Your Last Ten

[Shane Wright]

Selfishness.

  How?

Selfish only in the sense that people look like they are playing the courses that fill their needs without regard for those less fortunate.

Define less fortunate, and how many less fortunate people do you know really reading these forums.  Come play Muscatine Municipal or Gates Park with me sometime in Iowa.  I'll introduce you to a few less fortunate who could care less about guys traveling to play the great courses of our world. This question was posed at the height of the golf season here and in the U.K.  There is no surprise that members of the forum here have seen some great tracks over the last couple of months.

Ask the question in October or February and the tune would be a little different.

[Scott Warren]

Mark Pearce:

The Red a 7 and the Blue only a 6?

You have come across to the dark side?

[Matt Bradley]

My last ten in order from most recent to least recent:

Country Club of Bristol- 4
Murphy Creek- 4
Ballyneal- 10
Colorado Golf Club- 6
The Olde Farm- 6
Grandfather Golf and Country Club- 7
Royal Ashdown Forest- 6
Sunningdale Old-8
Sunningdale New-9
Royal Worlington and Newmarket- 8

[JNC Lyon]

Mark Pearce:

The Red a 7 and the Blue only a 6?

You have come across to the dark side?

AND he gave Worplesdon a 5!  Tough, very tough.  What, did you give a Dornoch a 7?

[Patrick Schultheis]

From most recent to last:

Tumble Creek
Sagebrush
Aldarra
Shadow Creek
Wynn GC
Claremont GC
North Berwick
Dunbar
Luffness New
Muirfield
Gullane 1

If you go to twelve I pick up:

Gullane 2
Pebble Beach

[Greg Tallman]

From most recent to last:

Tumble Creek
Sagebrush
Aldarra
Shadow Creek
Wynn GC
Claremont GC
North Berwick
Dunbar
Luffness New
Muirfield
Gullane 1

If you go to twelve I pick up:

Gullane 2
Pebble Beach

If you go to 12 I am not sure I could recall!!!!

[John Kavanaugh]

Selfishness.

  How?

Selfish only in the sense that people look like they are playing the courses that fill their needs without regard for those less fortunate.

Define less fortunate, and how many less fortunate people do you know really reading these forums.  Come play Muscatine Municipal or Gates Park with me sometime in Iowa.  I'll introduce you to a few less fortunate who could care less about guys traveling to play the great courses of our world. This question was posed at the height of the golf season here and in the U.K.  There is no surprise that members of the forum here have seen some great tracks over the last couple of months.

Ask the question in October or February and the tune would be a little different.

I consider anyone I know outside of this site less fortunate.  Recently on a trip with the less fortunate to Denver we played Evergreen and Fossil Trace.  I missed out on going to Colorado Golf Club, Sanctuary and Castle Pines.  My loss, their gain.

[David Harshbarger]

Some of these lists are pretty amazing. Mine is definitely more "average." Just goes to show that interest in gca isn't confined to those who play famous courses.

Other lists say the same thing, but Mike called it out.  Here is to the GCA entusiasts who play the courses they can, but play they do.

[Mark Pearce]

Scott,

Yes, I'm afraid to say that over the past couple of years my views of the respective merits of the two courses at the Berkshire have changed a little.  Those scores might be a little harsh on the Blue.  Call them both a 7.

John,

I'd have to play Worplesdon again before being persuaded it deserved a higher score but I'd be surprised if I did.  I prefer to be a harsh scorer and I do feel Worpy struggles witha weak opening couple of holes.

[James Boon]

Here are mine that show I have played plenty of golf locally with a wee trip to Scotland as well as heading south for a day...

- Radcliffe on Trent, 3 (A Tommy Williamson design that had to be reconfigured when the A52 Radcliffe bypass was carried out)
- Notts (Hollinwell), 8
- New Zealand, 7
- Edgbaston, 5 (Harry Colt in the centre on Birmingham. The club seems more concerned with its high class status than preserving Colt's course)
- Cavendish, 6
- Burnham & Berrow, 8
- Wollaton Park, 4 (Another Williamson course, this one in the centre of Nottingham. Deer and the Hall make for a great setting)
- Carnoustie, 7
- Blairgowrie (Rosemount), 6
- Beau Desert, 7

No apologies for home bias, and there is no way I'll stand by the rankings as without any great scientific analysis, they'd be different tomorrow! 

Outside of this site, Radcliffe and Wollaton are considered as good county courses in Nottinghamshire and they aren't bad to be honest. But on both courses I played with none GCAers who would suddenly proclaim something like "this is a beautiful / great hole" when I certainly didn't think it was, so I figured it was best to just nod and change the subject, to avoid a soap box moment... 

Cheers,

James

[Mark Pearce]

James' post reminds me that I omitted Cavendish (6) from my list.  So I should have omitted Spring Valley.  I'm surprised to discover I have played 10 different courses since I returned from  the States in May.  In fact, I have also omitted Slaley Hall Hunting (2) and should also have omitted Brampton.

[Brad Wilbur]

Most recent to last:

1.  DragonRidge, Henderson, NV
2.  Talking Rock, Prescott, AZ
3.  Bandon Dunes
4.  Pacific Dunes
5.  Bandon Trails
6.  Old MacDonald
7.  Elk Point , Elk Point, SD
8.  We'Ko'Pa Saguaro
9.  Wynn, Las Vegas
10. Coronado, San Diego

Even though it's not in the same league as other courses, it is still nice to play a nine-hole course that you grew up playing at age 11 or 12, and see what changes 45 years have done.

