Famous courses that disappointed

What well known courses have you played that disappointed?

I just got back from playing Torrey Pines South and have very mixed feelings about it. From a pure golf perspective, I think it's one of the fairest courses I've played and see why the Tour goes there - nothing is tricked up and it will truly determine which golfer is playing the best over 4 days. That being said, many of the holes felt very much the same - bunkers left/right to catch any errant drives, slightly elevated greens, and fair green with some difficult shelves to keep your ball on. It had more undulation to the fairways than I was expecting.

#18 was anti-climactic. The TV presentation of that hole is so awesome with the pond in front, but in reality it's just this little s*** duck pond that's probably 40 feet across. Birdied it, though - always love to play the holes I know from TV well.

As a comparison, being fom Michigan I've played Arcadia Bluffs many times and would play it 10 times out of 10 over Torrey - way more variety to the holes and the views are better throughout the course.

Ha, I haven't played Torrey Pines South, but I don't have any desire either. Its just about as bad of a golf course as could have been built on that site. I wouldn't mind playing the North course though.

If we are talking about rankings then Cog Hill for me. Living in Chicago I love playing it, I think it is the best public course in the area, but there is no way in hell that there are only 50 public courses in the US that are better than it. Not really disappointing, just very overrated.

I'll also say Blackwolf Run. Ranked 15th, I was actually really disappointed. Just not a very great course with one of the worst holes I've ever played. I also thought the staff was kind of bad as well.

And as far as famous goes - TPC Scottsdale. I think it is pretty well known that is isn't a great course. It was really cool to play with the stands up, I will say that. It is very unique and really something you won't experience elsewhere. I suggest playing it once around tournament time. If the stands are down just skip it, not worth whatever they charge without the stands.

Funny, playing Arcadia this weekend and Tullymore on the way back home. I will say that I hate the 18th hole at Arcadia - it's by far the worst hole out there with a completely blind approach shot and, if you're anywhere right of center, chances are you can't even see the top of the flag.

Tough to narrow to only one...

As others noted, I'm in agreement with Torrey Pines South, Cog Hill #4 and TPC Scottsdale.

I did find Blackwolf Run River course to be one of my faves, along with TPC Sawgrass, then again I love the challenge of formerly known as "Architorture" golf courses. Each to their own on that style.

that worst hole a par three?

I love Pete Dye's work. Of the big name courses I've played of his id rank blackwolf run river last. The Ocean Course at Kiawah may be my favorite course in the US. Id play French Lick, Kiawah, Straits, Pga West, Crooked Stick, Nemacolin and probably the Irish course at whistling straits over it. I haven't played Sawgrass yet, but I am dy(e)ing too. (pun intended)That would be correct.

Here is a list of courses I have played that I have seen on various Top 100's and other famous courses in the order of how I would rank them....

Erin HillsPinehurst #2Blackwolf Run-RiverWhistling StraitsMammoth DunesBay HillInnisbrook-CopperheadTPC Deere RunSand ValleyThe Bull at Pinehurst FarmsTobacco RoadMidPinesPinehurst #4Lawsonia LinksWhistling Straits-IrishSo based on my list, I guess The Irish course at Whistling Straits is the most disappointing. I felt it was hard without being fun and would not have it on any of my top course rankings.

I must be a golfing philistine because I really enjoyed both Torrey Pines/South and TPC Scottsdale/Stadium. So I fully expect to have a great time at Cog Hill and Blackwolf Run/River.

Torrey South was a huge let down, especially for the price. North was basically the South at 1/2 the price.

Spanish Bay just didn’t do it for me. I know a lot of people say Spyglass is overrated but I really enjoyed it but for the location I thought Spanish Bay was utterly average.

I think pretty much anything with a TPC title where a PGA Tour event is played qualifies. The best TPC courses have lower or no events. Some of those are outstanding. OTOH, take TPC Scottsdale which isn’t even an average golf course.

Cog Hill and Torrey are both in that category as well.

Oddly enough I actually like Blackwolf Run (River) a lot. Far more than the Straights course.

One TPC course I felt was very ordinary is Harding Park. Up and down, up and down, back and forth. Ideal for the pros I suppose but boring for everyone else.

Le Golf National. Just very hard and the greens were very poor when I played last year.

My most disappointing course played in the past two years was Prince's in Kent England. I had heard so many good things about this course but came away feeling like it was just any other links course. Very much and out and in course with very little memorability of holes.

Celtic Manor's 2020 and the Belfy Brabazon were also both a little disappointing. The experience for the day was incredible however both golf courses felt like they had 6 or 7 great holes and the other holes were very run of the mill.

