Biggest Disappointment per Dollar

[Matthew Parish]

Having just attended a two-day seminar in Miami, I lingered around an extra day to play.  Now, I was staying at the Doral and the (2) rounds I played were included in the stay, but I could not help but notice the $325 rack rate for the Blue Monster. I played there ten (10) years ago before my golf architeture horizons had been broadened and remember coming away impressed by the difficulty. Now, with a bit more seasoning, I could not help but dwell on the monotonous nature of the course's par 4s. It got me thinking, what is the most disappointed I have been with any course I paid to play when I figured in how much I paid.   My previous #1 was Torrey Pines South, it is now a distant, by a few light years, second.  The Blue Monster is #1.  Incidentally, the $112 for the McLean course was just about worth it.

[Mark McKeever]

Bethpage Black doesn't disappoint me by its self, but the greens fees going up 20 dollars per year is really starting to disappoint me.

Mark

[Richard Choi]

Matthew, I am still astounded by the fact that there are people willingly forking over $300+ to play Doral Blue.

It is by far the least bang for the buck in my experience.

[JMEvensky]

Doral would win this contest if the green fee was $1.

[Matthew Parish]

This is why planning is so important.  I should have made the appropriate GCA inquiry about where to play in Miami prior to going.  But hey, my firm paid for it, so I feel somewhat bad even complaining. 

[Steve Salmen]

Cascata is quite underwhelming at $500.  There are quite a few bad deals in the desert if you pay the in season rate.  I think there are more bad deals here than in the UK.  Belfry might be up there.

[Ivan Lipko]

Never played Doral. TPC Sawgrass is my number one. I played it last Feb in some of the most craptastic conditions I've seen anywhere.
Harbor Town Links is my close second - the first 12 holes or so are nothing special and coulr really be anywhere. The conditioning was also so-so. Finally, it has nothing to do with a links golf course.

[Matthew Petersen]

Rack rate for Tucson National is over $200. I played there for $25 and wouldn't bother to do it again.

[Philippe Binette]

Gullane number 1 being 80 pounds when North Berwick is 75 pounds.

to me, any course above 100 $ is overprized except if it belong among the best in the world...
I'd pay 250 $ to play the Old Course anyday..

[Alex Miller]

Coyote Hills

[J Sadowsky]

Bethpage Black's price doesn't bother me, but the 6 hour rounds take from the enjoyment. 

[J Sadowsky]

Gullane number 1 being 80 pounds when North Berwick is 75 pounds.

to me, any course above 100 $ is overprized except if it belong among the best in the world...
I'd pay 250 $ to play the Old Course anyday..

Guess you aren't playing golf in DC then.  Most of the public tracks here are $89-120, and none of them are close to "among the best in the world." 

[Jay Flemma]

Turning Stone casino is always one of the worst values in the country.  Overpriced and underdesigned.

[Tom Birkert]

I think Wentworth West at the frankly astonishing rate of £360 must be up there...

[Matthew Parish]

Gullane number 1 being 80 pounds when North Berwick is 75 pounds.

to me, any course above 100 $ is overprized except if it belong among the best in the world...
I'd pay 250 $ to play the Old Course anyday..

That might be another thread entirely.  I did not mind parting with the 80 pounds at Gullane, but if that is all I had, North Berwick would definitely get it first. 

[Mark Chaplin]

Royal Troon's £230'ish 2009 greenfee dropped around £60 for 2010, Old Head now charge roughly the same for two rounds and a nights B&B as they did for one round a couple of years ago. Surely Doral charge $325 because people will still pay it.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Mathew,

Your mistake was lingering at Doral.

You should have been lingering at the pool at the Delano Hotel.

That's where all the talent is.

If only you'd consulted me before hand. (;

[Morgan Clawson]

I have to go with Pinehurst #2.

I think me and a buddy paid over $300 for the round with caddy and $200 each to share a tiny room in the Carolina Hotel.

I would like to play it again, but I'd only do it off season as a walk-on now.

[V. Kmetz]

For a long time it was PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens. which was crazily priced at $150 more than fifteen years ago...I don't want to think about what the figure may be now...

