A Thread Suggested by Matt Ward

[ChipOat]

That is, the best courses under 6500 yards from the tips.  With apologies to the treehouse-ers outside the NY Met area, let's start there so that Matt can lead the discussion.

First, since so many courses have been lengthened in the last 10-15 years, are there that many notable courses around that are still under 6500 yards??  Without going into my scorecard collection or onto the MGA website, I can't think of many good ones.

Even after adding over 200+ yards in the last 5-6 years on 8 holes, Rockaway Hunting Club still weighs in as a qualifier for the list.  Lots of good architecture before the new tee boxes and, depending on who you talk to, either all, or almost all, of the added length has been positive.

I'm guessing St. George's also qualifies.  It's certainly good enough - is it short enough?

Now accepting additional nominees.....................

[Carl Nichols]

I believe Columbia CC, in Chevy Chase, MD, is right around 6500 yards from the back tees -- though I don't think it's *under* 6500.

[Jim Nugent]

Do the courses have to be 6500 or less from the tips?  I would think some of the great, longer courses might also be great from shorter tees, too. 

[Jason McNamara]

Mark Rowlinson once put together a list of about 30 good to very good to great English courses less than 6300 yds.   I will see if I can find the post.


EDIT:  Chip, I totally missed the NYC focus.  Sorry about that; didn't mean to help point this in another direction.  But for those still wondering, Mark's list is here:
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,20403.msg364818.html#msg364818

[Steve_ Shaffer]

LuLu CC in North Hills, PA is 6483y from the tips:


www.lulucc.com/golf/proto/lulucc/course/course.htm

[Mike Sweeney]

Bald Peak (NH) Ross just finished a restoration by Ron Force. It is something like 6350 on the card but certainly a number of holes play longer due to elevation.

I would also throw in Matt's Morris County GC (Raynor, NJ).

My personal #1 would be Eastward Ho! (Cape Cod) with Maidstone (NY) a close second.

[Phil McDade]

Machrihanish is 6,462 from the blue tips, newly installed in the past several years (it used to top out at @ 6,200 yds).

The Langford-Moreau bunkerless Spring Valley in Salem, WI is 6,354 -- maybe the best under-$25/under 6,500-yds combo in the country.

[Tom_Doak]

Some of the very best ones have added a bit of yardage in the past ten years.  Cypress Point used to be 6,464, but is now a shade over 6500 I think.  Crystal Downs is 6,518.  Those and Merion used to be the poster children for the under-6500 set.

There are still some great courses and many very good ones below this figure.  Maidstone, for sure; I think we made The Creek slightly too long to qualify, but otherwise it would be in there. 

Rye, in England, may be the best in the world now, and Swinley Forest isn't too shabby.

[JohnV]

Pasatiempo is right at 6500 yards these days.

[Sean_A]

These are the sort of courses that are right up my alley for favourites.  Rye not withstanding (as I don't know it well enough), four of the very best courses I know under 6500 yards are Pennard, Brora, Beau Desert & Huntercombe.  I suspect Addington may be under 6500 yards as well because of six par 3s.  If so, its the 5th for me. 

Ciao

[Anthony Fowler]

I'll nominate Eastward Ho! (~6351) for this list.

Tom, how about your next course in Holyoke, CO?  Perhaps the top of this list in 10 years?

Anthony

[Kalen Braley]

Indian Canyon is barely 6200 from the tips and yet is still very resistent to scoring.

[Mark Pearce]

Both courses at The Berkshire, Elie, Lundin Links and Cruden Bay, to name 5 I have played in the past month.

[PCCraig]

Old Elm is 6467 from the tips...and here is the kicker = it's a par-73! There are 5 par 5s and only one (16) is over 500 yards.

I think Shoreacres is close to 6500, but it may be a little longer.

[Forrest Richardson]

Royal Worlington. Oh, can it be just 9-holes ?

[Kyle Henderson]

Tobacco Road is close at 6554.

[Jim Nugent]

St. Louis CC is around 6500. 

[Matt_Ward]

Chip:

One good thing about the larger metro areas -- the ones with the more established golf side -- is the plentitude of courses that have seen fit to remain their specific length for so many years. Much of that is tied to the fact that their actual properties cannot be increased because of the pressing nature of suburbia over the years.

Mike S is quite right when he mentions Morris County - the Seth Raynor gem located just outside of Morristown, NJ. Gets very little attention but has a slew of holes that really make the cause the architecture juices to rise.

Unfortunately, the development of golf in recent times will likely see a further moving away from such courses being opened because of the marketing forces to get a "championship course" and provide such layouts at "x" amount of yardage. Courses under 6,500 yards are hard to sell to the under-informed masses unless they happen to be a very exclusive private club which values much less than items I stated previously.

[Glenn Spencer]

Huntington CC at 63 and change.