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

[Paul Carey]

Congressional
Robert Trent Jones
Troon
Muirfield Village

[Bill_McBride]

Congressional
Robert Trent Jones
Troon
Muirfield Village

If by "Robert Trent Jones" you mean the RTJ International course outside DC, I think that's a very good course.  If you refer to the RTJ Trail in Alabama, some are better than others but in general pretty mediocre. 

[Brett Wiesley]

Black Rock in Idaho.
Shady Canyon in Irvine.

[Pat Burke]

LACC

1.5 hours away, not really interested.  Never a place I felt comfortable or welcome.

[Sean_A]

Five I have seen which did little for me.

TEC
Troon
Lytham
Hillside
Pine Needles

Below are five which I haven't played and don't really interest me.

Cape Kidnappers
Bethpage
Whistling Straits
Kauri Cliffs
Waterville (never seen the newer work)

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

LACC

1.5 hours away, not really interested.  Never a place I felt comfortable or welcome.

Pat:

Don't let a bad experience with somebody compromise your interest in the course.  I played it ten days ago at the start of my current trip and thought the course was stunning.

Cape Kidnappers

Sean:

Not that you are likely to get to NZ, but you'd be crazy not to see Cape Kidnappers if you get there.  The experience is very different from the photos, but there are many features of the course you would like.

[Tom_Doak]

Somebody asked me a couple of weeks ago if I'd seen every course in The World Atlas of Golf.  I haven't, because several courses in the book fall into this camp:  Sotogrande (and Valderrama, even though it wasn't in the book); Royal Hong Kong; Royal Selangor; Lagunita in Venezuela; etc.  Most of those would take a serious effort.

There are some courses that would take little or no effort, that I don't take up the invitations to play.  I won't list those here because I don't want to offend the people who have been inviting me, but those are the real stinkers.

[Thomas Dai]

It's not so much top five courses as categories, ie

a) 80% of all the courses you see the Pro's play on TV, on any Tour are of no interest in playing to me. A lad I know, who played all the top amateur events for a few years, said to me that as an amateur he played all the best courses, but now, as a pro, he mainly plays 'samey' courses and they're frequently soooo boring to play.
b) Most resort courses
c) poor draining courses

atb

[Sean_A]

Going to Paris for 4 days of golf in September. Playing them all bar Golf National. I could easily add a day and play it but I can't be bothered.

Same goes for Loch Erne in Northern Ireland which could be tacked on to a County Down trip in August. But why bother?

Mount Juliet in Ireland is another and closer to home, I'm pretty sure my life will be no richer for having seen the Wisley or "The London golf club".

Don't have time for bog standard high end moderns with no soul...

I haven't been yearning to see Wisley, but I would like to see it one day. Why do you imply it has no soul?

If I am sticking closer to home and not talking top courses

The Oxfordshire
Celtic Manor
Rolls of Monmouth
Woburn
Belfry

Holi cannoli, I just listed a bunch of pro venues as well!  I even think Rolls has done some pro stuff.

Ciao

[Adam Lawrence]

I rather like Wisley and think the rebuild there has been very well done. It isn't a great course, but I wouldn't say it has no soul. Unlike Queenwood, say, it is member owned and a very active, lively club.

[Thomas Dai]

I believe The Rolls (of Monmouth) did something TV wise, although not a full tour event, back in the days when Greg Norman 'represented' it, this would have been back in the early 1980's. I actually rather like The Rolls and will admit that it, plus one other mentioned above, would fall within my a) category, although they actually fall within the 20% side rather than the 80%! Not for everyday play though, just once in a while.

Sometimes to re-affirm your appreciation of your normal (classic/quirky) favourite side of the coin it's nice/useful to see the other side, especially if it's not too expensive to sample it.

atb

[Terry Lavin]

LACC

1.5 hours away, not really interested.  Never a place I felt comfortable or welcome.

That's too bad. I've played there a handful of times unescorted and always felt welcome, starting with Juan "The Assassin" the locker room bartender. Once, we played in the morning and I had to work in the afternoon and the starter let my friends play the South course unescorted while I took a deposition. Very welcoming.

[Brian Finn]

Muirfield Village appears on several people's lists.  I know it has been discussed before, but I was hoping some folks that cited it could explain their own reasoning.  I have walked the course many times for the Memorial, but never played it, and it is actually quite high on my list of courses I would like to play.  I am far from a great player, but it still looks like it could be quite fun.

[Jim Hoak]

I think often the degree of affection for a course is relative to your expectations before playing it.  I played Muirfield a few years ago; I had played several Nicklaus courses before and was not a fan.  So, with low expectations I played Muirfield, and was very impressed.  It is by far the best Nicklaus course I have ever played (recognizing that he had major input from others all along).  I loved the routing, the use of streams, the natural quality of the greens, the conditioning, etc.  So while I wouldn't rate it as one of my all-time favorites, it substantially exceeded my expectations, and I am very positive on it.

[Michael George]

Muirfield Village appears on several people's lists.  I know it has been discussed before, but I was hoping some folks that cited it could explain their own reasoning.  I have walked the course many times for the Memorial, but never played it, and it is actually quite high on my list of courses I would like to play.  I am far from a great player, but it still looks like it could be quite fun.

Brian:

It is a Nicklaus course.  You are not allowed to be a card carrying member of gca and like any Nicklaus course.   And I only say that half jokingly.

