The course that changed your golf life!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I guess my first round at Monroe Muni was it but not in the context of this discussion. It was my first round at Pebble Beach. Then the next day at Cypress. I was staggered by the designs, the routings, the green complexes, the walk, the compete experience. I now laugh at what Pebble has turned into. yet, we read on here about first rounds there and so many did touch the heart of the golfer. Then a few years later the same thing happened a TOC. They were life changing rounds. there are so many other courses that prompted deep thought were incredible experiences. But oddly those three courses moved me in a whole new direction as a man and golfer. A new hobby and area of interest came into life and here I am loving golf architecture and design. It had begun many years before that in books I read. But the life in ernest began that day at Pebble Beach.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

For me it was Pacific Dunes. In anticipation to my first trip to the resort, I began reading Dream Golf and was captivated by cast of characters and what the courses were meant to represent. As I hit my approach on #2 into the large triangular bunker fronting the green, I realized that the better line would have been to take it right of the elevated green and let the hill feed it to the back pin. From that moment GCA changed how I look at every hole, both personally and while watching on TV. I enjoy the golf experience infinitely  more now. That was 4 years ago.

[hhuffines]

The Old Course at St. Andrews for me.   The wind, the turf, the greens, the bunkers...  visiting the site where Seve had won over Watson and the proximity of the holes "in town" and the shot over the coal sheds combined for an unforgettable experience that I hope to revisit for years to come!

[Terry Lavin]

Sand Hills.

[Brad Tufts]

I'm going to go with earlier...when I was 15 or so, playing Essex County Club in MA for the first time.

My course was green and manicured, with trees, and normal looking greens and bunkers.  I've since learned to appreciate my golden age home, but Essex is different.  Random waste bunkering, long views, the old-time push-up greens with wild contours, and especially the amber waves of fescue grass between the holes that drove me nuts as a 30+ handicapper.

What was fun was playing ECC once per year from then on....119, then 89, then 76, 72, 69!

[Mark McKeever]

Phoenixville Country Club is where I started to gain an appreciation for a well designed golf course.

Mark

[Matt MacIver]

Kiawah was my first windy AND fast-n-firm course, which got me thinking about the ground game. 

[Mac Plumart]

East Lake was the magic button for me.

Bobby Jones, Alexa Sterling, Donald Ross, tied in with the incredible Tom Cousins.

[Tim Nugent]

Desert Highlands. The first course I ever worked on that was being built into the ground rather than placed on top of it.

[John Mayhugh]

This one.  Visited a friend who was going to school there and was completely awestruck.  Like nothing I had ever played before.


If I had gone to Yale, my grades in the spring would have been way better than the fall! 

Great topic, Tiger.

[Zack Molnar]

Mine was Camargo. When I started working there I high school, seeing those massive greens were unlike anything I had seen before, and this sparked my interest to begin learning about the golden age architects, seth raynor and consequently CB MacDonald, and I went from there. Seeing all the different types of holes was fascinating, and I think that variety really provided the perfect opening into GCA

[Pete_Pittock]

Seven days in May. 1975.  Prestwick and North Berwick (West) about three or four days apart.

[Keith OHalloran]

First time I played NGLA after reading The Evagelist. I had played there before, but the strategy came to life with the help of Mr. Bahto. It was a game changer!

[Howard Riefs]

Pinehurst #2.

Ross. Crowned greens. Short-game creativity.

[Chris_Hufnagel]

I think I have had several over the years...here they are in order...

High Pointe - opened my eyes to design for the first time; loved the variety in the holes and green complexes
St. Andrews - for all the obvious reasons
Pacific Dunes - the ruggedness of the place and the variety of conditions that I played in
Valley Club of Montecito - the routing and intimacy of the place; the bunkers and greens
Kingsley - pure, unadulterated fun.  Each time I finish on the 18th green I want to walk right back up the hill to number one; the course is a roller coaster that I never get tired of...

As for courses that I assume would change my golf life if I ever get the privilege of playing them one day...

NGLA
Cypress Point
Royal County Down
Royal Melbourne
Pine Valley

[Adam Clayman]

Ahh Lawsonia.

[Tim Martin]

This one.  Visited a friend who was going to school there and was completely awestruck.  Like nothing I had ever played before.


If I had gone to Yale, my grades in the spring would have been way better than the fall! 

Great topic, Tiger.

I`m with you John. Yale did it for me too.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Merion Golf Club.  It was the first upper echelon course that I had ever seen and it opened my eyes to a new world.

[jonathan_becker]

Merion Golf Club.  It was the first upper echelon course that I had ever seen and it opened my eyes to a new world.

+1 and I couldn't have put it any better myself. 

[Sean_A]

A lot of courses "changed my life".  It all depends where one is in life - its timing.  From most recently, Cleeve Cloud knocked me socks off.  Probably before that was Merion - I didn't know parkland golf could be that good.  Well before Merion there was the double barrel of Pennard and Kington.  These two, especially Kington, continue to dramatically shape my views on architecture.  Without Kington and would never have gotten my head round Cleeve Cloud.  Its incredible how much respect and admiration I have Kington.  Before the double barrel, it was probably North Berwick twentyish years ago.  Believe it or not, other than childhood courses, Troon was the first course as an adult that really had me wondering what I had playing all that time before. 

I am always looking for that wow moment, but I expect it will just sneak up on me like Kington and Cleeve Cloud did. 

Ciao

[Matthew Essig]

There are the Bandon courses that make me feel slightly special when I have been there (and they are truely special) but only Pebble Beach and Chambers Bay have truely put me in a state of awe and made my soul feel like I was somewhere special.     

[paul cowley]

Leatherstocking when about 15 after growing up on muni's.

[JC Urbina]

Tiger,

The first links course I saw was Prestwick in 1986, then I saw The National Golf Links of America soon after, both while I was working for the Dye family.

Two course that started my golf life.

[Ed Brzezowski]

71 Open at Merion. Never knew grass could get that green and pros could hit that far.

[Wayne Wiggins, Jr.]

There are truthfully two:

1. Prairie Dunes - That such an interesting golf course, with such a mix of cool holes could be found in such a "can't get there from here" place showed me that if it's good, people will find it and love it.

2. Desert Forest - Opened my eyes that golf courses don't need eye candy to be good.  In an environment (i.e. the desert) where eye candy seemed to be the norm (i.e. lots of bunkers, island greens and island fairways, waterfalls, target golf), I felt at DFGC that substance reigns over style everyday.

Still two of my favorite places.

WW