5 Courses you would recomend to a friend?

[Greg Gilson]

The Gourmet Choices discussion got me thinking about the courses I want to see before I put my 2 wood in the rack. Depending upon when we get to start flying again I reckon I have another decade of international travelling left in me. In the past I have used (amongst many other sources, including this site) the Golf Magazine 2009 World Top 100 list to guide my golf travel. I have played 99/100 from that list (ANGC) along with many of the usual suspects from the courses built since 2009 as well as from the "next 100".


But, looking at the Gourmet Choices lists, I have not seen Rye, Pennard, St Enodoc, Westward Ho, amongst others. I need to commence my planning to rectify that.


So, what are the 5 courses from outside the "usual" World Top 150 that I need to see before I die?

[John Kavanaugh]

Mystic Dunes - Orlando
Mark Twain - Elmira, NY
Santa Anita - Arcadia, CA
Fossil Trace - Golden, CO
Sleepy Hollow - Cleveland, OH

[Tom_Doak]

If you're going to see the ones you listed above, you should include Painswick, Cleeve Cloud and Minchinhampton Old on the same trip.  They are not top 100 candidates but they are some of the last vestiges of the rugged game that golf used to be.


And if you get back to my neck of the woods, The Loop is worth a couple of days of your time.

[jeffwarne]

Palatka
Soule Park
Northwest GC (Buncrana Ireland)
Aiken GC
Durness


about $125 total for all 5

[John Kavanaugh]

Palatka
Soule Park
Northwest GC (Buncrana Ireland)
Aiken GC
Durness


about $125 total for all 5

Nice, I do wonder if with the death of crowd culture there will be an industry where we travel for the slight chance a celebrities shadow might cover our shoes when we piss.

[JESII]

I’d love to hear an example or two of that...

[Sean_A]

So many get kicked out either because they are top 150ish or SHOULD be in the conversation or have already been mentioned.

Kington
Cavendish
Alnmouth Village
Leckford Old
Reigate Heath

Ciao

[John Kavanaugh]

I’d love to hear an example or two of that...

I was staying in the Sam Snead room at Riviera and went down to the bar for a drink. It was just me and Sugar Ray Leonard staying on property. The one time in my adult life I didn’t need to piss.

[John Kavanaugh]

What’s interesting is without crowd culture does a guy like Sugar Ray even become famous? Earlier in the day Johnny Mathis brought our group freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the middle of a round of golf. I have to admit that two guys that could draw a crowd made that day special for me. Is that reason enough to hope for times gone by...damn it, I do want to see Brady throw Gronk just a few more touchdowns. I’m weak. So, if I had played every course in the world except for the one that I really wanted too what would I tell a friend who asked me where to play? ANGC is the only answer.

[mike_malone]

  Lehigh
  Manufacturer’s
  Huntingdon Valley
  Philadelphia CC
  Lancaster CC

[jeffwarne]

Palatka
Soule Park
Northwest GC (Buncrana Ireland)
Aiken GC
Durness


about $125 total for all 5

Nice, I do wonder if with the death of crowd culture there will be an industry where we travel for the slight chance a celebrities shadow might cover our shoes when we piss.

above my pay grade
one of us needs to drink more...or less

[John Kavanaugh]

  Lehigh
  Manufacturer’s
  Huntingdon Valley
  Philadelphia CC
  Lancaster CC

In all seriousness how many of those haven’t been top 100. I’ll never forget when all the Holfwerk guys got together and pushed Lehigh to like 99th.

[Michael Wolf]

5 I'd recommend that will never make a top list:


Claremont
Clovernook
Holston Hills
Fraserburgh
Ardglass


That would give you a pretty good feel for what MacKenzie, Langford, Ross, and Braid were trying to accomplish. With Ardglass thrown in as a reminder that golf, at its best, can be exercise and entertainment for ALL of a small town's population. 3 of my recommendations are American privates, but I'd bet they would be willing to take your money with advance communication.


Michael

[John Kavanaugh]

Holston Hills was top 100.

[Brock Lynch]

La Purisima
Hunter Ranch
Crystalaire CC
Westin Mission Hills (Pete Dye)
Stoneridge

[Michael Wolf]

Ok then staying in the same state, I'll go with Black Creek. Too often overlooked in all of the Sweetens/LookoutMt hype.

