Top 5 Courses You Have Played

[Schley]

Who doesn't love this thread.

 

The highest rated courses I have played are:

 

1. Pebble Beach-history, views, 6 easy holes to stroke your ego!

2. Winged Foot West - old money and a beast, need to bring your air game to hit the greens

3. Chicago Golf Club (birdied opening par 5 into the wind!) :D

4. The Country Club at Brookline-very laid back and maybe my best caddie ever there

5. Pacific Dunes-love this location and views of the ocean, 4 club wind

 

My favorite courses to play were:

1. Carnoustie - played with 2 guys from the US who were sub 5 handicaps and both were over 100!

2. Baltursol - first class experience all the way

3. PGA West Stadium - just plain hard

4. Pasatiempo - love the layout, quirky but fair

5. Butler National - no women around!

6. Turnberry Ailsa - history here big time and wonderful layout IMO, recreated Tom Watson's approach and chip

 

OK alot has happened in the last 18 months for the better.

 

1. The Old Course - easy pick

2. Cape Wickham - King Island, Australia - Incredible views! Wonderful property and blows PB out of the water.

3. Riviera CC - played the best round of my life here and lovely course with mansions overlooking the course

4. Chicago GC - a hometown favorite of mine

5. North Berwick - loved how tricky it was, unique holes and wind was huge that day

 

In addition to the above some new additions to the Honorable Mention

• Royal Melbourne
  
• Kingsbarns
  
• Plainfield CC
  
• LACC
  
• Prairie Dunes
  

[llewol007]

Pebble Beach

Spyglass

Kapalua

Olympic Club

PasaTiempo

[gerdy]

Muirfield, Scotland

Shinnecock Hills

Pebble Beach

Merion

National Golf Links

 

Honorable Mention:

 

Fishers Island

Friars Head

Turberry Ailsa

Royal Troon

The Country Club

[Brandon Van Goethen]

SF Golf Club

Riviera Country Club

MPCC (Shore)

California Golf Club

Spyglass Hill

[3_Jack_Par]

OK alot has happened in the last 18 months for the better.

 

1. The Old Course - easy pick

2. Cape Wickham - King Island, Australia - Incredible views! Wonderful property and blows PB out of the water.

3. Riviera CC - played the best round of my life here and lovely course with mansions overlooking the course

4. Chicago GC - a hometown favorite of mine

5. North Berwick - loved how tricky it was, unique holes and wind was huge that day

 

In addition to the above some new additions to the Honorable Mention

• Royal Melbourne
  
• Kingsbarns
  
• Plainfield CC
  
• LACC
  
• Prairie Dunes
  

Holy cow, that is one great year and a half!

[stimpmeterp]

Pine Valley

Pebble Beach

Torrey Pines (South)

*Pinehurst

 

Everything else I have played doesn't deserve to be on this list. I've walked many top 50 courses in the world but have only played the list above.

 

*can't believe I forgot about Pinehurst!

[Schley]

OK alot has happened in the last 18 months for the better.

 

1. The Old Course - easy pick

2. Cape Wickham - King Island, Australia - Incredible views! Wonderful property and blows PB out of the water.

3. Riviera CC - played the best round of my life here and lovely course with mansions overlooking the course

4. Chicago GC - a hometown favorite of mine

5. North Berwick - loved how tricky it was, unique holes and wind was huge that day

 

In addition to the above some new additions to the Honorable Mention

• Royal Melbourne
  
• Kingsbarns
  
• Plainfield CC
  
• LACC
  
• Prairie Dunes
  

Holy cow, that is one great year and a half!

