Best courses in your city

[Tim Rooney]

Sorry/erroneous info from local area Head Pro.

[BCowan]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

[BHoover]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

Better than MV? The Golf Club - yes. Brookside - no way (and I say that as on who loves playing Brookside).

[Mark Steffey]

Tim, I played Scioto on 10-24 and the lake on 8 had not been started yet.

what is going on with #8 there?

[BHoover]

Tim, I played Scioto on 10-24 and the lake on 8 had not been started yet.

what is going on with #8 there?

Filling in the moat on #8.

[Tim Rooney]

Nothing in Cols has the elevation changes,hole variety,bunkering and challenge as MV------historically Top 25.The Golf Club is a phenomenal pastural course w/minimal elevation change.Brookside is reasonably well bunkered,but needs a Canton Brookside Tree removal------Tree Huggers paradise.I like Vanilla,others like Chocolate.
Apologies regarding,jumping the gun regarding Scioto's Hole#8 lake filling------thought I could trust my Cols area club Pro!  

[Matthew Lloyd]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

As a Columbus native, I commend you for ranking OSU Scarlet first on your list.  It's not a trendy pick but it's a good one.  

I grew up playing there and Scioto and enjoy both equally, but I think Scarlet is the most difficult course in Columbus with the right set-up.  It can be brutally hard, especially when they let the rough grow.

Hickory Hills is a lesser-known gem in Columbus.  I'd recommend that to anyone golfing in the area.  

Have never played MV so can't comment on that, but can't imagine I would like it more than Scarlet or Scioto.

[BCowan]

#8 at Scioto is a great Par 5, absolutely love it. (03' last played)

  Muirfield Village has really poor bunkering.  I don't consider elevation changes in judging Architecture.  MV has no ground game, nice par 5's, and 2 copy par 3's (one's i wouldn't of copied).  I wouldn't put MV in top 5 for Ohio, prob in top 10 IMO.  The Ohio GD ranking are a pretty bad IMO.

I forgot Columbus CC a decent track, caddied 3 or 4 rounds in Ohio AM there for a friend.

MV loves their trees too.

[BHoover]

#8 at Scioto is a great Par 5, absolutely love it. (03' last played)

  Muirfield Village has really poor bunkering.  I don't consider elevation changes in judging Architecture.  MV has no ground game, nice par 5's, and 2 copy par 3's (one's i wouldn't of copied).  I wouldn't put MV in top 5 for Ohio, prob in top 10 IMO.  The Ohio GD ranking are a pretty bad IMO.

I forgot Columbus CC a decent track, caddied 3 or 4 rounds in Ohio AM there for a friend.

MV loves their trees too.

I don't understand what is poor about the bunkering at MV. I also don't think it has the tree issues that other courses in the are do. The par 5s are very fun and great examples of risk-reward holes. The par 3s may not be great, but they certainly aren't bad. I do think that #8 and 12 are pretty good. It's not my first choice in town--that would be either TGC or Scioto. But MV definitely is a very good course and a great tournament venue.

I agree that it's probably not top 5 in Ohio--I'd say TGC, Canton Brookside, Kirtland, Canterbury and Scioto are better (haven't played Camargo or Inverness), but MV isn't exactly a red-headed stepchild either.

[Andy Troeger]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

As a Columbus native, I commend you for ranking OSU Scarlet first on your list.  It's not a trendy pick but it's a good one.  

I grew up playing there and Scioto and enjoy both equally, but I think Scarlet is the most difficult course in Columbus with the right set-up.  It can be brutally hard, especially when they let the rough grow.

IMO Scarlet is one of the least fun golf courses I've played, post-renovation. I have zero desire to go back. It certainly is difficult, but narrow fairways and deep bunkers aren't fun. Double Eagle has great conditioning and a few cool holes. Scioto is better than the other two most likely, but I think gains from its reputation some.

To me, The Golf Club is the best in Columbus and Muirfield Village is 2nd. I don't think I would like the new 16th at MV, especially with so much water on the course already. The 5th, 11th, and 14th are all-world holes. Nothing else in town comes close to those first two IMO. I like Wedgewood 3rd best, even if the homes detract in spots.

[Tim Rooney]

Amazing reply justifications for lowering MV's  National acclaim but never playing the course or its' higher rated competitors?
Guess better to start with flat ground and artificially create all those wonderful template holes,Minimalism?As Ken Venturi commented during his Cols visits,every major city has a Great Golf Course,however, few have as many outstanding as Columbus,O.
All the MV Nationa/Locall Rating is Bogus,now I understand.    

[Roger Wolfe]

Roger:

I presume that you have not played Longview, which belongs high on the list in my view. It's a stretch to include Gaston CC and Irish Creek in Charlotte. But then, I suppose if you can include Castle Pines in Denver, anything goes.

I have played Longview several times.  My nickname for it is, "Wild Wing Union County."  Just like Carmel South... I respect the folks who play there... it just isn't my style.  Nicklaus is not my favorite and the surrounding McMansions just don't do it for me.  As you see by the list above, I really love parkland courses and classic architecture.

[BCowan]

Amazing reply justifications for lowering MV's  National acclaim but never playing the course or its' higher rated competitors?
Guess better to start with flat ground and artificially create all those wonderful template holes,Minimalism?As Ken Venturi commented during his Cols visits,every major city has a Great Golf Course,however, few have as many outstanding as Columbus,O.
All the MV Nationa/Locall Rating is Bogus,now I understand.  

