"DOG TRACKS" Which are FUN to play

[Bob Montle]

 DOG TRACKS WHICH ARE FUN TO PLAY (my first posting)

 
Since returning from my latest golf vacation in Scotland I’ve gradually quit playing all of the 'good' local courses and spending more and more of my time on one at which I have sneered at for most of my life.
Many of the good local public or semi-private courses are picture postcard courses but with narrow fairways and penal rough and hazards.
On the other hand, the local “dog track” is like this:
Fairways and tees are in poor condition
Tees are merely small areas where they mow the rough that week.
Fairways are uneven and bumpy, with no deep rough anywhere
Relatively wide open
Short
Situated next to the town’s landfill
 
However, while not visually appealing:
It has firm and fast fairways with slow undulating greens.
High 250 yd drives can be outdriven by a low one with 200 yds carry and 65 yard roll.
Greens are relatively slow but with multiple breaks.  Visualize halfway between your course’s greens and the Himalayas.
 If you hit the correct side of the fairway you can bump and run to the green from up to 100 yards out.   I will always prefer bumping my 8 iron up to the pin than trying to hit a 86 or 58 or 72 yard wedge.  There is so much satisfaction in figuring out the curves, then whacking the ball from 80 yards out and watching it bounce and roll and curve it’s way up snug by the pin.  Almost as much fun as hearing the groans of your friends as they watch.


 
 If you hit the wrong side of the fairway there will either be trees in your way or the pin will be just 20 feet past one of the few sand hazards.
On each fairway that slopes right to left, the best drive is a fade one down the right side.
On the holes with woods down the left and wide open to the right, the best landing areas are on the left.
One hole is a dogleg right over a pond.  You have two options.  200 yard layup then 9 iron or wedge, or you can try to fly the trees and miss the pond (250 yd carry) and go for the green.
Did I mention short?  5500 yard par 70 from the Senior tees.  6300 yds from the blues.

And cheap:  $7.50 to walk 9 holes.  $15 to ride 18 on weekdays.
 
Those of us who play there get great enjoyment from our rounds, yet we are sneered at by the majority of locals that look down on the ‘dog track’
 
Do any of you have courses you love to play although they might be ridiculed by the purists?

 

[Dave McCollum]

I've played several like that and had fun.  It's one of the reasons I'm not a course snob.  Some might even argue that my own course would qualify as an affordable, somewhat scruffily maintained track.  I'll leave that up to the folks that have played it.  How we enjoy our golf is a very subjective affair. 

[Blake Conant]

Elmwood Park in Omaha is weird and quirky
Pelican Beach and Mullen North both near Mullen, NE are quick, fun rounds
Santa Anita in Los Angeles is all around great.

Edit: Forgot to mention Goat Hill Park.

[Greg Tallman]

The course I grew up on fits the bill.

Worthington Golf Club, Parkersburg WV. Designed by nobody, local land owner.

6100 yards, almost all Ross-like turtle back push-up greens. Very easy to miss a green from 30-40 yards when firm.

Not a bad site with a pretty wide creek winding around the length of the property and a sizeable ridge (not well utilized) accounting for maybe 20% of the land.
 

 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

My home course, while in law school, the Philadelphia muni- Walnut Lane GC- and it's even profiled here:


http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/walnut-lane/




I used to have a hammer in my bag to get tees in the ground. 


Here's Joe Bausch's tour:


http://myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/WalnutLane/index.html

[Paul Gray]

Bob,

Not sure who these supposed purists are but, far as I can tell, you've just described solid architecture. Ok, I can imagine the trees might be an issue but chainsaws are not difficult to get to grips with.

