[Mark_Rowlinson]

Adam, I know Halifax - did a photo tour on GCA a while ago. Its one of umpteen very characterful courses up in the Pennines. They have in common that quality of being cleverly routed through challenging terrain without having to resort to much earthmoving. I suppose we should nominate Huddersfield, which is not quite so rustic and perhaps has more man-made in its make up. There are so many really fun courses in the area. I want to find the time to visit a few more of them and post photos on this site.

[Andrew Mitchell]

In West Yorkshire Alwoodley & Moortwon tend to get all the publicity but Ilkley is a lovely track. Picturesquely set on the banks of the River Wharfe this is a gentle walk but a good test of shotmaking. More here...http://www.ilkleygolfclub.co.uk/index.html

Andrew,

I'm organising a "MacKenzie" weekend in Leeds next year and was going for four courses: Alwoodley, Moortown, Ilkley and Sand Moor... Have you played Sand Moor?... How does it compare?

Ally
Sand Moor is the only one of the four I've haven't played, although I'm hoping to remedy that by playing in an open comp there in August so will happily report further then. Generally it seems to be regarded as a solid track but not in the class of Alwoodley & Moortown.

I note that Doak gave Sand Moor a 4 in comparison to Alwoodley (7), Moortown (6) and Ilkley (3).  If Ilkley is representative of an average golf course I've seen a lot of below average ones!

I think you've got a solid set of courses there.

[Mark Pearce]

In North East England I'd nominate Berwick upon Tweed (Goswick) (Braid), The Northumberland (admitted bias here, as a member), Tyneside and Brancepeth Castle. The last three there are all good, solid examples of the good, solid courses that Colt produced and Sean so frequently comments on.

I'd also second the various nominations of Sandy Lodge, Beaconsfield, Berkhampsted (Mark, like you I thought I was the only Berkhampsted fan on here!)  and Kilspindie.

[Richard Muldoon]

If you ever holidaying in the Bournemouth area apart from the ‘name’ courses (Parkstone, Broadstone, Ferndown & Purbeck) there are a couple of courses well worth a visit and good value as well.
Queens Park used to be the ‘pre-eminent’ course in the area but seems to have fallen out of favour for some reason and then lost some of the course to the by-pass.
It has some cracking holes and can be played for approx £20. I have also heard that the condition of the course has improved greatly recently. I will report  back in the summer.
Barton on Sea was originally laid out with 9 holes by Colt, but has since been expanded to 27 holes. It has a mix of some good and average holes and can be played for just over £20 on the twilight rate. It is mainly a links type course on top of the cliffs (though sadly not as good as Pennard) with its own version of Sawgrass 17th thrown in for good measure.
I think the Bournemouth area highlights the great golf that can be found throughout England and is largely overlooked.

[Mike Policano]

If you are in NYC or North Jersey, here are three that won't disappoint.

Essex County Country Club - Private in spite of the name.  Banks/Raynor?Tillinghast renovated by Hanse and Bahto.  Argued to be the second best back nine in NJ

Forsgate Country Club - Banks with great template holes and greens

Hackensack Country Club - Banks always in a great shape with good green variety and good recent tree work

[Jason McNamara]

In my neck of the woods, Cheshire, Prestbury (Colt) and Delamere Forest (Fowler) are must plays

Also on the Wirral, Prenton is a solid MacKenzie course - parkland.

I love Caldy and Heswall for their handsome settings beside the Dee Estuary, but neither is calling you to study their design.

North Wales as a region is still off the golfing map. The toughest test is Conwy.

I'll put in a word, too, for a couple of clubs in Hertfordshire.

So, to my mind, is Beaconsfield, a near neighbour of Denham. And I have a lot of time for Burnham Beeches only a mile or two away.

That's enough for now!

Mark, your list of gems is long enough to keep a golfer happily occupied for decade.   

[Paul Nash]

Kings Lynn in Norfolk - quite similar to Woburn - very nice and 'away from it'

Agree with Camberley, North Hants and Blackmoor - not sure if Liphook, Hindhead and Hankley are 'too rated' for this discussion. I absolutely adore Hankley, probably my favourite course.

Southerndown - very charming, with sheep!

Bearwood Lakes - home-course bias but i love it

Hawkstone Park in Shropshire - a long time since I played my only game there but, again, a charming location

Ladybank in Fife - heathland in Scotland - par 3s were a bit weak from memory but some very strong 4s

Downshire in Wokingham - a very nice municipal in the summer for circa £20

Machynys Peninsula in South Wales - many will probably hate it but I there there was much to like, espcially on the back 9

Maidenhead and Calcot in Berkshire - not great but pretty decent and enjoyable

[John Shimp]

Roaring Gap Club an hour and a half from Charlotte.  Devilish par 72 Ross in the mountains with really tough to putt and read greens.
End up with a lot of suddenly scary short shots on holes that look benign from the tee and/or fairway. Fine par 3's and really interesting par-5's albeit short in length by today's standards.  I usually hit a lot of greens and shoot a bad a score.  Course is in a magical little community that feels like it belongs in new england.