   I played MV 3 or 4 times.  I have talked to PGA pro's that agree with my rankings, many put Scioto #1, i think Scioto is Solid not Great.  I said i have not played the Golf Club, everyone that i respect thinks it is amazing (it wasn't included in my ranking).  I plan on playing it next summer.  Columbus does have a great collection of Golf courses.  Many people on this thread do not like Nicklaus courses and Golf Digest's ranking aren't very good IMO!  You must be a member at MV.  If you are going to tell me that MV is natural and not man made, i don't know where to start.  MV was more originally a Desmond Muirhead design.  I have played a great Desmond course in Florida that i like much more than MV.  MV has no ground game, 2 copied par 3's, and good/great par 5's.  

OSU scarlet i last played in 02' pre renovation.  Tree removal viewed from TV looks great, some of the rerouting of holes by Nicklaus i am scared to see.  OSU Scarlet ranking is pre renovation.

[Tim Rooney]

Obviously,you don't like /admire Nicklaus;you'll happily destroy his very good Scarlet renovation,after you play it.
The fact you have a few pro's preferring TGC is nothing but opinion.The MV ratings speak for themselves.The MV Supers' have stated the last true Muirhead remnants are the 3rd hole fairway bunkers.Nicklaus found the finest golf land parcel,endorsed by Pete Dye-----What is unnatural about MV Ground??
TGC 18th hole is too penal and finishing humdrum,with its' artificial, marble pond cut-away green,tarnishing a Great golf course experience.    

[BCowan]

Is the pond on 3 natural, is the pond on 12 natural, is the pond on 16 natural??  I don't know, asking.  I have had friends play the top 100, and they don't put Augusta in their top 12, and GD has it top 4.  As Mr Doak has said what makes someone qualified to rate a course?  I think Links magazine rankings are much better than GD.  

I thought the tree removal viewing Scarlet from the TV looked great!  I would of choose 2-5 other architects to do OSU, but my name isn't above the pro shop's door like Jack's is.  

Is MV a nice piece of land?  heck yeah, that is a no brainer!  can flatter courses be better designs, yes they can be, does that make them artificial (only if one moves excessive amount of dirt).  

Why all the hostility this is opinion?  So because i don't go along with ''group think'' (Golf Digest) i am wrong???  

[Nigel Islam]

Should I really get you Ohio boys going and have you do your state rankings? Ohio might be the hardest state to come up with a #1 (of states that have courses that good)

[Tim Rooney]

Cowan,after rereading your MV disparaging posts, I must admit you've convinced me.
Answer one question, which ice cream is best,Vanilla,chocolate,strawberry,etc.?

[Jim Nugent]

The fact you have a few pro's preferring TGC is nothing but opinion.

Tim, all ratings are nothing but opinion. 

[Sean_A]

The fact you have a few pro's preferring TGC is nothing but opinion.

Tim, all ratings are nothing but opinion. 

And yet there is a very small pool of courses which consistently top the rankings.  Incredible - no?

Ciao

[Andy Troeger]

OSU scarlet i last played in 02' pre renovation.  Tree removal viewed from TV looks great, some of the rerouting of holes by Nicklaus i am scared to see.  OSU Scarlet ranking is pre renovation.

They removed most of the fairways too.

[Garland Bayley]

Portland, Oregon

Waverley
Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow
Royal Oaks
Columbia Edgewater
Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek)
Portland GC
Riverside
Willamette Valley
Langdon Farms
Reserve Vineyards (North)

I played Willamette Valley about 8 years ago, and didn't think it was that good. However, they had apparently just started some renovation work as I believe it was the 18th green that had been updated and was quite impressive compared to the rest of the course. Have they done a lot of work beyond that?

Langdon Farms is way to artificial for my tastes. They've struggled a lot. Are they still a going concern?

I guess I have to see Royal Oaks if you think it is better than Columbia Edgewater. What makes it better?

[Pete_Pittock]

Royal Oaks and Columbia Edgewater are pretty much equal. I rated RO slightly better because it has better topography and better par 5s. Greens at RO can get more treacherous. Weakness is a need for better drainage on the 3rd hole.

I have never had a good scoring round at Willamette Valley. For some reason it just sucks the soul out of my game. but that is a knock on me, not on the course. Maybe it's because the greens have narrower openings, which doesn't fit my game. The par 5 11th has been vastly improved.

Of course Langdon Farms is artificial, it is somewhat of a tribute course. Always in very good condition. The Maletis brothers are not going to put out a substandard product. Most template greens in the state outside of Bandon. Church pew bunkers. Hosts USGA qualifiers, OGA events,
LPGA qualifiers, college events. It must have something going for it, but IMO needs to get rid of the pampas grass.

[Niall Hay]

Metro Detroit Top 10-

Franklin Hills
Oakland Hills South
Indianwood Old
CC of Detroit
Western Golf and CC
Grosse Ile CC
Red Run
Oakland Hills North
Detroit Golf Club
Plum Hollow

** I have not played Orchard Lake yet since renovation.  Id guess somewhere 2-4 based on pics Ive seen and what was there before.

So before the restoration. OLCC wasn't in your top 10?

[Niall Hay]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

People seem pretty high on Brookside on this post...it is not in same conversation as MVGC. The Golf Club is awesome.

[Niall Hay]

Columbus

1. OSU Scarlet
2. Scioto
3. Double Eagle
4. Muirfield Village

haven't played the Golf Club or Brookside yet, but i am sure i would put them in front of Muirfield Village.

Better than MV? The Golf Club - yes. Brookside - no way (and I say that as on who loves playing Brookside).

Spot on Brian.