Courses that are just plain fun to play, great or not

[Marty Bonnar]

Played Kilspindie again a couple of weeks ago. Short, sporty, incredibly quirky, par-3 opener, drivable 18th, glorious history-filled clubhouse, super-friendly members.
An utter joy.
Cheers,
F.

[Brett Meyer]

Especially since it came up in another thread, I'll give a shot out to Cleeve Hill. It's very good and might even be great, but it's certainly the most exhilarating course that I've played. It's difficult to describe the scale and beauty of this place. It's a real adventure, at least as much hiking (my other favorite outdoor activity) as golf. And I love the fact that it's a multi-purpose site where on a few holes, you're going to have to watch out for hikers and bikers who might cross into your path. I wish that there were more courses like this. The atmosphere here is the opposite of the stuffy, environmentally wasteful reputation that the game, unfortunately often rightly, has.


On a side note and more relevant in the other thread: I wasn't as worried as other Cleeve Hill lovers about its loss because more than any other course that I've seen, the loss of human maintenance would have had very little effect. The sheep do most of the work anyway. I'd have bet that after 25 years of not being maintained as a golf course, it would have been pretty playable as a golf course.

[Ronald Montesano]

You had me at #1, but you lost me at #2 and #3. I'd love to know what is fun about the later two, as perhaps I'm missing something. #2 isn't Gil's; he did a restoration/renovation. I think it is a bit constrained by its property. Tall Grass was enjoyable, but no more fun than others I could mention.

Gil Hanse has mastered the “fun to play golf course”. Rustic Canyon holds the top spot. To think a top name designer claimed the site was unsuitable for a good course is quite humerus. Soule Park in Ojai sits comfortably at #2. Tall Grass on Long Island had a firm grip on #3 before it closed. My regular golf group did a Monterrey trip in September and we finished off at Rustic Canyon. Our overall winner on the trip aptly called it: “sometimes less is more”.

[jeffwarne]

You had me at #1, but you lost me at #2 and #3. I'd love to know what is fun about the later two, as perhaps I'm missing something. #2 isn't Gil's; he did a restoration/renovation. I think it is a bit constrained by its property. Tall Grass was enjoyable, but no more fun than others I could mention.

Gil Hanse has mastered the “fun to play golf course”. Rustic Canyon holds the top spot. To think a top name designer claimed the site was unsuitable for a good course is quite humerus. Soule Park in Ojai sits comfortably at #2. Tall Grass on Long Island had a firm grip on #3 before it closed. My regular golf group did a Monterrey trip in September and we finished off at Rustic Canyon. Our overall winner on the trip aptly called it: “sometimes less is more”.

"Mastered the fun to play golf course" might be a minor stretch, though he has a wonderful portfolio of courses.
Doral's most recent renovation certainly doesn't qualify, and though I realize Narin and Portnoo was  upsized/scaled and decharmed a bit in the early 2000's since its simple roots and wild "fun" and quirky peak in the 1990's, I was a bit surprised/disappointed with Gil's most recent work there.
Some of the most fun greens were moved simply a few yards and replaced with more generic stuff. 1,2,7(formerly 10, 11 (waterfront/view exposed uphill par 3 replaced by another shorty away from the water ) and 17 come to mind ,the five par 3's were virtually all the same yardage and 18, at the loss of the formerly magically lumpy 17th, was an absolute slog.
A couple of the previously sloggish consecutive par 5's from the last renovation were turned into even more sloggish par 4's(with a cool short par 3 squeezed in between) From 9 to 18 it just feels like you alternate 130 yard par 3 and slog.
A lot of the work just seemed like work to do work.
Less fun IMHO.
I'm really hoping I'm wrong and just had a brain cramp that day.

[Brent Carlson]

Anything MacKenzie is fun to play from Univ of Michigan to Cypress Point.  I've never been disappointed in one of his courses that hasn't been massively altered.

[Tim Fitz]

I played Hideout today. Just reopened a few weeks ago with new grass on the greens and they were great. I just love this course. I just find it flat out fun and enjoyable to play. Nice variety of holes. Reminds me of the Carolina’s more than a Florida course. Water comes into play but doesn’t beat you to death. What course do you find fun to play? May not be great but just fun.

