Westward Ho! You been converted?
When I played Westward Ho! recently we were still playing to the normal green but he 'new' greensite for the 7th was being worked on and looked impressive.Westward Ho! You been converted?I have been won over to some degree. Oddly, I think if done well, the post erosion work could make the course better. Much will hinge on the 7th...a hole which impresses me.
My nifty list is pretty similar to Sean's although there are some courses on his listing I've not yet played (and perhaps some mentioned below that he may not have done yet).
Courses I would add -
Dooks
Mulranny
Carne (all 27-holes)
Dunfanaghy
Annesley at RCD
Portmarnock (27)
Brora
St Olaf at Cruden Bay
Carnoustie
Muirfield
Yelverton
Frilford Heath (Green)
Tadmarton Heath
My nifty list is pretty similar to Sean's although there are some courses on his listing I've not yet played (and perhaps some mentioned below that he may not have done yet).
Courses I would add -
Dooks
Mulranny
Carne (all 27-holes)
Dunfanaghy
Annesley at RCD
Portmarnock (27)
Brora
St Olaf at Cruden Bay
Carnoustie
Muirfield
Yelverton
Frilford Heath (Green)
Tadmarton Heath
There are many famous, bigger name, lengthier, more difficult courses that I've played and played well at over the years that I respect and could have included, but I haven't. Indeed there are some big name, famous courses that I'm happy to never to play again unless someone else is paying.
There comes a point when fun and enjoyment and smiles and walking off the 18th green wanting to play again rather than walking off the 18th green beat-up and weary and knackered takes precedence. This doesn't mean a desire to abstain from challenge or difficulty though, these are still important, essential even, but challenge and difficulty don't necessarily come only with a famous name and length, although sometimes they and fun and enjoyment and smiles do when an appropriate tee is used.
Each to their own though.
atb
A fun exercise to think about my "Fun 50" rather than best although there is a good amount of overlap:
Bandon Trails, Oregon
Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
Barton Hills, Michigan
Big Fish, Wisconsin
Bulle Rock, Maryland
Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia
Cabot Links, Nova Scotia
Commonwealth GC, Victoria
Crowbush Cove, PEI
Diamond Springs, Michigan
Dismal River (Red), Nebraska
Elk Rapids GC, Michigan
Formby, England
Green Gables, PEI
Greywalls, Michigan
Highland Links, Nova Scotia
High Pointe (NLE), Michigan
Kapalula, Hawaii
Keller, Minnesota
Kingsley Club, Michigan
Kingston Heath, Victoria
Lakewood Shores (The Gailes), Michigan
Leslie Park, Michigan
Mammoth Dunes, Wisconsin
Manitou Ridge, Minnesota
Marquette GC, Michigan
Midland Hills CC, Minnesota
New South Wales, NSW
Northland CC, Minnesota
Old Mac, Oregon
Pacific Dunes, Oregon
Peninsula Kingswood (North), Victoria
Ravisloe CC, Illinois
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England
Royal Melbourne East, Victoria
Royal Melbourne West, Victoria
Sand Valley, Wisconsin
Silloth On Solway, England
St. Andrews Beach, Victoria
Stoneridge, Minnesota
The Fortress, Michigan
The Loop (Black), Michigan
The Loop (Red), Michigan
Troy Burne, Wisconsin
Wallasey, England
White Bear Yacht Club, Minnesota
Windsong Farms, Minnesota
World Woods (Pine Barrens), Florida
Yarra Yarra GC, Victoria
This was harder than I thought it would be!
FIRST EDIT...
