7 Wonders of the Golfing World

« **on:** April 01, 2006, 07:44:37 AM »

In 440 BC, Herodotus referred to the ‘Wonders of the World’, although the final canon of 7 were not actually named for many years. These ‘wonders’ were considered ‘must see’ items in a world where travel wasn’t easy.

What are the 7 Wonders of the Golfing world that any true golf enthusiast must see before they die ?

It doesn’t have to be a list of 7 courses. Items on the list could vary from being a particular hole, or an influential bunker. Maybe it’s a club or a specific book about golf, or any golfing item that is worthy of such a list.

My list so far: (In no particular order)

The town of St Andrew’s
The 15th at North Berwick
Stanford White’s clubhouse at Shinnecock
The Challenge Belt
Amen Corner
The bunkering of the Melbourne sandbelt
Monterey Peninsula

« **Reply #1 on:** April 01, 2006, 07:54:20 AM »

St. Andrews
The Melbourne Sandbelt
16th Cypress Point
Hell's Half Acre
Amen Corner
Irish Links
The Claret Jug

« **Reply #2 on:** April 01, 2006, 07:55:03 AM »

I think mine might be;

1. The 16th at Cypress
2. The first tee and Road Hole at TOC
3. The 5th at PVGC
4. Merion's first tee and the quarry hole
5. NGLA's first hole and redan
6. North Berwick's redan
7. And, the greatest wonder of all---Fernandina Beach Municpal G.C.

« **Reply #3 on:** April 01, 2006, 08:42:56 AM »

St. Andrews Old
Royal County Down
Huntercombe
NLGA
Pine Valley
Royal Melbourne
Hirono

« **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2006, 09:27:56 AM »

Ian:

Huntercombe, really? I've never been there. I know why it was influential but no one had ever suggested it was "wondrous".

My seven architectural wonders would be:

the starting and finishing holes at St. Andrews
the loop at Prestwick
any and all holes at Pine Valley
the quarry at Merion
the windmill at National Golf Links
the 16th at Cypress Point
the 3rd through 6th holes at Royal Melbourne (West)

Sorry to leave off:

the 13th at North Berwick
the Dell at Lahinch

I'm already on record that Cape Kidnappers is the eighth wonder.

« **Reply #5 on:** April 01, 2006, 09:41:28 AM »

Scotland for its gift of golf and great courses

GCA.com, for the network it creates and the efforts it assists such as golf architecture research and archive center, ideal maintenance meld, research efforts for historical and practical applications, dissemination of information, etc.

The Old Course, every square inch

Offset greens and fairways

The quarry at Merion and the membership that offers its course to national/international championships of all kinds.

NGLA and Myopia for leading America into a better age of golf design

The passion architects of yesterday and today put into their art for us all to enjoy and overanalyze

« **Reply #6 on:** April 01, 2006, 09:43:39 AM »

If you could somehow include on the list a course that no longer exists, I would put Lido at the very top.

« **Reply #7 on:** April 01, 2006, 11:15:12 AM »

Royal Dornoch- green sites

Newport CC- club, course, sense of place

Desert Forest- nuanced fairways in peaceful ecosystem

Longmeadow- esp. front nine, brilliant routing

CC of Troy- Travis greens

« **Reply #8 on:** April 01, 2006, 11:25:30 AM »

Bernard Darwin
Pat Ward-Thomas
Herbert Warren Wind
Peter Dobereiner

« **Reply #9 on:** April 01, 2006, 11:46:41 AM »

Andrew- I think this is one of the coolest threads! I'm going to throw in my two cents to this point in my life as I have yet to visit Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.
1. The 18th hole at Pebble and view from the
green.
2. 15 and 16 at Cypress point.
3. First tee and clubhouse at St. Andrews
4. First look at the clubhouse at Shinnecock,
first tee, and finishing hole.
5. Playing Pine Valley.
6. Merion and it's finishing holes.
7. The restoration of Bethpage Black- and it's
importance in U.S. Open history.

« **Reply #10 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:05:30 PM »

R&A clubhouse & museum
Sea of Tranquility
Cypress Point
Arnie's workshop (I'd pick Tom Morris's, but its gone)
Perry Maxwell greens
Eden, Hell and everthing surrounding them
North Berwick

« **Reply #11 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:19:05 PM »

Tom,

I tried to think influence, but my Irish choice doesn't work - I just like the place too much.

I think I may have missed this question completely in hindsight.

« **Reply #12 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:35:18 PM »

Fishers Island, especially holes #3 through #12

St Georges (Toronto) fabulous routing and exemplary bunkering by Stanley thompson

« **Reply #13 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:36:57 PM »

Wayne,

Excellent choices.

Quote from: Wayne Morrison on April 01, 2006, 09:41:28 AM

Scotland for its gift of golf and great courses

(I would include Ireland with that.)

GCA.com, for the network it creates and the efforts it assists such as golf architecture research and archive center, ideal maintenance meld, research efforts for historical and practical applications, dissemination of information, etc.

(The one network that may save American golf.)

The Old Course, every square inch

(Of course.)

