[Tim Gallant]

My favourite course seen for the first time this year was Oakmont. Hearing others post here, as a 10 handicap, I was ready to be hammered over the head and begging for mercy at the end. But the opposite happened: it absolutely blew me away. The green complexes where some of the best I have ever seen. The variety was astounding and each hole felt unique, memorable and a blast to play. It was difficult, but the challenge wasn't one-dimensional like so many other championship courses. We didn't lose a ball all day and I would have played 36 easily if that were a possibility. We also played in 3hrs flat with lots of additional putts/chips taken to admire the greens.


Runner ups are Crystal Downs and Meadowbrook, which I've posted about previously.

[MLevesque]

Eastward Ho!
Bethpage Black
Hotchkiss School
Wintonbury Hills

[JHoulihan]

Best course:
Sand Valley - Mammoth Dunes just barely ahead of Lawsonia -Links in WI.
Favorite course:
Sand Valley - Sandbox

Justin

[Peter Flory]

My year was skewed by a Scotland trip- so I would say Cruden Bay, with North Berwick a very close 2nd. 


If I was sentenced to only play those 2 courses for the rest of my life, I probably wouldn't bother appealing. 

[Kevin Neary]

Siwanoy and Engineers.

[Buck Wolter]

I didn't play a lot of golf but much of it was new and they were all very good/great


Chronologically
Blue Mound
Davenport
Yangtze Dunes (Shanghai)
White Bear
About 10 holes of Sandbox
 

[Adam Lawrence]

I think probably Brora.

[Brad Engel]

Had the great fortune of playing a few big name tracks this year, however, my favorite new courses I played in 2018 were Essex County Club and Kirtland Country Club. I loved how the front and back nines on both courses were so distinct from each other.

[Tim Martin]

Siwanoy and Engineers.

Kevin-When you get to the first green at Engineers you know you are in for something special.

[BHoover]

Sleepy Hollow
Moraine
The Creek
Fenway

[Lou_Duran]

Played 34 courses for the first time in 2018.  Dornoch was my clear favorite.  Brora was a bit behind and Golspie not much further.

Experienced some outstanding golf in MN with Spring Hill probably my favorite, but was also very pleased with Jeff Brauer's Quarry despite a horrific winter and early spring causing great damage.  I was also impressed with Midland Hills and the opportunities it presents for a sympathetic renovation.

Though not for the first time, I finally played Royal County Down and Royal Portrush in decent weather.  I would be content to play my last years in the game at either one.

[David McIntosh]

I’ve played 12 new courses this year so far (and will likely end the year on that number). Favourites were:
Carnoustie
Birkdale
Formby

Honourable mentions:
Nairn
Moray (Old)

[Jay Mickle]

It was a very good year.
Away courses:
Lawson is
White Bear YC
Northland
Local course:
#4

[Stewart Abramson]

I played 42 new courses in 2018. These are probably my favorite 5 courses.





Cabot Cliffs #16  par 3 from tips


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157694805132180/with/44275883571/ Cabot Cliffs



Cabot Links #3 from tee 220


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157700504431514  Cabot Links



Rock Creek Cattle Co #17 par 3


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157697886054624[size=78%]  [/size][/size]Rock Creek Cattle Company[size=78%]

[/size][size=78%]
[/size]Greenbrier Old White #18 par 3  [size=78%]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157692162846002/with/39434114550/  Old White



Circling Raven #15 from tee


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157696484877841 Circling Raven


[/size]The above aren't necessarily my favorite holes on these courses, but they are among the prettiest.

[Michael Pelliccione]

New Favorites:


Riviera CC, Rock Creek Cattle Co., Friars Head and Shoreacres


Honorable Mention:


CC of Fairfield, Lawsonia Links, MPCC Dunes

[Niall C]

9 holers – 3 new ones, Alnmouth, Traigh and the St Olafs course at Cruden Bay. All excellent in their own way with both Traigh and St Olafs slightly let down by their longer holes, although the 2nd at Traigh is an honourable exception to that last comment. St Olaf’s probably gets the nod over Traigh due to the short 9th which is possibly/probably the best short hole in the north of Scotland, particularly with the back pin position, however Alnmouth has probably better overall quality than the other two.

