Best/worst course names

[ForkaB]

I like Glenelg in Australia.  Probably in the top 10 of palindromic golf courses.

Are there ten others?

I can think of a few off the top of my hat:

Aiwia in Hawaii
Akookrorkooka in Western Australia
Gungalagnug in Tibet
Zlytylz outside of Cracow

None of them makes their nations top 50, however, like Glenelg.

There is a great track, Amanaplanacanal, Panama, but I'm not sure if it fits the rules.....

[Dan Herrmann]

I hate those ones made up to sound like the player/architect's nickname.  Like "The Bear..." or "The Shark...".

Actually any of those Myrtle Beach "The Cat..." or the like.

Likes:
Pinehurst #1 - #8:  Simple!
Baltrusol: History

[Philippe Binette]

Faldo course in Ontario had a lot of rock outcropping on it... I think the name it THE ROCK... (original) when he was on a tv show saying that they had no name yet for the course I thought... name it Rocky Racoon, in honor of the Beatles song...

Is there a course name Blueberry Hill GC, Moon River GC, Summer wind GC combining a great song and a course name...

[A_Clay_Man]

Rihc - Isn't that the couse that plays the same in reverse?

[Voytek Wilczak]

For that matter, any course other than ANGC and National GL         that has "National" in the the name should be classified as highly pretentious.

Steve

Steve:

As most here surely know, the reason these two clubs have National in their names is that they aimed to establish national membership rosters, as opposed to local memberships. The National naming craze made a mockery of that logic, with some local public (!) courses being named National.

But if a new private club's goal is to establish a truly national membership (often of high rollers), I see nothing wrong with that name, other than being fairly unimaginative.

Rich:

I looked for Zlytylz in Poland, but couldn't find it. But I did find Golf Club Pszczyna and Association of Lovers of Golf and Fortifications (with a track under construction in medieval Torun).

[James Bennett]

I like Glenelg in Australia.  Probably in the top 10 of palindromic golf courses.

Are there ten others?

None of them makes their nations top 50, however, like Glenelg.

IMHO, Glenelg will be back in Australia's top 50 in two years time.  The quantity of change/returfing over the last decade has been too much for the 'judges' to have seen and taken in (the course is in Adelaide, not Melbourne or Sydney).  

This is a course that has gone from kikuyu infested fairways and roughs to a mix of couch (bermuda) fairways and fecsue roughs that are starting to mature.  And a big lift in greens quality (back to the reputation of their halycon days of years gone by).  And preventing the regrowth of the kikuyu has been managed.

Peter Wood (a GCA poster based in Melbourne) commented favourably on the improvements in a post earlier this year.

Also, re Cape Schank.  Great name, but isn't the name of the facility changing/changed?  Not sure to what, or why they would change (probably to attract a different market segment).

James B

[W.H. Cosgrove]

Golf Course at Chambers Bay......Won't open for another year and a half, but there isn't a bay at Chambers Bay.  

With a stunning view of the narrows bridge(Galloping Gertie) in Tacoma this waterside creation suffers from yet one more poor decision.  After they are done spending the $25 to $30 million this course is going to cost, you would think that they could come up with a better name.  One GCA poster has suggested "Broken Bridge".  I doubt the local County Executive would appreciate "Broken Budget"

[ForkaB]

Rich:

I looked for Zlytylz in Poland, but couldn't find it. But I did find Golf Club Pszczyna and Association of Lovers of Golf and Fortifications (with a track under construction in medieval Torun).

Thanks, Voytek.  Great names!

On a more serious note, how is golf doing in Poland now that it is an active and growing member of the EU?  Any great land to build course over there?  Anything being done about it?

Cheers

Rich

[RDecker]

Worst:  Anything with "Trump" in the title

Best:  Anything ending with "Downs"

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Some of my "best"-

Hole in the Wall, Naples,FL

The Hideout, Naples, FL

Adios, Coconut Creek, FL

Squires, Ambler, PA

And, although I generally don't care for the use of "Rancho"- there's Rancho Manana in Cave Creek, AZ

[ET]

My favorite - Dubsdread in Fla.

