Your Top 5 Most Pleasant Surprises

[Chris_Blakely]

If I recall correctly:

One is a very silly short par four with a blind tee shot and blind second second shot over the big hill that dominates the course and slopes from right to left.

Two is a fantastic par 3 over a chasm

Three is a par 4 that plays severely downhill to a green fronted (or backed?) by an old stone wall.

Four is about 280 yards completely blind uphill to a tiny, tiny green.

Five is a crazy dogleg that has a creek running down the left side and turns very sharply to the right.

Eight is also a par 5 that has a lot of elevation change. Reminds me a bit in style (obviously not in quality) of 8 at Augusta: elevated tee shot to a fairway that runs up a hill to a green tucked a bit to the left.

Blair definitely hits all of the buttons on the quirk scale. If I ever get up that way again, I'll do a photo tour.

Several of the holes sound about how I remember them.  I think hole #9 played from hill to hill tee to green, but I could be wrong.  I wnet in with low expectations.  My brother and I had planned to play two 9 hole courses that day and after playing the second course that day, we both agreed we should have played Blair twice.

I love quirky with golf courses, I can play the 400 yard slightly dogleg right / left hole with bunkers fronting the green anytime I want, I cannot play a course like Blair anytime I want.

I too toke photos, but I believe they were prior to me owning a digital camera.

Chris

[Matthew Petersen]

Jason

Cheers.  Did you get any pix of the 9 holer?

Ciao

Sean,

Peter Ferlica did a nice photo tour of all 27 here: http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,39880.0.html

[Greg Tallman]

Great call on Paiute Wolf.

Fun, fun, fun!!

Agreed. Had very little expectation but I walked away rather impressed. Some great variety, some typical Dye, always some wind... good stuff. Don't recall the hole number butu the quasi driveable hole with the green set to the right behind mounding was particularly interesting... could not really figure out how to play it.

I have played an awful lot of wonderful courses and would have to say the conditioning at Paiute was among the finest I have encountered. Unlimited water in then desert has its advantages. 
 

[Jim Hoak]

I was glad to see Dooks in Ireland on the original list and some others.  After playing golf in Ireland many times, I happened to play it.  I'd never even heard of it.  It was terrific!

[Michael Whitaker]

Great, surprising experiences:

Wilshire CC (Los Angeles, CA
Old Tabby (Beaufort SC)
Exmoor (suburban Chicago)
Pine Tree (Boynton Beach, FL)
Edgewood Valley (suburban Chicago) 

Terry - when did you last play Old Tabby? The course has been renovated in the past year and it is even better than before!!! Brandon Johnson of Arnold Palmer Design supervised the changes and he has moved the course up another notch or two by removing trees, creating more width, rebuilding/recontouring the greens, and changing the putting surfaces to mini-verdae. You need to see the "new" Old Tabby.

[John Mayhugh]

I agree with others who have noted how hard it is to be truly surprised given the amount of information we have available. My surprises tend to have been courses that I had heard some about but managed to clearly exceed expectations:

Royal Worlington & Newmarket
Southerndown
Pennard
Beau Desert
County Louth

[Bryan Icenhower]

North Berwick - my ground zero
Lederach - just completely different than everything else that I had played in the vicinity of where I grew up
Rivermont - drove by it literally 100s of times, talked golf in Atlanta many more times than that, and it never came up. Played it and joined, haven't been disappointed for a day since
Lawsonia - the other courses in Wisconsin get a lot more press, but came away a lot more impresses with this often overlooked course
Cape Cod National - had heard absolutely nothing about it, thought I would be disappointed not playing it's better know neighbor but had a lot of fun playing it

[Mark Pearce]

Charles River
Lawsonia Links
Kington
Golspie
Leven Links

[Michael Whitaker]

Here is a compilation of the courses mentioned so far. Those with more than one mention are highlighted. Those in RED must be off the chart!

