Go Flying to Go Golfing!

[Tom Goodrick]

In this morning's ePilot from AOPA (3/27/09) they referenced an article in AOPA Online that lists most of the airports in the US that have adjacent golf courses. This is neat idea. Just about any four-place GA aircraft can carry two golfers and their golf bags (est 35 lbs each) for a round of golf in a nice day trip. I can attest for one of the courses named - Sunset Landing Golf Course at Huntsville, Alabama (KHSV). You can actually land a small plane, park in the GA parking area, and walk with your clubs to the golf course club house (where they also have a small restaurant). The course is very nice - not an exceptional championship coures but but a nice place for an afternoon of golf in the spring and fall months. In the summer you'd want to stay over night at the hotel on the airport and get an early tee time so you finish by 11 am. Note that KHSV has full ILS capability for north and south approaches to its two parallel runways. It has long runways but does not have heavy airline traffic. It is always easy to fit a small plane into an approach.

Here's the list:

Airport Golf Club, Tumwater, Washington. Located at the west end of Olympia Regional Airport's (OLM) crosswind runway. www.airportgolfcenter.com
Airport Golf Course, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Home to the Wyoming State Open Golf Tournament, July 9-12, 2009. Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS) is across Yellowstone Road. www.cheyennecity.org
Airport Golf Course, Columbus, Ohio. Public course with five hazards. Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) is just east of the course. www.nn.net/golf/Airport
Airport National Public Golf Course, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) and the golf course are on Wright Brothers Boulevard. www.airportnationalpublicgolf.com
Airport Greens, Wickliffe, Ohio. Public course next to the Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF).
Airco Golf Course, Clearwater, Florida. This is a 110-acre course situated on Tampa Bay adjacent to the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE).
Airway Meadows Golf Club, Gansevoort, New York. On 177 acres which include three covered bridges and the family-owned airport, Heber Airpark (K30). www.airwaymeadowsgolf.com
Antelope Hills Golf Course, Prescott, Arizona. Two championship 18-hole courses next to Prescott Municipal Airport-Ernest A. Love Field (PRC). www.cityofprescott.net
Ajo Country Club and Golf Course, Ajo, Arizona. This nine-hole public golf course is an oasis of green surrounded by desert and is adjacent to Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01).
Bear Creek Golf Club, Dallas, Texas. A 36-hole course located inside the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) grounds. www.bearcreek-golf.com
Butterfield Trail Golf Course, El Paso, Texas. This new 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio is an iron shot away from El Paso International Airport (ELP). www.butterfieldtrailgolf.com
Butter Valley Golf Port, Bally, Pennsylvania. This 18-hole public golf course is adjacent to Butter Valley Golf Port Airport (7N8). www.buttervalley.com
Kearny Golf Course, Kearny, Arizona. This nine-hole course is located next to Kearney Airport (E67). Call ahead and they'll leave a golf cart at the number-5 tee, which is next to the tiedowns. 520-363-7441
Pease Golf Course, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This 27-hole course is on the site of the former Pease Air Force Base, now Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM). www.peasedev.org
Pinehurst, North Carolina. There are eight championship courses in this area, called the "Golf Capital of the World" and served by Moore County Airport (SOP). www.pinehurst.com
Pine Mountain Lake, Groveland, California. This 18-hole golf course is on the grounds of Pine Mountain Lake Airport (E45). www.pinemountainlake.com
Reeves Golf Course, Cincinnati, Ohio. This nine-hole course is located at the end of Lunken Field (LUK). www.cincygolf.org
Sunset Landing Golf Course, Huntsville, Alabama. This 18-hole course is adjacent to Huntsville International Airport (HSV). www.hsvairport.org
The Crossings at Carlsbad, Carlsbad, California. This 18-hole championship course designed by Greg Nash is adjacent to McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ). www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com
The Greenbrier, White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. Three 18-hole championship courses at this deluxe resort served by Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB). www.greenbrier.com
Wingpointe, Salt Lake City, Utah. This Scottish-flavor course is set on 194 acres adjacent to Salt Lake City Municipal Airport (U42). www.slcgov.com

Eagles Landing Golf Club is located just two miles from Ocean City Municipal Airport in Ocean City, Maryland. www.eagleslandinggolf.com/ —Submitted by John Stoltzfus Jr.
Hilltop Golf Course lies at the end of Runway 4/22 at Richard Downing-Coshockton County Airport, Coshockton, Ohio. www.coshoctonlakepark.com/hilltop.htm

(This is published by permission. I called AOPA Member Services this morning and got the OK as long as I reference the AOPA Online services at http://www.aopa.org.)