[Jud_T]

Tamarack Country Club-Greenwich, CT- Classic Charles Steamshovel Banks often overlooked in favor of the big name courses in the metro NY area. 

[Richard Choi]

I think this thread pretty much covers all worthwhile courses, at least public course wise...

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42908.0/

[Niall C]

Sean

If you are going up to Silloth try and play Carlisle as well. Its a course with a bit of a heathland feel to it with one of the best short par 3's I've ever played. Southerness also well worth a visit. An understated links which provides a real challenge.

Niall

[mike_malone]

 If I restrict myself just to south of Philadelphia, but in Pa. I say Paxon Hollow. There is some serious fun (huh!) in the architecture and if you hit a five iron off of the tees you could have some of the most challenging approaches you will find anywhere.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Sherwood Forest Golf Club near MANSFIELD..Oriignally a Colt and reworked by Braid I believe.....good course.
In fact I am returning there this summer to play in the England over 35's tournament.

Texarkana CC ..langford/moreau 1914...great course.
Tree lined, very old school...good conditioning..many call it little Augusta for its tree lined fairways.
Great history...Hogan played in his first event as a pro there.
Byron Nelson was the club's first professional.
Great southern style clubhouse...a truly great club.

[Greg Tallman]

Tampa/Orlando, Florida area:

Scotland Yards GC in Dade City(near Tampa). A nice little mom and pop (designed and built by the owner and PGA Pro) that is full of quirk. Some nice elevation change as well for Florida.

Palisades CC in Clermont. Nothing great but another course with some elevation change which was always refreshing in Florida. About 35 minutes from Southern Dunes in Haines City which I would classify as relatively well know... if not it qualifies.

 

[Jason McNamara]

Machynys Peninsula in South Wales - many will probably hate it but I there there was much to like, espcially on the back 9

I've only seen it on TV, but there looked like a huge amount of water in play.  Did you catch the course on a calm day?

[Adam Lawrence]

I went to a press day at Machynys when it first opened, about five years ago. It didn't make a great impression - there is a lot of water, and a few of the holes towards the end of the course had a nice seaside feel. But I don't think I'd suggest anyone visiting south Wales should go there - lots of more authentic courses that would be far more interesting to see.

[Paul_Turner]

Sean

For the West Midlands I would pretty much second your 3 course choices in:  Harborne, Whittington and Beau Desert.  Apart from 2 or 3 dull holes around the clubhouse, I think Sandwell Park isn't far off either with several superb holes (5th the best).  Copt Heath too. 

I lived mostly in the South Midlands/South East and would basically just second Mark's recommendations of Berkhamsted, Moor Park (+short course Tricky Ricky), Beaconsfield, Denham, Burnham Beeches (some unusual holes here, particularly the sleepered par 3, 10th).   I would add Ashridge too but it does occasionally make a Top 100.  Crews Hill is a really good shorter course too. The back 9 in particular.

I've also visited Bournemouth a lot and Richard didn't mention Meyrick Park, which apart from a poor 18th, is super.  The par 3s as a set aren't far off Swinley, Sunn New etc.

On the Colt trail:  Tandridge, Brokenhurst, Canterbury, Manchester and Leckford are excellent.  I think I'm most fond of Leckford because it's still a 9 holer and hasn't been messed with much because for a long time it was one of the purely private courses in England.

I lived in the Cotswolds/Bristol area for a few years too.  And obviously Painswick was a favourite.  Minchinhampton Old is in such a charming setting (Laurie Lee country), has a great pub, and the 16th amazing, but the course has quite a lot of pasture holes. 

PS If I visited the W Midlands more without the kids and more time, I'd be most curious to see Atherstone for its original 9 (not sure about the new 9)...it looks a bit crazy but full of character. 

[Sean_A]

Sean

For the West Midlands I would pretty much second your 3 course choices in:  Harborne, Whittington and Beau Desert.  Apart from 2 or 3 dull holes around the clubhouse, I think Sandwell Park isn't far off either with several superb holes (5th the best).  Copt Heath too.  

I lived mostly in the South Midlands/South East and would basically just second Mark's recommendations of Berkhamsted, Moor Park (+short course Tricky Ricky), Beaconsfield, Denham, Burnham Beeches (some unusual holes here, particularly the sleepered par 3, 10th).   I would add Ashridge too but it does occasionally make a Top 100.  Crews Hill is a really good shorter course too. The back 9 in particular.

I've also visited Bournemouth a lot and Richard didn't mention Meyrick Park, which apart from a poor 18th, is super.  The par 3s as a set aren't far off Swinley, Sunn New etc.

