Scariest Golf Course You've Ever Played

[jjmurry]

Was at Lake Powell golf course in Arizona a few months ago and was on the 11th or 12th hole and there were two guys sitting under a tree near the tee box and they called me over saying they just got out of prison and wanted money for a hamburger. Lucky I actually had cash on me for once (millenial who rarely ever carries cash) and gave them $10. Was creeped out for sure.

 

A close second scariest moment was playing Kiawah Ocean Course in 25 mph winds. Didn't think I was going to make it towards the end there.

[Nard_S]

Not well travelled but resort course belonging to 4 Seasons on the island of Nevis, Robert Trent Jones Jr. design. built on a dormant volcano. Craziest tee shot is a forced carry of 250 yards over a deep ravine from elevated tee, need a 225 carry to make it but it's intimidating nonetheless. Greens (Bermuda) are real difficult. Miss a fairway, it's gone in deep thick growth, hit the fairway, rare to have a flat lie. Plenty of wind happening too.

[RickK]

> @Mych said:

> 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.

 

The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

[wickwoss]

@caniac6

I haven’t played there in probably 5 years, but still work in High Point. It has some nice areas, and some rough ones. Drug issues seem to have hit HP especially hard for some reasons. They are trying to clean things up, but I don’t see any real progress yet.

[JohnnyCashForever]

> @RickK said:

>But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your >green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

 

I've played a course for the 1st time recently where two consecutive holes were arranged |>. The first hole (on the right) is the dogleg going left to right. The next hole is the straight par 4. I was on the straight par 4 waiting to hit my approach. Some guy tried to cut the inside of the dogleg but ended up in the woods between his fairway and mine. I was in my fairway, but in a direct line from his ball to his green. His approach must have been 200 yards, and I was about 70 yards from him. He lines it up, oblivious to me and my group and takes a mighty swing. Once we all realized that he was actually attempting to go over us, we all instantly ducked for cover. I was ducking under the steering wheel of my cart. Others were crouching behind their bags. I guess it was OK because he never yelled fore. That is a course that I'll not play again soon.

 

 

[avgjoe88]

Not really scary, but my daughter and I had a goose following us on a par 5 not long ago.

[Birdie Mac]

> @RickK said:

> > @Mych said:

> > 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.

>

> The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

 

I was going to post the same thing about the newly renovated Gus Wortham. I never had issues there before, but it's so much nicer now.

 

I think the only time I've been concerned for my safety on a golf course was playing at River Point in Richmond, TX, when the gators are out. Fairways are your friend for real.

[Pete O'Tube]

Caymanas Golf Club, Kingston, Jamaica.

 

If you visit Kingston you really have to have your wits about you. Nobody walks alone, day or night. Caymanas is a few miles to the West. It's a lovely course, but a bit unnerving when you come across the armed guards positioned round the perimeter. People have been robbed - the club recommends you take a caddy in your buggy for company and security.

 

Erinvale Country Club, Cape Town, South Africa.

 

This beautiful course is in a gated community with armed guards. The 16th and 17th have the perimeter fence down the right. It is a double fence 15 feet high with space for a dog run between the fences. The ground outside the fence has been cleared for 50 yards, Lighting is mounted on 30 foot high poles every 75 yards. It reminded me of the fences, minefields and fixed machine gun positions around Berlin before the Wall came down!

 

The hardest course I have seen is Pinnacle Point Golf Course......and they have snakes!

[Mych]

> @"Birdie Mac" said:

> > @RickK said:

> > > @Mych said:

> > > 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.

> >

> > The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> > As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> > From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

>

> I was going to post the same thing about the newly renovated Gus Wortham. I never had issues there before, but it's so much nicer now.

>

> I think the only time I've been concerned for my safety on a golf course was playing at River Point in Richmond, TX, when the gators are out. Fairways are your friend for real.

