May River - 6
The Country Club - 8
Round Hill - 6
Old Stanwich - 5
LACC North - 9
Chechessee - 7
I had a decent year. 64 new golf courses with 10 return trips to places I like. Not bad for golf being illegal in Ontario for four weeks! Once the border opened, I was able to take two trips to the states which was great, and one more planned with a few more heavy-hitters hopefully.
Kittansett - 8
San Francisco Golf Club - 8
Somerset Hills - 8
California Golf Club - 8
Bandon Dunes - 7
Balitmore (Five Farms) - 7
Olympic Club - 6
Lancaster - 6
Old Macdonald - 6
Mount Bruno - 6
Philly Cricket (Wissahickon) - 6
Grand-Mere - 6
Waskesiu - 6
Presidio - 5
Lake Merced - 5
Burlington - 5
Lachute (No. 1) - 5
Rocky Crest - 4
Beaconsfield - 4
Wildfire - 4
TPC Harding Park - 4
Clear Lake - 4
Kanawaki - 4
Bond Head (South) - 4
King Links - 4
Cooke Municipal - 4
Richmond (BC) - 4
Le Diable - 4
Niagara on the Lake - 4
Bond Head (North) - 4
Northwood (CA) - 4
Manoir Richelieu - 3
Granite Hills (MB) - 3
Taboo - 3
Ki-8-Eb - 3
Credit Valley - 3
Le Maitre - 3
Bridgwater - 3
Corica Park (South) - 3
L'Ile de Montreal (Ireland) - 3
Sainte-Agathe - 3
Gleneagles (BC) - 3
Glenboro - 3
Dunany - 3
Stanley Park - 3
Elk Ridge (SK) - 2
Calerin - 2
Murray Bay - 2
Port Hope - 2
Angus Glen (South) - 2
Shilo - 2
Sharp Park - 2
Haggin Oaks - 2
BraeBen - 1
Les Ruisseaux - 1
Hockley Valley - 1
Northlands - 0
Return trips
Pacific Dunes - 9
St. George's - 7
Sagebrush - 7
Bandon Trails - 7
Lookout Point - 6
Cherry Hill - 6
Muskoka Bay - 6
Tarandowah - 5
TPC Toronto (Heathlands) - 5
Devil's Pulpit - 4
Henderson Lake - 3
Dornick Hills - 7
Old Macdonald - 7
Sebonack - 7
Dornick Hills - 7
Old Macdonald - 7
Sebonack - 7
Dornick Hills as good as OM and Sebonack? Tom, what did you give it pre-renovation?
| Whippoorwill | 8 |
| Sleepy Hollow | 8 |
| Forsgate Banks | 7 |
| Rivervale | 5 |
| Southern Dunes | 5 |
| Streamsong Red | 7.5 |
| Streamsong Black | 7.5 |
| Streamsong Blue | 7.5 |
|
Ira, Was Southern Pines mid-restoration? Having a six as the third course in your resort is pretty heady stuff. Would different angles have helped the par three holes?
rm
Mike Cirba,
I know of one new course you played this year. Saw your name on the pad at the green fee drop box!
Really curious as to your views on your new courses this year.
May River - 6
The Country Club - 8
Round Hill - 6
Old Stanwich - 5
LACC North - 9
Chechessee - 7
Old Sandwich or Stanwich?
May River - 6
The Country Club - 8
Round Hill - 6
Old Stanwich - 5
LACC North - 9
Chechessee - 7
Old Sandwich or Stanwich?
The Witch in Greenwich.
Stanwich I guess.
Nice club, but course was just a beefed up Fazio
This was a strange golf year for me. I moved to Florida from the NYC metro area at the end of October 2020 and retired at the end of January 2021. I played more than 100 different courses (more courses and rounds than I've ever played in any prior year) of which 30 were new to me. I played dozens of inexpensive publics located in and between Orlando and Tampa, most of which are DS 2's and 3's.
The only real new (to me) highlights of the year were Tobacco Road on my initial drive down to Florida and Ridgewood CC on a visit to NJ. Both probably DS 7's, but I like TR more. 2022 should be a better year with a long awaited trip to Aberdeen and the Highlands.
If I can format it, I'll attach a list of the 30 new courses played (including one that will open next year that I only walked.
The remainder of my top ten of the year were courses I've played numerous times before, including my primary courses in FL and NJ
Whippoorwill Sleepy Hollow Forsgate Banks Rivervale Southern Dunes Streamsong Red Streamsong Black Streamsong Blue
First Time Played:
DS Mangrove Bay St Pete FL The Claw @ USF Tampa FL Legends @ Clermont Clermont FL Stonegate @ Solavita - Cypress Kissimmee FL Hawks Landing Orlando FL Orange Lake - Reserve Orlando FL Schalamar Creek Lakeland FL Cleveland Heights Lakeland FL River Green Avon Park FL Big Cypress Lakeland FL Grenlefe South Haines City FL Oaks National Kissimmee FL Stonegate @ Solavita - Oaks Kissimmee FL Sandpiper Lakeland FL Mystic Dunes Celebration FL Cypresswood Winter Haven FL Lake Wales CC Lake Wales FL Highlands Reserve Davenport FL Willowbrook Winter Haven FL White Heron Davenport FL Sunset Valley Pompton Plains NJ Hendricks Field Belleville NJ Ridgewood East &West Paramus NJ Swan Lake Swan Lake NY Resorts Catskills Kiamesha Lake NY Vails Grove 9 Brewster NY Pehquenaconck North Salem NY Bay Meadows Queensbury NY Sycamore CC Ravena NY Tobacco Road Sanford NC
Courses scored 3.1 are 3's that I would be happy to return to
An interesting year with no overseas trips till September.Nice list Jeff, I didn't realize you retired to play golf. ;)
Courses I saw for first time
St. Patrick's-(2 plays) 9 (amazing course and views-only thing keeping it from a 10 are a few difficult walks,but that's the price of some views) I prefer it to many courses rated ahead of it after its remarkable debut at 55 in world.
Southern Pines (2 plays) 7 (pretty raw condition but plenty of fun tee shots and interesting greens)
Tree Farm ? great site and great work so far
Renovation at Narin and Portnoo(have played it many times before)-this made me sad-I'm hoping I was just not observing very well that day.
