silver & black Posted November 22, 2020 Share Posted November 22, 2020 Firestone Country Club North Course. I know the South Course gets all the glory, but it isn't nearly as hard as the North.... I've played both. The North is 7,125 yards. It has many lakes and streams to contend with. I'll probably never get to play it again, but at least I got to play it! I shot 86 that day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bendreiling Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS is the the most difficult course I've played. It doesn't kill you with length (just under 7,000 from the back tees), but the native grass (or as locals call it - gunch) swallows any offline tee shot, and the greens are some of the most complex and mind bending I've ever encountered. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hayden13rackett Posted December 7, 2020 Share Posted December 7, 2020 Definitely adding this to my list! Quote Hayden Brackett No hole in ones, yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyryder Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 This is probably the easiest golf question for me. It was Bethpage Black. I was playing with a very good friend that was a former professional. He played it from the back after showing his +2 handicap card to the starter, needless to say I moved up a couple of tee boxes. I felt like it was an 18 hole dogfight, but managed to shoot 95 with an 18 handicap. I am sure had I not been with my friend, I would have never been allowed on the course. Fun day, he shot 78 which included a couple of 30 foot bombs and a chip in. Every time I see the pros play that course it gives me an appreciation for just how well they can play the game. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skyryder Posted December 24, 2020 Share Posted December 24, 2020 On 12/7/2020 at 8:40 AM, Bendreiling said: Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS is the the most difficult course I've played. It doesn't kill you with length (just under 7,000 from the back tees), but the native grass (or as locals call it - gunch) swallows any offline tee shot, and the greens are some of the most complex and mind bending I've ever encountered. I played that course in a Kansas/Colorado USGA event and I'd agree 100%. If you aren't in the short grass you are in jail! Honestly, even after missing the putts I never saw how the ball broke that direction on some of the holes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhellrung Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 Chanticleer course at Greenville CC. It is long, and the greens are exceptionally difficult. Quote What's in the Bag: Driver - Titleist TS2 11.5, Diamana 70 Stiff Flex FW - Callaway Razr X 3 Wood Rescue - Taylormade Rocketballz 4 Rescue Irons - Callaway Apex CF19, Nippon S. Pro 1050 GH, Stiff Flex Wedges - Titleist Vokey S4 48, 52, 56, and 60 Putter - Odyssey OWorks Marxman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlH Posted December 29, 2020 Share Posted December 29, 2020 In last few years, it would have to be Wolf Creek in Mesquite NV. Terra Lago South Course in Indio CA was also a tough course. Quote Driver: Rogue ST Max (10.5* set at -1 and neutral) -- Mitsubishi Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Fairway: Rogue ST Max 3 wood (16.5*) and Heaven Wood (20*)-- Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Hybrids: Rogue ST Max 5H (23*)--Tensai Blue 55g R shaft Irons: Apex CF19 6-9, PW, AW -- KBS Tour Graphite TGI 70 shafts R +1/2 inch 3* upright Wedges: Edison 53* and 57* KBS PGI 80 Graphite +1/2 inch 2* upright Putter: Stroke Lab 7S Ball: Maxfli TourX...Golf Bag: Pioneer...Shoes: Hyperflex... Glove: Red Rooster Feather My Photography can be seen at Smugmug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoganman1 Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 I would have to say Musgrove Mill Golf Club near Clinton SC. I was a non-resident member there in the mid 90s.I was an 8 hdcp on my home course here in Charlotte, but in my three years of playing Musgrove once a month I only broke 80 twice. Back then I played the par 72 6950 yard tees with a rating of 74.4 and a 153 slope. If I played there today I probably wouldn't break 100 even with my 10.8 index. 