Aiken - South Carolina
Aiken Golf Club (SC)
Alamance CC (so much fun around the greens)
Alwoodley. Did not know much about the course first time I played it but was blown away
Applebrook, PA, (Hanse)
Athens CC
Atlantic
Augusta CC
Ballybunion Cashen
Ballyliffin Old
Bandon Crossings- Bandon, Or
Bandon Trails (thought it was going to be the weakest course at the resort... turns out it was amazing and unique)
Bandon Trails. Agree with what Brian Freeman said
Beau Desert
Beau Desert - joyous heathland and wonderful Fowler greens
Belvedere -MI
Bethpage Black
Black Bull - MT
Black Mesa - I had high expectations and it exceeded them.  Much better than Paa Ko Ridge but at least some rankings have the order reversed.
Black Sheep
Blair Academy GC, Blairstownn, NJ, Duer Sewall
Blue Mound
Blue Mound - Wisconsin
Boone Golf Club (NC)
Brora - didn't think it would be that good, very special
Brora- A joy to play!
Burnham & Berrow (UK)
Burnham and Berrow
Cal Club - I didn't play the 'before' but the 'after' is absolutely fantastic
Caledonia Fish & Country Club
Callaway Gardens - Mtn. View (Wilson)
Camargo
Cape Cod National - had heard absolutely nothing about it, thought I would be disappointed not playing it's better know neighbor but had a lot of fun playing it
Capilano
Carnoustie - Neither ugly nor brutal
Cassique - SC
Castletown
Cavendish
CC of Greenfield, Greenfield, MA, Ralph Barton (made me think that Mr. Bahto was too hard on him)
CC of Scranton (PA) Travis
CC of Troy
Chambers Bay GC
Charles River
Charles River CC (Mass.) Ross
Citrus Course, Palm Springs CA- best non-traditional desert course I've ever played.
Cleeve Cloud
Connecticut National GC (Mungeam)
Copake CC (Emmet)
County Louth
County Louth
Coyote Crossing (West Lafayette, IN)
Crail Balcomie
Crooked Stick
Cruden Bay
Cruden Bay (knew it was good, didn't know how good)
Currituck
Cuscowilla- Ga
Dark Horse (Auburn, CA) - About as much fun as any course I've played.
Delemere Forest GC
Diamante - I had heard it was good but I was blown away (literally and figuratively)
Dismal River
Dismal River
Dismal River
Dismal River - Nebraska
Dooks
Dooks
Dooks
Dooks (Ireland)
Dunes Club - MI
Eastward Ho! CC (Mass.)  Fowler
Edgewood Valley (suburban Chicago)
Elgin
Elie
Ellie
Enniscrone
Enniscrone GC
Erin Hills
Erin Hills - I thought I'd probably like it but not love it. I loved it.
Essex County - NJ
Exmoor (suburban Chicago)
Exmoor, in 2011
Fancourt Links - I hadn't played a Gary Player course I considered 'great' until seeing this place - comparable to Whistling Straits
Fenway
Ferndown
Fiddlers Elbow GC
Flinders (Australia)
Forfar
Formby
Formby
Fowlers Mill
Garden City
Giants Ridge, Minn
Glens Falls CC
Glynn's Creek (Scott County, ,IA)
Golspie
Golspie - Far from a redheaded stepkid between Dornoch and Brora. Has the best par threes of that trio & great flow.
Granville
Greywalls
Gulfstream
Hardelot (Les Pins) - Tom Simpson is God.
Harrison Hills
Highland Links, Canada
Hope Valley
Hope Valley (NC)
Hyannisport
Idle Hour - Kentucky
Idle Hour (Lexington, KY) - I knew it was good, but had no idea it would be as good as it is.
Idle Hour (Macon, Georgia)
John's Island West
Kebo Valley
Kilspindie. My favourite course to play despite lack of length or how small the property is
Kingsbarns
Kingsbarns-Really liked it more than I thought I would.
Kingsley
Kingswood GC (NH)
Kington
La Quinta Mountain
Lahinch
Lawsonia - the other courses in Wisconsin get a lot more press, but came away a lot more impresses with this often overlooked course
Lawsonia Links
Lederach
Lederach - just completely different than everything else that I had played in the vicinity of where I grew up 
Leven Links
Liphook - England
Lisbon Village CC, Lisbon, NH, Ralphp Barton
Littlestone
Littlestone
Lu Lu
Luana Hills/Royal Hawaiian (not sure there's a more beautiful inland course)
Machrihanish Dunes
Marywood GC, Battle Creek, MI Maurice McCarthy
May River
May River - not what I have come to expect from Nicklaus courses.  I have typically found them boring or very difficult.  Since that time I have played some others that were very good so a Nicklaus design now means to me that the course will be in great condition and the design could fit anywhere within a wide spectrum. 
Meadow Club
Meadow Club - arguably the best kept 'secret' in the U.S in my opinion
Mid Ocean 
Mid Pines
Miner Hills
Misquamicut, RI. (Ross)
Mission Inn, Orlando
