Valhalla Golf Club
November 2022 – Louisville is not a place I’ve visited often – in fact my trip here was just the second time in the city. Plus I have never played any public golf out here – on my previous trip about ten years previous I played Louisville Country Club – so I won’t be able to write up a review of the place as a public golf guy’s trip. However, I did tour the city/Churchill Downs as part of a conference scouting trip and my buddy is one of the race officials at CD so I can give you a few spots etc. And I did get to play THE course to play in Louisville, Valhalla.
Originally I opened up this blog page with hope that the political landscape could change in the midterms but the fact my state just elected an essentially brain-dead Senator who lived off his parents and who’s only real previous job was being a mayor of a small town he drove into the ground and who has never met a criminal he didn’t love and a victim he didn’t want to screw over, I’m done. Florida here we come. UPDATE: So I saved my original post and added it here blindly if you want to read it. Also Fetterman ended up not nearly as bad as I thought he would – actually may be the only Democrat in Congress I can tolerate.
Instead, since this is likely the last new (for me) course I will play in 2022, I’ll do a quick review of my year in golf. 2022 was a great year – probably only behind 2017 in the overall quality of and quantity of new courses I’ve played. I had three trips that helped build the roster of great courses I’ve gotten to play in my golfing life: Scotland in the late Spring, Pinehurst in the early Summer and the RTJ Trail in September. I added all six of the courses I played in Scotland to the upper strata of my personal top 100 and added Dallas National and here (Valhalla) to that as well. The second tier of courses I played were a lot of state ranked courses that either came from those trips (The Judge, Oxmoor Valley – Ridge, the two private Forest Creek courses in Pinehurst) or from some other travel: Laurel Valley, Hamilton Farm in NJ, Maridoe in TX, and Gamble Sands out in Washington State. The biggest surprise was Quail Valley in Vero Beach. My buddy gave me a couple of privates in the area to try and get on and I failed but my pro got me on here and he nor I had never heard of it though it is ranked among the best in state by GD. The biggest disappointment was probably Gamble Sands as the course is starting to get some top 100 love in the mags but I don’t think it should – good to very good but not that great. Or TPC San Antonio Oaks was not even as good as the Canyons course on the property. I’ll post the scrapbook page in December so you can go through the entire list – in all 30 new courses. I discovered Charitybuzz as a tool to get on some top private clubs (but expect to pay a lot but at least it’s to charity). That got me on Laurel Valley (really expensive) and Williamsburg Golf Club (not much more than I’d pay for the green fees as an unescorted guest anyway). In the future I’ll reserve maybe one a year, Of the courses I played, I played nine privates: buddies got me on six, two through Charitybuzz and one through my pro.
I ended the year pretty consistently off the tee but I need serious work on the short game. I had some rounds where I was like a rank beginner this year – just duffing my approaches or chips. Putting wasn’t consistent either. My best round was at St. Andrews Old Course – an 85 with the same ball I started with (which lasted through Carnoustie and then 5 holes at Troon).
So far I don’t have a lot planned for 2023. Our annual buddies trip is set up for September in Wisconsin and will rattle off some new likely Top 100 courses: Mammoth Dunes, Sand Valley, Erin Hills and Whistling Straits. Of course I’ll see what Charitybuzz has throughout the year. And hopefully will be in Phoenix in February for the Eagles (8-0) in the Super Bowl and will play a nice one there!
But wow do I digress. To Louisville. I had heard downtown was bad. Maybe during the Brianna riots it was worse, but there’re no more homeless or other crap than in other progressively run cities. If you’re downtown stay near the convention center/4th Street. There is a cool vibe there. Jeff Ruby’s is the top steakhouse and even though it’s a chain, it was super cool with great piano player who pretty much can play anything you throw at him. Volare is a great unsung Italian place a little drive from downtown. Bar area was great – little duo playing some great soul music, the World Series on the TV, half-off wine bottles on a Wednesday, and great food. Churchill Downs is a must. Of course during the Derby this place is nuts though. As noted, I’ve never played public golf around here so can’t give any recommendations. I know there are a couple of great courses up in French Lick that are accessible. If you’re connected, Victoria National, here and Louisville CC are all super nice.
To the course. Valhalla is the place you want to play in Louisville. Even though it only opened in the 80’s, it is crammed with recent golf history owing to its major championship heritage. The clubhouse and vibe is laid back. Stormin’ Norman in the men’s grill is a fixture and an awesome chat. The bar is great and the members are not snooty. We struck up a conversation with a group of members at the bar and felt super welcomed. There is appropriate heritage of the championships here adorning the walls but definitely not overdone.