Maybe will be the best golfing stretch of my life perhaps. Because I didn't want to list everything that was a solid Doak 6 or above. Here is my list, which may never be repeated:

 

Australia - The Metropolitan, Kingston Heath, Royal Melbourne (Composite Course), Cathedral GC, Cape Wickham (King Is), Ocean Dunes (King Is), Barnbougle Dunes, Barnbougle Lost Farm 2x, New South Wales GC, The Lakes GC

 

UAE - Yas Links 2x

 

Scotland - TOC 2x, New, Kingsbarns, North Berwick

 

USA

Olympia Fields N/S 5x, Sand Valley, Prairie Dunes, Ballyneal 2x, Dismal River N/D, Sherwood 2x, Riviera, Bear Creek, The Quarry at LaQuinta, LACC, Plainfield, Hamilton Farm, Galloway National, Cape Cod National, Essex County Club (MA), Desert Forest

 

Best part was that almost all the US courses were played with my dad / brother.

[ClubChamp88]

Public:

1. Castle Stuart

2. Pebble

3. Royal Dornach

4. Trump INT golf links

5. Pasatiempo

 

Private:

1a. Pine Valley (hardest course I've ever played.)

1b.Cypress Point Club (most enjoyable rounds of my life)

2. Bighorn

3. Princeville (used to be public?)

4. Old Memorial

[Schley]

Public:

1. Castle Stuart

2. Pebble

3. Royal Dornach

4. Trump INT golf links

5. Pasatiempo

 

Private:

1a. Pine Valley (hardest course I've ever played.)

1b.Cypress Point Club (most enjoyable rounds of my life)

2. Bighorn

3. Princeville (used to be public?)

4. Old Memorial

 

Is that a Wisonsin Badger in your avatar? What is the tattoo on there signify? I'm sure it is something funny.

[BG5]

Public

1. Arcadia Bluffs

2. Greywalls

3. Forest Dunes

4. Bay Harbor

5. Streamsong Red

 

Private

1. Kingsley Club

2. Oakland Hills South

3. Dunes Club

4. Lost Dunes

5. Battle Creek Country Club

[tjblue]

Last three months-----Ocean course Cabo----Ocean course Kiawah---Harbor town----Haig Point

[MaxBuck]

Private:*

 

Muirfield Village

Inverness Club

Quarry at La Quinta

Firestone South

Mission Hills Dinah Shore

 

Public:

 

Pinehurst #2

Teeth of the Dog

Golden Horseshoe Gold

Torrey Pines South

Longaberger (now Virtues)

 

 

*Played Oakmont and didn't find it all that great, though I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to play it. Also found Fox Chapel to be unmemorable.

 

Love Ohio State Scarlet, and it's one of my top 5 all-time, but not sure whether it's really private or public. It's a bit of neither, actually.

 

I will be playing The Golf Club this summer, which I fully expect to join the top list.

[cbbaron]

1 Pacific Dunes

2 Torrey Pines South

3 Bandon Dunes

4 Ocean Course Cabo Del Sol

5. We Ko Pa Saguaro

 

Caledonia, Troon North Pinnacle, and Grayhawk Raptor are other favorites of mine

[Chanceman]

This past year Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Portmarnock plus Torrey Pines (South), Desert Forest, WeKoPa (Saguaro), Cape Wickham and Kingston Heath.

[Schley]

This past year Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Portmarnock plus Torrey Pines (South), Desert Forest, WeKoPa (Saguaro), Cape Wickham and Kingston Heath.

 

I'm assuming Ocean Dunes on King Island as well???? Loved Cape Wickham as the prettiest course I have ever played.

[Chanceman]

This past year Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Portmarnock plus Torrey Pines (South), Desert Forest, WeKoPa (Saguaro), Cape Wickham and Kingston Heath.

 

I'm assuming Ocean Dunes on King Island as well???? Loved Cape Wickham as the prettiest course I have ever played.

Yes played both and found CW to be a beauty and OD to be a beast, especially in the Bass Strait storm which hit after 9 holes.

Cape Wickham

Ocean Dunes

[Mladen Aleksandrov]

I haven't played that much courses, but there is one that really impressed me. Thracian Cliffs can take anyone's attention with its views.

