Toughest Course/Conditions You've Ever Played In

[ricknoberts]

I played Tiger Woods '12 the other day in some absolutely preposterous conditions on a ridiculous course, and it made me think of the hardest round I ever played.

 

Last year I was lucky enough to go to Scotland and play a number of elite courses, but the first day was absolutely brutal.

 

My brother and I played the Ailsa Course at Turnberry from the tips in a driving rain with constant winds above 35 and gusts above 60. I heard that Prestwick gave refunds on greens fees for the first time in years that day. After a long delay waiting for our clubs, we were the last group of the day off.

 

For those of you who don't know the Turnberry layout, the first several holes alternate into and downwind, but after the openers, the next several holes play directly into the teeth of the wind. The 15th hole played about 195 that day, and we both hit driver on the screws and didn't get there. On the fifth hole, which was downwind, I skanked a tee shot off the heel and it went 330+.

 

By the turn I started to wonder if I was actually going to die on the golf course. I've never been so cold.

 

I honestly don't know if there is a man alive who could have broken 75 on that course that day. My brother in law, who plays off scratch, felt ecstatic with his 97.

 

If someone would have asked me to put a slope on the course on that day, I would have said infinity.

 

For you all, what is the combination of brutality that has tested you the most?

[onetime19]

Mine was pretty recent. We had a foursome together to play but, since the forecast called for rain two guy's cancelled. Since I live close I drove to the course and as I pulled up there were two yes two vehicles in the whole parking lot. I immediately thought there are a lot of people smarter than me lol So my buddy pulls up and I say whatcha think? Without any hesitation he said Let's play! We tee off from the tips by the time we get to our second shot all hell brakes loose. It's starting to come down pretty good and I'm thinking the ole FJ rain suit will be my savior. I had packed four towels and four pair's of gloves,which made it to about the third hole. At that time everything in God's creation was soaking wet, I mean down to me drawers there was standing water on the fairways and greens. It was such a helpless feeling to have NOTHING dry everything you came in contact with was wet. It was actually miserable lol but we still left with a smile on our face, and made it through nine!

[kg92lefty]

Why would you play the tips in driving rain and 60mph gusts? feeling small? ego problem?

[jmvargas]

i can play when it's hot--there's always the umbrella and bottled water--but stop playing when it rains so hard that i have a hard time gripping my clubs..

[sCrod3s]

About a year ago a buddy and I wanted to get our first round of the year in and were determined to do it. 45 degrees mist and 40 mph winds. It was awful. I think I shot 95 that day. Went back later in the summer and shot 77. Same course same tees lol.

[MrTitleist2U]

Pauite Wolf course outside Vegas. Pete Dye had an acid trip when he designed 500 yard par fours that play into the always present 30+ mph winds. Played a 80 team 2 man scramble event there 2 years ago from the tips, right at 7700 yards. there were 4 holes that no team and no person on the planet could home in regulation. Absolute horse sh!t. Driver, 3 wood, and still have a 110 yard 7 iron in.

[RobGW]

I played the Ocean Course on a chilly day (upper 40°s), with a gusting wind up to 30mph. Hit a 3 wood over a green at 330 yards downwind, couldn't carry a 150 yard water hazard into the wind with a solid 4 iron.

[isaacbm]

Played a hogan tour ( nationwide in the early ninety's) event at Oak Valley in Beaumont California. It's pretty close to where they have all those windmills for electricity... There were 13 spots for the event. i shot 80 and not only did I get in, I finished 2nd in a field of 120 guys! One guy shot 79 and I think 85 qualified! It's the only event I've ever played where the commitee actually came out and changed a few of the hole locations DURING the round. A lot of guys shot over 50 on the front and walked off. It must have been a consistant 60 miles per hour and the wind chill was barely above freezing.

Then the tourney comes around and the weather is perfect. I shot 71, 72 the first two days and I was 19 shots off the lead. Made the cut, sat was rained out, I shot 73 3rd day to make $340. LOL!

The winner was 24 under for 3 days.

[ricknoberts]

[quote name='kg92lefty' timestamp='1332564213' post='4568284']
Why would you play the tips in driving rain and 60mph gusts? feeling small? ego problem?
[/quote]


That's probably the only time in my life I'd get to play that course, and I'd never play in conditions like that at home, so why not see how hard golf can really be?

It was one of the most enjoyable rounds I've played, cold aside, simply because the conditions were so ridiculous.

[patty_13]

Played in 35F or 2 Celsius weather.

The ponds on the course were literally frozen and it was impossible to hold a green with anything more than a 8 iron.

I was just happy to be golfing in november in northern Canada.

