A course that grew on you

[Jason Topp]

Name a course you disliked at first but grew to enjoy over repeated play.  Explain your experience.

[Brent Hutto]

I'm easy. There just aren't that many courses I don't like the first time around.

Can't think of any (among the few) courses I disliked that I actually returned to again.

[Lou_Duran]

Stonebridge CC- Dye Course.

Very tight and difficult for a windy site to have a lot of water and native vegetation.  Extremely hard for tournament play (medal) as there are several blow-up holes.

Through 10 rounds or so, I've learned areas to avoid and enjoy the challenge of shooting something around 80.  It is not a place I would join because, like so many Dye courses, it favors a defensive style of golf.   Nevertheless, it offers quite a bit of variety, requires the golfer to be flexible in terms of the tactics pursued within a mostly defensive strategy, and it has rugged, rustic aesthetic qualities which appeal to my eye.  I could play it a handful of times annually and look forward to it each time, but never in the wind that visited the Nelson over this past weekend.   

[Jason Topp]

My experience is similar to yours Lou.

I initially hated Fred Enke - a municipal target desert course in Tucson.  The course was very tight off the tee (it has since been softened a fair amount) and I shot a million the first 10-15 times I played the course.  I grew to be such a basket case off the tee that I often had trouble carrying the desert just to get to the fairway.  By contrast. a friend of my father that hit a 190 yard slice would break 80 often.  He took my money every outing.

Watching his example, I finally decided to play extremely conservatively off the tee.  Suddenly, I scored better on that course than I did on others that more easily suited my eye.  As my confidence grew, I learned I could be a bit more agressive but needed to do so only when I felt very comfortable.  I grew to enjoy making these decisions off the tee.

Architects have since learned how to design desert courses to be much more forgiving, even with turf restrictions.  While I wouldn't recommend Fred Enke to anyone as a first choice for desert golf, I found the experience of learning how to play a course that killed me very enjoyable.

[Chris Flamion]

There are few courses that my initial impression isn't the impression I stick with.  Whether that is luck or I haven't played a course that really challenges my preferences, I don't know.

That said, Mount Prospect Golf Club is a course that I enjoy more now than I did initially.  Yes it has about 3,000 too many trees, but it has some very quality architecture as well.  The greens are probably my favorite of the public courses in the West/NW suburbs.  I still don't like the course, but at least I no longer despise it.

[Tom Yost]

Talking Stick North.

While I didn't dislike it, the first play evoked more of a "meh."  I didn't really see what the fuss was about.  Each subsequent visit however, has revealed more interest and I really believe I like this course better with each play.

It is a course that has none of the wow elements that tend to attract the tourists, no views, no elevation changes, no striking landforms or native vegetation.  Just a very solid golf course that is fun to play.  It would make a great everyday course but for the pricing structure.  I do wish they would not keep it so soft and green.

[Joe Bentham]

Bandon Crossings.  And that isn't the easiest thing for me to admit.
My issues with the course are still there; un-walkable on purpose and a couple of nice features that weren't taking advantage of to their fullest extent are two.  I also think certain maintenance choices make the course harder then it needs to be which means it isn't as fun as it could be IMO.
Their business model and people's insistence on comparing and contrasting it to the resort are where me and Crossings went our separate ways.
The Crossings basically sells it self as the anti-Bandon Dunes Golf Resort choice in Bandon.  Riding in carts and turf conditions are 2 of the obvious differences.  But when you plan on getting most of your play from spill over at the resort is this the best stance to take?  I don't think it is.  And the sign for Bandon Crossings coming south out of Coos Bay makes me want to puke.  I wish I had a picture.  Top Ten Golf Course?  On who's list?
As for the quality of Bandon Crossings vs. ANY of the courses at the Resort, well I just don't think I need to bang that drum too loudly other then to say I don't think they are in the same galaxy.
Now all that being said, I've been too hard on the Crossings.  A round at the Crossings is an enjoyable experience in a vacuum.  If I could put aside all the outside issues for a couple of hours I can enjoy a round at the Crossings.  The routing and the carts still bother me but at least those issues are present at a lot of other courses too.  And Crossings stands up against those places better then I've ever been willing to give it credit for.

[Jud_T]

I guess The Old Course might be the poster child for this category.

[Pete_Pittock]

It's not the case that I disliked Bandon Trails the first time I played, how cn a treehouse member dislike a Coore/Crenshaw effort. But each time around I learn a lot about how to play the course, angle to play and avoid, where to minimize your mistakes, how each hole location is best aproachable. In that way it is rally a  'members course' where continual play gives you an advantage. Of the courses at BD it places second on my list.

[Mac Plumart]

St. Marlo

It has all the things that make a round of golf agonizing.  Small greens, water is over-used as a hazard, fairways are narrow, ob lurks right off the fairways with long grass, water, and houses, it is routed through a neighborhood, the maintenance is bad...I'll stop now.

