Most disparate QUALITY of courses at one facility/club

[Tom Bacsanyi]

What about disparate courses that are actually both good?


Forest Dunes?  Mainly because The Loop is different from every other course.


Riverdale Dunes vs. Knolls here in Denver.  I have not played the Knolls but enough people have told me to avoid it that I likely never will.


My home course (Red Sky) has disparate courses, one a Fazio, one Norman. 

[Carl Rogers]

A little OT, but Asheville Muni's front nine is fairly flat, the back nine is mountain goat country.

[Matt_Cohn]

What about disparate courses that are actually both good?

This is a pretty common scenario but a different question. I'm looking for facilites where the courses are farthest apart on the Doak Scale.

[Doug Hodgson]

It's been a while but I remember the two courses at Reykjavik GC in Iceland being quite different.  Two different locations, one at the seaside and the other more of an inland course. 

[Doug Hodgson]

Although it isn't the same facility the two courses at North Berwick are as different as can be....

[Joel_Stewart]

Just got to thinking — what facility has the the greatest delta in the quality of its two (or more) courses? For the next week or two it might be Chuck Corica, which has a Doak 6-ish and a Doak 2-ish. But they're about to start the North Course renovation, so that's not really a fair or long-term comparison. Others?

Is Rees going to be the one to redo the North too?

I can tell you with certainty that he is not.

[Doug Hodgson]

For a disparity in quality how about Chantilly? 

[Matthew Rose]

Riverdale Dunes vs. Knolls here in Denver.  I have not played the Knolls but enough people have told me to avoid it that I likely never will.

I played the Knolls about a month ago as my older brother was taking his PAT there and we went there for a practice round. So I've played both courses once.

It certainly isn't particularly interesting or noteworthy, but I didn't find it offensive either. I've played many worse courses in town. Obviously the Dunes is light years ahead of it, but I don't think it's a terrible course. Just kind of bland.

[Terry Lavin]

Now that all three courses have been renovated, restored and in some sense reimagined, I’d say Medinah has a pretty disparate medley of golf experiences.


The 1 course is Doak’s scintillating rejuvenation’s of a forlorn parkland course. There are holes big and small, with some riotously enjoyable greens.


2 was long known as the Women’s course. Rees Jones kept most of the footprint while lengthening some holes and greatly expanding the size of the greens. Simple bunkering and great tree removal make this a course for both genders and all ages.


3 is a brute, a tight monomaniacal test of golf that reminds us all that we have a day job.


That’s a pretty solid combo platter for a private club.

[Matt_Cohn]

Changed the title since people aren't reading the original premise anymore. 

[Pat Burke]

As mentioned earlier, for a 36 hole facility, the difference in the two courses at Forsgate is pretty large!

[Joe Bausch]

Karakung vs the Olde course at Cobb’s Creek.


Which will not be so disparate in due time. . .

[Mark Pearce]

I'm not as big a fan of the Hotchkin as some on here but I'd agree that Woodall Spa must be right up there here, the second course there is a genuinely poor course.

[Richard Fisher]

Nairn? I thought that much of the second (Newton) course was basically flagsticks in a field, with perhaps a couple of exceptions. To be honest I never quite understand Nairn (Old)'s very elevated rating in several UK ranking lists, but it is clearly Top 100 material, and the contrast with the second course is marked. Thinking of some other, less well-known 'second' courses at well-known British facilities, the Warren course at Littlestone stands up (by contrast) as good fun, not least for beginners, and exactly what you want in such facilities.

[Robin_Hiseman]

Both courses at which i was once a member.


Montrose Medal and Broomfield.
Letham Grange Old and New


I'm going to stick up for the Cashen Course at Ballybunion. Having played both in the same day just a few weeks ago, the Cashen remains an absolute blast to play and fits its secondary role very well. It desperately needs a bit of TLC (and a haircut), but it is a great golfing experience.


One upon a time i might have thrown Burnham and its Channel course into this mix, but repeated play with Mr. Arble has led to my growing affection for the 9-hole Channel.

[Mike Boehm]

Indianwood Old and New

[Wayne_Kozun]

What about disparate courses that are actually both good?

Devil's Pulpit and Devil's Paintbrush in Caledon, ON.  Both are good courses - see Ran's review here http://golfclubatlas.com/courses-by-country/canada/devils-paintbrush/

[Ed Brzezowski]

Has anyone mentioned that club in Ardmore Pa that starts with an M?

[Kyle Harris]

Has anyone mentioned that club in Ardmore Pa that starts with an M?

It's not even the most disparate multi-course facility in Philadelphia.

[Matt_Cohn]

Has anyone mentioned that club in Ardmore Pa that starts with an M?

It's not even the most disparate multi-course facility in Philadelphia.

Because it's actually...?

[Doug Hodgson]

Never played either course but I've heard that the disparity at Ohio State is pretty significant.  I have played both courses at Oakland Hills, and although the North is a solid, interesting course that is no worse than the main course at a thousand other good private clubs, there is no question which course is #1 at this club.

[Thomas Dai]

Nairn? I thought that much of the second (Newton) course was basically flagsticks in a field, with perhaps a couple of exceptions. To be honest I never quite understand Nairn (Old)'s very elevated rating in several UK ranking lists, but it is clearly Top 100 material, and the contrast with the second course is marked. Thinking of some other, less well-known 'second' courses at well-known British facilities, the Warren course at Littlestone stands up (by contrast) as good fun, not least for beginners, and exactly what you want in such facilities.

Quite a few older clubs had/have another 9-holer, sometimes referred to as a relief course or even as a ladies/begineers course, that is of different quality to the main course.....Fraserburgh and Murcar (as well as Nairn) being examples.
But there are exceptions, such as the wonderful St Olaf at Cruden Bay which has 2-3 of the very best holes of all 28 holes at CB and the Silverburn at Royal Aberdeen, some of which isn't too hot but some of which is very good and one hole is maybe the best hole of all 36 at RAGC.
I go along with Robin about The Channel at Burnham, Montrose and the merits of the often slagged-off Cashen course at Ballybunion.
atb

[Sean_A]

Burnham's Channel Course is a difficult one to like because half the course sits in low lying land which doesn't drain as well as the proper links.  But there is no doubting the quality of links holes.  To me it works well as the secondary 9 because its an easy walk, cheap and yet fairly challenging.  I don't play it enough! 

Ciao

[Michael Felton]

Bethpage? The difference between the Black and the Blue or Yellow is pretty significant.

[Matt_Cohn]

Never played either course but I've heard that the disparity at Ohio State is pretty significant.

Ooh, that's a good one.