Before hitting the road, we made a few immediate upgrades to the new Cougar. First, we installed a tire pressure monitoring system to keep tabs on both the temperature and pressure of the tires — a small investment that goes a long way toward peace of mind. I also purchased and installed a backup camera. Fortunately, the new RV came pre-wired for both units, and I found quality options on Amazon for about a third of the price of the Furrion brand alternatives. An interesting twist on the camera was that most of the camera monitors come with a power supply from a cigarette lighter. The Denali does not have a cigarette lighter outlet, only USB and USBC. So the first one we bought did not work. They also sell an adapter for the lighter to USB, but the second camera I bought had a straight power cord for USB feed.
With the upgrades sorted, we booked our first trip to Oak Mountain State Park in Alabama, about a five-hour drive from home and the right place to shake down the new rig. It already meant something to us. It was the same park we had stopped at on our first trip, back when we hauled the old Cougar down to Florida and everything still felt new and uncertain.
This time we stayed four nights, and the plan was simple. Golf.
The parks has so much more than golf to offer, but golf was the goal as usual. The park has one hundred miles of trails, a water fall and a nice lake we swam in.
The Golf course was awesome as expected.
The course delivered. It was the kind of place that makes you slow down whether you want to or not. Wide stretches of green framed by trees, elevation that kept every hole from feeling the same. It was busy too, even during the week. Not surprising once you see it. They run an online booking system, and if you plan to play, you would be wise to lock in a tee time at least a week ahead.
After Oak Mountain, neither of us felt much like heading straight home. The trip had just started to settle into something comfortable, so we kept moving and made our way up to Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park for a few more nights and a few more rounds.
The course there is something else entirely.
It is demanding in a way that stays with you. Several of the par threes force you to carry the ball over deep cuts of trees and rolling ground that drops away hard enough to make you question the club in your hands. Flat lies are rare. You are always adjusting, always thinking about lie angle and where the ball is going to go when you strike it, because nothing is level.
We have played courses all across the eastern United States, and this one stands above the rest for condition alone. The fairways have a softness to them that feels almost forgiving underfoot. When we played, the greens had just been punched and sanded, which turned putting into more of a negotiation than a skill. Even so, it did not take much away from the experience. It is a course that is worth making the trek into the mountains of Kentucky to go and play. A hidden gem for sure.
Books by Michael Klauke 
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