Of Where Do You Dream That Others May Not?

[Parker Reeves]

Hello all.  I'm more of a reader than a poster but having read some member's posts or signatures about some of their favorite courses or where they currently dream about, I thought it was time for an "under the radar dream" post.  I'm sure this has probably been covered in one form or another before, but maybe some have new thoughts on this.  So tell us, what course do YOU love that may not get much love from others, and why do you love it?

Mine - Stonehaven Golf Club - Aberdeenshire, Scotland

   This is one of more beautiful places I have ever been.  There are so many holes along the North Sea with lots of these jutting out to make you feel like you are in the water.  Stonehaven is a Par 66 at 5103 yards but it can sure have some tough holes in the wind.  The people were very friendly and my father and I look back on Stonehaven as a truly memorable experience.  Getting to be on that side of the world, where the game began and playing out to the water, near a castle, and in front of a graveyard made for a time we aim never to forget.

[jeffwarne]

Hello all.  I'm more of a reader than a poster but having read some member's posts or signatures about some of their favorite courses or where they currently dream about, I thought it was time for an "under the radar dream" post.  I'm sure this has probably been covered in one form or another before, but maybe some have new thoughts on this.  So tell us, what course do YOU love that may not get much love from others, and why do you love it?

Mine - Stonehaven Golf Club - Aberdeenshire, Scotland

   This is one of more beautiful places I have ever been.  There are so many holes along the North Sea with lots of these jutting out to make you feel like you are in the water.  Stonehaven is a Par 66 at 5103 yards but it can sure have some tough holes in the wind.  The people were very friendly and my father and I look back on Stonehaven as a truly memorable experience.  Getting to be on that side of the world, where the game began and playing out to the water, near a castle, and in front of a graveyard made for a time we aim never to forget.

never been to Stonehaven, but want to go.
Would like to fly into Aberdeen, start there. work north of Cruden Bay across the Coast ending up just east of Nairn.
Lots of interesting little known (here) looking golf in that stretch

[Parker Reeves]

Jeff,

 That would be a great trip.  We played Cruden and Peterhead in the same day.  Throw in Fraserburgh and Royal Aberdeen and you could have a nice little section carved out.

[Bill_McBride]

Is it Royal Duff House, a Mackenzie, in that neighborhood as well?

[Ally Mcintosh]

I suspect Jeff is thinking even more low key... I had a week up there many moons ago playing Spey Bay, Strathlene, Duff House Royal, Buckpool, Moray New and Royal Tarlair... My memory is a little hazy but remember some standout holes even on the more average courses... I am in Nairn at the moment and heading to Moray Old tomorrow...

Golspie is my new one that I will dream of...

[Phil McDade]

Parker:

Stonehaven is a great little course, featuring "Hitler's bunker" on the 1st hole, and some fear-inducing cliff-hanging holes. Even the back-meadow four holes are something of a change of pace, and the little commuter train zipping through the middle of the course adds a touch of nowhere-else-but-here feel to the course. And a neat old clubhouse to boot.

Some reports of late suggest poor conditioning? It was in great shape during my round there several years ago.

Bill McB: Duff House is a bit of a hike from Stonehaven -- northeastern Scotland, for sure, but Stonehaven is quite near Aberdeen, while Duff House Royal sits along the rugged northern coast, midway (roughly) between Nairn and Fraserburgh.

[Parker Reeves]

Phil,

 It really is a neat place.  My father and I were there last August and I did not have any complaints about the conditioning.  Being honest, I thought it was in very good shape for the price point.  If anyone gets near the area, it is a MUST PLAY in my mind.