[jeffwarne]

DOG TRACKS WHICH ARE FUN TO PLAY (my first posting)

 
Since returning from my latest golf vacation in Scotland I’ve gradually quit playing all of the 'good' local courses and spending more and more of my time on one at which I have sneered at for most of my life.
Many of the good local public or semi-private courses are picture postcard courses but with narrow fairways and penal rough and hazards.
On the other hand, the local “dog track” is like this:
Fairways and tees are in poor condition
Tees are merely small areas where they mow the rough that week.
Fairways are uneven and bumpy, with no deep rough anywhere
Relatively wide open
Short
Situated next to the town’s landfill
 
However, while not visually appealing:
It has firm and fast fairways with slow undulating greens.
High 250 yd drives can be outdriven by a low one with 200 yds carry and 65 yard roll.
Greens are relatively slow but with multiple breaks.  Visualize halfway between your course’s greens and the Himalayas.
 If you hit the correct side of the fairway you can bump and run to the green from up to 100 yards out.   I will always prefer bumping my 8 iron up to the pin than trying to hit a 86 or 58 or 72 yard wedge.  There is so much satisfaction in figuring out the curves, then whacking the ball from 80 yards out and watching it bounce and roll and curve it’s way up snug by the pin.  Almost as much fun as hearing the groans of your friends as they watch.


 
 If you hit the wrong side of the fairway there will either be trees in your way or the pin will be just 20 feet past one of the few sand hazards.
On each fairway that slopes right to left, the best drive is a fade one down the right side.
On the holes with woods down the left and wide open to the right, the best landing areas are on the left.
One hole is a dogleg right over a pond.  You have two options.  200 yard layup then 9 iron or wedge, or you can try to fly the trees and miss the pond (250 yd carry) and go for the green.
Did I mention short?  5500 yard par 70 from the Senior tees.  6300 yds from the blues.

And cheap:  $7.50 to walk 9 holes.  $15 to ride 18 on weekdays.
 
Those of us who play there get great enjoyment from our rounds, yet we are sneered at by the majority of locals that look down on the ‘dog track’
 
Do any of you have courses you love to play although they might be ridiculed by the purists?

Since you've returned from Scotland,
It sounds like you were PREVIOUSLY playing the dogtracks (I prefer to call them asshole traps)
and have moved onto the gems

[Scott Little]

While stationed at Fort Irwin (north of Barstow, CA in the Mojave), there was a six hole pitch and putt on a couple acres of grass.  It was by all accounts a "Dog Track" but was fun for me to take my three and five year old kids out to mess around and learn the game. While the "TPC at Fort Irwin" will never garner a visit for the major golf publications, it provided a venue to play and pass down the game to my children.  Come to think of it, the majority of courses on the bases on which I have been stationed fall into the "Dog Track" category. 

[Mark Pavy]

And cheap:  $7.50 to walk 9 holes.  $15 to ride 18 on weekdays.
 
Those of us who play there get great enjoyment from our rounds, yet we are sneered at by the majority of locals that look down on the ‘dog track’
 
Do any of you have courses you love to play although they might be ridiculed by the purists?

I'm becoming very interested in any golf courses that are maintained with extremely low budgets (<$50,000 USD p.a).

[Thomas Dai]

Although GCA folk might not agree, there are folks in the locality who consider Painswick and a couple of others along the western edge of the Cotswolds to be d.......s and no fun to play. Each to there own I guess.
Atb

[Chris DeToro]

The course I started playing on is like this.  The 9-hole course at Ft McNair in Washington DC.  No trees, very little definition, basically tee boxes and greens that meandered throughout the base.  Unfortunately, I don't think the course is there anymore

[Jeff Loh]

Hubbard Heights...Stamford, CT

[Keith Doleshel]

Lincoln Park in San Francisco qualifies only because of the condition of the course.  There is nothing about the surroundings that screams dog track, just the way that the course is maintained.  It is a lovely walk through cypress trees, around a beautiful museum, views of downtown SF, and the Golden Gate Bridge looming just to the north.


