Nominations for most overrated, disappointing experiences

[Nicholas Greatrex]

I completely concur that Doral Blue is the most disappointing round I've played.   I also seem to remember it costing substantially more than $180.   I was bringing business clients so cost wasn't an issue, but I would never shell out that amount personally.   Their other courses are similarly overpriced, although I haven't played the Great White Course since Norman's redesign.

[Tom_Doak]

Ran --Next time you are in the 18th fairway at Muirfield, look:a)  behind you at the Firth of Forthb)  back to the beautiful, natural 17th greenor c) ahead to the beautifully bunkered 18th green in front of the clubhouseAnd then be amazed at how many great golf holes they got out of a modestly contoured piece of property!My most disappointing:  Club de Golf del Uruguay.  I had hoped beyond hope that it would be the last undisturbed MacKenzie gem; but they blitzed the greens a few years ago, and the property wasn't really that exciting to begin with.  After a 7000 mile trip, that was a downer.

[Dan Boerger]

I'll nominate Old Head. Really breathtaking views, but I wasn't overly impressed with the layout. It was a very expensive round, and althought the service was pleasant, they could have used a course marshall the day I played (we had some excruciating waits due to two VERY slow groups).

[ForkaB]

Bandon Dunes c. 2001.  I was expecting Nirvana (or at least Brigadoon), but all I got was a (very good) CCFAD with a (very) uninspiring ambience.  I assume it has improved......

[Paul_Turner]

This thread.

[Tom Huckaby]

Bandon Dunes c. 2001.  I was expecting Nirvana (or at least Brigadoon), but all I got was a (very good) CCFAD with a (very) uninspiring ambience.  I assume it has improved......

As we discussed at the time, the problem back then wasn't Bandon Dunes, it was your expectations.  For some reason you got the idea it was a small golf club springing out of a town, like Gullane GC - then you expressed your disappointment when you found that of course even back then it was anything but - it was a large modern clubhouse in a rural setting.  Thus you were so wildly off in your expectations of the location and the "ambience" that of course you were disappointed... But to me this is very akin to going to Gullane and expecting Vegas-style casinos and Le Cirque restaurant.  That would lead to disappointment too, no?

In terms of the ambience improving there, that would depend on what one values... I tended to like it a lot better back then than it is now... but I'll be there in a few weeks to give it another try.

TH

[PThomas]

a couple of the old posts mentioned Doral ...I also had a disappointing experience there...got the impression they just wanted my money, a not inconsequential sum I might add

[Joe Hancock]

Whew....I read the thread title, and am very relieved to see my wife has NOT posted......

Joe

[ForkaB]

Tommy

I don't remember any discussions with you then, but if there had been any I would never have used Gullane as a role model.  I was expecting something more like Brora, with a little more polish.  What I got was the soulless darkness of Campbelltown with a modernized/bastardized Machrahanish-for-a-Day attached.  I'm sure it has improved.

[Tom Huckaby]

You don't remember a lot of this, Richie, but discuss it we did - in here.  If I knew how to use the search, I'd find it.

 

Perhaps you didn't use Gullane as the exact model, but you stated specifically that your disappointment was that the course didn't spring out of a town.... you thought it was right in the town of Bandon, with buildings around and the like, and of course it's not.

As for whether it's improved now, again that depends on what one wants to find there.  The addition of two more fantastic golf courses means of course the golf has improved... but as for the ambience, well... it's gotten even farther from your expectations you stated back then.

TH

[Chris Cupit]

1.  Muirfield
2.  Hawk's Ridge in Atlanta  (actually in Ball Ground about 1 1/2 hours from downtown).  Bob Cupp has described it as "Augusta National with hardwoods".  It's not.

[Gary Slatter]

Doral finishes 1st and 2nd for me.  I always look forward to playing the Blue after it's been renovated again, and always feel sorry for the original.  And the White Course the first time it reopened was disappointing and the second time was even worse.  My 3rd most disappointing course is Bay Hill, I enjoyed it in the late 1980s but now (when did rocks around hazards make their debut? hate the look).
I think my problem is that I enjoy Dick Wilson golf courses and don't enjoy "improved" versions. Cog Hill is still mostly excellent (did Wilson really design the 9th hole?), I love most of the shots into the greens.

Actually I'm never disappointed if I get to play a golf course with decent people, any golf course!  To play alone though I want it to be a great course.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gary Slatter,

The next time you're heading to Florida let me know and I'll arrange for you to play one of Wilson's best courses, Pine Tree, in Boynton Beach.

[Gary Slatter]

Gary Slatter,

The next time you're heading to Florida let me know and I'll arrange for you to play one of Wilson's best courses, Pine Tree, in Boynton Beach.

Thanks, I look forward to seeing Pine Tree (think it was 1990 when I was there, but did not play).  Looking forward to your "friends" arrival tomorrow!  

[Tim Bert]

Sign me up for the River Course at Blackwolf Run.  I went in expecting it to be a close second to the Straits course, based on all the write-ups I had seen on the course.  It was probably my least favorite of the 4 courses associated with Kohler.

I thought it was nothing more than an average design, with several quirky holes that might be criticized more severely if attempted by other designers.

