Best Modern Parkland Courses

[Bill Hyde]

As a newcomer to this site, I am interested in hearing a discussion that covers a top ten list of the modern take on a good old Parkland course. You know, a classic 1920s country club-style track - just ones that have been built since 1990. Any outstanding designs that come to mind? We spend so much time on the linksy/wispy bunker/middle of nowhere spots...any less glorious sites where outstanding design work came to life? To me, that is as great an architectural challenge as routing a track through 600 acres of sandy soil in Nebraska.

[Jason Topp]

Looking at the most recent Golfweek Top 100 modern US, it does not seem like many are traditional parkland golf courses although I am not sure how to define the term. 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2009/jun/15/2009-golfweeks-best-modern-courses/

[Ronald Montesano]

Perhaps one of the reasons not many appear is that not enough "parkland" property remains for this type of development.  One could call the three courses at Turning Stone Resort near Syracuse, NY, parkland courses.  The new RTJ2 course near Niagara Falls is a Parkland course.  Links at Ivy Ridge, Harvest Hill, Arrowhead near Buffalo are all parkland courses.  Upstate NY land is all of the parkland variety.

[Peter Ferlicca]

Kinloch Golf Club I assume has to be mentioned among the best new parkland golf courses.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Ron - I'm wouldn't call the Turning Stone courses Parkland courses. Well, at least not the one I played Rick Smith's Shenendoah. There is to much "natural" grass and wastey areas... It just didn't strike me to be reminiscent of the parkland golf we have in Westchester Counnty.

I think the Old Course at Trump National Bedminster in NJ has to be in this conversation. While the par-3's dont provide great variety, and it seems to be text book Fazio, there are a lot of positives about the course. The bunkering is impressive, good variety of par-4s and 5's, its exciting and has interesting greens.

Also... what about the Hanse courses up in Boston? Would C and C Clear Creak in Tahoe count? Dormie club may be boarder line parkland as well.

[Cliff Hamm]

Muirfield Village would be at the top or near the top of any such list.

[Michael Dugger]

Muirfield Village would be at the top or near the top of any such list.

That's not post 1990

[Kyle Henderson]

Do Boston Golf club or Old Sandwich qualify? I haven't been to the northeast.

[SL_Solow]

Blackwolf Run River?

[David_Tepper]

Loch Lomond in Scotland?
Forest Highlands in Flagstaff?

[Kalen Braley]

I'm not sure if Gozzer Ranch is Parkland,( its built in foresty pines, but has plenty of width)...but its a pretty darn good course.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ron - I'm wouldn't call the Turning Stone courses Parkland courses. Well, at least not the one I played Rick Smith's Shenendoah. There is to much "natural" grass and wastey areas... It just didn't strike me to be reminiscent of the parkland golf we have in Westchester County.

What would be the precise definition of a parkland course?  Can a parkland course inhabit uneven terrain, as in mountains?  I operated on the idea of anything not on sand.  Would we call the Turning Stone courses moorland, as opposed to parkland?  I think that we need an operating definition.  Mr. Hyde (and Dr. Jeckyl, for all we know) tells us what it isn't, but that doesn't tell us what it is.

There is no doubt that Kaluhyat (RTJ2) at Turning Stone is built on the most severe terrain.  It is actually the most demanding of the three courses but cannot accommodate galleries.  Shenandoah at Turning Stone has some weak spots, but is a good resort course and a blend of the two land types.  Atunyote is a parkland course with one wash between holes four and five.

Throw something back this way, in terms of parameters for a parkland course.

[Jeffrey Stein]

LaTourette in Staten Island, NY is a good classic parkland course.  It resides within Latourette Park and the conditions can be quite good esspecially around the time of the NYC Amateur.  The back nine has one of the best stretches of holes in NYC from 13-17. 

[Tags:]

Tags: