What are the "Must Play" Palmer courses?

[Chris DeNigris]

River's Edge in Shallotte, between Myrtle and Wilmington. I played it about 5 years ago and I remember it being one of the better courses in the area.

Bay Creek on the Eastern Shore VA is a great piece of property but I wasn't really blown away by much other than the bay views.

Chris

[Kalen Braley]

I've played Jeremy Ranch in Park City, UT and it seems to fit along side these other descriptions.....nice course but not a must play.

It also has a few of the 90 degree turn fairways, including one par 5 where you literally have nowhere to hit the ball if you're not long off the tee.

[Bob Jenkins]

Hello Richard,

Although I would not say the following Palmer / Ed seay courses, all in the BC / Washington area are "must play", they are not bad at all:

   -  Whistler Golf Club - I agree with Will's comment. It is the original course at Whistler and personally I would prefer to play it over Nicklaus North. Not spectacular by any means but a very enjoyable course. Almost all of the Palmer courses I have seen also have very undulating greens, contrary to what Jesse has seen.

   -  Northview in Surrey, B.C. - 36 holes - The Ridge course was the host course of the Air Canada Championship on the PGA Tour. The other course is called The Canal course and is also very good. Good variety of holes on both courses, again very undulating greens, well maintained. Not great but good golf courses. In a rural area near Vancouver.

   -  Semiahmoo - Blaine, Washington. Right near the border. I have not played the course for the last 8-9 years and understand a lot of housing has been built in and around the course in that time. It is a good layout but can have drainage problems in the winter. Again, very undulating greens.

I see a comment to the effect that Palmer courses often have holes with a 250 yard drive and then an abrupt dogleg. I cannot say I have noticed any such tendency.

Wasn't the original Bay course at Kapalua a Palmer design? I have not played it for many years.

Bob Jenkins

[Ron Csigo]

River's Edge in Shallote, NC approximately 30 minutes from North Myrtle Beach is a must play when in Myrtle Beach.  IMO, it's close to being on the same tier of courses as Caledonia, Dunes Club, TPC of MB and Heritage.

[Richard Choi]

Hi Bob,

Whistler Golf Club is "nice" but definitely not a must play (as in you MUST play it when you are there!). Personally, I would play Nicklaus North and Chateau Whistler before WGC.

The Northview Ridge course is the closest "Must Play" Palmer course that I have played. I do enjoy it, but I am not sure if I would recommend it as "Must Play".

The Bay Course is a total snoozer except for the two holes next to the ocean. It is nowhere near the "Must Play" that the Plantation Course is.

Semiahmoo is exactly what is wrong with Palmer Design courses. I have a hard time distinguishing Semiahmoo from Suncadia other than the topography around it. They have almost indentical holes from several other Palmer courses that I have played in Florida and others. It is most certainly not "Must Play" in my opinion as you probably can play something very similar to it within 100 miles from any place in US.

[Garland Bayley]

Tralee

“This course suffers from the same general problem at Ballybunion New – spectacular scenery at the expense of good golf – although the terrain itself isn’t as dramatic or as integral to the course. The “signature” holes, the par-3 3rd and 13th and the par-4 12th and 17th are probably the worst on the course, although there are some dull inland holes as well. Some love the course, but I think some good land was wasted here. 0-5 [1/93]” Tom Doak, The Confidential Guide

The 0 in the rating may make it a must play for the opposite reason this thread was started.

[Roger Wolfe]

Isn't it "oxymoronic" to use "Must Play" and "Palmer" in the same sentence?

[Evan Fleisher]

Dude...I totally forgot about Musgrove Mill which a few others have mentioned here.  Definitely worth a play.

[Peter Ferlicca]

I am actually surprised no one has mentioned the Tradition Club; a lot of people in Coachella valley feel that this is the best course.  It is pretty exclusive and IMO there are a lot of cool holes there.  There is a couple of par 4's with double greens and a at least 2 really good par 3's, the par 5's are all pretty respectable too.  This is BY FAR the best palmer course I have played, if you have a chance to play it in season I would label it as a must play.