 

I've heard good things about the Gus Wortham renovations... I still haven't played it but I need to get back over there soon. It was always interesting because it is one of the few Houston courses with significant elevation changes without being built on a landfill.

[jholz]

> @dokex said:

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

>

 

Now it houses a nonprofit. They are trying to renovate the place to serve as offices and event space.

[RickK]

Last club I belonged to when I lived in Alabama was Cumberland Lake CC. The back 9 of the course was hilly and very wooded with only 2 adjoining side by side holes. The 11th and and 15th tee boxes had benches and strapped to those benches was snake bite venom extractor kits. Pretty much everyone who played there carried a pistol of some sort either in their cart or in their golf bag. The day I moved there and joined, someone killed a 6 foot rattlesnake in the club parking lot. Along with the woods we had a couple creeks and a lake. Besides the presence of rattlesnakes, we also had an abundance of water moccasins. Looking for lost golf balls could be dangerous. We also had wild hogs. I had one come down the hill onto a green, pick up my golf ball in its mouth and shred it while I was standing on the tee box watching. Back in the days of wound Titleist balls. Left a nice mess of little rubber band pieces all over the green.

[RichieHunt]

East Lake used to be really bad. My old neighbor in Atlanta used to play there back in the days of 'Lil Nam' with the owner of his company and one round some guy jumped the fence and came up to them and robbed them at gunpoint.

 

I did play the old Bobby Jones course in Atlanta once and back then it was really sketchy. Now it's supposed to be very nice.

 

Other than that, the old Sugarloaf Mountain course wasn't scary in terms of the environment, but they had one par-4 where you're going so steep down the hill that my dad and I were nervous about taking the golf cart down. Then the next hole we were nervous about the cart being able to make it up the hill. Pretty surprising given that the course was in Florida, but you'd be surprised how hilly that course was.

 

 

 

 

RH

[TheLarch]

In it’s day, Tennison Park in Dallas could be pretty scary, especially if you were on the perimeter of the course as the day was coming to an end. This was back in the late 80’s, early 90’s.

[ssf301]

Bandon Dunes in a 40-50mph wind. I popped up a drive into the wind and thought the damn ball was going to blow backwards and hit me in the head.

[Forged4ever]

Pine

 

The backs?

 

75

 

Birdied #7

 

Cheers?

RP

[Forged4ever]

> @RickK said:

> > @Mych said:

> > 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.

>

> The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

 

Glad to see your post!

 

I hope all’s well and you’re having a nice season

 

Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

RP

[RickK]

> @Forged4ever said:

> > @RickK said:

> > > @Mych said:

> > > 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.

> >

> > The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> > As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> > From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

>

> Glad to see your post!

>

> I hope all’s well and you’re having a nice season

>

> Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

> RP

 

RP, I am hanging in there. Retired this year (finally) and trying to get my body to cooperate so I can keep playing. Getting old sucks but I guess the alternative is not too good either. :)

 

How are you doing these days?

[Forged4ever]

> @RickK said:

> > @Forged4ever said:

> > > @RickK said:

> > > > @Mych said:

> > > > 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.

> > >

> > > The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> > > As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> > > From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

> >

> > Glad to see your post!

> >

> > I hope all’s well and you’re having a nice season

> >

> > Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

> > RP

>

> RP, I am hanging in there. Retired this year (finally) and trying to get my body to cooperate so I can keep playing. Getting old sucks but I guess the alternative is not too good either. :)

>

> How are you doing these days?

 

Hangin in there. Therapy ended a few months ago and though I’ve got still the seeds in, they got 99%+ of it. I’ve been hitting PT pretty hard to try to back back some of my balance & coordination to hit the ball.

 

Maddie had banned me from her yoga class though she relented if I promised to STFU, so I’ve been doing that three evenings a week and it really compliments the PT.

 

As ya said, the alternative sucks?

 

Congrats on your retirement?

 

Stay well Brother?

RP

 

 

[CDLgolf]

> @grm24 said:

> 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.

