What Are Your "Hidden Gems"?

[Will Lozier]

I've never seen it mentioned here but it's EXTRA-hidden and I feel a real gem - Island Ball Watchers Society.  It is a 6-hole par-21 course built in the early 1900's that is a hoot to play and only requires maybe 6 clubs.  A trip on the Chappaquiddick two-car ferry is a necessity as is a few bucks to put in the honor box and you can go round as many times as you like.  My brother who is a carpenter on the Vineyard has taken me out several trips and we love it - super laid back (NEVER seen another player out there) - and some of the holes are super quirky while others are just built for hickories, all greens are TINY.  Check it out if you ever get a chance!

[George Freeman]

College Fields GC in East Lansing, MI.

Course opened my junior or senior year and I played it frequently for those last couple years.  REALLY cheap, especially for a college kid, and it had some really neat holes.  Centerline bunkers, drivable par 4s, even a biarritz!

http://www.collegefields.net/

[Terry Lavin]

In Chicagoland:

Exmoor, Highland Park.  It's over 100 years old, has a thriving membership and nobody seems to brag it up.  I liked pretty much every hole out there.  Prichard did a thoughtful restoration of a Ross design, which is reminiscent of both Skokie and Beverly, each of which gets a lot more chatter than Exmoor.

Edgewood Valley, LaGrange.  It's another old course (a Bill Diddel design), on a big piece of rolling property, with thousands of mature oak and hickory trees.  The greens are quite simply maniacal.  A few of the holes are either goofy or blase, but overall, the course is a real gem and nobody talks about it.

Sunset Ridge, Northmoor.  Sunset is another Bill Diddel layout.  It suffers from one very correctible infirmity: a couple thousand trees that ought to be cut down.  Great green complexes, tough short holes and good par 4's.  An excellent members' kind of course, but one that has a lot of architectural bones that are hard to see because of the tree issue.  The course probably has 600 pine trees on it, which is a desecration in our area.  Cut down the right trees and leave the ones that don't get in the way and you have a much better golf course.

[Jim Sherma]

Castlegregory Golf and Fishing Club - 9-hole course on the northern side of the Dingle peninsula in Ireland. Big dunes and a lot of fun shots and good turf when I played it. Played it on the way back to Dingle after playing Ballybiunion Old. After the first hole, a flat par 5 with water along the right, the next shot is a long par 3 uphil to a green benched in a large dune and the fun begins. I remember getting to one tee, either the 6th or 7th, and having to hit up over a dune. I was by myself and had no idea where to go. There were two worn paths over the dune, one left and one right. I hit one drive over each path and hit them both well. I walked up the left to chase and found the path went down through the dunes to the beach, looped back to the right path and found my ball in the fairway. Great fun!

[Sean_A]

This question is always difficult because the world is becoming a small place.  That said here are a few top HGs.

CASTLETOWN - fairly well thought of in the UK as it usually makes top 100 lists, but I know very few people you have actually seen the course.  Its hidden and a gem.

PERRANPORTH - again, fairly well known for holiday makers to Cornwall, but it doesn't really register on lists.  Its more of a gem than hidden.

I am gonna go with BEAU DESERT as one.  It never makes any lists and its mainly only played by Midlanders - its difficult to get people to visit Brum, but they wouldn't be disappointed with Beau.  Being in Brum its off the tourista trail - though its definitely more of a gem than hidden. 

WHITTINGTON HEATH - Very much under the radar even for Midlanders.  Solid if unspectacular golf.  Another one which is much more a gem than hidden.

Of course I have to go with KINGTON.  It is the very essence of of a hidden gem.  Beautiful spot, unique architecture and and it doesn't cost the earth.

DELAMERE FOREST - its one of those that folks here have heard of, but few play even though its convenient for Manchester airport.  It ain't hidden, but its sure a gem.

The last one I will mention is STONEHAM.  This place knocked my socks off last year.  I couldn't believe Park Jr had designed both Huntercombe and Stoneham.  In any case, the course is located in non tourista country near Southampton. 

There are others of lesser quality, but still quite enjoyable.  However, the above are the ones I would highly recommend.

Ciao

Since I knocked these out I would still say KINGTON belongs.  I think all the others bar WHITTINGTON HEATH have been ranked in some way or another now. 

CLEEVE CLOUD - I live 30 minutes away and never played it until last summer.  Nobody locally talks about the course except the guy who dragged me there. 

SOUTHFIELD in Oxford is a solid Colt which I have a lot of time for and its very convenient for touristas.

I am not sure why I forgot about HOCKLEY (near Winchester) all those years ago, but I recently recalled my many games there with great pleasure.  I would love to go back.

Ciao

[John Nixon]

Meadowbrook GC in Anderson (short and sweet, not the greatest scenerey)

Paul, I haven't seen Meadowbrook in years, I hear Liddy's work there has helped it a lot.  It used to be a dump of a course.

I've lived in central IN since 1982, and hadn't paid any attention to Meadowbrook at all, if I'd even heard of it. I think that's an indication it's "hidden". Was doing a search the other week to compile a list of courses in the area I'd not played yet and came across Meadowbrook's website, which informed me it was a Tim Liddy design. Now, I'm of the general opinion that Mr. Liddy does fine work, when it's not outstanding. The course certainly seemed worth a look.


I played 14 holes this morning. I had to bail at that point as I was out of time and the 2 old man foursomes in front of me were on a steady 4 hour round pace - in carts, from the 4900 yard tees. Still, for the $15 walking fee it was well worth it.

Yes, it's a short course. From the tips it's 5,579 yards, but other than that it's a good test, especially from wedge distance. If you're at all familiar with Tim's solo work, or some of the work he's done with Pete Dye you'd recognize the green complexes - I was impressed with the amount of ground movement he achieved in both the fairways and through the greens.

While the neighborhoods surrounding the course include primarily trailer parks and storage sheds, internally there's a good amount of mature trees and landscaping to provide a fairly secluded feel to most of the course.

[Shelly Jones]

I played Brookside Country Club in Pottstown Pa a couple of years ago. It proved to be a very pleasant surprise.

[Bill Gayne]

Dunaverty Golf Club in Southend, Scotland at the end of the Kintyre Peninsula. It's a par 66 that's really fun and about a fifteen minute drive from Machrihanish.

[Mike_Trenham]

Pinehurst #1;


does it deserve a place on a course raters list, no,


has it been compromised by the resort’s need for expanded practice areas, yes


is it on some amazingly great land that is perfect for golf, yes


is it a series of very nice holes without a clunker, yes


has any friend ever come home raving about #1, none to me so it meets my criteria of a hidden gem.

[Jeff Schley]

I really enjoy the Kankakee Elks Country Club about an hour South of Chicago in Kankakee, Ill.  My mom is from Kankakee and played there numerous times.  Wonderful old course, almost a 100 years old and a Langford/Moreau design.  Great memories of this place.

It can get really busy when the Chicago Bears have their summer training camp in nearby Bourbonnais at Olivet Nazarene University for the month of July.

From their website:

"Welcome to The Kankakee Elks Country Club. The course was built in 1926 by the noted Golden Age team of William B. Langford and Theodore Moreau, whose works include the vaunted Links of Lawsonia (Wisconsin) and Harrison Hills (Indiana).

Here on the banks of the Kankakee River, the pair whittled dense forest into a string of captivating holes, capping each one with an elusive, undulating target. Kankakee Elks’ satin-smooth, vexingly swift greens are its calling card—the best surfaces south of I-80, some have said. They’re also the 6,430-yard circuit’s best defense, since only a handful of bunkers and a solitary water hazard come into play.

The Kankakee Elks Country Club is a semi-private facility with a practice facility."

[Thomas Dai]

For GCA fans, Welshpool GC, Wales, UK - a rural, rustic 1930 hilltop by James Braid
- http://www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/
atb

[Sean_A]

For GCA fans, Welshpool GC, Wales, UK - a rural, rustic 1930 hilltop by James Braid
- http://www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/
atb

+1...Welshpool shot straight into the top 10 of my Happy 100.

Ciao

[jeffwarne]

For GCA fans, Welshpool GC, Wales, UK - a rural, rustic 1930 hilltop by James Braid
- http://www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/
atb

+1...Welshpool shot straight into the top 10 of my Happy 100.

