Great golfing towns

[john_stiles]

Would second :

Aiken, South Carolina

Pinehurst, North Carolina

Southport,  England

Also :

any little village in Bagshot or Berkshire area of England  

And although I have never been out there, any of those small villages on eastern end of Long Island, near so many of the greats, even though it might be more about the 'beach' and being 'there' than golf.

[Mark Pearce]

Pick a western suburb of London, Liverpool,

Southall?  Hounslow?  Let's face it, Woking might have a great course or two or three but it isn't a "golf town", nor, for that matter is Ascot (Berkshire, Swinley Forest).  Liverpool certainly isn't a golf town, not least as it hasn't got any great courses (Royal Liverpool is in Hoylake, Birkdale in Southport).  Ascot is a racing town (and it does revolve around the racing.  If anything Liverpool is a football town.

[Jim McCann]

I have to agree 100% with the earlier nomination of Gullane:

Gullane numbers 1, 2 and 3, Muirfield and Luffness New are all within a
couple of miles of the town centre.

Kilspindie, Craigielaw, Renaissance Club, Fidra and Dirleton all within another
couple of miles (albeit the latter three are not so accessible).

In fact, I think that Gullane is often overlooked as one of THE golf centres in the UK.

By a happy coincidence, I just happen to have played Gullane #1 yesterday on a bright
sunny winter's day and here's a couple of snaps from my round.

This is hole 1 on the way up Gullane Hill...



And this is one of the finest views in Scottish golf from atop Gullane Hill, looking across the
Firth of Forth to the Kingdom of Fife. If playing here does not fire up your golfing passion
then you need to change sports and move on to lawn bowls...



Southport IS very good - I'm playing S&A next week, actually and looking forward to it - but
Gullane gets my vote as the best, EVEN above St Andrews; there, I've said it!


 

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I don't think Southport is a golfing town - it isn't connected with the golf courses which lie in the sand dunes to the south other than by a rather long road. The suburbs of Hillside or Ainsdale might more properly claim the title. I think a golfing town needs to have the course(s) starting and finishing in the town as at St Andrews or Lossiemouth. Even at a place such as Newcastle, Co Down the RCD courses are really somewhat segregated from the town. There's more afinity between the town and the little pitch and putt course by the Shimna. 

[Sean_A]

I don't think Southport is a golfing town - it isn't connected with the golf courses which lie in the sand dunes to the south other than by a rather long road. The suburbs of Hillside or Ainsdale might more properly claim the title. I think a golfing town needs to have the course(s) starting and finishing in the town as at St Andrews or Lossiemouth. Even at a place such as Newcastle, Co Down the RCD courses are really somewhat segregated from the town. There's more afinity between the town and the little pitch and putt course by the Shimna. 

Okay, Mark is correct and that means the list is very short. 

St Andrews
North Berwick
Dornoch

I didn't include Gullane despite it being a golf town like no other on this planet simply because it is a blah town cut off from ther sea.  I did include Dornoch because I didn't meet one local or hear of one locasl who wasn't a member of the club.

Ciao
 

[Mark Pearce]

Sean,

Elie has to be on that list.  It's more of a golfing town on those criteria than North Berwick. 

[Sean_A]

Sean,

Elie has to be on that list.  It's more of a golfing town on those criteria than North Berwick. 

Mark

You could be right.  The sticker is the great town part.  I am not familiar enough to say either way, buit it didn't look too nice when I went through.  Mind you, it seemed nicer than Carnasty.  Even in summer that place holds no appeal for me.

What about Montrose?  I am told Ballybunion has improved, but I have to wonder.  What an opportunity is wasted there with all that golf money rolling through town. 

Ciao 

[Tim Pitner]

I am told Ballybunion has improved, but I have to wonder.  What an opportunity is wasted there with all that golf money rolling through town.  

While traveling in Ireland, I thought about playing an unscheduled round of golf at Ballybunion which would have required my wife to cool her heels in town while I played.  After spending a little time in Ballybunion town, I decided that I couldn't do that to my wife, even for Ballybunion golf. 

Lahinch has to the best answer for Ireland. 

[Ken McGlynn]

It's difficult to top Gullane, especially if one has secured a day's visit to Murfield, but I'd opt for the village of Woodhall Spa. I haven't visited there in well over a decade, thus I haven't seen or played Donald Steel's Bracken course. The Hotchkin course was a pure joy to play, and in my opinion is the top non-links course in the UK.

