3 April 12-19, 2014 Kentucky Dam Village, Paris Landing, Tennessean, Fort Donelson

SATURDAY April 12, 2014

Kentucky Dam Village Resort

TRAVEL:  Leave Burlington at 4 am.  Arrive at Kentucky Dam Village around 1145, meet 3 guys who had driven down Friday and already played 9 today.  Joined by 11 others and played 18.  Very nice accommodations. 

WEATHER:  sunny in the 70’s NO RAIN.  The greens were green.  The fairways were still brown.  Course was good – except for the brown grass. A pic of the resort complex follows:

SUNDAY April 13, 2014

TRAVEL:  It’s about an hour drive to Paris Landing State Park, TN – I’ve played here at least 7 years.  We stopped at the Wal-Mart in Murray, KY.  They don’t sell alcohol at all in the county on Sunday.  Checked in and played 27 at Paris Landing.  Our 4 foursomes must have started before noon because they don’t sell beer here before noon.   This is a nice course but plenty of room for trouble – trees line all fairways.

Paris Landing - Signature Hole #6 - Par 3

WEATHER:  sunny in the 70’s NO RAIN.  This course was in good shape for April ( guess I’ve seen it worse). A pic of their “signature hole”  #4 Par 3 follows: 

MONDAY April 14,2014

Played 36 at Paris Landing.

WEATHER cool in the morning  NO RAIN.

TUESDAY April 15, 2014

Played 36 at the Tennessean.  This course is a challenge – long – junk in front of almost every tee.  We played the silvers for score and blues for the scramble.  Hard to believe that we played the blues, every year, until last year.   On this course it’s rolling; you have to walk up to the tees – and I mean up – you have to walk up to the greens and if you miss the fairway to the right or left – you don’t want to walk down into the ravines to get your ball – even if you could see it.

WEATHER:  miserable for the first 5 holes – We started at 35 degrees with a 20-30 mph continuous wind.  Not sure if the sun ever did come out – I had 5 layers of clothes on – finally warmed up into the 40’s by the 5^th hole.  It never got above the high 40’s – little sun but NO RAIN.  Even so, I like the course – it’s unfortunate they just don’t put much in to maintain it.  Greens and fairways were fair . . . .  . NO RAIN. The 18^th hole and Club House is below – actually the fairway is still 2 levels below the rocks – the rock wall is about 10 ft high and yes there is a stream about 15 yards in front of the  rocks but no sand on this hole.  Electric carts can’t make 36 some don’t make 18.  Cart paths are concrete.

The Tennessean - 18th Hole - Club house above

WEDNESDAY – April 16, 2014

Misery loves more misery so we played the Tennessean again for 36 holes.  No way this course can be played in less than 5 hours with a group of 4 average golfers. 

WEATHER:   better – less wind – a three layer start and down to two fro most of the day.  Started in the low 40’s – temp almost got to the mid 50’s.  NO RAIN.

THURSDAY April 17, 2014

36 holes at Paris Landing

WEATHER:  cool in the morning – a 2 layer start.  It warmed up by 1030 – a high in the low 60’s by mid afternoon.  NO RAIN.

FRIDAY April 18, 2014

FORT DONELSON NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD - Dover , TN

Drove 10 miles east to Dover and visited the Fort Donelson NB.    I’ve been here at least 10 times before.  Same rugged country.  Dover is on the Cumberland River.

Fort Donelson - map

A long story here – Bottom Line – it was Grant’s first big victory and got him a second star. 

Here’s the short story:  A two day battle – fought in February 1862 – temperature in the 60’s one day with snow and bitter cold the next.  The union army almost lost and the confederates almost got away.  However, bad decisions and poor confederate leadership (MG Floyd and MG Pillow who both got away) left BG Simon Bolivar Buckner (a classmate & in-law of Grant’s) to surrender a confederate army of around 10,000.  Buckner later served as Governor of KY and was a pallbearer at Grant’s funeral.   There was never a battle for the fort but all around it.  The terrain is very hilly – like the Tennessean.   A confederate cavalry colonel by the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest decided to leave and brave a cold – swollen stream with his 500 cavalrymen rather than surrender.  

We didn’t stay long.  I was here last year with my brother.  Drove home to Burlington.

SATURDAY April 19, 2014

 got my trailer out of storage .  Ready to hit the road on Monday, April 21.

Photos are of the Dutchmen Kodiak 26 ft  Governor Dodge State Park in October, 2013 pulled by a Chevy Silverado  5..3L V8 w/HD cooling package, 3.42 axle ratio – the engine is big enough to pull the trailer