Courses with most potential upside

[Chris Bruce]

A recent discussion with a friend brought up an interesting question: what course(s) have the most potential upside from a restoration or renovation? ie, they have great bones but aren't living up to their potential for whatever reason. What course has the biggest gap between what it is currently and what it could be?


TFE published a similar list last year (https://thefriedegg.com/americas-great-remaining-golf-course-restoration-opportunities/) but that included many courses that are pretty darn good (August, Pebble, Riviera...). We were more curious where the hidden gems were.


Not looking to talk down on any courses, but genuinely curious what people think!

[Tom_Doak]

Chris:


I was pretty good at choosing courses like this for my consulting projects over the years . . . putting forgotten classics back on the radar.  I think the majority of those have been done now, or at least attempted.


I suspect that there are still many good old public courses out there which could be quite good if the cities that owned them would step up and hire someone good to fix them, but the way most local governments work, it's unlikely to happen often.


One course that has been named often in this vein in past threads is Sandpiper in California.  I've actually been hired to take that one on, but it certainly won't be as easy to transform as some people think, because whatever we do, we will have to do it while wearing a straitjacket.

[Mark Kiely]

Sea 'n Air, the military course on Coronado Island with a few beachfront holes, falls in this category for me. As is, they have big bushes separating the course from the beach, almost like they're trying to hide the course there. Maybe it has something to do with being military property, but it's a complete waste of potential from a golf perspective.

[Phil Young]

Following up on Tom's point about public courses in need of restoration/reconstruction, two courses immediately come to mind for me.

Cedar Crest golf course is one of the city of Dallas, Texas municipal courses. it is also the site of the original Cedar Crest Country Club course that was designed by Tillinghast. It hosted the Dallas Open in 1926 that was won by Macdonald Smith followed by the PGA Championship in 1927 that was won by Walter Hagen. In 1954 it hosted both the United Golf Association Negro National Open and the USGA Public Links Championship. 

Despite this history of being an outstanding course that hosted national championships, it would suffer from poor maintenance for many years as the city invested very little funds into it until 2004. The city spent 2 million dollars to replace the existing clubhouse that burned down in a fire. The new one was built on the site of several of the existing holes and D. A. Weibring designed both the new ones and some of the existing greens and bunkers. I had the privilege of being down there twice in the past 2 years and was deeply impressed with both Weibring's work and the bones of the original holes. This could be a special course if/when a restorative reconstruction is done. Currently, talks are underway between the city and a group of local businessmen who want to make that happen. In order to do so they started the "I AM a golfer foundation." To learn more about this, visit their website at: www.iamagolfer.com.

Another original Tillinghast municipal course that has tremendous upside potential if Kansas City would put any money into it, is Swope Park. When I was there two years ago it stunned me as being among the worst public golf courses I had ever seen. Even just reconstructing the bunkers and greens would be a monumental improvement as they are in embarrassingly poor condition. Those who play this course do so in hopes that one day it will become a good course once again.

[Stewart Abramson]

Another original Tillinghast municipal course that has tremendous upside potential if Kansas City would put any money into it, is Swope Park. When I was there two years ago it stunned me as being among the worst public golf courses I had ever seen. Even just reconstructing the bunkers and greens would be a monumental improvement as they are in embarrassingly poor condition. Those who play this course do so in hopes that one day it will become a good course once again.

That's a shame . Swope must have deteriorated significantly in recent years. When  I played there around 5 years ago it was in quite good shape and a lot of fun.


The muni that I thought had great potential upside was Triggs in Providence RI. It's a Ross and was a real mess when I was there just before the Pandemic

[Ira Fishman]

Duke University. It is a good course as is, but the property seems to have so much more potential. I of course do not know what environmental regulatory constraints might exist.

[Mark_Fine]

Understandably we mostly focus on the “big name courses” but there are many out there (few here would recognize any of them) that can easily go from a Doak 2 or 3 to say a Doak 5 or more.  They are not pure restorations by any means but there are aspects of the original designs that have been lost or neglected that when brought back can make a huge positive improvement for the golfers who play there.  These are the courses where most golfers play anyway. 

[Tim Martin]

Another original Tillinghast municipal course that has tremendous upside potential if Kansas City would put any money into it, is Swope Park. When I was there two years ago it stunned me as being among the worst public golf courses I had ever seen. Even just reconstructing the bunkers and greens would be a monumental improvement as they are in embarrassingly poor condition. Those who play this course do so in hopes that one day it will become a good course once again.

The muni that I thought had great potential upside was Triggs in Providence RI. It's a Ross and was a real mess when I was there just before the Pandemic

Stuart-I last played Triggs in the Spring of 2021 and it was in pretty good shape. I think as a city owned course they have benefited from not having the $$$ over the years to make any wholesale changes. It’s a fun play as is but I agree that it could really shine with some TLC. Finally I thought they were doing a pretty fair job of staying ahead of the tree clearing.

[Dan_Callahan]

Rees Jones gets a lot of criticism on here, but I've got to say that a renovation of Olde Kinderhook in NY would yield a very, very good course. The rolling, expansive farmland it is built on is spectacular.

[Tim Martin]

Rees Jones gets a lot of criticism on here, but I've got to say that a renovation of Olde Kinderhook in NY would yield a very, very good course. The rolling, expansive farmland it is built on is spectacular.

Dan-I wouldn’t call that a glowing review of Reese’s work if you are looking to renovate.