Courses i saw again-having a 22 year old son who recently caught the golf bug led me to return to some amazing GCA rated places I don't normally seek out(having been fortunate enough to play them already several times)
Goat Hill-many times 5
Southampton 6.5
Palmetto 7
Aiken GC 6
Augusta CC 5 (hopefully they get the ship turned around on yet another renovation in May-there's a 7 in there somewhere)
Fisher's Island 9
Friar's Head(2x) 7
NGLA(2x) 9
Maidstone 8
Shinnecock 8
Cradle-3-(mats and 60 yard shots)
Portsalon 7.5 (just have a soft spot there)
Northwest Golf Club 6.5
Dunfanaghy 5
Cruit 5
Rosapenna OTM 6.5
Rosapenna Sandy Links 6.5 (I have never rated it this high but it is so improved and has many great holes-potential to be a 7 plus)
Huntington CC 6.5
Engineers 7
Old Oaks 6-much improved
Bethpage Red 6
Fresh Meadow 5.5
North Hills 3.5
Rolling Hills 4
Rockaway Hunt Club 6
The Hamlet 1
Cold Spring 5
Wolf Point 8
Memorial Park 6.5
Midland Country Club 3
Pine Ridge 4
Shennecossett 6
Islands End 3.5
Forest Hills Augusta 4(formerly a 6)
What is a "point 5" on the DS?For me, it's when I am torn between two categories. Rather than forcing myself to make a decision. I use a ".5"
It doesn't seem that the scale, which is descriptive and not quantitative, is suited for 4.5's and the like. You are either a 4 or a 5....read the scale descriptions and decide.
Mike,
I should have known you would have played Honesdale ;D I love finding old courses like that.
This post is depressing me. I played 80 rounds of golf this year and only played one new course. Played a few I hadn't played in a long time but only one new.
This post is depressing me. I played 80 rounds of golf this year and only played one new course. Played a few I hadn't played in a long time but only one new.
It's called getting invited back.
Places I got back to:
Crystal Downs - 10
Muirfield - 10
National Golf Links - 10
Royal Dornoch - 10
Pacific Dunes - 10
North Berwick - 9
Seminole - 9
Camargo - 8
Streamsong Blue - 8
Brora - 7
Dornick Hills - 7
Old Macdonald - 7
Sebonack - 7
Tobacco Road - 7
World Woods (Pine Barrens) - 7
Memorial Park - 6
Musselburgh (Old) - 6 [a substantial upgrade]
Renaissance Club - 6
Rochester G & CC, MN - 6
Pine Needles - 5
World Woods (Rolling Oaks) - 5
This post is depressing me. I played 80 rounds of golf this year and only played one new course. Played a few I hadn't played in a long time but only one new.
It's called getting invited back.
Invited back to a place I've never been? Who's on first?
Stuart,
I have Mystic Dunes and Tobacco Road as equals. What about TR did you like so much more?
This post is depressing me. I played 80 rounds of golf this year and only played one new course. Played a few I hadn't played in a long time but only one new.
It's called getting invited back.
Invited back to a place I've never been? Who's on first?
I assumed it was a compliment, saying at least you are being invited back to places...maybe better than playing a ton of courses once and never getting invited again.
This post is depressing me. I played 80 rounds of golf this year and only played one new course. Played a few I hadn't played in a long time but only one new.Same with me, Rob. I didn't play anywhere this year that I hadn't played before unless you include Oak Hill East which was sort of like playing a new course. I also played Wayne Hills for the first time since the 1994 NYS Mid Am.
5's:
Manor CC (Rockville, MD)
Indiana CC (Indiana, PA)
Kingsmill River - The best housing track course I've played -
Royal New Kent - front 9 is a seven, back 9 is very flawed, therefore 5 is about right IMO
Eagle's Mere - could be a bit high for some, it ticked a lot of my boxes however
Cleveland 4 (back nine would get a 6 on its own)
0:
Glenmaura National (Moosic, PA) - A lot of dynamite used here, I know people that like it and it's in good shape, not my gig though
Jim-I expected more from Eagles Mere being a Flynn course and my take was a 4. There are some fun holes for sure but I thought he could have delivered something more compelling on an interesting parcel of land. I spent some time with a family member who went there for Summers and it’s a unique place where the clock seemingly stopped sometime in the 1960’s.
0:
Glenmaura National (Moosic, PA) - A lot of dynamite used here, I know people that like it and it's in good shape, not my gig though
That's the spirit! Don't pull your punches. Is this the first "0" you have awarded?
Chelmsford 3
Mooresville - Solid daily fee outside Charlotte. Front 9 is some old Ross and it really stands out. The swing from 5-9 was very solid. A few good holes added in the back. Fantastic practice area. 5Mooresville was redone a few years ago. The front 9 is now original Kris Spence, certainly with much inspiration from Ross. the back nine changed less, due to very limited options to change existing corridors and routing, but Spence significantly improved those as well.
CLT & PIT are really in dire need of a GREAT public access course.
From Clyde’s post it looks like a flight to Shetland might somewhat unexpectedly be in order. :)
atb
An interesting year with no overseas trips till September.Nice list Jeff, I didn't realize you retired to play golf. ;)
Courses I saw for first time
St. Patrick's-(2 plays) 9 (amazing course and views-only thing keeping it from a 10 are a few difficult walks,but that's the price of some views) I prefer it to many courses rated ahead of it after its remarkable debut at 55 in world.
Southern Pines (2 plays) 7 (pretty raw condition but plenty of fun tee shots and interesting greens)
Tree Farm ? great site and great work so far
Renovation at Narin and Portnoo(have played it many times before)-this made me sad-I'm hoping I was just not observing very well that day.
Courses i saw again-having a 22 year old son who recently caught the golf bug led me to return to some amazing GCA rated places I don't normally seek out(having been fortunate enough to play them already several times)
Goat Hill-many times 5
Southampton 6.5
Palmetto 7
Aiken GC 6
Augusta CC 5 (hopefully they get the ship turned around on yet another renovation in May-there's a 7 in there somewhere)
Fisher's Island 9
Friar's Head(2x) 7
NGLA(2x) 9
Maidstone 8
Shinnecock 8
Cradle-3-(mats and 60 yard shots)
Portsalon 7.5 (just have a soft spot there)
Northwest Golf Club 6.5
Dunfanaghy 5
Cruit 5
Rosapenna OTM 6.5
Rosapenna Sandy Links 6.5 (I have never rated it this high but it is so improved and has many great holes-potential to be a 7 plus)
Huntington CC 6.5
Engineers 7
Old Oaks 6-much improved
Bethpage Red 6
Fresh Meadow 5.5
North Hills 3.5
Rolling Hills 4
Rockaway Hunt Club 6
The Hamlet 1
Cold Spring 5
Wolf Point 8
Memorial Park 6.5
Midland Country Club 3
Pine Ridge 4
Shennecossett 6
Islands End 3.5
Forest Hills Augusta 4(formerly a 6)
Baldrick might say he has a cunnin’ plan. :) :) :)From Clyde’s post it looks like a flight to Shetland might somewhat unexpectedly be in order. :)It's kind of a bummer that I keep finding all these cool places on Google Earth but he's the one who has the time to go play them!
atb
I did not think I played that many new courses this year but still came up with a decent list. I spent 3 months in Palm Springs which resulted in seeing several new courses without really seeking them out.
While the Doak ratings are my effort at applying the scale objectively and are not always kind, I can honestly say my memories from these courses are very positive and that I would gladly return. A round with good friends is a great day regardless of what I think of the course.
