Crazy Greens

[Josh Smith]

Chicago Golf Club
   I think it is the hole before the redan, not sure the number.  The green outline is roughly the shape of Texas including at least 2 perfect 90 degree angles, but with some extremely strong transition areas, and small portioned levels.  Unbelievable and brilliant.  Back center pin location dimensions about the shape and size of a one car garage, with a steep entry.  (anyone have photo?)

Meadow Club
   Hole 3, imagination necessary, thought process required.

Kingsley Club
    13, imagination necessary, thought process required.


Cypress Point
     8, 9, imagination necessary, thought process required.

Spyglass Hill
     4, imagination necessary, thought process required.

Lost Dunes, Rustic Canyon, Greywalls
      Many, imagination necessary, thought process required, especially if fast and firm, we played LD wet.

Bandon Trails
       5, imagination necessary, thought process required.

Waverly CC
        17, Lag putts with hip turn

[A_Clay_Man]

Fazio built a couple of crazy greens
 at The Preserve in Carmel.

[Sean Leary]

Fazio built a couple of crazy greens
 at The Preserve in Carmel.

I am assuming you say that tongue in cheek, or you mean crazy that he made them so flat....

I haven't played it but most of the feedback has been great setting and routing, but boring greens..

[Tyler Kearns]

#13 Barnbougle Dunes
#16 Pasatiempo
#16 Glendale (S. Thompson & home course)

[James Bennett]

From a different perspective of 'crazy' - a green that is memorable because it is so different to the rest on the course.  The Old Course #9 green.  Another example of how the Old Course breaks the rules.

No mention of Painswick to date - what about the two short par 3 puchbowls within the Roman Fort, or the first green?

James B (back home now)

[Sean_A]

From a different perspective of 'crazy' - a green that is memorable because it is so different to the rest on the course.  The Old Course #9 green.  Another example of how the Old Course breaks the rules.

No mention of Painswick to date - what about the two short par 3 puchbowls within the Roman Fort, or the first green?

James B (back home now)

James

I bet it feels great to sleep in your own bed!

The greens you mantion at Painswick aren't crazy, perhaps the sites are!

Ciao

Sean

[James Bennett]

Sean

it is the first time for seevn weeks that I have suffered jetlag.  Three nights in, and I am still looking forward to a good night's sleep in my bed.

Perhaps later on I will work out how many beds I have slept in over the last 7 weeks.  However, I can guarantee that I have had enough of three in a small room with 3 suitcases plus a set of golf clubs all constantly repacked and fitted into a 'compact' car.

And the experience of driving a left-hand drive manual compact around the rural areas and motorways of France was also a special moment for a guy who drives a large right hand drive automatic on wide streets back home..

Sorry Jordan, the post is off-topic.  Back to topic.

Best courses for 'crazy greens' have been mentioned, but I would generally add any MacKenzie course in his latter years (Pasa, Meadow, Parts of Cypress Point) along with Pine valley, Plainfield and Royal Dornoch, and North Berwick.

By the way, the Old Course's 9th green reminded me of Plainfield's 13th green.

James B
James B

[JESII]

JB

Glad to hear your safe and sound. I trust the trip was amazing and look forward to hearing (and especially seeing) all about it.

JS

[A_Clay_Man]

Sean, No, it was not tounge in cheek.
There are actually a couple of greens at
 The Preserve that are wildly crazy.
One, is the back section on the first
 par 5 # 3 or #4 (it's been a long time)
 The other that I was recalling was the
10th(?) with the Mae West mounds directly
 in the center of the green.

There is at least one more excelent green there.
I believe it is the 13th, but again,
I'm having trouble remembering,
 since I only caddied the course 4 rounds,
many years ago.
I'd have played it this last year
 but the head pro dropped the ball on me, again.
Thanx Jon.

[peter_p]

16 and 17 at Prestwick
The TPC Sawrass greens before the pro uprising
16 (Gate) at North Berwick
Both back nine par 3s at Yarra Yarra
Salishan #6 (now rebuilt)
Pacific Dunes #2
#1, 7, 17 at Crystal Downs
Copper Point #13?  

[ed_getka]

Adam,
   Good call on #10 Preserve? (the short par 4 right?) Not wildly undulating, but very tricky to putt a la Pasatiempo #17.
At first I couldn't remember any there, but the first short par 4 (#6? maybe) had a tester too.

