I'll give this a try:
MOST SURPRISING NEW PLAY COURSE:
Bamburgh Castle – expected a dumb blonde and got it in spots. But also a number of really good holes, and that setting was enough to make this a course I cannot wait to return to. Honorable mention would be Braid Hills. I had seen some photos on GCA and decided to rush around it before dark after dropping a friend at EDI. Great views, firm turf, somewhat confusing routing, a bunch of good green complexes, and loads of quirk. Held back by too much gorse.
MOST DISAPPOINTING NEW PLAY COURSE: None, really, as I pretty much knew what to expect with every new place I played. Those that surprised were more in a good way.
BEST NEW PLAY INLAND:
Bel-Air – I hadn’t seen the course before RGD’s work, but found this version to be full of interest and fun on a difficult site. I think a lot of plays would be needed to putt very well.
BEST NEW PLAY LINKS:
Muirfield – Though it lacks much in the way of quirkiness, it’s relentlessly good and every hole intrigues. Was fortunate to play it on two different trips. The worst part about playing there the second time was staying at Greywalls and looking out my window at the course on the morning I was playing elsewhere.
MOST SURPRISING SECOND (OR MORE) PLAY COURSE:
Elie – I thought it was terrific last year when I played it for the first time by myself. Two more times around with a bunch of good friends in May had me marveling at the variety and often simplicity of the course. A great example about how par (16 par 4s) isn’t all that important. The town is also a great place to stay.
FAVORITE NEW PLAY LINKS:
Muirfield – competition was from places like Lundin, Leven, Goswick, Kilspindie, Dunbar & even Dunstanburgh Castle. Muirfield was clearly the best of the bunch, but the more I play links courses, the more I feel like I need to move to the UK.
FAVORITE NEW PLAY INLAND:
Bel-Air – not a lot of competition as most inland courses I saw this year were repeat plays. Hanging out after the round is almost as good as the golf.
BEST AFFORDABLE COURSE PLAYED:
Goswick – loads of competition here from Dunbar. These are both higher than Sean’s cost guideline, but when you compare to US prices, most any non-big name UK course seems affordable to me. Playing either of these makes one wonder how much more you really need from a course.
BEST TRULY INEXPENSIVE COURSE:
Alnmouth Village at £25 or
Dunstanburgh Castle at £36. I think Dunstanburgh would be a shoe-in winner except for my dislike of the 18
th. Delight for the £ is very high at Bamburgh Castle as well.
BEST COURSE PLAYED THIS YEAR:
TOC – the only problem with playing it is that the round goes by far too fast and you realize you’re never going to get to see the course as much as you want. So many shots I dream of playing (or replaying) and just not enough rounds.
FAVORITE COURSE PLAYED THIS YEAR: Toss up between
North Berwick and
TOC. Both are dawn to dark kind of places, if only that were possible.
And a few more categories:
MOST IMPORTANT THREAD ON GCA: This one, lamenting changes happening to courses in GB&I. Some participants here may feel that concerns and criticisms are misguided, noting that courses are constantly changing. I just feel that changes should be more thoughtful and be careful not to take away uniqueness.
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,67394.0.htmlBEST REASON TO GO ON A GOLF TRIP:
BUDA - Each year I marvel at the success organizers have booking a bunch of enthusiasts onto architecturally significant courses - especially so when it's at the weekend. Each year I think it can't get any better, then there's the next one. The best thing about these trips is the anchor nature of them, affording participants the chance to see other stuff before or after. If anyone is reading, here's a plug for Kington 2020!
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,67596.0.htmlBILLY GRAHAM AWARD:
Ran Morrissett- I am hopeful that his role as architecture editor at Golf Magazine will eventually help to expose more people to ideas such as character is as important as challenge, land matters more than length, and fun trumps fair. Not everyone will answer the altar call, but I do think the ranks will grow.