From Turning Stone to Pebble Beach: 7 must-play short courses, Part II

The Hay at Pebble Beach

If web traffic is any indication, you seem to love short courses, as the first part of our two-part series on some of the best short courses in North America was wildly popular.

And the second part won’t disappoint – we promise.

In case you missed the first part, you can read it in all of its glory here.

Without further adieu, the Travel Caddie has seven more short courses to consider on your next golf trip:

Turning Stone Resort Casino: Sandstone Hollow

Designed by legendary teacher and golf course designer Rick Smith, Sandstone Hollow at Turning Stone Resort is an affordable 9-hole, par-3 golf course located just outside of Syracuse, N.Y.  This is a fun short course that caters to players of all skill levels as you’ll encounter a few forced carries on your approach shots as well as a few holes that are open short to make it playable for all golfers.  With holes ranging in distance from 118 yards to 234 yards from the back tees, this course is far from a “pitch and putt” and is the perfect way to spend your time between 18 in the morning on either the Atunyote, Shenendoah, or Kaluhyat courses and a night of quality dining (we suggest the incredible TS Steakhouse), and some time on the casino floor where we hope the tables treat you well!

Sandstone Hollow at Turning Stone Resort

Omni Amelia Island Resort: Little Sandy Short Course

It’s not too often in the world of golf that you can feel like you get addition by subtraction, but that is the case at Omni Amelia Island Resort as they recently opened the new Little Sandy Short Course.  This new design was brought to the property after they decided to close down the Ocean Course due to hurricane damage a few years ago, and the resort reimagined a portion of that land in order to create an incredible short course design that is welcoming to resort guests of all skill levels.  We’ve taken the pleasure of droning the course for you to get a bird’s eye view of what this beauty is all about.

The Nest at Cabot Cape Breton

If somehow you are unfamiliar with the Cabot brand, you’ll need to get them on your radar as they are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the golf space with the addition of Cabot Saint Lucia, Cabot Revelstoke, Cabot Citrus Farms (formerly World Woods), and Cabot Highlands (formerly Castle Stuart Golf Links). The Nest was added to the portfolio at Cabot Cape Breton in recent years and brought in the genius of Rod Whitman and Dave Axland to create devilishly undulating greens, incredible ocean views, and tricky, rugged bunkers that mirror those found on the Links and Cliffs courses.  It’s the perfect addition to this Eastern Canadian destination resort.

The Nest at Cabot Cape Breton

QuickSands at Gamble Sands

An entire resort left in the genius hands of David McLay Kidd.  That’s what is in store for you during a visit to Gamble Sands in Brewster, Washington.  With a unique 14-hole, par-3 short course routing and built on a 25-acre parcel of land that is considered by some to be the best terrain on property, QuickSands features holes ranging from 60 to 160 yards and you’ll hear “good vibes” music pumping throughout your round to keep you in good spirits while you enjoy a quick stroll around this fun design.

QuickSands at Gamble Sands

Palm Beach Par-3 Golf Course

You’ll be hard pressed to find a par-3 golf course with a better setting than the Palm Beach Par-3 Golf Course in Palm Beach, Fla.  Originally designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee and later touched up by the great Raymond Floyd, this fun design features 18 par-3 holes that range from 81 to 211 yards where every hole features stunning backdrops on this incredible piece of land that resides between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.  Where the other courses listed here are all part of larger golf resort properties, the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course sits as a standalone facility as it is owned by the town of Palm Beach but do not worry as there are plenty of other great courses nearby for you to build an epic golf trip in Southeast Florida.

Palm Beach Par-3 Golf Course

The Hay at Pebble Beach Resorts

Iconic.  It’s the first word that comes to mind when you hear the words Pebble Beach and it’s a reputation that they’ve earned with flying colors.  In 2021, the team at Pebble Beach brought in the one-and-only Tiger Woods and his design team to reimagine the famed short course with a specific vision in mind to allow juniors, families, and buddies of all skill levels to have a test of the Pebble Beach experience at a fraction of the cost.  With holes ranging in length from 47 to 106 yards, this is truly a short course you won’t forget as the stunning Pacific Ocean backdrops, perfectly manicured conditions, and unique Pebble Beach touches including an exact replica of the 7th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links (played here as the 2nd hole) to give all golfers a sense of what it’s like to play on one of the game’s most iconic tracks.  Priced at $65 a round that goes down to $30 for teens and free for juniors 12 and under, The Hay is a welcomed treasure that the resort’s ownership has bestowed upon the golfing public. Also, be sure to check out the free putting course while you are there as well.

The Hay at Pebble Beach

Streamsong Resort: The Chain (coming soon)

We focused this story on current courses, but we would be remiss if we did not mention the upcoming project at Streamsong that we are more than a little excited about.  The team at Streamsong Resort in Bowling Green, Florida (located about 90 minutes from Orlando and 60 minutes from Tampa) has brought back the dynamic duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to create The Chain, a short course located a stone’s throw away from the main resort that will feature a 6-hole and 12-hole routing that can be combined into an 18-hole golf experience.  The first 6 holes are a bit more playable with the longest hole topping out at 145 yards, so golfers of all skill levels have a comfortable place to play, and the next 12 holes get a bit tougher with holes getting up to 300 yards creating more risk-reward opportunities during your round.  This area will also get a two-acre putting course called “The Bucket ” to go along with the Gauntlet putting course located next to Streamsong Black.  We will be following this project closely, and we’ll keep you in the loop on when it opens as it is tentatively scheduled to open in late 2023 or early 2024.