Top 10 Courses Played in 2018

[Daryl David]

Chronologically


MPCC Dunes
Clear Creek
Philadelphia Cricket Club
De Pan
Lofoten Links
Valdres (9 hole)
Bro Hof Slott Castle
Falsterbo
Mossy Oak
Wine Valley


Honorable mention


Gearhart Golf Links
Old Waverly
Country Club of Birmingham
Silvies Craddick and Hankins

I'd like to hear more about Lofoten. As a Norwegian I am intrigued. I have wanted to go Lofoten for a long time anyway. The area looks stunning. With golf I have to be certain I get there now. What is the experience like?

Check out Darius Oliver’s write up on Lofoten. I pretty much agree with his comments and he says it much better than I could.


https://www.planetgolf.com/courses/norway/lofoten-links-golf-club


Lofoten Island is definitely an amazing place to visit even without golf. With summer making golf possible 24 hours a day, it’s for sure a unique experience.

[Jeff Shelman]

Here are mine in chronological order:
Desert Mountain OutlawCarolina GC
WBYCStreamsong (all three)
Windsong FarmOlympia Fields (both)
Davenport CCShaughnessey GCBlue MoundFox Chapel

[jeffwarne]

NEW courses of 2018
Bandon Trails
Pacific Dunes
Old MacDonald
Morfontaine.
Chantilly
Strandhill
Lundin
Aberfoyle
Liphook
Blackmoor
West Sussex
Hayling
Stoneham
Broadstone
Suburban
Powelton Club
Ohoopee


NEW 9 holers of 2018
Valiere
Anstruther
Gairloch
Durness


Biggest positive surprises?
Suburban and Powelton(both in competition)-had never heard of Powelton and Suburban is in Newark....


Favorite new?
While an incredible year for new golf, and a fair number of great repeats(Donegal again),
Durness-combination of Scotland and Big Sky Montana-
but Valierre gave it a run for the money
Broadstone probably my favorite new 18 holer

[AChao]

I didn't play that much golf this year, but I got to play some great ones I hadn't played before.  The five that stood-out in no particular order are Seminole, Crystal Downs, Oakland Hills, Gozzer Ranch, and Nanea.

[Chad Anderson (Tennessee)]

Tennessee Chad,


When do you get your drivers license? I'm motivated by the localized flavor of your list to stay closer to home this year.

When you are lucky to play the best of TN it does have that flavor!


I did sneak in golf in Tampa, Virginia and Sea Island in my Top 10, plus Colorado and Tampa made my honorable mention.  I also played in Orlando and Miami this year, but nothing to get too excited about.


2019 I get my drivers license and I can't wait - gonna be a big year!

[Sean_A]

Eric

I continue to be intrigued by your love affair with Tyrone Hills.

My favourites, nearly an all England cast this year with a two notable exceptions.

North Berwick
Kington
Cavendish
Elie
Pulborough...wow
Princes...I fail to understand why Shore/Dunes isn't much more respected
Beau Desert...new found admiration and respect
Cleeve Cloud
Appleby...play it
Minch Old

Merry Christmas

SEan it seems you have challenging relationship with Beau Desert. Sometimes you seem disappointed with the course. Is it how the course is prepared that causes that?

Things are getting better, but BD has a ways to go in terms of presenting the course more in the manner Fowler intended.  First issue is trees..too, many and without purpose. Second issue is the awful bunkering. When doing the bunkers the cut lines can be addressed.


Ciao

[Mark Chaplin]

Quiet year for me;


The Old Course
Deal
Sunningdale Old
Royal St George’s
Carnoustie
Kingsbarns
The New Course
Worplesdon
The Castle Course
Kingarrock


The Castle Course really grew on me, I looped around 50 times and started to appreciate it more after 20 or so.

[MKrohn]

Only one trip outside Australia this year.


Home:
Victoria GC
Kooralbyn Valley
Barwon Heads


Sth Africa
Fancourt Links
Humewood


France
Morfontaine
Chantilly (Vineuil)
Fountainbleau
Saint Cloud
Saint Nom la Breteche

[jvisser]

New courses in 2018
UKDornoch
BroraGolspieTainLadybank
Europe continent
Royal Zoute (B)
Ravenstein (B)Golf du Bercuit (B)
Hardelot Les Dunes (F)
Bonmont (CH)
Stippelberg (NL)
The Links Valley (NL)

[Tim Martin]

Sleepy Hollow
Engineers
Rolling Green
Cape Arundel
Yale
Whitemarsh Valley
Glens Falls
Hollywood
Dedham Polo Club
Fenway


No particular order

[Eric Smith]

Eric

I continue to be intrigued by your love affair with Tyrone Hills.

Sean,


I was able to play Tyrone over four days this summer, sleeping in an RV parked just off the 9th green - it is a wonderful course routed over some good golf land with really only one bad hole in my estimation, that blind dog leg right on the back - I think its #12?

I see that Mammoth Dunes and Straits course aren’t on your list.  Did you play them?  Or do they not make your 10?

Yeah, Dan, I have only been able to play the preview holes at Mammoth so I didn't list it. As for Straits, it was full the day I was in town, so I played the Irish.

[Criss Titschinger]

I played many more 18 hole rounds outside of my club this year, which really made me question the club membership. Turns out being a soccer coach for two teams really bites into your time from late July to mid-October.

Top 10 in chronological order

Moraine
Miami Valley
Kiawah (Ocean Course)
Charleston Muni
The Vineyard
White Bear Yacht Club
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
Giants Ridge (Quarry)
Northland
Victoria National

[Chris Oldham]

Unfortunately didn't get to play any golf with Chad this year, but was a good year for golf anyway.


