Courses with most potential upside

[JJShanley]

This falls under the "Unlikely to Happen" category, but Braid Hills, an historic municipal course in south Edinburgh, has the land for a better routing than currently exists on the site. You might need some dynamite.


I think the greenkeeper has made an effort to expand greens out beyond the perimeters of say five years ago.

[Buck Wolter]

Veenker Memorial the Iowa State University course --Perry Maxwell that lost some of the property to a road but still has good bones

[Cliff Hamm]

For those interested in Triggs here is the latest:


https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/10/19/metro/battle-future-triggs-golf-course-providence/

Both are offering to pay Providence  $3 million or so over 10 years.  One group will spend $3 million in improvements.  The other $9 million.  The current group of 4 is pocketing $440,000 per year in profits (would love to see the "real profits").  The other will not take profits.

Seems like a simple decision.  But this is RI where nothing happens without money changing hands. I know which I would bet on....or perhaps Brad Faxxon could get involved...

[Jeff Schley]

I’ll always think of Kankakee Elks as it is close to home and I don’t think would be a very expensive restoration, unless the irrigation/drainage situation is in need of a total redo. It does need trees down, greens rebuilt and reclaimed, as well as the few bunkers they have redone. Really a gem waiting to be polished for those that have been.

[Philip Caccamise]

I'll put in a plug for the same course I've been plugging a restoration of for 25 years: Durand Eastman GC in Rochester, NY.


Spent the pandemic and back injury time researching old plans and photos and developing a proposal off of that. Hoping to have some more eyes on it with the PGA at Oak Hill next year.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I would love to see Pine Ridge GC worked on. I'm not sure it should be a renovation as much as an upgrade. It is on excellent terrain by the Loch Raven reservoir. In the '70s, it hosted an LPGA event, once won by Nancy Lopez. It has so much potential that it could become one of the premier munis in the country. For $56 it is one of the best values in the US.


https://classic5golf.com/pine-ridge/

Tommy,


I'd love to see that at Pine Ridge but also at Mount Pleasant.

When I was a young pastor, I played Mt. Pleasant every week. It has such great potential. It is a shame they lost some holes to a road, but what is left is still very good.

[Lawson Klotz]

Waterwood National in Huntsville, TX. I detoured by there several times when I caddied at Whispering Pines on the other side of the lake. Heard many stories from its Q School days.

[Mike_Trenham]

I agree with Jim Sherma on Hershey CC West. 


Green Valley in Lafayette Hill PA, William Flynn - is another course where I believe the original bones are all there and tree work and mowing lines alone could add a lot.

[Sam Morrow]

Waterwood National in Huntsville, TX. I detoured by there several times when I caddied at Whispering Pines on the other side of the lake. Heard many stories from its Q School days.

Fantastic course but I'm afraid it's too far gone. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard Marriott, Hilton, or someone like that was gonna buy it I'd have my next round paid for.

[MCirba]

I agree with Jim Sherma on Hershey CC West. 


Green Valley in Lafayette Hill PA, William Flynn - is another course where I believe the original bones are all there and tree work and mowing lines alone could add a lot.

+2

[Steve Lang]

Waterwood National in Huntsville, TX. I detoured by there several times when I caddied at Whispering Pines on the other side of the lake. Heard many stories from its Q School days.

Fantastic course but I'm afraid it's too far gone. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard Marriott, Hilton, or someone like that was gonna buy it I'd have my next round paid for.

Agree with Sam, and Lawson...  btw I think we paid $35 our last play there... what a shame for a great Pete Dye course... i thank the neighborhood owners for cutting the grass and keeping it from completely burning out... but that was a long time ago, lots of good memories though...


if I win the lottery, would negotiate the property's $!4,000,000 prices at https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1-Waterwood-Parkway-Huntsville-TX/23386647/

Sam, you still hitting it straight down the fairways??  DM me...

[Joe Bausch]

Karakung.   

[Cal Carlisle]

To Tom Doak’s point, I doubt the City of Cleveland would invest the money, but it would be interesting to see what could be done with Manakiki (Donald Ross) or Sleepy Hollow (Stanley Thompson).


Can’t help but mention Wilmington Municipal, where restoration work was done a while back. Just a great muni IMO.

Thankfully the City of Cleveland doesn't own Manakiki or Sleepy Hollow, Cleveland Metroparks does. If I had to pick one of the two to renovate it would be Sleepy Hollow. The first order of business would be to attend to greens number 9, 15, and 18. These greens are severely tilted back to front and are ridiculous to putt on and have little, to no, internal countour.


There's some serious shade issues in some areas and in others the risk reward has been taken out of some holes due to trees being overgrown (specifically 14). At $40 a round these are both very good values.

[Ben Hollerbach]

It would be great to see what Kris Spense could do with a place like Asheville Muni.

And I'd be remiss not to throw Chastain Park into the mix. With a bit of tree trimming, brush clearing, mow line adjustment, and some new tee boxes it could be something special.

[Chris_Blakely]

I too agree with Jim on Hershey Cc -  West.  But I hope they would not alter the 10 or 11 McCarthy greens that still remain.

[Max Prokopy]

The Orchards in South Hadely, MA.  Hosted a women's open but just crushed by tree growth and poor drainage.  There's some great topography and diverse greensites.


To my knowledge it's a basically untouched Ross routing where the disappearance of 500 pine trees would do a world of good. 

[Tim Martin]

The Orchards in South Hadely, MA.  Hosted a women's open but just crushed by tree growth and poor drainage.  There's some great topography and diverse greensites.


To my knowledge it's a basically untouched Ross routing where the disappearance of 500 pine trees would do a world of good.

Max-They culled a fair amount of white pines that were at the end of their lifespan which has helped though there are many more conifers to go. The drainage is a huge problem for which they will have to go deep into the coiffures to resolve. Mt. Holyoke College owns the land and leases long term to a management company out of Texas who operates the facility. Although Longmeadow CC which is another Ross in the same area gets more press if I had to pick between the two for one play I like the Orchards. I’ll  claim a homer bias as I was a member a couple times over the years.

[Will Spivey]

I'll nominate the Cascades Course at the Homestead. With a little effort, plus the removal of let's say 5,000 trees (not a typo) it could one of the greats.


As an honorable mention I'll list Tanglewood Park Champions course in Winston-Salem, which hosted the 1973 PGA Championship. Less than 10 years ago, the city (or maybe the county) renovated the course, spending $2 million in the process, and really improved the situation. Sadly, since that work they've let the entire course really go to sh*t. While no level of municipal ineptitude should surprise me, I'm still amazed they've let it get so bad.

[Ben Hollerbach]

As an honorable mention I'll list Tanglewood Park Champions course in Winston-Salem, which hosted the 1973 PGA Championship. Less than 10 years ago, the city (or maybe the county) renovated the course, spending $2 million in the process, and really improved the situation. Sadly, since that work they've let the entire course really go to sh*t. While no level of municipal ineptitude should surprise me, I'm still amazed they've let it get so bad.

The course restoration was only completed 4 years ago, reopening in October of 2018. I wonder, is it a spoil of Covid? Was the course closed and not maintained during 2020 and ever since they're trying to play catch up with the course conditioning?

[Will Spivey]

As an honorable mention I'll list Tanglewood Park Champions course in Winston-Salem, which hosted the 1973 PGA Championship. Less than 10 years ago, the city (or maybe the county) renovated the course, spending $2 million in the process, and really improved the situation. Sadly, since that work they've let the entire course really go to sh*t. While no level of municipal ineptitude should surprise me, I'm still amazed they've let it get so bad.

The course restoration was only completed 4 years ago, reopening in October of 2018. I wonder, is it a spoil of Covid? Was the course closed and not maintained during 2020 and ever since they're trying to play catch up with the course conditioning?

Ben, the course remained open throughout COVID, and like nearly every other tax collecting entity, municipal revenues are at all time highs. I played it shortly after the work and was so happy with what they had done -- bunkers renovated, tree removal, flipping the nines. However, I played it last year and it was nearly unplayable. Barren tees, green surrounds completely overtaken by weeds, very poor turf in the fairways and greens in terrible shape. Candidly, I was shocked by the state of it. It is certainly the premium public facility in the county. I can only assume they've put someone in charge who neither knows nor cares what they're doing.

[Brad Tufts]

George Wright has had a fascinating renaissance with a low-key in-house restoration with work by Mark Mungeam.  It may not be perfect, but it's the best it's now since maybe the decade it was built.


Triggs is a fun course with lots of potential, but I remember it being a rather small site.


The Orchards is also one that has improved over the years since it has become a regular US Womens Open site, but it's not perfect.


I played Wachusett not too long ago, and they need a sprucing...shouldn't be too bad, just needs some green expansions really to put some teeth back in.


In the Boston area, most private clubs have done work in the past decade or two.  There may be some opportunities in Northern New England where courses have been neglected, as available money usually decreases as one gets further from Boston and NYC.


While driving with the kids up to Santa's Village in northern NH, I saw that Waumbek (billed as the oldest course in NH) had gone fallow, but then I was pleased to see a few days later that a new owner had bought it and was planning on keeping the course.  Should be fun to see that one reborn, I've never played it.

[Tim Martin]

The Orchards is also one that has improved over the years since it has become a regular US Womens Open site, but it's not perfect.

I don’t know that I would deem the Orchards a “regular” U.S. Open Women’s site after one lone selection in 2004. Have they been chosen for a future event?

[Tim Gallant]

Based on what I've seen in the UK, I think The Addington has the biggest upside. Practically unchanged since Abercromby days, but just became very overgrown and neglected. Ryan Noades and CDP are changing that. Just the tree clearance they've done so far has made a transformational difference, and that's only the start. This is a course that isn't talked about much outside these circles, but will be once the work is done.

[Brad Tufts]

The Orchards is also one that has improved over the years since it has become a regular US Womens Open site, but it's not perfect.

I don’t know that I would deem the Orchards a “regular” U.S. Open Women’s site after one lone selection in 2004. Have they been chosen for a future event?

I thought they had hosted more than one USGA event, but mea culpa.  The point of my comment still stands, as the renaissance of the Orchards occurred preceding the US Open in 2004.  Since about 2000, they have hosted more MassGolf events too.  I was a member for about a year circa 2006, but I just couldn't get out there enough from Boston.

[Max Prokopy]

The Orchards in South Hadely, MA.  Hosted a women's open but just crushed by tree growth and poor drainage.  There's some great topography and diverse greensites.


To my knowledge it's a basically untouched Ross routing where the disappearance of 500 pine trees would do a world of good.

Max-They culled a fair amount of white pines that were at the end of their lifespan which has helped though there are many more conifers to go. The drainage is a huge problem for which they will have to go deep into the coiffures to resolve. Mt. Holyoke College owns the land and leases long term to a management company out of Texas who operates the facility. Although Longmeadow CC which is another Ross in the same area gets more press if I had to pick between the two for one play I like the Orchards. I’ll  claim a homer bias as I was a member a couple times over the years.

Thank you for that update.  I liked Longmeadow, played a US Am qualifier there, but overall I'd agree the Orchards has a higher ceiling.  There are some terrific greensites there.