[John Kavanaugh]

Ok then staying in the same state, I'll go with Black Creek. Too often overlooked in all of the Sweetens/LookoutMt hype.

Would you really send a friend to a 2U concert?

[Michael Wolf]

U2 doesn't play a lot of shows in Alabama John.

[Tim Leahy]

La Purisima
Hunter Ranch
Crystalaire CC
Westin Mission Hills (Pete Dye)
Stoneridge

Great choices. I have played all of them and enjoyed them all. Crystalaire is really in the middle of nowhere but had some of the best greens anywhere. Looks like Stoneridge is NLE.

[Tim Gallant]

I'm not sure if they've ever been featured on any world lists (I know they feature in UK lists), but courses that I would recommend to a friend beyond the usuals:


Goswick
Boat of Garten
Brancaster
Silloth on Solway
Reigate Heath (backing up Sean's recc)

[Mark Pearce]

I’d love to hear an example or two of that...

Went to watch Tottenham vs Burnley earlier this season with one of my twins.  As I queued for the beers at half time, Finlay went for a pee.  Whilst in the queue, Moussa Dembele (a recently former Spurs player much beloved of the fans) walked past me.  When Fin came back from the loos, the first thing he said was "You'll never guess who I just had a piss next to".  He was, of course wrong, as I knew immediately.

[Mark Pearce]

I'm not sure if they've ever been featured on any world lists (I know they feature in UK lists), but courses that I would recommend to a friend beyond the usuals:


Goswick
Boat of Garten
Brancaster
Silloth on Solway
Reigate Heath (backing up Sean's recc)

A great set, though whether Brancaster really qualifies for this list must be debatable?  And Silloth is UK Top 50, so I won't include it, despite it being on almost no overseas visitor's list.


Goswick, Golspie, Liphook, Elie (I know, but it's not in any Top 100 lists I know of), Seaton Carew

[Ben Stephens]

I'm not sure if they've ever been featured on any world lists (I know they feature in UK lists), but courses that I would recommend to a friend beyond the usuals:


Goswick
Boat of Garten
Brancaster
Silloth on Solway
Reigate Heath (backing up Sean's recc)

A great set, though whether Brancaster really qualifies for this list must be debatable?  And Silloth is UK Top 50, so I won't include it, despite it being on almost no overseas visitor's list.


Goswick, Golspie, Liphook, Elie (I know, but it's not in any Top 100 lists I know of), Seaton Carew

Mark


   
Brancaster is a rarity and so much fun - I would definitely put it ahead of Liphook, Elie and Reigate Heath plus on a par with Silloth. Can you elaborate why it is debatable?


I have played the Grafton Morrish a few times which takes place in late Sept/Oct played at Hunstanton and Brancaster - quite a lot prefer Brancaster to Hunstanton.


Cheers
Ben

[Tim Gallant]

I'm not sure if they've ever been featured on any world lists (I know they feature in UK lists), but courses that I would recommend to a friend beyond the usuals:


Goswick
Boat of Garten
Brancaster
Silloth on Solway
Reigate Heath (backing up Sean's recc)

A great set, though whether Brancaster really qualifies for this list must be debatable?  And Silloth is UK Top 50, so I won't include it, despite it being on almost no overseas visitor's list.


Goswick, Golspie, Liphook, Elie (I know, but it's not in any Top 100 lists I know of), Seaton Carew

Mark


   
Brancaster is a rarity and so much fun - I would definitely put it ahead of Liphook, Elie and Reigate Heath plus on a par with Silloth. Can you elaborate why it is debatable?


I have played the Grafton Morrish a few times which takes place in late Sept/Oct played at Hunstanton and Brancaster - quite a lot prefer Brancaster to Hunstanton.


Cheers
Ben

Ben, I think Mark just meant that it is a well-known course, which it is. I only included it as the OP mentioned courses like Rye, and St Enodoc as well, so thought it was worth throwing in! As a change-up, I'd include Kilspindie.

[Thomas Dai]

You need to understand your friends golfing preferences. Do they have an interest in history and architecture and aren’t that fussed by conditioning or are they a green is god, manicured conditioning, nice views type of player?
And if they are the latter are they convertible into the former?
Atb