COURSE PAIRINGS

[JMorgan]

What average Joe is going to walk up to CPC and play?  Or at NGLA or at about 17 others you guys have mentioned?

Sean, I'd pick the first three pairs on your list, with the first two pairs tied but yet two unique kinds nonetheless.  On an introspective day, it's the first pair. On a more gregarious day, the second pair. 

[Tim Bert]

Longshadow - Augusta National

Kingsley - High Pointe (or Belvedere)

Pinehurst 2 & many a choice for 2nd course...

Kiawah & something...

[Rich Goodale]

Murcar/Royal Aberdeen has to be near the top of any list, as both are of excpetional quality and they are conjoined.  You can actually play the both of them without stopping, if they let you jump the fence which separates the two courses.  There is the possibly apochryphal of the Japaense visitors who teed off at Royal Aberdeen and 25 holes later were seen wandering about the Murcar car park wondering where their vehicle might be....

[Roger Wolfe]

My personal favorite right now is the Roaring Gap / Primland twosome.

Roaring Gap in the AM... small, classic, untouched 1920's Donald Ross... then jump on the Blue Ridge Parkway and head 45 mins to Primland... the biggest, baddest and most muscular modern course you will find in America.

They have two things in common... great people and spectacular views!!

[Jamie Barber]

There is the possibly apochryphal of the Japaense visitors who teed off at Royal Aberdeen and 25 holes later were seen wandering about the Murcar car park wondering where their vehicle might be....

ha-ha-ha - I've heard the same story regarding Prince's/St. George's (believable perhaps because there is just a single track separating the two) and also of S&A/Hillside where said Japanese golfers were alleged to have been discovered trying to lift their trolleys and clubs over the fence and cross the railway line.

[Don Hyslop]

From my neck of the woods; In Nova Scotia- Highland Links and Bell Bay( which hopefully soon I can replace with Cabot Links), In Prince Edward Island- Crowbush Cove and Green Gables and in New Brunswick- Algonquin and Kingswood.

[Richard Muldoon]

Silloth & Seascale
St Enedoc & Perranporth
Saunton & RND

[Tony_Muldoon]

Sean you have been hoisted on your own Pennard(/Portcawl.)


What about your oft quoted rule “Why spend windscreen time when you car is already parked at a great course?”. This translates perfectly to 36 hole clubs.

Sunningdale. Old/Leisurely Lunch in smashing clubhouse/New, certainly fits all your requirements.

Also it’s hard to beat this for a day’s golf
Berkshire. Red/Leisurely Lunch overlooking first terrifying tee shot of the PM/Blue (if you were feeling a little energetic you could walk from Swinley to one of these)

Walton Heath Old/Leisurely Lunch outside by the green/New

And although I never expect to find out myself, most golfers would be happy to experience
Wentworth. Burma Rd/Bloody expensive lunch/East.

And no less than Paul Turner suggests the best 36 holes in GB&I as
Portrush.  Dunluce/two pints of Guinness/Valley.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

pinehurst #2 and dormie or forest creek

caledonia (strantz) and dunes club (one of the few good dark ages courses)

[Mike Tanner]

A few from my neck of the woods in SE Virginia:

Golden Horseshoe (Gold)
Kingsmill River Course

Stonehouse
Royal New Kent
(seconding Roger Wolfe)

Cavalier G&YC
Riverfront

[Cristian]

From another neck of the woods....

De Pan - Haagsche
Morfontaine - Paris St Germain/Chantilly (Vineuil)
Royal Zoute - Ravenstein (drive fast)

I have done all three of these....

[Carl Nichols]

Kiawah Ocean Course and either Cassique or River 

Teeth of the Dog (special enough for Sean?) and Dye Fore?

[Carl Nichols]

Chicago/Shoreacres/Olympia Fields/Medinah and Cog Hill?  Some closer than others to Cog Hill.

[Anthony Gray]

  I like Cruden Bay and Castle Stuart.

   TOC and Kingsbarns?

  Anthony

[Michael Whitaker]

Sean - Here are some of my South Carolina parings:

Caledonia and True Blue
Harbour Town and Long Cove
May River and Chechessee Creek
The Ocean Course and Briar's Creek
The Patriot at Grand Harbor and Musgrove Mill

[Rob Rigg]

St Georges and Hamilton (or one of them and Glen Abbey for a public to suit the criteria requirements)
or Hamilton and the National, and St Georges and Westin, or Summit and Paintbrush, or Rosedale and Scarberia

[Sean_A]

I am getting some great suggestions.  Cheers!  I still don't think I am in the clear though.  I want to find a way to get in some Aussie pairings, but I don't know the story on access.  Can anybody give these clubs a call and play?  If so, which ones?