On the Colt trail:  Tandridge, Brokenhurst, Canterbury, Manchester and Leckford are excellent.  I think I'm most fond of Leckford because it's still a 9 holer and hasn't been messed with much because for a long time it was one of the purely private courses in England.

I lived in the Cotswolds/Bristol area for a few years too.  And obviously Painswick was a favourite.  Minchinhampton Old is in such a charming setting (Laurie Lee country), has a great pub, and the 16th amazing, but the course has quite a lot of pasture holes.  

PS If I visited the W Midlands more without the kids and more time, I'd be most curious to see Atherstone for its original 9 (not sure about the new 9)...it looks a bit crazy but full of character.  

Paul

I should take Whittington Heath off the list.  I really hate how the rough encroaches miles inside the tree lines.  In some places there is less fairway in the corridors than there is rough.  Its a shame because the design is something special.

I need to get back to Sandwell and Copt Heath - maybe this year with the County Card.  I was more impressed by Sandwell because of the terrain and the few holes on top of the hill which feel really wild.  One major drawback of Sandwell is the soggy turf of the holes near the house.  CH is very flat and relies almost exclusively on bunkering (much like Little Aston) for its challenge so its already in trouble with me, but I don't think the bunkering there is nearly as clever as at LA.  I have grown to really like LA, but the green fee is way too high.  Another course which really impressed and showed me a more subtle side of Colt was Northamptonshire Co.  I am gonna have another look later this summer, but like LA and Blackwell, the green fee is outrageous.  The club is more or less saying they don't want visitors.  

How is Moor Hall?  I hear very good things about it, but only from the odd chap or two.  

I also want to get back to The Worcestershire at the base of the Malverns.  There are a lot of excellent holes there which are basically the Dr Mac holes.  On another note, Worcester GC reminds me a lot of Edgbaston.  Take out the trees and there is one hell of a course underneath, but at least at Worcester, I don't see it happening.  Additionally, both have grand clubhouses which punch well above the standing of the respective clubs.    

Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

I'm writing this from the Dormy House at Aberdovey and must add this course to the list. Sporty little
course stretching to 6700 off the stones. No outstanding holes but nothing week, the 9th and 12th are very good
par 3s and £34 on a Sunday afternoon....bargain.

[Paul_Turner]

Sean

Moor Hall isn't much from photos at least.  Olton was a good course but the war and crazy tree planting has probably put paid to it.  There might be some holes worth seeing.

Copt Heath has some neat greens (11th, 17th, 18th) and I remember a bit more movement in the terrain....it has a few subtle ridges and a quarry feature on the back 9 (14th).

[Ben Stephens]

I recently played the Leicestershire Golf Club - a James Braid/Charles Mackenzie course now with USGA spec greens but very much unchanged smallish greens which slope back to front most of the time. A tough par 68 course with no par fives but with some tricky dogleg long par 4's and a good set of par 3's. Clubhouse is a unusual octagon shaped built in the sixties but give great views onto the course from the bar area.

Cheers
Ben

[Mac Plumart]

Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega, GA is a hidden gem in my opinion.  About 45 minutes from my house in the northern 'burbs of Atlanta and no one is ever there.  It is a Nicklaus course and is probably not the greatest course ever, but it is a lot of fun to play, interesting shots, beautiful scenery, wonderful pace of play.  And no one is ever there.  I always hesitate to mention it, because I am afraid people will start going there and ruin my 3 hours weekend rounds...but oh well.  Here is a few shots of the course from this fall...

[Roger Wolfe]

From my old neck(s) of the woods in MD/VA/DC area.

Virginia National in Berryville.  Great track with a single owner. A true labor of love.  Great scenery with wonderful elevation changes.  Plays on the Shenandoah River and up the adjacent mountain. Great place.

Oakland Golf Club in Oakland, MD.  Devilish greens with an old school feel.

[Buck Wolter]

Westbrook CC in Mansfield Ohio is a terriffic Ross course that seems to fly under the radar -- halfway between Columbus and Cleveland.

Norwood Hills in St Louis has been discussed a few times here but is a very nice 36 hole Stiles Club.

Waveland Muni in Des Moines is a turn of the century unknown over some very good terrain.

[Brian Freeman]

Achasta Golf Club in Dahlonega, GA is a hidden gem in my opinion.  About 45 minutes from my house in the northern 'burbs of Atlanta and no one is ever there.  It is a Nicklaus course and is probably not the greatest course ever, but it is a lot of fun to play, interesting shots, beautiful scenery, wonderful pace of play.  And no one is ever there.  I always hesitate to mention it, because I am afraid people will start going there and ruin my 3 hours weekend rounds...but oh well.  Here is a few shots of the course from this fall...

2nd for Achasta (although I just now discovered the name change from Birch River).  Excellent routing, great risk/reward type course.

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