I will be looking over the list with the idea of finding some sort of course where we can have a Golfing Fling, going from one course to another for some distance, perhaps across the country from East Coat to West Coast (or vica versa). Let me know if you have any ideas. There also may be a central location where several courses are reachable from a central airport for daytrip golfing.

[Tom Goodrick]

I found a route that I'll propose for the Fling. I laid out the airport symbols on a blank page in Paint to a rough scale with the west coast on the left, etc. There is a route that starts at St Petersburg, Florida, and ends at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Most of the legs are reasonable in length for an aircraft with a true speed of 150 knots. I did have to make one change to the airport symbols in the list. E45 in California is listed in our FS charts and in a real but old chart as Q68.

Here are the airports, distances and nominal times:


KPIE DIST 130 150 170 190
KSOP 471 3.62 3.14 2.77 2.48
KOXB 276 2.12 1.84 1.62 1.45
KLWB 251 1.93 1.67 1.48 1.32
KHSV 363 2.79 2.42 2.14 1.91
KDFW 522 4.02 3.48 3.07 2.75
KELP 479 3.68 3.19 2.82 2.52
E67 240 1.85 1.60 1.41 1.26
P01 105 0.81 0.70 0.62 0.55
KPRC 134 1.03 0.89 0.79 0.71
KCRQ 259 1.99 1.73 1.52 1.36
Q68 317 2.44 2.11 1.86 1.67
KOLM 559 4.30 3.73 3.29 2.94
U42 606 4.66 4.04 3.56 3.19
KCYS 327 2.52 2.18 1.92 1.72
KCID 590 4.54 3.93 3.47 3.11
KLUK 372 2.86 2.48 2.19 1.96
KCMH 90 0.69 0.60 0.53 0.47
I40 50 0.38 0.33 0.29 0.26
KCGF 77 0.59 0.51 0.45 0.41
7N8 278 2.14 1.85 1.64 1.46
K30 188 1.45 1.25 1.11 0.99
KPSM 124 0.95 0.83 0.73 0.65

TOTAL 6678 51.37 44.52 39.28 35.15

The average leg is 304 nm which is about 2 hours at 150 knots.

That makes this fling about 44 flying hours in length.

The good news in regard to a fling is that the only rule is that you must land at each airport. (The minimum runway length (I think) is 3600 ft at Q68. It is also at 3000 ft elevation.) You can use any aircraft you wish as long as it can land on the shortest airport. You are free to navigate between the airports any way you wish. Chart your own course. Be aware that the minimum enroute altitude in some cases may be 12,500 ft or slightly more.

We like good weather in our Flings so we can enjoy the sites and not sweat the landings. Fair Weather would be a good rule. It gives calm air at the surface but leaves a gentle westerly breeze above 3000 ft and some fluffy "fair weather" clouds to make the sky interesting.

I'll try to do a fast pass through the route in a Piper Meridian to check all airports. I'll try to check minimum altitudes. But if you want to fly minimum safe altitudes, get a VOR routing. That will keep the altitude close to breathable levels.

[flaminghotsauce]

Sounds like fun. Sounds like a month's worth of fun. A two hour flight is about my max length these days. I might have to 2X the sim part-time. Or pick a quicker picker-upper for my trips. I haven't flown the King Air for a while, that might be good.

I might fly my 150+knot Ercoupe for a leg or two before I dig in and figure out what's wrong with that. It's hilarious to me to be flying it that fast!