[Andy Troeger]

For no really good reason, I always liked the name of Thunder Hollow in Tennessee, just sounded like a neat place. Then they changed it to Holiday Links, which I thought was about the stupidest name I'd ever seen. Its now called River Run, which doesn't really make any sense either although there is a good amount of water. I don't recall any rivers though...

[rgkeller]

WORST - 1. any course with "Old" in the name that is not old.

             2. Bogey Busters Golf Course - Richmond Kentucky

And spelled "Olde."

[Jay Cox]

Putterham Meadows

It's a muni that borders on The Country Club in Brookline.  Built on similar land (hills and rock outcroppings) and pretty interesting, though short and terribly maintained.  But the name makes me think that I should be putting through some windmills...

[Doug Siebert]

Growling Frog GC has to be rght up there.

In the northern suburbs of Melbourne, it is a new Graham Marsh design, and quite good. It takes its name from the local native amphibians which make homes in the creek on the front nine.

MM

Personally, I think Growling Frog GC is an awesome name.  Its a lot better than the usual names that describe place names, geologic features, trees, birds, deer or bears.  If it was Spotted Frog it'd be stupid, but Growling Frog just works.  Maybe I'm just strange.

I love the names of the holes in Scotland and Ireland for the same reason, many are just so unexpected or relate to some oddball incident.  Like Haulie's Leap at Old Head, naming a hole after a bulldozer falling off a 300 foot cliff and nearly taking the driver with it is just classic!  In the US anymore we just give them numbers, or if we are really lucky some really lame names like types of trees or flowers.  Whooops, guess I can forget that invite to play at ANGC

[Joe Hancock]

"Growling Frog" reminds me of some of the ridiculous winery names that seem to be in vogue these days.

Joe

[John Nixon]

Shank - Indianapolis muni. Named for some lady named Sarah Shank. Not too far from Coffin - another Indy muni.

[Kirk Gill]

I don't mean to ruffle any feathers, but really, "Old Sandwich Golf Club?"

Additional suggestions along this line......"Questionable Chili Golf Club"..........."Grey Ham Golf Club"..............

[Ken Bramlett]

A few of my least favorites:

The Pit
The Witch
The National

There's a story behind The National.  Originally, it was dubbed "Pinehurst National," and I recall that the revised name was the result of a trademark dispute with the Village of Same Name.

No excuses that I'm aware of for The Pit and The Witch.

Our city owned golf courses are also the owners of pretty cool names, Charles T. Myers Golf Course (Lord knows who Mr. Myers was) and Renaissance Park (aptly named, as it was built on top of an old landfill -- the course still is littered with methane vent pipes sticking up out of the ground).

[Jay Flemma]

For those of you into music, the Grateful Dead will be happy to know Deal is one of the great UK courses and Phish would certainly love rounds at We-ko-pa and Weekopaug;)

Can anybody else thuink of course names that are also songs?  Cripple Creek maybe?

[PThomas]

The Concession, the new Jack course in Fl, must join the list of worst names

a great golf moment yes.....but a name for a course?  I think not

[Robert Kimball]

For that matter, any course other than ANGC and National GL         that has "National" in the the name should be classified as highly pretentious.

Steve

Atlanta National comes to mind here in this region. Doak liked it so much that he gave it a "0"

[Steve_ Shaffer]

How could I have forgotten the famous Elelphant Rocks GC in Williams, AZ? It has to be highly ranked as "best" name.

[Andy Doyle]

Atlanta National comes to mind here in this region. Doak liked it so much that he gave it a "0"

Just type www.angc.com into your browser address and see what pops up.  

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[Tony_Chapman]

I wish Jeff Brauer would pop on here and tell us about his new course in Newton Kansas. I love the name: Sand Creek Station.