+1 on Hideout.  It is a blast.  Great course, great hang, even in the crowded golf neighborhood that is Naples.

[Mark Kiely]

I'm playing one of these this coming weekend: Schmidt-Curley's Mt. Woodson in the mountains of San Diego county. Par 70, maxes out under 5,800 yards and all sorts of hilly fun. Yes it's penal in spots if you can't hit the ball straight, but the short yardage means you could hit mid-irons off many tees and still provide a decent look into the green.

[Rob Marshall]

I played Hideout today. Just reopened a few weeks ago with new grass on the greens and they were great. I just love this course. I just find it flat out fun and enjoyable to play. Nice variety of holes. Reminds me of the Carolina’s more than a Florida course. Water comes into play but doesn’t beat you to death. What course do you find fun to play? May not be great but just fun.

+1 on Hideout.  It is a blast.  Great course, great hang, even in the crowded golf neighborhood that is Naples.

In the last 2 miles of the drive you expect to see a kid on a porch playing the banjo. Without a house in sight from the course you would never even now you were in Naples. I’m sure many deals are put together this way but when the course was being developed they acquired the land in multiple entities so no one would suspect they were going to build a golf course. Nice to see just a golf club. No tennis, no pool, and a small clubhouse. It’s perfect.

[mike_malone]

How about fun for everyone?


  Pa.  Paxon Hollow
  De.  Odessa National
  NJ.  Centerton


Fun needs to be accessible.


 For a Philly guy these courses are all within an hour.

[Brian Finn]

I'm playing one of these this coming weekend: Schmidt-Curley's Mt. Woodson in the mountains of San Diego county. Par 70, maxes out under 5,800 yards and all sorts of hilly fun. Yes it's penal in spots if you can't hit the ball straight, but the short yardage means you could hit mid-irons off many tees and still provide a decent look into the green.

I agree - this is a really fun course.  I am not the most accurate player, but I always found a way to get around fairly well, and always had a great time playing there.  Good call.

[Joe Bausch]

How about fun for everyone?


  Pa.  Paxon Hollow
  De.  Odessa National
  NJ.  Centerton


Fun needs to be accessible.


 For a Philly guy these courses are all within an hour.

Mike's courses above are excellent nominations.


Another from our area that I recently revisited and had fun is Twin Ponds.  It would be a Doak 2 or 3 for most (me it is a Doak 3.5) but it is so fun and great value.


Hole-by-hole tour of Twin Ponds:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/TwinPonds_2021/index.html

[David Ober]

Great thread.


Like how someone separated their picks into public and private. My list:


Public (in no particular order):

• Soule Park
• Rustic Canyon
• The Old Course
• Dooks
• Bandon Dunes
• Rams Hill
• Kingsbarns
• Quail Ranch (closed) :-(

Private:

• Santa Ana CC (wow is it fun right now -- balls running off the tee. Greens just perfect)
• Lakeside
• The Quarry
• Carlton Woods Fazio
• Tralee (private or public?)

I need to play more "fun" private tracks, although several of my "most fun" publics are so expensive as to be inaccessible to the masses, for sure.


Also, I'm sure I would add the other three seaside Bandon courses if I had played them in less than 30 sustained, 60 gusts!

[Jeff Schley]

I'm playing one of these this coming weekend: Schmidt-Curley's Mt. Woodson in the mountains of San Diego county. Par 70, maxes out under 5,800 yards and all sorts of hilly fun. Yes it's penal in spots if you can't hit the ball straight, but the short yardage means you could hit mid-irons off many tees and still provide a decent look into the green.

Mark


Mt woodson is a very tough course.  Away from the clubhouse i thought the holes were very tough off the tee as yoy have some blind tee shots and obviously it can be windy.  It played much tougher imo than the yardage or slope.

[Bill Seitz]

We had a great time at Harvester for the Mashie, and I really enjoyed the course quite a bit.  I would say there are a lot of fun shots there, and some holes that would be more fun with a few plays (the 9th got me a couple times).  But after both rounds, I thought "that was a fun round of golf and I'd like to go the clubhouse and just relax for a bit".  To me, if a course is really fun, you want to get right back out there and play it again.  There's a bit of self selection bias, but Kingsley is one of the few places where every time I play it, when I putt out on 18, I want to walk right back up the hill to the first tee.

[Mark Kiely]

I'm playing one of these this coming weekend: Schmidt-Curley's Mt. Woodson in the mountains of San Diego county. Par 70, maxes out under 5,800 yards and all sorts of hilly fun. Yes it's penal in spots if you can't hit the ball straight, but the short yardage means you could hit mid-irons off many tees and still provide a decent look into the green.

Mark


Mt woodson is a very tough course.  Away from the clubhouse i thought the holes were very tough off the tee as yoy have some blind tee shots and obviously it can be windy.  It played much tougher imo than the yardage or slope.

There are definitely some demanding shots, but not so difficult that it's not fun. At least from my perspective.

[Jim Sherma]

Crail Balcomie does it for me. Beautiful location, lots of room to hit the ball, enough challenge to keep it interesting, great view for after round drinks. Absolutely wonderful!

[Matthew Petersen]

I'm playing one of these this coming weekend: Schmidt-Curley's Mt. Woodson in the mountains of San Diego county. Par 70, maxes out under 5,800 yards and all sorts of hilly fun. Yes it's penal in spots if you can't hit the ball straight, but the short yardage means you could hit mid-irons off many tees and still provide a decent look into the green.

If you're not enjoying the course you can always have fun admiring the bridges

[Ira Fishman]

Courses ending in “ie” seem to exude fun. Kilspindie and Crail Balcomie have been highlighted already. I would add Elie and Golspie.


Ira

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I'll chime in:


LuLu  and  Merion West

[Tom_Doak]

I had a call a couple of weeks ago from a group that wants to build a “place just like Stonewall” near another city.


Honestly, that appeals more to me now than the calls about building the Next Big Thing.  It’s not about ego or $$$, just about having someplace fun to play.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Courses ending in “ie” seem to exude fun. Kilspindie and Crail Balcomie have been highlighted already. I would add Elie and Golspie.


Ira

I think this needs to be investigated further as potentially being the definitive answer (at least until we find an exception).


Does Dumbarnie qualify, at least as the big, brawny version of fun?

[James Reader]

Courses ending in “ie” seem to exude fun. Kilspindie and Crail Balcomie have been highlighted already. I would add Elie and Golspie.


Ira

I think this needs to be investigated further as potentially being the definitive answer (at least until we find an exception).


Does Dumbarnie qualify, at least as the big, brawny version of fun?

Corrie certainly fits the bill for me. As does Carnoustie - as long as you’re not worrying too much about your scorecard. The Machrie? Kilmarnock Barassie? Fortrose & Rosemarkie?

[Jeff Johnston]

some suggestions

Lahinch - mix of quirk and high-end quality that for me = a whole heap of fun.
TOC - see Lahinch, with slight caveat that TOC was presumably even more fun pre the flat floors / sheer walls bunkering re-do.
Sunny Old
Portrush Valley - not played it since the re-do (RIP the 2 holes lost to Dunluce) but assuming the fun factor is still v high.

On one play about 15 years back I tended to describe Saunton East as fun, but I was probably a better player then. Maybe it can go into the more brawny fun category.

[Ian Galbraith]

Comrie - the lovely 9-holer in Perthshire fits the -ie fun mould.  
However Vogrie, the drab 9-holer in Dalkeith just south of Edinburgh does not.

[Jeff_Brauer]

I'll put in a plug for the 12 hole course at Monarch Dunes in California, by Damian Pascuzzo.  Great fun.  For starters, any time you are playing other than 18 holes, you sort of start by thinking it's just for fun.


There is only one short par 4, and the other 11 are a nice mix of par 3 holes.  In reality, I think most golfers love par 3 holes anyway, so that is a start in the right direction.


Add in two cups on each green, one standard and one large, and we ended up chipping in several times, which is also a hoot.  We played a game where the winner of the last hole called the shot (i.e., which cup, among other things) and were laughing so hard the marshall at first thought we were drinking too much.