[Shannon Wheeler]

Sawgrass Country Club in Ponte Verdra was a nice challenge, also Adios was nice if not just for the opportunity and experience.

[Mike Tanner]

Maybe you just can't have it all. Palmer the golfer gets all the love, and deservedly so, but the Palmer Design company doesn't get any.

Based on a small sample of three courses -- Bay Creek on Virginia's Eastern Shore, The Signature at West Neck in Virginia Beach and the Plantation Course at Kingsmill -- I'd say Palmer Design courses are eminently playable and remarkably forgettable.

I concur with Chris DeNigris' comment about Bay Creek. Once you've played holes 2, 3 and 4 along the Chesapeake Bay, you've seen the best of the course. Everything after is buzz kill.
 

[Charlie Goerges]

Did anyone mention this list from Links Magazine?

http://www.linksmagazine.com/golf_courses/features/arnold_palmer_best_public_golf_courses/arnold_palmer_best_public_golf_courses_intro.aspx


I was surprised to learn I'd played one of his best public courses  . (#2 Deacon's Lodge, about a mile from my house)

[Jason Hines]

Tony, Arbor Links went private?  I thought they tried that once?  I would also play AL over Quarry Oaks as well.  The holes at AL are not formulaic in my opinion, 1 and 2 are quirky tee balls and 17 & 18 approach shots are a tight test.

[Matt_Ward]

Second the comments made by a few that Musgrove Mill is a "must" play. I've played a number of the others mentioned and while several of them are quite good -- they are not "must" play in the strictest sense.

Musgrove Mill is well done and when top tier golf in the Palmetto State is discussed -- usually outsiders fail to mention it. Those living in the state know full well the qualities of the course.

One other layout of note -- well worth playing though likely not a "must" -- Oasis GC in Mesquite, NV. Liked the course much better when the original layout features the opening uphill par-5 hole. That's since been changed.

[Adam Clayman]

Tony, Thanx for the pix. It surely doesn't look like any AP course I've ever seen.

My travel plans are a bit tight but I will see what I can do about stopping by. GI still?

[Matthew Rose]

Out here in Denver, there is Lone Tree GC, which I play a lot and actually quite like, except for one really bad hole (#12). I don't know that I would consider it a "must play" but having gone around it 25-30 times now, I have found it to be one of the more difficult courses in the area without being really unfair, the one bad hole excepted.

I suspect it may be too hard for high handicappers, though. A couple pretty outrageous forced carries on it.

[Jay Carstens]

Jason/Adam
Arbor Links is quickly turning in to one of the nicer courses in SE Nebraska, imo.  We play the Pius X High School Invite there every year now and the boys really look forward to it.  For those that haven't been, every hole is dedicated to a different tree (ala Arbor Day) and in (say) 25 years or so when they're mature it'll be absolutely gorgeous.  Even now, it's a really good test, very scenic, and easily the best Palmer course I've been on. Enjoy.
Jay

[Mike Hendren]

Nice to see that even Arnold has adopted the bunker style du jour:



I can only hope that is a Jump The Shark moment for such frilly edged bunkers.  Unless in sandy windswept environs, may they rest in peace.

Bogey

[Doug Wright]

Bear Creek GC is a private, men-only club west of Denver designed by Palmer/Seay. Tough track with some really good holes and some questionable holes; surprisingly over the top multi-tiered greens on some holes. Not a must play but a lot better than other Palmer courses I've played like Lone Tree and Shanty Creek. 

