Your favourite US major courses

[Hankshank]

A bit of talk about Quail Hollow, some consider it boring.

 

So what is a major course to your liking as for PGA Champ or US Open courses? (Let's leave Augusta National out of this, and British Links are just something else)

 

Which courses are your top 3 courses where US majors were played 2000-2017 ? And what constitutes a good major course for TV watching experience?

 

For me:

 

1. Merion

2. Whistling Straits

3. Medinah

 

What I look for in a good course is of course mint condition (that leaves Chambers bay out, otherwise a spectacular creation), Variation in holes, distinct holes, and as few "standard long par fours" as possible(Which leaves Pinehurst and Pebble out of it) and also nice sceneries, which for me does not have to include sea views.

 

Boring course to watch - Firestone last week where all the tee shots just went into a identical lines of trees on nearly all holes.

 

Quail hollow holes 14-18 are pretty OK, Not Whistling straits beautiful, but distinct from each other and rather spectacular.

[KrazyTrain18]

1. Oak Hill

 

2. Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)

 

3. Medinah

 

EDIT: Not sure how I forgot Olympic Club, probably tied with OH for me as #1.

[Dave230]

Oakmont, Winged Foot, Merion, Bethpage, like to see a really hard test. Quite liked Atlanta Athletic Club of the PGA courses.

[tiderider]

whistling straits is like fake fur ... having 1000 bunkers across the horizon view isn't breathtaking to me, personally ... i like standard long par fours ... hitting a drive and a mid to long iron into a hole and trying to 2-putt is a very stern test of one's golf ability ...

[TW33]

I don't care if I get flamed- Chambers Bay is #1. The variation among the holes is awesome, way better than the heavily wooded courses that require the guys to hit 2I after 2I. Also probably driving that statement is the fact that I've actually played it, and it's always fun to watch the pros play courses you have played before.

 

Top 3

 

Chambers Bay

Valhalla

Does TPC Sawgrass count? #thefifthmajor

 

 

EDIT: one more thing- a course with a driveable par 4 makes the track so much more interesting. Just another reason why I'm adding TPC Sawgrass...

[HoganApexBlades]

1. Medinah #3

 

2. Oakmont

 

3. Winged Foot or Merion

 

Ok, I'm partial to Medinah because of my years caddying there. It is an amazing course at an amazing club. Television truly does not capture the essence of the venue.

[Forged4ever]

1) Merion

2) Bethpage Black

3) Oakmont

 

Have a great weekend Gals & Gents?

RP

[Ole3wiggle]

Depends upon the Major.

 

US Open - Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Bethpage

 

PGA Champ - Medinah, Valhalla, Kiawah Island

[MattyO1984]

These aren't in any order but I'm going for -

 

1. Shinnecock Hills

 

2. Olympic Club

 

3. Bethpage

 

Of the big or well know courses, or courses that seem to get more fanfare than the others, I don't enjoy watching events at Kiawah Island or Congressional. Not sure why and just my opinion.

[Hankshank]

No Pinehurts, good. But to be totally honest, it was the last 2012 version that was the worst. When Campbell won, I didn't suffer too much. Don't know if they changed anything in between.

[dlygrisse]

In no particular order

 

Merion

Oakmont

Pebble

Shinnecock

Winged Foot

#2

 

 

I like a lot of courses, and like to see them played at different venues, but some course just don't create excitement. Baltusrol is one example, another would be Quail Hollow. Whistling is fun, but totally manufactured, so to me there is just something fake about it. Chambers had potential but the greens.....the greens.........Kiawah was interesting but I'm not sold on it yet. I know Pinehurst had mixed reviews, but I played it after the renovation an I love the place, it's a course you need to think your way around, it is subtle but great.

[Bomber_11]

Bethpage Black

[jvannoord4]

No Pinehurts, good. But to be totally honest, it was the last 2012 version that was the worst. When Campbell won, I didn't suffer too much. Don't know if they changed anything in between.

 

it was a completely different course in 2014 vs 2005 and 1999 as they restored it to the original intent of Donald Ross's design

[scruffynick]

Always liked the look of winged foot on TV. Pebble beach just looks stunning, and a favourite of mine is shinnecock (us open there next year I think). Another mention is hazeltine, from 91 onwards it's been a great venue for me

[jonsnow]

I don't care if I get flamed- Chambers Bay is #1. The variation among the holes is awesome, way better than the heavily wooded courses that require the guys to hit 2I after 2I. Also probably driving that statement is the fact that I've actually played it, and it's always fun to watch the pros play courses you have played before.