Pacific Grove, CA - 4 - The front nine was much better and more scenic than I expected. Aerials do not show land movement and the front nine has it in spades. Back nine is beautiful with scenery and weather supplying plenty of golf interest. If you skip this course on a trip to Monterey you have missed an opportunity.
Palm Desert Greens, CA - 3 - 9 par threes and 9 par fours. I enjoyed this round as much as any this year. The holes were quite good and I could see myself playing more of this type of golf. Basic design but good greens.
Hideaway Dye, CA - 5 - Follows the Dye templates which are plenty good but housing, rather than golf appeared to be the primary inspiration for this course. Very fun club and terrific conditioning.
Hideaway, CA - Clark - Might be a 0. Appeared to be built at an enormous cost. Golf holes are generally fine but the routing is convoluted and the construction so artificial that I half expected to see a line for an amusement park ride. Throw in some very awkward use of water hazards and I think 0 fits better than other ratings.
La Quinta Dunes, CA - 3 - nothing offensive but not the best land in the area.
Wilderness Club, MT - 5 - Nice variety of holes, beautiful setting and varied terrain. A few holes were unnecessarily awkward and could have been so much better.
Harvester - IA - 7 - Tough, beautiful course that has improved significantly since I played it 10 years earlier.
Minneapolis GC, MN - 6 - very nice work on this course over the last few years make it a solid member of the upper echelon of MN golf.
Midland Hills, MN - 6 - probably the most improved course I played this year. Very fine work by the club to restore to the extent reasonable, to its original Raynor design.
Sara Bay, FL - 7 - A gem with wicked greens and nice use of a stream on a classic golden age course.
Bermuda Dunes, CA - 4 - nice land movement, pretty basic 60's architecture.
C.C. of Buffalo - 9
I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to play C.C. of Buffalo with a couple of their PGA assistant professionals, and I was very impressed. Ross did a a wonderful job routing the golf course to take full advantage of the quarry and ground movement. I had several options on just about every shot I played, a hallmark of a good golf course, in my estimation. It played very firm and fast, and the strong wind today made it even more fun. All 18 greens are excellent and the course has four very strong par-3s, highlighted by their famous Volcano hole, No. 6. I’ll be reflecting on my round today for a long time. It’s so pure.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQpDbC-ty4m/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQpDbC-ty4m/)
Wilshire - 8
Wilshire is an absolute blast to play. The design (and setup) provides players limitless options, even when out of position. It requires lots of strategy and allows golfers to take risks for rewards, but also gives higher handicappers safer routes to the greens. The ground movement is wonderful, bold but not flashy, and used to perfection in the superior routing. Wilshire has quite the collection of par-3s. This photo collection includes Nos. 7, 10, 4, 13, and 4 and 10 again. Each is unique in their own rights. Nos. 4, 7, and 10 all feature very elongated greens with various widths, with No. 10 perhaps being the most extreme (in a wonderful way). No 13 had a double green, which is almost always fun. In recounting my round yesterday, the 3s really stood out.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CV28jKZJHAr/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CV28jKZJHAr/) and https://www.instagram.com/p/CV31Wx7vbGv/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CV31Wx7vbGv/)
Hidden Creek - 7
I loved it. The greens are very fun, engaging, and challenging, and I love that so many are at grade level. Wide corridors make for fun shots. It’s a beautiful golf course.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWPUEdrtd6C/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CWPUEdrtd6C/)
Applebrook - 7
Lots of options, the the ground game being one of the most valuable. The course (and our match) kept me engaged the whole round.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CU00n5wN_NN/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CU00n5wN_NN/)
Bidermann - 7
Bidermann is equal parts fun, strategic, challenging, and beautiful.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CV_gIiVMpfD/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CV_gIiVMpfD/)
Twisted Dune - 7
I was very impressed with Twisted Dunes after my first visit. It’s a lot of fun but requires a lot of concentration for each shot as there is a myriad of options. A must-play in Jersey.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMYRwboloZP/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CMYRwboloZP/)
Tavistock - 7
After hearing lots of positive reviews, and it did not let me down! The terrain, while not severe in most places, rolls plenty to provide interest on just about every shot, and the greens are very impressive. A lot to love at Tavistock.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRumzwmttNT/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CRumzwmttNT/)
Knoll - West - 6
Believe it or not, it’s the first solo Charles Banks design I’ve played, and I was very impressed! It’s been a hot minute since I’ve played a “MacRayBanks” course...my mind typically recalls the dramatic green contours, deep bunkers, and geometric shapes, but for whatever reason, I kind of forgot how large their greens can be. My favorite part of the round today was attempting to hit approaches to the correct portion of the greens, and today’s hole locations gave us plenty to consider! Many greens at Knoll West, and certainly other Macdonald and Raynor courses I’ve visited previously are very large and feature very distinctive contours, almost creating several greens within one. If you fail to get your golf ball to stop in the correct area, you’ll likely have a tricky putt, and generally, a long one at that. If you’re able to see Knoll West, I don’t believe you’ll be disappointed. The course conditioning was fantastic, and the greens were moving, even in the heavy precipitation!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/COoeuilNpu0/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/COoeuilNpu0/)
Schuylkill - 6
I was very impressed with the layout, which features a mix of Willie Park Jr. and Donald Ross designed golf holes. The holes fit the terrain beautifully and the greens are outstanding.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUYTaDNwTe/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUYTaDNwTe/)
West Shore - 6
West Shore is a very good golf course. The holes are beautifully routed over the rolling terrain and offers a variety of drives, approaches, and putts. Pure fun.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/COtUDvPNF0p/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/COtUDvPNF0p/)
Huntingdon Valley (Centennial Nine) - 6
I drove by that portion of the golf course on a daily basis for my commute to PGA Magazine. I was very happy to play it and really enjoyed its greens a lot. Birdies and bogies are available!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRaJ1K_trW2/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CRaJ1K_trW2/)
Union League National (Grant / Sherman) - 6
While I had never visited the property while it was known as Sand Barrens, I’ve seen photos and it’s amazing how the architects reimagined the routing. The amount of dirt moved is nothing short of impressive, but the best part of the new version of the course, in my opinion, is how it plays. The course is beautiful, and may look daunting, and while golfers will certainly find challenging shots for poor shots, our group found that “smart misses” allowed for reasonable recoveries. I tend to eventuate courses on how fun they play for golfers of all skill levels, and I believe Union League National offers fun, and challenge, for all types. Well done to the club and the architects!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPmWbSwNCGN/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CPmWbSwNCGN/)
Bulle Rock - 6
The golf course presents plenty of challenge but also offers equal opportunity. I really enjoyed its greens subtleties, and particularly liked Nos. 13-18; good stretch of golf holes.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CPwxT9FNIuJ/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CPwxT9FNIuJ/)
Moorestown Field - 6
There is a lot to love about this course, but it’s presentation may be my favorite thing from today’s round. It played very firm and fast and it was a blast. The first and seventh greens may be the closest I’ve seen two greens placed to one another, but thanks to the routing, they remain safe and do not detract from most players’ shot options. Highly recommend!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/COYv-y0MVOa/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/COYv-y0MVOa/)
Indian Valley - 6
I was very impressed with this Gordons layout, which features recent work by Andrew Green. Wonderful rolling terrain, and some very fun golf holes. I would definitely play it again.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvG8iHrJHG/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvG8iHrJHG/)
Trenton - 5
Joe Bausch remarked that the course has a lot of good "half-par" holes, and I am inclined to agree. The greens are very good, and the course presents some fun shots, and neat par-3s. Note the fifth photo shows No. 15 green as seen from 16 tee, looking toward its fairway…golfers hit directly over the green! Love it.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2ukIyN1fy/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CS2ukIyN1fy/)
Orchard Park - 5
A sporty Travis design with some sneaky tricky greens, including several at ground level. Very walkable. A few modern holes that were put in after the course was rearranged a long time ago.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkIoPZttpJ/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQkIoPZttpJ/)
Heritage Shores - 5
It was very fun, particularly the newer front nine. Lots of good greens and plenty of options.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMF_Z9alGW-/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CMF_Z9alGW-/)
Indian Spring - 4
I am pretty impressed with what the Gordons did on such a flat piece of property. As with every Gordon course I’ve played previously, it features solid golf holes and good greens.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQKf2dmtvKC/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQKf2dmtvKC/)
Woodcrest - 4
I really enjoyed the par-3s, and the greens are very solid. You can definitely see the Flynn left in the course.
