Cult Courses

[Scott_Burroughs]

Considering what it takes to get to these courses for most people, and people make the journey, pilgrimage if you will, to courses like Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Sand Hills, and Wild Horse, I'd consider them cult courses.

I live on the east coast and have made 2 pilgrimages to play 2 of them.  And they're neighbors on the west coast.


Bethpage Black was a bit of a cult course before it was announced the Open was coming.

I second the notion on Astoria.

How about Tobacco Road?  Either you love it or hate it.

[SteveC]

North Berwick qualifies for cult status. Always fun, definitely quirky, loaded with personality. Plus a fair amount of history and several unquestionable architectural gems. Not the longest, not the hardest, but involves all elements of the game (aerial, ground, brutishness, creativity) in a great setting - always worth the trip.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Lu Lu Temple
Los Amigos GC (all about that one later)
Duke's Challenge (Lakeside Par 3)
PGA West Stadium (absolutely a cult course if I ever saw one!)
Malibu CC (a Japanese golf cult once owned it. No fooling!)

Considering the ill-respect Inniscrone has gotten UNFAIRLY, Maybe it is on its way to being a cult course?

[TEPaul]

Marion G.C.

How could I forget this little thing? Could be the cult course of all cult courses in America particularly considering who did it--George Thomas!

It's on the cul de sac road down the peninsula to Kittanset. A little nine holer that considering it was Thomas's first work might be like finding the first drawing baby Picasso did with his chubby little mitts.

Hilarious little thing with some mounds sprinkled around and a few stone walls fronting simple little greens you have to hit over and walk through to get on the greens.

If I hadn't known what it was I might have thought it was a steeplechase course with putting greens for some odd reason. I'd recommend playing it with maybe a 7 iron and a putter. But it could or should be right up there as the cult course of all cult courses.

Basically it's so interesting to see what early golf once was in some places.

[Tom Doak]

Cruden Bay used to be right at the top of the list.  I'm surprised it has slipped into the mainstream.  Now I'd put Pennard and Brora in there.

[Doug Wright]

A couple more across the pond:

Dooks GC, Glenbeigh, Ireland
The Island GC, outside Dublin

and Prestwick

All The Best,

[Doug Siebert]

The newer course at Crail certainly qualifies -- even for a Scottish course it has a heck of a lot of walls crossing the line of play, and in some cases, like North Berwick, coming into play.  Its wonderfully quirky, though it doesn't top some of the crazy holes at North Berwick or Prestwick.  I love all three!

[peter hoggan]

Interesting post.

Little did I know that I had been seeking out and playing "cult courses". It appears I have played a significant number of the public courses already mentioned --from Highland Golf Links (#1 in my book), Cruden Bay, Dooks, etc.  I would add two two in Ireland:  

Carne--getting there is something else

Old Head--The setting is unbelievable, but I suspect I am opening Pandora's box by mentioning it.

[Tim Weiman]

Peter Hoggan:

Dooks and The Old Head are not in the same category. Whether its a good course or not, everyone should see The Old Head at least once. But, Dooks is a place with charm, a setting where I always long to return.

Many will disqualify Dooks because it is only 6,000 yards, but that probably makes it a better "cult course" candidate than what you find in Kinsale.

[Mike_Trenham]

Others for consideration:

Woodberry Forest School - a 9-holer on a boys boarding school in Virginia.  One of Ross' first efforts which remains largely untouched, short but sporty the course just lays on the ground.  As you play it is easy to get lost in thought about what Ross was thinking.  I recall one very nice punchbowl green near on of the schools buildings.  Thomas Jefferson designed on of the schools buildings, pretty impressive Ross and Jefferson together!  Not sure about access I played with an alum.

Highland Golf Links -  Truro, Mass out on the end of Cape Cod a true links in North America (designed by God and unidentified other individuals).  Well documented on other posts on this site.  Pretty short 9 holer but par is a good score on any hole when the wind blows like it did the day I played.

Pen Park - another short 9 holer in Charlottesville VA but with sand greens.  Greens fees are $1.00 for Charlottesville residents and $2.00 for everyone else paid most of the time to an honor box next to the first tee.  My friends and I liked to go there after class on Fridays in graduate school with one club and a six pack of cold ones and make wagers on each shot.  Beat simply going to the range.  If we want to grow the game every town could use a Pen Park rather than a CCFAD.

[Adam_Messix]

I guess it depends on what your definition of a "cult" course is.  I think a "cult" course is the kind that draws a lot of affection from a lot of people but is not loved in the mainstream and therefore is usually not ranked by any of the publications.  They also tend to produce a love-hate relationship among people, meaning you ask one person about course x and they despise it(and wonder why you are playing there) while ask the next person and they love it.  "Cult" courses can tend to be a bit quirky too.  I think someone mentioned Cruden Bay earlier and they are right that it used to be a cult favorite, but the panelists have found it.....

Here are some courses that I think fit the category...

Engineers
Highlands (NC)
Phoenixville (PA)
Columbia (MD)
Capital City (Brookhaven) (GA)
Llanymanech (Wales)
Palm Beach CC (FL)