[BHoover]

1. The Golf Club - I had zero idea what it would be like (just because I had no clue that an early Pete Dye gem was hiding in the farmland east of Columbus) and it blew me away the first time I played it.

2. Granville - I had heard good things but it was much more than I expected (apart from the new holes).

3. Timuquana CC - It felt more like the Carolinas than Florida. I LOVE this course.

4. Fowlers Mill - another early Pete Dye course east of Cleveland. I first played it in the mid-90s and enjoyed it.

5. Tobacco Road - Despite my awful play, I still enjoyed it tremendously. That is what surprised me.

[Tim Martin]

St. Georges(NY)
CC of Troy
Wanumetonomy
Southampton GC
Lu Lu

[Niall C]

My most pleasant surprises tend to be the more modest courses dotted around the outer reaches of the country that don't get much press that you go in blind with little or no expectations. Believe it or not, I'd put Silloth in that category too. The first time I played there was many years before I ended up living down in that part of the country and becoming a member at the club. A friend and his family were on holiday down there staying in a caravan for the week and he asked me down for the weekend saying that there was a nice golf course near by that looked worth a go. Needless to say, that turned out to be an understatement as Mike and Scott can testify to.

So, in no particular order;

1 - Silloth

2 - The Glen - played quite a number of years ago with a pal purely because we had a cheap voucher to play, (£10 a player if I remember rightly). Don't know that it s a great course but it does have some great holes and is a lot of fun. I've played it many times since.

3 - Forfar - drove by on the way to another course and saw a glimpse of the course and thought that looks interesting. Ten minutes later and after paying my £12 (!) greenfee I was on the first tee. Three hours after that I walked off the course a very happy man.

4 - Elgin - supposedly Moray Old is the only great course in Moray but Elgin is a wee heathland gem. If push came to shove, I'd be tempted to say its better than Moray Old.

5 - Wishaw - located in the middle of what used to be Scotlands industrial heartland and surrounded by some fairly grim looking council housing, this Braid course is another terrific track, especially the back nine.

Niall

[Ian Andrew]

Australia - Woodlands GC
England - Delemere Forest GC
Ireland - Enniscrone GC
United States - Glens Falls CC
Wales - Royal Porthcawl GC

[Bill Brightly]

Misquamicut, RI. (Ross)
Applebrook, PA, (Hanse)
Stone Eagle, CA (Doak)
Lahinch
Ballyliffin Old

[Michael Whitaker]

Hope Valley (NC)
Aiken Golf Club (SC)
Wexford (SC)
Rivermont (Ga)

Bruce and Mac - Good call on Wexford!

[Sean_A]

I'd like to hear/see more about

Hope Valley
Idle Hour in Kentucky
Sand Hollow

Ciao

[Michael Whitaker]

This is a toughie as I usually choose courses I expect will be good so when they are it's not a surprise - but some, I wasn't sure about...

These were lovely surprises.

Dismal River - Nebraska
Sebonack - Long Island
Liphook - England
Strand hill - Ireland
Seacroft - England

Liphook was also a big surprise for me. Could easily have made my top 5 list.

[Michael Whitaker]

Nancy Whitaker - an American rose, Mr Whitaker is a lucky boy!
Pennard
Ferndown
West Lancs
Old Elm

Mr. Chaplin, I would have to say we both are quite lucky chaps!

Sunday was "Mother's Day" here in the States... your "American Rose" comment made the day extra special for Mrs. Whit! 

[Michael Whitaker]

Cassique - SC
Sakkonnet - RI
Shorty's - OR
Nairn & Port Noo (prior to the new very narrow holes) - IRL
Essex County - NJ

Essex County was also a massive pleasant surprise for me. I thought it was an outstanding course! Upon further reflection I might have to put it into my top 5 surprises.

[Michael Whitaker]

Hardelot (Les Pins) - Tom Simpson is God.

I'm visiting Hardelot in July with Wardo. Can't wait!!!

[Michael Whitaker]

I rarely travel to play a course that does not have a great reputation.  Therefore, I have high expectations (probably unreasonable) and normally am not surprised at what I find, or if I am surprised, it's in the other direction, disappointed.

That's one of the saddest statements I've ever read on GCA. 

[Paul Perrella]

San Francisco Golf Club-I knew it was really good but it is GREAT
Kingsbarns
Cruden Bay
Mountain Lake
Enniscrone

[Chris_Blakely]

Marywood GC, Battle Creek, MI Maurice McCarthy
The Balsams - Panorama Course, Dixville Notch, NH, Donald Ross (kind of got it all started with me )
CC of Greenfield, Greenfield, MA, Ralph Barton (made me think that Mr. Bahto was too hard on him)
or
Lisbon Village CC, Lisbon, NH, Ralphp Barton
St. Marys CC, St. Marys, PA, Devereux Emmet
Blair Academy GC, Blairstownn, NJ, Duer Sewall

I think I win for the all ecletic grouping of architects.