Monroe GC? Played it after Oak Hill. Again didn't know much about the course, and it was great.
Moraine
Morris County GC (NJ) Raynor
Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake
Muirfield - class, simply shear class, maybe even near perfection (?)
Murphy Creek
Nairn & Port Noo (prior to the new very narrow holes) - IRL
National
National Golf Links
National Golf Links
National Moonah
NCR South
Newport National GC
North Berwick - my ground zero
North Berwick (Wow!)
North Berwick-just awesome.
Northland- Duluth, MN
Old American
Old Elm
Old Elm
Old Tabby (Beaufort SC)
Old Works
Olympic (Lake) 2nd time around, in fall 2011.
Paiute Wolf - NV
Palatka GC, Fl- another hoot of a place to tee it.  Great value, scruffy, challenging to play, and welcoming locals...perfect!
Pasatiempo - I played it in the early 90's to save money during a visit to Monterey.  That was a surprise!
Pasatiempo - I was floored from 1 tee to 18 green.
Pastiempo, Calif
Pebble Beach
Pecan Valley (NLE) - I caught the course when it was in good condition due to a USGA event or something like that.  I was not expecting a lot but it was very good at that time.  
Pelican Waters
Peninsula North - Victoria
Pennard
Pennard
Pennard
Pennard
Pennard
Perranporth - memorably wild and wacky and crazy but just great fun
Pikewood National
Pine Dunes
Pine Tree (Boynton Beach, FL)
Plainfield, in 2004
Plantation (Ft. Myers)
Port Fairy
Portmahomack. Stumbled up on this course and just loved it. Fun little 9 holer
Portrush valley
Portsalon
Prairie Club (Dunes) - I really wasn't sure what to expect. I was blown away. It's in my personal Top 2.
Prairie Club Pines
Prairie Dunes
Prairie Dunes - One of the best five courses I have played, perfect terrain and fantastic variety and playability.
Prairie Dunes (thought it would be narrow puckerball all day)
Putterham Meadows
Rancho Santa Fe GC
Ravenna
Red Tail (MA)
Renaissance Club
Reunion Resort-Watson
Rivermont
Rivermont
Rivermont - drove by it literally 100s of times, talked golf in Atlanta many more times than that, and it never came up. Played it and joined, haven't been disappointed for a day since 
Rivermont (Ga)
Roaring Gap
Rock Creek Cattle Company
Royal Cinque Ports (England)
Royal Porthcawl GC
Royal Sydney
Royal Worlington
Royal Worlington & Newmarket 
Rye
Sakkonnet - RI
San Francisco Golf Club-I knew it was really good but it is GREAT
Sand Hollow (Utah)
Sand Hollow UT. Thought the course was a throw in after Mesquite, but it was a lot of fun.
Santa Teresa GC, in 1985 or so
Schaumburg GC
Seacroft - England
Seascale
Sebonack - Long Island
Shorty's - OR
Silloth
Silloth (England)
Silloth-on-Solway - But best that you don't play it from the ladies' tees like Muldoon and Arble...
Skokie GC
Sleepy Hollow (New York)
Southampton GC
Southampton Golf Club (restored)
Southampton 
Southerndown
Spring Creek Ranch
Spring Valley (WI)
St. Enodoc. Did not expect much but was really impressed
St. Georges GC (LI, NY) Emmet
St. Georges(NY)
St. Germain (France)
St. Marys CC, St. Marys, PA, Devereux Emmet
Stone Eagle, CA (Doak)
Strand hill - Ireland
Sugarloaf CC (PA) (Cornish)
Tain
Tamarack CC (CT)
The Balsams - Panorama Course, Dixville Notch, NH, Donald Ross (kind of got it all started with me 
The Cardinal Club
The Dunes Club Myrtle Beach. I had played a few years in a row in Myrtle and did not know this classic course existed.
The Glen
The Golf Club
The Golf Club
The Island
The New course
Thistle (best hidden gem in Myrtle)
Timuquana CC
Tobacco Rd
Tobacco Road
The Old Course
TOC - never thought the start and finish were so much 'in the town' and sooo tranquil out by the Eden
Tokatee GC, in 1980
TPC Sawgrass (really a great design...thought it would be a gimmick)
Trump Bedmimster
Tullymore
Turtle Point - Alabama
Twin Hills
Valley Club of Montecito
Vermont National GC (Nicklaus)
Wallasey
Wanumetonomy
Waveland (Des Moines, IA)
Webhannet
West Lancs
Wexford (SC) 
Wexford Plantation
Wexford Plantation- Hilton Head, SC
Whirlpool
Wick great value links experience
Wilshire CC (Los Angeles, CA
Winged Foot East (thought it would just be boring, tree lined, long)
Wishaw
Wolf Point
Wolf Point
Wolf Run
Woodhall Spa - an incredible piece of architecture that reminded me of Pine Valley in many ways
Woodlands - walked on during an afternoon when my kids were at the zoo.  I was bowled over by the bunkering and the interesting holes such as the 4th and 15th.  
Woodlands GC - Australia
Yale, Conn

