The truly unique golf courses

[Paul Rudovsky]

Ira and Brad--


I think there may be analogous comparisons between "Myopia vs. Essex County" and "Royal Dornoch vs. North Berwick".  Specifically, at least to me, Myopia and North Berwick are the "more unique" from these two comparisons...and Essex and R Dornoch are the better "normal" (terrible word for what I am trying to say) courses.  I think Essex and Dornoch are the purer golf course designs while Myopia and NB are more interesting.


More importantly, I think "unique" as an attribute can be dangerous as things can be uniquely bad as well as uniquely good.  One example IMO of the former was Stone Forest.  I played it once and mid way thru the back nine felt like this space should not be used for golf and felt very uncomfortable.  That is the only time in 66 years of playing this game that I have had anything like that feeling and few who know me would think of me as someone who is overly concerned with those sorts of things.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Paul, I tend to prefer uniquely bad to bland and homogeneous.


But this thread is about the uniquely good courses. Or as I said elsewhere, the ones that refuse to be bracketed as part of a group.

[Tim Gallant]

To clarify the point of the thread:


Every course is unique. That’s what makes golf different.


What I’m looking for are the best courses in the world that standalone in offering something completely different, that refuse to be bracketed with other great (or nearly great) courses in feel or type or style.


As an example, every links course is very different to the next. But quite a few of them fall in to a wide sub-bracket or two. RCD is an outlier due to its vegetation mix, use of blind shots and bunkering. The European is an outlier because it is in essence a modern, inland meld laid out on links land. Its bunkers are also unique. TOC is an outlier.


e.g. Dornoch, Deal, Rye, Silloth, Portrush, Sandwhich etc... all fall in to a bracket for me.


Portmarnock, Troon, Muirfield, Hoylake, Lythym etc... ditto...


Maybe I’m the only one to think of things in the terms above. In which case, please use this thread in any way you would like.

Ally,


I'd put Ardfin in the truly unique category. It is a course of oxymorons, and yet, works really well:


- It's by the water, but isn't a links
- It has really long green to tee walks, but is routed superbly
- It's strategic, but penal
- It's larger than life, but secluded
- It stirs the soul, but is maddening as hell
- It has holes by the water, and holes in the sky


The list could go on and on. I've not really played a course like that before and in that sense, I'd say it's unique. Is it as unique as some of the aforementioned courses? Maybe not - it's still 18 holes, and follows some conventionality, but I'd say it's more unique than RCD for example (just to use a course you've mentioned).

[Ira Fishman]

At the risk of being a homer, Golspie is unique in having the course comprised of 3 different terrains (linksland, heathland & meadowland).

Fortrose & Rosemarkie is certainly one of the most unique settings for a course that I have ever seen.

David,


As you know, I love Golspie but would assert that Nairn has enough similarities in terms of terrain, although certainly not the same wonderful quirk.


All,


I used the term "highly differentiated" in thinking about Ally's OP because unique can create confusion. When Ally speaks about courses being bracketed together, I looked for courses that are in a bracket by themselves because they are so different (and great or near great).


Ira

[David_Tepper]

Ira -

I have not played Nairn in a number of years. While it has those 2 holes up and down the hill, I don't remember the change in the turf and look of the holes at Nairn being quite as distinctive as the linksland, heathland & meadowland sections at Golspie.

I don't remember holes at Nairn being lined on both sides with heather, like #8-9-10-11 and Golspie. Nor do I remember a section of lush meadowland at Nairn like #13-14-15 at Golspie.

I remember Alexander Macdonald, who was the head greenskeeper at Golspie for 8-10 years, saying that, not only did he have to factor in the 3 soil profiles on the course, he also felt there were at least 2 micro-climates on the property.


DT