All my favorite courses have some crazy and or great greens.
  Sand Hills
   Dornoch
    Prairie Dunes
     Rustic Canyon
      Kingsley Club
       North Berwick
         NGLA
          etc....

[Tom Roewer]

#13 FADE @ Mountain Lake.

[Kevin Pallier]

RTJ's National (Old) especially considering the winds they get down there

[Jordan Wall]

I watched my Father three putt and yours truly four putt on the sixth hole at Kapalua.  

A rare site to see a green that hard and challenging, especially when the pin is front left and you are not sure if playing 20 feet of break is the correct thing to do or not.
 

[Doug Wright]

Spyglass Hill #4 as mentioned
Dooks #13--wow
just about any decent Redan is crazy and fun
Ken Dye's multitiered greens at Pinon Hills
Jim Engh's #8 at The Sanctuary--talk about a false front!

Just played a few on the RTJ Trail, eg #17 at The Senator near Montgomery--a narrow severely multitiered green

[Marty Bonnar]

Just to make Mr Huntley very 'Home'sick...











The most fun you can have with your clothes on!

FBD.

[Andy Hughes]

FBD, maybe I had too many pints when there, but what is that building (the shorter one, not the hotel)? And, um, is it relatively new?

[Marty Bonnar]

FBD, maybe I had too many pints when there, but what is that building (the shorter one, not the hotel)? And, um, is it relatively new?

Andy,
assuming you mean the pink coloured one (and not the lovely old Jigger Inn which is attached to the Old Course Hotel) then we are looking at the new(ish) Links Clubhouse.
Built about 7 or 8 years ago (maybe more now - how time flies!!) it is a great facility for visiting golfers to St A.
Until it was built, they had basically to change in the Car Park and find grub/beer wherever they could.
It acts as a 'visitors clubhouse' with good changing/showering facilities and also hosts the Starter for the New and Jubilee courses along with a nice shop.
It must have been a while since you were last in St A (or you were very, VERY drunk while last there!!!)

FBD.

[tonyt]

Drummer you legend,

I've been meaning to ask around for pics of these for ages. I've never until now laid eyes on them!

[Marty Bonnar]

Drummer you legend,

I've been meaning to ask around for pics of these for ages. I've never until now laid eyes on them!

Tony, you target for faraway laughter...
trust me, the photos cannot possibly reproduce just how slopey the Ladies is. The most fun half-hour you can have in St A (if you discount Madame Fifi's Fluffing Parlour, that is...
FBD.

[James Bennett]

I think the Ladies Putting Green stimps at about 3 - it is a lot slower than the Old Course fairways.

North Berwick West also had a lovely 'putting green' that ran the expanse to the east of 18/1/pro shop for a great distance.  It probably stimped at about 4, but was far more perambulatory in slope  compared to the St Andrews Ladies Putting Green.

On the Tuesday that I played at the Old Course (a fortnight ago) there were over 50 ladies that played in the putting contest, but that was held on one of the greens near the first tee of the Old Course (stimped about 6 or 7).  18 holes set out, and the girls played in threes. Scorecards and all.  It looked like morning tea before putting went for an hour in their clubhouse (next to St Andrews Golf Club just before the 18th green of the Old course) and the lunch that followed the putting went for a little over an hour.  It was truly delightful to see such an eclectic group of girls going through their paces.  I gather this is a regular thing at St Andrews.  Should be more of it.  

It was also interesting to see the variety of putters and balls used by the girls - some that the hickory lovers would appreciate and some that bomb squad golf would equally recognise.  Fascinating.

James B

[Adam_Messix]

I think my definition of a cool green fits the crazy green model of this thread.  Here are a few that I can think of.....

2 and 3 at Rolling Rock (PA)
E Green at the Sheep Ranch
1 at NGLA
6 at Victoria National
14 at Augusta National
16 at Pasatiempo
3 and 16 at Meadow Club
9 at Oakmont
13 and 17 at Chester River
2 at Peachtree
6 and 13 at Biltmore Forest
5 at Old Town
7 at Kenawha Club

[Andy Hughes]

It must have been a while since you were last in St A (or you were very, VERY drunk while last there!!!)

FBD, yes, it has been 15 years or so. The Links Clubhouse was not there at the time. Thanks.

PS I got paired up with some students at the University, and after the round it turned out their tolerance was far higher than mine.