toughest course you've played

[phsgolfguy]

Panther Creek outside Jacksonville. Last time I played it course record was 73 from the tips. Ocean course and Tobacco Road were tough as well.

 

course record is now 71. the guy broke it a few weeks ago

[SpinMill75]

I played like garbage at Crosswater.

 

 

I was going to say Crosswater ( Sunriver Oregon) can be pretty tough. The Champions Tour stop is there for their Jeld-Wen Traditions tournament. It plays pretty long with alot of water.

Pacific Dunes can be pretty nasty too if the wind and weather are up.

[mikpga]

Just played the two toughest rated courses in Indiana...

 

Purgatory & Wolf Run...

 

Purgatory was 7700, but I thought it was quite fair and a great track!

 

Wolf Run is by far the hardest course I have ever played...

 

It didn't help playing Purgatory in the morning! I thought Wolf Run was very penalizing...

 

Very tight, very few bail out areas into the greens, played about 7200...

 

Very difficult...

[slimshady]

haven't played that many "elite" courses that get mentioned in the various publications, maybe 20 or so, but for this one i've got to say butler national in oak brook, illinois. 7500+, par 71, rating 78.1 and slope of 152. hosted the western open for about 20 years or so in the 70's and 80's, and if my memory serves, it consistently had the highest scoring average for a non-major venue. very "traditional" midwest course, and tee to green it is an absolute beast. most of the par 4's are long enough to warrant a mid/long iron in, but narrow enough that you're hesitant to hit driver, and they keep the rough at a length where you can get a club on the ball, but really have no hope of getting enough club to the green. first time i played there i was about a 2 index and thought every hole was relatively straightforward - no gimmicks - and then i walked off the course with a 91 without losing a ball and only 3 putting once.

 

my brother has played wolf creek in vegas and i've heard the stories/seen the pictures. i've got to get out there at some point just to punish myself...

[armydiver]

Koolau on Oahu, Hawaii. Its pretty beastly from the tips. Every shot has the potential for disaster if you spray the ball. Plus the greens are so damn grainy.

[PGATourdreamin]

Heartwell Park in Carson, CA. Par 27. 2,143 yards from the back tees. The course has bunkers and two water hazards. It's just insane! You really have to be hitting your driver well to score on this course. I don't know how the pros do it . . . :russian_roulette:

[tjewell1994]

Exmoore CC in Chicago, IL.

about 7,200 and narrow fairways, if you miss them the rough is really long and you have to shape just about every tee shot. there isn't any shot you can just bomb it and hope that it's safe.

 

edit: not to mention the greens. they were sooooo hilly and they were really fast.

[tjewell1994]

a little course near orlando called diamondback. it has the smallest thinnest fairways of any course i have ever seen. i lost about a dozen balls in one round. i could only hit driver on about 3 holes due to the doglegs and narrow fairways. there is almost no rough just forest and wetlands lining each fairway

 

i have to agree on this. i played it last year and i was in shock on just about every tee shot. you have to split the middle of every fairway just to be in them. some other great courses in orlando are magnolia, grand pines, lake buena vista, and falcon's fire.

[sosinsurr]

Some local ones that come to mind:

 

- Bandon Dunes when the wind is howling

- Eugene Country Club, Eugene Oregon

- Sahalee Country Club, Sammamish Washington...again tight tree lined fairways that if you miss, bogey is a good score

- The Home Course, DuPont Washington...a cheaper Chambers Bay. Played both and the wind always blew when I was at The Home Course so it made it a b*tch from tips

- The Plateau Club, Sammamish Washington...rated as the states toughest course. Rating of 76.3/152 at just under 7200 yards

-

[fanofsaosin]

http://www.frenchlick.com/golf/peteDye/index.jsp

 

french lick, in

 

long and tough plus designed by pete dye....

[mitchleary]

The Bourne in Marseiles, IL. Most holes you leave the fairway, you are in deep doo doo. The rough gets worse as the year goes on. Very quiet old Scottish links style course cut through a forest. Serene and absolutely beautiful.

[Señor Rafa]

Either the Brabazon course at the Belfry; or Trevose Championship course at Trevose CC. Both very different courses, but I found both courses a real test - especially on Trevose when the wind picked up.