[Matt_Cohn]

I’ll go with Crystal Springs just south of San Francisco in Burlingame. Somehow a course on this site manages to not be an appealing place to play golf.

[Dan_Callahan]

Dan-I wouldn’t call that a glowing review of Reese’s work if you are looking to renovate.

ren·o·vate  (verb)Restore (something old, especially a building) to a good state of repair.

The course is in such awful shape, I absolutely mean renovate, as per the definition above. The design of the course is really quite good, in my opinion. The maintenance is abysmal, and it's taken a toll over the years. I think they've gone through a long stretch with very little revenue. What used to be a very high-end private course is now open to the public for $80. I went there knowing it would be in rough shape, and even so I was shocked at what I saw.

[JLahrman]

I never played Crystal Springs when I lived in the Bay Area though I drove past it plenty of times. Certainly appears to have the land to be a good course.


I'll nominate Riverside Golf Course in Austin. As I understand it, Riverside was the original course for Austin CC. ACC's course is now the one used for the Dell Match Play. Riverside is still there. The first three holes are pretty dippy but after that it's a really interesting course that has become very scruffy (even by my standards). With some work I feel like that course could really be something.

[Kalen Braley]

Indian Canyon in Spokane, WA...its practically begging for one.  Great bones and with the caveat that they don't try to flatten any of the greens.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I would love to see Pine Ridge GC worked on. I'm not sure it should be a renovation as much as an upgrade. It is on excellent terrain by the Loch Raven reservoir. In the '70s, it hosted an LPGA event, once won by Nancy Lopez. It has so much potential that it could become one of the premier munis in the country. For $56 it is one of the best values in the US.


https://classic5golf.com/pine-ridge/

[Thomas Dai]

I recall a podcast comment that 80% of (inland) courses could be improved with mowing line changes and some tree removal. Maybe this should come first the ‘r’ and ‘r’ coming along later if needed.
Atb

[Jim Sherma]

I believe that Hershey CC - West Course (1930 Maurice McCarthy) would be very worthy of a significant resto/renovation. Almost all of the original routing is intact and the course was very highly thought of through much of its history. Also, there is good documentation of the course available to lean on and there is great history to the place that few places in the game can match. To paraphrase something I read on GCA recently - "when I look at the old photos that is a course that I would want to play".


The routing is over good ground (ordering of the holes was moved around a bit when the clubhouse was moved from Milton Hershey's mansion on the West side of the course to the far East side of the course to work for both the original, now West Course, and the newer George Fazio built East Course - opened 1970 - one slightly awkward cross-over of a tee box but nothing too bad).


I know that there is some movement within the powers that be to start the planning process of a potentially major project in the next few years driven by the need for major irrigation investment. If done sympathetically and well I see no reason why HCC-West wouldn't hold it's own amongst most of what is in the arguably tough neighborhood of Pennsylvania.

[Tim Gavrich]

Indian Hills, the Fort Pierce, FL city muni, was originally laid out by Herbert Strong and sits on one of the best natural golf sites along Florida's east coast, IMO. Hilly and sandy and drains like a dream. Unfortunately the current course is pretty pedestrian.


It's not likely to happen but I think the pie-in-the-sky upside for Indian Hills would be maybe a step below what is being done down at the West Palm Golf Park.


Lake Wales CC has some nice potential; Joe Jemsek is attached to that course's future.


The NLE Lekarica (Stiles/Van Kleek) was on some pretty exciting terrain.


World Woods/Cabot Citrus Farms is in the process of realizing its upside...

[Tim_Weiman]

To Tom Doak’s point, I doubt the City of Cleveland would invest the money, but it would be interesting to see what could be done with Manakiki (Donald Ross) or Sleepy Hollow (Stanley Thompson).


Can’t help but mention Wilmington Municipal, where restoration work was done a while back. Just a great muni IMO.

[Ian Mackenzie]

I’ll go with Crystal Springs just south of San Francisco in Burlingame. Somehow a course on this site manages to not be an appealing place to play golf.

I have played here 10 or so times and that water in the photo is actually the San Andreas fault!!


Stunning views and incredible topography with deer roaming the course, too.


Wonder who owns it?


The Presidio Course in the city also falls under this topic.
I think Arnold Palmer did the redesign at some point but David Tepper will know more.

[Kyle Casella]

George Wright in Boston comes to mind.

[MCirba]

I would love to see Pine Ridge GC worked on. I'm not sure it should be a renovation as much as an upgrade. It is on excellent terrain by the Loch Raven reservoir. In the '70s, it hosted an LPGA event, once won by Nancy Lopez. It has so much potential that it could become one of the premier munis in the country. For $56 it is one of the best values in the US.


https://classic5golf.com/pine-ridge/

Tommy,


I'd love to see that at Pine Ridge but also at Mount Pleasant.

[Sean_A]

My mind often shifts to the original Tom Bendelow, Huron Hills course in Ann Arbor when these topics come up.

Ciao

[Tim Leahy]

Encino, Balboa, and Woodley muni golf courses in the San Fernando Valley. Most boring golf anywhere. Problem is they are filled anyway and just like Griffith Park and Rancho Park there is no incentive to spend any money.
Can't wait for Sandpiper! What about Vandenberg AFB/Marshallia Ranch NLE next?

[David Kelly]

Geoff S. and Tommy N. have written and talked about it but Santa Anita GC in Arcadia, CA.  Ojai Valley Inn as well but it will never happen and some of it is irretrievably lost.