Alwoodley, England
Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
Black Mesa, New Mexico
Brora, Scotland
Bulls Bay, South Carolina
Burnham & Berrow, England
Caledonia, South Carolina
Carolina Golf Club, North CarolinaCleeve Hill, EnglandCabot Links, Nova Scotia
Cliffs at Mountain Park, South Carolina
Cruden Bay, Scotland
Cruit Island, Ireland
Deal, England
Dismal River Red, Nebraska
Dooks Golf Club, Ireland
Dunbar, Scotland
Elie, Scotland
Formby, England
Friars Head, New York
Gailes Links, Scotland
Golspie, Scotland
Hardelot Les Pins, France
Holston Hills, Tennessee
Huntercombe, England
Kingsley Club, Michigan
Kingston Heath, Australia
Lahinch, Ireland
Lawsonia Links, Wisconsin
Liphook, England
Mammoth Dunes, Wisconsin
North Berwick, Scotland
Notts, England
Old Macdonald, Oregon
Pennard, Wales
Royal Dornoch, Scotland
Royal Melbourne, Australia
Rye, England
Sand Hills, Nebraska
Silloth, England
Sleepy Hollow, New York
St Enodoc, England
St Georges, New York
Stoatin Brae, Michigan
Streamsong Black, Florida
Sweetens Cove, Tennessee
Swinley Forest, England
Tobacco Road, North Carolina
Utrechtse de Pan, Netherlands
Wexford Plantation, South Carolina
Wild Horse, Nebraska
0A fun exercise to think about my "Fun 50" rather than best although there is a good amount of overlap:
Bandon Trails, Oregon
Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
Barton Hills, Michigan
Big Fish, Wisconsin
Bulle Rock, Maryland
Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia
Cabot Links, Nova Scotia
Commonwealth GC, Victoria
Crowbush Cove, PEI
Diamond Springs, Michigan
Dismal River (Red), Nebraska
Elk Rapids GC, Michigan
Formby, England
Green Gables, PEI
Greywalls, Michigan
Highland Links, Nova Scotia
High Pointe (NLE), Michigan
Kapalula, Hawaii
Keller, Minnesota
Kingsley Club, Michigan
Kingston Heath, Victoria
Lakewood Shores (The Gailes), Michigan
Leslie Park, Michigan
Mammoth Dunes, Wisconsin
Manitou Ridge, Minnesota
Marquette GC, Michigan
Midland Hills CC, Minnesota
New South Wales, NSW
Northland CC, Minnesota
Old Mac, Oregon
Pacific Dunes, Oregon
Peninsula Kingswood (North), Victoria
Ravisloe CC, Illinois
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England
Royal Melbourne East, Victoria
Royal Melbourne West, Victoria
Sand Valley, Wisconsin
Silloth On Solway, England
St. Andrews Beach, Victoria
Stoneridge, Minnesota
The Fortress, Michigan
The Loop (Black), Michigan
The Loop (Red), Michigan
Troy Burne, Wisconsin
Wallasey, England
White Bear Yacht Club, Minnesota
Windsong Farms, Minnesota
World Woods (Pine Barrens), Florida
Yarra Yarra GC, Victoria
Derek
How is The Gailes holding up? It's been a very long time since I last played the course, but it made a big impact on me.
Leslie Park? I have fond memories of this course as I must have played it a hundred times. I never quite got my head around the Hills work as it seemed 50/50 in terms of improving on what was a good L Packard design.
I probably prefer the holes on the hilly side of the road at Huron Hills. This is a very cool group of T Bendelow holes that probably gave me a first appreciation for short courses. I suspect the course is still in need of serious TLC and it deserves the attention of a clever archie. Of course, this space is used for parks and recs sledding/cross country skiing in winter so it's a good use of the land.
Happy Hockey
0A fun exercise to think about my "Fun 50" rather than best although there is a good amount of overlap:
Bandon Trails, Oregon
Barnbougle Dunes, Tasmania
Barton Hills, Michigan
Big Fish, Wisconsin
Bulle Rock, Maryland
Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia
Cabot Links, Nova Scotia
Commonwealth GC, Victoria
Crowbush Cove, PEI
Diamond Springs, Michigan
Dismal River (Red), Nebraska
Elk Rapids GC, Michigan
Formby, England
Green Gables, PEI
Greywalls, Michigan
Highland Links, Nova Scotia
High Pointe (NLE), Michigan
Kapalula, Hawaii
Keller, Minnesota
Kingsley Club, Michigan
Kingston Heath, Victoria
Lakewood Shores (The Gailes), Michigan
Leslie Park, Michigan
Mammoth Dunes, Wisconsin
Manitou Ridge, Minnesota
Marquette GC, Michigan
Midland Hills CC, Minnesota
New South Wales, NSW
Northland CC, Minnesota
Old Mac, Oregon
Pacific Dunes, Oregon
Peninsula Kingswood (North), Victoria
Ravisloe CC, Illinois
Royal Lytham & St. Annes, England
Royal Melbourne East, Victoria
Royal Melbourne West, Victoria
Sand Valley, Wisconsin
Silloth On Solway, England
St. Andrews Beach, Victoria
Stoneridge, Minnesota
The Fortress, Michigan
The Loop (Black), Michigan
The Loop (Red), Michigan
Troy Burne, Wisconsin
Wallasey, England
White Bear Yacht Club, Minnesota
Windsong Farms, Minnesota
World Woods (Pine Barrens), Florida
Yarra Yarra GC, Victoria
Derek
How is The Gailes holding up? It's been a very long time since I last played the course, but it made a big impact on me.
Leslie Park? I have fond memories of this course as I must have played it a hundred times. I never quite got my head around the Hills work as it seemed 50/50 in terms of improving on what was a good L Packard design.
I probably prefer the holes on the hilly side of the road at Huron Hills. This is a very cool group of T Bendelow holes that probably gave me a first appreciation for short courses. I suspect the course is still in need of serious TLC and it deserves the attention of a clever archie. Of course, this space is used for parks and recs sledding/cross country skiing in winter so it's a good use of the land.
Happy Hockey
Sean - I last played the Gailes 10 years ago so probably not the best to speak on how it is holding up.
As for Leslie Park, it was the course I played all of my high school golf on. More of a nostalgic pick than anything but there are a lot of fun holes out there and a few bad ones. I too am a big fan of the hilly side of Huron, lots of fun quirk and potential!
I'd say Happy Hockey back but as a Red Wing and Wolverine fan, there is not much happiness to be had :(