The best 3 parkland courses you have played.

[Chip Gaskins]

Oakmont
San Francisco Golf Club
Chicago Golf Club

[Chuck Brown]

I'm fascinated by the preliminary difficulty in defining "Parkland."  Or "Heathland."  Isn't Loch Lomond built on land that is the very definition of "Heath"?  (Although, having lived in north London myself, "Hampstead Heath" is the very definition of a "park.")

And, wouldn't any course built within sight of an ocean be ruled out of the "Parkland" defeinition?

I'm so confused. 

 

[Joe Hancock]

Lawsonia

[Tom_Doak]

I think this is a terrific thread, because it shows just how little consensus there is about what is a great course, once you throw out all the links and seaside courses which are there in part because of their setting and playing conditions.

Chuck:  I personally would rule out from the discussion any course with heather, and any course which benefits from long views off-property.  That's why I hedged on Crystal Downs and didn't consider Prairie Dunes.  Classic parkland courses (Winged Foot, St. George's) to me are courses with trees and internal views only.  I would've ruled out courses with lots of long grasses, too, but so many courses have let some acreage go to native in the name of environmental awareness that you would hardly have any courses left to talk about then.

[Sean_A]

I think this is a terrific thread, because it shows just how little consensus there is about what is a great course, once you throw out all the links and seaside courses which are there in part because of their setting and playing conditions.

Chuck:  I personally would rule out from the discussion any course with heather, and any course which benefits from long views off-property.  That's why I hedged on Crystal Downs and didn't consider Prairie Dunes.  Classic parkland courses (Winged Foot, St. George's) to me are courses with trees and internal views only.  I would've ruled out courses with lots of long grasses, too, but so many courses have let some acreage go to native in the name of environmental awareness that you would hardly have any courses left to talk about then.

Tom

The elimination of long views in a parkland course is interesting.  It has always been my belief that the original concept of parkland golf included long views because the trees were arranged purposely to afford the views.  Furthermore, the use of trees would have been much less than we think of today using only exceptional specimens.  That said, I think that folks like Colt altered this concept fairly early on.

Ciao

[PCCraig]

Shoreacres and TCC-Brookline

Both great parkland layouts that include many interesting land features.