Kingsbarns—Help Me

[William_G]

played it, but never going back, forced and fake

I doubt I will ever return to Kingsbarns.  However, I find the fake argument a bit hollow.  Many if not most of the best courses in the world are so called fake if what you mean by fake is a course has to be obviously built.  Forced?  Maybe, but anymore forced than 150 bunkers at Muirfield or drive over fake sheds on TOC 17?

Ciao

whatever


 it's painfully fake

[Mark Pearce]

It is designed for, and provides, instant gratification.  Lots of spectacular views.  Lots of dramatic looking shots.  It's easy, and clearly designed to be.  Has anyone ever had a bad kick at KB?  Every time I missed a fairway the ball bounced back towards the fairway.  Every tricky to hit green has some way of bringing balls back to it.  It's loads of fun.  Playing it for the first time (or second) it's a blast.


I wonder though, if I played there frequently, I wouldn't get just a bit bored. 

[Bernie Bell]

The OP asked why the course ranks so highly. Many of the responses have nothing to do with golf course architecture.  I haven't played any of these other courses, so can't compare based on experience, but in terms of ranking, the authors of Confidential Guide uniformly score KB a cut above Elie and Gullane #1, and substantially above Crail, Leven, Lundin, Panmure, Dunbar, Kilspindie and Longnidry.  Are they wrong?  I understand why many would choose to play any or all of these courses before KB.  As I said, I likely would have done the same if it were up to me.  My understanding is dim and limited, but all I'm saying is that it does not puzzle me why CG and others rate KB as they do.

[Mark Pearce]

The OP asked why the course ranks so highly. Many of the responses have nothing to do with golf course architecture.  I haven't played any of these other courses, so can't compare based on experience, but in terms of ranking, the authors of Confidential Guide uniformly score KB a cut above Elie and Gullane #1, and substantially above Crail, Leven, Lundin, Panmure, Dunbar, Kilspindie and Longnidry.  Are they wrong?  I understand why many would choose to play any or all of these courses before KB.  As I said, I likely would have done the same if it were up to me.  My understanding is dim and limited, but all I'm saying is that it does not puzzle me why CG and others rate KB as they do.

No, they are not wrong.  There aren't any absolutes here but I don't think anyone is arguing that KB isn't a better course than those others.  Whether it's worth the absurd green fee and whether the whole performance around a game there are different questions.  I enjoyed my one game there a lot.  Helped to a great extent by the way the course was designed to flatter my game (who doesn't like to score well) but I wouldn't dream of paying the green fee I paid then (which started with a 1) let alone the current green fee for a second go.

[Bernie Bell]

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[John Kavanaugh]

If you were on the moon would you pay to spend time on a moon simulator? Maybe only if the real moon wasn't moony enough for you.

[Bernie Bell]

Is Renaissance Club a moon simulator? 

[John Kavanaugh]

Is Renaissance Club a moon simulator?

Exactly, according to the front page of their web site they are refining the Scottish experience. They are making the moon better which if you have ever been to Disney is the goal of most simulations.

[Bernie Bell]

I should cross NGLA off my bucket list then? 

[John Kavanaugh]

I should cross NGLA off my bucket list then?

Why? NGLA is a perfect example of early elitist American golf. I would suggest it to anyone with a bucket list.

[Bernie Bell]

Touche.  Should have known better than to try and match wit with you, especially because I don't actually have a bucket list, unless a bunch of regions in GB&I I'd still like to get to counts.  My point was, aren't the US architects generally held out here as best of the Golden Age consciously out to imitate/refine what they considered the best of Scotland?  Isn't that what the template holes are?  If a tourist's rule is, I haven't come to Fife to play anything "newer" than New, that's fine, I might agree, but I'm not sure it's got anything to do with course architecture.  And if you want to avoid elitist clubs, that's a different screen to run, and great courses will fall out on both sides of the pond.  To me, knocking KB as gauche has more than a whiff of elitism. 

[William_G]

Crail, Leven>>>>>KB anyday

[John Kavanaugh]

I played KB on my own fruition knowing full well what I was getting myself into. I don't regret the choice. I am curious about these views I hear about. I don't recall them being all that great as it seems to sit on a boring stretch of water. Is there even a decent sized rock like at North Berwick? I also don't seem to recall a nice costal view like on the Jubilee. What did I miss?