In 1995, I picked up a book titled America’s Worst Golf Courses (John Garrity, Collier Books). Reading about the worst of anything is a lot like reading about the best of anything (It’s instructive.) and it’s usually just as entertaining. Garrity talked about entire clubs that were in his opinion ill-conceived or poorly executed but he also took the time to list his 18 worst holes in the country… ever. I got to wondering how many (if any) of these holes still exist largely unaltered from years ago. I’m also curious to hear your opinions on any of these that you may have played. I can speak for at least three holes:
Stone Harbor GC in Cape May NJ #7, par 3 at 148 yards… “Jaws”, which got bulldozed but not before the lake ate countless dozens of my golf balls. Ron Whitten suggested this hole “… epitomizes all that’s bad in golf design”.
Pocono Manor East #7 in Pocono Manor, PA , par 3 at 77 yards… is still there though you might not get that clammy, claustrophobic feel since the towering trees behind the green have been removed allowing the winds to play with the delicate tee shot from 100 feet up in the air over a stream and boulders to a green that’s shallower and narrower than a flag stick placed upon it..
Z-Boaz #19 in Fort Worth TX, par 12 at 2000 yards, “from the Northeast corner of the property to the Checks Cashed sign in the southeast corner”. Finish 18… drink someplace and come back for the finisher. I recommend it.
The rest of the 18 included:
Blush Hill CC in Waterbury VT #3, a par 4 at 206 yards, “Local Rule: Any ball hitting white house, wires, or radio tower on the fly may be replayed.”.
TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Verde FL, a par 3 at 132 yards, “The easiest par 5 in golf.” (John Mahaffey)
Bobby Jones Municipal GC in Atlanta GA #9, a par 4 at 360 yards. “Let’s just say the ninth lacks definition.”
Bobby Jones Municipal GC in Atlanta GA #3 and #13, par 6 at 335 yards “combined”. “… tee at the bottom of a 100 foot bluff and green at the top on #3 then #13 with the tee up top and Peachtree Creek at the bottom; the approach is over one green to the green you’re shooting at.”
Penderbrook GC in Fairfax VA #12, par 4 at 395 yards, “I’d like to dynamite the damned thing.”
CC of Charleston in Charleston SC #11, a par 3 at 187 yards, bad enough to elicit Ben Hogan’s assessment of CC of Charleston as the best 17 hole golf course in America.”
Wentworth-by-the-Sea in Rye NH #14 a par 4 at 415 yards, “forced carry of 180 yards off the tee followed by a 2nd shot to a green elevated more than 30 feet and tucked behind a double trunked tree.”
Blue River GC in Kansas City, KS #12 a 234 yard par 4, “easily tamed by anyone who can hit a controlled draw with a 1 iron”.
Cypress Point Club #18 in Monterey CA a 346 yard par 4, shock pick! “In its context, strangely cramped, awkward, ungainly, bewildering, and not so hot as a spectator hole either.”
Lake Coeur d’Alene GC #14 a par 3 with “variable” yardage, “If an island green is a bad idea, how about an island green that moves?”
Hannastown GC #5 in Greensburg, PA, 400 yard par 4, “Legal decision: The club is a half century older than the house that gets pelted regularly as members aim at the house and play for a draw.”
Williston GC in Williston VT #10 and/or 11 a par 4 at 335 and a par 3 at 170, “… either of these holes would be unremarkable if they didn’t cross each other.”
Jack Nicklaus Private Course at PGA West #10 in LaQuinta CA a par 4 at 385, “designed by Nicklaus during his Pete-Dye-is-a-softy period”.
Carmel Valley Ranch Resort #12, a 407 yard par 4 in Carmel CA, “Is it the most beautiful, bad hole in all of golf?” “I wouldn’t know. I was too busy throwing clubs to appreciate the scenery.”
Fort Meade City Mobile Home Park GC #9 in Ft. Meade FL a par 3 at 142 yards. Called “The Gauntlet” because it bisects the previous eight holes. Said to have been designed by Jack Kevorkian.
Lastly, if there are suggestions to replace any of these classic holes that may have gone the way of the ‘dozer, let them be known!