Whip it Out: Post your Top 25 Courses Played

[John Moore II]

In no particular order...
Carolina Golf Club
Grandfather G & CC
Tanglewood
The Old Course
The New Course
North Berwick
Portmarnock
Carnoustie
Kingsbarns
Bay Hill
Oak Hill
Quail Hollow
Bandon Dunes
Bandon Trails
Pacific Dunes
Princeville
The Ocean Course
Harbour Town
The Dunes Club
Pine Lakes International
Pinehurst #2
Pine Needles
The Country Club
Mission Hills
Southern Pines

Greg, I think you are a world traveler who may have resided in North Carolina at some point in time. Yes?

[Greg Ross]

Yep. Currently in the Queen City and need to get down your way to cross CCNC and Forest Creek off the list.

[John Moore II]

Yep. Currently in the Queen City and need to get down your way to cross CCNC and Forest Creek off the list.

I'd love it if I were still in Pinehurst, but alas, I am not. Currently in Suffolk, VA. Where do you play primarily in Charlotte/are a member?

[Greg Ross]

Sorry for the delay, John. Yes. I play mostly at Carolina Golf Club. Spence's redo of Donald Ross's original is top notch. Please stop by when you're in town. We'd love to show it off to you.
Greg

[Tim Johnson]

it was nice to sit back with a couple of beers and think about what is my top 25. I dont have the travel experience of most of the lists posted but I think that is why my therapist keep bringing up his thoughts on my addiction to links golf. He says I should look outside the UK for golf. I think he is an idiot.

Carne
Enniscrone
TOC
The Machrie
Royal Dornoch
Lahinch
Hamilton
Cruden Bay
Royal Portrush
Portstewart
Ballybunion
Royal County Down
Rosapenna Sandy Hills
Prestwick
Ballyliffin Glashedy
Royal Aberdeen
Carnoustie
Muirfield
Gullane #1
Sligo
Whirlpool
Dakota Dunes(the closest I can get to links in Canada that business will pay for)
Clear Lake
Isle de Montreal ( same reason as Dakota but I can pay my own fare, reminds me of Ireland)

[Jud_T]

Tim,

He is an idiot!  Fire him and use the cash you saved to play more links golf!

[Scott Warren]

Tim, never been to England for golf?

[Jason Sloan]

In no particular order...

Royal County Down
Royal Portrush
Royal Dornoch
Lahinch
Prestwick
Cruden Bay
Machrihanish
Brora
Tain
Dunbar
Nairn
Dalmahoy East
Fox Chapel CC
Royal Aberdeen
Western Gailes
White Witch
Bedford Springs Resort
Penn State White Course
Iron Valley Golf Club
Lebanon Country Club
Cassique @ Kiawah Island Club
Doonbeg
K Club (Palmer)
Portmarnock Links
Baberton Golf Club

[Fred Yanni]

It is impossible for me to rank in order my top 25 - there is something great about every course on this list.  Here goes what I think my top 25 are but there are some great ones that don't make the cut that I love as well.

Top 10 (no order)
Pine Valley
Shinnecock
The Old Course
Merion
Friar's Head
Carnoustie
Oak Hill CC
Ballybunion
National Golf Links
Spyglass

Just Outside - looking IN...
Pebble Beach
The Olympic Club
LACC
Waterville
Winged Foot West
The Golf Club
Inverness
Turnberry
Bethpage Black
Shadow Creek
Scioto
The Creek Club
Lahinch
Chechessee Creek
Meadowbrook










  

[Michael Underwood]

The following are my best 25 played.  They are in order of what I enjoyed the most, but to be honest it is a very close call in many cases, therefore, impossible to have an exact order. It is fair to say that I love them all.

International (7)
Royal County Down
Royal Lytham & St. Annes
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Portstewart
Portmarnock
Rosses Point (Sligo)
Enniscrone

United States (18)
Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club
Sand Hills
Pacific Dunes
Old MacDonald
Colonial C.C.
Kiwah (The Ocean Course)
Cherry Hills C.C.
Castle Pines Golf Club
Kansas City C.C.
Bandon Dunes
Sea Island (Seaside)
Bandon Trails
Hiwan Golf Club
Stone Canyon
The Rawls Course
Broadmoor (East)
Pumpkin Ridge Witch Hollow
Denver C.C.

[Tim Johnson]

Jud, i think you are right, an hour with him could pay for 2 rounds at Carne.lol

Scott, it has been discussed but they way it evolved with my dad we just havent done an England trip. He wanted to introduce me to Links Golf so we did a 2 week tour in 99 and then got to talking about Ireland/NI and did a 2 week in 04 and went back again in 05 because Ireland was incredible. We basically did the same tour in 05 due to the courses and the cost of the north west coast was too good to pass up.