[CaddiesFault]

I live in upper MI and have played in 30* weather, but the most ridiculous conditions i ever saw was at the ocean course in SC. i caddied for this group in a tropical storm, and the gusts made the front page of the paper the next day as they were recorded up to 72 mph. thankfully it only lasted 10 holes until they gave up. the sand blowing off the dunes on 10 hurt so bad we couldn't continue. ill never forget that round. you could lean into the wind and not fall over.

[mdgboxx]

[quote name='patty_13' timestamp='1332607113' post='4570234']
Played in 35F or 2 Celsius weather.

The ponds on the course were literally frozen and it was impossible to hold a green with anything more than a 8 iron.

I was just happy to be golfing in november in northern Canada.
[/quote]


If you played the INTERNATIONAL 2000, (I'm assuming you are) you're not in Northern Canada, you couldn't be further South. There are three holes on that course where, if you hook it off the tee, you will land inside the USA. There's a Border Marker not 30 yds from the center of the green on the 8th hole of the America course.
In the spring, you MUST land at least ten yds in front of ANY green or else your ball bounces up, on the green, 40-50 ft in the air and lands in the woods behind it.

I played in late fall at -18°C (0°F) w/winds @ 20 mph, gusting @ 30-40.



It definitely IS a different kind of golf. But, GOLF nonetheless!

[larrybud]

A played a michigan publinx tourney a few years ago, first tourney in May. The temperature and wind were about the same! lol. Not kidding, had to be 35f and 25mph winds. Not to mention those tournaments are brutally slow... that day it was 5.5 hours. It was ridiculous. Jackasses lining up 20 footers for 5 minutes.

That was the moment I decided to buy a cart cover and heater!

[lightgrip]

About five years ago, in March, the Senator at the RTJ Trail in Prattville. Temps in the 30's and so was the wind, maybe more. Absolutely ridiculous. Cured me of ever thinking about doing that again.

[Beatupfender]

Worst cold game was on Dec 4 some years ago in L'Assomption. Frost delay until 11, and you still couldn't drive a tee in the ground, so we had to tee off of the deck. It was cold enough to wear a hat and gloves as well as long johns and a winter jacket, and the wind made your eyes water, with the tears freezing on your cheeks. The ponds were frozen solid, and we had a contest of who could hit his ball off the ice and onto the green on a par 3. Playing was a miserable affair, but it turned out to be the last game of the year, and winter is loooong up here.

Worst hot weather game was in August in Myrtle Beach at Bay Tree. It was well over 100F, and three of us Quebecers were hell bent on playing. Sweat was dripping off my nose and onto my putter at address as of hole number 2, and by the turn, we'd lost one of our friends, who wisely retreated to the bar. We gave up at hole 14. That's the closest to a sun stroke I've ever come. Still .It was golf.

[demo190]

Lost Key in perdo key, fl. Toughest SOB around, locals will have nothing to do with it. It is always in good shape, but just way to hard.

[kg92lefty]

[quote name='UGotHustled' timestamp='1332569746' post='4568580']
Pauite Wolf course outside Vegas. Pete Dye had an acid trip when he designed 500 yard par fours that play into the always present 30+ mph winds. Played a 80 team 2 man scramble event there 2 years ago from the tips, right at 7700 yards. there were 4 holes that no team and no person on the planet could home in regulation. Absolute horse sh!t. Driver, 3 wood, and still have a 110 yard 7 iron in.
[/quote]

did they add tee boxes? (they obviously did not) because the course is 7,604. and theres maybe a step or two on each box behind that.

[Wordmixer]

Toughest for me was years ago at a high school tournament in Ardmore, Oklahoma, during the month of February. I remember the temps in the mid 30s, the wind at a constant 30 mph with gusts much higher, the wind chill something unbearable. All the teams were staying in cabins at the course, just behind the practice range. Guys would run out to hit ten balls just to get "warmed up," then retreat back to the cabin, putt on the carpet and await their tee time. I remember our foursome -- all of us from different schools -- wrapping towels around our necks and walking backwards down the first fairway, our hands numbing, the wind louder than an Ian Poulter wardrobe. There was a par-3 over water, about 155, that was a wedge the first day but a 3-iron the second day. I think our golf coach booked that tournament every year because of some country restaurant that served great chicken-fried steaks.

Those were the days...

[BigDave11]

It was an especially windy day in Chicago when I played Butler National back when my uncle was a member. Constant winds of 15-25 and gusts above 40. And the rough was longer than usual and the greens were rolling a 14. Butler is already a super difficult course, hell, the pros thought it was too hard too and that's one of the reasons why the Western Open isn't played there anymore. It was damn near impossible. Fantastic course though, a very memorable round.

[War Eagle]

Lost Key in perdo key, fl (called Lost Ball locally) can be a tough, but for me it has to be the Ocean Course. Got to play there a few months back and the wind was kicking like a pack of Ninjas. Getting the correct yardage that day was impossible. It was still a blast.

[BigDave11]

[quote name='War Eagle' timestamp='1332680815' post='4574982']
Lost Key in perdo key, fl (called Lost Ball locally) can be a tough, but for me it has to be the Ocean Course. Got to play there a few months back and the wind was kicking like a pack of Ninjas. Getting the correct yardage that day was impossible. It was still a blast.
[/quote]
I've heard a lot about that course, I really need to get down there for a round.

War Eagle!

[spitfisher]

Ocean course at kiawah, 30-40 mph winds

[Pr3cision]

Last season, I was playing a round when it was about 75* (temperature wise, perfect), then all the sudden it started getting dark and extremely windy. Then it started raining, and the rain was so bad, it hurt. I tried to finish, but the weather got to the point where it just wasn't fun anymore because one; I couldn't grip the club, two; the wind kept catching the ball, my shots were terrible, and my putts were atrocious.

[rainkingjr]

Probably 20 years ago when nothing would keep me from the course, my brother-in-law and I played in 20 degree weather with 20mph winds. Even wedges wouldn't hold the greens. Remember hitting the green a few times and the watching the ball bounce 40 feet in the air and over the green. The best part was that my brother-in-law had a pin in his pinky finger due to a recently torn tendon. He screamed every time he hit the ball. I have no idea what we shot, but it was bad. One of my most enjoyable rounds ever though. Can't remember ever laughing so hard at my brother-in-law. Priceless.

[mnplayer]

Played Hazeltine on a really wet day, 1 up from the tips and it was also really really windy as well. Try 645 par 5 on a really wet day into about a 25mph wind, haha.

[lightgrip]

[quote name='BigDave11' timestamp='1332683731' post='4575196']
[quote name='War Eagle' timestamp='1332680815' post='4574982']
Lost Key in perdo key, fl (called Lost Ball locally) can be a tough, but for me it has to be the Ocean Course. Got to play there a few months back and the wind was kicking like a pack of Ninjas. Getting the correct yardage that day was impossible. It was still a blast.
[/quote]
I've heard a lot about that course, I really need to get down there for a round.

War Eagle!
[/quote]

Lost Key is fairway and jungle. Nothing in between. Very picturesque, but hard and really not fun for me.

[MrTitleist2U]

[quote name='kg92lefty' timestamp='1332652985' post='4574304']
[quote name='UGotHustled' timestamp='1332569746' post='4568580']
Pauite Wolf course outside Vegas. Pete Dye had an acid trip when he designed 500 yard par fours that play into the always present 30+ mph winds. Played a 80 team 2 man scramble event there 2 years ago from the tips, right at 7700 yards. there were 4 holes that no team and no person on the planet could home in regulation. Absolute horse sh!t. Driver, 3 wood, and still have a 110 yard 7 iron in.
[/quote]

did they add tee boxes? (they obviously did not) because the course is 7,604. and theres maybe a step or two on each box behind that.
[/quote]


Last 5 holes were part of a Red Bull Promotion. "Red Bull Final 5" They added Temp Tees on those holes. Kind of stupid. I do not think anyone came within 100 yards of reaching 18 in regulation. Best score for those "Final 5" holes was Even n a 2 man scramble.

[SilverBullets]

The day I played Cypress it was 41* and storming... Our caddies sprinted to the Tee with our bags telling us to tee off because they were about the sound the siren and if we got off before they sounded it they wouldnt make us leave the course... Sure enough... We hit, get on the first green, the horn sounds. 41*, prob 30+ MPH winds, and horizontal rain. It was insane. It rained like hell for 7 holes and then out of nowhere the clouds parted and the sun came out. We were contemplating walking off the course on every tee box. The caddies were cool though and knew we would never get a chance to play it again so they wanted to stay with us. The back 9 was beautiful, albeit windy, but sunny. It was so windy that on hole 16 (maybe the great Par 3 in golf).. from about 230yds with a dead stiff wind in the face, I crushed 2 drivers and neither reached the other side hahah... At the time I was playing to about a 6 handicap and could hit a drive roughly 280 when hit flush. These balls likely weren't perfectly flush, but I'd say the wind was at minimum 35 yards.

[JLew27]

I was going to share mine but after reading these I have apparently played in nothing but pristine conditions.

[kg92lefty]

The third hole at my home course from the blue tees is ~180 to the middle, I normally hit a 6 but I have hit anything from a 52* wedge to a 3 wood on that hole.