[JSPayne]

In getting no real response about the thread I started about Poppy Hills, I'm begging to ask of everyone else.....

What notable course (meaning the majority of people on this board would be at least familiar with the name, if not the layout) of somewhat insignificant architectual merit do you absolutely love to play?

I was going to call it a guilty pleasure, but I know there have been numerous threads about that already.........

Plus, I'm hoping I'll hear some courses I actually recognize and can think about as opposed to random ones from across the country I've never heard of before.

Poppy Hills is mine. I've played it quite a few times, never disliked it, always thought it made me a better player by the challanges it presented, and I'd go play it anytime I got a chance. Yet....as I said, no one cares to talk much about the architectual merit (or lack thereof) of the course.

[Ian_L]

I'd agree with you on Poppy Hills, those greens are fun to try to figure out.

[Eric Smith]

The Robert Trent Jones Course at Palmetto Dunes in Hilton Head.  You don't hear much about the PD courses on golfclubatlas, but I think you can make the argument that the three of them played together make for a helluva fun golf trip and are diverse enough in their architecture to keep your interest.  

If I'm going to the island, I'm always going to play a round at the Jones.  Just too many good times had on this course.  And the beauty is it's now quite a bit better after the Roger Rulewich redo; it drains much better and I really like the styling of the new bunkers, very Hilton Headish.  

You've heard Pete Dye's story about why he designed Harbour Town so differently at the time, saying basically his design developed as kind of the antithesis of this course that was being built by RTJ a few miles down William Hilton Pkwy, which had big greens, big, long tee boxes, lots of bunkers,etc...

It can't hurt to go see why that was.

[Ed Oden]

For me its Fazio's original course at Barton Creek in Austin (I think its called Fazio Foothills now).  First, its a Fazio, which in and of itself would make many (not me) on this site question its architectural merit.  Second, its not even considered to be one of his better designs.  But...it has far more quirk than any Fazio course I know of and is a load of fun to play.  Or at least it was when I played there regularly many moons ago.  I can't speak to any changes that may have been made since I left.  Anyway, I'd love to go back again.

Ed

[Bart Bradley]

Arcadia Bluffs gets mixed reviews here.  I think it was a blast and absolutely beautiful.  Kingsbarns does not get nearly the attention of other courses in Scotland but was a fantastic day of golf.  I thought Pecan Valley in San Antonio was a great bargain.  How about the Treetops courses in Gaylord, MI...I will be going back there for a third time next summer.

Bart

[Dan Boerger]

Old Head. I absolutely love the entire experience there. The seaside holes are magnificent, but the inland holes, to many, lack character. I enjoy those holes for the respite they are. Not an ideal piece of land for 18 holes but a magnificent property all the same -- for the views and the exposure to the elements.

[Adam Clayman]

Perhaps some more architectural analysis is in order from all the above posters?  Poooy hills is a guilty pleasure due to the pricing structure? The gca is acceptable as completely dictated (for the most part) goes. The changes to #9 were ill conceived,IMO. However the changes to 14 sound sound. #10 has choices on the second shot but for the most part that's it.

[Ed Oden]

Perhaps some more architectural analysis is in order from all the above posters? 

Allright Adam, I'll bite.  Here is what I like about Fazio Foothills.  Although its a part of the Barton Creek Resort, the course was designed as a private club before the resort became popular.  So it isn't your typical powder puff resort course.  Its on a very nice slice of the Texas hill country with lots of contour and character.  Wind is almost always a factor.  So Fazio generally made the fairways very generous.  The course has a really nice mix of long par 4s (1, 7 and 13) and short par 4s (2 and the drivable 12th).  The par 5s are all interesting and a load of fun to play.  Each is reachable with 2 well played shots.  But all have disaster lurking if you err in the wrong place.  And the par 3s are solid if not special.  And while there are certainly some ho-hum greens, there are also a few gems like 6, 12, 14 and 18.  When you add it all up, its a fun day of golf.

Ed

[Adam Clayman]

Thanks Ed. That's interesting about the nature of the course being originally prvt. After seeing Bay Harbor, I don't know how true the resort course easy course stereotype is true, anymore.

[Ronald Montesano]

I agree with Bart Bradley on his bookends.  Arcadia was a bitch to play the day I was there, yet I loved it.  My colleagues bitched about the wind and the sand and had a rotten time until they surrendered.  I had surrendered on hole 1 and enjoyed all 18.  The Treetops that I played were Threetops, and the Fazio.  Both were an absolute joy to play.  I would go back to try the Trent (and I hate Trent, for the most part) and the Smith courses.  My all-time favorite is the college course in Middlebury, Vermont, the dreaded Ralph Mhyre Golf Course.  No architectural merit whatsoever but a riot to play.  Stretches to about 6500 yards and is situated on a fun piece of land.  No Taconic, this one, but my greatest g.p.

[Ian_L]

Perhaps some more architectural analysis is in order from all the above posters?  Poooy hills is a guilty pleasure due to the pricing structure? The gca is acceptable as completely dictated (for the most part) goes. The changes to #9 were ill conceived,IMO. However the changes to 14 sound sound. #10 has choices on the second shot but for the most part that's it.

I would say most of the reason why I enjoy the course (I've only played it twice) is the greens.  They're so obvious that even the dumbest player thinks about them from the fairway.  While this may not be of any architectural merit, but it's different from what I usually play. 

A few holes I like:

#1:  Even though it's a short par 4, it's an awkward tee shot, especially for the first shot of the day.  The drop in the fairway makes things more interesting.  I don't really like the green.

#8: Another tough tee shot because of the tree at the dogleg.

#10: It may not be the best thing to have trees near a blind landing area for shorter hitters, but I did birdie the hole with a hook 6-iron from behind one, so it's got some sentimental value for me.

#11: A fun green

#12: The tee shot again.  Not quite sure why I like this one.

#17:  The weird hollow in the green is just funny.

#18: The lone tree.


I wouldn't call it a great course, but I have had fun there so I had to mention it.

[Gene Greco]

    Pacific Grove Municipal

[Tim Bert]

    Pacific Grove Municipal

I wouldn't think most here would have an issue admitting they enjoy this one.  Now, if you raved about the architecture on the front nine and said you thought the back nine was dull, you might have something to admit. 

[Rick Shefchik]

Coeur d'Alene.

It's well manicured, not too difficult, fantastic eye candy, and the floating green is a fun challenge. It may be the cheap (well, make that brainless) bimbo of golf, but I had a great time there.

[Shane Wright]

I'm sure someone on this board has heard of it before, but probably not too many - Terradyne Golf Club - Andover, KS

It has had many changes and problems with ownership, way overdone clubhouse, bad back nine (IMHO), does not have sandy soils -

BUT

The front nine takes me back to Ireland/Scotland every time I play it.  It has a double green, burn running thru 2 of the holes, railroad tiled bunkers, mounds of western Kansas fescue, usually very windy, each hole is in its own little world not distracted by any others.......It is one of the only non top 100 (i.e. Wild Horse, Sand Hills, Bandon Dunes resort, Whistling Straits, Prairie Dunes) golf courses I have played that markets to be the "links" style and can somewhat back it up.  I am thrilled to play the front nine every time I go out there (usually mixed in with a trip to Prairie Dunes). 

However, it is always a letdown to play 5-7 of the holes on the back nine which have a few houses, and very average holes.

But for me, I will go play it anytime merely for the front 9.  It can run hard and fast and with an average wind, puts a tough premium on driving similar to many of the classics in Ireland. 

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