18 holers – played some venerable old courses in Westward Ho, Saunton and Royal Lytham & St Annes, however my vote goes to Beau Desert. Is it really better than Lytham ? Well, BD has a more interesting site with a superb routing that makes great use of it. Lytham also has a few holes that are way too over bunkered. In comparison, the only head scratcher at BD is the 12th where you have to play over trees on the approach if you play it as a 2 shotter and even then I suspect that after repeat plays it would turn into one of those holes you end up loving.

Niall 

[Scott Weersing]

I would say my favorite new course was Dormie GC because of the width, lack of rough, and great greens. Another favorite was Winter Park GC, a 9 hole course, with a great variety of holes and length, as well as very walkable. There should be more renovations like this one.


Other first time courses included Old Monterey GC, Roanoke; Hershey CC, East and West. Yes, I hope to return and play these courses also. Fortunately, no one and done, for me this year.


What new courses do I hope to play in 2019? Sweetens Cove and Sewanee, Kinloch, Streamsong, and one other TBD.

[WilliamN]

My two favorite new ones were Gulph Mills and Blue Jack...


Loved the variety of holes and use of elevation at Gulph Mills (plus have wanted to play it for awhile).  Thought Blue Jack was just a fun course to play and our worst golfers and our best golfers in the group all had a blast


The honorable mention list is too long to list

[Tommy Williamsen]

I played 42 new courses in 2018. These are probably my favorite 5 courses.





Cabot Cliffs #16  par 3 from tips


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157694805132180/with/44275883571/ Cabot Cliffs



Cabot Links #3 from tee 220


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157700504431514  Cabot Links



Rock Creek Cattle Co #17 par 3


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157697886054624[size=78%]  [/size]Rock Creek Cattle Company[size=78%]

[/size][size=78%]
[/size]Greenbrier Old White #18 par 3  [size=78%]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157692162846002/with/39434114550/  Old White



Circling Raven #15 from tee


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157696484877841 Circling Raven


[/size]The above aren't necessarily my favorite holes on these courses, but they are among the prettiest.

Nice year!

[Jim Franklin]

Congaree
Trinity Forest
The Bridge
Davenport CC
Cedar Rapids CC

[Tom Allen]

Camargo and Whistling Straits.  Two entirely different courses, and two very enjoyable experiences.

[Ryan Farrow]

I saw, played, or worked on a lot of new places this year and I typically walk away with something that really stands out or makes a course unique to me.


Pine Valley - Inspiration for so many architects, I couldn't help but pick out features on the golf course that I have seen other architects try and replicate or take inspiration from but I still have not seen an architect attempt to duplicate all aspects.


Merion-I know it is cliche, but the routing here is fantastic with tons of variety, there very easily could have been some poor/awkward holes but they are all good.

Streamson Blue - Hats of to Tom Doak and his team, some of his best work to date and clearly the #1 course at S.S.

Pinehurst #4 - The amount of work to restore the land forms will go unnoticed but it was essential to building a great product. Also, what an amazing site, hard to believe it is right next to #2.
Aronimink - The use of ridges in the putting surface to create interesting hole locations.

Ohoopee - Just an all around classic golf course with a ton of charm. I love the experience of playing through the landscape, tons of detail work and care put into making the most of a great, low country property. 

Southern Hills - Lovely movement and use of creeks, still trying to figure out why Maxwell bunkered his greens so heavily and why he routes extremely awkward golf holes like the 10th.



Country Club of Charleston - The more I see Raynor's work the more I completely buy into his use of templates, especially on the par 3's. Goes to show just how great and interesting a golf course can be on flat ground.


Whispering Pines (Pines) - A diamond in the rough Ellis Maples course in the Pinehurst area. This place has some great bones.




*I really wanted to like World Woods Pine Barrens but it just didn't do it for me. Not in any way.

[Rob Marshall]

Wasn’t a big new course year for me. But I really enjoyed an old Ross. Belleair Country Club West. I don’t know how much of it is original but it had some beautiful deep bunkering. Working on a couple in Charleston for next year.

[Tom_Doak]

Southern Hills - Lovely movement and use of creeks, still trying to figure out why Maxwell bunkered his greens so heavily and why he routes extremely awkward golf holes like the 10th.

It has been a million years since I saw Southern Hills, and I don't remember the 10th.  Can you describe why it's extremely awkward?

[Matthew Petersen]

Pasatiempo


My 36-hole day there with the new Poppy Hills in the afternoon was definitely the year's highlight

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