Sage Valley - July 30, 2005

There are some who like the golf course ("I love all Fazio courses," said one person I was with last week); there are others who love the food ("The cake they serve there," says Rick Hall, "is the best in golf"). I have said myself that I think it may be the best conditioned golf course I've ever played.

I'm referring, of course, to Sage Valley, just outside Aiken, SC (and near Augusta, GA).

Betty and I visited for a round of golf with my good friend and SV member Darryl Leech and his wife Katy on Saturday, July 30.

There's obviously a lot to like at Sage Valley, but what I like most is that everything there - from the practice facility to the limited number of entrees on the lunch menu - everything is built around or to support the golf experience.

For instance, check out this setting. I'm no photographer, but what I see in the frame is a beautifully squared-off tee box, a simple, yet inviting bench, enough greenery to give the roving eye a lot to look over - what I see, overall, is a near-perfect golf setting.

Sage Valley isn't for everyone. It's a bit ego-driven; they may, perhaps, overdo it with the entrance and the security and that kind of stuff. But this part of it is pretty cool. In fact, aren't the best things about golf actually outdoors ... uh, on the golf course?