Chris,

I would love to hear your thoughts on Blair. What did you find interesting about it? I played there a bunch in HS.

The first 6 holes on Blair Academy have to be 6 of the wildest holes I have played.  Great terrain, built up greens - pure fun.  After that if I remember correctly the holes become quite flat and I suspect the holes after that were redone by someone else.  I played with my brother and my both loved the course.

Chris

[Mark Chaplin]

Mike - it would be fair to say we are both battling well up the order, as is our good mate Scott Warren!

[cary lichtenstein]

Highland Links, Canada
Mission Inn, Orlando
Pastiempo, Calif
Yale, Conn
Giants Ridge, Minn

[Bill_McBride]

Capilano - I had no idea how good it is

Elie - no expectations, what fun

Wolf Point - not much advance PR

The Valley Club of Montecito - I had been playing La Cumbre (Thomas) with the UCSB team, when we were invited to play the Valley Club.  I had no idea one course could be that much better than a very good course.

NGLA - as good as I knew it would be, I was blown away

[Jim Smith Jr]

1) Woodhall Spa - an incredible piece of architecture that reminded me of Pine Valley in many ways
2) Meadow Club - arguably the best kept 'secret' in the U.S in my opinion
3) Fancourt Links - I hadn't played a Gary Player course I considered 'great' until seeing this place - comparable to Whistling Straits
4) Diamante - I had heard it was good but I was blown away (literally and figuratively)
5) Cal Club - I didn't play the 'before' but the 'after' is absolutely fantastic

[Ed Oden]

In no particular order:

The Island
Twin Hills
May River
Augusta CC
Atlantic

[Gene Greco]

Mountain Lake
Fenway
Rivermont
Gulfstream
Southampton Golf Club (restored)

[John Kirk]

Assuming we are not talking about "transformational golf experiences", I'll go with these as pleasant surprises.

Exmoor, in 2011
Plainfield, in 2004
Olympic (Lake) 2nd time around, in fall 2011.
Santa Teresa GC, in 1985 or so
Tokatee GC, in 1980

I started playing golf in 1980, but I was one of those kids from my generation that played dice-based sports games.  Starting with baseball, I worked my way into golf, and that's where I became fascinated with that diagram of a great golf hole.  Anybody here ever play Sports Illustrated Golf, or even better, Thinking Man's Golf?

Anyway, that's my list.

[Jason Topp]

I'd like to hear/see more about

...
Sand Hollow
Ciao

I describe it here in reply 142 with a few pictures. 

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,47337.125.html

[Sean_A]

Jason

Cheers.  Did you get any pix of the 9 holer?

Ciao

[John Ezekowitz]

Marywood GC, Battle Creek, MI Maurice McCarthy
The Balsams - Panorama Course, Dixville Notch, NH, Donald Ross (kind of got it all started with me )
CC of Greenfield, Greenfield, MA, Ralph Barton (made me think that Mr. Bahto was too hard on him)
or
Lisbon Village CC, Lisbon, NH, Ralphp Barton
St. Marys CC, St. Marys, PA, Devereux Emmet
Blair Academy GC, Blairstownn, NJ, Duer Sewall

I think I win for the all ecletic grouping of architects.

Chris,

I would love to hear your thoughts on Blair. What did you find interesting about it? I played there a bunch in HS.

The first 6 holes on Blair Academy have to be 6 of the wildest holes I have played.  Great terrain, built up greens - pure fun.  After that if I remember correctly the holes become quite flat and I suspect the holes after that were redone by someone else.  I played with my brother and my both loved the course.

Chris

If I recall correctly:

One is a very silly short par four with a blind tee shot and blind second second shot over the big hill that dominates the course and slopes from right to left.

Two is a fantastic par 3 over a chasm

Three is a par 4 that plays severely downhill to a green fronted (or backed?) by an old stone wall.

Four is about 280 yards completely blind uphill to a tiny, tiny green.

Five is a crazy dogleg that has a creek running down the left side and turns very sharply to the right.

Eight is also a par 5 that has a lot of elevation change. Reminds me a bit in style (obviously not in quality) of 8 at Augusta: elevated tee shot to a fairway that runs up a hill to a green tucked a bit to the left.

Blair definitely hits all of the buttons on the quirk scale. If I ever get up that way again, I'll do a photo tour.

[Terry Lavin]

Great, surprising experiences:

Wilshire CC (Los Angeles, CA
Old Tabby (Beaufort SC)
Exmoor (suburban Chicago)
Pine Tree (Boynton Beach, FL)
Edgewood Valley (suburban Chicago)

 

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