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4TUijtGEM/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ4TUijtGEM/)
Greenbriar at Whittingham - 3
Greens were pure!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMsYrC-s8oP/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CMsYrC-s8oP/)
John F. Byrne - 2
A fun (and short by modern standards) course that could use just a little TLC.
Shamrock Farms - 2
Neat ground-level greens, and a par-3 with two trees directly between the tee and green!
Photos: https://www.instagram.com/p/CMF-_10F0OI/ (https://www.instagram.com/p/CMF-_10F0OI/)
As a refresher, here are the Doak Scale definitions I was working from:
0-A course so contrived and unnatural that it may poison your mind, which I cannot recommend under any circumstances. Reserved for courses that wasted ridiculous sums of money in their construction, and probably shouldn’t have been built in the first place.
1-A very basic golf course, with clear architectural malpractice and/or poor maintenance. Avoid even if you're desperate for a game.
2-A mediocre golf course with little or no architectural interest, but nothing really horrible. As my friend Dave Richards summed one up: “Play it in a scramble, and drink a lot of beer”.
3-About the level of the average golf course in the world. (Since I don’t go out of my way to see average courses, my scale is deliberately skewed to split hairs among the good, the better, and the best).
4-A modestly interesting course, with a couple of distinctive holes among the 18, or at least some scenic interest and decent golf. Also reserved for some very good courses that are much too short and narrow to provide sufficient challenge for accomplished players.
5-Well above the average golf course, but the middle of my scale. A good course to choose if you’re in the vicinity and looking for a game, but don’t spend another day away from home just to see it, unless your home is Alaska.
6-A very good course, definitely worth a game if you’re in town, but not necessarily worth a special trip to see. It shouldn’t disappoint you.
7-An excellent course, worth checking out if you get anywhere within 100 miles. You can expect to find soundly designed, interesting holes, good course conditioning, and a pretty setting, if not necessarily anything unique to the world of golf.
8-One of the very best courses in its region (although there are more 8’s in some places, and none in others), and worth a special trip to see. Could have some drawbacks, but these will clearly be spelled out, and it will make up for them with something really special in addition to the generally excellent layout.
9-An outstanding course – certainly one of the best in the world – with no weaknesses in regard to condition, length, or poor holes. You should see this course sometime in your life.
10-Nearly perfect; if you skipped even one hole, you would miss something worth seeing. If you haven’t seen all the courses in this category, you don’t know how good golf architecture can get. Drop the book and call your travel agent – immediately."
Philly Cricket (Wis) 8
Forsgate Banks 7
Tavistock 7
Knoll West 7
Trump Ferry Point 7
Golden Horseshoe 7
Ballyowen 6
Ocean Club Bahamas 6
Royal Blue Bahamas 6
Neshanic Valley 6
DuPont CC 6
Riverton 6
French Creek 6
Radley Run 6
Broad Run 6
Wolf Creek 6
Rio Secco 6
Shore Club 6
Seaview Pines 6
Rum Pointe 6
Melrose 6
Trenton Country Club 6
Jeffersonville 6
Paxon Hollow 6
Links at Gettysburg 6
Wyncote 5
Knob Hill 5
High Bridge Hills 5
Lighthouse Sound 5
Baywood Greens 5
Rock Manor 5
Fenwick Golf 5
Had a friend just write me that Castine is a 6 in his estimation so that should intrigue some here. His fair point is that conditioning shouldn't factor into a Doak Scale rating.
I loved that place but my tastes tend towards the quirky and adventurous but buyer beware that it's like playing golf in 1890 or so if you're used to pampered conditions.
My 2nd 10 of 41 new courses played in 2021 to date;
Castine Golf Club – Castine, ME – 4 – Despite the lovely hilltop setting and Revolutionary War history, I can only recommend Castine to the purist golf adventurer with the heart of a historian. Primitive is the word that comes to mind to describe the non-irrigated course, but I defy you to find wild holes like the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 7th anywhere.
Belgrade Lakes Golf Club – Belgrade Lakes, ME – 5 - In concept, Belgrade Lakes is a wonderful idea and upon arrival at the clubhouse with scenic vistas in virtually every direction, the anticipation builds quickly. However, the property so quickly descends to low-lying (read "soft and wet") areas that the course also quickly descends into hokey man-made features such as bunkers backed with railroad ties and stacked boulder formations that are meant to be eye-catching if not actually contributing to excellent golf.
Mingo Springs Golf Course – Rangeley, ME – 4? - Tom Dunne and I wandered over here to play the older nine before dinner rather than quit the game after a morning at Sugarloaf. We made the right choice, and it’s a rollicking affair, with a crescendo of a par five ninth hole up and over a mountain that’s beyond my ability to adequately describe. The second nine was part of a resort hotel built in the 20s and Michael Moore tells me that it is worth the walk, as well, but that will have to wait until next trip.
Sunday River Golf Club – Newry, ME – 5.5 - With over 500 feet of elevation change, some of it coming steeply in spots, Sunday River must have been a routing challenge but thankfully the hole corridors are suitably wide with no housing constraints. There are a number of excellent holes in the mix and notably the par fives are all quite good. Perhaps the most dramatic is the ninth, which traverses two deep gullies that must be carried on the drive and approach, but with a very wide, bunker strewn fairway that provides multiple options. The 18th is another stunner, cascading rapidly downhill to a green set intimately near the clubhouse.
