Top Five Courses You Could Play...But Are Not Worth The Effort.

[John Kavanaugh]

1. Medinah
2. Kohler
3. Muirfield Village
4. Prairie Dunes
5. Pebble Beach

Medinah is soooo not how I want to spend my time in Chicago.

Kohler, hey my wife doesn't play.

Muirfield, like it's a three hour drive from my house.

Prairie Dunes is in a town best known for juco championships and my kids were either too smart or too slow to go juco.

Pebble, I don't own a camera.

[cary lichtenstein]

1. Seminole
2. Medalist
3. Oakmont
4. Muirfield
5.

[Mike Sweeney]

1. Bethpage Black - Loved the place before the renovation. It is the ultimate in Yogism, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

2. Connecticut Golf Club - Men's club, golf only, I like that vibe a few times a year but it ain't Garden City or Pine Valley. Would love to have Black Sheep in Connecticut.

3. Wee Burn Country Club (CT) - There was probably a good Emmet course there at one point, but with multiple renovations packed into a country club scene, pass.

4. New Haven Country Club - If I am driving to New Haven, I play Yale

5. Greenwich Country Club - See Wee Burn but a total mish mash of redos packaged into the Greenwich country club scene, pass.

[Tim Martin]

1. Bethpage Black - Loved the place before the renovation. It is the ultimate in Yogism, "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

2. Connecticut Golf Club - Men's club, golf only, I like that vibe a few times a year but it ain't Garden City or Pine Valley. Would love to have Black Sheep in Connecticut.

3. Wee Burn Country Club (CT) - There was probably a good Emmet course there at one point, but with multiple renovations packed into a country club scene, pass.

4. New Haven Country Club - If I am driving to New Haven, I play Yale

5. Greenwich Country Club - See Wee Burn but a total mish mash of redos packaged into the Greenwich country club scene, pass.

Mike-Totally agree with Connecticut Golf Club. The atmosphere is fun and it's tough not to like a club where Joe Willie "White Shoes" Namath used to be a member.  That said Cornish could have done a lot more with the piece of land he was given.

[Ian Mackenzie]

All in Chicago

1. Medinah
2. Butler
3. Bob O Link
4. North Shore
5. Cog Hill #4

[Greg Tallman]

1. Medinah
2. Kohler
3. Muirfield Village
4. Prairie Dunes
5. Pebble Beach

Medinah is soooo not how I want to spend my time in Chicago.

Kohler, hey my wife doesn't play.

Muirfield, like it's a three hour drive from my house.

Prairie Dunes is in a town best known for juco championships and my kids were either too smart or too slow to go juco.

Pebble, I don't own a camera.

I believe prairie dunes is about to host the NCAA d1 championship, so your children's brilliance notwithstanding, it might be worth the drive.

[Jeff_Brauer]

How many feel the same about the Sand Hills emulators?  Don't know why, but love SH, and have little desire to see the other five similar courses like Dismal, Sutton Bay, etc.

I feel even worse about the Alabama Golf Trail.  No desire to pump tourist dollars into that (never seen them, but know Steve Pate on the senior tour and my son in ASGCA thought the courses they played were just long slogs)

Hate to say it, but almost feel that way about most new resorts in non great places (think Florida). If it doesn't have an ocean, I probably ain't going.

Of course, most here would say points 2 and 3 aren't focused on great courses, but JK didn't specify that in his title.

I wonder if Pebble Beach is getting that way, at least for anyone who wants to play again?

[Rob Curtiss]

Thats 2 votes for Medinah..

Is it because it is too difficult - too boring-

[Michael George]

As a premise, I enjoy seeing a variety of courses.  I am not narrow minded when it comes to golf courses and can enjoy things in a varied number of courses.  So I will pretty much make the effort to see well designed courses, even if they are not my favorite style. 

The best example is Wolf Creek in Mesquite.  It is lunar golf, but I think you are missing something if you don't at least play it once. 

If there were courses that I am inclined not to see, they would be those designed over flat or uninteresting land.  There are exceptions like Chicago GC or Seminole GC, but I often find that even quality architecture has problems saving uninteresting land.

 

[Mac Plumart]

John...

Prairie Dunes IS worth the effort.  Easy flight into Wichita and less than an hour car ride to the first tee.  I am very serious, I truly believe you will love it.