[Phil McDade]

Parker:

I think courses like Stonehaven epitomize what golfing in Scotland is all about. Too many golfers (some here on GCA) spend time in Scotland hitting all the big-name courses, and they miss the very essence of the game as it's played there, which is small, often unconventional, non-championship courses that nonetheless often hold a great deal of charm and challenge. The Scots in many communities built courses on whatever land was available nearby, and often seemed not to care as much about conventional routings, or holes, or the like. Courses like Stonehaven are the result. (James Finegan, the noted Philadelphia golf writer, speaks highly of Stonehaven in his book "Blasted Heaths and Blessed Greens," saying the course best represented -- in his mind -- what Bernard Darwin had in mind in describing something as "jolly.")

[Thomas Dai]

Going north up the coast from Stonie - BTW go see the swirling, burning fireballs at Hogmanay and Dunnottar Castle if your there - and then turning west at Fraserburgh and proceeding along the Moray Firth until Inverness -

Balnagask
Kings Links
Royal Aberdeen (36)
Murcar (27)
TIGGLS
Newburgh-on-Ythan
Cruden Bay (27)
Peterhead (27)
Inverallochy
Fraserburgh (27)
Rosehearty
Royal Tarlair
Duff House Royal
Cullen
Strathlene
Buckpool
Spey Bay
Garmouth & Kingston
Moray (36)
Covesea
Hopeman
Nairn Dunbar
Nairn (27)
Castle Stuart
that'll do

Oh yes, I forgot to say where my "Of Where Do You Dream That Others May Not" would be. Boring I'm afraid, nothing exotic,

it's Tadmarton Heath, Oxfordshire - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,26579.0.html and http://www.tadmartongolf.com/pages.php/index.html.

Quite partial to Golspie - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40126.0.html

and also to - Dunfanaghy - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49256.0.html

Would like to play Dooks too.

atb

[Matthew Lloyd]

My selection is not an exotic or hyped locale, but a course I have great memories of growing up.  Hickory Hills in Grove City, Ohio.  Anyway, if any of you are looking for a slightly under the radar private course to play in central Ohio, this course is a gem. 

http://www.hickoryhills.com/

As a kid, I learned how to play on this course.  During the summers I would go with my dad every night for a few hours when the course was usually empty. At the time (late 1980s), this part of Columbus was basically the country. For a middle schooler learning to play this course had several impossible tee shots -- #1 and #4 in particular come to mind. The course had also two separate #3 holes -- two wildly different par 3s, so as a kid it was really fun to have an option to play either (or both). But more than anything, it was just a great environment to get introduced to golf in.  I was able to learn on my terms, at my own pace, and none of the negatives that are often associated with golf (slow play, crowds, etc.) were a factor.

After my dad switched to Scioto (which was obviously amazing to play as a high schooler), I definitely missed playing Hickory, and still try to go back every few years when I'm home.

At any rate, this is my very nostalgic response -- even though there are plenty of courses on my bucket list that I'm sure are technically better golf courses, it will be tough to beat my memory of Hickory Hills as an overall experience with golf.

[Paul Gray]

Greenland, which apparently has a course in the capital city, such as the capital city is. The vast majority of golfers would question my sanity no doubt, except here it'll probably be greeted with "been there, done that." 

[jeffwarne]

I suspect Jeff is thinking even more low key... I had a week up there many moons ago playing Spey Bay, Strathlene, Duff House Royal, Buckpool, Moray New and Royal Tarlair... My memory is a little hazy but remember some standout holes even on the more average courses... I am in Nairn at the moment and heading to Moray Old tomorrow...

Golspie is my new one that I will dream of...

Ally,
correct
Cullen, Peterhead,Moray, Covesea,Fraserburgh etc.
and many more along the coast in between the big(and not so big) names of Aberdeen and Dornoch area that I've already seen

[Ben Sims]

I'm currently jonesing for shorter, classic, interesting courses. Places like Victoria GC in Victoria British Columbia and Waverley in Portland are very much on my radar. 

[Tony_Muldoon]

The third 9 at Castlerock and Ballycastle.  They give me an excuse to go back....