I may get out and play some real golf soon. My inlaws are supposed to be coming in sometime in May, I think. I need practice!

[Tom Goodrick]

Here's another way of looking at the list. For each airpot I put the code first in the top line with the city and state. Then the longest runway is shown.

The two short runways are K30 at 2200ft and 7N8 at 2420ft. You can take any aircraft you want to fly to 7N8 in Bally, PA an practice landings and takeoffs. If they work out okay, the aircraft is useable. This eliminates something like a King Air and it may eliminate my choice of a Piper Meridian. I am sure I cqan land it there but taking off may be a little tough.

AOPA List of Airports With Adjacent Golf Courses
Ordered for Fling

KPIE Clearwater, FL RW 17L, 9730ft
Airco Golf Course, Clearwater, Florida. This is a 110-acre course situated on Tampa Bay adjacent to the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport (PIE).

KSOP Pinehurst, NC 471nm, RW 5/23 5503ft
Pinehurst, North Carolina. There are eight championship courses in this area, called the "Golf Capital of the World" and served by Moore County Airport (SOP). www.pinehurst.com

KOXB Ocean City, MD 276nm RW 14/32 4072ft
Eagles Landing Golf Club is located just two miles from Ocean City Municipal Airport in Ocean City, Maryland. www.eagleslandinggolf.com/ —Submitted by John Stoltzfus Jr.

KLWB Lewisburg, WV 251nm RW 4/22 7004
The Greenbrier, White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. Three 18-hole championship courses at this deluxe resort served by Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB). www.greenbrier.com

KHSV Huntsville, AL 363nm RW 18L/36R 10006ft
Sunset Landing Golf Course, Huntsville, Alabama. This 18-hole course is adjacent to Huntsville International Airport (HSV). www.hsvairport.org

KDFW Dallas, TX 522nm RW 17R/17C 13400ft, 17L 8500ft
Bear Creek Golf Club, Dallas, Texas. A 36-hole course located inside the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) grounds. www.bearcreek-golf.com

KELP El Paso, TX 479nm RW 22/4 12020ft, 8R/26L 9025ft
Butterfield Trail Golf Course, El Paso, Texas. This new 18-hole course designed by Tom Fazio is an iron shot away from El Paso International Airport (ELP). www.butterfieldtrailgolf.com

E67 Kearny, AZ 240nm RW8/26 3400 -200ft for landing.
Kearny Golf Course, Kearny, Arizona. This nine-hole course is located next to Kearney Airport (E67). Call ahead and they'll leave a golf cart at the number-5 tee, which is next to the tiedowns. 520-363-7441

P01 Ajo, AZ 105nm RW12/20 3800ft
Ajo Country Club and Golf Course, Ajo, Arizona. This nine-hole public golf course is an oasis of green surrounded by desert and is adjacent to Eric Marcus Municipal Airport (P01).

KPRC Prescott,AZ 134nm RW21L 7550ft
Antelope Hills Golf Course, Prescott, Arizona. Two championship 18-hole courses next to Prescott Municipal Airport-Ernest A. Love Field (PRC). www.cityofprescott.net

KCRQ Carlsbad, CA 259nm RW6/24 4897ft
The Crossings at Carlsbad, Carlsbad, California. This 18-hole championship course designed by Greg Nash is adjacent to McClellan-Palomar Airport (CRQ). www.thecrossingsatcarlsbad.com

Q68 = E45 Groveland, CA, 317 nm, RW9/27 3625ft
Pine Mountain Lake, Groveland, California. This 18-hole golf course is on the grounds of Pine Mountain Lake Airport (E45). www.pinemountainlake.com

KOLM Tumwater/Olymopia, WA, 569nm RW35/17 5501, 8/26 4157
Airport Golf Club, Tumwater, Washington. Located at the west end of Olympia Regional Airport's (OLM) crosswind runway. www.airportgolfcenter.com

U42 Salt Lake City, UT, 606nm, RW 34/16 5860nm
Wingpointe, Salt Lake City, Utah. This Scottish-flavor course is set on 194 acres adjacent to Salt Lake City Municipal Airport (U42). www.slcgov.com