>

>

 

I was a member at Thunder Hill for 6 years. What a great course and a shame it went under.

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I remember playing a course in Bradford, West Yorks as a junior which backed up onto a housing estate, and while my playing partner and I were waiting on one hole, half a brick came flying over the wall and just missed us. Whoever threw it wouldn't have been able to see us, but they would have heard us.

Can't remember the name of the course, though. Maybe Bradford Moor.

[RickK]

> @Forged4ever said:

> > @RickK said:

> > > @Forged4ever said:

> > > > @RickK said:

> > > > > @Mych said:

> > > > > 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.

> > > >

> > > > The rebuilding of the bridge adjacent to Gus Wortham has moved the homeless out from under it. It's new design does not make for a place they can camp out/live. Also the addition of the fencing around it has supposedly moved them out of the woods on the inner part of the course. But, when I was there most recently, I could see where they could still get into the interior of the course if they wanted to.

> > > > As BigRed said, a couple of holes on Brock Park (now closed) was pretty bad. Also, the Cypresswood Creek Course (also closed) had a couple holes on it that backed up to a rough looking neighborhood.

> > > > From the standpoint of errant shots, another course comes to mind. When originally built, Crown Park in the Myrtle Beach area was a 27 hole course. It has since had changes made to it and is now only 18 holes. But, the original design of the course had 2 dogleg left holes, going in opposite directions, where the point of the dogleg (landing area for both) met in the same spot. You could be standing in the fairway looking left at your green or looking right at people teeing off aiming right at you. I guess the best illustration I could give would be these 2 symbols ><

> > >

> > > Glad to see your post!

> > >

> > > I hope all’s well and you’re having a nice season

> > >

> > > Fairways & Greens 4ever My Friend⛳️

> > > RP

> >

> > RP, I am hanging in there. Retired this year (finally) and trying to get my body to cooperate so I can keep playing. Getting old sucks but I guess the alternative is not too good either. :)

> >

> > How are you doing these days?

>

> Hangin in there. Therapy ended a few months ago and though I’ve got still the seeds in, they got 99%+ of it. I’ve been hitting PT pretty hard to try to back back some of my balance & coordination to hit the ball.

>

> Maddie had banned me from her yoga class though she relented if I promised to STFU, so I’ve been doing that three evenings a week and it really compliments the PT.

>

> As ya said, the alternative sucks?

>

> Congrats on your retirement?

>

> Stay well Brother?

> RP

>

>

 

Glad to hear it my friend. As I have told many a person...NEVER, EVER give up. Life is too short as it is. Keep up the work and you will get there. Oh...and on the STFU...I have been told that more times than I can count but hey...you know :)

[Fairway14]

> @CDLgolf said:

> > @grm24 said:

> > 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.

> >

> >

>

> I was a member at Thunder Hill for 6 years. What a great course and a shame it went under.

 

I played Thunder Hill in about 1982, and I think at that time it had only been open for a few years. I think the original owner/builder may have designed the holes himself, as the layout of holes did not seem as though they were done by a proper golf course architect. My recollection is that the primary challenge of playing Thunder Hill was the native trees which lined both sides of most fairways. They were not large trees, but were so close together and with low hanging limbs, that if a ball went in them it could likely not be found and, or, played. I think the course record at the time was 77 and held by Thunder Hill's original head pro.

When were you playing there and how about how about many members did Thunder Hill have at that time ?

[MattyO1984]

It was not particularly scary but as the “scariest” course I have played is the Kings Links Muni in Aberdeen. Played it fairly regularly when I was at Uni but it was normally later in the day approaching dusk. It’s a links course but a bluff between the course and the sea means you can’t really see the sea. On the other side of the course there was a pretty run down area of Aberdeen.

 

It was fairly common to encounter junkies walking across and around the course. Most of them were happy dafties but a few of them looked like the sort of people that you would not want to find yourself down an alleyway alone with. We used to joke that as long as we were closer to our golf clubs than them, then we would be OK. As a complete aside to that, one other night, my friend got chased by a fox having stumbled across it and some babies. Glad it was not me and at the time it was a shock but looking back now it was so funny.

