[Don Mahaffey]

When was the last time you were surprised by a golf course, in a good way?
Not in the manner of ranking or judging, just genuine surprise that brought some joy with it.

I remember the first time I played Kingsley. Punch bowls and rejection slopes, big greens on short holes, small green on long holes, seemingly impossible shots that were more golf intelligence test than execution examination, or were they just some sort of practical joke that had to be figured out? Kingsley was a very pleasant surprise.

We recently had a large group of visitors to Wolf Point. I think some were surprised by what they found. Again, not in a "quality way", but in a "this is different, different in a very fun way".

With all the rankings, facebook, internet marketing, and the rest, is it possible to be surprised by a golf course? To experience positive emotions that were unexpected?

[Blake Conant]

Cape Arundal surprised me.  I had no idea something like Cape Arundal could exist. 

[mike_beene]

The Gary Player linksy type course at the Cliffs in SC was a very pleasant surprise to me. I assumed it would be an overwatered unwalkable course. After playing it on 2 different trips it has been firm, fast walkable and a lot of fun.

[Sean_A]

While not totally surprised because I had seen pix, but Cumberwell Park Orange still put an unexpected smile my face...basic golf, but high quality which makes sense from a design and economic PoV.

The last course which took for me for a serious loop was Cleeve Cloud....it was from left field.

Ciao 
 

[Tim Leahy]

Heritage at Westmoor outside of Denver surprised me. Played there because it was close to a friends house that I was visiting. Didnt know anything about it and it was a challenging and beautiful links style course set in the foothills with great conditioning.

[Thomas Dai]

Cruit Island.

Expected just quirk but there's fine golf there as well - plus the craic location as well.

Once played, never forgotten.

see photo tour - http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,58468.0.html

atb

[Adam Lawrence]

The biggest surprise I ever had was the day in March 2006 when Gordon Irvine, Martin Ebert, Chris Haspell and I arrived at Askernish. Drive out onto the flat links, thinking: "This is OK but it's hardly what I was promised". Park car on seawall dune, walk south 50m and this expanse of huge dunes opens up before us. Chin on floor moment.

[Tom Kelly]

Meyrick Park.


I am surprised on quite a regular basis by how much potential so many 'average' run of the mill members courses have that is hidden beneath their dull exterior. Though as I feel I am seeing it so much perhaps I shouldn't be surprised anymore.

[Mark Pearce]

Lawsonia Links.  I don't know what I was really expecting but the scale and boldness of the design was magnificent and totally unexpected.

[Bruce Wellmon]

Aiken Golf Club surprised me big time.
I called Whitty on the way home. I remember saying it was like going to the circus, you never knew what was going to show up next.
AGC was great fun.

[Ian Andrew]

Glens Falls (Ross)

The strength of the landscape. The excellence and variety found within the holes. A couple of atypical choices that took two average greens sites to the status of sublime. When I go there, I keep playing till I run out of light ... that says volumes since I need usually to be three hours away for the next day's work.

It's in my own Top 100 and I had never heard of the course before working there.

[Jim Franklin]

Northland CC. I had not heard a lot about it and was floored by the course. Simply loved it.

[Eric Smith]

The Shore Course at MPCC. Its quite obviously a wonderland of golfing ground but the holes found on it deserve equal billing. I give the course a ton of credit for being able to sustain the highs from having played its more famous neighbor earlier in the day.

[Ben Hollerbach]

Pinehurst No. 3

Went there for a hickory tournament, after looking at it on paper I thought I would tear apart this 5400 yard course. After 4 or 5 holes I realized that was not going to be the case. Walked off the 18th green bruised and battered and ready to go around again.

[Jason Topp]

Chileno Bay surprised me.  I did not expect such a dramatic piece of land based on the views one gets from the road.

[Jim Hoak]

I have played a lot of golf in Ireland for an American--8-10 visits.  One day as a filler, I played Dooks.  I had never even heard of it before playing it.  It was terrific!  A real sleeper.

[Jeff Shelman]

Northland CC. I had not heard a lot about it and was floored by the course. Simply loved it.

I'm glad you listened and were willing to make the drive there.