KCYS Cheyenne, WY, 327nm, RW 9/27 9270ft 13/31 6690ft
Airport Golf Course, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Home to the Wyoming State Open Golf Tournament, July 9-12, 2009. Cheyenne Regional Airport (CYS) is across Yellowstone Road. www.cheyennecity.org

KCID Cedar Rapids, IA, 590nm, RW 9/29 8601ft
Airport National Public Golf Course, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) and the golf course are on Wright Brothers Boulevard. www.airportnationalpublicgolf.com

KLUK Cincinnati, OH, 372nm RW 3L/21R 3800 ft, 7/25 5128ft, 3R/21L 6101ft
Reeves Golf Course, Cincinnati, Ohio. This nine-hole course is located at the end of Lunken Field (LUK). www.cincygolf.org

KCMH Columbus, OH, 90nm, RW 10R/28L 10125ft, 10L/28R 8000ft
Airport Golf Course, Columbus, Ohio. Public course with five hazards. Port Columbus International Airport (CMH) is just east of the course. www.nn.net/golf/Airport

I40 Coshocton, OH, 50nm, RW 4/22 4099ft
Hilltop Golf Course lies at the end of Runway 4/22 at Richard Downing-Coshockton County Airport, Coshockton, Ohio. www.coshoctonlakepark.com/hilltop.htm

KCGF Cleveland, OH, 77nm, rW 6/24 5102ft
Airport Greens, Wickliffe, Ohio. Public course next to the Cuyahoga County Airport (CGF).

7N8 Bally, PA, 278nm RW RW 16/34 2420ft
Butter Valley Golf Port, Bally, Pennsylvania. This 18-hole public golf course is adjacent to Butter Valley Golf Port Airport (7N8). www.buttervalley.com

K30 Gansvoort, NY, 188nm, RW 6/24 2200ft
Airway Meadows Golf Club, Gansevoort, New York. On 177 acres which include three covered bridges and the family-owned airport, Heber Airpark (K30). www.airwaymeadowsgolf.com

KPSM Portsmouth, NH, 124nm, RW 16/34 11321ft
Pease Golf Course, Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This 27-hole course is on the site of the former Pease Air Force Base, now Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM). www.peasedev.org

This list is shown in the same order as mentioned above but we are not locked into that. If someone would like a different order, we can arrange that and cut and paste this list. I show PIE and PSM as end points. But they could be part of a loop with KPSM connecting to KOXB and KPIE connecting to KHSV. KLWB would connect to KSOP in this loop. We could start anywhere in such a loop. Again, I have these places plotted to a rough scale. Ask and I can send the plot.

Comments are welcome.

[Tom Goodrick]

I've been busy 'qualifying" aircraft at K30. This is a neat little place on the Hudson River just 20 nm north of Albany, NY. It's still winter up there. Everything is still white. Down here in the South we have a nice shade of green all over. The runway is a bit challenging because it is narrow and has trees at either end. My scenery shows more trees near the end of 24 so that is what I have been using mostly. i set up a tower view 6ft above the ground near the runway to check for tree clearance. I made at least one good takeoff and one good landing in each aircraft. The payload was 460 lb people and 130 lb baggage with a 40lb tent in the Volpar.

The following aircraft qualify:____KIAS____FPM
Piper Meridian________________76.7____-76
Baron 58P___________________81.7____-341
Beech 18 Volpar______________71.5____-326
Cessna 310__________________77.3____-266
Mooney Ovation_______________NA_____NA

Not Qualified: Rockwell 690 TProp

The only problem with the Ovation was that I forgot to turn on the Landing gauge. It stopped on the runway about 10 ft from the end.

[Tom Goodrick]

Well, don't everybody pile all over each other trying to get a word in on this thread.

