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Jay Flemma

I'll start.

Oakmont!  They run in any direction, they have internal contours that are fiendishly intricate, they are old school shaping and contouring and they will give you different putts every single day - you'll never get bored and you'll never conquer them totally.  They are relentless.

Your choices?

RJ_Daley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2008, 09:23:16 PM »
My universe is small, and I've never seen some of the highly acclaimed venues... I'd say I saw Wild Horse a few years ago at a point in time, conditioning, maintenance meld where it all came together on the amazingly contoured and fun designed surrounds, and I thought to myself, "I don't think it can get better than this".  I'm sure it does, but it sure hit me that I was experiencing the best that could be offered, at that time.
No actual golf rounds were ruined or delayed, nor golf rules broken, in the taking of any photographs that may be displayed by the above forum user.

Bill Gayne

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2008, 09:33:37 PM »
The Old Course.

J_ Crisham

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2008, 09:57:54 PM »
Oakland Hills 4 weeks ago-very diabolical and getting ready for the best in the game in 4 more weeks.   Jack

Chris_Clouser

Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2008, 10:06:01 PM »
Crystal Downs

Robert Mercer Deruntz

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2008, 10:13:57 PM »
Friars Head

mark chalfant

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2008, 10:14:13 PM »
CC  of Troy   (Travis)  near  Albany

Brookside  (Ross)   Ohio

CC of  Buffalo  (Ross)

Prairie  Dunes  (Maxwell  )

Richard Boult

Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2008, 10:25:36 PM »
My experience is pretty limited, but every seasoned golfer I've talked to who's played Monarch Dunes carries on about the quality of their greens.  Their velvet bentgrass greens are large, undulating, hard (like marble), fast and true... Once you get used to them, it's hard to putt anywhere else.

Apparently, velvet bentgrass greens fell out of favor nearly 50 years ago when courses began their heavy reliance on petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides. Mismanagement coupled with poor seed production put velvet bentgrasses into obscurity. However, velvet bentgrass has the finest leaf texture, highest shoot density and smoothest playing surface of all turfgrasses. Velvet bentgrass also possesses exceptional drought, shade and disease tolerance, good wear stress tolerance and good heat tolerance.

David Druzisky

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #8 on: July 14, 2008, 10:51:32 PM »
I agree with both Oakmont and TOC.  Add Chicago Golf to that.

DbD

Dean DiBerardino

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #9 on: July 14, 2008, 11:09:57 PM »
Old Town Club

Mark Smolens

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #10 on: July 14, 2008, 11:16:14 PM »
Ballyneal had a bunch of really fun greens, especially when hitting chips to certain pins by throwing the ball 50' away from the pin and watching your ball roll back down the hill to the cup. . .  Locally, I think the superintendant at Ridge CC has some of the finest greens in the Chicago District.

CJ Carder

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #11 on: July 14, 2008, 11:25:27 PM »
The Old Course.

Yup.  Call me crazy, but I'm a big fan of Pinehurst #2 as well.

Gerry B

Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #12 on: July 14, 2008, 11:30:18 PM »
there are so many great ones


here are a few that stand out:

my criteria would include - variety in terms of shapes ,sizes and contours  / speed / surrounding areas / multiple great pin positions / quirk factor

oakmont - obviously

chicago golf club
sand hills
myopia hunt club
merion east
bel air
indian creek


David Stamm

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #13 on: July 14, 2008, 11:31:06 PM »
In terms of design, Pasatiempo.


In terms of condition, I remember a day at Pajaro Valley during the KP this year that I'm sure Dave Miller will/can elaborate on. Let's just say they were absolutely sublime, courtesy of Pete. :)
"The object of golf architecture is to give an intelligent purpose to the striking of a golf ball."- Max Behr

Bob_Huntley

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2008, 11:37:55 PM »
Cypress Point before the Walker Cup of 1981, never as good thereafter.

Oakmont.

Believe it or not, Clint Eastwood's Tehama, the purest putting surfaces in California.