[Dan Herrmann]

Metro Philly

[Bill_McBride]

St Andrews #1
North Berwick
Dornoch
Elie with one course is great
Deal (although my bed broke)

Is there anywhere in America that compares?  No.

[JC Jones]

St Andrews #1
North Berwick
Dornoch
Elie with one course is great
Deal (although my bed broke)

Is there anywhere in America that compares?  No.

Redneck Riviera?  Has to be close, I think.

[Tim Leahy]

La Jolla/Pacific Beach is pretty nice. You get the resident rate at two Torrey courses, Balboa, and Coronado. Sun about 350 days a year and the hottest women in California on the beaches.

[John Mayhugh]

Do you regularly see folks walking down the street carrying their clubs? The only place I know where you do is St Andrew's...

Jamie,

All the time in Elie.  In fact one of the great delights there is the number of children seen on their bikes with clubs over their shoulders.  The sight is all the better in Elie for the fact that very fewnone are foreign tourists (though many may be holiday makers with connections to the town).

Hey, what do you have against foreign tourists?

[Sam Morrow]

I am not going to compare these to the St. Andrews, NYC's, etc of the world but some really nice golf towns would include places like Austin, San Antonio, Wichita, and even Oklahoma City.

[Jeffrey Stein]

It sounds like St. Andrews and Gullane have dominated much of the vote.  I'll surely visit these towns once I figure out how to stay and play.  I believe there was a similar thread not long ago about staying in the dorms at St. Andrews college, might be a good option for me.  I am planning a trip to Melbourne/Tasmania in the next six months for a dose of Mackenzie and some more Doak down under, I can hardly wait.

Thanks for all the feedback!

[Bill_McBride]

St Andrews #1
North Berwick
Dornoch
Elie with one course is great
Deal (although my bed broke)

Is there anywhere in America that compares?  No.

Redneck Riviera?  Has to be close, I think.

No way.  When I think of those towns in the UK, I think of walking to the course, preferably more than one.  Won't happen here.

[Tony_Muldoon]

II think you need more than one course in close proximity to make it onto this list, and you have to be able to walk to the course with your clubs on your back.

Great towns where I've carried my clubs on foot to the course

Portstewart
North Berwick
Dornoch
St Andrews.


Sean has mentioned Malahide but any of the North Dublin suburbs could qualify.

From the top of my head this is the stretch of courses all within 5 miles as the crow flies.
Royal Dublin +
St Anne’s
Howth
Sutton 9 holes
Portmarnock  +++
Portmarnock links +
The Island ++
Staying in Howth or Malahide makes this area a well kept secret.

[Gary Slatter]

my favourites would be Pinehurst, North Berwick, St Andrews, Charleston, Kitchener, Toronto, Chicago and Montauk.
and Manderville Jamaica, the town built around the oldest course in the western hemisphere, Manchester GC.

[Mike Sweeney]

my favourites would be ......... Montauk.

Nice call Gary. 18 at Montauk Downs and then dinner at the Montauket is a very good day:

[Mark Pearce]

Tony,

Why more than one course?  Justify that criterion.  Anyway, you forget Elie Sports Club, which is a kid's 9 holer and counts double in making a real "golfing town".

Are you going to walk 5 miles to a course with clubs on your back, by the way?  You're more dedicated than me.

[Matthew Hunt]

Portstewart/Portrush

Rory, as an Irishman I thought you would be aware that Newcastle trashs Portrush at any thing as a matter of default

[Jeff Spittel]

A little place called New York City. Throw a rock in any direction and you hit one of the world's best courses. You've also got dozens of lesser known gems.

How far can you throw a rock
Name a course you can reach in less than 30 minutes door to door.
Find one person in a bar who's heard of the course you just played ?

Nice interpretation.
Bayonne.
Apparently you hang out at the wrong bars.

[Ash Towe]

Melbourne but it is way to big to be classified as a town.
St Andrews
Carmel
Bridport-When the Lost Farm opens this may become a golfing town.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Jeff

How far can you throw a rock   
We are talking about Golf right, no rocks in golf, unless the music on the juke box after the round in one of the many local pubs - you sure you are on the right site to discuss throwing this rock?

Name a course you can reach in less than 30 minutes door to door.
TOC – out of my fathers home through the back garden, out past the black door to the left of Old Tom’s shop, across the road and there she is not just any course but TOC - total distance 40yards give or take.

Find one person in a bar who's heard of the course you just played ?
Just about everyone in St Andrews and the golfing world, apart I expect from a few Americans playing at something called ‘Cartballing’.

Do not think NY can quite match that, although I may be wrong

Melvyn