Your favorite course within 50 miles of your home

[Jeff Shelman]

So there's much talk on here about people's favorite course and that's great. But it tends to always lead to conversations about the same courses.

I like to learn about different courses in different places in the country and the world. Maybe we'll learn about some cool places. So I'll go first.

Course: White Bear Yacht Club
Architect: Donald Ross
Classic or modern: Classic
Why?: There is a number of fun holes that require thought. There are great green complexes. It usually plays firm and fast.

[Sean_A]

Cleeve Cloud
Archie - who knows, but Dr Mac had a say
Classic course
Very fun course on top of a hill.  Plays pretty dry, has some unusual features and holes, cheap green fee and a tough to beat beautiful location

Honourable Mentions strongly influenced by Colt's work

Oxford GC
Edgbaston GC
Whittington Heath GC
Harborne GC

Painswick GC - just because

Little Aston


Ciao

[Jon Wiggett]

Difficult one.

The one I play the most is Brahan. The most enjoyable is either Castle Stuart, Abernethy or Boat of Garten. I also enjoy playing Dornoch, Golspie, Tain, Nairn and Portmahomack.

Jon

[Matt Waidmann]

Blue Ash Golf Course.
Architect: Kidwell/Hurdzan
Modern or classic?  Modern
Why?  It's a municipal course that is always in good condition, has strategy all over the place, puts a premium on ball striking, has wonderful rolling terrain, great bunkering, undulating greens, and solid rates for walkers on a course of this caliber.  If this was a private club it would the most highly sought after membership in Cincinnati behind Camargo I believe.

[Adam Lawrence]

Quite an interesting question. I just used http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-from-uk-postcode.htm to draw a 50 mile circle around my home, as I wasn't quite sure what would and would not be included. As it turns out, most of the big Surrey/Berkshire courses are in, though St George's Hill would lose holes 12-16 - the 50 mile limit passes through green 11! There isn't a links within 50 miles of me - Hayling Island would be the closest, at about seventy miles.

[Sean_A]

Quite an interesting question. I just used http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-from-uk-postcode.htm to draw a 50 mile circle around my home, as I wasn't quite sure what would and would not be included. As it turns out, most of the big Surrey/Berkshire courses are in, though St George's Hill would lose holes 12-16 - the 50 mile limit passes through green 11! There isn't a links within 50 miles of me - Hayling Island would be the closest, at about seventy miles.

Good that, I was going to use it, then thought better of it.  When I become an eagle (don't laugh, its my retirement plan) I will skip using roads.

Ciao

[archie_struthers]

 


Strictly from the challenge , Galloway . Alas, PVGC is 54 miles away,

[Chris DeToro]

Interesting topic--

Course:  Battle Creek CC
Architect:  Willie Park
Classic or modern:  Classic built in 1919
Why:  The greens.  The course isn't terribly long for today's standard, but the greens are huge, undulating and very quick which still provides great defense to scoring

[BCowan]

Interesting topic--

Course:  Battle Creek CC
Architect:  Willie Park
Classic or modern:  Classic built in 1919
Why:  The greens.  The course isn't terribly long for today's standard, but the greens are huge, undulating and very quick which still provides great defense to scoring

+1, but Mapquest says it is 79 miles from A2.  I know the sticklers won't allow me to go 29 miles over.  So, I will go with

Western GCC
Donald Ross
A Hills
Why- The course has great natural features, change of elevation, needs to be restored.  Very underrated course.

[David Whitmer]

Live in Cincinnati. My favorite, by a landslide, is Camargo. Followed by NCR South, Moraine, Kenwood, and Clovernook.

[Josh Bills]

Course: Urbana Country Club (Ohio)
Architects: Paul Dye and P.B. Dye
Classic or modern: Yes
Why?: Set in some rolling hills, the original 9 was done by Pete's father and the new nine done by P.B.  The greens are always in great shape and they still don't take tee times.  While I grew up in Urbana, I grew up playing a public course, Woodland G.C. and always enjoyed any chance I got to play UCC, and still do. 

[Ed Brzezowski]

Pine Valley
Both Merions
Philly Cricket
Gulph Mills
Philly CC

Except for playoff hockey  Phillys a great place to be.

[Paul Jones]

Course: Oakbourne CC
Architects: Dick Wilson
Classic or Modern: Classic (1955)
Why?  I love the short Par 4s and variety.  I also really enjoy the staff and members, we have a wonderful club. I am a homer for picking this one since I am a member.

[Ben Jarvis]

Course: Royal Melbourne West
Architect: Dr Alister MacKenzie
Classic or Modern: Classic (1931)
Why: Quite simply, it's the best

[Ian Andrew]

Hayling Island would be the closest, at about seventy miles.

Where I first lived ... always been on my must play for emotional reasons and one particularly interesting par three I've always wanted to see



For me, despite Hamilton Country Club being closer by, I will drive to the very limit for Lookout Point CC
One of the more quirky and fun layouts in Ontario .... must use the ground to score ... and some great Travis greens
Throw in the best opening shot in Canada and I'm there

[Jim Sherma]

50 miles does not bring the Philly courses or Baltimore CC into my area. The following three courses within the area that are clearly at the top of the food chain are as follows:

CC of York: Donald Ross
Lancaster CC: William Flynn
Hershey CC West: Maurice McCarthy
(I still need to make it up to CC of Scranton)

These three courses are all very high quality in my opinion and difficult to strongly choose one over the others. All are classic courses with a lot of good stuff going on in their designs and presentation. I play Hershey all of the time and can't decide if my bias is to the overrate or underrate it through familiarity. Very strong course with a load of character and many fun shots. Possibly the least interesting land, but even the flatter holes have some very nice architectural work to bring good interest to the shots that are being asked for.  Lancaster is one of the finest courses I've ever played. Great routing and everything that is good about Flynn. Those that play here regularly are very fortunate. The land is wonderful and the back nine especially is a run of golf at the highest level. York is a really classy Ross course that I have liked more each of the times that I have played it. Really good land with one great green complex after the next.

All three courses are very good examples of old school parkland layouts. None have trees impacting the playing corridors and all offer a great challenge in a great setting. If I had to choose one it would be Lancaster based on the back nine being probably the best sustained stretch across the three courses. It also may have the highest quality of each course's weaker holes although I don't think that York or Hershey hasve any real duds that offer nothing of interest given the available natural attributes.

[Kevin_D]

I live in New York City so a lot of great options within 50 miles.

Guilty of being a homer, but my favorite course is Wykagyl. Classic. Architect: Lawrence van Etten, with changes by Ross, Tillinghast, and more recently, Coore & Crenshaw.  Very challenging without kicking you in the teeth (or elsewhere), lot of elevation changes, interesting greens, cool bunkering, every hole unique, somewhat unusual 5 par 5 and 5 par 3 layout.

That said, if I had to look beyond my home course, I might call "most underrated" Plainfield Country Club, which I had the pleasure of playing this past weekend. Classic. Architect: Ross. Ribbon-like fairways that reminded me of Crystal Downs, elevation changes and snaking fairways that reminded me of National, and amazing green complexes, many with huge false fronts and "backstops". The finish is simply outstanding. I knew the course was supposed to be very good, but was surprised how interesting and full of quirk it was. I haven't played a ton of top 100 world courses, but based on the ones I have played Plainfield strikes me as being easily on the list, and probably closer to 50 than 100.

[jonathan_becker]

Course: Canton Brookside
Architect: Ross / Silva resto
Classic or Modern: Classic
Why?: Best set of greens in Ohio

[BCowan]

Mr Becker,

    Haven't played Brookside, but have you played Inverness?

[Ian Mackenzie]

Chicago Golf Club
Shore Acres
Glen View Club

[jonathan_becker]

Mr Becker,

    Haven't played Brookside, but have you played Inverness?

Yep.  A couple times

[BHoover]

Mr Becker,

    Haven't played Brookside, but have you played Inverness?

Yep.  A couple times

Have you ever been called "Mr. Becker" before?

I would have picked Brookside too, but I live too damn far away to make that statement.

[BCowan]

thank you Mr Hoover

[Cory Lewis]

Course: Dormie Club
Architect: Coore & Crenshaw
Classic or modern: Modern
Why?:  Greens are so good that it's a different experience every time you play the course.

[jonathan_becker]

Have you ever been called "Mr. Becker" before?

Only by mistake....