The Old Course.

Bob

Jim_Coleman

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #15 on: July 15, 2008, 12:17:22 AM »
Nairn

Philippe Binette

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #16 on: July 15, 2008, 12:24:58 AM »
Royal Melbourne

Ari Techner

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #17 on: July 15, 2008, 12:40:48 AM »
Definitely agree on Oakmont. 

Ill throw out 2 more that have not been mentioned yet. 

Grosse Isle CC
Royal Cinque Ports GC

John Kirk

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #18 on: July 15, 2008, 01:36:30 AM »
Ballyneal.  I also admire Friar's Head and Bandon Trails, with high hopes for Rock Creek and Old McDougald, the course based on the designs of legendary Yahkee third baseman Gil McDougald.

I find most Golden Age greens too sloped in places.  But if I had to pick one set of Golden Age greens, I'd go with the National Golf Links.  Like Ballyneal, they're big, which means there are more options for variety.

If we're talking the actual green surfaces, fast and smooth, any top notch golf club in its first few years should have perfect surfaces.  I played Prairie Dunes two weeks ago, and they just rebuilt their greens.  As Eartha Kitt playing the Catwoman would say, "They were purrrrrr-fect."

Matt_Cohn

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #19 on: July 15, 2008, 01:39:03 AM »
Prairie Dunes.

Anthony Fowler

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #20 on: July 15, 2008, 01:57:18 AM »
Prairie Dunes and San Diego Country Club.

SDCC doesn't get discussed much on this site but the greens really are fun to putt.  The naturally flowing, internal contours and lively character must rival anywhere else in the world, and perfect conditioning doesn't hurt.  I would put the greens at these two courses ahead of Ballyneal, Merion East, and Pasatiempo (all incredible).

Jon Wiggett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #21 on: July 15, 2008, 02:32:00 AM »
TOC or NB for the challenge, Luffness New for quality

David_Elvins

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #22 on: July 15, 2008, 03:03:35 AM »
The Old Course
Pasatiempo
Barnbougle Dunes

Special mention to Philly Country Club.
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Sean_A

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Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #23 on: July 15, 2008, 05:12:17 AM »
Definitely agree on Oakmont. 

Ill throw out 2 more that have not been mentioned yet. 

Grosse Isle CC
Royal Cinque Ports GC


Zowie - never thought I would see Grosse Ile pop up.  In many ways the greens are mini versions of Oakland Hills, but I think as a set they are more varied than OH.  Still, I am gonna go with Oakland Hills because I think the greens get more interesting due to the shots required into them.  I have never seen a better set anywhere.  They could only get better if the course was widened out a bit.  Some of the crazy angles would really shine. 

In terms of conditioning, and without any shadow of a doubt, at least in the past many, many years, Nairn.  I couldn't believe how perfectly prepared in terms of balancing speed and firmness they were.   

Most recently in the States, the best conditioned greens I have seen were UofM's.  In fact, for the combination of conditioning and interest, UofM's greens rate pretty damn high.   

I suspect Old Town's would be superb as well.  Unfortunately, I didn't catch the course in its best shape. 

As for England, I think the best set I have seen are Beau Desert's - superb variety.  Unfortunately, they are rarely in the condition which makes them a terror.  That said, both Huntercombe's and Woking's are cunning sets. 

Conditioning seems to be a problem up and down the country these days.  I recall greens in general being in much better condition 10-15 years ago. 

Ciao
« Last Edit: July 15, 2008, 07:19:41 AM by Sean Arble »
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Matthew Mollica

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best greens you've ever seen anywhere are at _______.
« Reply #24 on: July 15, 2008, 06:01:53 AM »
Royal Melbourne West and Barnbougle Dunes

MM
"The truth about golf courses has a slightly different expression for every golfer. Which of them, one might ask, is without the most definitive convictions concerning the merits or deficiencies of the links he plays over? Freedom of criticism is one of the last privileges he is likely to forgo."

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