[Brent Hutto]

It's hard for me to be pleasantly surprised by a golf course because frankly, if I bother to show up in the first place it's because I expected it to be worth playing. That said, for all my generally high expectations I am almost never seriously disappointed.

I do have a top-two list of pleasant surprises related to golf, both on the same occasion. On the day I arrived in England for my 2010 trip, I took the train from Gatwick and Mark Chaplin picked me up near where he lives so that we could go play at Crowborough Beacon. That was no surprise, it was pre-arranged due to Mark generous hospitality. The first surprise was exiting the train station to find not only Chappers but Scott Warren as well who had taken the afternoon off work to play with us. The second surprise was while changing in the locker room at the golf course to find that Craig Disher had also arrived. I didn't even know he was in the country that week!

By comparison, it is hard for a mere golf course to stack up against a day like that with friends expected and unexpected.

[Jason Topp]

Jason

Cheers.  Did you get any pix of the 9 holer?

Ciao

I know I took a couple but they do not seem to be on Photobucket.  The course does not photograph real well because it is pretty low profile.  Nonetheless, it is a pleasant walk.

[Brad Tufts]

Neat compilation Mike!

Here are my five...

Harrison Hills, IN....heard it was neat, and played it on a deserted weekday and was very glad I made the effort.

CC of Greenfield, MA...randomly stopped in one day and this place is a short and quirky New England classic...rocks, train tracks, blind shots, streams, beautiful wooded areas, undulation...just fun.

Essex County, MA...my formative "oh my God" moment as a 14-yr old in 1995.

Northeast Harbor, ME...5500 yards of fun.  Quirky, mind-bending, exclusive most of the time, and hard to get to!

Cape Arundel, ME...a later "oh my God" moment...great, great stuff...plus tradition, stories, and a gorgeous setting.

Honorable mention:  Trophy Club, IN...Four Mile Ranch, CO...Highland Links, MA...Shennecossett, CT...Wailua, HI.

[Mark Saltzman]

Soule Park this morning was surprisingly pleasant.

[Michael Whitaker]

It's hard for me to be pleasantly surprised by a golf course because frankly, if I bother to show up in the first place it's because I expected it to be worth playing. That said, for all my generally high expectations I am almost never seriously disappointed.

I do have a top-two list of pleasant surprises related to golf, both on the same occasion. On the day I arrived in England for my 2010 trip, I took the train from Gatwick and Mark Chaplin picked me up near where he lives so that we could go play at Crowborough Beacon. That was no surprise, it was pre-arranged due to Mark generous hospitality. The first surprise was exiting the train station to find not only Chappers but Scott Warren as well who had taken the afternoon off work to play with us. The second surprise was while changing in the locker room at the golf course to find that Craig Disher had also arrived. I didn't even know he was in the country that week!

By comparison, it is hard for a mere golf course to stack up against a day like that with friends expected and unexpected.

You've missed the whole point of the thread, but I like your story. There are a lot of nice guys on this site.

You need to arrange a game with Carl Johnson. 

[David Davis]

Whitaker's young bloke is also the kind of progeny you'd expect from that bloodline.

As for golf courses, five greatest pleasant surprises:

Silloth-on-Solway - But best that you don't play it from the ladies' tees like Muldoon and Arble...
Pasatiempo - I was floored from 1 tee to 18 green.
Prairie Dunes - One of the best five courses I have played, perfect terrain and fantastic variety and playability.
Hardelot (Les Pins) - Tom Simpson is God.
Golspie - Far from a redheaded stepkid between Dornoch and Brora. Has the best par threes of that trio & great flow.

Good call on Pasa - my thoughts exactly of a place that looks way better in real life than pics suggest. Amazing architecture and they also do a burger dog identical to that at Olympic!