We just played in November so most of the trees already were shedding and the fairways were entering dormancy, but still a beautiful place to play and conditions were superb. We played in about three hours as a two-some and the caddies – Woody and Roger(?) who also caddies at the PGA National courses – were great. The course is no longer owned by the PGA as a few members bought them out just this June but they still cater to guests and your pro could probably get you on.
Valhalla is still on everyone’s US Top 100: Golf Digest at 93, Golfweek’s 74th on the Modern group, though it has recently dropped out of Golf Magazine’s list. It is ranked #1 in Kentucky by GD, as well. At the top of this page, you’ll see the first tee and hole present as a little under-whelming with the power lines behind and kind of blah setting but there are no homes on here nor the rest of the course.
As you see one is a dog leg left, par four. Played the Green/Blue combos (131 slope and 6,300 yards). On one, I made great use of my breakfast ball and drove it beyond the corner setting up a 140-yard shot in. Put an eight just short and a Texas wedge and putt to start with a par. The front is more linksy and back more woodsy but the rest of the course is strong and strategic – especially the back. In all I agree in the second half of the Top 100. Hole descriptions below.
Two is a 475-yard par five from the greens (combos). Put it in the crap to the left but played great the rest of the way in for a satisfying bogey. The group ahead of us let us play through the par-three third. Tough hole, had to clear a creek. I put it in the schmeggies just beyond the creek and hit a great chip from the shit in there. Unfortunately had a three putt in the rush.
Four is a short little 325-yard par four. Drilled my drive but no fade and in the bunker which I then hooked into the green-side creek. Two-chip, one putt double. Grr.
Five is the number 3 handicap. Slight dogleg right. 380 yards from the blues now on the combos. Awesome drive but guess what?!? No fade and caught the last bunker on the left right below the lip. Had to burn a shot to get out. Decent but not great approach onto the green and a three putt for another six.
Six is fucking tough. Number one handicap. After you drive here, you have a long and tough approach. Again, great drive but now my slight fade came back. Good 3-wood to just off the green. Two chip, one putt 6. The Lovett was in unusually sucky play today.
Seven is a 490-yard par five. There is a silly alternate fairway to aim for but the approach on a decent bogey golfer’s drive would be a 200+ yard carry to the green so except for the pros this is not risk-reward at all. I took it up the right. With a nice 3-wood to 100 (in the sand again) but a nice wedge to the green and two putt for my second par.
Eight is a pretty straight-forward 150-yard par three. On the green left and long but a nice two putt for my third par on the front.
Nine is a short par four. Pushed my drive right to just about where my caddie is standing. A blah wedge put me into the sand and a two out, two putt gave me a six for a very unsatisfying 47 – considering how I was striking the ball unless I was within chipping distance.
The back is definitely the more interesting portion of the property starting with ten that tees off behind the PGA house. 520-yard par five. Really played this well tee through green but a three putt gave me another 6.
Eleven is an uphill par three playing 165 yards. Another GIR and two putt par.
Twelve is the number two handicap, playing 385 yards and a slight dogleg. The approach is downhill and after a good drive left me 185 yards in, I flubbed my hybrid then put my 130-yard approach into the right front bunker. Even a great out couldn’t prevent a double when I missed a very makeable 5-footer for bogey.
Despite my double (yet again), I love this hole as it is the signature hole on Valhalla. Zoom in and you can see the waterfall to the right of the green. Hole is short but put a great drive that didn’t fade into the bunkers. My shot out put me into the hazard fronting the tiny island green. Drop, Good chip. Pussy putt and one-hander with the group in front watching for six and gotta to then play through the group watching my disaster hole unfold.
From the cart path next to the ladies tee. Kind of rushing on the hole as we were playing through again. Left my 6 iron short with a toe shot off the tee, Good chip but missed the up and down for bogey.
Fifteen is a narrow 350-yard par four. Kept it left away from the creek trouble, but another weak approach led to a chip and three putt 6.
OK, 16 comes back up now with the creek to the right. Again was super safe and put it on the left side of the fairway. But this time had a good approach. Got on and two putt bogey.
Seventeen. 360-yard par four. What you can’t see is the bunker to the right. I found it. Surprise. Decent shot out. Chip on and two-putt bogey.
Eighteen is a beautiful par five 480-yard finisher. Stayed left, left, green for a two-putt par and 93. Mediocre score for me. Much better than mediocre course.
Golf Scrapbook 