Interesting golf courses that have NEVER been mentioned on GolfClubAtlas????

[Rich Goodale]

Pat --

There are four courses in the "Greater Park Rapids" (Minnesota) area that I have enjoyed playing during family vacations there:

Three 18-hole courses -- none of which will make anyone's list of the greats, but all of which have multiple holes well worth your time:

Tianna Country Club (Walker)

Blueberry Pines GC (Menagha)

Headwaters GC (Park Rapids)

And my sentimental favorite:

Brookside (a 9-hole, par-29 or -30 ... I think, though the longest hole is just about 200 yards long ... course at Brookside Resort). It's the purest sort of homemade, rolling-farmland course, with absolutely no "shaping" and greens the size of a typical living room. There's one bunker ... and it's nowhere near anything. The first is a dogleg par-3. The 9th green, in amongst the pines, is almost incapable of growing grass. It's watered by walking sprinklers at the ends of long hoses. Pure fun -- and the site of my daughter's first holes. One of these days, I should do a photo tour...

In the meantime, here are two pictures of Rose's first hole, ever:






Dan

Dan

Looks like Rose created The Claw (ex-tm) even before me and Calcaveccia and  Mediate.  What a bummer....

Rich

[Ian Andrew]

Right here in the Hamptons
Quogue Field Club waterfront old school 9 holer which lost the other 9 in the hurricane of '38

I have everything for Quogue - hole descriptions, a layout, etc.
They'll be a great book published real soon for the club by Chester Murray

I'll post something about the 1938 layout

[Paul Gray]

Since Thomas, quite reasonably, has thrown in some excellent nine holers, I'd recommend the nine hole short course at Ipswich Golf Club, particularly if you happen to be in the area with beginners and/or children. Actually, I remember thinking when I played it that it was the perfect course for new golfers. Par 31, just shy of 2,000 yards. A couple of pictures:

http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-3.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-5.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-6.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-7.jpg

[Greg Taylor]

Once course that is the anti thesis of what's held in regard here is Golfclub AM Reichswald just outside of Nuremburg.

Every hole is tree lined, narrow and tight; a stern test of golf.

The holes blend into one as time passes but it is "interesting" and "memorable" even if it isn't a classic...

website for anyone who wants to feel the pain: http://www.golfclub-nuernberg.de/

[Paul Gray]

Once course that is the anti thesis of what's held in regard here is Golfclub AM Reichswald just outside of Nuremburg.

Every hole is tree lined, narrow and tight; a stern test of golf.

The holes blend into one as time passes but it is "interesting" and "memorable" even if it isn't a classic...

website for anyone who wants to feel the pain: http://www.golfclub-nuernberg.de/

Yep, hand me the chainsaw!

[Thomas Dai]

Since Thomas, quite reasonably, has thrown in some excellent nine holers, I'd recommend the nine hole short course at Ipswich Golf Club, particularly if you happen to be in the area with beginners and/or children. Actually, I remember thinking when I played it that it was the perfect course for new golfers. Par 31, just shy of 2,000 yards. A couple of pictures:
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-3.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-5.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-6.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-7.jpg

Pretty tasty golf at Ipswich then Paul - http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/

There was mention of Purdis Heath-Ipswich herein a couple of weeks ago. Indeed I'd heard previously that it was nice, but I didn't realise it was this nice, and the 9-hole Bixley course, well, it looks a real treat.

Well done for highlighting.

atb

[Paul Gray]

Since Thomas, quite reasonably, has thrown in some excellent nine holers, I'd recommend the nine hole short course at Ipswich Golf Club, particularly if you happen to be in the area with beginners and/or children. Actually, I remember thinking when I played it that it was the perfect course for new golfers. Par 31, just shy of 2,000 yards. A couple of pictures:
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-3.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-5.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-6.jpg
http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/files/441/images/bixley-hole-7.jpg

Pretty tasty golf at Ipswich then Paul - http://www.ipswichgolfclub.com/

There was mention of Purdis Heath-Ipswich herein a couple of weeks ago. Indeed I'd heard previously that it was nice, but I didn't realise it was this nice, and the 9-hole Bixley course, well, it looks a real treat.

Well done for highlighting.

atb

Sorry to tell the same story but I'll post it for general consumption.