I have played Muirfield Village and have really enjoyed it.  Is it in my favorite course, no.  But it is a great golf course that is worth every decent golfer playing.  I hear people complain about its difficulty/playability.  Those complaints are valid, as it is not an easy course.  However, those same people give a pass to other courses on the same issue.  Why?  Because its not a golden age course where the architect is dead.  If it is not worth the effort because of difficulty, why not list Oakmont, Bethpage Black and Winged Foot too?    

The one criticism that I think is fairly warranted is the homes on the course.  The experience really does suffer due to the residential community.   It is the factor that keeps it from being in my elite.  However, not worth the effort is laughable in my opinion, unless your like John Kavanaugh and you are happy with the courses that you play and have little desire to venture out anymore - which I respect.  I mean if you don't want to play Prairie Dunes, you are pretty much telling yourself that you are done with travel golf unless it is one of your staples.

[John Kavanaugh]

Michael,

Muirfield Village is on my list because if I am going to make the drive it would be for The Golf Club.  While you are correct that I am no longer interested in venturing out like I once was, when I do I want to stick with a single course.  I don't think Muirfield can surprise me while I am sure The Golf Club would.  btw:  The only course I have played in Columbus is Scarlet.  Damn, those people were nice to me and my friend.

[BCowan]

As it pertains to MV, Desmond Muirhead doesn't get enough credit I believe.  The par 5's are great.  The par 3's are copies (of two famous holes).  Not taking into account difficult courses, which I like, MV is set up for a high fade.  Too many ponds, too many trees (Arboretum lovers paradise), it is a chemical plant.  Many people like IMHO due to them being Maint Whores.  The course lacks creativity in playing it, the course shouldn't play F&F due to the design not rewarding it for more golfers (even pros).   

[Jim Hoak]

John, you are right to prefer to play The Golf Club over Muirfield if given the choice, but Murfield is OK.

[George Pazin]

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.  

Michael completes me - I'm his exact opposite.

Don't much care for variety, I am narrow minded and, though I find it impossible to not enjoy ANY golf, I don't look for variety to enjoy golf, I seek only certain courses, mostly those that are my favorite style. The exception would be the opportunity to play with a friend - then I'll play anywhere.

I have no real desire to play Whistling Straits anything or Kohler anything. I have no real desire to play Victoria National - not because of my silly disagreements with John, merely that it does not look or sound like the type of course I would enjoy (of course, I also don't know if I could play it, so that one may be moot...).

Can't think of TPC anything that I'm really clamoring to play, except maybe the original.

[Peter Pallotta]

Fascinating. If I could, I would play every course mentioned so far. Now, since I can't, I probably won't - but that wasn't JK's question. In short, if I could, I surely would. And why not? After all, if you could, wouldn't you rather be a sparrow than a snail, or a hammer than a nail? I mean, when a man gets tied up to the ground, well, he gives the world its saddest sound...its saddest sound.

Peter

[Brian Finn]

I mean if you don't want to play Prairie Dunes, you are pretty much telling yourself that you are done with travel golf unless it is one of your staples.

I tend to agree.  I had actually started a separate reply on Prairie Dunes yesterday, and never finished the post.  I recently visited PD for the first time, and was lucky enough to spend 3 days onsite, playing 5+ rounds in varying conditions.  Every moment on the property was exceptional.  The golf course was incredible - I kept looking for faults and could not find any.  The closest I could come was (borrowing one of my playing partner's astute observation) that all of the par 3s played a bit uphill (but they went in different wind directions, required different clubs, and were all generally very strong holes).  Everything else at the club (lodging, food, people) was wonderful.  I can't say enough good things about Prairie Dunes.

[John Kavanaugh]

Fascinating. If I could, I would play every course mentioned so far. Now, since I can't, I probably won't - but that wasn't JK's question. In short, if I could, I surely would. And why not? After all, if you could, wouldn't you rather be a sparrow than a snail, or a hammer than a nail? I mean, when a man gets tied up to the ground, well, he gives the world its saddest sound...its saddest sound.

Peter

Taking the effort to play other courses means you give up something else.  Of all the crap I brag about on this site the greatest gift of my life has been the fact that I have had only one true love that I still hold on to today.  While most of you will never be so lucky I would think you could at least find a way to show loyalty towards a golf course.  Every facet of modern society is moving as quickly as possible from loyalty.  Our employment, our purchases, our relationships.  How about slowing down and sticking with one course if even for one day.  Yes I would rather be a snail than a sparrow where I could look back on my trail of slime and be able to see how I arrived to make the choice on where I am going.  There is a reason nobody eats sparrow.

[Peter Pallotta]

Yes, one sure road to peace -- i.e. accepting the things that happen to you in life as if you had chosen them for yourself.  

Another sure road to peace - i.e. playing every golf course you can until you're too bored to care, and just then embracing a 'stay at home' philosophy  

Peter

[Garland Bayley]

TPC Sawgrass and any other pond infested Florida course.
Victoria National infested with water filled old quarries.
Closer to home, Heron Lakes Great Blue.

[Dan Kelly]

Yes, one sure road to peace -- i.e. accepting what happens to you in life as if you had chosen them for yourself. 

Another sure road to peace - i.e. playing every golf course you can until you're too bored to care, and just then embracing a 'stay at home' philosophy 

Beautiful (even with that surplus emoticon).