Cristian - I would like to squeeze in a pair of Colt/Simpson continental classics, but the ones which really interest me are too far apart. 

Anthony - I think I could buy Aberdeen and Castle Stuart, but I am sure these are more than an hour apart. 

UPDATE

Woking and Addington (solid pair)
Dornoch and Brora (solid pair)
Enniscrone and Carne (solid pair)
North Berwick and Dunbar (solid pair)
CPC and Pebble (solid pair)
Crystal Downs and Highpointe (solid pair)
Sandwich and Princes (solid pair)
Pacific Dunes and Old Mac (I will take a punt on unfinished course because it looks compelling)
Riviera and Rustic (solid pair)
Sand Hills and Wildhorse (solid pair)
Augusta and Longshadow (solid pair)
MPCC (which course?) and Pasa (solid pair)
Sligo and Donegal (could be replaced)
Sunny Old and Swinley (could be replaced)
Pennard and Southerndown (could be replaced)
Pulborough and Roayal Ashdown Forest (could be replaced)


Maybes

Ocean Course and Yeamans Hall (aren't these more than an hour apart?)
TOC and Kingsbarns (I am not so enamoured with TOC as many on this site are, but its a standard - much would depend on if folks think Kingsbarns is really very special)
Bethpage and NGLA (to be honest I am not terribly interested in Bethpage, but I would kill to see NGLA)
Berkshire Red and Blue (not sure I get enough contrast in the day's play)
Beau Desert and Notts (not sure if these are within an hour)
Wilmington and Cape Fear (a bit out there, but I really liked the pix I have seen of each place)
TOC and Elie
Ganton and Alwoodley (are they within an hour?)
Cabo del Sol and Dunes at Diamonte Cbo San Lucas (I have no idea if these are anywhere near each other)

Is there anyway to fit in Myopia, Eastward Ho!, Pine Valley, Cal Club, Lawsonia, Yale, Kingsley (is Kingsley open for anybody and is it within an hour of Crystal?)

Ciao

[Greg Tallman]

Cabo del Sol and Dunes at Diamonte Cbo San Lucas (I have no idea if these are anywhere near each other)

About 5 miles apart or 15-20 minutes
 

[Doug Wright]

Sean,

From a trip last fall:

Royal Portrush and Portrush Valley. Two very different courses, but both worthy in their own ways.

Portmarnock and The Island

A contrast in styles: 

Broadmoor East and Four Mile Ranch

[Sean_A]

Sean,

From a trip last fall:

Royal Portrush and Portrush Valley. Two very different courses, but both worthy in their own ways.

Portmarnock and The Island

A contrast in styles: 

Broadmoor East and Four Mile Ranch

Doug

Is P'rush Valley better than Portstewart?  The Portmarnock/Island pairing is good, but I am not terribly interested in seeing either course again.

UPDATE

Woking and Addington (solid pair)
Dornoch and Brora (solid pair)
Enniscrone and Carne (solid pair)
North Berwick and Dunbar (solid pair)
CPC and Pebble (solid pair)
Sandwich and Princes (solid pair)
Pacific Dunes and Old Mac (I will take a punt on unfinished course because it looks compelling)
Riviera and Rustic (solid pair)
Sand Hills and Wildhorse (solid pair)
Augusta and Longshadow (solid pair)
MPCC (which course?) and Pasa (solid pair)
Sligo and Donegal (could be replaced)
Sunny Old and Swinley (could be replaced)
Pennard and Southerndown (could be replaced)
Pulborough and Roayal Ashdown Forest (could be replaced)
Cabo del Sol and Dunes at Diamonte Cabo San Lucas (could be replaced)
Crystal Downs and Arcadia (could be replaced)
TOC and Elie (could be replaced)

Maybes

Ocean Course and Yeamans Hall (aren't these more than an hour apart?)
Bethpage and NGLA (to be honest I am not terribly interested in Bethpage, but I would kill to see NGLA)
Berkshire Red and Blue (not sure I get enough contrast in the day's play)
Beau Desert and Notts (not sure if these are within an hour)
Wilmington and Cape Fear (a bit out there, but I really liked the pix I have seen of each place)
Ganton and Alwoodley (are they within an hour?)

That is 18 pairs which represent a decent variety golf and courses I would like to see again and for the first time.  ONe huge gap seems to be Oz.  There has to be at least one Aussie pair out there. 