Ciao

High praise indeed...
Too many courses...too little time


Had a choice of checking out(walking not playing) Welshpool or Kington en route to Manchester airport-went ot Kington and wasn't disappointed.
Gotta get back

[Sean_A]

For GCA fans, Welshpool GC, Wales, UK - a rural, rustic 1930 hilltop by James Braid
- http://www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/
atb

+1...Welshpool shot straight into the top 10 of my Happy 100.

Ciao

High praise indeed...
Too many courses...too little time

Had a choice of checking out(walking not playing) Welshpool or Kington en route to Manchester airport-went ot Kington and wasn't disappointed.
Gotta get back

Kington is top 5 

I would also add Corballis Links...a bit whacky, but delightfully so.

Ciao

[Michael George]

I would definitely include Lake Sunapee CC in New Hampshire to these lists.  They have done some great work with tree removal and restoration to this Ross design.   Beautiful site with some really great golf holes. 


I played it a couple of years ago and have heard that they have continued their great restoration work.



Why more people on this site haven't played it, I don't know.  However, it really is worth a visit.

[Jim Hoak]

My "hidden gem" is Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa.  Now that it is being used by the Champions Tour on its Des Moines stop, it's probably somewhat less hidden.  Built in 1922, designed by William Langford.  The terrain is rolling, the soil and the turf are unmatched in North America, and the design is pleasing and varied.  US Am in 1963 was won by Dean Beman.  I read once that all great courses begin with a gently sloping piece of land.  If that is true, Wakonda is the poster child.
I have to admit that my love for this course is mixed up with the personal memories of growing up and learning golf on Wakonda.  My memories are joyful memories, mixed with an appreciation for a course that is seldom mentioned, I think largely because people don't often think about Iowa.
Lazy, hot summer evenings with long daylight.  Hitting balls even in the brutal winter cold.  Growing up with the course as my summer camp.  Putting on the putting green against other boys.  Walking the course with my bag on my back with no restrictions on junior golfers.  Love the memories and the wonderful golf course.  Golf has been a core attraction in my life, and Wakonda was the foundation of that.

[Thomas Dai]

For GCA fans, Welshpool GC, Wales, UK - a rural, rustic 1930 hilltop by James Braid
- http://www.welshpoolgolfclub.co.uk/
atb

+1...Welshpool shot straight into the top 10 of my Happy 100.
Ciao

High praise indeed...
Too many courses...too little time
Had a choice of checking out(walking not playing) Welshpool or Kington en route to Manchester airport-went ot Kington and wasn't disappointed.
Gotta get back

Kington is top 5 
I would also add Corballis Links...a bit whacky, but delightfully so.
Ciao

Jeff,

You need to play Welshpool. So do others.

Not sure how ‘hidden’ it is herein anymore as quite a few of us have been there but Mulranny is certainly a ‘gem’.

Mulranny GCA thread with pix - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,63585.msg1529366.html#msg1529366

Atb

[jeffwarne]

Not sure how hidden but certainly underrated
Northwest
Dunfanaghy
Rockaway Hunt Club
Midland Valley


Hidden?
Otway
Gweedore
North Haven

[Thomas Dai]

Frequently worth playing are the 'lessor' 9-hole or 18-hole courses at a 'big name' venues where the 'big name' usually gets all the travelling visitor play but the 'lessor' is a bit of a 'cracker' in its own right -


St Olaf at Cruden Bay
Yellow-9 at Portmarnock
Annesley at Royal County Down
Channel at Burnham & Berrow
Bann at Castlerock
Silverburn (parts of) at Royal Aberdeen
High (some of) at St Enodoc


Sometimes good value as well and frequently pretty quiet.


Another for the main list - Cardigan GC in West Wales
And another that doesn't seem to appear above, how could it not!, Minchinhampton Old!
Plus one I haven't been to myself (yet) but I suspect from what I've heard it fits the bill, Dunstanburgh Castle in Northumberland.


atb

[Conley Hurst]

Texarkana CC in Arkansas.