[big_mac]

A rather windy Carnoustie. A tough course under calmer conditions already, it becomes a real monster when the wind get's up. Wow.

+1. Played it 3 times and the last round had winds building off the North Sea all afternoon. After the 12th hole (which is already a monster), controlling the golf ball was pretty much impossible. I have video I shot of the North Sea at the conclusion of my round that day and it was a boil! 16, 17, and 18 are the toughest finish in golf IMO.

[jsh1n]

Bandon Dunes

the wind was terrifying

[joekelli]

Thunder Hill I am just going to post the review from golfclevelandohio.com because it says it best about this course.

 

18 hole championship course in Madison, about a 40 minute drive east on I-90 from downtown Cleveland. This was an old fishery that was then turned into an impossible and poorly-conditioned golf course. In 1997, the course underwent extensive renovations to make it the best golf course and golf experience in Ohio. It's in the middle of wilderness, no buildings or houses visible from the course with a good deal of solitude on each hole as you play among the tall pines and weeping willows. The course is very difficult, so even low handicappers will find themselves on the middle tees. Not many courses anywhere have tees longer than 7500. Don't go there if you can't carry a tee shot 200 yards. Back tees must be just for show, they are way too long. Tons of trouble if you miss the first cut of rough. Bring lots of extra balls, there are about 100 small ponds and lakes that come into play on all but one hole. Must be played at least twice to overcome the immense intimidation each hole holds out to you. It's not as hard as it looks. The first time is torture the second is pleasure. Many shot strategies on most holes. Shot values are extremely high. Every hole has at least several sand traps. Modern design and feel with good undulated greens. Even in a heavy downpour, the course drains great. Every hole could be the signature hole at any course in Ohio. This is definitely not your cookie cutter type course and there are many wonderfully unique holes here. Nice elevation changes and great all around design with rolling and flowing fairways. Too many favorite holes and every one has a different feel or theme. The par 5 eighth is notable for several reasons. A nice slightly downhill tees shot to set up a cool second shot over a big lake to a protected landing area. Plus a "skunk bunker" of black sand and heather to cost you at least two shots to get out of. Near the green is a plaque to commemorate a skunk that once dug up the course. The course finishes with a beautiful par 3 over water at 16 with circus undulations in the green. The par 4 seventeenth has to be one of the most exciting tee shot in Ohio with its big downhill slight dogleg right where if you can keep it in the fairway you will be richly rewarded. Stray from the fairway and you bring several ponds in play. An extremely undulated green makes a birdie very rewarding. If the pin is in the back, play to the middle of the green and hope it releases to the back. Awesome finishing par 5 at the eighteenth requiring a third shot over a big lake or you can go for it in two if your tee shot is long enough. Spectacular scenery all around with tall pines and extensive vegetation. It seems the course has been here for seventy five years. Extremely well-mark twice every 25 yards.

http://www.golflink.com/golf-courses/cours...x?course=896645

 

http://www.thunderhillgolf.com/golf/proto/...r/THThole1.html

 

 

 

 

[newkidontheblock]

Ha I actually played the second toughest course in NC this weekend my dad and I can't remember the name Old North club? I think anyways its private and only the really really rich live there (usually third home) but my buddy who is doing an internship there got us on to play for free and lets say it kicked my butt I shot a 76 from 7,000 but couldn't hit the fairway all day which is a no no they got rough so thick half the time I just pitched out

[driveforshowputtfordough]

Grand National in Alabama, Robert Trent Jones design, was a monster at 7600 from the tips. Playing back there was one of the worst golf decisions I have made. I only hit my driver about 260 so I always would have 220-230 into every par 4. I think it is actually rated a top 10 public course in the country.

[toddnt]

Torrey Pines South: Sheer length of course, thick and long rough, wind off ocean and hitting 3I and 3W into par 4's!

[rct20]

Spyglass Hill
Torrey Pines South
Winged Foot West
Stanwich Golf Club

[Stig53KR]

Oakland Hills Country Club, South Course. Super long from the tips, ridiculous greens (super fast, rolled every day), rough is pretty thick and did I mention it's really long?

[dpark]

Toughest course not considering weather conditions was Spyglass from the tips.

Toughest course including weather was Bandon Dunes. Played it this summer in the Oregon Am from the tournament tees (way longer than the black tees) at 7212 yards, CR 76.8 and Slope 150. Wind was blowing constant 40mph.

