[Phil McDade]

Best I've played (small sample set for me): Machrihanish.

Best under $25 (year-round, weekend, 18 holes): Langford/Moreau's Spring Valley in Salem, WI.

[wsmorrison]

Cypress Point before the Walker Cup of 1981, never as good thereafter.

Good morning, Bob.  What was done to the greens at Cypress Point?

[Bart Bradley]

Cypress Point before the Walker Cup of 1981, never as good thereafter.

Good morning, Bob.  What was done to the greens at Cypress Point?

Welcome back Wayne.  Glad to see you here.


Lahinch, TOC.
Bart

[Andy Silis]

Recently played:

Del Paso C.C. ( some of the purest, smoothest, fastest greens I have ever played in NorCal )
Rolling Green ( a close second to Oakmont in terms of speed and diabolical slope )
Members Club at Aldarra ( far and away the fastest, best conditioned and interesting greens in Washington )
Pronghorn Nicklaus ( blazing------almost too fast, yet absolutely pure )
Black Sheep ( great use of side slopes and again absolutely perfect in speed and firmness )

[Dan Herrmann]

Merion East - Bentgrass
Columbia Edgewater - Poa Annua
Pacific Dunes - Fescue
- Bermuda  (I'm far from a Bermuda expert, having played it rarely)

Let me add that the new greens at DuPont in Wilmington, DE are superb.

[Andy Scanlon]

I agree with those who have listed Oakmont -- the best greens I have ever encountered.

[Peter Pallotta]

Thanks, gents. It's interesting to me how the Maxwell-Mackenzie-Ross greens are one of the few areas of true (and lasting) consensus about what's great in golf course architecture.

I don't want to sidetrack this thread with a dumb question, but what came first - modern green speeds or less contoured greens? Did new mowers flatten greens out or did flatter greens create the need for new mowers?

Peter   

[Matt OBrien]

Oakmont- thier almost not fair
Merion
Huntingdon Valley

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

Eagle Point (Wilmington, NC): pretty interesting contours... unbelievable speed/conditioning.

[Greg Holland]

Doesn't the list need to include the following:

Pine Valley
Augusta National
Pinehurst No. 2

[Ray Richard]

Hyannisport on Cape Cod. A former super correctly called "The Saint" kept them lean and mean when everybody else was going for green and greener. They were lightning quick and dried out by that stiff Nantucket breeze.

[Jon Spaulding]

Contours - Crystal Downs
Conditioning - LA North
Both - Oakland Hills

[Tom Birkert]

Now this is a tricky question!

I wouldn't be able to narrow it down to one course, but would echo those who have stated Merion, Pine Valley, Cypress Point and Pinehurst. I'd also add NGLA into the mix - some wonderful contours.

I've not played Oakmont but I'm sure they'd be pretty close to the top of that list from everything I've seen and read.

[ChipOat]

Any of the good courses around Pittsburgh have fabulous greens.

Because of the location, hot days + cool nights = perfect conditions for excellent greens (assuming you like Bent Grass).

If, like Gary Koch, you prefer Bermuda, then Indian Creek (previously mentioned) is the only contender so far.  In that vein, what about Seminole?

[Tim Leahy]

Best ever were LA CC North and Olympic Club, that was 20 years ago. Recently I loved the greens at Poppy Hills, great condition, speed and really make you think about every putt. Very good greens at Cache Creek for a new course, held very well and smooth as silk.

[Kalen Braley]

For Countouring I'm going to throw a new one out there....Lakota Canyon.  Some wild stuff to be found on those greens.

Best greens overall would have to Pasa for me though.

[PCCraig]

Conditioning: Old Elm Club.

4,000 rounds a year and a huge budget do wonders. I thought the ball was gliding over the ground.

[Jay Flemma]

Interesting - look how many people picked Pasatiempo, Crystal Downs and Ballyneal.  Those are three of my favorites.  yes, the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 are amazing as well...(thank goodness for great caddies there!)

[Tommy Williamsen]

White Bear Yacht Club in MN has some of the best greens I have ever played. They have great movement,slope and are sighted brilliantly.

[Tommy Williamsen]

 a

[Bob_Huntley]

Cypress Point before the Walker Cup of 1981, never as good thereafter.

Good morning, Bob.  What was done to the greens at Cypress Point?

Wayne,

I really don't know. I do know that the eighth green was enlarged at the right rear and was never quite the same hole thereafter. They just seemed to have lost their spark. Over the past couple of years there has been a nematode problem on the Peninsula and Cypress was the hardest hit.

I am sure that visitors will not notice but the locals would.

Bob

[Jason Connor]

Oakmont definitely has the trickiest, most subtle greens I've ever played.

Though I haven't played any of its competitors for this award.

For fun, I would usually try to read the greens myself, then listen to my caddie.

I'll never forget, maybe it was 10, I had a 15 footer for birdie, I predicted it would move 2 feet right.

My caddie points to a spot 3 feet behind my left heel (when I was addressing the ball aiming where *I* thought I should aim).  He said "act like you want to putt it to here."  I thought what the hell.  Tapped it to that spot 3 feet away, then watched it curve and break and trickle to six inches.

[Sean Leary]

They are rather subtle, but Doak's greens at Tumble Creek are very good...

[Mike Boehm]

Oakland Hills
Crystal Downs

[Jim Tang]

Black Sheep Golf Club, Sugar Grove, Illinois.

I am a caddie there in the summers and they are so good.  They don't have a lot of severe slopes, just long subtle slopes that are difficult to read at first.  Watching guys putt at Black Sheep all week and then having to go play my own rounds on local public tracks is sometimes painful.

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