I was down that way working earlier in the year. I managed to play the 27 holes at Ipswich and also the 27 at Woodbridge. The new secretary at Ipwisch was particularly kind, letting me pay the twilight rate and just fit my round in by playing 9 holes per night on consecutive evenings after work. Unfortunately I wasn't there long enough to benefit from longer evenings and the chance to travel a little further afield in the area. Getting back to the point, Ipswich is good. Some might argue it relies a little too heavily on bunkering but there's nothing ornamental about where they're placed.

After a relatively slow but pleasant start, the main course at Woodbridge, in my opinion, just gets better and better. The nine hole course there is OK and certainly has a couple of par 3s which I liked but overall it's on a fairly uninspiring bit of land and a few holes, most notably the last, need a bit of lumberjack work.

[Trey Kemp]

Here are a few courses that I do not think have been discussed on this site that I really enjoy:

The Club at Strawberry Creek - Kenosha, WI



Morningstar Golfers Club - Waukesha, WI




Onion Creek Club - Austin, TX

I am probably a little biased on this course, I worked as an Assistant Golf Pro here for about 3.5 years and have fond memories.  Coore & Crenshaw had just added 9 holes and were renovating the original front 9 when I was working there and that is what really got me interested in Golf Course Design.  Below is a photo I took a few years back of the 12th hole on the original course.



I thought some of you may be interested in the history of the course, here is is the original designer/founder:



Sorry this ones a little blurry



Here is a cool graphic on Coore & Crenshaw:

[Chris_Blakely]

Has anyone played Manistee Golf and Country Club in Michigan?
On the bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.

The original 9 holes are quite old, quirky and have some unique green side features.  The 9 holes added by Bruce Mathews are not that good.

[Chris_Blakely]

Back 9 at Tiffin Mohawk, (Tiffin, OH).  Skip the front 9 and play the back twice.  It is that good.  Great Ross 9.  

The back 9 at Tiffin (Ross 9) is terrific.  However, that is the better land formations by far (10 to 1 better than the front.

[Dan Kelly]

Dan

Looks like Rose created The Claw (ex-tm) even before me and Calcaveccia and  Mediate.  What a bummer....

Rich
[/quote]

Rich --

I know it kinda looks like that -- but your Claw TM is secure. That's just an extremely strong right-hand grip.

(BTW: I'm pretty sure that's where the putt stopped ... followed by a stomp of Rose's right foot! LOL.)

[Steven Blake]

As far as Wisconsin goes I agree with Joey Chase that North Shore Golf Club in Menasha is very nice.  Ditto on Scott Schaller as well he is one of the best!

Another course in Wisconsin that I have not seen mentioned and is in a similar vein to North Shore is, Pine Hills in Sheboygan.  It is fantastic with a beautiful piece of property.  Some of the wildest greens I've played.  Rod Johnson the superintendent there is also one of the best and has been there since at least the early 80's.

Two great courses with old school charm, great memberships and great superintendents.

Steve Blake

[Bill Crane]

In New Jersey -

Manasquan River - is a really fine course designed by Robert White.   I can only find two small GCA name references to the course, one on a list and a comment on a thread about hurrican Sandy effects.   I have not played in years, but especially after an restoration this is the type of old course that GCAers usually love.    I should go take some photos and do my first tour.   I am convinced this is the single most under-rated course in NJ if not the Northeast.  FYI - some great golfers there including the Housens.

Also - I always found the public Buena Vista course in Buena Vista NJ near Vineland really good layout- charming and a little sporty William Gordon design opened in 1957. Located in an unusual area of the state most people do not visit.  Have not been there in about 20 + years - so I can't report on current conditions.

FYI - Ian MacKenzie -    John Reid's great grandson is a member of Springdale  ( Princeton, N J).

[Ally Mcintosh]

Two full length links courses I've never seen mentioned on here I used to play regularly in Aberdeen:

Nigg Bay Golf Club, otherwise known as Balnagask... And The Kings Links which is one of the oldest in existence.

They don't generally come up on Google searches because they belong to the city council... But there is some cool stuff going on with both courses.

Ally

[Joe Bausch]

A course loosely in the Philadelphia area that has barely been mentioned on this site is Heidelberg CC.  It is a home-built course with an interesting history, the following from gapgolf.org:

John Guenther got a taste of what it was like to start a golf club from scratch at Moselem Springs. In the fall of 1967, with Moselem well-launched, he left the Fleetwood club to found a new and more ambitious facility in Bernville. This would not be simply a golf club.