Average score in the field was 83 for both days of stroke play. No vanity handicaps in the field, you had to qualify to get in.

[marky1979]

[quote name='big_mac' post='1812689' date='Jul 12 2009, 01:25 AM'][quote name='jaskanski' post='1769656' date='Jun 21 2009, 04:04 AM']A rather windy Carnoustie. A tough course under calmer conditions already, it becomes a real monster when the wind get's up. Wow.[/quote]
+1. Played it 3 times and the last round had winds building off the North Sea all afternoon. After the 12th hole (which is already a monster), controlling the golf was ball was pretty much impossible. I have video I shot of the North Sea at the conclusion of my round that day and it was a boil! 16, 17, and 18 are the toughest finish in golf IMO.
[/quote]

+1

Plus European Club in Ireland .... Its got a 150yrd green for fecks sake!

[NCJaguar5]

Tot Hill Farm in terms of the layout, and Tanglewood Reynolds Course for a combination of layout and my lack of skill (haven't played there in several years).

[Ironhorse723]

Ocean Course Kiawah Island...nearly impossible w wind...

TPC Sawgrass....target golf...plain and simple.

Cottonwood Hills...a Faldo design close to Prairie Dunes in Kansas.

[Ty_Webb]

One out of:

Pine Valley - 155 slope rating. Only course I've ever played where you can see 10 on every single hole without doing hardly anything wrong. There are places on that course where if you go, you'll never finish.

Les Bordes in France - as I hear it, they have two boards in the clubhouse. One for people who play 18 holes with one ball and one for people who break 80. After it had been open for five years, there were I think 7 names on the broke 80 board. Two of them being European Tour players (Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke). I haven't actually played this one, so I shouldn't count it.

Kiawah Ocean Course - joke hard off the back tees and if the wind blows, don't even bother.

Royal St Georges - in the wind with the rough up, this is just flat out hard. Threading drives between bunkers that are so deep, they have steps down into them.

Haven't played Carnoustie either, though I'm sure if I had it would be on there.

[Ronzo]

Bethpage Black. I played it twice when I was playing my best some years ago, and it ate me alive both times.

Second is/was Key Biscayne, before Hurricane Andrew destroyed it. I haven't played the new incarnation of the course yet.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='bjackson' post='1783186' date='Jun 27 2009, 12:01 AM']Spyglass Hill, tipped out and in tournaments conditions. I played pretty well and still struggled. For anyone who has been to Spyglass, I HATE HATE HATE the fourth hole. The green is no more than 8 yards wide with fescue all around. Not exactly the biggest target from 150 or so.[/quote]
I played Spyglass several weeks ago, did NOT play the tips, I am not very long, but shot pretty good with a 39 on the back, the caddy told me the greens were slower than normal, but the green on the 4th hole is crazy. I have seen bathtubs wider than that green. Great course one of the best I have ever played, IMO a better all around layout than Pebble, it just doesnt have the history or holes 7,8,9 and 18. The other 14 holes are better.

[tjewell1994]

tuscany reserve from 7200 yards. ouch.

[El Pato]

1. Torrey Pines South (San Diego)- Lots of thick rough and long par 4's!

2. Sierra Star GC (Mammoth)- Lots of blind shots and if you miss the rough you're in the trees, or the houses!

[carn9698]

Yes Carnoustie is the toughest. I`m a 7 hcp and my previous back block Craws Nest Tassie scores are 96, 98 & 99! Yes I get worse each time. I won`t let it beat me, so I`m back for the Tassie in 1 week. Will post my 4th score after. Got to break 90. Worst thing is my previous 3 were on dead calm days. Not normal there. Its gr8 though. The 1st is an optical illusion. It sucks you in the left burn. The 3rd demands the right 2nd club length or gets wet or unpayable back rough. Hogans alley 6th lay up is a too narrow funnel. 9th tee shot is tiiiight! I`m not even going to begin to tell you about 10th South Americas and the last 5 toughest finish holes in golf bar none. More yanks should come every 1st week in Sept for the Tassie. I guarantee you`ll come again and again. £150 for 3 rounds around Carnoustie. Its a golf only town. Play, talk about it. Love it. Links is best golf there is. Just ask Tom Watson, the master of it.