Worst Course Ever Played

[Tim Pitner]

I'm not sure I can arrive at the single worst golf course I've ever played, but Park Hill Golf Club in Denver is definitely under consideration--it's truly awful.  

[Doug Wright]

I'm not sure I can arrive at the single worst golf course I've ever played, but Park Hill Golf Club in Denver is definitely under consideration--it's truly awful.  

Tim--as others have said to others on here, you need to get out more to see some exquisitely bad courses...

[Jason Topp]

5 by 80 golf course in West Central Iowa.  (named because it is between 5 towns and located on Interstate 80).

6 holes about 450-470 in length and 3 par threes.  Pretty much wide open and on deep black farm soil.  When in high school, I won $85 in meat finishing 3rd in their tournament.  It was pretty funny coming home with a car full of meat.

[Dan Herrmann]

Dan,

I have played there.. Did they close Grover Cleveland ??

Nah  - Grover was taken over by Erie County after the City of Buffalo went broke.  It now turns out that Erie County is broke too, so Grover may be the worst.

I nominated Delaware because of the smell from the zoo, the never-ending softball games, and the incredibly horrible architecture.  On a plus-side, the park was designed by Olmstead, but that was way back when Buffalo was a world-class city.
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Pickering, in Chester County PA is also pretty poor.  The designers were the dairy farmers that owned the land.  

[Tim Pitner]

I'm not sure I can arrive at the single worst golf course I've ever played, but Park Hill Golf Club in Denver is definitely under consideration--it's truly awful.  

Tim--as others have said to others on here, you need to get out more to see some exquisitely bad courses...

Doug,

You're probably right, although I've played some courses that are so ill-conceived they actually start to have a quirky quality that works in their favor.  Park Hill doesn't even have that going for it.  

[Greg Tallman]

Wayne Morrison, If I am not mistaken i believe the course of which you speak on Aruba does still exist in some form. At least it did as recently as 2001.

After the trauma in Grenada I chose to stick with the less adventurous Tierra del Sol whilst in Aruba. Back nine(formerly front 9) was pretty good golf with the exception of the tenth hole.  

Under the heading of worst course that actually spent big money to build... I would nominate Treesdale outside of Pittsburgh.

[Paul Payne]

Treesdale?!?!?!?

That has got to be high in the catagory of worse names as well.

[Craig_Rokke]

Dan,

I have played there.. Did they close Grover Cleveland ??

Nah  - Grover was taken over by Erie County after the City of Buffalo went broke.  It now turns out that Erie County is broke too, so Grover may be the worst.

I nominated Delaware because of the smell from the zoo, the never-ending softball games, and the incredibly horrible architecture.  On a plus-side, the park was designed by Olmstead, but that was way back when Buffalo was a world-class city.
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Pickering, in Chester County PA is also pretty poor.  The designers were the dairy farmers that owned the land.  

Dan- Agreed. Pickering Valley is pretty bad from a design standpoint. It starts with a very bland, short first hole, followed by an immediate back up at the par 3 # 2, which has also backed up #1. Several uninspired holes follow, and you are guaranteed to have golfers from other holes playing their shots from your fairways at least a couple times. Things back up again at the par 3 10th. There are some nice views from this picturesque course, but it does not make up for some very introductory-level architecture and its pitfalls. I played it a bunch in the late 80's but have not been there for years. I think a few other courses surprisingly hired John Thompson after he designed PV on the family farm.  Rumor has it that housing developers are on the way.

Gen'l Washington was also pretty bad if I remember.

[Dan Herrmann]

Craig - definitely agree on Gen. Washington.  Sadly, that area of green has been slated for the bulldozer as the King of Prussia area development boom continues.  

I think there's going to be a shaking out of the unprofitable golf courses in Philly - and very soon too.  I've heard from good sources that a 18 holer in Chester County will soon see the bulldozer and be reduced to a 9-holer with a retirement/active adult community.  Won't mention the name because can't verify yet.

[Greg Tallman]

Sean,

I promise Grenada would change your opinion of labeling a golf course as bad and likely worst ever. You will have to trust me on this one.

I was hoping that some other adventurous soul had experienced this course. Oh well, me and the piano man are lucky I suppose.

[Mike_Trenham]

I agree but disagree about Pickering Valley being bad.  There is little there of value other than the price and golf needs places like Pickering for people to get started in the game.

Now Talamore at Oak Terace that is the worst course I have ever played.  Narrow, over done greens, over watered turf, some impossible forced carrys, plus it replaced a pretty nice but short course with small interesting greens.  What a disaster.

[Mike Nuzzo]

I've even played golf in Newark NJ... still no contest.

Silvertip in Canada hands down.  

[RDecker]

I don't know if this is the worst course I've played, although it didn't really have much to offer, but the worst feature I've ever seen was at a Cornish course near the University of Massachusetts.  On a medium length par 4 they have a fairway bunker in the shape of a "C", in what I assume is a tribute to the architect.  It looks ridiculous...