Courses you have not played but "need to see in your lifetime"..

[Voytek Wilczak]

I have not seen Pine Valley, but from what I read on GCA, I should see it.  Since I am a novice at looking at courses from an architectural perspective, how should I approach the course?  

Pine Valley is open to public every year for Crump Cup (a mid-amateur tournament). I believe it is the third Sunday every September.

[Greg Tallman]

As an east coaster transplanted  to the west coast (albeit in Mexico) I'll have to say Cypress Point & Monterrey Peninsula. (Ed if you are lurking on here I will take you up on your offer sometime in the future )

[Doug Bolls]

Thanks Voy - I called PV - Crump Cup Sunday is October 1st this year - I am thinking about going just to walk the course.
Have you seen it?
Doug

[Kevin Pallier]

"Need" and "want" are two separate things. Accessibility and cost are obvious constraints. I would love to see....

US: for starters - as I have seen next to nothing
Pine Valley
Cypress Point
Shinnecock Hills
Sand Hills
National Golf Links of America

UK: I've seen a lot of but would like to add
The European Club
St. Enodoc
Machrihanish
Siloth-on-Solway
The Addington

Australia: I've also seen a lot but also would like to see
Ellerston & Capital

Rest of the World: NZ...

the list goes on....but hey - it's been an enjoyable pursuit thus far

[Tom_Doak]

Doug:  You will be shocked -- I mean SHOCKED -- to see the Redan hole at North Berwick for real.

You may also be surprised to find it's not even close to your favorite hole on the course.  That is such a great place!

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

So many places... so little time.

Beyond the obvious courses, I'm intrigued to put a trip together (anywhere would be fine), which would include the obvious "musts" while mixing in some courses that are off the radar, and maybe considered gems by many.  For instance:

LA.  Sure I'd like to play Riviera and LACC again, and play Bel-Air.  I'd also like to see Annadale, San Gabriel, and Virginia CC.

North Jersey.  Baltusrol, Plainfield, and Somerset Hills are musts, as is Mountain Ridge, Alpine, and Hollywood.

London.  I foam at the mouth to play Sunningdale (Old & New), Walton Heath (Old & New), Swinley Forest, and St. George's Hill.  Also intrigued by what I've read on Liphook, Hankley Common, and the Addington... among others.

The Rest of the World.  Until this site piqued my curiosity, I had know idea about a lot of things.  Who knew about links golf in the Netherlands?  Or Colt's St. Germain outside Paris?  And, Japan... wow Hirono, Kasumigaseki, and other Alison courses?  All of these courses are places I want to see... and play.

It's amazing I get any work done during the day.  

And, now life is getting in the way of these trips.  With TWINS on the way, I'll be happy to see a golf course.

[Cory Lewis]

I need to complete my education on Macdonald/Raynor in my lifetime so I need to see:

Chicago
St. Louis
Mountain Lake
The Creek
Shoreacres

[Doug Bolls]

Tom - This is my third trip to Scotland - finally got to North Berwick - I would guess I will enjoy The Pit with the old wall down the fairway the most - but, seeing the original Redan has got to be worth it.  What should I be prepared to see?
We are going in early April so we can play Old Course in Reverse - that should be very interesting.
Doug
PS - I am currently reading your book - just finished chapter on bunkers and water hazards.
Doug

[peter_p]

Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, The Old Course (Reverse)
Barnbougle Dunes, Cape Kidnappers, Kauri Cliffs
The Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Nebraska, Dakotas loop

[Kyle Henderson]

Having only played 3 private courses in my 5 years of golfing (all in the Eastern San Francisco Bay Area), I have a alot of catching up to do. But the courses I most-deeply desire to play include:

#1 Cypress Point (and Pebble, Spyglass of course)
#2 Pine Valley
#3 The Long Island "Collection" (Shinnecock, NGLA, Sebonack, Bethpage Black, ect.)
#4 The Bandon Dunes Triad
#5 Any course by Mike Strantz (I've played Tot Hill Farm and Tobacco Road so far, Monterey Peninsula Country Club Shore course is at the top of my to do list list)
#6 Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs
#7 Scotland (I'm not sure how this ended up so far down the list. The courses there probably just don't translate well into photographs. Please don't be angered by what is likely to be a high degree of ignorance on my part.)
#8 The Mornington Peninsula courses
#9 Ireland
#10 Sand Hills

[RJ_Daley]

I don't know, this endless listing of wants and needs to play exotic golf courses all over the world smacks to me of "the guy who dies with the most toys - wins".  The world of golf is too big to start trying to carve it up into conquests.

I don't need to play any more courses as much as I need to just stay above ground, and hopeful that some other opportunities to enjoy the great game come along.