[CDLgolf]

> @Fairway14 said:

> > @CDLgolf said:

> > > @grm24 said:

> > > 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.

> > >

> > >

> >

> > I was a member at Thunder Hill for 6 years. What a great course and a shame it went under.

>

> I played Thunder Hill in about 1982, and I think at that time it had only been open for a few years. I think the original owner/builder may have designed the holes himself, as the layout of holes did not seem as though they were done by a proper golf course architect. My recollection is that the primary challenge of playing Thunder Hill was the native trees which lined both sides of most fairways. They were not large trees, but were so close together and with low hanging limbs, that if a ball went in them it could likely not be found and, or, played. I think the course record at the time was 77 and held by Thunder Hill's original head pro.

> When were you playing there and how about how about many members did Thunder Hill have at that time ?

 

We were members in the early 2000's, after IMG redesigned the course.

 

I played it back in the 80's and 90's and it was almost impossible. Yes the guy who owned it took his fish hatchery and carved a golf course through it. At one point it had 72 ponds and 125 bunkers. From the tips it was 7400 yds. By the time the 2000's came around all those trees had grown up, adding to the difficulty.

 

The owner was an eccentric old man who had visions of his course ranking with Pine Valley and Augusta. After the re design It was still a very difficult course but much more playable. I think at one point it was ranked 14th most difficult course in the US.

 

I would guess we had about 75 members and it was also open to public play.

 

The beauty of the course was it didn't get much play so we could go there most any day and just walk out and play with no wait. Unfortunately that was also its downfall. Most who played it would do so once or twice a year or in an outing ( scramble ) and that was about it. After the old man died his family didn't know how to run a course and fought with managers they would bring in and it finally went under.

 

I've played golf all over the country and never seen a course quiet like Thunder Hill.

[smashdn]

I flipped a cart on a course. Dead sober and not goofing off. Combination of steep grade, sharp curve at the bottom of the hill, wet pavement and bald cart tires. Very hilly course, named of course, Country Hills.

[FLOGMR]

A few years ago I was in Thailand on a golf holiday with a large group of friends....we went out to a course called Dragon Hills....it is pretty much right along the Thailand - Myanmar border. The 2 countries were in a kind of quiet pissing match at the time and the border was heavily guarded by both sides.

As we played there was a constant stream of helicopters flying over at very low altitude (Like 50 ft), most of them were were Hueys with door gunners at the ready....one of our buddies decided to take a picture of the next one that flew over. The caddies started freaking out and told him not to do it......as the next chopper came over (Less that 100 yards away) he pulled his camera and pointed it at the chopper.....the chopper went into hover with the door gunner aiming his machine gun toward our area.... He put his camera away and the chopper flew off but we had constant air surveillance for the rest of the round. I think we all missed a few extra short putts on the way to the 18th. :#

[Jimjam651]

A number of clubs in Kent in England got turned over a few years ago, mostly overnight burglaries but a couple were robberies that involved staff being threatened with weapons if memory serves me right.

 

Not in a particularly rough area but someone figured out golf clubs were an easy target and enjoyed themselves until they were arrested

[Deluxe186]

sleepy hollow is there anything scarier then the headless horsemen?

[dbleag]

> @CaseyC said:

> 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.

 

Iguanas are common place at many of our golf courses. Fortunately, they are more afraid of people.

 

 

[jim rockford]

gleneagles/mclaren park in san francisco (near candlestick park) was supposed to be very bad but it was fine. beautiful layout. grooming not the best but they are trying and i had good time.

 

it's funny. i read that it's in the ghetto in san francisco. and i'm like "there's no ghetto in san francisco"..... after driving there, i stand corrected............. as a note, ghetto doesn't equal skid row. SF definitely has a skid row. i knew that.