[Chris_Clouser]

We hear that term a lot here on GCA.  But I'm curious what each of you think constitutes a "Hidden Gem."  Does have something to do with cost, location or something else?  I know what I think, but I'm curious to see what anybody else is willing to add to the "definition".  I don't necessarily want examples, although those are welcome.

[Lester George]

"Those courses that are universally held to be of high architectural quality that many people overlook".

Lester

[Brian Cenci]

Courses that are not widely discussed or played but have significant architectual value or stand out for other reasons (cost, location, exclusivity, etc.) in comparison to other courses in a defined geographic area

[cary lichtenstein]

Hidden Gems fly under the radar, are not well known and a treat to play.

Some hidden gems I have played that when I played them they were hidden gems to me, although to some they are not hidden gems because they live in the area or are better versed:  did I just write that ?

Highland Links, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton
Misson Inn, Orlando, Fl
Yale
Oak Quarry
The Quarry at Giants Ridge
Tobacco Road
Royal New Kent
Fisher's Island
Ballyneal
Sage Valley

[tlavin]

I'm sure every area has a few.  In Chicago, Knollwood Club (Colt & Allison) is a great example.  I also think LaGrange CC (Ross, redone by Mark Mungeam) is a widely overlooked gem of a layout in the Chicago area.  Some might also argue that North Shore (McKenzie, Colt & Allison) fits the bill.

[Kirk Gill]

Are courses designed by famous ODG's eligible for "Hidden Gem" status? Can  Ross, Allison, Colt, and McKenzie be "hidden?" Or is it just that, compared to other, more famous courses by these architects, that some layouts have been overlooked that shouldn't have been?

[Dan Herrmann]

Sure - Ross' Monroe GC in Rochester is a bit of a hidden gem.

[John Blain]

In upstate New York the following would qualify:

CC of Rochester
Oak Hill CC (West)
Glens Falls CC
Crag Burn GC
CC of Buffalo
Leatherstocking GC

Just to name a few!

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

texarkana cc,texarkana arkansas

[Jim_Kennedy]

Chris,

Fun to play, unpretentious in it's overall presentation, reasonably interesting architecture, underutilization of the tee sheet.

[tlavin]

Are courses designed by famous ODG's eligible for "Hidden Gem" status? Can  Ross, Allison, Colt, and McKenzie be "hidden?" Or is it just that, compared to other, more famous courses by these architects, that some layouts have been overlooked that shouldn't have been?

I wouldn't think so.  Ross has plenty of hidden stinkers, just to single out one dead great architect.  There are at least a couple in Chicago that aren't gems by any measure, even if they are hidden in plain sight.  When I say hidden gem, I mean a course that the cognoscenti know about but one that people don't talk about or play enough.  One of my examples, LaGrange, is a community country club that hasn't had a pro event in quite a while and people just don't bring it up when they talk about great Ross courses in Chicago.  North Shore and Knollwood are both clubs with a bit of a pedigree, but they tend to get forgotten in the architectural chatter.  Unjustly, IMHO.

[Sean_A]

Chris,

Fun to play, unpretentious in it's overall presentation, reasonably interesting architecture, underutilization of the tee sheet.

I generally agree with this statement.  I also tend to think of hidden gems as fairly cheap or at least affordable enough that one can have loads of goes, but not always.  Its tough to come up with any of this description that at least half a dozen of this crowd don't already have a decent first hand knowledge of.  Easily the best one I know of is Kington, but its not for everybody.  Stoneham down in Southampton is a cracker as well.   Circolo Golf Venezia is a pretty cool place as well. 

Ciao

[Jeff_Stettner]

Memphis Country Club is fantastic and was hidden to me. Same with Dalhousie.

[Matt OBrien]

One great course in Philly that is overlooked by many because of the location is Torresdale Frankford Country Club. It is a great Ross course that has many neat features to it. On the scorecard it plays 6381 from the tips but when playing that it feels about 6800. I think torresdale is a hidden gem in philly

[Tommy Williamsen]

On this site there arre very few "hidden" gems.  Most of the clubs listed oon this thread are pretty well known to most of us.