[John Kavanaugh]

John...

Prairie Dunes IS worth the effort.  Easy flight into Wichita and less than an hour car ride to the first tee.  I am very serious, I truly believe you will love it.

There is not a doubt in my mind that I would love it and it is one of the few truly great courses in the Midwest.  I think about playing there often and talk about it with my traveling buddies but can't pull the trigger.  Hutchinson plays a vital role in my local community because our local juco, Vincennes University, is one of the finest in the country and is constantly traveling there for championships.  I must read about it five to six times a year and know local kids and coaches on the teams.  Obviously with all that said it must not be worth the effort or I would have already been.

[Mac Plumart]

Obviously with all that said it must not be worth the effort or I would have already been.

I disagree with that conclusion and can think of a different reason why you haven't taken the time to see it already.  But I'll keep that to myself.   

[Pete Balzer]

1A. Fossil Trace
1B. Catamount Ranch
3. Four Mile Ranch
4. The Club at Pradera
5. Copper Creek

[Terry Lavin]

Barney,

Provocative, as always! 

Prairie Dunes is well beyond awesome despite its location. In fact, the location is so surprising and the members so accepting of the mercantile crowd that I can't think of anywhere more appealing in nowhere. If you get my drift. I'm over Pebble, indifferent toward Kohler and rightly fond of all things Medinah. Muirfield doesn't interest me either. Too much tv.

It's the rock quarry in Evansville that doesn't get a Pavlovian watering from me.  Is it worth my effort?

[John Kavanaugh]

1A. Fossil Trace
1B. Catamount Ranch
3. Four Mile Ranch
4. The Club at Pradera
5. Copper Creek

I love Fossil Trace. It's even on Illinois Street.

[John Kavanaugh]

Barney,

Provocative, as always! 

Prairie Dunes is well beyond awesome despite its location. In fact, the location is so surprising and the members so accepting of the mercantile crowd that I can't think of anywhere more appealing in nowhere. If you get my drift. I'm over Pebble, indifferent toward Kohler and rightly fond of all things Medinah. Muirfield doesn't interest me either. Too much tv.

It's the rock quarry in Evansville that doesn't get a Pavlovian watering from me.  Is it worth my effort?

No, not yours. 

[Mac Plumart]

I haven't taken the time to get to Pebble Beach yet.  I'm afraid of the length of round and cost.  I've heard from many people that have been that I need to get there...just get the first tee time.

For some reason, South African courses seem to fit the bill for too much effort for me.  I'm sure I'm missing the boat, but I am not motivated to get off my butt and get there.

[Terry Lavin]

Well, that takes Southern Indiana out of my travel plans...

[John Kavanaugh]

Well, that takes Southern Indiana out of my travel plans...

One less item on that bucket list.

[paul cowley]

Muirfield - played twice and it just got worse for me...I like fun not drudge.

Seaside at Sea Island - can't play the new version without getting so pissed off that its built over my favorite 9 holes ever...the old Colt and Allison by the same name. I'm pissed just writing this.

[Terry Lavin]

Well, that takes Southern Indiana out of my travel plans...

One less item on that bucket list.

My bucket list includes NO GOLF TRAVEL.

[jeffwarne]

In my neighborhood I can EASILY think of five top courses that induce GCA orgasms I could play that I routinely pass over in favor of time at Goat Hill and Southampton.

[Bill_McBride]

I haven't taken the time to get to Pebble Beach yet.  I'm afraid of the length of round and cost.  I've heard from many people that have been that I need to get there...just get the first tee time.

For some reason, South African courses seem to fit the bill for too much effort for me.  I'm sure I'm missing the boat, but I am not motivated to get off my butt and get there.

I haven't played Pebble since 1978, when I think the green fee was $65.   No interest in going back, but I think every serious golfer needs to play there once, same as the Old Course. 

[Patrick_Mucci]

1. Seminole
2. Medalist
3. Oakmont
4. Muirfield
5.


Cary,

SEMINOLE ?

You have to be kidding.

One of the great golfer friendly courses in the world.

Wide fairways, oceanside setting, genius Donald Ross design, ideal playing surfaces and........ the wind.

I suspect that your dislike may be rooted in other than golf.

I could play there every day and look forward to the next day.

[Paul Jones]

Majority if not all new subdivision courses