Best avoided

[Bruce Katona]

Joe:

A flashback to CC of The Poconos !!


Perhaps only one of a very few courses that should either have to hole corridors turned into hiking/biking paths or housing.

[MCirba]

As much as I genuinely like the course, Galloway National on a July/August afternoon when the Greened flies are out and a'bitin!

Steve,


If beer is proof of a loving God, greenhead flies introduce doubt.

What does the CC of the Poconos introduce?

A preview of Hades.

[John Emerson]

Interesting question. When my friends who are traveling to Scotland for the first time ask me where to play, I suggest to avoid Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns (slow play, vibe, value for cost), but they always ignore me. In the US, the only two places that we have been fairly recently that I would avoid are PH4 and 8 (value for money, slow play especially on PH4). My wife would add Streamsong because of the vibe despite the quality of Blue and Red.


Ira

I tell me friends the same thing in regards to CS and KB. While spectacular settings for golf, neither are my cup of tea. You can just drop me off at Crail and pick me up later.

[Ronald Montesano]

Any golf course in Canada built after WW2 not by Thompson or Rod Whitman. (like any rule there are exceptions, but broadly this is true.)

I disagree with this statement. It's the worst statement of its kind...and I like Ben!

[Ronald Montesano]

The one golf course that I was revved up to play, that totally disappointed, was Ballyowen in New Jersey. Bills itself as a links course and it isn't. It's soft and hilly and watery and all about golf through the air.

[Jim_Coleman]

   A Ballybunion member and frequent Ireland traveler friend told me to skip Old Head and Waterville. Not worth the detour, he said. So, I have followed his advice.

[Ian Andrew]

...

[Ian Andrew]

...

[Andrew Harvie]

There's been some interesting things done.

I agree. This is a good golf course.

[Kyle Harris]

Mandatory cart fees or the cart fee baked into the overall fee.

This covers 99% of most GroupThink(tm) complaints on here.

[Bernie Bell]

Interesting question. When my friends who are traveling to Scotland for the first time ask me where to play, I suggest to avoid Castle Stuart and Kingsbarns (slow play, vibe, value for cost), but they always ignore me. In the US, the only two places that we have been fairly recently that I would avoid are PH4 and 8 (value for money, slow play especially on PH4). My wife would add Streamsong because of the vibe despite the quality of Blue and Red.


Ira

I tell me friends the same thing in regards to CS and KB. While spectacular settings for golf, neither are my cup of tea. You can just drop me off at Crail and pick me up later.

My answer to these questions depends on what I know or can learn about who they are going with, and what they are looking for, that is, what they like.  I may know something about what they like depending on how often I've played with them and where.  Vibe is relative.  For me, a visitors clubhouse is a bad vibe right off the bat.  And being tolerated rather than welcomed in the regular clubhouse may be even worse.  And of course that has nothing to do with golf course architecture. 

[jeffwarne]

   A Ballybunion member and frequent Ireland traveler friend told me to skip Old Head and Waterville. Not worth the detour, he said. So, I have followed his advice.

Depends upon what you are detouring from.
The Ring of Kerry is spectacularly time well spent on a drive down to Waterville, and taking in Dooks would be quite fun along the way.
To be fair the price of all three has skyrocketed from the month I spent there in 1991.
I had to convince my host in Waterville to go play Dooks for the princely sum of 6 pounds-he thought I would be disappointed with the conditioning

[Ian Andrew]

,

[Forrest Richardson]

Ouch Simon. Perhaps knowing more about the development and design of Lookout Mountain in Phoenix would be helpful. The course has accommodated 1.5 million rounds since its opening. While today we would do things a lot differently, every square inch was done for a reason — it's rich story whether you like the courser or not.

[Simon Barrington]

Ouch Simon. Perhaps knowing more about the development and design of Lookout Mountain in Phoenix would be helpful. The course has accommodated 1.5 million rounds since its opening. While today we would do things a lot differently, every square inch was done for a reason — it's rich story whether you like the courser or not.

Not my quotation, which I included as I found it a classic pithy Scottish quip.

I did enjoy it far more than the late great Sandy did...it felt a course of a particular time..that required shot-making many don't possess...I was a younger better player back then so could cope...but desert golf if dialled up can be a very tough exam. We had to play the desert as lateral hazards as too many were losing balls and were nervous of all that the desert contains...esp. Jumping Choya's

Both my examples were very tough courses of that age, we seem to have moved on to more accomodating design for resort golf which may get more commercial success and repeat visitation. But yes I accept there is a place for some to experience a really tough course every once in a while...

I would genuinely love to hear more of its development, I recall it as pretty challenging site...but it is many years ago...on this thread or DM's welcome

Cheers!

[Tommy Williamsen]

   A Ballybunion member and frequent Ireland traveler friend told me to skip Old Head and Waterville. Not worth the detour, he said. So, I have followed his advice.

Old Head gets undeserved criticism. It has some of the most thrilling shots in golf. Some don't like the inland holes, but it is hard to compete with the cliffside holes.

[Forrest Richardson]

Simon — Thanks. My original routing was six each, par 3s, 4s and 5s. Billy Johnston (PGA Senior Player) was added to the design team and that’s when things went south. I will leave it at that for now. BTW, the ‘Desert Rule’ was crafted by me c. 1985 to attain better pace and respond to the target golf movement here in Arizona where water conservation was taking hold simultaneously with new course development. 

[Rob Marshall]

I played 14 courses over 10 days in Ireland and the only one I might avoid is the one we played driving from the Dublin airport towards Tralee. It was called Adare Manor but it wasn’t the real Adare Manor if that makes sense. Had a few holes adjacent to it and we did play within a few feet of the ruins of a castle…. I realized something was amiss when the price was so cheap…..it did have charm as does almost everything in Ireland!

[James Brown]

LOL.


Anyone who says playing Pebble Beach is the afternoon is something you should avoid has lost touch.  For most golfers, playing PB once under any circumstances is an absolutely dream. 

[Ian Mackenzie]

PGA National Champions course.


Oooof...some good caddies made it a fun day - two guys in their 60's from Louisville who have been friends since they were 8 and who both loop at Valhalla in the summer.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Any golf course in Canada built after WW2 not by Thompson or Rod Whitman. (like any rule there are exceptions, but broadly this is true.)

Not a fan of Cabot Cliffs I see.

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