But for some reason I get a kick out of playing it.  I think the bottom line is this...if you get a round the course a loose few (or no) balls you've played well.  If you put up a good score, you know you've really done something.  Or, perhaps, I'm an idiot.   

[Sean_A]

I think the course which has grown on me most is Kington.  When I first played it about 10 years ago I had no idea of what to make of it.  I certainly didn't hate the course, I was just befuddled.  The next few years was a bit of a learning curve in watching Kingtonites make their way round the place.  Once I learned to laugh at some of the Kington Kinks which can make one look silly I started to appreciate the course for more than just a fun and funky track.  Eventually I began to think that actually Kington is a very clever design and I have been in love with it for some 5 years or so. 

While I don't love Little Aston, it has certainly grown on me.  When I first saw the course about 20 years ago my reaction was like many other Americans - it ain't no thing.  Something always kept me coming back even though I wasn't enamoured the course.  About 7 or 8 years ago I actually began to think the course is a lot more clever than and deceptively difficult than folks give Little Aston credit for.  I can see now why Doak gave the course a 6 only it took me 20 years to get there. 

Ciao

[cary lichtenstein]

Spyglass  and the Bears Club are 2 that come to mind. As I got older, I learnt to hit it one way, right to left instead of 2 ways, so it made it easier to play difficult courses and score.

[Mac Plumart]

I could totally see the Bears Club growing on someone.  Totally.  It is just so freakin' hard, it is difficult to walk off that thing after one play with a great big smile on your face.  Heck, maybe Seminole is this way as well.

[Sam Morrow]

Memorial Park, I still don't think it's as good as most say but it's better than I thought.

[Michael Dugger]

Bandon Crossings.  And that isn't the easiest thing for me to admit.
My issues with the course are still there; un-walkable on purpose On purpose, Joe?  The golf course had to cross the lowlands at some point.  How would you propose the course could be more walkable? and a couple of nice features that weren't taking advantage of to their fullest extent are two. Umm, what features would those be?  I also think certain maintenance choices make the course harder then it needs to be which means it isn't as fun as it could be IMO.
Their business model and people's insistence on comparing and contrasting it to the resort are where me and Crossings went our separate ways.Who tries to compare them to one another? How do you know ANYTHING about their business model?  Have you ever met the owners?
The Crossings basically sells it self as the anti-Bandon Dunes Golf Resort choice in Bandon. You just got done saying they will NEVER be the same caliber of course as Bandon Dunes, thus how SHOULD they market themselves?  Riding in carts and turf conditions are 2 of the obvious differences.  But when you plan on getting most of your play from spill over at the resort is this the best stance to take?  I don't think it is.  And the sign for Bandon Crossings coming south out of Coos Bay makes me want to puke.  I wish I had a picture.  Top Ten Golf Course?  On who's list?
As for the quality of Bandon Crossings vs. ANY of the courses at the Resort, well I just don't think I need to bang that drum too loudly other then to say I don't think they are in the same galaxy.And surely you aren't biased, Joe.  I don't understand your position.  It seems you are advocating that Bandon Crossings just shut up and be thankful for every round they garner.  Just what exactly do you expect them to do?
Now all that being said, I've been too hard on the Crossings.  A round at the Crossings is an enjoyable experience in a vacuum.  If I could put aside all the outside issues for a couple of hours I can enjoy a round at the Crossings.  What outside issues?  Seems to me the only outside issues are those you've created in your own mindThe routing and the carts still bother me but at least those issues are present at a lot of other courses too.  Again, tell me how you would have rerouted the course?And Crossings stands up against those places better then I've ever been willing to give it credit for.

Joe, frankly put, you are being a douchebag.  All golf courses market themselves.  What would you have their sign out front say?  "Bandon Crossings, an okay course that's not on anybody's "best of" lists."  Really, dude?  

I've always thought Bandon Crossings was an inexpensive alternative to Bandon Dunes that caters to the residents of the town of Bandon.  Those people don't always want to pony up the big bucks to play the resort courses.

Additionally, if the course can attract some golfers from the resort who like the idea of giving their feet a rest and riding in a cart, well, that sounds like a good back up plan to me.  I think you are getting WAY too wrapped up in your little Bandon golf caddy world and not using your head.  The people behind Bandon Crossings are nothing but good folk who don't deserve your stinky attitude and bad press you seem to be slinging their direction

[Garland Bayley]

It's not the case that I disliked Bandon Trails the first time I played, how cn a treehouse member dislike a Coore/Crenshaw effort. But each time around I learn a lot about how to play the course, angle to play and avoid, where to minimize your mistakes, how each hole location is best aproachable. In that way it is rally a  'members course' where continual play gives you an advantage. Of the courses at BD it places second on my list.

Did you have a caddy there? Were they of any help?

[Mark Johnson]

Black Lake in northern Michigan.

originally, I think it was just a Rees Jones overengineered course but grew to love its subtleties over time.  It is a constant stop everytime we got to northern michigan now.