He is getting on in years and wanted to play TOC and Muirfield with me so we did a 2 week tour of Scotland in 07. From the looks of it our 2 week trip are done due to his age but we are planning Cabot Links next summer.

I will do the England run one day but I need to get back to Carne first and play the new 9....hence the therapist, he helps me detox from the links.

[Nick Campanelli]

Here's my top 25 played.  I've been to Europe a few times, but the clubs never made the trip.  Next time it will be different...

01) Mid Ocean Club (3) - Bermuda
02) Bethpage Black (1) - Farmingdale, NY
03) Wannamoisett Country Club (2) - Rumford, RI
04) Troon North GC - Pinnacle Course (1) - Scottsdale, AZ
05) Bass Rocks Golf Club (1) - Gloucester, MA
06) Port Royal Golf Course (4) - Bermuda
07) Farmington Country Club (1) - Farmington, CT
08) Shennecossett Golf Course (1) - Groton, CT
09) Dorado Beach – East Course (2) - Puerto Rico
10) TPC at River Highlands (1) - Cromwell, CT
11) Cape Arundel Golf Club (1) - Kennebunkport, ME
12) Cape Cod Country Club (3) - Falmouth, MA
13) The Patterson Club, The (1) - Fairfield, CT
14) Wethersfield Country Club (1) - Wethersfield, CT
15) Glastonbury Hills Country Club (1) - Glastonbury, CT
16) Tucker’s Point Club (3) - Bermuda
17) Wintonbury Hills Golf Course (1) - Bloomfield, CT
18) Charleston National Country Club (1) - Mount Pleasant, SC
19) Legends Golf Club – Heathland (1) - Myrtle Beach, SC
20) Lely Flamingo Island Club (3) - Naples, FL
21) Shuttle Meadow Country Club (1) - Kensington, CT
22) Cannon Ridge Golf Club (1) - Celebrate, VA
23) The Sanctuary Golf Club (1) - Sanibel Island, FL
24) Pinehills Golf Club – Jones (1) - Plymouth, MA
25) The Shattuck Golf Club (4) - Jaffrey, NH
   
   

[JNC Lyon]

My Top 25 so far.  I've spent 20 years of my life in the Eastern US and four months in London, and most of the great courses on here are from the UK.  Here goes:

1) North Berwick (1)
2) Prestwick (1.5)
3) Royal Dornoch (1)
4) Deal (10)
5) Woking (2)
6) Sandwich (2)
7) Garden City (1)
8 ) Huntercombe (1)
9 ) Swinley Forest (1)
10) Yeamans Hall (1)
11) The Addington (3)
12) Fox Chapel (1)
13) Leatherstocking (1)
14) Renaissance (1)
15) The Country Club (Brookline) (1)
16) The Ocean Course at Kiawah (1)
17) Brora (1)
18. Mountain Ridge (1)
19) Oak Hill (WEST) (~1,000)
20) May River (1)
21) St. George's (1.5)
22) Burnham and Berrow (1)
23) Galloway National (1)
24) Teugega (2)
25) Long Shadow (1)

Note: I list these in order of personal favorites.  I prefer these 25 courses the most.  I am not rating them based on some objective measure of "best" courses.  I think no such measure exists.

[Robert Emmons]

I'll try:

Augusta
Merion
Seminole
Shinnecock
NGLA
LACC
Highland Links
Jasper Park
Banf
Pac Dunes
Ban Dunes
Pebble Beach
Pinhurst #2
Mid Ocean
Fishers Island
Garden City GC
Piping Rock
Maidstone
Friars Head
Sebonac
Huntington CC
Sea Island
Kiawah Ocean
Winged Foot West
Ballybunion

Just mine, more to go....RHE

[Stu Grant]

Top 25 favorite courses played sorted by geography:

CANADA
Devil's Paintbrush
National GC of Canada
Red Tail
Sagebrush
St. George's

BERMUDA
Port Royal
Mid Ocean

UNITED STATES
Arcadia Bluffs
Bayonne
Bethpage Black
Greenville
Inverness
Kingsley Club
Lakewood Shores - Gailes
Long Cove
Oakland Hills - South
Oakmont
Pinehurst #2
Plainfield
Scioto
Sebonack
Somerset Hills
Tobacco Road
TPC Sawgrass

SOUTH AFRICA
Pezula

[Bill Brightly]

National
Royal County Down
Pine Valley
Merion
Pacific Dunes
Ballybunion
Old Macdonald
Royal Portrush
Lahinch
Waterville
Pebble
Ballyliffin Old
Ridgewood
Saucon Valley Old
Plainfield
Aronomink
Yale
Saucon Valley Weyhill
Harbor Town
Galloway
Essex County NJ
Tidewater
Baltustrol
TPC Stadium
Trump National: Bedminster NJ
Spyglass

[Martin Toal]

Wow, I feel rather embarrassed posting some of these next to some of the major courses others have played, but here goes:

