The Links At Land's End — Hotel in Mineola

2 of our sons paid for an overnight stay with unlimited golf for Christmas. We knew little of what the resort was before visiting. With that in mind here is the good and bad of our experience. First the good: Golf course was fantastic. Well maintained and good greens. we played at least 85 holes over the two days. The staff the first day were friendly, happy, helpful and greeted us with a smile. Food in the club house was good and reasonable price. We had a patty melt and a chicken quesadilla. Our room was clean and easy to get to. Had a little club house attached to the room we stayed in that had access from all rooms in the lodge. Would make for a great gathering place for family and friends to hang out in for a weekend. Now, the not so good. Be aware that they only have rooms with two full size beds which for two people being 6-3, and my wife of 5-7 was not very comfortable and ended up sleeping separately. The thing that really killed the night of sleep was the air conditioner coming on every 20 - 30 min and was so loud that it woke us up. So loud that even with my headphones on and listing to a show, I could not hear the show. Fan really needs to be replace. The guy working the pro shop the next morning at 8:10 when we arrived, was not so pleasant. Looked and acted like he didn't like his job. When I tried to ask about our room and let him know that about the AC unit, he looked like a deer in the headlights and barely acknowledged our presence. When I went back after our first round of golf, he was still not a happy camper. As we were eating our lunch in the club house, we watched a group of 10 followed by a group of 8 tee off back to back. We waited a while to tee off and caught up to them a short time later. We replayed a few holes and caught up to them again a short time later and again went back and replayed several holes before we were able to finish the round through hole 18. This was on a Tuesday and may be this is standard practice for the course, but I have never ran into such large groups anywhere else I have played.

Overall, with the exception of the bad night sleep, cranky employee, and the large groups of players, my wife and I had a great time together out...

Fantastic experience all around! When I checked in I was told that I was booked with three others but if I wanted to get out in front of them, that would be fine. I then asked for range balls and was told they were included with the round. Love when places do this! I casually mentioned about needing to hit the range first so I could loosen up my back and no sooner than I had finished my statement the guy behind the counter went into the office and came back out with one of those weighted swing trainers and offered to let me use it to help get warmed up. 10/10 service!

The course is great! Some definitely challenging holes and the greens were the best I've seen in a really long time. It was so nice to putt on greens that rolled so well and your ball actually took the path you wanted it to take without being thrown off course by pitch marks, sprigs of weeds or any number of other imperfections that just didn't exist on their greens.

Saw the beverage cart girl a couple times and paid by card once. She had to fill out a paper charge slip. Kind of odd that they don't have an iPad or something for mobile sales. It didn't slow me down but I'd hate to discover this on a busy day and possibly slow down the pace of play as a result. Take cash if you intend on getting drinks on the course.

Plenty of water coolers on the course. Views are great being right on the lake. Lots of houses on and around the course but I wouldn't really consider them in-play. They're there but I don't feel like they're much to worry about.

Lastly, I realized the next day that I'd left my range finder on the cart. When I called, they confirmed they had it. I said I'd get out sometime this week to grab it and they guy on the phone, who I think may have been the same guy from the day before, asked if I was local. When I told him I was about two hours away he said they would pack it up and ship it for me if I just sent them a label. Done and done! Again, 10/10 service!

Everyone and everything about this place was great. I'll definitely be back when I want to get out of DFW and...

At the farthest tip of the course—hole 17, where the wind howls off the lake and the pine trees lean like they’re trying to run away—there’s a story the old groundskeepers don’t like to tell. A tale about a putter. Not just any putter. His putter.

They say a man named Doyle Whitaker once played that hole every day for a year. Never missed a morning, rain or shine. Rumor was, he was chasing a perfect round, obsessed to the point of madness. On the last day of his life, he reached the 17th green with a score no one had ever seen. Just one putt stood between him and legend.

They say lightning struck before he could take it.

No one found Doyle. Just his bag, smoldering near the flag, and his putter… sunk perfectly into the cup. Not lying next to it. In it—as if the putter had made the shot on its own.

Now, players say weird things happen at 17. Lost balls roll back onto the green. Putts curve the wrong way, or the right way—guided, they say, by Doyle’s ghost. And sometimes, just before dawn, when fog hugs the fairway and the dew hasn’t broken, you’ll see a lone putter standing upright in the cup. Gleaming like new. Waiting for one more perfect shot.

But no one dares touch it. Not anymore.

Because if you do… You might...