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Dickie Tee, 1000 Hummingbird Dr, Castle Rock, CO (2026)

08/25/2024

What a scene this week at Castle Pines Golf Club. A beautiful property that sets up great for PGA Tour events. Could we see a future PGA Championship here? Bring a major to Denver!

Bonus, I made the broadcast after Keegan’s birdie on 18 Saturday.

07/06/2024

Meadow Club
Fairfax, CA
Played June 2024

Meadow Club, the first American course design by Alister MacKenzie, offers the quintessential private club experience with its serene setting on Bon Tempe Meadow and only the surrounding nature of Mt. Tamalpais visible from the course.

Dick’s Quick Six Ratings
* Beauty: 8/10
* Course Conditions: 9/10
* Layout: 8/10
* Difficulty: 7/10
* Walkability: 7/10
* Value: N/A

Meadow Club is an oasis at the edge of the Bay Area, sitting in the hills above the funky town of Fairfax. A short drive past the course, over the crest of Mt. Tamalpais, reveals views of Stinson Beach and the Pacific Ocean. With its natural setting it feels completely isolated from busy San Francisco, which is only a mere half hour’s drive away.

The course meanders through a meadow with some moderate elevation change every few holes. It starts with a birdie opportunity on the reachable par 5 opener, especially if you catch the speed slot on your drive. But the MacKenzie-style large, undulating green only rewards a well played approach shot.

MacKenzie’s classic greens are a common theme throughout the course. The 3rd hole, an uphill par 4 and the #1 handicap, features a mostly blind approach shot into a two tiered green with a false front. Take an extra couple clubs to reach the top tier and consider using the banking behind the hole to feed your ball back onto the green.

Hole 14, a beautiful downhill par 3 over a pond, features another large green flowing back to front nearly the entire way. A front pin placement requires enough club to take on the usual headwind and clear the pond while not going too far past the hole, leaving a downhill putt.

The par 4 finishing hole plays from an elevated tee box to a fairway with a stream snaking through most of the right-center, which offers subtle protection for those trying to obtain a shorter approach shot. Check the tree tops for wind before hitting your second shot.

Meadow Club is a special place in an immaculate setting. If you get the chance to play you won’t be disappointed.

06/30/2024

TPC Colorado
Berthoud, CO
Played June 2024

Home to an annual Korn Ferry Tour event and famous for its 773 yard 13th hole, TPC Colorado will challenge all aspects of your game with a wide variety of interesting holes and several risk/reward opportunities.

Dick’s Quick Six Ratings
* Beauty: 7/10
* Course Conditions: 10/10
* Layout: 9/10
* Difficulty: 9/10
* Walkability: 5/10
* Value: 7/10

The location is somewhat remote and the price is steep compared to other courses in the area. But few, if any, Front Range courses match the pristine conditions and tour-level difficulty of TPC Colorado. The layout keeps you interested throughout the round with three drivable par 4s, a fun quartet of par 3s, plentiful bunkers of different styles, water hazards, and precarious pin placements. All with Rocky Mountain National Park looming in the distance.

The fun really starts on hole #3, a par 4 where a well struck drive can reach the green, but anything less will find the water and result in hitting your third shot from the tee area. The safe play is to the right of the water where you’ll encounter a blind approach shot. The 8th hole is a narrow peninsula par 3 featuring a long green completely surrounded by the swamp-like shore of Lonetree Reservoir. You drop your bag and grab your putter (and perhaps a wedge and extra ball), since you’ll return to the tee area when heading to the next hole.

What is perhaps the nicest house along the course frames the green of the 10th hole, a drivable risk/reward par 4 with a green guarded by two deep pot bunkers that might require a sideways or backwards escape route. The 773 yard 13th hole is the longest on any PGA Tour course and contains the “Hell Bunker,” a 108 yard sand beast that challenges attempts to cut the dogleg left on your second shot.

The 15th green includes a pin placement that is essentially hanging off a cliff. And you’ll likely be teeing off in front of the clubhouse crowd on hole #16, a short downhill par 3 that plays straight out towards the Rockies.

Given the price and location, it’s not a course you’ll play often unless you’re a member who lives in the community. But it is a must-play and a very fun experience.

06/02/2024

Perry Park Country Club
Larkspur, CO
Played 5/13/24

One of the most beautiful courses I’ve played in Colorado, with Garden-of-the-Gods-adjacent geologic features, Perry Park is a real hidden gem situated between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Dick’s Quick Six Ratings
* Beauty: 10/10
* Course Conditions: 8/10
* Layout: 7/10
* Difficulty: 7/10
* Walkability: 8/10
* Overall Value: N/A

Perry Park’s strongest suit is its surroundings, which are hard to beat in terms of mountain golf courses. There are several picture-worthy holes. But it’s no slouch in other areas as well. Perhaps most surprising, it’s a very walkable course if you are acclimated to the elevation. Much more so than its more famous neighbor—The Golf Club at Bear Dance—just a few miles east.