[Bill Kubly]

The two must play Palmer courses to me are ArborLinks in Nebraska City, and The Tradition in La Quinta, both of which have been mentioned previously.
The Tradition is where Mr. Palmer spends 4-6 weeks each winter and is spectacular.  Yes it is overly maintained, but that is what it takes in the desert.  They do spend more on flowers at Tradition than is spent on the total maintenance budget at ArborLinks, but that is necessary in the desert as that is what the players are looking for there.  Most courses in the Palm Desert area are pretty flat as they are on the floor of the desert.  At The Tradition, a huge detention area was excavated many years before the course was built so there is over 50 foot of elevation on the 7th and 8th holes due to this.  Eight of the holes are right along the mountains with no interruptions of views of homes on that side of the fairway.  The 17th hole is a downhill (about 80'-120') short par 4 that makes your squeeze your cheeks together when you are teeing off.  It is drivable, but not many try it other than Mr. Palmer.
 
The great thing about this course is that you can play it every day and not get tired of it and it works for all levels of golfers.  I am a member there so if anyone really wants to play it from January to mid April, contact me and I will try to play with you.  I do believe that The Tradition of one of the best 3-4 courses in the entire desert and would highly recommend it.

ArborLinks is a course that we developed in 1991 that is very special to me.  It is very natural and the holes fit very well with the property as there is not a real estate development in conjunction with it.   It has lodging like Sutton Bay's with 5-4 bedroom cabins that are appointed very nicely.  It is remote, yet very accessible.  As a previous note mentioned, it is private, but available for those golf purists that would like to play it or stay and play.  It is unlimited golf for the one day greens fee and I highly recommend it for anyone that would like to have that Sand Hills---Sutton Bay type of experience, as 50 players a day is a very busy day.  Dick Youngscap from Sand Hills plays it each year in a charity event and he feels it is one of the top 2-3 courses in Nebraska.  Please give this "must play Palmer Course" a try. 

The membership is a second or third club for most and it is intended as a retreat club.  The food is great, but the golf and the conditioning is spectacular.  I know if you play this course, it will become one of your favorites.....
.

[Ronald Montesano]

In defense of the Legends course at Shanty Creek, the land is nearly unworkable.  The Weiskopf course on the same property is similarly complex, complicated and compelling (?)  The resort itself is owned by enjoyable folks and has quite a bit more golf and activities.

[Garland Bayley]

...I do believe that The Tradition of one of the best 3-4 courses in the entire desert and would highly recommend it.
...

I see the La Quinta resort has two 1op 100 courses, the Mountain Course, and PGA West. Perhaps you can compare and contrast The Tradition with these two so we can better understand the quality of The Tradition.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The photo gallery from The Tradition website:

http://www.traditiongolfclub.net/photoGallery.cfm

[grandwazo]

I've played Old Tabby a few times and I will agree with Tom D that it is not a "must play" purely from an architectural perspective, but Spring Island is one of the truly special places I have ever been. The way the golf course perfectly integrates itself into such a pristine living environment for the people lucky enough to call it home is a very special quality for a golf course in a residential community to have.  Although there are many houses "on" the golf course, they are all beautifully set back and seem to share the property in a very non invasive manner.  More often than not you have to look very hard to see the homes.  I have been so many places where this aspect is so mishandled I think Old Tabby should get an award for this alone. 

All this being said, the par 3 17th hole is in fact one of the best holes I have ever played.  It's incredibly hard to hit the green, let alone get the ball in the hole in 3 strokes or less and the view and sense of place captures the "low country" in an incredible manner.  The 18th is a fine finishing hole, the only hole on the golf course with houses out in the open, but your view is drawn to the open waters to the right and the difficulty of the hole so you really don't even think of looking left at the beautiful homes sharing the view.

Chechessee Creek being right next door, and the overwhelming number of Spring Island residents/members who belong to both clubs, makes Spring Island an even more special place.

[Andy Hughes]

I'd agree with Michael W and Matt.  Musgrove Mill is a very special place, and a far better course than I expected. I am never sure what 'must play' really means but I do know that the next time I am in Greenville,SC I will be making an effort to see MM again.

PS MM is also a tougher course than it appears!