[Matt Kardash]

I always am surprised at how people on this site talk about having played so many of the great, exclusive clubs around the world. I have been a member of this site since probably 2000 and have only played one course in the World Top 100 - Highlands Links.
Probably the best course I have played in the US is Caledonia...which isn't saying much compared to everyone here.

Is anyone else in the same boat on this site? I'd imagine i'm in a small minority.

[Kenny Baer]

I would think you are in the minority.  Few people who truly love golf have not made it a point to play great golf courses.

[Charlie Goerges]

Matt,

I am also in the same boat as you (or perhaps a worse one) as I haven't played any courses in the various top 100 lists minus the public-course lists. When I "applied" for membership here I informed Ran that this was the case, and he generously allowed me to join nonetheless.

I don't have time at this moment, but perhaps this thread would be a place to discuss what folks in our position can bring to the discussion.

Charlie

[Tom Naccarato]

Matt,
With absolutely no knowledge of these great courses, yet continually participating on this site, that to me is wanting to know about golf architecture.

I come from a part of the country where everything that was once great is either gone or destroyed. I'm a product from many weak public courses, and courses that have the name tag Robinson, whom at one time I thought was a good architect... Still, I learned, I read, and read and read. It helped having The Ralph Miller Library with-in 15 minutes of my house. But ultimately, it was that World Golf Atlas that was the best guide and teacher to see more. It got me to yearn on a daily basis to go to St. Andrews and more.

I have been fortunate. Especially all of the great people that I've met along the way. It's a richer existence that I could have ever imagined.

[Peter Pallotta]

Tommy - nice post.

Matt - me neither, not a single one in the top 100.  But one of the neat things about reading the posts here about the great courses is that I now look at the courses I do play with a different set of eyes, i.e. they too sometimes manifest lovely and thought-provoking features.

(I got in because Ran needed to fill his Canada quota...but I think he's scraped that quota since then....)

Peter

[Anthony Gray]

  Matt,

  What are the reasons why you have not? In my opinion Bandon is the greatest golf in the world and accessible.

[Dale_McCallon]

Matt,

I'm basically in the same boat as you.  I've played a few of the highly ranked resorts and few that most was agree are top notch (if not top 100), but my tongue usually hits the ground when I see so many who seem to played them all.  I have had some great fun with some of the gents on this site at GCA outings, but very feel very odd when privates start getting talked about.  As a public golf rat, I don't have much to offer in terms of reciprocity, so when I have been invited to some privates I feel a bit strange.

Dale

[Cliff Hamm]

Put me on the list - Lawsonia, Yale, Tobacco Road, World Woods, Bethpage Black (well before it became known), Baltusrol Upper (caddy many moons ago) are the most highly rated I have had the pleasure of playing.

[Jason Connor]

Matt,

I'm with you.  Of this country's great private clubs, Oakmont is the only one I've played.  And it was quite a long shot that I made it on there, a friend of a friend thing while I was in graduate school in Pittsburgh.

[Rob Rigg]

Matt,

I have played a few Top 100 public courses, and other lesser known courses that are interesting architectually, but nowhere near the average of the other gents in the treehouse.

I would agree wholeheartedly with Peter and Tommy, the great thing about this GCA site is that you are continually thinking and learning, so when you get out on any course your analysis is much deeper than before you knew, or did not think deeply, about GCA.

Of course, since Ran allowed me to join the site, I have created a long list of courses that I WILL play in the future (at least the public ones  )

Great topic.

[John Moore II]

I have played few very elite courses. The only ones I have played that are or were top 100 at Pinehurst (only part of the course, not the whole thing) Pine Needles, Forest Creek (North) and Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood). Thats it and those were all played while I was in Pinehurst working in the business.  Many times though, the 'great' courses, depending on how they are defined may not be ranked top 100, for whatever reason.

[Sean_A]

Well, I have played many a so called great course (but nowhere near as many on this site) that didn't light my fire and only a relatively small number of truly great courses that really do something for me - maybe 25 -some of which many folks would shake their heads at.  The important architectural thing about the big guns is to have something to compare against.  Of course I get just as big a kick out of the historical aspects of these clubs as I do the architecture - but then I am one to believe that once we are talking about a certain level of golf, there is very little difference between the quality - it mostly comes down to preference and the "little" things.  So, I don't think one needs to play a huge list of big guns.  I usually get more architectural joy out of the gems - some of which I think are truly great - then playing the big guns. 

Ciao

[Ken Moum]

I haven't really played many.

On the GW Modern 100 I have three -- Briggs Ranch, Hazeltine and Black Mesa

On GW Classic 100, I have none.

On the GD Public list, I have played Black Mesa and Torrey South

On the Private list I have played only Hazeltine.

In the International list I did manage to get five on a single trip to Scotland -- St Andrews Old and New, Dornoch, Cruden Bay and N. Berwick.

Although, it wouldn't surprise me if some of the courses I have played recently show up. Cottonwood Hills (Faldo, KS), Sugarloaf Mtn (C&C, Fla.) are good bets and Red Rocks (Farris, SD) is deserving.