Drawing on what he had learned by observing George Fazio close-up at Moselem Springs, Guenther designed and built the course. "It may not have been to everybody’s taste," he smiles, "but it is a good test, it doesn’t give much away. I started clearing the property early in 1968, then moving earth. I remember sitting on that bulldozer and shaping the land. Those were wonderful days. Not much more than a year later we were ready to open for play. Right around the start of summer."

"Could it have been Memorial Day?" he was asked.

He hesitated, then said, "Yes, that would have been about the time. I think that was probably it all right. What I’m particularly proud of is that the course was built—and I’m talking about 18 holes, the irrigation system, the pumphouse, sand in the bunkers, everything—built and ready to play for $250,000. And that included complete landscaping. Part of the property had been a Christmas tree farm, and when we bought the land, 100,000 Christmas trees came with it. We sold some of them to Philadelphia clubs—I remember Torresdale-Frankford took a number of them, so did the Cricket Club, if I’m not mistaken— and, of course, we had no trouble at all landscaping Heidelberg."

But the new club, off to such a promising start, soon ran into heavy weather. Within months of the opening, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers advised Heidelberg that Blue Marsh Dam, a major water conservation project that bordered the club’s property, would require a large part of the Heidelberg tract as a flooding backup area. All or part of 13 holes could have been involved.

What followed was a dispute that stretched over more than six years. In the end the club had to build only two new holes, though some revisions to several others were called for.

Here are some pics from a month or so ago on an overcast day:

http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/Heidelberg/index.html

Yeah, there are too many trees.  But the topography is pretty good and the routing okay.  And Mr. Guenther did a pretty nice job on the greens.

[Thomas Dai]

Two full length links courses I've never seen mentioned on here I used to play regularly in Aberdeen:
Nigg Bay Golf Club, otherwise known as Balnagask... And The Kings Links which is one of the oldest in existence.
They don't generally come up on Google searches because they belong to the city council... But there is some cool stuff going on with both courses.
Ally

You're right Ally that there is some good stuff going on at both and the Kings Links area was of course where Royal Aberdeen GC, although not under that name, first started and stayed until it got to busy and they moved over the Don to Balgownie.

There have been a couple of mentions in passing of both NB-B and the KL but one thing I didn't realise until looking at Alan McPhersons trip through all 600-plus Scottish courses website as mentioned above is that both have short courses too, 9-hole and 6-hole I believe. There was also  a pitch-n-putt behind Pittodrie that ultimately was built over to become Bruce Davidson's original Kings Links driving range (and fab stocked golf shop). I recall Steve elkington and Tom weiskopf  flying in by helicopter on one occasion to give a demonstration there.

The Dr Mack' 18-holer at Hazlehead plus the Coles/Huggett course and the 9-holer have been mentioned in passing too. Not sure about the likes of Craibstone, Peterculter, Westhill etc, ie the 80'-90's courses or other more recent ones like Meldrum House etc.

I was wondering about places like Brechin, Braids underrated I always thought Arbroath-Elliott, Huntley, Oldmeldrum, Kintore, Kemney, Inverurie, Deeside, Ellon, Newburgh, Edzell, Aboyne, Banchory, Ballater, Braemar, Lumphanan, Tarland etc. I think there's even a 9-holer in the grounds of Balmoral Castle!

I would suggest in particular that Arbroath-Elliott, Ballater, and Newburgh (original 9) have particular merit worth seeing if in the area. Would you add any others to a 'go and play list'?

Atb

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Aside from LACC, Riviera, Lakeside, Wilshire, and Bel Air, there were quite a few wonderful Golden Age courses built in the LA basin. In need of some discussion are Palos Verdes, Brookside, Santa Anita, Victoria, and Woodland Hills.
Here are a couple photos of Woodland Hills which is a short Bell on some hilly terrain.

[Tom_Doak]

Bill Crane's list of courses in south Jersey reminds me of one that was recommended to me from some members at Riviera ... Medford Village GC, formerly known as Sunny Jim's. 

The way it was described to me, Sunny Jim's was sort of a poor man's Pine Valley, back in the day.  It's hard to see that now that it's been made into a club for average golfers.

