Courses played in 2012 that were Surprisingly Very Good

[Dan Moore]

Oklahoma City CC was quite excellent and much better than I had heard.  Given its genes I probably should not have been surprised.  Also saw Maxwell's Prairie Dunes for 1st time and it met my very high expectations.

I was very pleasently surprised with Doonbeg and I really loved the flow of the routing at Rosses Point-if only it had more interesting greens.  I was less enamored with Carne and Enniscrone than many on here, but must add the caveat that I caught both on very windy, tough days and Enniscrone was waterlogged after 30 hours of hard rain.  Of those two I was more impressed with Enniscrone. 

And I'll add my home away from home course Desert Forest in Arizona.  It continues to intrique after 25+ plays now so I can put it in the continues to surprise category. 

My daughter moves to Philly in June for at least 5 years so I look forard to some surprises there in the years to come!!

[Mark Pritchett]

Idle Hour in Macon, Georgia

What a golden age classic!

6,700 yards and change from the tips on a nice rolling property.  Small greens that expose your short game deficiencies, add in some blind shots and you have a pretty fun day. 

Certainly worth a visit if you find yourself in middle Georgia. 

[Michael George]

I will refrain from listing Sand Hills, Dismal River and Ballyneal - I knew it would be a fabulous trip with 3 great golf courses and it was.  I also knew that Dormie was going to be great and it was (if this thread was what course is the least known great course, I would nominate Dormie).   Due largely to this site, I am not surprised much anymore.

However, my all-time winner in the surprise departments is Treetops Signature (from several years back).  I first played RTJ Masterpiece and thoroughly hated it - just a terrible golf course.  I then played Fazio Premier - it was ok - had some good holes like #6 (?) - a short par 4 with a really fun green with a false left front side and #18 - but overall, nothing to really remember.  I then played the par 3 and it was fun for what it was supposed to be.  I then played Signature and after the first 2 holes, I thought I was headed for the same type of course.  But I then really enjoyed the stretch from 3-8, especially #4, #7 and #8.  After 2 average holes at #9-#10, I played a truly great par 3 in #11, where you play through a shoot of trees.  #12-#17 were all solid holes.  I would never say it is top 100 (it was not as good as Arcadia Bluffs and Forest Dunes on that trip), but if you are in northern Michigan, it is well worth a visit and I think it is safe to say that Rick Smith did a better job than RTJ or Fazio.

[Doug Wright]

Angeles National was better than I expected. I was hoping to get on Rustic Canyon during my one day in LA but couldn't so opted for Angeles National. A Nicklaus course on a pretty tight piece of property bisected by arroyos, which were used quite well in the routing. More interesting greens than many Nicklaus courses I've played, which were either too bland or over the top. 

I also thought Mauna Kea was surprisingly good. It's received mixed reviews on here, and I enjoyed playing the course despite the RTJ sameness.

[Simon Holt]

First timers that surprised me:

Goswick

I may have been a little caught up in good company and the blue 'n breezy weather but I really liked this place.  A little bland in the middle but enough cool stuff to be a very pleasant surprise.  14 is one of the better par 4s I played this year.  Off the charts for the Sean Arble value measure, at £31.

Streamsong Blue

This may be predictable given all the chatter of late but I played it with little or no knowledge of what was there.  I expected it to be very good....but not perhaps in the way it was.  Completely unexpected terrain that is pretty hard to describe.  Pick up the phone, go and play, you wont regret a minute of it.  Awesome golf.  Easily Top 5 played in 2012, out of some nice venues.

This was one of my highlights of 2012 for many reasons.  Favourite dialogue of 2012 happened as I walked to the 7th tee.  Quote, Me.."Holy sh*t!!" Tom Doak, dead pan as you like: "thats pretty much the reaction we were looking for"

4,5,7,13,17 were the most memorable holes for me.  17 is the best par 5 of RGDs I have played, with very cool cross bunkering/a step change in fairway to navigate for the second shot. 5 is a wicked green.

Ritz-Carlton Jupiter (soon to be Trump)

Perhaps not in the very good category but certainly a nice surprise.  I expected typical Florida golf, which to a degree I got, but there is plenty of fun holes out there to make it worthwhile.  I wouldn't necessarily beat a trail but it is an enjoyable round of golf and more interesting than the standard Florida layouts.

Trump Scotland

Hate the project all you want, its annoyingly good.  The surprise was less in the quality of golf; more as a measure of the hype.  It gets pretty close to the standards Mr Trump told us he would produce.  Very good indeed.