The former Bolado Park Golf Course, now named Pinnacle Hills, outside of Hollister is another course that comes to mind that would be classified as a dog track.  It is $14 to walk 18 holes during the week, $9 after 2:00 pm.  It is a 9 hole course which has two sets of tees, some quite a bit different in angles and yardage.  Scruffy around the edges and always firm and fast, it is a pleasant walk in a secluded, hilly part of San Benito County.  Much more fun than Ridgemark which is just minutes away.

[Joe Bausch]

My home course, while in law school, the Philadelphia muni- Walnut Lane GC- and it's even profiled here:


http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/usa/walnut-lane/




I used to have a hammer in my bag to get tees in the ground. 


Here's Joe Bausch's tour:


http://myphillygolf.com/uploads/bausch/WalnutLane/index.html

I need to re-visit Walnut Lane soon as they have a new super, a fellow that comes from a rather prominent private course in the area.  I'm curious to see what he's done there.

[Jon Wiggett]

Back in the early 1980s I played Carnoustie a couple of times. It was in pretty rough shape from a conditioning point of view but was an absolute blast to play and I really enjoyed the rounds I had there. I played it again around 2012 when it was in immaculate shape but was not anywhere near as much fun to play being more a war of attrition.

I would take the 1980's rough version costing £19 over the manicured £130ish 2010 exemplar. I would imagine I am in the minority but I prefer courses that are a little rough at the edges.

Jon

[Thomas Dai]

Like Jon I recall playing Carnoustie back in it's less well conditioned period in the 80's etc, back when that horrible clubhouse sat behind the 18th green (I'm no great fan of the new hotel/clubhouse, but that's another topic) and it was a blast to play even with steel shafts, persimmon heads, blades, balata balls etc. Brutal but a blast and a really enjoyable challenge.
Atb

[Daniel Jones]

About 15 years ago, I found myself in Atlanta with a free afternoon. I had passed by Candler Park on a previous trip and decided to give it a try, even though I didn't have my clubs. I walked with a set of "rentals" (approximately 8 mix matched clubs in a bright orange Powerbilt bag) and had one of the most fun days I've ever had on the course. It became a fixture of many subsequent trips to come.


I haven't been back in at least 10 years. I hope it is still hanging on...

[Aaron Marks]

Stanley Park Pitch and Putt is a must play on a Vancouver trip.  18 holes, 40-100 yards each, astroturf mat teeing areas, slow greens, and an absolute blast to play.  A few of the greens are actually pretty interesting too.  I'd really recommend it. 

[Gary Daughters]

This is a neat thread.


Carolina Downs near Kershaw, SC would fit well into the dog track category, which I say with affection.


Pebblebrook Golf Club near Manchester, Ga. is a very fun nine holer built by the late Arthur Davis, who did some solid courses in Georgia.  You take a left at the barn that has PEBBLEBROOK painted on the side.  The opening tee shot defies who knows how many rules of golf architecture and simple prudence, but if you pull it off it's pretty cool.  I walked recently for the best 5 dollars of entertainment allowable.  The pro shop is a mobile home where the owner seems to live, but there's also a decent pub there.


Recently abandoned golf courses can be fun, as is a good, hard beach when the tide recedes and creates sand bars and gullies.


This I only do close to dark when there are no people and of course no funerals going on, but I've been known to poke wedge shots in a private corner of a nearby and very large cemetery.  By mistake last week I touched a gravestone with my 56, and this is true, the gravestone read "Palmer."

[David Schofield]

I played Wilmington (NC) Municipal in 2007.  I believe they had just done a small renovation (mostly bunkers) and have since done a more complete renovation.  It wasn't in terrible shape, but it was no Country Club.  It was a nice walk on a compressed site.

[Steve Lapper]

Aspen Golf Club!

[Sean_A]

Wouldn't Painswick be the ultimate dog eerrr, goat track?


Ciao

[MCirba]

I'll put my dog tracks up against anyones.  Nice thread Bob.

[Joe Bausch]

I'll put my dog tracks up against anyones.  Nice thread Bob.

And I've got to be a favorite to place.