I was very surprised by Beverly last summer. I knew it was good, but I certainly didn't think there would be that much elevation change and that much cool stuff.

[Benjamin Litman]

Brora. I had been told it was a quaint, small links, but the open, mountainous landscape made it feel huge. It quickly vaulted into my top 5.

[Tim Gavrich]

Windsor GC near Santa Rosa, CA. I played both Sonoma GC and Mayacama that same week and am not sure I found Windsor much less intriguing than either, but that's in large part because I wasn't expecting nearly as much from Windsor.

[Terry Lavin]

I'm not sure it was the last time I was surprised by a golf course, but I'd venture to say that the best surprise that I ever had here in Chicagoland was the first time that I played Exmoor.  I don't live on the North Shore, where it is located and although I had played most of the courses up there, nobody really talked that much about Exmoor, despite the fact that it had been around for 100 years.  From the first step into the Men's Locker Room to the walk off the 18th green, I was pleasantly surprised by all of it.  The Prichard restoration work felt very familiar as I had played Skokie and Beverly many times, but the land at Exmoor doesn't offer that much in the way of drama, so the routing and the clever mixing of holes and variety of greensites made up for whatever drama was lacking from the landforms.  It struck me as a golf course that could be set up to challenge very good players while still allowing for great everyday play from its members.  The only other course in town that evoked a similar effect was Edgewood Valley, a very underrated Bill Diddel design in the Western Suburbs.  16 really good holes.  Unfortunately, the last two are a bit compromised, but it is a terrific track.

[Greg Taylor]

Tobacco Road for me in terms of the routing and the greens... and Crystal Downs in terms of terror and speed of the greens.

Unfortunately with GCA there are very few surprises now... anyone else find that...?

[Ian Andrew]

Unfortunately with GCA there are very few surprises now... anyone else find that...?

I went to Enniscrone because of a profile on GCA.
But it never did the place justice.
I was still very surprised by what I saw and how shockingly good I found the golf to be.

I set out a while ago to play all the "other" links in the UK.
The less well-known and I have found I'm constantly surprised by what I find, occasionally more than on more famous courses.

Fraserburg was a great example of the last trip - the 13th is simply one of my favorite holes in golf.
Photos can't explain what its like to play across that landscape.

I hit 50 pitch and run approaches from about 150 to watch the ball run and see how many options I had.
(we were the crazies who played in a 40 mph. wind - so there were no other players out)
No photo tour ever teaches you how it plays.

[Peter Pallotta]

It's been several years since I was surpised (I don't get out much, I suppose). But when I played Mike's The Mines in Grand Rapids, a very affordably priced public course, I was pleasantly surprised to see that anyone could pack in so much architecture and variety and enjoyment and gentle challenge and charm into one course at such a good price point. Whether a quality and affordable course (or hundreds of courses) like The Mines would help 'save golf' I don't know -- but IMO they represent the right way to do things, and the proper/ideal role of the golf course architect, and so are of great value in and of themselves.

Peter

[Patrick_Mucci]

Don,

I'm surprised that it took you this long to adopt my truncated title style.

I'm further surprised that none of the usual morons objected to your abbreviated title.

I'm glad that you've finally seen the light.

For me, Pasatiempo was a delightful surprise for a number of reasons.

The course, the bunkering were simply spectacular and it was fun to play.

The trough in the middle of the fairway was really a neat and surprising feature.

The view of # 10 green as you reach the crest of the fairway was a great surprise, as was the 11th.

Each hole was a surprise in and of themselves, and collectively, the surprise was overwhelming.

What a great experience, what a surprise !

P.S.  Long live brevity in titles 😀

[David_Tepper]

"Windsor GC near Santa Rosa, CA. I played both Sonoma GC and Mayacama that same week and am not sure I found Windsor much less intriguing than either, but that's in large part because I wasn't expecting nearly as much from Windsor."

Tim G. -

Yes, Windsor is a pretty nice course, especially for a muni. The routing makes good use of the creeks, wetlands & trees that are on the property. I wish it was 20 miles closer to San Francisco! 

Windsor hosted a Hogan/Nike Tour event for a good number of years 10-20 years ago.

http://www.windsorgolf.com/

DT

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