layout you could play multiple times a week an never get tired. That, to me, is the sign of a solid golf course.

It was tight off the tee, but there were some areas where you could spray it and get away with it. The par 3s are a delight and there is a great variety in holes, particularly the last 4 in the closing stretch.

Really fun afternoon. Would love to play there again.

I've lived in Orlando for 21 years and only had played Bay Hill once. That was quite a long time ago. But I've covered the Arnold Palmer Invitational for 15 years and know every hole quite well.

For starters, this is Arnold Palmer's playground, what more do you need to know? The place was in great shape and was every bit as challenging as I had remembered. If you're not having a particularly good ball-striking day some of the longer holes, and holes with water, can tend to cause you severe angst.

But the layout is fantastic and the three closing holes are as memorable of a closing stretch as there is in golf. The day was complete when I ran into Mr. Palmer after the round. He was kind enough to take a photo with me, which is something I've wanted to do for the last 17 years that I've been in the golf industry.

Mission complete.

I liked it a lot, but didn't love it as much as others seem to.

The new Hanse redesign is much better, but it's still the same routing and it's still Doral, which never did much for me in the first place. As a buddy said "if you were dropped out of the sky onto this place, you'd look around for 1 second and know exactly where you are."

The par 5s are much more challenging, and Nos. 15 and 16 are dramatically different with much more water coming into play. The greens have been redone and now there seem to be bunkers that come into play more than ever before.

Again, I liked it. Didn't love it.

Have played here many times in the past but this was the first since all the changes have been made.

I've always been a fan, and am even more so now. Love that the bunker no longer guards the front of the first green and the par-5 fourth hole is completely different - and much, much better.

When playing golf in Orlando, MetroWest seems to get overlooked and I'm not sure why. Grand Cypress and Bay Hill top the list, but MetroWest is a solid option for those looking to enjoy a nice, stress-free afternoon on the links.

Liked the North 9 quite a bit, but just am not a fan of the South 9. I think the greens there are a little goofy and really are too severe for resort-type players.

It's so difficult to make putts and it's so different than the North side that it's too drastic of a change. I'd play the East/North combo before playing the South/North combo for sure.

Have played here several times over the last couple months and I've really grown to enjoy the place.

It's unlike any other place in Orlando because it's more links style. You can't exactly play the ball along the ground like you can in Scotland, but you can play different shots around there that you can't play other places.

The first hole, 18th hole experience is pretty neat too, which is designed to be similar to the Old Course feel. It's obviously not the same, but it's still fun to experience.

Big fan of the place.

Have played here several times and I like it because of the elevation change. It doesn't feel like anything else in the Orlando area.

Now, there is the catch. It's a bit of a drive from Orlando (50 minutes or so), but I enjoy the layout and the atmosphere. It's quiet out there and it's easy to buzz around without chaos or congestion.

Not a huge fan of the tree in the middle of the par-5 17th fairway, but the final two holes are still good closing holes nonetheless. Played a match-play competition there and the last two holes are two of the most difficult, meaning the higher handicap will always get shots, leading to an exciting conclusion.

I like it a lot, didn't love it though.

I think if I played it again I'd grow to love it more. There were just several blind shots that I thought were forced and unnecessary. They were there for the sake of it.

But it was another fun walk and it was the second round of a 36-hole day for me.

Played it for the first time during my 40th birthday trip. It was great, but I was well off my game that day and found the course extremely difficult - the most difficult course at Bandon Dunes Resort.

Felt that it played long and there seems to be a lot of trouble, both off the tee and around the greens.

The views are great too, but there are none of the ocean, which makes you spoiled because you see the ocean so much from both Bandon and Pacific.

Probably my least favorite of the 4 at Bandon, but it's still a solid track.

Such a long trip from the East Coast but it's worth every single second.

The original course at Bandon never disappoints. Pacific Dunes is my favorite course on property, but Bandon is the one that I'd play every day if I could only play one.

I'll say the same thing I said about Pacific Dunes - I played here 10 years ago and thought I didn't remember much. But when I stepped on the first tee I immediately remembered every single hole as if I had played it a week prior.

Only 13 holes, and you can take about 3 clubs with you, but it'll give you all the challenge you're looking for. You think it's going to be easy, and it is for better players, but for the higher handicapper you find yourself playing shots from distances you don't regularly hit.

Main tip: make sure you putt it off the 13th tee box down to the green below. It's a must. Hit a regular tee shot, then hit a putt. Play for skins too, because it's extremely cool.

Had played here 10 years ago and when I stood on the first tee again this time, I remembered every single inch of the place.

It's the best course at Bandon Dunes, although all four of them are fantastic. The ocean holes are all memorable especially 10-11, which are back-to-back par 3s.

Hands down the best resort experience in the United States.

Played here off the plane on my way over to Bandon Dunes for the weekend.

It was sort of added as a throw-away round but it turned out to be a really cool afternoon. A great walk, on a nice, crisp fall day was a lot of fun. Good mixture of holes, good routing and good company, playing here with a buddy and a long-time member.

Don't look at it as a throw-away round. Find a way to play there.

It's the crown jewel on Hilton Head Island.

The Pete Dye design is so much fun to play. Sure, you can get into some tree trouble off the tee, but if you find your ball you usually have a chance to advance it back into the fairway.

Requires precise iron shots into the smallish greens but if you miss, you can get up and down with a decent short game.

The last two holes (the last one in particular) is what everyone wants to see, but don't overlook the first 16 holes just because you're excited to get to the closing stretch. Take your time and soak it all in.

One of the better experiences I had all year because I was able to take my 6-year-old son with me.

They were totally kid friendly and even had a special set of black tees just for junior golfers, which is a bonus for such a good golf course.

You can get in trouble around the track if you're not driving it well, but if you are playing well you can shoot a good number.

The par-5 10th hole is the signature as the green is right on the beach and offers neat view of the water. Will definitely go back and play there.