[Patrick_Mucci]

Augusta National-those who say it doesn't play firm and fast,haven't been there when it does.Torrential Rain the last few years at tournament time has diminished it's ability to do this.
A clay base and winter as its' prime season don't help,but it's not intentional.
Rye grass is REALLY green that time of year-it's not a phenomena of overwatering.
Yes Fazio and Hootie need restraint,but Augusta has been evolving since 1935-I've been critical of many changes,but the course is overly maligned on this site.

Jeff,

I"d agree 100 %.

Too often the golf course is criticized by people who've never seen it in person.

[PCCraig]

Kemper Lakes outside of Chicago.

I feel like everyone around home has dogged that place inside and out, but there are few golf courses that I have as much fun playing.

I havent been here long enough to know exactly what courses everyone hates...but I thought I would throw one out there.

[Mark Brown]

There are some good courses in Florida which often get bashed because they're in Florida.

Doral-Blue: I thought it was challenging and fun to play. You have to pay attention as to how you attack many of the holes.

Old Marsh: If you're hitting it straight it's a heckuva test.

[Andy Troeger]

Pat,
I have mixed feelings about Kemper Lakes. Between the fee, the fact that its hosted a PGA, and the way that it markets itself, I really expected something special, and then other than #11 I never really saw a hole that stood out. The finishing stretch is good, but there's not much on the front nine that I couldn't find around me for less than half the money.  It's not bad, I just didn't find much greatness either. Just my take...

[Doug Siebert]

How about Old Head?  Most people here seem to think that Turnberry is deserving of its ranking, but that Old Head is overrated.  I don't get that, I think that because it is so overly dramatic on those high cliffs it gets looked down upon as a design for dramatic views, and that Turnberry gets points because of the Nicklaus/Watson duel in '77 that have nothing to do with any architectural merit of the layout.

The question everyone should ask themselves is "Did I enjoy playing the course"? I played Old Head, played badly, but absolutely loved my day out. It's not an Irish course, though.

Its in Ireland and you play it in Irish wind and Irish weather, doesn't that make it an Irish course?  True, it bears no resemblence to Ballybunion or Lahinch, but not much does.  There aren't going to be natural sand dunes on cliffs 300 feet above the sea, it would have been a disaster if they'd tried to artificially create a Lahinch lookalike there.

Having a course not fit in with the national stereotype isn't a bad thing.  After all, Sand Hills isn't much of an American course, but I hear its not half bad

[Ian Andrew]

Pinehurst #2 - it's not the prettiest course in the world but the architecture is some of the best - whether the greens are Ross or not -it don't care. The course is full of lessons on difficulty without sacrificing playability (the greens being prepared beyond their speed limit is not the fault of the course)

Muirfield - just like Pinehurst - possibly one of the least attractive links, but arguably to me the smartest design work I have seen. The use of the wind, the bunker placement, all of it is so clever a test.

Both courses provide lots of options, but become more stern the more the player tries to be aggressive.

[Tom_Doak]

San Francisco Golf Club
Muirfield
Seminole
The Old Course
National Golf Links of America [not on this board, but out in the real world]

or pretty much any other great course which Ran has questioned.  But I do agree with him on Old Head -- great location, but where are the great holes?

[BCrosby]

Aronimink.

[ForkaB]

Carnoustie.  Possibly overall the best links golf course in the world.

[TEPaul]

"But I do agree with him on Old Head -- great location, but where are the great holes?"

TomD:

Although I've only seen Old Head basically once and that included a wind-swept round fighting for the survival of the single ball I played the course with. By that I mean maybe I didn't look at the course as closely as I otherwise would have.

But I'm sort of a defender of Old Head, not exactly as a course with a collection of great holes but a course entirely remarkable for another reason or two.

What I mean by that is Old Head has to be one of the handful of most dramatic sites for a golf course in the world. On the other hand, just the configuration of that site is severely limiting to any kind of architecture latitude, in my opinion.

I mean, seriously, what would the alternatives be for golf holes on a site shaped like that one?

[Sean Walsh]

Tom D,

Any similarities/differences between Old Head and Cape Kidnappers in terms of the site.  Not sure you would want to expand on this in this forum but what could have been done better.

I have not played the course but will at least try and go and have a look at it while I'm in Ireland sometie next year.  Pity it is out of my price range to play..

[Bill Wernecke Jr]

I have played Muirfield Village a number of times, and while I don't like the housing (and I don't think Jack does now, either), it is a fabulous course and a great test of golf.

I would be surprised if anyone knocked it after playing it.

I have played Kemper Lakes several times, and although it is not one of my favorite courses (and probably over-priced), it is still a good course with a few excellent holes.

[Glenn Spencer]

I will try knocking Muirfield Village, although I haven't played since the what appear to be horrible changes to the already horrible 17th. From what I remember, if you were trying, you would have a tough time missing the fairways. The real problem that I had with the joint was the par 5's, I thought 5 was an abomination and 11 just barely less of one. 7 is a boring hole in my mind and 15 is better than the rest, but not by much. 18? Well, that is just flat out bad. If this course was conditioned at a 7 instead of a 10 and had someone else's name on it, I don't think you could find it on a list.

[Gene Greco]

Pebble Beach

I still believe the 18th at NGLA is a better finishing hole but Pebble is on my list as a course I would consider playing as the last round of my life.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()