[Dan Herrmann]

I was playing golf with Mike Cirba last week and I asked him, "Mike - what course was your nicest surprise in 2010"?

Mike quickly replied with, "Leatherstocking in Cooperstown, NY".

My biggest surprises were Bedford Springs (PA) (fantastic greens) and Dellwood (NY) (A Tillinghast estate course about to undergo a redux).

What were your nicest surprises?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Dan,
Waubeeka in Williamstown, Ma..   

[Kevin Pallier]

Given the year isn't quite over - I'll say thus far:

Royal Queensland = how to make golf interesting on a relatively flat site

[Sven Nilsen]

Bandon Trails.  I'd played it on two previous trips and it wasn't even on the radar during a trip last week which focused on Old Mac and Pac Dunes.  Old Mac lived up to expectations, Pac Dunes was everything I remembered it to be, but I'd forgotten how much I like Trails. 

[JNC Lyon]

Huntercombe in Oxfordshire, England. I had not heard of this course until I got to London, and it has changed the way I look at golf courses now.

In general, the biggest surprise of the year was how much golf I got to play during my stay across the pond.  I've been reading Ran's reviews of courses like Swinley Forest, Deal and Addington for years.  I always thought, "that course looks unreal, but I will never get to play it."  One month in, I enjoyed a great day at Swinley Forest with some of GCA's finest.  After that, I was hooked on London golf.

[Mac Plumart]

Canterbury in Ohio for me.

I've talked about it before on this site (numerous times)...so I won't bore you...but I really enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

[Tim Gavrich]

Copake Country Club in Copake Lake, NY.

[Ryan Admussen]

Kawartha

Played it on my trip to Toronto based on recommendations from a few GCA'ers. It's a great candidate for the most underrated course in the country. One of Thompsons best.

[Andy Troeger]

Golf Club at Ravenna outside Littleton, Colorado. I'm not always a big fan of Jay Morrish's work, but this one really stood out with some interesting greens. The great scenery, while expected in that area, certainly adds to the fun. For a mountain course, I enjoyed how the course seemed to have the same amount of uphill holes as it did downhill ones.

[Ben Sims]

Easy...Wolf Point.  No one can possibly understand how good the golf course really is without seeing it.  At a glance, these are the variables that pop out

a) completely flat ground with minimal features (a creek running through the property)
b) wall to wall Bermuda.  A warm season grass that gets no love as a firm and fast surface
c) rookie architect
d) unknown and unheralded outside of a lucky few

These aren't the things that one usually associates with an amazing course.  Wolf combines as good a set of greens as I've seen this year (pretty solid company) with wind, width, fun and quirk.  As much as any course I played in 2010--probably more so--it screams for more attention as soon as you putt out on 18.  What more can you ask?

[Carl Nichols]

The River Course on Kiawah. Had low expectations and ended up liking it quite a bit.

[Garland Bayley]

Longview CC with it's Mickey Mouse hole. You have a picture of that don't you Dan?

[Ash Towe]

Peninsula South, the quality of this course is sometimes forgotten when visiting the Sandbelt due to it's more illustrious neighbors.  However, I would recommend a visit to anybody who is visiting the area.  I have not played the North course but believe it is very close in terms of quality, some actually prefer it.

You can stay as well and the staff are very friendly and helpful.  I had a very pleasant golfing experience when I visited in January.

[Bill_McBride]

Ballyneal. I went there for a 3-day weekend knowing it was going to be good but it was great.

This in spite of lousy weather. Everything about the place is first rate, and best of all is an incredible set of greens.

[Mark Chaplin]

Celtic Manor - not my style of course but it was in wonderful condition, had lots of run offs, plenty of slope and some very good holes.

[Adam Lawrence]

Casa Serena in the Czech Republic. Sort of a European Wolf Point in terms of being low profile (well, except for the Senior Tour event and the hills). But a great golf course that almost no-one plays, most weeks of the year. Wonderful place - I just wish more people could get to see it.

[Ally Mcintosh]

I played most of my golf in Ireland this year...

Outside, Porthcawl was a surprise in that it was even better than I had expected...

But I'll go with Kingarrock at Hill of Tarvit...

[Sean_A]

I had three pleasant surprises this year.  Porthcawl quietly impressed me and I would certainly go back for a game.  Camberley Heath really surprised me because nobody talks about ths London gem.  It has a few issues, but there is much more right about the course than not, plus it is far cheaper than all of its London neighbours.  I would certainly go back.  My biggest surprise was Church Stretton.  The property is hopelessly too hilly for the best of golf, but the routing is out of this world to make it walkable.  There are several very good holes with the impossible to avoid if carts aren't allowed few stupid holes, but all in all CS is a keeper.  I will most definitely go back.

Ciao  

[Mark Pearce]

In agree that Porthcawl was a pleasant surprise.  I don't know why but I didn't have high expectations.  I remember commenting to my playing partner at the Renaissance Club that I didn't know what my expectations were but that they were certainly exceeded.  Most pleasant surprise of the year, though was Leven Links.  Wildly quirky, huge greens.  Tons of blindness.  Tons of fun.

[Mike Hogan]

Mine was the Quarry at Giants Ridge. Awesome layout on some very tough ground which used to be an old mine. One of the tougher course I played this summer. You really had to think your way around, if you  were in the wrong place it was tough to recover. Loved the greens and the elevation changes.

[Ian Andrew]

I also loved Royal Porthcawl and it was my favourite this year, but the biggest surprise was Delemere Forrest. It's one of the 100 best that I have seen in my travels. The long fours on the front and short and mid fours of the back add up to an awesome experience.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Mike,

What a smart guy you are!

My nicest surprise was Cape Arundel.  While I had heard about it, I was on vacation and didn't even know I was near it until I drove by. I walked it in a rain and loved every minute and need to get back to play.

[PCCraig]

Mine would have to be Flossmoor CC. I had played it years ago and honestly didn't remember much, but after it's recent renovation I played it last June and loved it. It could be the most dramatic and best renovation work I've seen. It's now a very neat place to play and a fun course.

[Brent Hutto]

Royal St. Georges. I knew I liked and appreciated the course from having seen some elite golfers play there. The surprise was that even on a fairly windy day (about 15-18mph) it did not beat me up at all from the visitors tees. That's probably due to the rough being cut down to non-major-championship height on the day I visited.

I wasn't hitting the ball well at all but managed to scrape it around in what would have been maybe 10-12 strokes over my handicap if I were keeping score. But we kept moving, played at a steady pace, didn't spend too terribly much time searching for balls and just generally enjoyed a wonderful afternoon in the dunes. What a wonderful course it must be for the members to play every day or every week.

[Steve Salmen]

Barton Hills CC in Ann Arbor.  My wife and I were allowed to play unaccompanied at 5:30 on a Saturday afternoon.  We finished with plenty of light to spare and enjoyed every step.  I thought it was a great golf course.

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