Major City Courses

[E. Jean-Marc Monrad]

I was debating with a friend about how many cities I have played the "ONE" course to play in that City.  What are the ONE courses of the cities around the country...

Boston...TCC
Atlanta...East Lake
LA...LACC north
Pittsburgh...Oakmont

These were the only ones that I had played and thought were truly the ONE course of the city.  Obviously there is never one course but for sake of argument what are they.  I'd really like to see the NY debate.

[henrye]

I have to say that there is no way anyone could only pick one for Toronto.  St. George's, Toronto, Scarborough, Rosedale and I'd even throw in Donalda.  I consider the National to be north of the city.

[BCrosby]

Jean - Marc -

While TCC is clearly the course in Boston, you will get some debate about the courses you picked as the "one" course for Atlanta and LA.

There aren't many cities were there is a clear best. By "clear best" I mean a course in a city about which reasonable men do not disagree is the best.

Off the top of my head the only ones that come to mind are Detroit (Oakland Hills), Miami (does Seminole count as being in Miami?) and SF (SFGC).

Interesting exercise.

Bob

[Glenn Spencer]

San Francisco is tough- I will take San Francisco
Cleveland -Canterbury
Columbus- Golf Club
Cincinnati- Camargo
Chicago- wow, this is tough- Chicago
Philly-Merion
Washington-Congressional
Baltimore-Baltimore
Indianapolis-Crooked Stick
Denver-Cherry
New York-Winged Foot
Atlanta- Peachtree

[Tim Leahy]

Some of my Cali picks:

SF-Olympic Club
LA-Riviera
Monterey-Pebble Beach
San Diego-La Jolla CC
Las Vegas-Shadow Creek
Sacramento-Granite Bay
Santa Barbara-Valley Club
Lake Tahoe-Edgewood

[tlavin]

I've often thought that it would be great fun to play as many clubs named after their major city location as possible, Like Chicago Golf Club, Baltimore Country Club, Los Angeles Country Club, etc.  In some instances it is very hard to decide which one club to play in any given metropolitan area, so playing those with the municipality's name would be an easy and fun compromise.

[rjsimper]

Moorpark - Rustic Canyon (and hell, some not from this site would argue that point)



Seriously, I think there is no way to determine on several fronts, the most prominent in my eyes being LACC North versus Riviera, and probably SF versus Olympic.


Like it or not, I'd say Torrey Pines is most associated with San Diego


I'd probably be more interested in the best and the worst of the namesake courses - like tlavin's post -

Los Angeles CC is good, San Diego CC is old and I've not played it, but I heard it is eh.  San Francisco is good, but I bet there are some real stinkers out there for major cities.

Yes, Paso Robles g.c. is probably not going to be good, but what about courses with names in the top 50-100 cities in the country

Honolulu C.C. is eh - about the only interesting thing there is that they have 21 holes, I think.

[John_Cullum]

...Miami (does Seminole count as being in Miami?) ....

No.

[Yannick Pilon]

In Montreal, lots would say Royal Montreal or Mount Bruno, but I have to go with Islesmere.

The more I see it, the more I like it....  Great Willie Park course with a great setting.

[Wayne_Kozun]

How close do you have to be to the city to count?  Merion isn't in Philly - why not pick Pine Valley?

[Troy Alderson]

Spokane, WA... Indian Canyon Golf Course, great muni though not in great shape.

Bend, OR... Bend Golf and Country Club, narrow tree lined fairways and good contours on the greens.

Fossil, OR... Kinzua Golf Course, 6 holes of pasture golf with wicked small greens.

Warm Springs, OR... Kah-Nee-Ta Resort Golf Course, great scenery that may keep you from concentrating on golf especially when the wind blows hard.

OK, only Spokane is a major city.

Troy

[Tom Huckaby]

On the eponymous front (and man I've been waiting YEARS to be able to use that word)... we have a bunch in the Bay Area...

Major city (screw SF, we're bigger and more important than that over-rated hack town)
San Jose CC - quirky, funky, fun.  Mike Golden used to be a member there.

Others:
Saratoga CC - 9 holer, weird.
Burlingame CC - very cool old course
Los Altos G&CC - pretty neat, but good lord sets the standard for overpriced Bay Area private clubs...
Napa GC - very fun public course, one of the better excuses it one tires of great wine and great food...
Orinda CC - wonderful quirky old course
Pacific Grove GL - 'nuff said in here already
Palo Alto GC - decent muni
San Jose GC - indecent muni  
Sunnyvale GC - slightly more decent muni

[Glenn Spencer]

How close do you have to be to the city to count?  Merion isn't in Philly - why not pick Pine Valley?

Merion is as much in Philly as anything else. Winged Foot isn't in New York either. I didn't want to have to use taxi cabs as my aiming point. I would rather play Merion than Pine Valley.

[Robert Kimball]

Atlanta...East Lake

I would have to change that to Peachtree GC. Or at least change the catagory to "hardest to get on."

Bob Crosby, your thoughts?