[Marc Haring]

Tavistock GC in the south west UK is interesting. Moorland with some good holes but never mentioned here to my knowledge. Doesn't seem to be any recognised architect associated with it. I've played it a few times and remember you could slam some drives but had to be very careful on the approach shots to some subtle greens. Expect Sean Arble would like it.

http://www.tavistockgolfclub.co.uk/tour_of_course

[Jaeger Kovich]

Woods Hole Golf Club... Woods Hole, Mass. (Where you catch the Martha's Vineyard Ferry)

[Ronald Montesano]

Here's a Cape Cod list with a lot of Ross

Oyster Harbors-Ross
Wianno-Ross
Pocasset-Ross
Hyannisport-Ross

Woods Hole-Stiles/Van Kleek

Willowbend-Hurdzan

Ridge Club-Robert von Hagge

Cummaquid-W. Mitchell

[Phil McDade]

As far as Wisconsin goes I agree with Joey Chase that North Shore Golf Club in Menasha is very nice.  Ditto on Scott Schaller as well he is one of the best!

Another course in Wisconsin that I have not seen mentioned and is in a similar vein to North Shore is, Pine Hills in Sheboygan.  It is fantastic with a beautiful piece of property.  Some of the wildest greens I've played.  Rod Johnson the superintendent there is also one of the best and has been there since at least the early 80's.

Two great courses with old school charm, great memberships and great superintendents.

Steve Blake

Both very good suggestions -- golfers I know who have played either one just rave about them.

Another one never discussed here, with some really interesting holes, is Kettle Moraine GC, near Delavan and Oconomowoc; the guy who owned the place designed it himself, and there is some good stuff out there. Moves in and out of some wooded areas and wetlands, some funky bunkering, and a couple of really good greens.

[Thomas Dai]

Here are a couple that may have had mentions in pasing but not much more -

1) Minehead and West Somerset, UK - http://www.mineheadgolf.co.uk/

2) Tidworth Garrison, Wiltshire - http://www.tidworthgolfclub.co.uk/

Anyone know much about them, and if so, would they be worth a visit?

atb

[Padraig Dooley]

Don't think I've seen Greenore http://www.greenoregolfclub.com/ mentioned here much, very interesting course roughly half way between Baltray and RCD.

Another one is Doneraile http://www.donerailegolfclub.com , a 9 hole course not far from Cork, one really interesting hole around a graveyard.

[Michael Tamburrini]

Two full length links courses I've never seen mentioned on here I used to play regularly in Aberdeen:
Nigg Bay Golf Club, otherwise known as Balnagask... And The Kings Links which is one of the oldest in existence.
They don't generally come up on Google searches because they belong to the city council... But there is some cool stuff going on with both courses.
Ally

You're right Ally that there is some good stuff going on at both and the Kings Links area was of course where Royal Aberdeen GC, although not under that name, first started and stayed until it got to busy and they moved over the Don to Balgownie.

There have been a couple of mentions in passing of both NB-B and the KL but one thing I didn't realise until looking at Alan McPhersons trip through all 600-plus Scottish courses website as mentioned above is that both have short courses too, 9-hole and 6-hole I believe. There was also  a pitch-n-putt behind Pittodrie that ultimately was built over to become Bruce Davidson's original Kings Links driving range (and fab stocked golf shop). I recall Steve elkington and Tom weiskopf  flying in by helicopter on one occasion to give a demonstration there.

The Dr Mack' 18-holer at Hazlehead plus the Coles/Huggett course and the 9-holer have been mentioned in passing too. Not sure about the likes of Craibstone, Peterculter, Westhill etc, ie the 80'-90's courses or other more recent ones like Meldrum House etc.

I was wondering about places like Brechin, Braids underrated I always thought Arbroath-Elliott, Huntley, Oldmeldrum, Kintore, Kemney, Inverurie, Deeside, Ellon, Newburgh, Edzell, Aboyne, Banchory, Ballater, Braemar, Lumphanan, Tarland etc. I think there's even a 9-holer in the grounds of Balmoral Castle!

I would suggest in particular that Arbroath-Elliott, Ballater, and Newburgh (original 9) have particular merit worth seeing if in the area. Would you add any others to a 'go and play list'?

Atb

I've been meaning to add some photos of Newburgh for a while (I'm a member there) but I've not had a chance to get to the course with a decent camera.  These photos are all a few years old: