Worst Course You've Ever Played

[oregongolf]

I was having a conversation with a friend on which course we've both played is actually more terrible and it led to the worst we've ever played. I've played some serious dogs... I would like to see where they stack up and why.

 

The two worst I've ever played are within a few minutes of each other. Wayne Golf Course in Bothell, WA - a 240 yard par 3, followed by a 170 yard par 4 several holes later. The now defunct Wellington Hills in Woodinville, WA is a close second... where you get to hit over a road, not once, but twice.

[duffer987]

Immediately Tall Timbers in the suburbs of Vancouver BC came to mind. I had not played it since the late 90s and remember it being just horrible. Dirt, gravel, and a bit of grass. It seems in 15 years nothing has changed: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tall-timber-golf-course-langley

Amazed it's still open.

Now for most disappointing: TPC Sawgrass.

[oregongolf]

Ok, that is hilarious... the dead possum on their Yelp listing is money.

 

[dicko999]

Goat Hill in Oceanside, CA, but I have not played there in a couple of years. The last outing was enough for me...it was a dying squirrel brothel in the fairways with residentially challenged humans drinking, crapping and shooting up in the surrounding forestry. I used to go out there often to get in a quick, cheap round during the work week with friends. As bad as the conditions were, we somehow could not stay away.

It is now under serious renovation, so I am beyond curious as to how it looks today.

[Edaw68]

I can't remember the name of it now, but in a high school tournament we played a 9 hole course in Priest River, Idaho (way up north) that had one par 4 that followed a power line cut in the forest. The power line was still there and active, running right down the fairway and green.

[golfingron]

Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.

[TM_HOYER]

That is easy for me, Fairways of Canton in Canton, GA. The course was built on a side of a mountain as part of a housing development. The problem with the course was that your ball was either in the fairway or lost down the side of the mountain. Or your ball was on the green or rolling down a slope far from the green. Almost no rough and no room for error. Why the location was considered as a place to build a golf course, I do not know. It only recently reopened after being closed for a while after going bankrupt.

[Bonneville85308]

Morgan Hill, Easton PA.

Between the terrain, the design, and the pace, I was ready to kill myself by #9.

[oregongolf]

[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412687785' post='10248521']
Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.
[/quote]
Is that picture from in front or behind the tee box? Trying to figure out where you hit to.

[duffer987]

[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1412692869' post='10248999']
[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412687785' post='10248521']
Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.
[/quote]
Is that picture from in front or behind the tee box? Trying to figure out where you hit to.
[/quote]

Is that one of those BYOTB courses? Classy.

[jli2636]

Railwood Golf course in Holts Summit, MO. The front nine is in a valley, so if it rained at any time in the past 6 weeks its going to be wet. The back 9 is a climb back up the cliff with quirky holes that don't make sense. There was a par 3 that was the 16 handicap hole on the card and it was 190 yards all carry over a ravine to a humpback elevated green with woods not more than 15 yards to the left, right, and back of the green. Any shot that did not land on the green would either roll into the woods or if you were short, would roll back into the ravine.

[golfingron]

[quote name='duffer987' timestamp='1412697619' post='10249479']
[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1412692869' post='10248999']
[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412687785' post='10248521']
Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.
[/quote]
Is that picture from in front or behind the tee box? Trying to figure out where you hit to.
[/quote]

Is that one of those BYOTB courses? Classy.
[/quote]

It was from the "fairway" looking back. I assume you could take you lawn mower with a keg strapped to it and no one would say anything.

[Roody]

Sadly, I have to say Durand Eastman GC, here in Rochester. The reason I have to mention that it saddens me is because I really have always enjoyed the layout. But ever since Jack Tindale's group took over in the last decade they've let the place go downhill immensely. Rumor has it he's been pocketing all the county's money for himself. I hope they throw his arse in jail.

5.5 hour rounds are the NORM on the weekend. They barely even try to maintain the course anymore. Some of the low areas are so muddy and beat up, I can't even imagine how they'd ever be able to repair it now. On top of that, it sits next to a sewage treatment plant, so a few of the holes have a lovely smell to accompany them.

The only positive thing I can say anymore about it are that greens fees are still cheap. But since they're cheap, every Joe Duffer drunk idiot inhabits the place now. Which likely explains the 5.5 hour rounds, and lousy conditions. It's too bad, I really liked the layout.

[MichiganSRT8]

Too many to name around here, some have went under that were the worst of the bunch but i think id have to say Faulkwood shores here, back a few years ago we played there in high school and it was just a piece of crap. Heard they may have a new superintendent so might try it out again and see if he fixed stuff up.

