What's in a Name?

[JDoyle]

I am playing in a charity event at Wannamosisett in Providence on Monday; and the name of the course got me thinking about what a great name that is for a golf course.  Most of the older courses were named for their location, however, modern course seem to choose a name for marketing reasons - usually with dismal results.  The names are too bland and politically correct - as if they were the least objectionable after an enormous poll.

IMHO, a good name can help add to a course's magic, allure and mystique.  The name obviously doesn't make the design any better, but all things being equal I am initially more intrigued by a course named Old Kinderhook, Secession or Paa-Ko Ridge than Royal Oak or the Meadows. Terrific courses like Crystal Downs, Shinnecock and Black Mesa become even more interesting when the name seems to match the quality of the course.

I think this is especially true when you have yet to play the course and are left to your imagination.


What are some of your favorite course names, regardless of the quality of the course?

What are some of the poorly names courses you wish you could change?

[Patrick_Mucci]

JDoyle,

Many good golf courses were named after the city where they're located, usually, these are the older golf courses.

[Joel_Stewart]

Or close to some type of monument such as Cypress Point or the local indian tribe.

[JLahrman]

Poorly named is most anything that starts with The:

ESPECIALLY:

"The Challenge at..."

Gack.  No matter how good the course is, the challenge would be keeping my lunch down for 18 holes.

Also reeking of crappiness is any course here in the Midwest with "Links" anywhere in its name.

I do like the ones named after physical features.  I like learning local geography simply by knowing where the courses are.

[Andrew_Roberts]

Never seen the course but personally I like the name of the new golf course.



C-H-U-C-K-A-N-U-T

Maybe after I have played Bill Overdorf's Course than I might understand the name?

[Michael Moore]

Someone enjoyed the Maine names a while back - here's a reprint

Mingo Springs
Grindstone Neck
Cape Arundel
Kebo Valley
Poland Springs
Northeast Harbor
Prout's Neck
Nonesuch River
Causeway Club

[THuckaby2]

Those Maine names are FANTASTIC.  OK, it is now a life goal to play Nonesuch River.  In fact, I now want that a logo shirt/hat/whatever from there more than any place on this planet.

I can't think of any really good names for courses here in CA... Cypress Point is cool, yes... but we may well lead the nation in boring names... can't think of any bad ones really, but I will chime in with this:  anything that begins with "the bridges" seems to be really lame.

TH

[JohnV]

There is a course near Wilmington DE called Three Little Bakers.  I'm curious to see what it is.  I might have to check it out when I go out for the US Mid-Am next month.

I always like the name Pumpkin Ridge because it was named after an existing feature, but I always hated the marketing names Witch Hollow and Ghost Creek.  Originally the courses were called West and East and I liked that much better.

[Mike Benham]

I can't think of any really good names for courses here in CA...

Puh-leezzee (I copied that spelling from you ...), how could you miss ...

Pasatiempo ... perfect ... (and I like the logo too!)

I would also nomincate Winchechester only if their logo included 2 rifles in a x pattern with the catch-phrase "Play fast or we will use a Winchester to remind you to"

[THuckaby2]

Me so stupid.  Muchas gracias, Senor.  Si, Pasatiempo es muy bueno.

And I like that idea re Winchester, also!

TH

[Scott_Burroughs]

John,

Three Little Bakers is named after the dinner theater on site.


A course that may either be NLE or under new ownership/name was in PA, I believe, was "This-L-Du GC".

Myrtle Beach owns the 'different' name arena:

The Witch
Man-O-War
Wicked Stick
Thistle
Lion's Paw
Tiger's Eye
Raccoon Run
Legends
True Blue
The Pearl
Possum Trot
Lockwood Folly
The Gauntlet
Wild Wing
The Wizard
Angel's Trace
Barefoot Resort
Crow Creek
Burning Ridge

[John Nixon]

Shank and Coffin are personal Indianapolis muni faves of mine.

[JDoyle]

Mike Moore,

Those ME names are great.  They couldn't be from anywhere else.

Scott B,

"Wild Wing.....you move me"

I also like that course in WV that Turboe discovered - Twisted Gun....now that's a shirt to buy.

