The Best 19th Holes

Whether you’ve had a good game or a bad one, the “19th hole” holds its own special charm. Here are some great golf clubhouses where you can kick back with a drink or a delicious meal. We’ve rounded up everything from stateside Scottish pubs to would-be tropical retreats. 

Semiahmoo Resort, two hours north of Seattle on the Canadian border, lays claim to two of Washington’s top public courses. The scenery is spectacular, as the resort straddles Semiahmoo Bay and Drayton Harbor. The Great Blue Heron Grill looks out over the greens and ponds and its huge stone fireplace brings the great outdoors inside. The menu offers pub fare and at the bar you’ll find Northwest microbrews, wine, and a full bar.

After the 2007 BMW World Championship, Cog Hill was completely redesigned by noted course architect Rees Jones. The main clubhouse also got some TLC, and one of its three dining rooms is sure to strike the right chord.  The “clubbiest” is the dimly-lit Oak Room, with chandeliers, sconces, and high-backed upholstered dining chairs, while the Front Bar is a bit more casual. The Main Dining Room is a massive space with 30-foot beamed ceilings, leaded glass windows and a working stone fireplace. The menu has a variety of snacks, the club’s famous “Dubsburger,” a half-pound of lean ground beef on a Kaiser roll, and wines by the bottle or glass.

Mountain golf can be a game within a game, and this course’s sloping greens present quite a challenge. RedTail’s rambling, stone-timbered clubhouse is set up on a hill overlooking the course. Playing 18 holes high up in the Blue Ridge Mountains will do wonders for the appetite, so after a well-deserved breather on the wraparound porch head inside to The Grill, which offers upscale soups, salad and sandwiches as well as a full appetizer menu at the bar.

The stunning clubhouse at Fallen Oak in Southern Mississippi features floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on both the 18th hole and the century-old oak tree that inspired the course’s name. The food is New American and the bar is well-stocked. Fallen Oak was designed by Thomas Fazio and opened in 2006. The Beau Rivage Casino is a short ride away.

Lake of Isles, which is affiliated with Foxwoods Casino, is home to both a public and a private golf course, both designed by Rees Jones. The Craftsman-style clubhouse boasts cedar shake siding and stone pillars, not to mention a fantastic view of the lake. Its casual, comfortable Matches Tavern has a fully-stocked bar and a fantastic smokehouse menu. Szechuan baby back ribs, anyone? The clubhouse also has banquet facilities for up to 300 guests.

A Scottish tavern in Myrtle Beach? Well, why not? The Legends Resort’s Ailsa Pub – the name refers to a Scottish isle, Ailsa Craig – has steaks, seafood and traditional Scottish dishes on offer. The pub is refreshingly unpretentious, with cheery green walls and Low Country wood furniture. Sports trivia and satellite feeds from around the world will keep the talk lively after a round on one of Legends’ seven courses.

The Inn & Club is set in seaside Ponte Vedra Beach, 20 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The Golf Club Restaurant has a full wall of windows that overlook the course’s famous par-three island golf hole. You’ll find the usual soups, salads, and sandwiches in addition to local seafood – try the Mayport Salad Bowl, a generous mélange of shrimp, lobster and crab served over greens with sauce Louis. Big eaters can tuck into the restaurant’s lunch buffet. 

Southern California’s Temecula Valley is the setting for Journey at Pechanga, a rambling course designed by Arthur Hills. Pechanga means "place where the water drips," in Luiseño, and the course offers an unusual blend of Alpine scenery, rocky creeks, and desert flora. The clubhouse features floor-to-ceiling windows and an indoor fire pit, and there’s a private glass-enclosed wine tasting room that can accommodate 20 guests.

Las Sendas was the first course in Arizona designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., and remains a favorite in the Greater Phoenix area. Playing 18 holes in a desert setting is demanding but rewarding, and this course is about as tough as it gets. Wet your whistle afterwards at Bogey’s, a 40s-style supper club with oysters on the half shell as well as dishes with southwestern flair, like achiote pork tenderloin. The atmosphere is definitely unique, and if the movie memorabilia leaves you cold there are heart-stopping views of the Valley of the Sun from the clubhouse patio. 

The Tribute Golf Club is physically located in the heart of Texas, but it sure looks like it’s set among the hills and dales of Scotland. The course was designed by Tripp Davis to pay tribute to famous Scottish links – the first hole recalls St. Andrews, the second is a nod to the fifth hole at Carnoustie, and so on. This meticulous attention to detail continues in the clubhouse, where the Tom Morris Pub serves up some single malts that are almost impossible to find stateside. And the bar itself was hand-crafted across the Atlantic and shipped to Texas.

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus