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Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
...and Westward Ho! can't be one of them (the Humpty Rule)....Mark, just giving you shit in preparation for the five year barrage we can expect concerning Royal North Devon   :D

I think many should be able to guess most of mine.  Well folks, you were unimpressed with George so don't let that cretin (said lovingly and with respect for all you George fans out there in Peperland) have the last word.

Ciao

 
New plays planned for 2024: Fraserburgh, Hankley Common, Ashridge, Gog Magog Old & Cruden Bay St Olaf

Ryan Coles

  • Karma: +0/-0
1. Royal Dornoch
2. Kingsbarns
3. Castle Stuart
4. Brora
5. Formby (if it counts)
6. Nairn
7. Saunton East
8. Enniscrone
9. Castle Course (if it counts)
10. Royal Birkdale
11. Royal St Georges (replacing 4 if applicable).
12. St Enodoc (Replacing 9 if applicable).

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
1. Saint_A
2. Sand_H
3. Red_D
3. White_D
5. Pacific_D
6. Bandon_T
7. Bandon_D
8. Royal_M
9. New_SW
10. Ballyneal.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2014, 07:50:14 PM by John Kavanaugh »

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Out of curiosity, what does the stuff below mean?

(replacing 4 if applicable).
(Replacing 9 if applicable).


Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Fraserburgh, Hankley Common, Ashridge, Gog Magog Old & Cruden Bay St Olaf

Bill Gayne

  • Karma: +0/-0
St Andrews
Portrush Dunluce
Ballybunion Old
Cruden Bay
Royal County Down
Portrush Valley
Lahinch
Dooks
Carne
Waterville

(No order to the list)



Ryan Coles

  • Karma: +0/-0
Out of curiosity, what does the stuff below mean?

(replacing 4 if applicable).
(Replacing 9 if applicable).


Ciao

Do Formby and Castle Course count as Links? If not, those two are the replacements.

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
In no particular order....

Royal Dornoch
St Andrews Old
Royal Porthcawl
North Berwick West Links
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal St George's
Pennard
Rye
Littlestone
Royal Liverpool

(I've walked but not played Royal County Down, it would certainly be near the top.  Happy to see it during the Walker Cup)

In North America?  Only Pacific Dunes and Cabot Links :) and not sure all of PD is links land. 

« Last Edit: July 20, 2014, 10:10:58 PM by Bill_McBride »

Ken Moum

  • Karma: +0/-0
Well, I have only played the following 20, so it seems like picking 10 is a bit silly....

Links
1.   Brora
2.   Cruden Bay
3.   Cullen
4.   Dunbar
5.   Elie
6.   Fraserburgh
7.   Golspie
8.   Gullane #2
9.   Kilspindie
10.   Lundin
11.   Nairn
12.   Nairn Dunbar
13.   North Berwick
14.   Royal Dornoch Championship
15.   Royal Dornoch Struie
16.   SA Eden
17.   SA Jubilee
18.   SA New
19.   SA Old
20.   Tain

Other non-links in the area
1.   Boat of Garten
2.   Duddingston
3.   Scotscraig
4.   Bonar Bridge

Nevertheless, I rate these as my favorites:

Elie
Brora
Dunbar

And probably:

SA Old
North Berwick

Courses I hope to never see again:

SA Jubilee


You may have noticed a trend here.  My top three are probably considered "easy" by a lot of folks. Guilty as charged.

I just today listened to the 'State of the Game" podcast from the week before the US Open, which included a session with Chris Buie author of "The Early Days of Pinehurst."  They brought up an old word to describe golf courses.... Sporty.

Well, I have long thought hard is overrated in golf courses, and interesting is underrated.  Maybe sporty is what I really want.

Elie, Brora and Dunbar are all sporty.  And they all have delicious locations to my taste.
Over time, the guy in the ideal position derives an advantage, and delivering him further  advantage is not worth making the rest of the players suffer at the expense of fun, variety, and ultimately cost -- Jeff Warne, 12-08-2010

Tommy Williamsen

  • Karma: +0/-0
St. Andrews Old
Royal County Down
Royal Dornoch
The European Club
Ballybunion Old
St. Enodoc
Royal North Devon (Sorry Sean, but I didn't say Westward Ho!)
Royal Birkdale
Royal Portrush
Pennard
Where there is no love, put love; there you will find love.
St. John of the Cross

"Deep within your soul-space is a magnificent cathedral where you are sweet beyond telling." Rumi

Andy Shulman

  • Karma: +0/-0
I've played fewer than 20, so I'll limit myself to a Top 5.  I would have included Kingsbarns, but it's not a true links - as I understand the term - regardless of what Sgt. Peper says!

1.  Royal Dornoch
2.  Lahinch
3.  St. Andrews (Old)
4.  North Berwick
5.  Old MacDonald

Carnoustie (Championship) and Crail (Balcomie) get honorable mention.

Shane Wright

  • Karma: +0/-0
Favorite 10 Links courses -

1. Royal County Down
2. St. Andrew's Old
3. Muirfield
4. Ballybunion
5. Pacific Dunes
6. Lahinch
7. Royal Portrush
8. Royal Dornoch
9. North Berwick West
10. Cruden Bay

Just left out
Turnberry, Cabot Links, Prestwick, Waterville, Bandon Dunes, Carnoustie, Tralee
  

Will Lozier

  • Karma: +0/-0
My 13 as that is my lucky number...

Cypress Point
Deal
Lahinch
Pacific Dunes
Royal County Down
St. Enodoc
Bandon Trails
Royal St. George's
Ballybunion Old
Kennemer
Rye
Bandon Dunes
Pennard (only got to play the back 9 but walked the front)

I'll prepare to be debated on CPC and BT being eligible!








Michael Whitaker

  • Karma: +0/-0
Random order:

Royal Dornoch
Royal Cinque Ports
St Enodoc
Silloth On Solway
North Berwick
Cruden Bay
Cabot Links
Dooks
Royal St George's
Barnbougle Dunes

Honorable mention:
Pennard
Machrihanish
"Solving the paradox of proportionality is the heart of golf architecture."  - Tom Doak (11/20/05)

Mark Bourgeois

  • Karma: +0/-0
...and Westward Ho! can't be one of them (the Humpty Rule)....Mark, just giving you shit in preparation for the five year barrage we can expect concerning Royal North Devon   :D


I'll respond when I stop laughing. Could be a while. ;D  But when I do, I will endeavor to live up to Peper's ultimate criterion: 'If I could schedule a tee time for tomorrow morning, where would I want it to be.'
Charlotte. Daniel. Olivia. Josephine. Ana. Dylan. Madeleine. Catherine. Chase. Jesse. James. Grace. Emilie. Jack. Noah. Caroline. Jessica. Benjamin. Avielle. Allison.

Tim Johnson

  • Karma: +0/-0
In no exact order but close:
Carne
Cruden Bay
Dornoch
Portrush
TOC
RCD
Enniscrone
The Machrie

Adam Lawrence

  • Karma: +0/-0
In no particular order, except the first, my favourite course:

Machrihanish
St Andrews (Old)
St Enodoc
Barnbougle Dunes
Cruden Bay
Askernish
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal St George's
Enniscrone
Royal Hague

Ps. Shouldn't it be 'fuggeddabout'?  :)
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Sean Walsh

  • Karma: +0/-0
1. St Andrews Old
2. Barnbougle Lost Farm
3. Barnbougle Dunes
4. Lahinch
5. County Louth
6. Brora
7. Port Fairy
8. The Eden
9. Royal Portrush
10. North Berwick

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
My 13 as that is my lucky number...

Cypress Point
Deal
Lahinch
Pacific Dunes
Royal County Down
St. Enodoc
Bandon Trails
Royal St. George's
Ballybunion Old
Kennemer
Rye
Bandon Dunes
Pennard (only got to play the back 9 but walked the front)

I'll prepare to be debated on CPC and BT being eligible!


I'll play the role of Patrick Mucci:

Which holes at either Cypress Point or Bandon Trails are on links land?  Bandon Trails has even more holes in the forest than CPC.  

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Adam - Ps. Shouldn't it be 'fuggeddabout'?   When in England....think of Hugh Grant  :P

I need someone took hook me up with Royal Hague (and de Pan), both sound charming.

As I suspected, it didn't take long before seven of my favourites were mentioned. 

Enniscrone
Portrush Valley
Lahinch
Cruden Bay
North Berwick West Links
Pennard
St Enodoc

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Fraserburgh, Hankley Common, Ashridge, Gog Magog Old & Cruden Bay St Olaf

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Good topic Sean

George's list is very bizzare, but it is his, and it made me think about top 10 links I would most prefer to play again, rather than my insignificant view as to which were the "best" 10 links GCA-wise or otherwise.  So, alphabetically....

Ballyliffin Old--not as good as when it was Ballyliffin Only, but what remains is still Eddie Hackett's masterpiece
Deal--the Elie of England
Dornoch--my "home" course since I first played it in 1978
Eden (St. Andrews)--most enjoyable course in St. Andrews, even with the Links Trust/Donald Steel butchery of what Colt built
Elie--in many ways the perfect links, and whilst posh, still very accessible
Kilspindie--the least "affected" of all the significant East Lothian clubs and courses and the greatest fun
Muirfield--so posh that it is the second least affected of the significant East Lothian links (and yes, it IS a links)
Mulranney--spent an hour walking it in 2008, still remains above Pine Valley on my "bucket list" of courses to play
Silloth--more remote than Dornoch but almost as enjoyable
Western Gailes--a nearly perfect blend of quality, simplicity and comfort

Rich

Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0

I'll play the role of Patrick Mucci:

Which holes at either Cypress Point or Bandon Trails are on links land?  Bandon Trails has even more holes in the forest than CPC.  

None, Uncle Bill.
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Rich Goodale

  • Karma: +0/-0
Adam - Ps. Shouldn't it be 'fuggeddabout'?   When in England....think of Hugh Grant  :P

I need someone took hook me up with Royal Hague (and de Pan), both sound charming.

As I suspected, it didn't take long before seven of my favourites were mentioned. 

Enniscrone
Portrush Valley
Lahinch
Cruden Bay
North Berwick West Links
Pennard
St Enodoc

Ciao


And not at all surprising to me that none of my top 10 are in your top seven.  Confirmation of the Tom Paul Big World Theory.
Life is good.

Any afterlife is unlikely and/or dodgy.

Jean-Paul Parodi

Adam Lawrence

  • Karma: +0/-0
Adam - Ps. Shouldn't it be 'fuggeddabout'?   When in England....think of Hugh Grant  :P

I need someone took hook me up with Royal Hague (and de Pan), both sound charming.


Frank P is your man.
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Sean_A

  • Karma: +0/-0
Rihc

I get the impresson your favourites have changed a bit over the years.  Not surprising I spose, but what are some courses you used to like more than now?

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Fraserburgh, Hankley Common, Ashridge, Gog Magog Old & Cruden Bay St Olaf

Ben Jarvis

  • Karma: +0/-0
1. Saint_A
2. Sand_H
3. Red_D
3. White_D
5. Pacific_D
6. Bandon_T
7. Bandon_D
8. Royal_M
9. New_SW
10. Ballyneal.

Interesting interpretation as to what's a links. I've played 6 of these courses and would have thought at least 7 aren't in fact a links.
Twitter: @BennyJarvis
Instagram: @bennyj08

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