What? They also do a burger dog? Can't believe I missed that. Hearing that may be one of my most unpleasant post golf surprises....

[Chris Shaida]

Wexford
Caledonia
Woking
St Georges (LI)
Shelter Island CC aka 'Goat Hill' (first round of golf in my life, was really surprised I wanted to do it again...)

[can't wait to see Old Tabby]

[Bart Bradley]

In no particular order:

The Island
Twin Hills
May River
Augusta CC
Atlantic

I happened to be playing with you at 3 of the 5.  Maybe it was the company or perhaps you were pleasantly surprised that the company didn't spoil the round  .

Bart

[Phil McDade]

Fraserburgh (Scotland) -- heard it was good, much better than I expected. Don't rate it by the first or last holes -- the "interior" of the course is terrific links.

Stonehaven (Scotland) --known as somewhat over the top, it exceeded my expectations for quirk (and I have a high tolerance for quirk). A blast to play -- utterly strange and goofy at times, but you can't help but have fun there (or at least I did). Bonus points for the wonderful old clubhouse.

West Bend, front nine (Wisconsin) -- probably the least-known of Langford's work in Wisconsin, a really great collection of holes.

The Brute (Grand Geneva, WI -- the former Playboy Club) -- an R.B. Harris design that is not as awful as the reputation of its designer. In fact, it's pretty good -- bold bunkering, interesting use of terrain, and some risk/reward. Three solid closing holes.

Okoboji View (Spirit Lake, Iowa) -- near the Okoboji chain of lakes in northwestern Iowa, I played it on a lark expecting hardly anything.  Lots of fun at 6,100 yards, with several solid holes making good use of the rolling (former) farmland.

[Scott Warren]

Brent - that was a hell of a fun day. I still remember the look on the pro's face when he was told he had to have a bright pink shirt with the Crowborough logo on it. That was a course that gave me a bit of a surprise. I'd happily play it every week.

Whitaker - Thanks for compiling that. I must be fairly predictable - four of my five got multiple mentions!

[Sean_A]

Brian

Strandhill is a good shout.  I was very surprised how good and very pretty the course is.  It has as many high points as lot of much more expensive courses. 

For those that chose Pennard, why didn't you expect much?  I know I didn't expect much because I didn't hear much about the course - only what Doak wrote.

Ciao 

[Brent Hutto]

Brent - that was a hell of a fun day. I still remember the look on the pro's face when he was told he had to have a bright pink shirt with the Crowborough logo on it. That was a course that gave me a bit of a surprise. I'd happily play it every week.

I love that shirt. I wore it during a round of golf just week before last. I also have a similar pink one from Royal St. Georges...

As I recall, the course has a couple of slightly "long slog" straight holes on the back nine but otherwise quite good variety and quite a few holes with either interesting tee shots or interestingly placed greens. Nice clubhouse back patio overlooking miles of countryside, too.

[Michael Whitaker]

For those that chose Pennard, why didn't you expect much?  I know I didn't expect much because I didn't hear much about the course - only what Doak wrote.

Ciao 

Sean - I don't anyone can be properly prepared or conditioned for their first visit to Pennard!

[Nigel Islam]

My five:

Erin Hills: I did not think I would like it, but it was a very good course. Definitely polarizing though as my friend hated it.
Harrison Hills: Played it after i screwed up the Terre Haute bypass going up to Crystal Downs. Saw it and we couldn't resist.
Cal Club: This course has to be a top 50 course in the country doesn't it?
Bethpage Black: Its just such a good course with a great aura. The 5:30 round was unfortunately as expected though.
Kentucky Dam: Very solid golden age course that is now run by the state.

[Jonathan Sirois]

Hi all,

I've been a close follower of the site for about a year and I'm happy to make some contributions of my own.

1. Highland Links - North Truro, MA
2. The Royal and Ancient Chappaquiddick Links - Edgartown, MA
3. Wanumetonomy - Middletown, RI
4. Metropolis Golf Club - North White Plains, NY
5. Red Tail - Devens, MA

Cheers,
Jon

[Jonathan Sirois]

1. Newport National GC
2. The Cardinal Club
3. Reunion Resort-Watson
4. Chambers Bay GC
5. Fiddlers Elbow GC

Sincerely,
Brian Colbert

I totally agree about Newport National - it's one of my favorites! I think its routing is quite smart, and you notice this when you are about to tee off and you think to yourself, "How did I get here?". The short par-four fifth ranks among the most fun holes I have played in quite some time.