 

Probably you will be surprised to learn that this piece of magic is situated in Bulgaria :) More about the course: http://goandplay.eu/en/thracian-cliffs-the-pearl-among-the-golf-courses-in-bulgaria/

[Cmoney710]

Dunes Club

[minteq]

Royal Portrush

Royal County Down

Firestone

Congressional

Cog Hill #4

[mfurer]

Oakmont

Oakland Hills South

Pebble Beach

Whistling Straights

Laurel Valley

 

Other that are close are

All the Bandon Courses

TPC Sawgrass

Bethpage Black

Fox Chapel

 

Playing Ocean course and Kingsley’s and Arcadia and forest dunes by May so the list could change!

[Kevlar10]

1. The Ocean Course

2. Firestone

3. The Golden Horseshoe-Gold

4. Turtle Point-Kiawah

5. Ballyowen-Crystal Spings, NJ

 

[Kevlar10]

1. The Ocean Course

2. Firestone

3. The Golden Horseshoe-Gold

4. Turtle Point-Kiawah

5. Ballyowen-Crystal Spings, NJ

 

I forgot Baltusrol, but honestly it would still be #6

[tgard227]

1. Pebble

2. Pacific and Bandon Dunes

3. Prairie Dunes

4. Spyglass

5. Whistling Straits

[Rebbutt]

*Top 5*

Pacific Dunes

Bandon Dunes

Bandon Trails

East Lake GC

Pumpkin Ridge

 

*Honorable Mentions*

Rhode Island CC (Donald Ross)

Wannamoisett CC (Donald Ross)

Aspen Lakes GC

Black Butte - Glaze Meadows

Sun River Meadows

Palo Alto Hills CC

 

[Chanceman]

Just back from a fabulous weekend in Tasmania playing both Barnbougle and Lost Farm while staying on-site in the very affordable cabins. BB is very Irish linksy and tough, while Lost Farm is more open with some lovely dune holes. Both have plenty of superb ocean views. Doak (BB) and C&C (LF) have excelled themselves.

[TK3]

My top 5:

1. Pebble Beach

2. Whistling Straits

3. Southern Hills

4. Erin Hills

5. Flint Hills National

 

Honorary Mention...

1. Navasink CC - NJ

2. Wolf Creek - Mesquite, NV

3. Buffalo Ridge - Branson, MO

4. Karsten Creek, Stillwater, OK

5. Trump National - Colt's Neck, NJ

 

I've been blessed to have good friends in high places

[James the Hogan Fan]

1. Chambers Bay

2. Royal St. George’s

3. Prince’s Golf Club

4. Castlewood Country Club (both courses)

5. Presidio (SF)

(Chambers beat RSG because my day playing at Chambers was perfect in every way. Royal St. George’s was great but the occasion didn’t match... I had graduated college the day before Chanbers and was on top of the world)

I haven’t played at too many nice places yet, and many of the muni’s and lesser known courses I’ve played have been redeeming to me. North Foreland Golf Club in Broadstairs, Kent is an example, as would be West Seattle and Callippe Preserve.

[CobraKat]

Congrats on Cypress Point. Sacred ground.

 

> @poppyhillsguy said:

> 1 CYPRESS POINT-PEBBLE BEACH, CA

>

> 2 PEBBLE BEACH-PEBBLE BEACH, CA

>

> 3 SPYGLASS HILL-PEBBLE BEACH, CA

>

> 4 KAPALUA PLANTATION-KAPALUA, MAUI

>

> 5 WE-KO-PA-FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ

 

 

[CobraKat]

1. Maidstone

2. Shinnecock

3. Pebble Beach

4. Pasatiempo

5. Manele Bay (Lanai, HI)

[Schley]

> @CobraKat said:

> 1. Maidstone

> 2. Shinnecock

> 3. Pebble Beach

> 4. Pasatiempo

> 5. Manele Bay (Lanai, HI)

 

What made you put Maidstone over Shinny? Have you played NGLA?