Prouts Neck Country Club – Scarborough, ME – 7.5 - Prouts Neck is one of those "Yankee" enclaves that seemingly time has forgotten. One can look in the 1930 American Golf Guide to see that Prouts Neck was 6030 yards long and a glance at today's scorecard indicates that the club has never seen the need to keep up with changes in technology and trends. Set beside the ocean, the course runs along dunes left for the first two holes before weaving inland. The routing takes you back to, and then along the water two more times in a very unforced, beautiful manner. The course defends itself at the greens, which are as rolling as the nearby tide. Any number of outstanding holes can be found along the way, with the 8th (Shipwreck) and 14th (Ferry Rock) both par fours to greens perched at the end of the earth as perhaps the standouts. Although there has been an attitude of benign neglect at Prouts Neck over the years, recent efforts at deforesting have led to wonderful views across the property and Bruce Hepner's master plan to create a "sandbelt" look has greatly increased the play-ability and enjoyment
Whitinsville Golf Club – Whitinsville, MA – 8 – If there’s a better nine-hole golf course than Whitinsville I need to see it. The routing is pure genius and Ross used every feature on the superbly rolling topography to full advantage. I’m getting excited just thinking about it, but someone please fix whatever happened to the 2nd green, thanks.
Mr. Doak, you mentioned visiting CapRock Ranch earlier in the year. Do you have a rating for the course? Does anyone have a rating for the course? I'm very interested in hearing more about CapRock.
I had a decent year. 64 new golf courses with 10 return trips to places I like. Not bad for golf being illegal in Ontario for four weeks! Once the border opened, I was able to take two trips to the states which was great, and one more planned with a few more heavy-hitters hopefully.
Kittansett - 8
San Francisco Golf Club - 8
Somerset Hills - 8
California Golf Club - 8
Bandon Dunes - 7
Balitmore (Five Farms) - 7
Olympic Club - 6
Lancaster - 6
Old Macdonald - 6
Mount Bruno - 6
Philly Cricket (Wissahickon) - 6
Grand-Mere - 6
Waskesiu - 6
Sheep Ranch - 6
Presidio - 5
Lake Merced - 5
Burlington - 5
Lachute (No. 1) - 5
Rocky Crest - 4
Beaconsfield - 4
Wildfire - 4
TPC Harding Park - 4
Clear Lake - 4
Kanawaki - 4
Bond Head (South) - 4
King Links - 4
Cooke Municipal - 4
Richmond (BC) - 4
Le Diable - 4
Niagara on the Lake - 4
Bond Head (North) - 4
Northwood (CA) - 4
Manoir Richelieu - 3
Granite Hills (MB) - 3
Taboo - 3
Ki-8-Eb - 3
Credit Valley - 3
Le Maitre - 3
Bridgwater - 3
Corica Park (South) - 3
L'Ile de Montreal (Ireland) - 3
Sainte-Agathe - 3
Gleneagles (BC) - 3
Glenboro - 3
Dunany - 3
Stanley Park - 3
Elk Ridge (SK) - 2
Calerin - 2
Murray Bay - 2
Port Hope - 2
Angus Glen (South) - 2
Shilo - 2
Sharp Park - 2
Haggin Oaks - 2
BraeBen - 1
Les Ruisseaux - 1
Hockley Valley - 1
Northlands - 0
Return trips
Pacific Dunes - 9
St. George's - 7
Sagebrush - 7
Bandon Trails - 7
Lookout Point - 6
Cherry Hill - 6
Muskoka Bay - 6
Tarandowah - 5
TPC Toronto (Heathlands) - 5
Devil's Pulpit - 4
Henderson Lake - 3
Long time listener, first time caller here....I've enjoyed following along for a few years and joined this "club" maybe 2 months ago...this is my first comment (be gentle):
I'm a big fan of the Doak scale and while I didn't play that many new courses this year, here's a few with the Doak score he gives it which would be the same for me on these 5:
Oakmont - 9 - I thought it was the best really hard course I've ever played. In total contrast to say Blackwolf Run River, where seemingly every missed shot is a lost ball, I thought OCC was very demanding but still super fun. I played poorly but did it with one ball.
Prairie Dunes - 9 - what's not to love about the greens at PD?
Austin GC - 7 - I think the score might be a tad low but regardless I love this C&C design
Fox Chapel - 6 - I'm a huge "MacRaynor" geek and feel 6 is fair despite thinking the conditions were way too soft and the Road hole absolutely not a road hole that I'd recognize. The Eden (3rd) could be my favorite of any MacRaynor I've played.
Kenosha CC - 5 - a bit rough around the edges but still a really good Ross with room to improve - especially a couple greens at the end of the round that are almost completely unplayable.
The Lido 8.5 This score is based on the 13 holes that had both fairways and greens fully grassed. Majestic scale, fierce bunkering and many very large greens with exceptional interior contours. Beautiful shaping and features throughout. Some of the most interesting holes that I have ever seen.
Mammoth Dunes 8
Roaring Gap 6
Mammoth Dunes 8
Roaring Gap 6
One of these numbers must be wrong. They are kinda similar, except for fairway size. And, of course, hype.
I had a decent year. 64 new golf courses with 10 return trips to places I like. Not bad for golf being illegal in Ontario for four weeks! Once the border opened, I was able to take two trips to the states which was great, and one more planned with a few more heavy-hitters hopefully.
Kittansett - 8
San Francisco Golf Club - 8
Somerset Hills - 8
California Golf Club - 8
Bandon Dunes - 7
Balitmore (Five Farms) - 7
Olympic Club - 6
Lancaster - 6
Old Macdonald - 6
Mount Bruno - 6
Philly Cricket (Wissahickon) - 6
Grand-Mere - 6
Waskesiu - 6
Sheep Ranch - 6
Presidio - 5
Lake Merced - 5
Burlington - 5
Lachute (No. 1) - 5
Rocky Crest - 4
Beaconsfield - 4
Wildfire - 4
TPC Harding Park - 4
Clear Lake - 4
Kanawaki - 4
Bond Head (South) - 4
King Links - 4
Cooke Municipal - 4
Richmond (BC) - 4
Le Diable - 4
Niagara on the Lake - 4
Bond Head (North) - 4
Northwood (CA) - 4
Manoir Richelieu - 3
Granite Hills (MB) - 3
Taboo - 3
Ki-8-Eb - 3
Credit Valley - 3
Le Maitre - 3
Bridgwater - 3
Corica Park (South) - 3
L'Ile de Montreal (Ireland) - 3
Sainte-Agathe - 3
Gleneagles (BC) - 3
Glenboro - 3
Dunany - 3
Stanley Park - 3
Elk Ridge (SK) - 2
Calerin - 2
Murray Bay - 2
Port Hope - 2
Angus Glen (South) - 2
Shilo - 2
Sharp Park - 2
Haggin Oaks - 2
BraeBen - 1
Les Ruisseaux - 1
Hockley Valley - 1
Northlands - 0
Return trips
Pacific Dunes - 9
St. George's - 7
Sagebrush - 7
Bandon Trails - 7
Lookout Point - 6
Cherry Hill - 6
Muskoka Bay - 6
Tarandowah - 5
TPC Toronto (Heathlands) - 5
Devil's Pulpit - 4
Henderson Lake - 3
Did you give a "0" to Northland Country Club in Duluth, MN or is the course you list something different?
