The "Most fun tee shot" post got me to thinking about all the lists of the greatest courses etc. and how we debate this and that, better and best and our favorites.All of us have been asked many times what our favorite course is. I'm from the home of Merion and Pine Valley and they are hard to top, but I don't think I've ever answered the question, even in my own mind. No more waffling and wavering for me-I've decided-it's The Maidstone!It doesn't have eighteen world class holes like Merion or Pine Valley and some others and its routing is a little odd and it may have what could be considered a weak hole or two. What it has the others don't is greater versatility and day in and day out variety.When you step on the first tee the first time your reaction is the same as some of the European links courses: "where's the golf course"? The first hole is definitely "European amorphous". Its design and evolution have been somewhat lost in the mysteries of time.The course has quirkiness, scary and hard holes, easy holes, half pars, and nothing is remotely the same. On the ground its a great design and beautiful to look at. But the best of it is its partner in design-the weather! I've played it on beautiful calm summer days, in the howling wind, rain and cold and even the fog. A friend of mine recently played it as Floyd was rolling in and although he was bleeding to death when he put his bag in the car he said he never had more fun in his life.Therefore Maidstone can be very vulnerable one day and a good player can easily beat up on its par. But the next day Maidstone can slice that same player to bits and steal every ball out of his bag. On the same hole one day can be a drive, SW, the next two drivers.It may be in the top handful in the world for match play and the routing and hole variety of its finishing stretch is just as good as it can get for that format. They say you can't win the Maidstone Bowl unless you go 2-3 under on the back to back par 5s (#15 and #16-the half pars). Many matches have turned or drowned on the short, gambling par 4 17th and the pin placement variety on #18 is the best there is on a closing hole. It has my favorite hole in the world (#9) and if you're lucky you can catch a glimpse of beautiful naked girl on the beach from the 9th or 15th tee (that's good trivia! What other 15th tee can you catch a glimpse of a beautiful naked girl on the beach?)Yessir, The Maidstone has got it all-it's definitely my favorite and my #1.