I grew up playing tons of junior golf there, and I am always shocked by how much it flies under the radar. A fantastic Langford & Moreau layout over an interesting and diverse piece of property. One of the most pleasant walks I can think of with several world-class holes. They recently expanded the greens which had shrunk considerably over the years. I am sure funds are tight in ole' Texarkana, but it is my understanding that they are gradually moving to restore some of the dramatic cross-bunkering that must've once been a defining characteristic of the course. If that is so, TCC could easily be a top 100 contender in twenty years time, I think.

[JMEvensky]

Texarkana CC in Arkansas.


I grew up playing tons of junior golf there, and I am always shocked by how much it flies under the radar. A fantastic Langford & Moreau layout over an interesting and diverse piece of property. One of the most pleasant walks I can think of with several world-class holes. They recently expanded the greens which had shrunk considerably over the years. I am sure funds are tight in ole' Texarkana, but it is my understanding that they are gradually moving to restore some of the dramatic cross-bunkering that must've once been a defining characteristic of the course. If that is so, TCC could easily be a top 100 contender in twenty years time, I think.

You must know former(?) poster Michael Wharton-Palmer. If yes,tell him to start posting again--and make sure you get a lot of shots if you play him for money.

[Jason Topp]

My "hidden gem" is Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa.  Now that it is being used by the Champions Tour on its Des Moines stop, it's probably somewhat less hidden.  Built in 1922, designed by William Langford.  The terrain is rolling, the soil and the turf are unmatched in North America, and the design is pleasing and varied.  US Am in 1963 was won by Dean Beman.  I read once that all great courses begin with a gently sloping piece of land.  If that is true, Wakonda is the poster child.
I have to admit that my love for this course is mixed up with the personal memories of growing up and learning golf on Wakonda.  My memories are joyful memories, mixed with an appreciation for a course that is seldom mentioned, I think largely because people don't often think about Iowa.
Lazy, hot summer evenings with long daylight.  Hitting balls even in the brutal winter cold.  Growing up with the course as my summer camp.  Putting on the putting green against other boys.  Walking the course with my bag on my back with no restrictions on junior golfers.  Love the memories and the wonderful golf course.  Golf has been a core attraction in my life, and Wakonda was the foundation of that.

I grew up playing Waveland and stared through the fence at Wakonda, playing it a few times in junior events and going to the Charity events held there for a number of years.  My first opportunity to see professional golf was watching Lee Trevino play there.  On another visit I got nailed in the back by a Ray Floyd tee shot. 


The land on which the course sits is pretty much perfect for golf.  The Langford green complexes are beyond cool.  The course would easily be a top 100 with a good restoration.  Too many trees obscure the terrific Langford features in its present configuration.


Did you know it was originally a 27 hole design?  Adam Clayman sent me the architect's plans for the original course, which extended to the North beyond where it ends today. 

[Joe Hellrung]

Browns Mill in South Atlanta.  Located in a really bad area of town, but a great little walkable muni that is a fun layout and enjoyable round. 

Falcons Fire in Orlando.  Great way to bookend a trip to Disney.  Pretty standard florida style course, but a lot of fun holes.

[Edward Glidewell]

Browns Mill in South Atlanta.  Located in a really bad area of town, but a great little walkable muni that is a fun layout and enjoyable round. 

Falcons Fire in Orlando.  Great way to bookend a trip to Disney.  Pretty standard florida style course, but a lot of fun holes.

I've heard good things about Browns Mill as a golf course and planned to check it out, but then had a couple of co-workers tell me the last time they went there one of them ended up with a a broken car window and things stolen from the vehicle. On top of that, they had people coming up and asking them for money on some of the tee boxes during the round. That turned me off giving it a shot.

[DFarron]

Trying to revive this thread from several years back, as I am planning my golf for the season.  Any ideas in your area?

In Northeast Ohio, my list of hidden gems include: 

Mayfield (Ross) - most quirky course in Ohio, fun greens
Sleepy Hollow (Thompson) - great routing and layout, but below average maintenance
Congress Lake (Ross) - pretty authentic, short but fun to play
Firestone North (Jones) - a lot more fun to play than the South -16-18 are really good holes
Fowler's Mill (Dye) - early Dye design is more natural than his later work

This list excludes Kirtland, Canterbury, Country Club and Brookside - which are just gems - and Sharon for bias reasons

Bravo! Particularly on Congress and Mayfield!