[TM_HOYER]

[quote name='MichiganSRT8' timestamp='1412703295' post='10250027']
Too many to name around here, some have went under that were the worst of the bunch but i think id have to say Faulkwood shores here, back a few years ago we played there in high school and it was just a piece of crap. Heard they may have a new superintendent so might try it out again and see if he fixed stuff up.
[/quote]

I played there a couple years ago. It was nothing special, rather boring in layout. The Detroit metro area has a number of older courses like this. I would put the Coyote Golf Club in the same category as Faulkwood Shores.

[duffer987]

[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412700110' post='10249709']
[quote name='duffer987' timestamp='1412697619' post='10249479']
[quote name='oregongolf' timestamp='1412692869' post='10248999']
[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412687785' post='10248521']
Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.
[/quote]
Is that picture from in front or behind the tee box? Trying to figure out where you hit to.
[/quote]

Is that one of those BYOTB courses? Classy.
[/quote]

It was from the "fairway" looking back. I assume you could take you lawn mower with a keg strapped to it and no one would say anything.
[/quote]

that's awesome. It just looked like the tee box was plopped down willy nilly, so maybe you could just bring your own door mat and make tees wherever you wanted, ha.

[markheardjr]

I have played plenty of just crappy courses that are ill conceived, poorly maintained etc. But no no, this list is for the courses that are just downright idiotic. Like, you can't pay me money to go back. And that list is:

1. Malibu Country Club
2. Lost Canyons - Shadow Course (May be closed now?)
3. Tierra Rejada

Where to start. Malibu is the most infuriating course I have ever played. Elevated tee boxes to tiny narrow fairways, with internal OB all over the place, back up the hill to blind elevated greens that slope to kingdom come. Blind doglegs. It's terrible.

Lost Canyons Shadow, designed by Freddie Couples...soon to be turned into a housing development instead of a golf course. This course had blind doglegs that curved after the blind spot. Many dogleg rights. There was a gopher hole in the middle of a green. The staff just stopped watering it, hoping people would stop playing it I suppose.

Tierra Rejada, again with the blind doglegs, greens on the side of cliffs. In all fairness I played with a guy wearing rain pants that wouldn't stop walking when you hit and always found a way to make noise during your putting stroke...always. I walked off, in a tournament on the 10th hole and played with the group behind me.

Oddly enough, all of those courses are in valleys Northwest of L.A. Apparently I don't care for that area. Honorable mention for Eagle Glen in Corona. Similar to the others, up/down/side of a valley. Terrible track. No thanks.

I can forgive course conditions for good layout, natural use of land, decent views, etc. But some things are just unforgiveable. Like par 5's where you hit iron off the tee, turn 90° to the right and hit it 350y up hill for your 2nd.

[oregongolf]

Malibu looks strange... maybe not horrible and kind of out place. Wouldn't exactly be a place I'd go out of my way to play.

The other two don't look too bad, but admittedly I'm looking just at their pictures and not their routing. I thought TR got some pub around here on WRX for being a decent course. Surprised to hear you hate it.

I hate a lot of courses for the very same reasons you do... which is why I generally steer clear of any Johnny Miller course (I hate you Whitney Oaks).

[wooleeboolee]

I agree that Malibu is a joke. Played it a couple of times and realized too late that it was not an enjoyable course. Lost Canyons Shadow has been closed for over a year, but the Sky course there is still open and is a decent and challenging layout. Haven't played it in a few months but the drought out here has impacted a lot of courses due to mandatory water cutbacks or dry wells.

Tierra Rejada is looking well and is indeed a pretty tough mountain course. Lots of forced carries over barrancas and mini-canyons. But I play it often enough and I enjoy it. They have good food (the breakfast burrito is awesome).

As for mountain courses in the area, Moorpark CC is my favorite along with Rustic Cyn which is partially mountainous. Both are always in exceptional condition.

[RichieHunt]

I believe it was called Stonebridge and I think it was out near Utica, NY.

First hole, IIRC, was a par-5. I hit my drive into the bunker. Only to find that the bunker was made out of....gravel.

2nd hole was a par-3 (IIRC). The marker on the tee says it is 160 yards. I hit an 8-iron and fly airmail the green by a mile. It was only about 130 yards.

After that, every hole was either a sharp 90* dogleg right (some were a 90* dogleg left. They had these large trees in the way so if you hit the ball straight, you couldn't cut over the corner. If you were a straight hitter off the tee, you would literally have to tee off with a 7-iron and then have 7-iron into the green. The kid who won the tournament it was the only time he broke 85 all year long and that was because he had a bad slice and the course played perfectly for him. So while we were hitting 7-iron and 7-iron into greens, he was hitting banana slice driver with a chip into the green.

After I finished the round I had to purchase a new SW thanks to the gravel bunkers.







RH

[The Pearl]

I once played a course outside of Cortland, NY that had just fertilized the bulk of the courses with actual cow manure.

[Edaw68]

[quote name='The Pearl' timestamp='1412804505' post='10257101']
I once played a course outside of Cortland, NY that had just fertilized the bulk of the courses with actual cow manure.
[/quote]
New leader in the clubhouse.

[Twitch12]

We played a course in high school that was literally a cow pasture. The OB fence was barb wire and had cows on the other side. My opponent was literally wearing cowboy boots while he played.

[that0neguy]

[quote name='golfingron' timestamp='1412687785' post='10248521']
Crooked Creek golf course in Indianapolis. We had a work function at the sports complex, one of the options was golf at crooked creek. I will let the picture speak for itself.
[/quote]

Haha, I played there two weeks ago during my lunch hour and there was goose poop all over the greens. But for $5 on Fridays, I still think it's worth it to work on your irons during a lunch hour.

[JumboJack]

[quote name='markheardjr' timestamp='1412721899' post='10251695']
I have played plenty of just crappy courses that are ill conceived, poorly maintained etc. But no no, this list is for the courses that are just downright idiotic. Like, you can't pay me money to go back. And that list is:

1. Malibu Country Club
2. Lost Canyons - Shadow Course (May be closed now?)
3. Tierra Rejada

Where to start. Malibu is the most infuriating course I have ever played. Elevated tee boxes to tiny narrow fairways, with internal OB all over the place, back up the hill to blind elevated greens that slope to kingdom come. Blind doglegs. It's terrible.

Lost Canyons Shadow, designed by Freddie Couples...soon to be turned into a housing development instead of a golf course. This course had blind doglegs that curved after the blind spot. Many dogleg rights. There was a gopher hole in the middle of a green. The staff just stopped watering it, hoping people would stop playing it I suppose.

Tierra Rejada, again with the blind doglegs, greens on the side of cliffs. In all fairness I played with a guy wearing rain pants that wouldn't stop walking when you hit and always found a way to make noise during your putting stroke...always. I walked off, in a tournament on the 10th hole and played with the group behind me.

Oddly enough, all of those courses are in valleys Northwest of L.A. Apparently I don't care for that area. Honorable mention for E[b]agle Glen in Corona.[/b] Similar to the others, up/down/side of a valley. Terrible track. No thanks.

I can forgive course conditions for good layout, natural use of land, decent views, etc. But some things are just unforgiveable. Like par 5's where you hit iron off the tee, turn 90° to the right and hit it 350y up hill for your 2nd.
[/quote]

To each his own I guess. I love Eagle Glen.

[gopherguts]

Clearview Golf Course, Queens, NY.

Played it twice many years ago as a single.

Got as far as the 11th tee and walked off both times. Every hole seemed to be "Here's the tee, there's the green, straightaway and a "carpenter's dream"",,,,,,

[audioph1x]

Collins Hill golf course in Lawrenceville, GA...

Greens are terrible, no one replaces their divots, it's in a neighborhood and there aren't any porta johns on the course. Might as well sign yourself up for sex offender list.

For $25 after 5pm, there are MUCH better courses with friendlier staff in the area.

[bradski]

http://www.sunvalleygolfclub.com/
Sun valley in la mesa ca. 150 yards is a long one here. 2nd. Crossroads golf course in Bellevue wa.

[obobgolf]

California Golf and Art in Sun City, CA. Not making up the name....was called Cherry Hills a few years ago, and now is neither Golf nor Art far as I can tell. What a pile! To quote Bart, a Yelp reviewer: " The absolute worst course in a 50 mile radius of Menifee! The ownership wants high prices for a dump. Plus, if you want a cart, they demand that they hold your drivers license. The guy in the morning is very rude and has no people skills whatsoever. Luckily, they have a lady who works in the afternoon who is delightful. There's a restaurant that has never opened so there is no food on the course. It's a total waste of money!" Should be put to rest....

[costanza]

Valley at Eastport Golf Club - Little River, SC