As a golf course architecture enthusiast, few things excite me more than hearing anecdotes from fellow golfers about their cherished layouts and dream courses. There’s a certain intimacy in a golf obsession, and when a professional athlete like Brent Rooker, an All-Star outfielder for the Athletics, shares his, my ears perk up. It’s not about the celebrity; it’s about the shared passion for thoughtful design and the pure, unadulterated joy of a well-crafted golf course.
Rooker, it seems, has caught the golf bug, and caught it bad. He’s squeezing in rounds whenever he can, much like the rest of us. Recently, on the Subpar podcast, he unveiled his personal favorite, and it’s a design that resonates deeply with me as someone who respects the foundational principles of Golden Age architecture: Lookout Mountain Country Club in Georgia.
A Raynor Masterpiece in the Southern Highlands: Lookout Mountain
Nestled just across the Tennessee-Georgia border, a stone’s throw from Chattanooga, lies Lookout Mountain Country Club. Hearing Rooker speak about it, I could almost feel the crisp mountain air and smell the pines. This isn’t just any old course; it’s a pedigreed Seth Raynor design from 1927, recently burnished by Tyler Rae in 2023. GOLF magazine rightly ranks it as the No. 5 course in Georgia for 2024-2025.
Raynor, a spiritual successor to the legendary C.B. Macdonald, was a master of geometric templates. His courses are characterized by strategic concepts borrowed from the British Isles—holes like the Redan, Biarritz, Eden, and Punchbowl found their way onto American soil under his meticulous hand. Lookout Mountain is a superb example of this philosophy. While I haven’t had the pleasure of walking its fairways myself, the descriptions and photographs suggest a classic Raynor routing, using the natural contours of the land with minimal earthmoving, a hallmark of Golden Age design.
When Rooker says,
“Favorite course I’ve ever played is Lookout Mountain Country Club in Chattanooga. I love that course. I’ve played it four or five times. It’s my favorite.”
it speaks volumes. To play a course multiple times and still hold it as your favorite suggests a depth of design, a subtlety that reveals new challenges and insights with each round. Raynor designs are known for their superb green complexes – often large, undulating, and strategically angled, demanding precision and creativity with the short game. The recent touch-up by Tyler Rae, a talented architect known for his historical appreciation and restoration expertise, likely focused on enhancing these original features, perhaps widening fairways or refining bunker edges to bring them closer to Raynor’s original vision.
The 6,613-yard layout, though not overly long by modern standards, would undoubtedly test every club in the bag with its elevation changes and strategic bunkering. Raynor believed in presenting clear choices, daring the golfer to take on risk for a greater reward. That’s the beauty of his architectural philosophy – it’s about intellect as much as it is about brawn.
Dream Destination: The Allure of Sleepy Hollow
Beyond his beloved Lookout Mountain, Rooker also shared his number one “must-play” course, and it’s one that sits high on many an architect aficionado’s list: Sleepy Hollow Country Club in New York. While not Augusta National or Pine Valley, it is indeed a Top 100 course, and for good reason.
“I think the one that I want to play, I want to play Sleepy Hollow in New York,” Rooker said. “That’s the one I see pictures of, and the one specific par 3 (No. 16) with the thumbprint, I want to play that hole really bad.”
Ah, the 16th at Sleepy Hollow—a Biarritz green that has captivated golfers for decades. This extraordinary par-3, with its famously deep swale or ‘thumbprint’ bisecting the green, is a C.B. Macdonald original, masterfully restored by Gil Hanse. It’s a template hole, yes, but executed with such grandeur overlooking the Hudson River that it feels utterly unique. To hit that green and try to navigate the 100-foot-plus putting surface with its dramatic central depression is a golfing experience of the highest order. It’s not just a hole; it’s a moment in golf history.
Sleepy Hollow also boasts a fascinating architectural lineage. Originally a Macdonald/Raynor design, it underwent significant alterations over the years before Hanse’s thoughtful restoration brought it back to its Golden Age glory. The sense of place, the dramatic topography, and the sweeping views of the Hudson are an integral part of its charm. It’s a course that demands imagination and tactical play, rewarding thoughtful ball-striking and creative short game.
It’s no surprise that PGA Tour star Cameron Young honed his game there, with his father, David, serving as the long-time pro. The rich history and architectural integrity of Sleepy Hollow provide a fertile ground for developing a world-class golfer. For Rooker, or anyone lucky enough to receive an invitation, Sleepy Hollow promises an unforgettable round—a journey through one of golf’s most revered designs, with that iconic Biarritz waiting to test your nerve.
Hearing these insights from Rooker, it’s clear that his appreciation for golf extends beyond just hitting a ball. He sees the art in the land, the strategy woven into the fairways and greens. And that, my friends, is why we golfers are so utterly obsessed. The quest for architectural brilliance is a never-ending journey, and it’s always a pleasure to share it with a kindred spirit.