PS. Lived in Ireland and the UK all my life, with a decent number of business trips to the US, sometimes with clubs:

UK and Ireland:
Royal County Down
Ballybunion
Waterville
Royal Dublin
Royal Portrush
Rosses Point
Ballyliffin Old
Silloth on Solway
Kingsbarns
St Andrews (New)
Portstewart
Donegal (Murvagh)
Malone

US:
Pelican Hill, CA
Maderas, CA
Pine Hills, NJ
Pinehill, MA
Bulle Rock, MD
Innisbrook (Copperhead), FL

ROW:
Stewart Creek, Alberta
Green Monkey, Barbados
Royal Westmoreland, Barbados
El Dorado, Cabo (pre-rerouting)
Banff Springs, Alberta
The Datai, Langkawi

[jonathan_becker]

Martin,

Keep playing in the U.S.  Maderas will be off your list in no time. 

[Martin Toal]

Martin,

Keep playing in the U.S.  Maderas will be off your list in no time. 

Ha. Actually, I prefer it to a few other local courses - Meadows del Mar (or whatever it is now called), Aviara, Steele Canyon, The Auld (also now renamed, I think), Singing Hills and both Torrey Pines. 

I think there are a few nice holes at Maderas - the 5th, I think, is a nice par 4 across the corner of a gully/arroyo where you can bite off as much as you can chew, and a couple of nice holes down the side of the course on the back 9.

[jonathan_becker]

Martin,

I'll give you that #5 is probably the best hole on the course and the last couple holes are decent.  But there are too many shots with huge elevation changes that make you completely guess when pulling a club.  Not to mention that the course looks like an ultra landscaped backyard.  Throw a huge waterfall in there and the course is complete.    Actually, I think they do have a waterfall !!

#16 would be an awesome hole if there was more room to land it off the tee.  Anything left of center of the fw and you're in the hazard.

The fact that the rack rate is $210 makes me want to projectile vomit.  Anyone that would pay that for that course needs their head checked!!

Didn't you play Flossmoor with Judge Lavin while in the Chi?  Correct your list and insert Flossmoor over Maderas. 

[Matthew Rose]

My list is too embarrassing to post. 

[Brad LeClair]

My top 25:

1. Shinnecock Hills
2. Merion
3. NGLA
4. Friar's Head
5. Old Mac 
6. Nanea
7. Winged Foot - West
8. Sebonack
9. Pacific Dunes
10. Dormie Club
11. Sleepy Hollow
12. Oak Hill
13. Kiawah Island - Ocean Course
14. Plainfield
15. Bethpage - Black
16. Baltusrol - Lower
17. Somerset Hills
18. Bandon Trails
19. Congressional - Blue
20. Kittansett Club
21. Winged Foot - East
22. Maidstone
23. Piping Rock
24. The Creek
25. Bandon Dunes

[Martin Toal]

Martin,

I'll give you that #5 is probably the best hole on the course and the last couple holes are decent.  But there are too many shots with huge elevation changes that make you completely guess when pulling a club.  Not to mention that the course looks like an ultra landscaped backyard.  Throw a huge waterfall in there and the course is complete.    Actually, I think they do have a waterfall !!

#16 would be an awesome hole if there was more room to land it off the tee.  Anything left of center of the fw and you're in the hazard.

The fact that the rack rate is $210 makes me want to projectile vomit.  Anyone that would pay that for that course needs their head checked!!

Didn't you play Flossmoor with Judge Lavin while in the Chi?  Correct your list and insert Flossmoor over Maderas. 

I am a member of a Troon Golf course in the UK, so get a significant break on the fee at Maderas. Never paid $210!

I thought about putting Flossmoor in, but didn't want to look like a suck up!

[jonathan_becker]

Martin,

I'm just giving you a hard time.  Thanks for being a good sport. 

[Padraig Dooley]

Here goes

1. Cypress Point
2. Royal County Down
3. Ballybunion(Old)
4. Royal Portrush(Dunluce)
5. Crystal Downs
6. San Francisco GC
7. Lahinch
8. Pebble Beach
9. Portmarnock
10. The Valley Club of Montecito
11. Alwoodley
12. Chicago GC
13. Co. Louth
14. Pasatiempo
15. Cork GC
16. Wild Coast Sun
17. Spyglass Hill
18. Co. Sligo
19. Leopard Creek
20. World Woods(Pine Barrens)
21. Waterville
22. Doonbeg
23. Royal Lytham & St. Annes
24. The European Club
25. Royal St. Davids

Contenders include Royal Porthcawl, Enniscrone, Glendower, Old Marsh, Gullane No. 1, Tralee, Quinta Da Marinha(Oitavos), Praia Del Rey, The Meadow Club, Pearl Valley.

Courses I've walked around that probably would be included St. Andrews (Old), Durban CC, Humewood, Muirfield, Royal St. Georges, Carnoustie