[Tony_Muldoon]

All courses are not created equal or a tale of two half’s.


Over on another thread I was musing on how a second 18 in the same day on another course can be a serious turn off when the first 18 is so good.

The example I gave was Dornoch where the second course suffers awfully if you play it immediately after the main course.  (I would play 36 in a day there again but always with the Struie first.)   For this thread I think we need to be discussing two or more courses at the same location.


If I get the chance I’ll happily play 36 and three of the best days out around London are to be had at Sunningdale (Old & New), The Berkshire (Red & Blue) and Walton Heath (Old & New). After a day here it’s fun to compare and contrast and with the latter two I changed my favorite after a second playing.  Here each course has its adherents and in the end it comes down to personal choice.


Wayne responded with


“Merion GC has two courses.  Naturally, everyone wants to play the East and most want to go right back out and play it again.  But when they reluctantly agree to play the sub-6000 yard West Course, their reluctance turns to elation as it is a real throwback to 1910s golf with unique and enjoyable holes (especially 4-8,11-14 and 16-18).  There is a lot more topography on the West than the East and it is a lot of fun and just enough measure of challenge to offer another dose of humility.  

The East has its tradition, lovely PA farmhouse clubhouse (1824) and enjoyable difficulty in the golf course.  The West has its small log cabin clubhouse, dynamic topography and throwback experience.  It makes for a great combination.”

I.e. two courses that might not be equals but each offers something very interesting and together a complete day.

I also remember Paul Turner asking on here if Portrush didn’t have the best 36 holes of golf in GB&I, but no one seems to make time to play the Valley course there.


So where are the underrated and the mismatched 18’s to be found?

[Mark Pearce]

Woodhall Spa.  The Hotchkin is a truly great course.  I wouldn't cross the road to play the Bracken.

I agree with you on the Berkshire - two magnificent courses.  I'll happily play 36 there in any order.

[Rich Goodale]

Gullane's a very good call.  If I were a member there I'd probably play #2 more often than #1.

Another good pair is at Lossiemouth.  The New Course there is proof that Henry Cotton could do good GCA.  Speaking of "New" Course, how about St. Andrews!

Agree with Tony re: Dornoch (unless you know how to duck and dive and play guerilla golf, which I do and love to do).  It used to be great 20 years ago when they had a nearly pristine Morris/Sutherland 9 that you could spin around in little over an hour.  Great way to burn off the long luinch and prepare for the even longer evening.  They'll get a good 2nd course there eventually (10-20 years), unless they blow the family jewels on a new clubhouse ......

[Mark Pearce]

Sean,

Gullane and Saunton are both good calls, though it's too long since I've been at Saunton.

Of course there's always St Andrews.......

[redanman]

How about opinions on the Queen's merit vs. the King's at Gleneagles?  I've only played the latter.

I don't know how any would be let down by the Ocean after the Lake at Olympic....

Honestly it's a coin flip for Baltusrol and Winged Foot.

[Eric Franzen]

Swedish ET-venue Barseback is a prime example after they made the Scandinavian Masters composite course permanent. A couple of years ago they dissolved The Old Course and The former Donald Steel Course for The Masters Course - which consists of some quite decent parkland holes with the nationally famous stretch of more rugged seaside holes. So nowadays I would say that The Donald Steel Course simply fails to deliver after a round at the Masters Course.

 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I agree about Saunton. The west may not be as strong but it sure is good.  Portrush Valley is not as good as Dunluce but certainly worth the time.  I think I'd rather play the Upper Course at Baltusrol than the lower more famous sister.
Congressional's Gold Course is much better than it used to be and worth the time.

[Phil McDade]

Has anyone played both the Balcomie course and the Craighead course at Crail? I've played the former, while stealing glances at the latter. The old links are quirky and short, with several wonderful seaside holes, while the newer Gil Hanse design looks longer, more traditional in design, and sort of a quasi-links, set above the old links. Ran has a write-up in courses by country of the Craighead course.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Tony/Rich
I would agree that the Struie is a serious let down after the championship course.  When I first played Dornoch the club insisted that we had to play the championship course in the morning and Struie in the afternoon, the reverse would have been preferable. Since then I've only played the championship course on my return visits. Rich, I understood that they had revamped the Struie a couple of years ago - has that improved it at all?

Sean
I didn't the Kintyre was at all bad (preferable if compared to to Struie and the Bracken at Woodhall Spa) but would agree that it suffers greatly in comparison with the Ailsa.

I would also agree with your comments re Gullane. There are plenty of great two course centres in the UK (Tony mentions Sunningdale, Walton Heath and The Berkshire) but is there a better three course location than Gullane (save perhaps St Andrews)? I'm aware its a five course village with Luffness and Muirfield but I'm thinking here of one club with three courses.  Wentworth? Gleneagles?

Phil
I've played both Balcomie and Craighead, and played both on the same day in 2002.  Unfortunately I don't have good memories of Craighead as the conditioning was very poor when we played it, particularly in comparison with Balcomie which we'd played in the morning.  The two courses are very different, Craighead being set on the hill top above Balcomie the latter utilising the best sea side land.

Other two centre courses I've played include Dalmahoy, where the shorter West course offers a contrast to the long slog of the East course, and Breadsall Priory which again has two contrasting courses.  

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