Mammoth Dunes 8
Roaring Gap 6
One of these numbers must be wrong. They are kinda similar, except for fairway size. And, of course, hype.
Mark I haven't played it in a couple years. How is it now? Can't imagine that much improved and bones are a 6, but in it's condition of a couple years ago a 5 at best IMO. I'm a big Kankakee Elks fan as well. It could be a 7 with some TLC. Chainsaw and reclaim some green space, as well as widen some fairways. Bunkers (not many) were very tired when I was there as well.
Kankakee Elks, Illinois, 6. A stellar William Langford routing with many marvelous greens!
My First 10 - (of 41 new plays to date)
***EDIT***actually my first 9 as I inadvertently included McCall Field which I had played several times prior.
Heritage Shores Club – Bridgeville, DE – 5 – With the possible exception of Wingpointe (RIP) in Utah, I found this to be the most playable, interesting golf course by the late Arthur Hills I’ve seen, even with some of the usual over-shaping that will offend purists. Long on variety, every hole presents an interesting puzzle to be solved largely due to creative, imaginative greens set at interesting angles.
Old York Road Country Club – Ambler, PA – 4.5 – A typical William and David Gordon style course that are ubiquitous in the region, with very atypical sloping greens with wild interior contours. I’m not sure they make the course better, but they sure make it more difficult.
Moorestown Field Club – Moorestown, NJ – 4 – A recent Kelly Moran resto makes the vintage architectural features pop on this trip back in time. Additional tree clearing on the flat property would make it special.
Carlisle Barracks – Carlisle, PA – 3.5 - A military track at the historic “war college”, this course offers a few architectural surprises that combined with excellent conditioning elevate it above merely “average”, approaching “pleasant”.
Piney Apple Golf Course – Biglerville, PA – 1 – An amateur architect spent many years building this course as a labor of love on land unsuitable for the purpose that was formerly an apple orchard and maybe still should be.
Cape Neddick Country Club – Ogunquit, ME – 3 – There are a small handful of really good golf holes here and just enough New England coastal charm to offset the awful “new nine” that is supposedly an attempt to recover Donald Ross holes lost in lean years while rebuilding them under modern environmental restrictions.
Wawenock Golf Club – Walpole, ME – 5.5 – A terrific, sleepy Stiles/Van Kleek nine that could use a loving brush-up. The first three and last three are worth double the price of admission, although the semi-U shaped, par-five 4th is one of the oddest and most awkward holes I’ve ever seen.
Boothbay Harbor Country Club – Boothbay Harbor, ME – 6 - Resurrected from a tired classic-era Wayne Stiles design, Boothbay Harbor is now basically a Bruce Hepner golf course. Blessed with an owner with deep pockets and a will to move heaven and earth to create good golf holes, Boothbay is only ultimately held back by a very hilly site that makes walking a challenge and the creation of great golf holes an edgy proposition.
Northeast Harbor Golf Club – Northeast Harbor, ME – 5 A very low-key, turn-of-last-century club in a gorgeous Acadia National Park setting, I had hoped to find hidden treasure. It turns out that using dynamite to blast out and fashion golf holes in 1915 led to some overly narrow, densely wooded, tightly cramped hole corridors on the mountain, although the five par threes are all gems, particularly the 12th.
My 3rd 10 of 41 new courses played this year, to date;
Sunnybrook Golf Club – Plymouth Meeting, PA – 6 – One of the interesting things about Sunnybrook is that 13 of the holes parallel each other in north/south direction along a broad slope falling from the clubhouse to a creek valley below but at no time does the course feel back-and-forth, or one-dimensional, due to the clever routing. Excellent tree management and adequate fairway widths give a sense of freedom that wears well throughout. Limited play helps the top-notch conditioning.
Radley Run Country Club – West Chester, PA – 4.5? – Sadly we were only able to play the first few holes on this very rolling tract before extended storms nixed our round. What we were able to play (and see) looked reasonably good, if perhaps a bit too sloping for consistently good golf. Hope to get back to confirm or update first impressions.
Meadows Golf Club – Lincoln Park NJ – 2 – Somehow architect Hal Purdy and later owner Hank Finelli were able to squeeze a 6,400-yard golf course onto what seems clearly less than 100 acres but proximity to NYC and cart drivers swilling six packs mean it’s cramped, flat, doesn’t drain, and downright dangerous in spots. Pray for a scramble.
Stafford Country Club – Stafford, NY – 5.5 – It’s indicative of how much terrific golf exists in the Rochester (NY) region that this rural gem goes largely unnoticed. While the bunkers need refreshing, and many of the original Travis greens were neutered early on by Trent Jones and Stanley Thompson, the terrific routing still shines through. The back nine in particular is a gem with the rollicking Travis 11th green capping a superb hole and the bunker-less 16th and 17th dell green in a blind hollow perhaps the highlights of a course long on variety and interest. The short 18th where the green was moved to accommodate some such thing needs reconsideration, however.
Cherry Hills Country Club – Englewood, CO – 7.5 - The course that put "Arnie's Charge" on the map during the 1960 US Open, Cherry Hills recently has been implementing a long-range plan to refine the course for modern times. Thankfully, rather than narrowing fairways, growing roughs, and tightening targets, the club is just shining up what's already there in the form of tree management, fairway widths offering different options of play, and short grass around greens that allow the ball to roll-out. The clockwise (then counter), then counter around the perimeter of the property is masterful and utilizes all the natural features and contours in an effective way. The knock on Cherry Hills among Flynn courses is that if it was located in Philadelphia, or Cleveland (where clusters of Flynn courses exist) it wouldn't be anything special. Thankfully, that's just not true because not only can't you divorce Cherry Hills from its sense of place (with long views of the city and Rocky Mountains) but hole by hole it stacks up against Flynn's best.
CommonGround (Short Course) – Aurora, CO – 4 – Built as a free children’s course and adjunct to the wonderfully popular municipal course, it’s a perfect spot to grab a few clubs, lace on your sneakers, and play low key holes ranging from 70 to 140 yards, with restrained architectural features. Any course where kids can play free immediately gets more than a 3 from me.
Overland Park Golf Course – Denver, CO – 3.5 – The site of the original Denver Country Club is today a thriving municipal course where I ended up after finding that Donald Ross’s nearby Wellshire was hosting a tournament. It turned out to be a nice piece of kismet as Wellshire looked badly in need of serious tree management and Overland turned out to be a pleasant surprise that included some vintage architectural features, fine conditioning, and easy playability.
