Whats the best NEW course you played this year?

[Joel_Stewart]

This being the first day of fall, I'll assume everyone played a new course in your local area or made a trip somewhere in the world to look at a new course.  I'm interested to know what single course knocked your socks off this year.  

I'll start, in Northern California I didn't find any courses that are going to be USA Top 100 material or that interesting but I played Whisper Rock in Arizona built by Phil Mickelson that I really enjoyed.  Whisper Rock is in the mold of Medalist, a real players club.  The bunkers are shaped like San Francisco Golf Club and the greens have huge chipping areas allowing a wide variety of options for getting the ball up and down.  

[Guest]

Has anyone heard of the new course on the end of Long Island called Friar's Head? Yeah, it's rather amazing!!!

[Patrick_Mucci]

Joel,

I would have to agree with "guest".

The site, golf course, practice facility, par 3 course, cultural changes, and the way the course and membership will be run,
blend to make Friar's Head an extremely special golf course, with a special place in golf.

[guest2]

agreed, and by a WIDE margin, for ALL the Reasons mentioned by Mr. Mucci.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Is Friar's the other Crenshaw/Coore course they did as they were working East Hampton?

[Steve Lapper]

My vote for Friar's Head as THE BEST new course goes unchallenged, yet I'd strongly recommend another C & C;
Hidden Creek in Egg Harbor Township.

Without the elevation changes and inherent drama of FH, Hidden Creek remains a very soild and uniquely wonderful new addition to the nation's better courses.

On the public front, Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction is a stunning newcomer that is well worth the visit.

[A_Clay_Man]

Slapper- I've heard mixed reviews of Redlands Mesa and seriously think that the plan to sell mega bucks homes, soon enough to keep it viable, in grand junction is generations away.

Still feeling the honeymoon effect, Twin Warriors near Albuquerque, is the best and only new course I've played. Pete Dye's cc of the desert was another that I toured but TW had much more variety and enourmous amounts of natural movement to the land.

[Mike_Cirba]

Rustic Canyon

[guest3]

Friars Head by a good margin. Its all Mr. Mucci and others said it is.

Rustic Canyon- the real deal

[Steve Lapper]

A Man:

My assessment of Redlands Mesa is based solely on a single round in early season conditions. It was very very good. I concur with you that the addition of overlooking RE development will be a near total negative, but its not there yet and the course stands well on it own merits.

We all know you only have one time to be the best new course  we've played. I can't wait to play Rustic Canyon.

[Craig Van Egmond]

The best NEW course I have played is Rustic Canyon.  Which is not far from the worst NEW course I played  Lost Canyons - Shadow.  
 
They may close together in distance but as golf courses the gap is HUGE!!!

[Jerry Kluger]

There are a couple of public courses which I've played this past year that I feel are enjoyable and more than run of the mill.  Musket Ridge is a Joe Lee design just west of Frederick, Maryland and is located in a scenic valley with a  small town as a backdrop.  It is not overly long but has many interesting holes with risk/reward options.  Stonewall is a Tom Jackson design located in Gainesville, Virginia and is next door to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course on Lake Manassas.  The course is the backdrop for some upscale housing but there is a good deal of the land which has not been disturbed and some of the views of the lake are quite outstanding.  I especially like the 14th which is a sweeping dogleg and the green is perched on a ridge with the lake as a backdrop; fortunately they left it just as it is without adding trees,etc., which makes the hole very dramatic.
      

[MainelyJack]

Belgrade Lakes Golf Club - Belgrade, Maine. Not "brand new" but completed within the past 5 years. The course was entirely sodded to bring it into play quickly and they did a great job with that. The views are spectacular, there are numerous tees for all levels of play, the layout is challenging and it is a public course. This time of year as the leaves start to turn make it even more of a destination for the golfer who is looking for something new.

[Doug Wright]

Pacific Dunes. Hard to believe it's barely a year old, looks like it's been there forever...

All the Best,

[Jeff_Lewis]

It is not the Best new course I have played this year, but, I did feel that Branton Woods in the northern suburbs of NY is worth mentioning because its location and its designer won't garner that much attention. Eric Bergstol, who had done a good deal of construction for the Fazio group and whose company owns a number of daily fee courses in the northeast and florida, is the designer. It is a terrific experience and a very well designed course. Worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Joel,

Sorry, I forgot another great assett Friar's Head has,  WIND,
and plenty of it.

I haven't played Hidden Creek yet, but am hoping to do so this fall.

[Dan Grossman]

Hidden Creek is a fantastic golf course.  The course fits
well with the land and is very natural.  The greens and
bunkering are some wild stuff!

I liked it a little better than Rustic Canyon.  The only other "new" course I played besides Hidden Creek and Rustic Canyon was Twisted Dune.

[Chris_Blakely]

Both of these courses opened in 2001, The Architects Golf Club and Twisted Dune Golf Club.  Both of which I believe were briefly discussed here already.

[Joel_Stewart]

Now this is a good constructive thread bringing out the best of GCA and everyone could participate.

A few courses are not new, Pacific Dunes and Redlands Mesa especially.  I'm interested because when Golf Digest comes out with its best new courses its usually includes a number of courses I've never heard of.

Friars Head was not eligable this year but will be on the list next year.  I am not sure about Hidden Creek.

Jim Engh who won last year for Redland Mesa has another course eligable this year called Tullymore in Michigan which no one has mentioned.  Also in Aiken SC is the Tom Fazio course named  Sage Valley.

Rustic Canyon was a late addition to the Golf Digest list and was evaluated this year.  

Lastly I mentioned Whisper Rock in Arizona but some people have mentioned The Mirabel Club which was the Greg Norman course that the developer did not like so he brought in Tom Fazio to rip it up and start over???   Anyway the Golf Digest results will be announced in a few months.

[blasbe1]

have you played Friar's Head?  If so, what's it like, how many holes on the bluffs, conditions, etc.  I played out of Fox Hill two years ago, it's a shame that they built those condos instead of letting Jones create something like Friar's Head.

[newtoneagle]

Red Tail at Fort Devens, MA.

[The Donald]

Trump National of course, its will soon be recognized as the best course in New York State, by hook or crook!

[Andy Lipschultz]

The best NEW course I have played is Rustic Canyon.  Which is not far from the worst NEW course I played  Lost Canyons - Shadow.  

Right on the mark and when you consider the $ difference between the two.....

Also, both courses are near what is truly one of the worst courses to open in recent years, Tierra Rejada. And of course the kissin cousin to that course, Cascades (in Sylmar) featuring a hideous front 9

[Slag_Bandoon]

 Stone Creek (Jim Hardy/Pete Jacobson) in Oregon City, was the finest, most inspiring new course I played this year.      Unfortunately, it was the only one.       So far.

  I did walk and play Skipanon GC and Featherie Banks GC in my mind though.  
  

[JWalker]

Rustic Canyon. Holes 5-14 are non-stop fun. Those guys did it right. Wish the course played a little firmer.#13 is my favorite hole. Have not made it out to Hidden Creek, sounds like I need to revise some future plans.