Offset greens and fairways

(Explain offset to me.)

The quarry at Merion and the membership that offers its course to national/international championships of all kinds.

NGLA and Myopia for leading America into a better age of golf design

The passion architects of yesterday and today put into their art for us all to enjoy and overanalyze

(Wouldn't that be something to meet the greats from yesterday. I have meet Mr. Doak (though he would not know me from any other superintendent) and Bill Coore, both when I played Bandon Trails with Ken Nice before it opened to the public.)

My list is any golf course holding a major.
(I have already seen PV.)
Scotland
Ireland
Any golf course that has not been Americanized.
Bandon
Whistling Straits
Any real pasture golf course, see www.pasturegolf.com

Troy

« **Reply #14 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:38:51 PM »

NGLA's greens
North Berwick for its quirk, fun, and soul
Herb Wind (lunches with him were a highlight)
R&A clubhouse (to see the belt, the putter with silver balls, the library with its myriad platters and cups from seemingly most clubs in the world, and the drawing that shows how big Hell bunker and its neighbor used to be)
Merion for the quality of golf in a small space
#8 Pebble Beach
Sand Hills for the architecture, expansiveness combined with remoteness from "civilization", and the meals.
1st runner up View from clubhouse during lunch at Cruden Bay

« **Reply #15 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:41:03 PM »

15th at Bethpage
1st at Gleaneagles- Kings
every inch of Garden City
11th at Merion
10th green at Inverness
16th at Pasatiempo
16th green at Camargo

« **Reply #16 on:** April 01, 2006, 12:55:17 PM »

Quote from: Glenn Spencer on April 01, 2006, 12:41:03 PM

15th at Bethpage
1st at Gleaneagles- Kings
every inch of Garden City
11th at Merion
10th green at Inverness
16th at Pasatiempo
16th green at Camargo

Glenn,

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures? Why every inch, are you a member or something? I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Shouldn't we all add any golf course on the classic and modern list from GolfWeek?

Troy

« **Reply #17 on:** April 01, 2006, 01:04:04 PM »

Troy,

Not that I know of. The reason I said that, is for the simple reason that I played it only once and I don't remember one thing there that needed to be different. I think the place is magical.

« **Reply #18 on:** April 01, 2006, 01:25:48 PM »

Quote from: Troy Alderson on April 01, 2006, 12:55:17 PM

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures? Why every inch, are you a member or something? I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Troy,

Look no further than...
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/garden1.html

« **Reply #19 on:** April 01, 2006, 03:21:22 PM »

Quote from: Eric Franzen on April 01, 2006, 01:25:48 PM

Quote from: Troy Alderson on April 01, 2006, 12:55:17 PM

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures? Why every inch, are you a member or something? I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Troy,

Look no further than...
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/garden1.html

Erik and Glen,

Thank you Erik for directing me to the obvious place to look for pitures, why didn't I think of that. Are you sure that golf course is on Long Island or England? Garden City reminds me of Swinley Forest. I can see why Glen placed it in his 7.

Troy

« **Reply #20 on:** April 01, 2006, 06:07:55 PM »

Swinging Bridge at Bel-Air,Swilican Bridge,Alps,Wall at N Berwick,7th tee at Gullane,Valley of Sin,View of Muirfield from the front of clubhouse

« **Reply #21 on:** April 01, 2006, 06:19:59 PM »

3 & 9 at Royal County Down
11 at Ballybunion
13 at Pine Valley
15 at Cypress Point
Clubhouse at Sunningdale
Tiger's second shot at 16 at last years Masters
San Francisco Golf Club

« **Reply #22 on:** April 01, 2006, 09:05:21 PM »

The Old Course...every square inch!
Pine Valley, especially that %#$@* 5th hole.

The 16th green at North Berwick West: below

Arnold Palmer

...you said it didn't have to be a course or a hole.
The sheer beauty of Royal Dornoch
The 16th at Cypress Point

« **Reply #23 on:** April 01, 2006, 09:08:32 PM »

Shadow Creek would have to be considered a "Wonder" of the golfing world.

« **Reply #24 on:** April 05, 2006, 08:52:15 AM »

This morning, I was thinking about Jeff Fortson's experience at Cypress Point, which got me thinking about the greatest things I've experienced in golf, which reminded me of this thread. I've got to add a candidate that hasn't been mentioned.

Moe Norman

Watching him hit golf balls was indescribable. Much like trying to explain why Cypress Point is so great, you can't fully convey to someone how precise Moe was. Most people would probably think that the Moe stories were prone to hyperbole, but if you saw him in person you'd be a believer.

News:

Andrew Summerell

Andrew Thomson

TEPaul

Ian Andrew

Tom_Doak

wsmorrison

Dan_Callahan

mark chalfant

Brad Klein

Wayne Freeman

peter_p

Ian Andrew

mark chalfant

Troy Alderson

ed_getka

Glenn Spencer

Troy Alderson

Glenn Spencer

Eric Franzen

Troy Alderson

mike_beene

Tommy Williamsen

JSlonis

Dale_McCallon

Doug Sobieski