[George Pazin]

Lots of talk lately about how surroundings affect the experience on a golf course, whether it's the ocean at Pebble, the vastness of Sand Hills or Sutton Bay, the desert at Shadow Creek, or whatever.

What are some really great courses that have less than desirable settings or unfortunate views?

One unfortunate view that leaps to mind for me is the power plant towers in the background of Sandwich. I don't think it would affect my feelings for the course at all, but it's certainly unfortunate.

How 'bout some others? Any that cause a course to be underrated, at least architecturally speaking?

[Brian_Gracely]

Prestwick and Troon near Prestwick airport.  The plane lifting off above the 6th green at Troon scared the crap out of me.

The nuclear power plants that are visible from Royal St.George's.

Augusta National bordering on Washington Rd.

Rustic Canyon and the view on #18 of the Practice Cage.

University of Michigan course on the Saturday's during the football season, when it serves as a parking lot.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Augusta National bordering on Washington Rd.

But can you actually see Washington Rd. from the course?

[Brian_Gracely]

I plead the Mucci 5th on that question....

[A.G._Crockett]

Actually, there is some sort of a space-time discontinuity between Washington Rd. and Augusta National.  You not only cannot see one from the other, but neither EXISTS from the other.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I plead the Mucci 5th on that question....

Which means that you have convinced (only) yourself that you are right, you were never wrong in the first place (and would never admit so if it was even remotely possible), and you'll ask a different question to deflect attention away from the overwhelming evidence against you on the previous issue.

But that's just my opinion, which is, of course, also wrong.

 

[Brian_Gracely]

I basically just meant that while I've walked the course, and was in the fairway of #17 for a period of time, I've never actually played golf on the course and hence could not represent if Washington Rd. was visible to a player at Augusta National.  

[Mike_Cirba]

Oakmont has four lanes of traffic cutting right through the course and vertigo-inducing bridges to get you past it.

Plus, they can cut all the trees they want but the views just ain't that special.  

At least Merion has a certain toney neighborhood intimacy going on and the road crossing has a certain charm at ground level.

So yes, Oakmont is the best course in a pretty lousy setting that I know of.

[Mike Benham]

The Road Hole - St. Andrews ...

[George Pazin]

Oakmont has four lanes of traffic cutting right through the course and vertigo-inducing bridges to get you past it.

Plus, they can cut all the trees they want but the views just ain't that special.  

At least Merion has a certain toney neighborhood intimacy going on and the road crossing has a certain charm at ground level.

So yes, Oakmont is the best course in a pretty lousy setting that I know of.

The views might not be all that special, but they're not bad. I think the Turnpike actually provides an interesting juxtaposition. Man, if you think this is a lousy setting I would avoid pretty much all of western PA.

[Sean_A]

I think Prestwick takes the prize for me.  Terrible setting with the airport right on the course.

Dunbar has the cement works out near the far end (just when it starts to get pretty).

Machrihanish suffers quite a bit due the the military airport.

Carnoustie and Lytham never had a great setting to spoil!

Ciao

Sean

[TEPaul]

Right from the very beginning it seems like most all said Hoylake was just awful looking but an excellent golf course!

[peter_p]

Carnoustie. Town, no views, firing range.
Seascale, north of Liverpool has a view, but their power plant abuts the course.

[T_MacWood]

The freeway at Oakmont doesn't really bother me. The freeway at Lost Dunes is much worse and I don't notice it either. That clubhouse at Southern Pines--Ran's home course--is the worst man made structure in golf history. It also appears to be indestructable...you couldn't burn it down even if you wanted.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I think the UK can clear up the monopoly on this one.  Seaton Carew is perhaps the best course with the worst view, but I don't deny the claims of Silloth, Seascale, Lytham, Hoylake, Sandwich, and others to challenge this.  What about Rye, though - hallowed ground, but the shipbreakers?  And what of Westward Ho!  We, Brits, are just queueing up to fill this category.  Which reminds me, I'll do some more British Courses scans after Easter - the flesh is willing, but the necessity to earn an income comes first.

[JESII]

Do the power plants really diminish the views or experience at Sandwich that much.

All courses should suffer the punishment of being set along the water with such beautiful dunes.

I've not been to any of the others mentioned on either side of the pond, but to me the power plants turn a 10 for setting into an 8 or 9.

[wsmorrison]

I was so enthralled with everything on the course and the grounds immediately around Sandwich that I hardly took notice of the power plant at all.  I am a huge fan of that golf course.

What if the Clementon Lake Amusement Park was in view over some of the round at Pine Valley?  How would that detract from the experience for most of you?  I don't think it would matter all that much as long as you couldn't hear the screaming South Jersey kids throughout the round.

[Kyle Harris]

Hartefeld National during the Senior event they had there in mid June...

Let's just say I lost my appetite for mushrooms after seeing that.

[Mike_Cirba]

The freeway at Oakmont doesn't really bother me. The freeway at Lost Dunes is much worse and I don't notice it either. That clubhouse at Southern Pines--Ran's home course--is the worst man made structure in golf history. It also appears to be indestructable...you couldn't burn it down even if you wanted.

Tom,

I'm not sure if this is still true, but back in the 80s when I played SOuthern Pines the picture on the scorecard was of that gawdawful clubhouse.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

Wayne,

Conversely, those standing on the 1st tee and 18th green at NGLA never debited the golf course for the unbelievably LOUD music eminating from Bayberry.

Now, sight will replace sound.

Then again, I don't know what the noise levels will be like.

[Sean_A]

I agree with Wayne.  The power plant at Sandwich is far enough away that it is not a big deal.  It seems worse at Princes for some reason.  I like both of these courses very much, so the power plant is a very minor distraction.

Tenby must have one of the worst clubhouses in golfdom.  It is enough to put one off his ale.  It certainly leaves a bit of a sour taste after playing such a lovely course.  Before the new construction, Pennard and Carnoustie were battling it out.  

Ciao

Sean

[George Pazin]

Why was LOUD music eminating from Bayberry?

How jarring are all of those houses at Pebble? Last time I was there was '98 and it didn't seem that bad, but the photos now are starting to look silly.

[Mark Brown]

East Lake

[cary lichtenstein]

Southern Dunes -lousy views

Shadow Creek-lousy setting

Fossil Trace-lousy views

[Don_Mahaffey]

A newer course in a not so nice setting is The Rawls Course at Texas Tech in Lubbock. Land so flat that you can see a lizard doing push ups at 40 miles and what you can see isn't very attractive. There's a reason the course is surrounded by a berm.

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