Your Top 5 Most Pleasant Surprises

[Niall C]

Mark


Talk me through Brampton. Years since I played but have played it several times and loved it although not for the unfit. What did you like about it and what were your favourite holes ?


Niall

[Mark Pearce]

Niall,


I really enjoyed the way the course lay over what is a pretty extreme piece of land.  The short par 4 7th was a brilliant hole, almost a 270 yard redan and seemed to me to be the start of the best part of the course.  The par 5 9th again used the terrain well, as did the 11th, another short par 4.  In fact the course had a lot of short par 4s (7 of them from the yellow tees we played) but that didn't seem repetitive.

[KMcKeown]

Gulph Mills
Kittansett
Piping Rock
Dornick Hills
Dismal (Nick Course)

[Jason Topp]

The one overriding theme I'm getting from the listing of courses is that modern architects all try too hard.

I do not understand what you mean by this statement.

[Charles Lund]

1.  The Dunes Golf Links, Rye, VIC, AUS
         - first course I played in Australia;  have been back
          to Australia nine times
2.   Barnbougle Dunes, Bridport,  TAS, AUS
           - read about and stayed in 2008 on second trip
           to Australia;  saw Lost Farm under construction;
           returned three years later playing each course three
            times during week long stay
3.    Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, County Donegal,  IE
            -  two links courses, quite different in character;
             played on first trip to Ireland as part of extended
              trip;  returned on subsequent trips; later became
               member
4.     Hunter Ranch, Paso Robles,  CA
             -stopped while traveling by car from San Diego to
             Seattle;  spent several weeks in area a few winters
             ago; played extensively on Players Club discount
5.      Gold Mountain, Olympic Course
              - played first time in 2000; live in  NW about 45   
               minutes away

All five are accessible, but not necessarily easy to get to.  They were all courses or clubs I wanted to play again.  None were regimented as far as availability for play.   Green fees are stlll quite low.