The Worst Golf City in The USA

[Sam Morrow]

The thread about best golf cities in America got me thinking, what is the worst golf city in America? I think my hometown of Houston has a chance to be in the running.

[Brad Fleischer]

Staten Island NY . Three courses mediocre at best but even worse Six hour rounds are frequent . Great spot if you have connnections or belong to a private club but for the public player it's hell.

[Carl Nichols]

No personal experience, but New Orleans?

[Sam Morrow]

No personal experience, but New Orleans?

I'm okay with that one.

[Ben Sims]

I've heard that Nashville it the pits.

I lived in Sacramento for a few years, and within 40 miles of town the public and private golf isn't so great. 

[Ryan Admussen]

Not sure if you would consider it the worst but San Diego was a let down, great city, perfect climate, but the golf falls short

[Mark Arata]

No personal experience, but New Orleans?

DING DING DING DING.....We have a winner! (and I do speak from experience!)

[JC Jones]

Naples, Fl.  Not only are all the courses private and all but 2 a Doak 5 or worse, but they cost $100k join.

[Mike Sweeney]

Naples, Fl.  Not only are all the courses private and all but 2 a Doak 5 or worse, but they cost $100k join.

Please, you need a new song and dance:

We are currently offering interim memberships at $3,200 for a single membership and $3,700 for a family membership. There are just a few interim memberships left, so inquire today!

http://www.golfheritagebay.com/sites/courses/view.asp?id=709&page=39386

When this becomes your home golf club, then you can start crying again!

[Ron Csigo]

Staten Island NY . Three courses mediocre at best but even worse Six hour rounds are frequent . Great spot if you have connnections or belong to a private club but for the public player it's hell.

I'd like to second Brad's nomination.  I've played all of Staten Islands public courses and have walked away shaking my head every single time.  6hr rounds are the norm.  Also, the rounds are about as serene as a attending a Gwar concert.  Finally, wearing a helmet should be required.  Sometimes you feel like you walked into the middle of a fire fight.

[Troy Alderson]

I will put for Klamath Falls, Oregon.  We have...

Reames G&CC, private and getting by.
Harbor Links GC, public and struggling and rumored to close 9 holes.
Shield Crest GC, public and struggling hard and for sale... again.
Running Y Ranch, resort and struggling and rumored to be for sale.

for a city of 40,000 plus the surrounding area.  This town only needs at the most 1 private club and 1 public course.  So which ones are going to leave?  Not Reames at least.

Troy

[JC Jones]

When this becomes your home golf club, then you can start crying again!

Hey, Wang! What's with the pictures?
It's a parking lot! Come on.
                 
I think this place is restricted,
so don't tell them you're Jewish.

[Phil_the_Author]

Brad,

Staten Island isn't a city... its a borough and part of New York City.

That having been said, New York City is in the running... No courses in Manhattan, very few and these poorly maintained in the Bronx, even fewer and more poorly maintained in Queens, with the few Brooklyn courses serving as car dumps. And THEN there are the Staten Island courses...

When 99% of all serious golfers in a city routinely go OUTSIDE of the city to play that says it all. The ONLY saving grace for NY City golf is Inwood.

[Matthew Petersen]

I've always thought I would hate to be a golfer living in Las Vegas.

Not a huge number of courses, and most of them are more show than substance. The costs are outrageous and even the "local" rates don't seem all that reasonable. And unlike Arizona, you don't even get much of an "off season" break in the hot hot summer months.

[Mark Woodger]

new york city is horrific for public golf. maybe the new course by the whitstone bridge will change things but i fear that will be a 7hr round as everybody plays off the back tees to see who has the biggest b*alls.

marine park is my personal choice of all the NYC courses as its the closest to the water and therefore feels furtherest from the City.

[Mark McKeever]

The thread about best golf cities in America got me thinking, what is the worst golf city in America? I think my hometown of Houston has a chance to be in the running.

Mark,
I always liked playing Glennwood Park when I lived down in Houston.  It has a great old style feel to it and it had a number of very difficult holes with tricky greens as well! 

Mark

[Matt_Ward]

Phil:

Small correction -- Inwood is NOT in NYC proper -- it's in Inwood with a 516 area code.

[Jaeger Kovich]

When this becomes your home golf club, then you can start crying again!

Thats where I learned how to play! (still there about 30 times a year)... at least its a little better now with the new ownership, and a better choice over chelsea which costs a fortune. I've lost a lot of money on the mini-golf course.

[JNC Lyon]

Savannah, GA?  Look at the quality of golf in the nearby coastal cities and then look at Savannah.  It's too bad Krewe Island is not a real course.

[Phil_the_Author]

Matt,

When you're right, your're right! I always think of Inwood as being in the lower end of Queens the same as JFK airport and Far Rockaway are. The borderline is right there. So NYC doesn't even have that going for it!

[Anthony Gray]

 Suck Creek Tennesse. The Moccasin Bend course leaves a little to desired.

   Anthony

[Dan_Callahan]

I've got to go with Hartford, CT. The public courses aren't all that bad (in fact, some are pretty good), but the bugs are ridiculous in late spring. I've only walked off of three courses in my life. All were in Connecticut. Once was because I collapsed a lung. The second was because after 6 hours we were just getting to the 14th tee. And the third was because the swarms of little gnats or whatever the hell they are made it impossible to swing. The damn things would fly in your ears, eyes ... you name it. Bug spray seemed to attract rather than repel. I even busted out the 100% DEET ... the toxic spray probably took a few years off my life and didn't drive away a single bug. Add in a few West-Nile carrying mosquitos the size of vultures and the random deer tick carrying Lyme Disease and I think I would rather tee it up in a minefield in Bosnia.

[Ted Cahill]

My vote is Los Angeles.  There are simply WAY too few public courses, let alone decent muni courses, to serve four million residents.  For publlic golfers, Los Angeles is the home of the six hour round. 

[Greg Chambers]

San Luis Obispo, CA.  There's the private country club and a lame muni 9-holer (where I learned to play the game).  That's it.  To find decent golf you have to go all the way up to Paso Robles or all the way down to Nipomo.  Very sad, indeed.

Oops, forgot to mention Dairy Creek.  Very fun, but still not within the city limits.

[Jud_T]

Guys,

Doesn't it have to be somewhere in Alaska?