I was confused at the time how it had been rated so highly in several publications.  I've since seen a lot of praise for it on this site as well.

I can't think of another course where my perception vs. the concensus opinion is so far off.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Gary,

Pine Tree is mostly intact.

There was a problem with the 12th hole, originally a par 5, when it was discovered that part of the tee was not on Pine Tree's property.

When Pine Tree divided the land into the golf course and residential home sites, selling off the home sites parcel, they neglected to install a barrier or buffer between the golf course and the homesites, thus, the back of # 12 tee was on a homesite.  This caused the club to shorten the hole to a par 4, a wonderful par 4 was the result.

Because someone wanted a par 72 golf course, they made
# 10 a par 5 from a new back tee.

Today, you can play # 10 from the old tee as a par 4 or from the par 5 tee.   The only substantive change to Pine Tree was the 10th green, which Joe Lee redesigned.  It was out of place.   Recently, Ron Forse redesigned it and it's a better green, although still quite large.

# 3 and # 9 green lost the slight rear tier effect when the greens were redone, but, other than that, the golf course is mostly intact from when Wilson finished it.

Let me know if you'll be coming to Florida and I"ll make the arrangements.

As a point of interest, the caddies LOVE "The Fuse", they always ask me, "when are you going to bring your crazy friend back again ?"  And, the rest of the group DELIGHTS in igniting "The Fuse"

I'll call you tomorrow morning.

[M. Shea Sweeney]

I'm going with Friars Head. Flame away.

I think the golf course is very good, if not great. But I feel like it didn't live up to the hype. I just didn't think the course was as fun as I thought it would be. While I was playing it I have to be honest I was not that impressed.

Can't wait to  play the course again and see if I feel the same way.



note- played going on my second 18 of the day an a bit hungover

[John Mayhugh]

Whistling Straits.  There are some great holes, but the course just didn't flow well to me.  Maybe it's just because I dislike the 5th hole so much.  

Doral's Blue Monster seems to need galleries on it to make the course interesting.

[Glenn Spencer]

Patrick,

Have you ever played NCR or Coldstream? I am wondering how 'in tact' they are. NCR has been tinkered with. Coldstream hasn't changed in 20 years, don't know what happened before that.  My first golf ranking book in 85 had Pine Tree ranked really high. Any idea what happened?

[Patrick_Mucci]

ISN'T DISAPPOINTMENT A FUNCTION OF PREDISPOSITION ?  

As to overrated, I think that's an easier exercise to tackle since the golf course has been quantified and qualified by large panels of raters from two or three magazines, so the rating is a blended average of ALL of the opinions.

[ed_getka]

M. Shea,
    What was it about Friar's Head that didn't live up to your expectations? What holes/features did you like there?
     I enjoyed the course and there are some fantastic holes there. I don't know that it is overrated, as that depends on one's subjective opinion, and I certainly wasn't disappointed. However, the par 3's (4th?) and 12th(?) are basically the same hole in opposite directions. I didn't care for #17 either, as it seemed like it was hit the green or else.
     On the other hand, I love the demands of the 1st hole approach shot right out of the gate, #5 I thought was a brilliant short par 4 that tests you no matter how close you come to driving the green, #9 was an interesting par 4 with a pretty wild green. I particularly liked #16 and the way that hole sets up for the approach shot into that challenging green complex.
    Those are a few of my thoughts anyway. Curious to hear yours. Feel free to IM me if you don't want to comment publicly.

[cary lichtenstein]

Too many to mention

[Joel_Stewart]

Ed:
I agree, I wasn't even going to post to disagree with Friars Head.  There are so many great holes at Friars Head its hard to even comprehend.

My 2 most overrated and disappointing courses are Mauna Kea and Sahalee.

[Phil McDade]

Whistling Straits.  There are some great holes, but the course just didn't flow well to me.  Maybe it's just because I dislike the 5th hole so much.  

Doral's Blue Monster seems to need galleries on it to make the course interesting.

John:

Just some background on WS's 5th (I have not played, but walked it during the recent PGA there). Pete Dye has been quoted as saying the 5th hole is the hole that made WS possible. He and Kohler were under some pressure from state environmental regulators to have "no net loss" of wetlands at the course, because portions of the coastal section of the course ripped up some wetlands. In essence, Dye "traded" the coastal wetlands for a newly created wetlands that plays a part in the design of the 5th. Everyone I've known who's played it says it's the one hole out of character with the rest of the course, and Dye even acknowledges this. Not a defense of the hole or the course, just an explanation for why the 5th seems out of place.

[Andy Doyle]

2.  Hawk's Ridge in Atlanta  (actually in Ball Ground about 1 1/2 hours from downtown).  Bob Cupp has described it as "Augusta National with hardwoods".  It's not.

Chris:

Can you elaborate?  I've talked to a couple of people who have played it, and all you ever seem to hear is how immaculate it is, how you can practice your putting on the tee boxes, etc.

I find this interesting, particularly as I've enjoyed playing other Cupp courses - Settindown Creek, The Plantation Course at Reynold's and his reno of Druid Hills.

I've not played or even seen Hawk's Ridge so I'd be interested in hearing more.

Andy