Holyoke Golf Club – Holyoke, CO – 3 – I found it pretty cool that most of the little prairie towns in eastern Colorado had some form of modest golf course, but this one had pizazz due to tiny, perched greens with lots of fun internal contour and interesting angles. I still don’t know the architect but a few years prior to moving to this site Donald Ross and Henry Hughes had been talking with the club, so who knows. Loved the honor box in the tiny clubhouse, as well.
Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club – Holyoke, CO – 10 – After finally making it there, I was confused to see that all raters in the most recent “Confidential Guide” gave Ballyneal a “9”, clearly out of deference to another great course not so far away in Nebraska. Checking again the definition of a “10”, and finding the following; Nearly perfect; if you skipped even one hole, you would miss something worth seeing. If you haven't seen all the courses in this category, you don't know how good golf architecture can get. Call your travel agent immediately. I’m more than ever convinced of my impressions and score. Even Ran’s review on this site profiles every single hole at Ballyneal as a “Hole(s) to Note”. I believe the only other course I’ve seen here where every single hole is selected is again the Nebraska neighbor. So, to break that seal and to call out what I think is a bit of affected intellectual reverence that is really unnecessary at this point, I’ll simply say that Ballyneal is more fun than humans should be allowed to have. Find your way there.
Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club (Mulligan Course) – Holyoke, CO – 6 – Intertwined among the bigger course, this set of 12 par three holes can be played in various configurations as I learned when my very experienced caddy took me for an 18-hole loop. The greens are even wilder than on the original course and targets are tighter as befits the yardage. Favorite had to be the completely blind shot over the turtle and if you’re a drinking and/or betting man this is the place for that, as well.
My 3rd 10 of 41 new courses played this year, to date;
Sunnybrook Golf Club – Plymouth Meeting, PA – 6 – One of the interesting things about Sunnybrook is that 13 of the holes parallel each other in north/south direction along a broad slope falling from the clubhouse to a creek valley below but at no time does the course feel back-and-forth, or one-dimensional, due to the clever routing. Excellent tree management and adequate fairway widths give a sense of freedom that wears well throughout. Limited play helps the top-notch conditioning.
Radley Run Country Club – West Chester, PA – 4.5? – Sadly we were only able to play the first few holes on this very rolling tract before extended storms nixed our round. What we were able to play (and see) looked reasonably good, if perhaps a bit too sloping for consistently good golf. Hope to get back to confirm or update first impressions.
Meadows Golf Club – Lincoln Park NJ – 2 – Somehow architect Hal Purdy and later owner Hank Finelli were able to squeeze a 6,400-yard golf course onto what seems clearly less than 100 acres but proximity to NYC and cart drivers swilling six packs mean it’s cramped, flat, doesn’t drain, and downright dangerous in spots. Pray for a scramble.
Stafford Country Club – Stafford, NY – 5.5 – It’s indicative of how much terrific golf exists in the Rochester (NY) region that this rural gem goes largely unnoticed. While the bunkers need refreshing, and many of the original Travis greens were neutered early on by Trent Jones and Stanley Thompson, the terrific routing still shines through. The back nine in particular is a gem with the rollicking Travis 11th green capping a superb hole and the bunker-less 16th and 17th dell green in a blind hollow perhaps the highlights of a course long on variety and interest. The short 18th where the green was moved to accommodate some such thing needs reconsideration, however.
Cherry Hills Country Club – Englewood, CO – 7.5 - The course that put "Arnie's Charge" on the map during the 1960 US Open, Cherry Hills recently has been implementing a long-range plan to refine the course for modern times. Thankfully, rather than narrowing fairways, growing roughs, and tightening targets, the club is just shining up what's already there in the form of tree management, fairway widths offering different options of play, and short grass around greens that allow the ball to roll-out. The clockwise (then counter), then counter around the perimeter of the property is masterful and utilizes all the natural features and contours in an effective way. The knock on Cherry Hills among Flynn courses is that if it was located in Philadelphia, or Cleveland (where clusters of Flynn courses exist) it wouldn't be anything special. Thankfully, that's just not true because not only can't you divorce Cherry Hills from its sense of place (with long views of the city and Rocky Mountains) but hole by hole it stacks up against Flynn's best.
CommonGround (Short Course) – Aurora, CO – 4 – Built as a free children’s course and adjunct to the wonderfully popular municipal course, it’s a perfect spot to grab a few clubs, lace on your sneakers, and play low key holes ranging from 70 to 140 yards, with restrained architectural features. Any course where kids can play free immediately gets more than a 3 from me.
Overland Park Golf Course – Denver, CO – 3.5 – The site of the original Denver Country Club is today a thriving municipal course where I ended up after finding that Donald Ross’s nearby Wellshire was hosting a tournament. It turned out to be a nice piece of kismet as Wellshire looked badly in need of serious tree management and Overland turned out to be a pleasant surprise that included some vintage architectural features, fine conditioning, and easy playability.
Holyoke Golf Club – Holyoke, CO – 3 – I found it pretty cool that most of the little prairie towns in eastern Colorado had some form of modest golf course, but this one had pizazz due to tiny, perched greens with lots of fun internal contour and interesting angles. I still don’t know the architect but a few years prior to moving to this site Donald Ross and Henry Hughes had been talking with the club, so who knows. Loved the honor box in the tiny clubhouse, as well.
Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club – Holyoke, CO – 10 – After finally making it there, I was confused to see that all raters in the most recent “Confidential Guide” gave Ballyneal a “9”, clearly out of deference to another great course not so far away in Nebraska. Checking again the definition of a “10”, and finding the following; Nearly perfect; if you skipped even one hole, you would miss something worth seeing. If you haven't seen all the courses in this category, you don't know how good golf architecture can get. Call your travel agent immediately. I’m more than ever convinced of my impressions and score. Even Ran’s review on this site profiles every single hole at Ballyneal as a “Hole(s) to Note”. I believe the only other course I’ve seen here where every single hole is selected is again the Nebraska neighbor. So, to break that seal and to call out what I think is a bit of affected intellectual reverence that is really unnecessary at this point, I’ll simply say that Ballyneal is more fun than humans should be allowed to have. Find your way there.
Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club (Mulligan Course) – Holyoke, CO – 6 – Intertwined among the bigger course, this set of 12 par three holes can be played in various configurations as I learned when my very experienced caddy took me for an 18-hole loop. The greens are even wilder than on the original course and targets are tighter as befits the yardage. Favorite had to be the completely blind shot over the turtle and if you’re a drinking and/or betting man this is the place for that, as well.