But, if it don't work out, I'm pretty happy with the little list of great ones I have had the pleasure to enjoy.

[Craig_Rokke]

Cypress Pt

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The more places I see and play, the longer the list of places that I want to see and play gets. Australia, OZ, Holland, South Africa for area before we even start naming courses or courses in the US Canada, Ireland and the UK.

[Michael Dugger]

As a public golfer in America I play the most epic courses available.



TPC Sawgrass
Pebble Beach
Pinehurst #2
Spyglass Hill
Bethpage Black
Bandon Dunes
Pacific Dunes
Bandon Trails
Sand Hills (use up my one time exemption )
Pasatiempo
Arcadia Bluffs
American Club (all 72)
Yale
Black Mesa
Rustic Canyon
TPCWest Stadium
Kapalua Plantation

[Adam_F_Collins]

Bandon
Bethpage
Maidstone
Cypress
NGLA
Shinnicock
Pine Valley
TOC
Sand Hills

[Brian Joines]

There are so many courses I have yet to see, it's hard to imagine making this list. I will start off with my list of courses within driving distance that I really hope to play sometime.

Crystal Downs
The Dunes Club
Inverness
Wolf Run
Victoria National

As far as courses all over the world...

Sand Hills
NGLA
Cypress Pt.
and about 500 others

[Emmy]

Gosh, there are so many fine courses I hope to see someday. Don't get me started, as my list would quickly evolve into a book.

[Padraig Dooley]

Leopard Creek, outside Kruger National Park South Africa

I have played this one, but I think it's one everyone should see. I don't think there are many courses like it.

[Steve Lapper]

    Royal Melbourne

Wise Choice

My "needs":

Crystal Downs
Nagano
Ellerston
Barnbougle
Cabot Links
Cape Breton
Durban
Ballyneal
Sutton Bay

[Bill_McBride]

Doug:  You will be shocked -- I mean SHOCKED -- to see the Redan hole at North Berwick for real.

You may also be surprised to find it's not even close to your favorite hole on the course.  That is such a great place!

"Shocked?"  Why shocked?  The Redan is sui generis, right? Everything else is a copy.  I thought the green site was a lot more natural than those at Yale and Chicago, with the reverse Redan at the Creek more natural on that slope.

I loved that hole last summer when I played with my wife and another couple.  The pin was halfway down the slope.  She hit a 3-wood run up between the deep bunker left and smaller bunkers right, and it rolled down to 15', easy par.  I hit six iron to the top of the slope front right and it rolled down to 15', easy par.  Many different routes to the objective.  On that particular Redan, probably the easiest par is over the green with the relatively flat chip back to the hole.

Why "shocked?"  Just curious.....

[henrye]

Leopard Creek, outside Kruger National Park South Africa

I have played this one, but I think it's one everyone should see. I don't think there are many courses like it.

Definitely one I want to see.  I don't 'need' to see any, but would like to see Leopard Creek, Royal County Down, Old Course, Carnoustie, Brandt (Swiss) & Sperone (Fr), and of course, Cabot Links.

[Garland Bayley]

Just got done making my favorite pictures from Ran's review of Friar's Head into a slideshow for my screen saver. My one need to see is Friar's Head. Don't want to be greedy. Will see others as opportunity presents.

[Doug Siebert]

Just based on courses I've learned about on GCA, here is just a sampling of the courses I've added to my list of places I'd want to play:

Sand Hills
Friar's Head
NGLA
Painswick
Shivas' reverse muni in Chicago

Sure, I'd like to play CPC, PV, ANGC, Merion, etc. but I wanted to play them before GCA, but I'd put my desire to play at least Sand Hills, Friar's Head and NGLA above anything I wanted to play before because of the discussion and photos I've seen.  Painswick and Shivas' reverse course look pretty cool, but I think I'd have to keep CPC, PV, and ANGC above them in the overall list

Damn you all for adding to my list of places I want to play that I probably won't get to!

Oh yeah, and I'd like to play TOC in reverse but I wish they'd open up a day or two during the summer so you wouldn't have to play it off mats!

[John Kavanaugh]

Barney,

This is the same infraction for which you suspended my tour card.  

You can never one up a hillbilly's dreams...Nor does one talk of his curriculum vitae..

[Evan_Green]

    Royal Melbourne

Wise Choice

My "needs":

Crystal Downs
Nagano
Ellerston
Barnbougle
Cabot Links
Cape Breton
Durban
Ballyneal
Sutton Bay

Steve

I've never heard of a course called Nagano - is it in Japan? Curious as to why you want to play it ?

Thanks