3,8,12,13,14 were my favourites.  If I am being picky I thought the par 5s were over bunkered in the landing area of an aggressive second shot.  The risk/reward was stacked so far towards the former you end up hitting driver, 8 iron, wedge to both 4 and 18, which were the biggest culprits.  With card in hand few would go for those greens in two, assuming a fair choice of teeing area.  10 is also a strange one.  I played twice and didn't realise there was a double fairway until I looked at the stroke saver when I got home!

If the par 5s come along over time this course will be a must play in Scotland.  It probably is anyway if truth be told.  

Cruden Bay

Expected it to be good, absolutely loved it.  Not that much of a surprise that it was very good, but I'm often let down when people rave about a place....endlessly.  A little too funky (coming from a North Berwick lad, nonetheless) from 14-16 but some really interesting highbrow stuff from the 3rd onwards.

And here's to plenty more surprises in 2013, for us all.

Simon

[jeffwarne]

Idle Hour in Macon, Georgia

What a golden age classic!

6,700 yards and change from the tips on a nice rolling property.  Small greens that expose your short game deficiencies, add in some blind shots and you have a pretty fun day. 

Certainly worth a visit if you find yourself in middle Georgia. 

Nice  to see a course that's "surprisingly good" ,rather than a GCA favorites list.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Angeles National was better than I expected. I was hoping to get on Rustic Canyon during my one day in LA but couldn't so opted for Angeles National. A Nicklaus course on a pretty tight piece of property bisected by arroyos, which were used quite well in the routing. More interesting greens than many Nicklaus courses I've played, which were either too bland or over the top. 

I also thought Mauna Kea was surprisingly good. It's received mixed reviews on here, and I enjoyed playing the course despite the RTJ sameness.

I'm not the only crazy one here!  I agree.. Angeles is a worthy runner-up to Rustic Canyon for public golf, especially if you're North of LA.

[Chip Gaskins]

Hankley Common outside of London is very very good.  I can't believe it doesn't get more press.  I could play there every day forever.

Whistling Straits is a polarizing course, but I admit, take it for what it is and its pretty damn nice round of golf.

[Jeff Shelman]

Doug, Wayne:

I concur on Angeles National. There are some good holes there.

Remember it being a little tight driving in a couple of spots, but it was good.

[Wyatt Halliday]

Desert Highlands
St. George's
The Bridge

[John Shimp]

That DR tee shot reminds me of hole 11 at Muirfield.  Whats it like over the hill?

[jeffwarne]

That DR tee shot reminds me of hole 11 at Muirfield.  Whats it like over the hill?

John,
Haven't been there, but I think it's a par 3, a sliver of the green can be seen to the right of the bunker and I assume extends behind and left of the bunker....

[Tom Ferrell]

First off...

I LOVE Idle Hour CC in Macon.  First played it when I was in high school.  Great call!  Two other Georgia courses that anyone looking for a Surprisingly Good experience should visit the Joe Lee Okefenokee CC in Waycross (full disclosure: the course where I grew up) and the wonderful, historic Stiles & Van Cleek layout at Glen Arven CC in Thomasville.

I played Highlands CC (NC) for the first time in 30 years this summer.  I knew it was good, but it was SURPRISINGLY good.  The use of the relatively rugged terrain - Ross combined slopes with doglegs and awkward traverses.  Uphill approaches.  Great par-3s.  Spectacular scenery and an all-world par-4 in the beautiful 10th, with its serpentine stream.

I also thought East Hampton GC (C&C) in East Hampton NY was surprisingly good.  It is wedged into a small parcel of land, but there are excellent changes in terrain and a great variety of holes.  No one as EHGC was ever expecting a Top 100 or anything like that.  No waterfront.  No drop-dead gorgeous views.  But a bunch of really good golf holes, well sequenced, challenging and scenic.  It's a big course on a little piece of land.

[Chris Johnston]

That DR tee shot reminds me of hole 11 at Muirfield.  Whats it like over the hill?

John

Its a "do or die" large saddle green, 150 -175 yards.  Very uphill with the slope you can see on the front and a less severe slope behind.

You must play the proper club over the stated yardage due to elevation and wind.  There are bumpers left and right.

Really unique and fun (but intimidating) hole.  Takes shot committment and is an easy bogey.  Kind of defines the vertical experience at Dismal River.

[Nigel Islam]

First off...

I LOVE Idle Hour CC in Macon.  First played it when I was in high school.  Great call!  Two other Georgia courses that anyone looking for a Surprisingly Good experience should visit the Joe Lee Okefenokee CC in Waycross (full disclosure: the course where I grew up) and the wonderful, historic Stiles & Van Cleek layout at Glen Arven CC in Thomasville.

I played Highlands CC (NC) for the first time in 30 years this summer.  I knew it was good, but it was SURPRISINGLY good.  The use of the relatively rugged terrain - Ross combined slopes with doglegs and awkward traverses.  Uphill approaches.  Great par-3s.  Spectacular scenery and an all-world par-4 in the beautiful 10th, with its serpentine stream.

I also thought East Hampton GC (C&C) in East Hampton NY was surprisingly good.  It is wedged into a small parcel of land, but there are
excellent changes in terrain and a great variety of holes.  No one as EHGC was ever expecting a Top 100 or anything like that.  No waterfront. 
No drop-dead gorgeous views.  But a bunch of really good golf holes, well sequenced, challenging and scenic.  It's a big course on a little piece
of land.

Wow out 90 posts two different courses named Idle Hour make the list. I'm vaguely familiar with the Lexington course, and I always thought that it was a unique name. Guess not.

[Mac Plumart]

That DR tee shot reminds me of hole 11 at Muirfield.  Whats it like over the hill?

John...here is a side view of the green on 5.

[Sam Morrow]

5 Is one of those holes that kind of personifies Dismal River. At first glance it's bold, exciting, and maybe a little silly.

[Terry Lavin]

That DR tee shot reminds me of hole 11 at Muirfield.  Whats it like over the hill?

John

Its a "do or die" large saddle green, 150 -175 yards.  Very uphill with the slope you can see on the front and a less severe slope behind.

You must play the proper club over the stated yardage due to elevation and wind.  There are bumpers left and right.

Really unique and fun (but intimidating) hole.  Takes shot committment and is an easy bogey.  Kind of defines the vertical experience at Dismal River.

I'd say it's an inspired Spion Kop hole. On Nebraska steroids!

[Ronald Montesano]

These might help understand Spion Kop:


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Spion_Kop

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=3024.0

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?topic=7208.0

[J_ Crisham]

       Another very pleasant surprise in Florida this past March was The Dunes at Seville. Located not too far from Black Diamond Ranch this was a perfect morning add on round for a 36 hole day. Is it Seminole? No -but the bones of this course are damn good. The maintenance budget is pretty spartan but that being said the greens ran at about a 10 and the greensites and bunkering was very interesting. Of our group of 4 players, 2 felt this was a abetter design than World Woods Pine Barrens course(which we have alot of respect for). If this club had more dough the possibilities are endless. Par 3's were better than those at WW, and par5's were substantially better-as an aside we felt the weakness of WW was the par 5's. I forget the exact greensfee but as I recall it was roughly $40 for a weekday round- talk about bang for your buck during peak Florida season!

[John Ezekowitz]

For me, the surprise of the past year was definitely George Wright GC, the Donald Ross-designed public course in Boston. I have had bad experiences with conditioning on MDC-run golf courses, but conditions this summer were actually fairly decent. I'm not sure how much of George Wright is original, but there are some fantastic holes (especially the par 3s). 3, 4, 6, 8, 15 and 17 spring to mind.

The routing on the back nine is pretty cramped and doesn't feel original. If George Wright were kept in slightly better shape year round, it would be the best dollar for dollar value in Massachusetts.

[Jay Flemma]

Just off the top of my head, North Shore and Rockaway Hunting Club knocked my socks off this year...(among others)

[Tim Martin]

CC of Troy from the moment you enter one of the spookiest access drives I have encountered right through putting out on 18. This property would have been too severe for many architects but Travis did an amazing job in using the natural features to create both variety and a wonderful set of greens.

[Kevin Pallier]

Harewood

[Leo Barber]

Harewood

Kevin your just teasing Grant haha.  Seriously, yes, I too played harewood and really enjoyed it.  Add Oreti Sands (sensational), Titrangi, (knew it was good, discovered it was great), enjoyed Muriwai, Marton (hidden NZ Gem ((behind the pinetrees that is, but amazing land)), Chisholm Park (awesome and brutal all in one) and Balmacewn (great bunkering and clever routing over tough terrain and an inland setting) rounded out a year with a bunch of locally (NZ) "ticked" boxes.