Scariest Golf Course You've Ever Played

For me, it was Clifton Park GC (Baltimore).

The parking lot is surrounded by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire and sits next to a huge mansion that looks abandoned or under repair. The "club house" door was armored. Once inside, all of the windows had bars. The pro shop was bare. I think, literally, there was nothing for sale. A large sign by the cash register read, "We have had reports of random people walking the course and stealing wallets/valuables from unattended carts. If you see a suspicious person approaching your group,do not leave your cart unattended and report them to the clubhouse." My youngest son asked if he should be scared. I replied that we should be fine until at least dusk.

Once on the course, we saw numerous random folks walking the course, but nothing untoward. The views of the Baltimore skyline were great. A couple of the holes were very close to the city park roadways or actual busy city streets. Moving cars were in play. We had a couple of wayward tee shots and approaches, but did not hit a vehicle. Overall very interesting experience. Everyone we met was friendly. Just a weird first impression. Perhaps the sign was an overabundance of caution on the management's part.

I hope you had your nunchucks in the bag

Nothing close to that at all. Scariest moment was when I alone on the course, not a soul around. Hit my drive into the woods and went to go find it. When I punched out and drove to my next shot, I got out of the cart and faced back toward tee box and a pretty big coyote was walking out of the exact spot I just punched out from and crossing the fairway.

> @JohnnyCashForever said:

> For me, it was Clifton Park GC (Baltimore).

>

> The parking lot is surrounded by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire and sits next to a huge mansion that looks abandoned or under repair. The "club house" door was armored. Once inside, all of the windows had bars. The pro shop was bare. I think, literally, there was nothing for sale. A large sign by the cash register read, "We have had reports of random people walking the course and stealing wallets/valuables from unattended carts. If you see a suspicious person approaching your group,do not leave your cart unattended and report them to the clubhouse." My youngest son asked if he should be scared. I replied that we should be fine until at least dusk.

>

> Once on the course, we saw numerous random folks walking the course, but nothing untoward. The views of the Baltimore skyline were great. A couple of the holes were very close to the city park roadways or actual busy city streets. Moving cars were in play. We had a couple of wayward tee shots and approaches, but did not hit a vehicle. Overall very interesting experience. Everyone we met was friendly. Just a weird first impression. Perhaps the sign was an overabundance of caution on the management's part.

I actually practice my short game at Clifton Park on occasion. I wouldn't say that I've ever been scared over there, but you do have to keep your eyes open.

It's not a bad muni course, but as Mr. Cash describes above, it is, indeed, surrounded by sketchiness. Since the beginning of 2019, there have been about 15 murders - including 2 triple shootings - within a roughly one mile radius surrounding the course.

But then again, this kind of thing describes, like, 70% of Baltimore. Outside of that, it's a lovely city.

wow, I'd cancel golf plans if I read that sign

Any of the courses I normally play where there multiple holes running next to each other. You have to keep your head on a swivel. Not uncommon to have golf balls in your fairway from both the hole to the left and the hole on the right.

cant say that I have ever been scared on a golf course... Interesting topic, first time I have seen anything like it.

I think a buddy took me to Clifton Park. It was a bit sketchy, but nothing terrible. We have much sketchier courses in Houston. We have a couple courses with homeless camps hidden in the woods and under the bridges. I'd say the sketchiest is Gus Wortham Park, which had people who would steal your ball and try to sell it back to you.

When I was in college, I was actually attacked by a cougar at a course in Little Rock. I’m sure when she’s sober, she’s a lovely woman though.

I've only golfed there two or three times, but the Bob O'Connor Golf Course in Pittsburgh terrified me. The holes are all jammed together, there's essentially no guidance on the course so it's difficult to tell which flag you're aiming at, the course is packed with inexperienced golfers, and at one point you have to shoot over a road. A road with a bunch of pedestrians and dog walkers on it, since this course is right in the middle of the city. The couple rounds I've played had balls flying everywhere. It was not fun.

> @jholz said:

> > @JohnnyCashForever said:

> > For me, it was Clifton Park GC (Baltimore).

> >

> > The parking lot is surrounded by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire and sits next to a huge mansion that looks abandoned or under repair. The "club house" door was armored. Once inside, all of the windows had bars. The pro shop was bare. I think, literally, there was nothing for sale. A large sign by the cash register read, "We have had reports of random people walking the course and stealing wallets/valuables from unattended carts. If you see a suspicious person approaching your group,do not leave your cart unattended and report them to the clubhouse." My youngest son asked if he should be scared. I replied that we should be fine until at least dusk.

> >

> > Once on the course, we saw numerous random folks walking the course, but nothing untoward. The views of the Baltimore skyline were great. A couple of the holes were very close to the city park roadways or actual busy city streets. Moving cars were in play. We had a couple of wayward tee shots and approaches, but did not hit a vehicle. Overall very interesting experience. Everyone we met was friendly. Just a weird first impression. Perhaps the sign was an overabundance of caution on the management's part.

>

> I actually practice my short game at Clifton Park on occasion. I wouldn't say that I've ever been scared over there, but you do have to keep your eyes open.

>

> It's not a bad muni course, but as Mr. Cash describes above, it is, indeed, surrounded by sketchiness. Since the beginning of 2019, there have been about 15 murders - including 2 triple shootings - within a roughly one mile radius surrounding the course.

>

> But then again, this kind of thing describes, like, 70% of Baltimore. Outside of that, it's a lovely city.

