The best 3 parkland courses you have played.

[Ash Towe]

On my recent trip to the United States I had the great pleasure to play the Bandon courses followed by Wild Horse, Sand Hills and Ballyneal.  After that, I then went to Chicago and played at Olympia Fields ( North ) and Beverly CC.  Prior to the trip I wondered how it would feel to go play parkland courses again after the first mentioned.

I certainley was not disappointed.  Olympia Fields was just outstanding, holes 3 and 14 were particularly memorable and the last 6 very strong but the whole 18 were just a delight to play.  Beverly was also very good but a bit behind Olympia. The greens were always interesting especially the slopes and surrounding bunkering focussed my attention.

With the above in mind I wondered what are your favourite 3 courses of this type.

Mine are SFGC: I like the way you can be in the fairway but left with a difficult angle of approach.  The valley holes and The " Little Tillie" are equally memorable

Olympia Fields ( North ) see above.

Plainfield: Fantastic routing.  The course held my attention for the whole round and I could certainley play here every weekend.

[Sean_A]

Ash

I am not exactly sure what a parkland course is so I will just use the UK definition for this though I thought Kiawah felt like a seaside parkland course so I will go with it.  You asked two questions, best and favourite.

Best

Merion
Oakland Hills
Pinehurst

Favourite

Lakewood Shores
Lederach
Old Town

Ciao

[Patrick Kiser]

Although I have not played either ... Swinley Forest would be towards the top of my list as would MorFontaine.

[jkinney]

LACC North
Oakmont
Yale

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Merion
Oakmont
SFGC

Beverly that Ash mentioned is also a favorite of mine that stays under the radar.

[Carl Nichols]

Merion
WF West
Shoreacres
Honorable Mention:  Olympic

[Gib_Papazian]

Garden City
Shoreacres
Winged Foot EAST

Do we count Pine Valley as a parkland? I think so . . . . .

[jonathan_becker]

Butler
Muirfield Village
Oakmont
Canton Brookside (alternate)

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

Taking a cue from S. Arble...

Best
Merion (East)
Oakmont
Olympic (Lake)

Favorite (w/o the U)
Merion (East)
Olympic (Lake)
Aronimink

[Tom Huckaby]

I can't go the separate best and favorite route... I know what Sean means, but I really think courses can and should be the same thing.  If not, what makes a course better?  For whom?

So I shall give just three.

Olympic Lake
Riviera
Winged Foot West


sorry Gib.. I do dig your home course... and as for WF, well... East was very very fun, best West gave me more goosebumps... something cool about attempting a putt Bobby Jones made to force a playoff....

[Tom_Doak]

I am not sure of the exact definition of a parkland course.  I sure wouldn't count London heathland courses in it, or something like Pine Valley.

My top three would be Merion (East), St. George's in Toronto (which is the best contour I've ever seen on a parkland site), and Crystal Downs (if it is considered a parkland course).  If not the Downs, then Winged Foot or Plainfield or Quaker Ridge or SFGC.

[Scott Warren]

Might get some debate on whether one or two of these qualify, but I class them as fitting in.

Royal Zoute
The Addington
Newcastle

[Jack Vance]

So many...such little time...

Merion[ for sure]/ Oakland Hills/ Crystal Downs...where does Prairie Dunes figure in? How do you define it? Next tier: Plainfield/ Winged Foot/  Pasatiempo...have not played Oakmont yet.

[mark chalfant]

Longmeadow   by Donald Ross in Massachusetts

California Golf Club   near SF

CC of Buffalo

NCR  in central Ohio by Dick Wilson

[Tim Gavrich]

I vote for:

1. Yale
2. Sunningdale (Old)
3. Palmetto GC

[Richard Choi]

Plainfield: Fantastic routing.  The course held my attention for the whole round and I could certainley play here every weekend.

Ash, I agree with you on Plainfield. I had the great pleasure of playing this course last week and it was unbelievable. The first two holes are EPIC!!! I understand now why so many here believe this course is under-rated. By FAR the best course I played in NJ (no, I have not played PV). I would even say it is superior to Bethpage Black which is also a very fine parkland course.

[Ash Towe]

Some really interesting choices so far.

It is difficult to come up with an exact definition of a parkland course but to each their own.

Sean, thanks for picking me up on best and favourite, it has added to the discussion.

Richard, glad you enjoyed Plainfield it really is a super course.

[Bob_Huntley]

Would 'Parkland' be any course devoid of mountains, seas, oceans, lakeshore or what?

I need help in the definition.

Bob

[Ash Towe]

Bob,  You can use any definition you would like but it is hard to come up with an explicit version.

[Jaeger Kovich]

Assuming that BTrail, The Bethpage courses, and Queenwood outside London dont count....

1. WF West
2. Quaker Ridge (I'm a homer)
3. Yale

[Cristian]

Parkland: Courses in existing parks or in a setting with vegetation mainly planted by man for the purpose.

Pasatiempo
Ravenstein
Teeth of the Dog

[Matt_Ward]

In my "neck of the woods" I'd have to say Oakmont is certainly there.

Right behind it is Plainfield which I'm glad to see being recognized by so many people.

If I had to name a third position I would place the entire 36-holes you get at Winged Foot.

Of course, I'd be leaving out some real heavyweights like Merion / East which also needs to be included.

[Steve Salmen]

Toss up between San Francisco and the Dunes Club in New Buffalo.  Shoreacres would be a distant third.

[Mike Sweeney]

Does planting trees after the fact count the course as Parkland? I would never think of Merion as a Parkland course:

[John Sabino]

Loch Lomond
Somerset Hills
Morfontaine (technically may be a heathland course and not a parkland)
Myopia Hunt Club