I'm going to be away for a couple days on non golf related activity but I have 12 more courses sI played for the first time this year to rate . Just to create a little anticipation, they are;
Pelican Beach
Prairie Club Pines
Prairie Club Dunes
Prairie Club Horse
Frederick Peak
Caprock Ranch
Ironwood
Grover Cleveland
Pine Acres
Pennhills
Bidermann
Knollwood
Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club – Holyoke, CO – 10 – After finally making it there, I was confused to see that all raters in the most recent “Confidential Guide” gave Ballyneal a “9”, clearly out of deference to another great course not so far away in Nebraska. Checking again the definition of a “10”, and finding the following; Nearly perfect; if you skipped even one hole, you would miss something worth seeing. If you haven't seen all the courses in this category, you don't know how good golf architecture can get. Call your travel agent immediately. I’m more than ever convinced of my impressions and score. Even Ran’s review on this site profiles every single hole at Ballyneal as a “Hole(s) to Note”. I believe the only other course I’ve seen here where every single hole is selected is again the Nebraska neighbor. So, to break that seal and to call out what I think is a bit of affected intellectual reverence that is really unnecessary at this point, I’ll simply say that Ballyneal is more fun than humans should be allowed to have. Find your way there.
There is certainly reluctance on my part to give more than one or maybe two 10's to my own designs, because people already say I rate my courses higher than I should [even though that's not true].
From Clyde’s post it looks like a flight to Shetland might somewhat unexpectedly be in order. :)
atb
It's kind of a bummer that I keep finding all these cool places on Google Earth but he's the one who has the time to go play them!
Inspired by this peach of a find I had a look on YouTube to see what there was for it. Not much, apart from a minute-long drone flight, but there is a fascinating, full 18-hole drone tour of Shetland Golf Club. The 5th and 6th holes are outstanding par 4's and the course, as a whole, reminded me of the likes of Fort William or Halifax. I attach the link below.I visited Shetland about the time the course opened. Course is just north of Lerwick. Stopped for a brief look. Amazing location. Seemed like the sort of course where the ball might not roll that much. Not many trees though so must be good!
There's only been 341 views in 2 years, so it'll be interesting to see if the GCA crowd can nudge that number up towards 500 or more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTgkn_FopA (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xTgkn_FopA)
Whalsay and Shetland. Now that would be a BUDA for the purists.
Indian Hills CC in Northport, NY - 5 - I thoroughly enjoyed this course. It has a few interesting holes on it, a par 4 with a big Biarritz green and a couple of great holes over the water - one of which with a blind second shot up a steep wall with lost ball gunch on it (also the scene of my absolute debacle)
Mike--
I chuckled when I saw your name on the pad in the Honor Box at Pelican Beach. It is one of those classic midwesern "country" courses like Augusta Pines and Mullen Golf Course where conditions are scurffy but there is charm a plenty. Pelican Beach is the cream of the group though. Even though the greens are generally small, the surface on 6 is an eye opener. Three tiers from right to left and very severe. I also liked seven in how a thoughtful slider can find it's way onto the green. Hopefully you played off the barely maintained back tee on 9. The hole is stunning from up there.
I agree with Mike, if you're into conditioning and par just keep driving when you reach Hyannis. If you enjoy charm, stop by Pelican Beach for a very enjoyable nine holes.
I should have mentioned that the Dunes course at Prairie Club rates a full point higher for being reasonably walkable over the Pines course which is walkable but not easily so.
I should have mentioned that the Dunes course at Prairie Club rates a full point higher for being reasonably walkable over the Pines course which is walkable but not easily so.
I had time to play one round and did not play the Dunes in part because I thought it looked like an unnecessarily long walk from the aerials. I do not recall the Pines being a particularly bad walk but it was four years ago and the memory could be a bit hazy.
Mike like your list with comments as these are insights we all leave out many times. I haven't played TPC Boston, but a golfing friend of mine who lives in Boston rates it quite a bit higher. Perhaps he is blinded by the tour event there, although you don't like the routing, he really likes the greens. What did you think of those? I have watched the NT event and yes the pros tear it up, but have it on my list next time I'm in Mass. to see the greens as there are several that look very interesting to me. Not saying they are 8/9/10 greens, but noteworthy. Unfortunately most of the greens aren't open in the front unless you work the ball from side to side, so forced carries over water and sand are needed.
TPC Boston – Norton, MA – 4 – After walking what seems to be 500 yards from the clubhouse across a wetlands bridge to the first tee, and then playing the 2nd that button-hooks into a pond to create a narrow green-site that’s a “2 or 20” proposition, expectations that this will be anything but a tournament course toughened for an event are quickly dispelled. Despite some significant improvements over the years from the original course, it’s clear that the environmental areas, real estate considerations, and other limitations of the routing would handicap any attempt to add cohesive classical features.
It appears there is time for one more new course (#42) before 2021 is behind us. This Friday a group of us are going to venture to D.C. to play Langston Golf Course, which is looking to be part of the coming Municipal Golf Renaissance. As a public course golfer my entire life I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to seeing this historic place. Here's a piece about Langston written recently by Michael Bamberger;
https://golf.com/travel/langston-golf-course-design-project-national-links-trust/ (https://golf.com/travel/langston-golf-course-design-project-national-links-trust/)
Without commentary in the interest of completeness, here are my replays from 2021;Love it Mike. We love order. Out of curiosity did any move up / down more than 1 point from your previous plays?
McCall Field (PA) - 4
Seaview (Bay) (NJ) - 5.5
Clayton Park (PA) - 1.5
Brigantine (NJ) - 5
Twisted Dune (NJ) - 6
Scott Greens (PA) - 2.0
Indian Mountain (PA) - 2.5
Pocono Manor (East) (PA) - 4
Melrose (PA) - 3
Knoll West (NJ) - 7
Berkleigh (PA) - 5
Metedeconk National (NJ) - 5.5
Galen Hall (PA) - 6
Philadelphia Country Club (Spring Mill) (PA) - 7
Hollywood (NJ) - 8
Manor (PA) - 4
Concord (PA) - 6
Hideaway Hills (PA) - 4.5
Mountain Ridge (NJ) - 7
Jeffersonville (PA) - 6
Middletown (PA) - 2.5
Morgan Hill (PA) - 4.5
Panorama (PA) - 3
Reading (PA) - 4
CC of Scranton (PA) - 7.5
Somerset Hills (NJ) - 8.5
Bensalem (PA) - 2
Baltusrol (Lower) - 8
Wedgewood (PA) - 3
Coatesville (PA) - 4
Rolling Green (PA) - 7.5
Arnolds (PA) - 1
Twin Ponds (PA) - 3
Aronimink (PA) - 7.5
Springdale (NJ) - 5
Gilbertsville (PA) - 2.5
Walnut Lane (PA) - 3
Love it Mike. We love order. Out of curiosity did any move up / down more than 1 point from your previous plays?
Love it Mike. We love order. Out of curiosity did any move up / down more than 1 point from your previous plays?
Oh, and Knoll West was in far better shape than when I last played there about 20 years ago and other than Manasquan River might be the most underrated course in the state at present. It is superb.