[Ulrich Mayring]

Not a modest course by any means, rather a prestigious club with championship history, but I bet no one here has ever played it:

Hubbelrath East (near Düsseldorf, Germany).

It is almost as good as Falkenstein (Colt's famous course in Hamburg) and the unbelievable rolls in the fairways remind me of Royal Hague.

Ulrich

[jeffwarne]

Going north up the coast from Stonie - BTW go see the swirling, burning fireballs at Hogmanay and Dunnottar Castle if your there - and then turning west at Fraserburgh and proceeding along the Moray Firth until Inverness -

Balnagask
Kings Links
Royal Aberdeen (36)
Murcar (27)
TIGGLS
Newburgh-on-Ythan
Cruden Bay (27)
Peterhead (27)
Inverallochy
Fraserburgh (27)
Rosehearty
Royal Tarlair
Duff House Royal
Cullen
Strathlene
Buckpool
Spey Bay
Garmouth & Kingston
Moray (36)
Covesea
Hopeman
Nairn Dunbar
Nairn (27)
Castle Stuart
that'll do

Oh yes, I forgot to say where my "Of Where Do You Dream That Others May Not" would be. Boring I'm afraid, nothing exotic,

it's Tadmarton Heath, Oxfordshire - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,26579.0.html and http://www.tadmartongolf.com/pages.php/index.html.

Quite partial to Golspie - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40126.0.html

and also to - Dunfanaghy - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49256.0.html

Would like to play Dooks too.

atb

posting for reference-see below

[jeffwarne]

Going north up the coast from Stonie - BTW go see the swirling, burning fireballs at Hogmanay and Dunnottar Castle if your there - and then turning west at Fraserburgh and proceeding along the Moray Firth until Inverness -


Peterhead (27)
Inverallochy
Fraserburgh (27)
Rosehearty (9)
Royal Tarlair
Duff House Royal
Cullen
Strathlene
Buckpool
Spey Bay
Garmouth & Kingston
Moray (36)
Covesea (9)
Hopeman
Nairn Dunbar
Nairn (27)
Castle Stuart

Nice work Thomas



two nights each at Fraserburg, Cullen, Lossiemouth and one night Nairn
Fly into Aberdeen, Out of Inverness


Previously cut
Garmouth and Kingston
Nairn Dunbar

Second round of cuts -Duff House Royal teetering on cutline-yep I'm a sucker for clifftop Royal Tarlair(with apologies to Niall and Sean-shades of Nefyn as well as the Glen)
Buckpool looking like it's lost out to Strathlene Buckie and Spew Bay
Hopeman-wish it was only original 9 holes (Jon Wiggett disappointed by Hopeman)

IF I throw newbies a bone and go to Cruden Bay day 1, Royal Tarlair would be out, but I really like the logistics of the curent trip
I've enjoyed Cruden Bay in the past but these courses look like they are the gold standard in low key/scenery/quirk

[Tim_Weiman]

The much maligned Cashen.

[jeffwarne]

The much maligned Cashen.

Perhaps you meant Cullen?
Cullen's in the starting lineup-for sure, especially as a compliment to a bigger 18 holer

[Tim_Weiman]

The much maligned Cashen.

Perhaps you meant Cullen?
Cullen's in the starting lineup-for sure, especially as a compliment to a bigger 18 holer

Nope. I meant the Cashen, for sure.

[jeffwarne]

The much maligned Cashen.

Perhaps you meant Cullen?
Cullen's in the starting lineup-for sure, especially as a compliment to a bigger 18 holer

Nope. I meant the Cashen, for sure.

Sorry misunderstood, of course you meant Cashen
you'll have more company than you think-good value-it's free

[Thomas Dai]

The much maligned Cashen.