They say everything breaks towards the Waucondah Reservoir just outside the clubhouse, which I found to largely be true. The greens overall were superb, especially for early season at 6500’. Despite the grumblings of one of my playing partners using aimpoint to 3-putt.

There is a healthy mix of narrow, tree-lined holes countered by more open holes with cleverly placed bunkers or singular trees. Shot selection is paramount throughout much of the course. Beyond the few narrow fairways, the difficulty lies mostly in multiple holes that require a certain shot shape—with a couple that are a bit overly demanding. Bring your draw and your fade.

05/15/2024

Bethpage - Red Course
Bethpage State Park, NY
Played 5/6/24

Widely considered the second best course at Bethpage — behind the hallowed Black course — the Red is more forgiving, less scenic, and feels more like a muni.

Dick’s Quick Six Ratings
* Beauty: 7/10
* Course Conditions: 6/10
* Layout: 7/10
* Difficulty: 7/10
* Walkability: 8/10
* Overall Value: 6/10

Some people prefer the Red course over the Black. I can’t see why other than it being easier. In my opinion, it doesn’t hold a candle to the Black. From the fairways to the rough to the tees, greens, and bunkers, it is clear that much more effort goes into the Black course. The conditions aren’t bad—they certainly beat the average muni. But the relative hype and cost didn’t match the experience, at least on the day I played. I would play it again but would probably try the Blue course first. And would choose the Black over it every opportunity.

While it’s a generally easier course than the Black, it begins with one of the more difficult starting holes I’ve played. The long par 4 with an elevated tee and green is likely to get the round started over par. I found the first 7 holes to be the most interesting and scenic as they dogleg through tree-lined fairways and feature more elevation changes. The 8th hole begins a series of side-by-side holes that cover an expansive meadow. The long rough helps compensate for the ability to otherwise spray shots left/right with little penalty. Similar to the Black course, the longer par 4s will eat away at those with less distance.

The Red is a fine course in its own right, especially when compared to the average muni, but not one that I would go out of my way to play. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been compared as closely to the Black course.

05/11/2024

Bethpage - Black Course
Bethpage State Park, NY
Played 5/5/24

The famed major championship venue — with a warning sign on the first tee — that is set to host the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Dick’s Quick Six Ratings
* Overall Value: 9/10
* Beauty: 10/10
* Course Conditions: 9/10
* Layout: 10/10
* Difficulty: 10/10
* Walkability: 7/10

My second time playing the Black course. Pretty sure I’ll try to play it every time I’m in New York. The walking-only aspect creates a sense of classic golf purity and, frankly, limits the amount of people who can play it. Previously I used one of their pull carts and was shamed by the 70 year old local who carried his bag. This time I carried and it renewed my interest in carrying whenever possible going forward. Caddies are available as well.

The course features several elevated tees and greens, narrow fairways, doglegs, long par 4s, long rough, plenty of bunkers, and frequent planes taking off from, or landing at, JFK and LaGuardia airports. It has the feel of a city muni, state park, and country club all in one. You’re walking in the footsteps of the greatest golfers to ever play the game. My only legitimate knock on the course is the inability to know pin placements, especially with all the elevated greens. The lack of a daily pin sheet seems like an oversight.

Having now birdied the 3rd and 4th holes, I’ll be sure to mock any pros who don’t match my success in the upcoming Ryder Cup. But we won’t talk about the four finishing holes, they’ve ruined otherwise good rounds both times I’ve played. I can’t recommend playing the Black enough!

05/11/2024

I made it out to Bethpage for the second time this past weekend and played the Black and Red courses on back-to-back days. The Black is, of course, why you make the trip. And the Red is widely regarded as the second best of the 5 courses on the property.

Getting tee times as a non-resident is no easy feat, even as a single. But diligence pays off. I must have refreshed the reservations page about 100 times during the week prior looking to snag cancellations. I was ready to go the camping route (they save tee times for people who sleep in the parking lot) and maybe even looking forward to it as one of the more unique experiences in golf. But I lucked out in finding times at each course the day prior to playing. Maybe I’ll camp next time.

The Black course is unmatched for muni golf. And I say that as a long time Harding Park loyalist from my days living in San Francisco. Next time you’re in NYC make sure to book an extra day and play the Black. If you’re staying in the city you can take the subway to the Long Island Rail Road, which will get you to within a mile of the course, then walk or catch a short Uber ride for the last leg. Be sure to pack your A game.

05/11/2024

Dickie Tee here. I’ve had a great year of golf so far and some friends suggested I create this account. Follow along for reviews and ratings as I feature golf courses all over the US — and occasionally abroad. I take trips frequently and try to squeeze in a round or two whenever I can. Maybe I can help inspire you to do the same.

Dickie Tee

08/25/2024

07/06/2024

06/30/2024

06/02/2024

05/15/2024

05/11/2024

05/11/2024

05/11/2024

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