Now it may be Oxford Greens here in CT, which I have, and will only play once (remember Keaton/Piscopo movie, "Johnny Dangerously" - "once!") for $90 on a chilly October morning 2008.  It would've been $115 if we had played in the premium weekend time an hour later.

My god what a nightmare (do not mean to offend those who may like it).  Difficult walk to start with - but we were on carts, which were railed in and often necessitated 60-100 yard walks to your ball.  Wetlands, long distances from green to next tee, fescue, lost ball trouble and blind penalty where everyone hits it and useless good turf where no one can. sharp fairway slopes, asphalt, meaningless split rail fences and retention railroad ties everywhere; sketchy, thin new turf with wash out bald/disease areas.  White paint G.U.R. circles ubiquitous and of course, like 7 people who "service" you before you hit a putt on the putting green.  Unfinished ubiquitous McMansions erupting near the turn...

The very definition of everything pejorative when you hear the words, "Daily Fee."

$90 indeed!  If I didn't inure that the place probably cost way more than I paid and all involved will be broke before the next national election, I'd say it was the greatest scam since PT Barnum's "White Salmon."

sorry for the rant

cheers

vk

[David Mulle]

Never played Doral. TPC Sawgrass is my number one. I played it last Feb in some of the most craptastic conditions I've seen anywhere.
Harbor Town Links is my close second - the first 12 holes or so are nothing special and coulr really be anywhere. The conditioning was also so-so. Finally, it has nothing to do with a links golf course.

Very interesting.  Is your disappointment tied to the conditions at TPC Sawgrass and Harbour Town or was it the design? 
I am admittedly a very big Pete Dye fan, but I really enjoyed Harbour Town (I haven't played Sawgrass yet).  I thought the use of angles was great (particularly in the approaches) and the greens were interesting.   I would certainly never classify it as a disappointment.

For me, the biggest disappointment per dollar is probably Great River in Connecticut.  $140 is not that expensive for the area, but I thought the course was awful.

[jonathan_becker]

I'm with you, VK.  PGA National is my choice, too.

[John Shimp]

Muirfield village easy. Corporate feeling experience in cart plus lousy caddy. Slow play. Hole 16 closed and deep bunkers without sand on many holes. Didn't enjoy many holes really. Way overrated in my view.

[Kris Shreiner]

Nairn, without a doubt. I played for the member's guest rate and even at that modest sum, it was the least interesting course I've played in Scotland and believe me, I've played a fair few. To be fair the greens, which are reputed to be the strength of the course, were in poor shape due to a wet, early Fall.

That said, the holes just didn't have it for me. Number 8, when I played it in 1998, was the worst abomination of a green I've ever laid eyes on. Hit a drive dead solid perfect with a draw, into a left -to-right-wind on this short par 4,found the front of the apron area, just short of the green and had no shot. The green was the most crumpled ,rumpled mess of a putting surface imaginable.

The members couldn't have been nicer and I felt bad trying to be kind in my assessment. I swore I'd never go back. I've re-thought my view and perhaps would fancy another spin to see if things have improved, but with that extortionate visitor fee they're charging for that product, I don't know if I'll will. Has anyone played there of late? If so, what are your thoughts? Thanks in advance to any and all.

Tom Birkert,

360 quid...my God, how do they survive with that rate!

Cheers,
Kris

[Andy Troeger]

So much of this depends on timing, at least in some cases. I've played Harbour Town, Sawgrass, and Muirfield Village and would go back to any of them. Sawgrass and Muirfield are two of the few I would pay top dollar to see again. I paid offseason rates at Harbour Town of maybe $130 and would absolutely do that again although probably not their high season rate. Conditions were good at all three.

I played Troon North one October a few weeks after overseeding and it wasn't in very good shape. I also didn't care for the housing on top of too many holes. Its not as unique as it was when it was built either. But I admittedly caught it on a bad day. I might try the other course there someday, but its not been a high priority for me.

A lot of the courses in Phoenix and Las Vegas might make this list in the high season, but they can usually be had for a reasonable price in the summer. Trump National LA might be up there too...

[Tom_Doak]

Back in the early 1990's, when I made my big trip to Japan, nearly all of the big courses cost $300 or $350 to play.  Fortunately, nearly all of them comped me, but I went out of my way and paid $300 to play at Nagoya Country Club.  I believe that's the worst money I ever spent on golf.