Yesterday, I made a flight from PIE to SOP in the Meridian. It took two hours and 62 gallons of jet fuel. I cruised at 21,000 ft. Once at cruise level with autopilot on and power set, I left the computer and did other things for an hour and a half. I paused it so I had plenty of time to eat supper and then made the descent and landing. All was unexciting and uneventful. This planned route through all airports is long and mostly boring.

It might be different if we all had a way of playing golf at the golf courses adjcent to the airports. For those with Nintendo Wii games and Tiger Woods PGA Golf for '08, I could set up a similar route, maybe not quite as long. We could then compare golf games as well as flights.

A discussion might be helpful.

For any protracted flight program, I have to say I might not be able to complete it. My flying computer has problems and may conk out when left on for long periods of time. It now spends most of the day resting as do I when not working on a tune for soundclick or playing golf.

[Allen Peterson]

Good morning, Tom!
Yesterday I flew from PIE to SOP in my Vans RV-6A. There is room for two 200 lb. guys and 70 lbs. of baggage.
It's an agile little plane that bats along at about 170 knots and flies pretty good. The flight took 2 hours and 43 minutes at 4500 feet. I used about 30 gallons.
We got hung up at the 19th and never made it to the 1st.

[Tom Goodrick]

That sounds like a good plane for this. I am not sure I believe that speed for the Van but we won't quibble. I might switch to a Beech 18 Volpar for the remainder and bring a foursome.

I was going to make a "quick" circuit in the propjet but it does not seem that any circuit will be really quick.

Non-pressurized aircraft will have no problem traveling to the West Coast by the El Paso route. I have done that many times both ways. (The last time was in the Boeing 314.) The Northern Route near your area is more of a challenge - especially with a stop at Salt Lake City. If you can check out some ideas for that it would be appreciated.

I did not expect anybody to start yet but it is fine if you nwant to. (There are no rules except to visit each golfing airport and at least hang out in the 19th Hole.) I expected a few comments on the route before we lock it into concrete.

[Allen Peterson]

Back when I downloaded the plane I also downloaded the specs from Van's. For the 180 hp version that I have, the specs say gross weight top speed is 180 kts (not mph), 75% cruise (at 8000') is 170, 55% cruise, same altitude, is 153. Like I said, I was getting about 170 kts at 4500', I rarely fly at 8000', but I'll double check it at 8000'.
I'll check out KOLM, U42 and KCYS, and also E67, P01 and KPRC for routes below 10k'.
I have to check the fuel flow on the RV-6A, the specs say 612nm at 75% at 8000'. but I'm only getting about 550nm. Even 612nm would be tight KOLM to U42 (606nm). But the specs also say 700 nm at 55% at 8000'. I'll check it out.

[Tom Goodrick]

When I worked at NASA, I knew a guy who was intending to build an RV-7. He asked me to check some of the claims. I did my own check and then i also looked at two magazine articles on it. The 180 hp engine is the same as Cessna used on the Cardinal in the 1980s and then in the Cutlass when they added the struts. The Cardinal cruised at 130 kts and the Cutlass cruised at 122 kts. When they picked up the gear on the Cutlass, they got 140 kts out of it at 9000 ft. My best estimate for the RV-7 was 145 kts with everything working for it. Lighten it up and you could get 150 kts.

One magazine article kept everything in mph as did Van at that time in the spec sheets he sent out. They talked aboput 170-180 mph. A more responsible magazine doubted the truth of the airspeed indicator in the RV-7 and estimated about 140 kts (if my memory is correct) based on a timed round trip between two VOR's.

In the experimental category, everybody lies about airspeed. The manufacturers lie about it becuase they must compete with the other manufacturers who lie about it. It is difficult for pilots to measure airspeed exactly. Owners lie about it as they brag to each other and as they justify their purcahse and their many hours of building time to their friends, wives and to themselves.

[flaminghotsauce]

I just tested the Pilatus and it will get in either one. K30 I stopped halfway down the runway. Lots of room for clubs and other provisions in that one.

[Allan_Lowson]

As I've just got to the end of the dusty Oz trail, I'll take the Twin Comanche along this route, and hopefully find time over the summer to try out the Carribean jaunt with a VLJ. Might be interesting to compare flight times and fuel flows, or not as the case might be.

