Shrines v. Member's Courses

[Dub_ONeill]

When asked the common grill room question as to which course you would you choose to play if you had only one round left, the answers are usually the list of golfing shrines that populate everyone's top 10 lists.  A less common question is to identify what course you would choose to play if you could only play that one course for all of your rounds for the rest of your life.  Is this a different list? Is there a difference between courses that are great for the occasional memorable round, but would wear you out if you played only that course?  Is there a difference between the kind of greatness that makes a course a "shrine" of golf and the attributes that make a great "members" course?  It seems to me that some venues clearly fall in both categories - the Old Course and Pinehurst #2 would seem to fit that bill, but are there some that belong only in one category or the other?  

[David Wigler]

Shrines become shrines for a reason.  I cannot think of a single course that I would put in the first category and not in the second.  I have been told that Shinnecock may be in that category but I have not been there.  A course that I could play every day for the rest of my life and never be bored and also would not feel one bit cheated if it was the last course I could ever play - Olympic, Pebble Beach, Southern Hills, The Golf Club, Pete Dye GC, Shadow Creek, Inverness.  There are probably several others I am forgetting.  I haven't played Cypress, Augusta, or NGLA to see if they belong.  I also haven't played overseas at the classics.  I think Capilano probably belongs on the list but need to play it once more to be sure.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Dub,

NGLA

For the fun, for the challenge, for the architecture, for the variety, for the playability and for...... the wind.
Add to the above, the setting, the views, the history and the food and drink

I can think of no other course that I've played that offers the combination of the above in such quality and quantity.

[ian]

Pinehurst #2, because as much as I enjoy the architecture, the test would make me a better player.
Last round would be Cypress Point.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

I do not know if I would want to play PGA West or Oakmont every day, so I see what you are getting at.

I would like to play Seminole or Pebble, due to variety.  I imagine that NGLA would be on top of this list from all I have heard.

I do not think there is a huge distinction, and I would definitely choose Oakmont over a lot of other courses.

As David says "Shrines become shrines for a reason".

[CHrisB]

I can come up with only one situation where someone would want to play his last round but not all future rounds at a particular course.  That would be in the case where a course is spectacular but also very difficult, and so for a last round where the score might not be as important as the experience and pulling off the occasional thrilling shot.  Courses like TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach and Princeville may fall into this category; perhaps Pine Valley as well?  One might not want to play all of the rest of his days on a course like this if he knows the course will get the best of him most of the time, and he may never be able to post a really low score.

[David Wigler]

Ben,

You brought up a course I had forgot all about - PGA West.  I will bet that it has the highest standard deviation of any golf course in anyone’s top 100.  You either get it and love it or think it is over the top and hate it.  No one that I know gives the course a 5.  It is either a 7-8 or a 3-4.  I love PGA West.  If I had one last round to play, I'd be OK if I played it there (With dinner at Roy's afterwards).  If I had to play it every day for the rest of my life, I'd be OK with that as well, because I could go up a tee box once a week, when I felt the need to go low.  Where do you rate the course on the Doak Scale?

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

David,
I would give PGA West probably an 8.

I love the course, I think it is a great piece of work.  I agree with your assessment, however I might have to go to the ladies tees to really shoot a good score there.

I would not be unhappy to play it the rest of my life, it is just so punishing that I think I would eventually quit the game due to low self-esteem.

[ChipOat]

Last round = Augusta (so hard to get on - I'll make it my swan song)

Only course allowed to play = Cypress (fabulous course - 12 month weather).

Runners - up:

1) Merion (great layout, 9 month weather, wonderful membership, outstanding bunkers)

2) National and Maidstone (equal to Cypress as great "golf places", 6-7 month weather but pretty deserted in spring and fall

3) Pine Valley (would get tough as I aged but who wouldn't want to try??, 10-11 month weather, wonderful membership, always busy)