[Greg Tallman]

Last 10 with most recent first:

Pine Valley, Cllementon, NJ
Rolling Hills Golf Club, Springfield, PA
Lancaster CC, Lancaster, PA
Ballyhack, Roanoke, VA
Primland, Meadows of Dan, VA
New Bern CC, New Bern, NC
Emerald GC, New Bern, NC
Pete Dye GC, Bridgewater, WV
Pikewood National, Morgantown, WV
Sunnehanna,  Johnstown, WV

That is Bridgeport, WV and Johnstown, PA

[Brad Tufts]

Indian Pond, MA...yesterday
Tedesco, MA....lots of times
Wyantenuck, MA...5 times in the Mass. Am.
North Berwick, SCOT
Muirfield, SCOT
Royal Aberdeen, SCOT
Peterhead, SCOT
Cruden Bay, SCOT
Royal Dornoch, SCOT
Brora, SCOT

Takes me AAALLLLL the way back to July 1st 

[Mike Benham]

Takes me AAALLLLL the way back to July 1st 

Scores?  No, not your Doak's, your card scores ...

[Greg Tallman]

Indian Pond, MA...yesterday
Tedesco, MA....lots of times
Wyantenuck, MA...5 times in the Mass. Am.
North Berwick, SCOT
Muirfield, SCOT
Royal Aberdeen, SCOT
Peterhead, SCOT
Cruden Bay, SCOT
Royal Dornoch, SCOT
Brora, SCOT

Takes me AAALLLLL the way back to July 1st 

Gracious the tenth course on my list was played on December 31, 2006!!!!

[Gene Greco]

Have had a good year so far including my first hole in one   two weeks ago....

National Golf Links     NY  Yesterday

Southampton Golf Club   NY  Repeatedly

Shinnecock Hills   NY  July

Sand Hills   NE   July

Pine Valley   NJ  July

Sebonack   NY   May

Winged Foot West  NY  May

Everglades Club   FL  April

Gulfstream  FL  April

Long Island National  NY  March   

Lake Nona  FL  Feb

Mountain Lake  FL   Feb

Cypress Point Club  CA  Jan

Palo Alto Hills   CA  Jan

[Carl Nichols]

I think we have a winner.....

Where was the hole-in-one?

[Tim Martin]

Have had a good year so far including my first hole in one   two weeks ago....

National Golf Links     NY  Yesterday

Southampton Golf Club   NY  Repeatedly

Shinnecock Hills   NY  July

Sand Hills   NE   July

Pine Valley   NJ  July

Sebonack   NY   May

Winged Foot West  NY  May

Everglades Club   FL  April

Gulfstream  FL  April

Mountain Lake  FL   Feb

Cypress Point Club  CA  Jan

Palo Alto Hills   CA  Jan

Gene-When is the last time you filled a cavity? Nice list.

[Mike Benham]

National Golf Links     NY  Yesterday
Southampton Golf Club   NY  Repeatedly
Shinnecock Hills   NY  July
Sand Hills   NE   July
Pine Valley   NJ  July
Sebonack   NY   May
Winged Foot West  NY  May
Everglades Club   FL  April
Gulfstream  FL  April
Mountain Lake  FL   Feb
Cypress Point Club  CA  Jan
Palo Alto Hills   CA  Jan

"One of these things is not like the other ..."

[Gene Greco]

   Hole in one was on the Eden....at Southampton.

[George Pazin]

Congrats on the ace, Gene.

[Tony_Muldoon]

For Tony:

Working backwards:

Crail Balcomie  4
Elie Sports Club (the 9 hole kids course, not the proper course at The Golf House Club) - Really unclassifiable, 2 as a course for us, 7 as a course for kids
New Zealand  6
Northumberland  4
Worplesdon  5
Gerrards Cross  3
Berkshire Red  7
Berkshire Blue  6
Brampton  4
Spring Valley, WI  4

Thanks Mark, but I too think you are sparing with the marks.  I don’t go as strong as others on here have on Balconie but I still see it as a 5.5 (6 if it were F&F).  That’s a big gap between us.

It’s quite a long time since I’ve been to The Berkshire and I’ve seen a lot of golf since then, however I think it’s interesting that after repeat plays they are slipping in your estimation.   Supports my theory that too many opinions on here are based on not enough plays of a course. Take that to the logical conclusion and once a courses reputation is fixed why bother to think for yourself.  Still it’s most interesting to get the opinions of those you’ve golfed and discussed a course with.

When I think about Golf courses I remember what I like and I have to stop  myself awarding another (Normally hypothetical) point or two.  I don’t dwell on their weaknesses too long once I’ve formed an overall opinion as to how keenly they fit my eye. Scoring them is just another way of apportioning some kind of priority system in setting doewnthe desire for a (return) visit.

[Scott Warren]

Tony,

He didn't say they were slipping - he said his view of their respective merits had changed.

He used to think the Blue was better, now he favours the Red.

[Bradley Anderson]

Bittersweet
Shoreacres
Birmingham
Camargo
Holston Hills
Franklin Hills
Rackham
Country Club of Detroit
Red Run
Orchard Lake