In no particular order:
-Askernish
-The Machrie
-Machrihanish
-Machrihanish Dunes
-Shiskine
-Brodick
-Dunaverty
-Dornoch
-Fortrose & Rosemarkie
-the always enjoyable Egwani Farms

[Richard Fisher]

Top Ten in 2018 (in no special order after the first one)

T O C
Porthcawl
Harlech
Aberdovey
Goswick
Askernish
Swinley Forest
Woking
Huntercombe
Berkshire Red

Next Ten (ditto - no special order)
Berkshire Blue
Royal Ashdown Forest
Lindrick
Piltdown
Luffness New
Gullane 1
Tadmarton
Northants County
Dunstanburgh Castle
Borth

[Rick Emerson]

Chronological
Mid Pines
Dormie
Culver Academies
Sand Valley
Mammoth Dunes
Lawsonia
Royal St. George’s
Royal Cinq Ports
Rye
Royal Ashdown Forest

[Mark Greer]

1. Friar's Head2. Shinnecock3. Riviera4. LACC North5. Congaree6. Winged Foot West7. Crystal Downs8. Hudson National9. Rock Creek Cattle Co.10. Interlachen

[Chad Anderson (Tennessee)]

Unfortunately didn't get to play any golf with Chad this year, but was a good year for golf anyway.


In no particular order:
-Askernish
-The Machrie
-Machrihanish
-Machrihanish Dunes
-Shiskine
-Brodick
-Dunaverty
-Dornoch
-Fortrose & Rosemarkie
-the always enjoyable Egwani Farms

We need to fix that in 2019!  Gotta play some golf together.

[Brad Engel]

2018 was a great year that provided many opportunities to check out a bunch of new courses by a range of architects both classic and modern. That said, my two greatest golf moments didn't even involve me holding a club. Our first son (and hopefully my future match play partner) was born in July and got to walk the Old Course on a Sunday in June.




1) Seminole
2) Essex County Club
3) The Country Club
4) Kirtland Country Club
5) Streamsong Red
6) Moraine
7) Streamsong Blue
8 ) Boston Golf Club
9) Streamsong Black
10) Devil’s Paintbrush

[Michael George]

Didn't play much golf this year. 

Top 2 (both very special places with great, interesting golf)

Sleepy Hollow
Jasper Park

Next 8

Country Club Pepper Pike
Mountaintop
Winged Foot West
Hudson National
Diamond Creek
Canterbury
Banff Springs
Grandfather
 

[Paul Jones]

In alphabetical order:


ANGC
Camargo
Mid Pines
Moraine
Oakmont
Philadelphia Cricket (Wissahickon)
Pikewood Natl
Pinehurst 4
Rock Creek Cattle
Streamsong (Black)
Wilshire


Crap, I cannot count - that is 11.

[Tim Martin]

Didn't play much golf this year. 

Top 2 (both very special places with great, interesting golf)

Sleepy Hollow
Jasper Park

Next 8

Country Club Pepper Pike
Mountaintop
Winged Foot West
Hudson National
Diamond Creek
Canterbury
Banff Springs
Grandfather

Canterbury is way up there on my wish list after playing some of Herbert Strong’s other courses over the years. He certainly put the “B” in bold to the point where contempories including Walter Travis criticized some of his holes as “too severe”. Travis was certainly no wallflower when it came to wild greens/holes so it would really be interesting to see what some of said holes looked/played like in their original form.

[Jud_T]

Terradyne
Stone Harbor
Kiln Creek
Pine Bay
Heatherridge
D. Fairchild Wheeler
Fresh Pond
Drummond Island
Wilderness Valley
Rolling Hills, IL

Honorable Mention:
OHCC South
Kingsley
Beverly
U of M
Stoatin Brae
Egypt Valley Valley
Egypt Valley Ridge
Kankakee Elks
Ravisloe

[Tim Martin]

Terradyne
Stone Harbor
Kiln Creek
Pine Bay
Heatherridge
D. Fairchild Wheeler
Fresh Pond
Drummond Island
Wilderness Valley
Rolling Hills, IL

Honorable Mention:
OHCC South
Kingsley
Beverly
U of M
Stoatin Brae
Egypt Valley Valley
Egypt Valley Ridge
Kankakee Elks
Ravisloe

Jud-D. Fairchild Wheeler aka “The Wheel” has some really good holes spread out over the two courses. As with many city owned facilities maintenance budgets have always been severely restricted and for that reason many stay away. It’s a great spot for Winter golf in that the pins stay in if the weather cooperates. Atmosphere wise it reminds me of Bethpage as there are plenty of Damon Runyon type characters hanging around setting up games and paying off bets. My last play was New Year’s Day 2015 with another GCA’er who drove up from Manhattan. A good time was had by all.

[David McIntosh]

Carnoustie
Birkdale
North Berwick
Formby
Nairn
Brora
Trump Aberdeen
Moray
Golspie
Fortrose & Rosemarkie

All were first time plays except NB, Brora and Golspie.

[Ronald Montesano]

Played a RTJ TRail bunch in Alabama, followed by Shoal Creek. Nice to play that track, just ahead of Ariya's triumph in the National Open. Couldn't ask for a better host, either. I also enjoyed a ton, Mike Young's place in Georgia. Met his son and can't imagine golf being in better hands than those of that family.


That's about it. Hoping to do a bit more in 2019, but we'll see how the chips fall. First up is a non-golf trip to Costa Rica, with our student exchange group.
I think that was it.