Only course I have ever played in Baltimore was Pine Ridge back in the 80s. That was a nice course. Been a long while since I've been there, but really liked the Little Italy section.

We had a golf course in the hood called Brock Park (Houston Muni that closed a few years ago). Some local gangsters came through the fence (at least once I know of) and robbed a group at gunpoint. Room they bags and wallets. I always enjoyed the course and thankfully never saw anything shady

Ah, Clifton Park, good 'ole Baltimore...

So my son goes to college in Baltimore and was playing Clifton Park last year with a friend when a bullet struck the maintenance shed near them. He said they literally heard the hiss of the round go by in addition to the gunshot itself. Doesn't think they were targeted, just a stray from the lovely area near by, on a Saturday afternoon. They hid behind the cart for a few minutes before high tailing it out of there.

He will now only play Mt. Pleasant or Pine Ridge.

Theres a course in Clearwater beach that has a tee box at the end of the supposedly irons only driving range. Some idiot was hitting a driver and was raining them down on us, had one go screaming between my legs as I was addressing the ball on the tee.

> @QuigleyDU said:

> Interesting topic, first time I have seen anything like it.

I thought it'd be interesting since Halloween is right around the corner...

There’s a city owned track in High Point NC called Blair Park that’s in a rough area. Completely surrounded by chain link, people randomly walking through. Lots of guys pack there, just in case.

Playing solo one day I sliced one deep, bounced off a roof. I skipped ahead a few holes just to make sure I avoided any potential confrontations.

Haven’t been there in years now, but I’m sure it’s still a little rough.

I've never thought of any golf course as scary or was in a questionable location. I have like many others played golf courses that were exceedingly difficult/hard. The most difficult was a course that no longer exists in NE Ohio. The Reserve at Thunderhill. The course was routed through an old fish hatchery. Water everywhere and the course was also very long. Many forced carries. Was even more difficult before its renovation in the late 1990's.

> @jholz said:

> But then again, this kind of thing describes, like, 70% of Baltimore. Outside of that, it's a lovely city.

I feel a similar way about Baltimore. No matter how bad it gets, they'll always have the inner harbor.

About 6 months after a hurricane. There was still a boat on the course. Charity golf tournament and we get to our tee and there is a very large green iguana that decided the tee box was his. he would charge at the push carts, and whip his tail at us and our bags.

Camp David 9-holer. They watch every move you make.

NA wrong topic.

Just south of here there is a golf course (in Stockton...which is scary enough) where a couple of off-duty cops were robbed at gunpoint while playing there. It happened at least 20 years ago but the story never died. I think they are closing the course about now, for good. It's by some gubmint housing, which contributed to the problem...as some "yoots" from there carried out the robbery, apparently.

I just played Sunridge near Carson City. It's a great little course. It's built on a hillside and driving it in the cart had me thinking that people could easily get killed or maimed if they lost control of their cart there. Learned after the round that's happened...including lifting one patron out of the rocks and sage with a medical helicopter ride with a couple broken legs. Love the course, though, and will play it again while keeping an eye on my beer consumption in the cart...

Have played CP a few times. Pretty course. Wasn't really scared though. On the other hand, have gotten close to gators and rattlesnakes on some Florida tracks.

Gleneagles GC is a 9 hole course in SF and 2 of its holes are adjacent to a housing project where gunmen have hopped the fence and mugged players for money, jewelry, cell phones etc...

The regulars at Clifton remove the key to their cart anytime they park it greenside. This is be cause the reprobates from the adjacent high school will take them for joy rides, often wrecking them in the process.

The mansion mentioned earlier was the summer home of the philanthropist Johns Hopkins.

> @Fairway14 said:

> Gleneagles GC is a 9 hole course in SF and 2 of its holes are adjacent to a housing project where gunmen have hopped the fence and mugged players for money, jewelry, cell phones etc...

Gleneagles for sure. Couldn't find the place and drove through some sketchy hoods to get there. 9 was enough and never went back.

Grew up working at a 9 hole par 3 course in so cal, cottonwood golf center. City owned municipal exec track in the not so nice part of a not so nice town. My co workers were robbed at knifepoint in the parking lot taking the bank drop out one night. City rec center was out front with a basketball court and always drew in some not so hot characters and was a little scared alone in the pro shop as a 17 year old a few times but never any issues for me luckily.

Randolph gc in Tucson. Not necessarily scary but had my car stolen out of the parking lot when out for a round in college. Turns out it was one of 4 stolen that day, and the cops weren't too surprised

Bethpage black wet or Shinnecock dry

> @wickwoss said:

> There’s a city owned track in High Point NC called Blair Park that’s in a rough area. Completely surrounded by chain link, people randomly walking through. Lots of guys pack there, just in case.

>

> Playing solo one day I sliced one deep, bounced off a roof. I skipped ahead a few holes just to make sure I avoided any potential confrontations.

>

> Haven’t been there in years now, but I’m sure it’s still a little rough.

Things must have gone downhill in High Point! I used to play there some in the 80s, and there was no fence, and nobody but golfers on the course.

> @"Joe V." said:

> Ah, Clifton Park, good 'ole Baltimore...

>

> So my son goes to college in Baltimore and was playing Clifton Park last year with a friend when a bullet struck the maintenance shed near them. He said they literally heard the hiss of the round go by in addition to the gunshot itself. Doesn't think they were targeted, just a stray from the lovely area near by, on a Saturday afternoon. They hid behind the cart for a few minutes before high tailing it out of there.

>

> He will now only play Mt. Pleasant or Pine Ridge.

Mt Pleasant can be super shady as well!