Tobacco Road

If all courses looked and played the same, the game would have squandered its greatest advantage. Thankfully, every now and then, an architect like Mike Strantz comes along with his own out-of-the-box vision as to what constitutes good golf. At Tobacco Road, in-your-face hazards, blind shots, and imaginative green contours fuel what amounts to a thrill ride. This visual feast unsettles some and emboldens others — and that’s its beauty. Options abound, be it going for the 4th or 11th greens in two or taking the left fairway option on the 5th and trying to scoot a drive up to the green. One round won’t suffice as you debate your own successes and failures afterward. Max fee: $215 (Photo: Kevin Murray)