Ciao

[Cristian]

Cristian - I would like to squeeze in a pair of Colt/Simpson continental classics, but the ones which really interest me are too far apart. 

Out of curiosity;

Which ones interest you?

One more try for the continent: Paris St Germain (Colt)+Fontainebleau (Simpson)

[Sean_A]

Cristian - I would like to squeeze in a pair of Colt/Simpson continental classics, but the ones which really interest me are too far apart. 

Out of curiosity;

Which ones interest you?

One more try for the continent: Paris St Germain (Colt)+Fontainebleau (Simpson)

Cristian

I must have switched off for a spell.  I would be very interested in seeing St Germain and Morfontaine.  Two others which I would really like to see are Royal Zoute and Kennemer. 

The question is, can any Joe get on either of Morfontaine or St Germain?  My impression was that folks had to have some sort of connection for these courses.  Assuming St Germain is accessible for all with a phone call here is the update:

Woking and Addington (solid pair)
Dornoch and Brora (solid pair)
Enniscrone and Carne (solid pair)
North Berwick and Dunbar (solid pair)
CPC and Pebble (solid pair)
Sandwich and Princes (solid pair)
Pacific Dunes and Old Mac (I will take a punt on unfinished course because it looks compelling)
Riviera and Rustic (solid pair)
Sand Hills and Wildhorse (solid pair)
Augusta and Longshadow (solid pair)
MPCC (which course?) and Pasa (solid pair)
Morfontaine and St Germain (solid pair)
Sligo and Donegal (could be replaced)
Pennard and Southerndown (could be replaced)
Pulborough and Royal Ashdown Forest (could be replaced)
Cabo del Sol and Dunes at Diamonte Cabo San Lucas (could be replaced)
Crystal Downs and Arcadia (could be replaced)
TOC and Elie (could be replaced)

Maybes

Ocean Course and Yeamans Hall (aren't these more than an hour apart?)
Beau Desert and Notts (not sure if these are within an hour)
Ganton and Alwoodley (are they within an hour?)


I am still looking for OZ courses.  Also, does Kawana match up with anything else close in Japan?


Ciao

[Ben Stephens]

Sean,

Oz courses

Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne (lots of sandbelt pairings can be thrown up!)
Royal Sydney and New South Wales

NZ - Paraparaumu Beach and Cape Kidnappers

Has anyone mentioned Hunstanton and Brancaster?

Cheers

[Jason Topp]

Bandon Dunes must be on this list - pick any two courses.  In fact you could put it on the list multiple times and probably improve the list.

Sandbelt courses are generally accessible to foreigners but you have to jump through a couple of hoops.  Nonetheless, I just showed up at Woodlands and got access at $100 Australian ($75 US at the time) so I would suggest you pair Woodlands with Royal Melboune West (or Kingston Heath).

[Cristian]

Cristian - I would like to squeeze in a pair of Colt/Simpson continental classics, but the ones which really interest me are too far apart. 

Out of curiosity;

Which ones interest you?

One more try for the continent: Paris St Germain (Colt)+Fontainebleau (Simpson)

Cristian

I must have switched off for a spell.  I would be very interested in seeing St Germain and Morfontaine.  Two others which I would really like to see are Royal Zoute and Kennemer. 

The question is, can any Joe get on either of Morfontaine or St Germain?  My impression was that folks had to have some sort of connection for these courses.  Assuming St Germain is accessible for all with a phone call here is the update:

Woking and Addington (solid pair)
Dornoch and Brora (solid pair)
Enniscrone and Carne (solid pair)
North Berwick and Dunbar (solid pair)
CPC and Pebble (solid pair)
Sandwich and Princes (solid pair)
Pacific Dunes and Old Mac (I will take a punt on unfinished course because it looks compelling)
Riviera and Rustic (solid pair)
Sand Hills and Wildhorse (solid pair)
Augusta and Longshadow (solid pair)
MPCC (which course?) and Pasa (solid pair)
Morfontaine and St Germain (solid pair)
Sligo and Donegal (could be replaced)
Pennard and Southerndown (could be replaced)
Pulborough and Royal Ashdown Forest (could be replaced)
Cabo del Sol and Dunes at Diamonte Cabo San Lucas (could be replaced)
Crystal Downs and Arcadia (could be replaced)
TOC and Elie (could be replaced)

Maybes

Ocean Course and Yeamans Hall (aren't these more than an hour apart?)
Beau Desert and Notts (not sure if these are within an hour)
Ganton and Alwoodley (are they within an hour?)




Ciao

St Germain is indeed bookable with a phone call, Morfontaine is a different matter....