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Which quite naturally leads one to wonder: When did Dallas and Fort Worth become one city?
The monthly Golf Digest nonetheless found DFW the best of the 50 cities it ranked for public golf. The magazine measured variables such as climate, cost, number and quality of public courses, and accessibility to create its ranking, which includes Pittsburgh at No. 2, followed by Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Tampa, Orlando, Seattle, Houston, Nashville, Cleveland and Portland, Ore., which tied for 10th.
From Nos. 12 to 50, the rest go like this (because I have nothing better to do right now, and because the full list is available only in the print magazine): Oklahoma City; St. Louis; Riverside, Calif.; Kansas City; Phoenix, San Diego; Detroit, Minneapolis; Birmingham, Ala.; Louisville, Chicago; Sacramento, Calif.; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Virginia Beach, Va.; Memphis; Washington D.C.; Buffalo, N.Y.; San Antonio; Miami; Milwaukee; Las Vegas; Philadelphia; San Francisco; Hartford, Conn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Boston; Atlanta; Austin; Baltimore; Charlotte; Salt Lake City; San Jose, Calif.; New York City; Denver; Richmond, Va.; Raleigh, N.C.; Providence R.I.; and New Orleans. (Austin held the T-40 spot with Baltimore, Charlotte, Salt Lake City and San Jose, Calif.)
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Tampa over Orlando? Identical climate, but no comparison in terms of quality of public courses. I suspect accessibility (so many Orlando tourists!) and cost (gouging of said Orlando tourists!) allowed Tampa to nip its neighbor to the east. Tampa has some very fine public golf. Riverhill, the TPC and Bloomingdale were great fun when I played them. but given the choice, I’d hustle the rental car toward the ocean and start at Orange County National.
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How in the name of Jack Nicklaus (or Donald Ross) does Oklahoma City beat Columbus, Ohio? Columbus is a great city for public golf; I know because I lived near Columbus for two years of my life, before we had children, meaning at the apex of my free-time trajectory. And know the public-golf scene in Oklahoma City. beyond the number of playable days (any province in Oklahoma scores higher than Ohio, because, in Ohio, there’s a reliable springtime phenomenon called rain), that’s ridiculous.
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Memphis over Austin? The golf in greater Memphis, which includes some dandies in North Mississippi, might edge the golf in greater Austin, but only in quality (by a nose) and accessibility (by a nose hair). The municipal-course scene here is far better in every way. Hell, they closed a county course recently in Memphis, reducing an already small number by one. The climate here is better, too. August in Memphis is more survivable than August in Austin. Say it with me: It’s dry heat.
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Charlotte: I expected better of you.
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