[Michael Dugger]

Seems that Wildhorse is slightly overused now days.  There must be fifty of them.

I love Jack's OLD WORKS in Montana.


 

[JDoyle]

mdugger,

How about your thread on "Pronghorn".....now that's gotta be a top ten worst name.  How does the pro shop answer the phone with a straight face?!!

[Mike_Cirba]

A relatively new course in NE PA is called Alfortene GC.

Evidently, the owners wanted to build a course that required one to use "all fourteen" clubs in the bag.  

I'm not sure if it's clever or annoying.  

[Michael Dugger]

Yes yes, I fully agree.  Prognhorn?  

Another fav of mine is the 2nd course I helped build, Dragon Ridge, outside Vegas.  In the beginning it was to be the Macdonald Ranch Country Club.  However, one day one of the suits thought that a bluff of rocks above the course looked like a DRagon??

Dragon Ridge?  You tell me?

 

[Mike_Cirba]

Some other "interesting" names of courses I've played...

Aronimink (gotta love Indian names)
Ballyowen (ugh...at least they didn't go with their first impulse which was "Ballybunion"...can you imagine?)
Beach Club (about 10 miles from the ocean)
Brackenridge Park (something down and dirty about that name that makes me think of a Texas Old west town)
Colts Neck (wait...another animal neck coming up)
Conklin Players Club (is this only players from Conklin, or..oh nevermind)
Coronado (names of explorers are usually worthy)
Dyker Beach (it's New Yorkey)
Edinburgh USA (would St. Andrews USA be any less irritating)
Emanon (no name, spelled backwards)
En-Joie (if they make any more changes to try to accommodate the pro tournament, they'll ensure that no one does)
Fenway (no, it's not in Boston, but it has that nostalgic ring)
Flying Hills (oh, can they really??)
Great Hope (so remote in MD that they hope people find it)
Hendricks Field (I like the word "field" in golf course names...it's usually an optimistic sign, like.."oh they're down there playing in Hendricks Field)
Hog Neck (see...I told you another animal's neck was coming!)  

I'll see if I can come up with more later.  

[Patrick_Mucci]

JAL,

What do you think of:

The Creek
The Golf Club

good or bad courses ??  

JDoyle & MDugger,

The Pronghorn is a mammal indigenous to the treeless parts of western North America, that resembles an antelope.

If the golf course was in Florida or Maine it might be out of place, but it seems to fit in this case.

[Michael Moore]

Mr. Huckaby -

Are you one of those logo-crazed merchandise-happy Big City Golfers?

Shoot me an e and maybe we can get you a t-shirt or something.

[Mike_Sweeney]

Are you one of those logo-crazed merchandise-happy Big City Golfers?

Michael,

I've got to start copywriting this stuff.

I really like the name of a frequent target here at GCA. The Bridge was known as "The Bridge" for 30-40 years, and was a famous antique race car raceway before it became a golf course. I also think that the State of Rhode Island could give Maine a run for its money with unique names, mainly of Indian heritage. I also like Tobacco Road and Cobb's Creek.

Of course Pine Valley screws up this entire theory.

[DTaylor18]

Although the season is only about a week long, I like Oxbow, which is in Fargo, North Dakota.  I'm also partial to Carnegie Abbey in Rhode Island.

[brad_miller]

The Bridge vs Friar's Head, name alone give me FH all day

[Mike_Sweeney]

Brad,

Probably a little too much information, but here is a quote from a paper on the history of Friar's Head (the beach area, not the golf course).

"The large dune called Friar's Head was so named when sailors saw a similarity to an elevated, exposed dune area encircled by dwarf Beech Trees."

http://pbisotopes.ess.sunysb.edu/reports/dunes/

I have never played it, but Rip Van Winkle has to be good !!

[JLahrman]

Pat, that's why I was careful to say "most anything" rather than "anything".  I don't hold the name against the course anyway.  The Experience at Goat Run might be the best course in town.  I just don't have to like the name.  I find that the "The" courses typically forgettable crappy CCFADs.