To the general public, Pine Valley is a hidden gem.

[Gerry B]

I would describe a hidden gem as a course that is not well known and / or is not highly rated on the various rankings - IE TOP 50. Also a course where one has no predetermined expectations. Having GCA as a very valuable resource tool  - it is hard to call many course hidden gems anymore - therefore the list is limited in my case.

Limited access  - ie private / limited access  imho does not qualify as a hidden gem. -ie. Fishers Island / Myopia Hunt Club

Off the top of my head I would consider the following courses hidden gems at the time i first played them (ie i had no idea what to expect:


Longue Vue in Pittsburgh
Forsgate
St. Thomas in Union Ontario
Peace Portal
Lookout Mountain
Atlantic City CC
Indianwood Old
Allegheny

[Doug Ralston]

We hear that term a lot here on GCA.  But I'm curious what each of you think constitutes a "Hidden Gem."  Does have something to do with cost, location or something else?  I know what I think, but I'm curious to see what anybody else is willing to add to the "definition".  I don't necessarily want examples, although those are welcome.

Chris;

What I think of as a 'hidden gem' is somewhat different than most of these.

It is that course found away from populated areas, mostly, where one can just find a fun round. I would expect the architect to be little to unknown, and the play to be mostly locals. It is definitely NOT the kind of course discussed on GCA.

Maybe this is another definition so vague that we simply can't define it, we must find and play it.

Doug

[Jeff_Brauer]

Years ago, Ron Whitten asked the gca's for a list of hidden gems for GD. I believe many Raynor courses, like Shoreacres in Chicago were on that list.  At the time, that kind of old fashion design had fallen out of favor a bit.

I believe Tom Doak made Crystal Downs and unhidden gem.  ASGCA in 1980 came back proclaiming Dornoch to be one and it started getting some press.

I wonder if its possible to be a hidden gem since the invention of the internet?  Did Al Gore kill the genre?

[Doug Ralston]

On this site there arre very few "hidden" gems.  Most of the clubs listed oon this thread are pretty well known to most of us.

To the general public, Pine Valley is a hidden gem.

LOL Tommy;

PV is not 'hidden', it is gloated about but the exclusives who get to play it.

Not to worry. When I am President, I am declaring it a National Treasure. I will nationalize it, make it open to the public , give it protected status so the poor get 1st shot at the sheet! This treasure has been held by greedy capitalists too long. The evil must end!

Doug

[archie_struthers]

 

I'll second Forsgate...some great architecture shines through, Banks used his imagination to build some imaginative and memorable holes

definitely a hidden gem

[Brad Klein]

Morefar GC in Ct. is hidden, if not quite a gem. No signage, not listed anywhere, and you can't find it anywhere.

[Jim_Kennedy]

Morefar is far more removed from scrutiny than most courses, but there's another in the area that's also pretty quiet about itself, Quaker Hill CC in Pawling, NY. It's a nine hole course (opened 1941) built by RTJsr for Lowell Thomas. Played here a couple of times w/a/member, never saw more than one or two other groups, similar to what you'd find at Norfolk CC, in Ct.   
 

[Dave Bourgeois]

I always enjoy looking over to Morefar from the 12th green @ Richter Park to see if there is actually anyone playing! 

To date there is still no proof of Human life at Morefar.

[Don Hyslop]

I would like to suggest a hidden gem called Glen Afton that exists on Prince Edward Island. On this small island there are numerous world class golf courses but last June after having played several of the more famous ones on the Island I discovered a family run 18 hole course that is just outside Charlottetown. The course borders the Northumberland Strait a large body of salt water which separates PEI from New Brunswick. I played it by myself and although there were others on the course I was not held up at all during my round. After paying $60-80 a round at other courses this one charged only $33 for 18.  Several holes stood out but the one that I would have been delighted in playing over and over was #13 which runs parallel to the Strait. It is the hole that comes up first when you click on these photos.

http://www.golfpei.ca/course_descriptions/gallery_glenafton.html

Check out these comments about the course:
http://www.glenaftongolf.com/NewCourseInfo.htm

[wsmorrison]

Merion West

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