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Every year, I try to make a pilgrimage to Copake.  I say “pilgrimage” because it is about three hours round trip from my Connecticut home, with no direct route.  US Highway 44 is one of those old east-west routes that circumvent the mountains of western Connecticut and, therefore, at a few spots turn north or south for a while. No matter, the trip to this out of the way gem golf course is worth it, and there is a terrific bakery about halfway there that is my customary stop for ...

Every year, I try to make a pilgrimage to Copake.  I say “pilgrimage” because it is about three hours round trip from my Connecticut home, with no direct route.  US Highway 44 is one of those old east-west routes that circumvent the mountains of western Connecticut and, therefore, at a few spots turn north or south for a while. No matter, the trip to this out of the way gem golf course is worth it, and there is a terrific bakery about halfway there that is my customary stop for ...

A Tale of Two Nines Monroe CC, view from the 10th tee One of the benefits of writing a course review for OTBCP is that there is no requirement or expectation to discuss how well we played the course.  It’s all about the course, as it should be. Considering that I have not played a round of golf since at least last August, then had knee replacement surgery, and am attempting to incorporate some swing changes as I re-start my golf game in 2020, my expectations for how well I played ...

On a trip to Pensacola for a wedding last year, I played at Lost Key Golf Club in Perdido Key, FL, on Halloween, which proved to be a bit scary but a whole lot of treat. Located about a half hour along the Gulf Coast from downtown Pensacola, and less than that to the Alabama state line, this Arnold Palmer Signature course, with the design credited to the Great One and his long-time collaborator, Ed Seay, opened in 1997.  It underwent a major renovation in 2006 that included the addition ...

Sometimes you stumble upon a golf experience that stuns you, whether it is the views, the incredible friendliness of the staff or the layout itself.  When you find all those qualities, especially in a course you had not previously known about, you can feel like Columbus discovering the New World. On a drive between Rutland and Manchester, VT, about a decade ago, when I was considering starting a publication about New England golf courses, I stumbled upon one such golf course, a hidden ...

It is a cold and windy February day in Connecticut as I write this, the kind of day when any self-respecting golfer turns to thoughts of the best Florida or Hawaii or California golf courses he has played on warm and sunny days.  Call me weird, but my thoughts today are squarely on a windy, often rainy stretch of linksland about nine miles from St. Andrews in Scotland.  The Crail Golfing Society was formed in 1786 at the Golf Hotel, a place you can stay at today.  At 334 years ...

Lost in the media’s fascination with the alleged death of golf are the stories of long-established golf courses that have undergone significant restoration and renovations. You might read about these in LINKS magazine, or Golf Digest or at GolfAdvisor.com, where golf architecture buffs care about such things; but the mainstream and business media tend to prefer the negative stories about golf’s future status. Keney Park, a municipal golf course on the extreme north end of Hartford, CT, ...

I wound up on The Plantation Course on Edisto Island thanks to my wife of 37 years, Anna, who allowed me to accompany her to a beach house that was built about 50 years ago by the father of one of her friends from the University of South Carolina. Anna and her friend Pam, along with four other USC girlfriends, met annually at the Edisto house for decades to remember old times and catch up on one another's lives and families. Anna travelled from our home on Richmond, VA while the others enjoyed ...
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glorious back nine bookcover

  • The only book about golf communities in the last 10 years.
  • 156-page step-by-step guide to finding your dream golf home.
  • Info on nearly 100 golf communities the author has visited.
  • Paperback version costs less than a sleeve of Pro VIs.

Here is what the experts are saying:

“The book is chocked full of information…applicable to anyone looking for a move to the Southeast regardless of whether they are looking for a golf community or not.” — John LaFoy, golf architect (Linville Ridge CC, CC of Charleston, The Neuse GC)

“Larry has done a tremendous amount of work and anyone — like me — who is looking to search for a golf home now or in a few years needs this book.” — Brad Chambers, golf blogger, ShootingYourAge.com

“Wow!  What a thorough piece of work…a must for anyone moving South. This book will help many people.” — Brett Miller, owner and founder of MMA, Inc, a golf industry consultancy

Buy It Now at Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

Our Mission

The cart paths to golf courses we all know well, even if we have never set foot on the first tee there, are well worn. They are Pebble Beach, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, some of the Pinehurst Resort courses and other heralded and well-trafficked layouts (where green fees can be as much as 10 times the price of a lesser known but highly playable muni). Think of Off The Beaten Cart Path courses as those that will surprise and delight you, no matter where they are. You just may have never heard of them. 

Please help us add to the list of terrific yet largely unheralded golf courses.

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GCR questionnaire
     Dreaming of a vacation home on a golf course?  How about a forever home a short walk to the first tee?  For 15 years, I have helped golfers find their perfect home on the course.  If you would like some recommendations that match your preferences for a golf home, please click here, fill out our Golf Home Questionnaire, and I will get back to you in a few days with some ideas.  By the way, it’s free.
Larry Gavrich,
Editor