Old Head, hands down. Amazing piece of property, but the course is just not very good and is crammed into the site. It's easy to be blinded by the view along the coastline holes, but once you get inland it's easy to see how out of place the course really is. Compared to the other greats in SW Ireland, Old Head plays very much like a typical american course.

Princes manages to get a good rating because it is close to St Georges. Celtic 2010 is flat, boring and long. Great service, awesome locker room, dull course.

I was disappointed with Spyglass and Karsten Creek. They're both solid layouts, but with price tags over $400, I was expecting so much more. Once you get past the first few holes at Spyglass and head away from the ocean it feels like a Carolina course, but for $300+ more. The 17th and 18th have got to be the worst closing holes of any top ranked course out there.

I played the River Course for the first time this spring and I'm still not sure what to think of it. It was in decent shape thought not in prime season as would be expected. The design is both better and worse than I thought it would be in some ways. Its way more strategic than I thought it would be. I was in the camp of Dye courses being "Architorture" as someone mentioned above, but upon further review I see how he was a pioneer getting out of that trend and made strategic designs. I think 4 and 14 are a bit out of place on the course going around the manufactured pond, but 14 ended up being a lot more strategic than I realized when my layup drifted left away from the pond and I was left with a blind shot off very uneven ground in the fairway. Great way to make the hole more interesting. The par 5 across the river was a little goofy too. I hit a driver on a second drive for fun and had around 150 into the green for a second shot. I suppose that's fine for risk/reward. I still think the back 9 on the Meadows (Original Front 9) is the best 9 holes on the property. Overall, the course wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be and was more fun. I think they lesser courses at BWR and Whistling are better values but the big courses are worth playing if you are traveling from out of state and knocking of bucket list courses.

It’s funny sometimes a lack of stunning views can lower the course experience for many

ie Carnoustie and the classic courses in and around St Andrews vs Kingsbarns

You bring up an interesting side of expectations. I've only played Karsten Creek once and did not have to pay. I've also watched multiple rounds of competitive golf on the property and I've found it to be a very good test of golf, granted well suited for the play of more accomplished players and potentially too penal in places for shorter hitters.

My experience on the course never came with a high price tag. I could see that the price you pay sets up a level of expectation. From a pure golf perspective, it shouldn't really matter if we pay $10 or $1000 for a round, but it's very hard to separate the two. Back to your experiences at Spyglass and Karsten Creek, they were disappointing at $400, but at what price would they have been as expected?

I agree on the back 9 on the Meadows.... I'd probably call it my favorite 9 hole stretch I've played.

If they were in the $150 to $200 range, I'd probably feel better. Dubsdread is overpriced at $155, and Karsten is pretty much in the same class. Both are solid parkland courses capable of hosting professional and high level amateur events.

Harding Park was another letdown. Again, decent payout, but few wow moments for the $175 paid. Much rather tee it up at TPC Deere Run for $75.

I'd argue Deere Run is underrated, quite a bit.

Played the K Club in Dublin right before the '96 Ryder Cup. Could have been the weather that day leaving a bad taste but didn't walk away with a WOW feeling. A course in Chicago that many rave about is the Glen Club. Has hosted some Nationwide or whatever they call it now pro events but it's never been a WOW either. A couple of great holes but not one I'd go back to play again.

The most disappointing was The Old Course at Saint Andrews. Just didn't hold up after Carnoustie and Royal Dornoch.

Pinehurst #4 was a big letdown. Expected it to be more of a #2 lite and didn’t feel that was close to being the case.

Erin Hills was a major disappointment as well given the quality of the site. Really a tough walk especially for a walking only course.

Did you play all 27 at Princes? I agree with your assessment of shore/dunes, (Though I enjoyed playing them anyway) but on Himalayas I can remember every hole in detail. I thought that 9 was very memorable albeit the least "traditional"

I'm not going to call Oakmont a disappointment at all, but I don't need to play it again.

Torrey Pines South I love. TPC Scottsdale I don't see the point. Caledonia Fish Club is IMO a tight, short, mossy mess.

Tobacco Road met my low expectations.

Otherwise, I have found that opinions of experts have not differed much from my own.

Funny you called out Caledonia.  Caledonia and True Blue are always called out as "must play or "top course" in Mrytle Beach.  Generally I don't care for that sort of coastal/marshy course, but I really don't care for these 2 in particular.  I am the opposite.  I could play St. Andrews twice a day for a week.  Will never, ever, ever go back to Carnoustie.  Rough 4 feet high, greens the size of my dining room table and crappy caddies.  At least that is my memory...