 

Top 3

 

Chambers Bay

Valhalla

Does TPC Sawgrass count? #thefifthmajor

 

 

EDIT: one more thing- a course with a driveable par 4 makes the track so much more interesting. Just another reason why I'm adding TPC Sawgrass...

 

I really liked Chambers Bay too, wish the greens had been better. I really thought it was a good test for the U.S. Amateur back in 2011, I think? For that matter, I really liked Erin Hills. I think the greens should have been a little firmer & faster but they probably will be next time since we've seen how the best players handle it.

[Mcgeeno]

Oakmont, Bethpage Black and Kiawah. I enjoy Oak Hills too. Challenging courses all in their own way. Not gonna see the -20 birdie fest and the winner will have won it with guts, creativity, shotmaking or the best combo of all 3 for the week...Not driver-lob wedge 12 times a round.

 

I think Merion is overrated. I also loved the Open at Chambers. If the greens were done up like it is on a normal Sunday round it would be near the top of many lists IMO. It was in such amazing shape when I've played it. Shame what they did to it.

 

I know I finished with two differing opinions but that's what this stuff is for.

[SOONERMAGIC]

1. Oak Tree National

 

2. Southern Hills

 

3. Oak Hill

 

3 classic and brutally tough golf courses that require every shot from every lie in the world. Would love to see OTN and SH back in the major rotation.

[Santiago Golf]

1) Oakland Hills

2) Chambers Bay

3) Bethpage

4) Merion

5) Valhala

[mizuno player]

Oakmont

Bethpage

Congressional. ( Yes, I'm a homer so what!?).

 

 

[Darth Putter]

Hankshank, I like Firestone more than Whistling Straits or Medinah. You may just want to skip to the next post.

 

 

 

Top 10 USA major courses non Augusta National division 2000-2017

 

1. Pebble Beach

2. Oakmont

3. Pinehurst #2 (back and better than ever)

4. Merion

5. Shinnecock Hills

6. Winged Foot

6A. TPC Sawgrass would go here if eligible cause it's a bit of a gap down to the next tier

7. Chamber's Bay

8. Kiawah Island (hey a PGA course, how did that get in there?)

9. Bethpage Black

10. Erin Hills! (it hasn't had enough time to grind my gears like the rest of the courses)

[widow-maker]

Shinnecock, Winged Foot, Merion, Oakmont, Pebble Beach. Tier 1.

 

Oak Hill, Oakland Hills, Cherry Hills, Southern Hills, Olympia Fields. Tier 2.

[lowheel]

Going by venues Ive been lucky enough to play.

 

The toughest ive played in any order:

 

-Oakmont

-Bethpage Black

-Winged Foot

-Shinnecock hills

-Oakland hills

-Pinehurst circa 2004/2005

[Hankshank]

Going by venues Ive been lucky enough to play.

 

The toughest ive played in any order:

 

-Oakmont

-Bethpage Black

-Winged Foot

-Shinnecock hills

-Oakland hills

-Pinehurst circa 2004/2005

Always nice to see the tour pro's coming to a course that you have played yourself (you're lucky to have played all those great courses. And with your hcp I guess you could appreciate them too). But l guess a course like Oakmont, that looks like just another parkland course on steroids on TV(not bad, not good) is more awesome when you actually play there, when you're there IRL.

[Hankshank]

...I think Merion is overrated...

I guess that Merion is a course you like or dislike. It's so very much not a modern creation, the holes follows the nature closely. And it's not set in a dramatic scenery like Whisthling straits or Chambers bay. I would not convince anyone to like it, but it seems like I'm not the only one who enjoyed watching the US Open played there. It would be fantastic to play a round of golf there one day(on a day when your swing is at home) but since I'll probably never will play golf in USA the chances are even slimmer than for you guys on the left side of the pond...

[gvogel]

1) Merion

2) Bethpage Black

3) Oakmont

 

Have a great weekend Gals & Gents?

RP

I like those three.

[Golfingfanatic]

Oakmont, Merion and the Ocean Course

[bscinstnct]

Here are Arnie, Player, Floyd, Johnnie, and a few others favorite US courses, penned in their own hand,

 

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.golfdigest.com/gallery/photos-top-10-favorite-golf-courses/amp

[Thrillhouse]

1. Pebble

2. Shinnecock

3. Winged Foot

 

Also I think quail hollow is a phenomenal golf course, really enjoying this week. Surprised to see chambers bay mentioned, to each his/her own but I just didn't think it watched well on tv. If I was in Seattle I'd still go play it though.

[Hawkeye77]

Thread title tease says majors - Augusta National.

 

Then a mix of links courses from across the pond.

 

Then Pebble or Merion I guess.

 

Can't believe Hank doesn't pick Firestone. ;-)