Perhaps you meant Cullen?
Cullen's in the starting lineup-for sure, especially as a compliment to a bigger 18 holer

Along the NE coast make sure to sample 'Cullen Skink' -  fish soup - very fine. Also, the Baxters cafe/factory at Fochabers is worth a wee stop - massive pancakes and other yummy stuff.
atb

[Tom_Doak]

Nice work Thomas

 (I cut out the Aberdeen area courses as I've played many of them and that's another trip)
Need to cut a few more
Cut candidates-first round
Nairn Dunbar, Garmoth and Kingston,

What's next to cut? say 2-4 more in order
Both 9 holers exempted to finals

It's either three nights Fraserburgh, three nights Lossimouth, one night Castle Stuart
or two nights each at Fraserburg, Cullen, Lossiemouth and one night castle Stuart
Fly into Aberdeen, Out of Inverness

Jeff:

I did some of the same tour with my wife in the summer of 2013 ... Fraserburgh, Rosehearty [I stumbled onto that one by accident by taking the beautiful coast road back from Fraserburgh toward Cullen], Cullen, Buckie Strathlene.  All of these are recommended.  I've heard good things about Peterhead, too, but didn't get that far.

The Cullen Bay Hotel is right across the street from the third tee at Cullen.  Lovely little hotel, I would recommend staying there for 2 nights per your second itinerary.  Cullen and Buckie are both within 5 minutes.

[jeffwarne]

Nice work Thomas

 (I cut out the Aberdeen area courses as I've played many of them and that's another trip)
Need to cut a few more
Cut candidates-first round
Nairn Dunbar, Garmoth and Kingston,

What's next to cut? say 2-4 more in order
Both 9 holers exempted to finals

It's either three nights Fraserburgh, three nights Lossimouth, one night Castle Stuart
or two nights each at Fraserburg, Cullen, Lossiemouth and one night castle Stuart
Fly into Aberdeen, Out of Inverness

Jeff:

I did some of the same tour with my wife in the summer of 2013 ... Fraserburgh, Rosehearty [I stumbled onto that one by accident by taking the beautiful coast road back from Fraserburgh toward Cullen], Cullen, Buckie Strathlene.  All of these are recommended.  I've heard good things about Peterhead, too, but didn't get that far.

The Cullen Bay Hotel is right across the street from the third tee at Cullen.  Lovely little hotel, I would recommend staying there for 2 nights per your second itinerary.  Cullen and Buckie are both within 5 minutes.

Thanks Tom,
I did want to stay in Cullen-trying to be easy on the newbies by having less moves but that does save an hour or so on driving on a trip already very light on driving.
Strathlene it is-now I'm looking at the "Carlton" choice -which of the Royals to include. I guess this is the Arble acid test of whether I'm into scenery or architecture.
It's a newbie trip or I'd skip Castle Stuart (gotta throw them a bone somewhere )
CS is convenient to Inverness Airport so it works well the last night

[C. Sturges]

I have two courses that I dream about that very few would or at least one of them.  The popular/known course is the Sheep Ranch.  I have not been there for a couple years and the last time it had lost some of its magic.  They had started mowing fairways for a course routing, which in my mind takes a way from playing to any of the greens you want.  Before all the property was mowed to the same, making cross country golf extremely easy, and with little chance of loosing a golf ball.  Some of the best green sights I have ever gotten to play!  Nothing wrong with having the whole property just for your group also.
My first choice to play is just up the road at Ocean Dunes in Florence.  It is a small mom and pop course or it was, I think the local casino has since taken it over.  The course is very short, 6,100 yards from the back tees at most.  But it is also very tight which makes that more than long enough.  If you are spraying the ball it is going to be a long day and a lot of lost golf balls.  The course plays over some great dunes with some wonderful sand blow outs.  Small greens keep the challenge until the ball is holed out.
No, this is not a course many people play on there way to Bandon Dunes, but I will play it every time I am in Oregon.  It is one of the courses in America that reminds me of golf in the UK.  Not the top tier courses, but the fun local courses with a lot of quark!
At some point you should stop and see what the locals play!
chris