I agree w/ Sean, seeing some that others think are the best in the world has been enlightening, and sometimes disappointing. For instance, I didn't like Royal Dornoch all that much, and discovered that many of the locals think Cruden Bay is the third-best course in the neighborhood.

I LOVED Brora, however.

Until recently, I made little effort to play top-rate courses because they were out of reach either on price of accessibility (Despite being "in the business," I never expect to be comped, and won't finagle for access)

Ken

[JMEvensky]

I might be the flip side.I've been fortunate enough to play more than my share of famous courses.However,most were played some time ago;long before I had the sense to appreciate them.

The upshot is that now I realize how truly good/interesting golf courses can be and,through this DG,why they're good/interesting.

I hope I get the chance to play some of them again.

[Joe Hancock]

Peter,

 

You don't consider the NLE Grand Island to be one of the greats?

...that's why Ran let you in....exemplary wisdom and judgment!

  ( <------ that's my Dan Kelly impersonation!)

[J Sadowsky]

I haven't played any private courses of note, either. 

[Jason Topp]

I see this site as addressing the question - "what makes one course better than another."  If you have played two courses in your life, you are in a position to provide meaningful input into that discussion.

[Rory Connaughton]

Matt:

  From my perspective, this goes back to the spirit of the game.  The true spirit of golf may be found on almost any course anywhere, world famous or not.  That's because the spirit of the game is a state of mind.

Secondarily, isn't the purpose of this site to expose people to and give them a forum to discuss courses that might otherwise be inaccessible due to geography or other restrictions with those who have seen them?

Seems to me like you are exactly who this site is intended to benefit.

[Matt Kardash]

Someone asked why I haven't made an effort to play more famous courses. Well, I am only 26 years old....I think I started reading this site when I was 17! I just graduated from university this year and do not have the funds to travel around to play golf. Also, Montreal isn't exactly a hotbed of course design either....and any course in the area potentially worth seeing is private.

Actually, I only played 36 holes of golf this year! About 10 years ago I used to play 5 days a week all summer!

I've been to some famous courses. I've been inside the clubhouse of TPC Sawgrass, Pinehurst, Pebble Beach, Harbour Town, and Kiawah (ocean). Unfortunatley, when I visited these places in the past on family trips we didn't have 300 dollars a person for me, my dad, and my mom to play golf!
It's funny, when on family trips I'd always check to see if we would be near a famous course so I could at least say I was there, even if I couldn't play it.

[Wayne Freeman]

Matt-  don't despair.  You're still very young and have loads of time to seek out the great ones if you want.  When I was your age I wasn't even playing golf.  When I graduated from high school  I went up the Calif. coast with my best friend and we ended up at Pebble Beach.........  I had a letter from Eddie Merrins at Bel-Air where I caddied and played 45 holes walking in one day for $25.  That was 40 years ago.  Then I didn't pick up a club for 23 years!  But as I got back into golf I was able to build golf relationships and network with people all over the country and have been very fortunate to have played most of the top tier of courses.  I'm just very impressed that you have the interest and passion for the game.  Be patient and if you want it good things will happen.

[Brad Fleischer]

Matt,

That's what makes this site great. You have not necessarily have had to play them to learn from them,whether from a playing aspect or an architectural one you can learn just from reading. You can also get a feel of the course through many of the great pics the members post. I'm 33 and I have also have not had the pleasure of playing any of the so called elite courses. That however shouldn't dampen your spirits. Do I want to play them sure I do I would kill to but instead I have made the pilgrimages to Ireland, I have sought out the great public places and the unheralded ones that more often than not turn out to be better than the so called "top" lists. There is good to great public golf out there you just have to know where to look. This sight will also help you look in the right direction. Iv' e learned a ton since becoming a member and hope to learn a lot more. I feel most people on this site love the game and the little nuances that go with it.They love to argue ,share,and compare thoughts and ideas which let me in on the ones I will never play and maybe the one's I might. Besides you never know when you might get that invite!!!

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Matt, I learn far more about a course by watching good players than by playing it myself. That's why I particularly like watching top amateur events. You can get very close to the players and see how they overcome the problems set.

I'm fortunate to have played a number of top-drawer courses, in every continent apart from Africa and Antarctica, but I also get enormous pleasure from second tier courses, those outside the top 100 - anywhere from 101 to 500 - and here in the UK we are lucky enough to have some really inspiring courses which never make the rankings.

[Matt OBrien]

At this point last year I was in the same boat you were Matt. I had a good year this year and got out to play a few GREAT golf courses. Hang in there, it will come

[Kyle Harris]

At this point last year I was in the same boat you were Matt. I had a good year this year and got out to play a few GREAT golf courses. Hang in there, it will come

Understatement of the year.

[Matt OBrien]

At this point last year I was in the same boat you were Matt. I had a good year this year and got out to play a few GREAT golf courses. Hang in there, it will come

Understatement of the year.

what do you mean by that??

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