Now I'm off to help my daughter with her house move, so may not see too much of the next two weekends.

[flaminghotsauce]

Today was gloomy and rainy enough and I wasn't working anyway, so I took a couple of pokes at this.

I took the Pilatus from KPIE to KSOP, in the 2004 simulator, VFR (barely, maybe legal)(okay, I had flight following at least). Fair weather was quite hazy this morning. Then, after a bit of a break, I actually got up and played some WII golf, baseball, tennis, and bowling. Then I was still bored enough I fired up the FSX sim as I haven't flown it much since the Colorado river fling. In this, I flew the Baron from KSOP to KOXB. But I had to clear all weather to keep the frames up. We actually were running a movie while this flight was going on, so I got to multi-task a bit. The FSX sim is so cool looking but for a price. I have to not run into much of any clouds to keep it flying nice.

I'm getting rusty too. I found myself too high, too close on both approaches, and having to maneuver around a bit while dropping altitude. Also, I forgot to note the start time both times. I'm forgetting basic stuff I used to do habitually in the real aircraft. HATT check, anyone? This looks like a pretty good tour of the country to re-aquaint myself with some routines.

[Allen Peterson]

Well, thanks for the info on the RV-6A. I had a feeling that 170 kts was too good to be true. And I kinda got a clue when I checked the Van's specs and saw the cruise speed listed at 75% at 8000'. I could only get about 74% at 7000', I don't know how you would get anything more unless the engine was supercharged. I'm cruising at about 150 kts. now.
I flew the RV-6A from KOLM to U42 and then to KCYS. I always fly with the AP on NAV (GPS). I left Olympia and climbed to 7500', the GPS track took me just north of Mt. Rainier, across the Columbia and over the mountains in eastern Oregon. There I had to climb to 8500' and pick my way through, 9000' would have been safer. After clearing the mountains I dropped back down to 7500' again, going past Boise and Twin Falls, ID, and over the mountains in southeastern Idaho. Since this is the longest leg you might want to stop in Twin Falls for a break and, if you do, then continue in a westerly direction and come down to Salt Lake from the north, missing the mountains.
I elected to stay on the GPS track and had to go up to 9500' for 30 minutes or so to clear them. Then I dropped down and came into U42. Keep in mind that U42 is at 4603' so a round of golf there will be a little more strenuous than back east.
Getting out of Salt Lake to the east is a chore, one way might be to go back north and follow I80 to Cheyenne.
I chose the following route: U42 to U77 (Spanish Fork, south of Provo), to U69 (Duchesne), to KVEL (Vernal), to VOR CKW, to 80V (Medicine Bow), and on to KCYS.
On the way to U77 I climbed to 9500' to clear the mountains, which took about 30 minutes, and then dropped back down to 7500 or 8000'. But after leaving Vernal it is was back up to 9500', again for about 30 minutes to clear the mountains and then back down to 8000' and on in to Cheyenne.
I picked this route because there was only those two places where I had to go up to 9500', the rest of the flight was at 7500 - 8000', which seems to me to be doable. Of course, you might elect to take the Baron 58P, go up to 13,500' and just kick back and enjoy.
The direct flight to U42 - I had a tail wind of almost 20kts most of the way - took 218 minutes, the not so direct flight to Cheyenne, which was about 390 instead of 327 nm, took 154 minutes (I had a slower cruising speed). I was cruising at 60-65%, and used around 32-35 gallons for each leg. I forgot to check the fuel each time but it was more than 30 and less than 38, the tank capacity. I might add that Cheyenne is at 6156'.

[flaminghotsauce]

I went to talk to the Mayor this morning. He said "grab your clubs, unless you're too busy". Heh.

Real golf. I hit it with the ugly stick for the first nine, but I actually kind of got my swing back. I started hitting shots on the back and made par on a couple of holes.

It's been a long time! I lost track of scorekeeping for a couple of holes, but I probably shot around 100 I'm guessing. Whatever. I had a blast.