1 Quote Drive for Show; Putt for Dough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMookie Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 40 minutes ago, Hoganman1 said: I would have to say Musgrove Mill Golf Club near Clinton SC. I was a non-resident member there in the mid 90s.I was an 8 hdcp on my home course here in Charlotte, but in my three years of playing Musgrove once a month I only broke 80 twice. Back then I played the par 72 6950 yard tees with a rating of 74.4 and a 153 slope. If I played there today I probably wouldn't break 100 even with my 10.8 index. A fraternity brother of mine has been a member there forever! He grew-up in Clinton, and had a couple car dealerships. I never got a chance to play it when I lived in Charlotte, but I always heard great things. Quote Driver: Honma TR 460 8.5*, Aldila RIP Alpha 80 S, 45 1/4"; Ping G425 LST, Fujikura Speeder TR 661 S, 45 1/2" hybrids: Cobra King Tec 17* and 21*, both with Graphite Design Tour AD-DI 105 X Irons: Srixon ZX5 4-6, ZX7 7-PW, UST Mamiya Recoil F4, +1” Wedges: SMS 50D/54V/58DModus 130 stiff, +1” Putter: EAS 1.0 All but putter have Lamkin ST+2 Hybrid Calibrate midsize built to oversize +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchnut33 Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Harbour Town was incredibly difficult, as there is zero room for error off the tee and the course is so tight that if you’re not in the right part of the fairway you have to be able to shape your shot to have a chance at the green. Great course though, reallY enjoyed shooting over 100 there. 20 hours ago, Hoganman1 said: I would have to say Musgrove Mill Golf Club near Clinton SC. I was a non-resident member there in the mid 90s.I was an 8 hdcp on my home course here in Charlotte, but in my three years of playing Musgrove once a month I only broke 80 twice. Back then I played the par 72 6950 yard tees with a rating of 74.4 and a 153 slope. If I played there today I probably wouldn't break 100 even with my 10.8 index. I’m not far from there, is it public? I love trying out new courses, even when they’re way harder than I should play. 1 Quote Ping G410+, 9* with draw bias weight setting, 55g Alta CB stiff shaft Taylormade Burner 3w, stiff shaft Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal 4-GW, regular flex Cleveland CBX2 54* wedge Cleveland Smart Sole 58* wedge Ping Scottsdale Piper C putter Titleist Tour Speed balls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchnut33 Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 On 9/10/2020 at 9:49 PM, Popeye64 said: Pinehurst #2. The level of difficulty that is as tough as any course out there. Greens that defy description But there is also a gravity to the moment... that you are in the cathedral of golf. I did not rise to the challenge over all. But had a string of 4 pars on the backside and a final birdie on the closing hole. I had many big number holes that I had myself out of position and paid heavy prices for. A place that as you leave you just want a chance to play again. Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk My wife surprised me with a weekend at Pinehurst last summer and I played 2 and 7. The timing of the weekend was as terrible as it could be, as I had been working through some swing changes and they were compounded by brand new clubs that I wasn’t used to yet. I still had a blast spraying shots all over number 2, and although I didn’t have a good score, my putter was lights out. I finished with no 3 putts, 29 total putts including several made longer than 30 feet. Definitely an extremely challenging course, and as you mentioned, the atmosphere surrounding it adds another element. 1 Quote Ping G410+, 9* with draw bias weight setting, 55g Alta CB stiff shaft Taylormade Burner 3w, stiff shaft Mizuno JPX919 Hot Metal 4-GW, regular flex Cleveland CBX2 54* wedge Cleveland Smart Sole 58* wedge Ping Scottsdale Piper C putter Titleist Tour Speed balls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickp Posted January 24, 2021 Share Posted January 24, 2021 Harbour Town was incredibly difficult, as there is zero room for error off the tee and the course is so tight that if you’re not in the right part of the fairway you have to be able to shape your shot to have a chance at the green. Great course though, reallY enjoyed shooting over 100 there. I’m not far from there, is it public? I love trying out new courses, even when they’re way harder than I should play. Harbor Town is definitely narrow & smaller greens, great course to play!Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy 1 Quote Rick Left Hand, Driver; Titleist TSi2, Kuro Kage 50 gr 5 wood; Ping 425, Senior Shaft 55 gr 7 wood; Ping 425, Senior Shaft 55 gr 5 hybrid; Cally Steelhead, Hazardous R2 Irons; Mizuno JPX 923HM 7-GW Recoil 460 F2 Wedges; Titleist S9 54*, Mizuno SW 56* Putter; Waaay too many to list Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoganman1 Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 10:40 AM, Watchnut33 said: Harbour Town was incredibly difficult, as there is zero room for error off the tee and the course is so tight that if you’re not in the right part of the fairway you have to be able to shape your shot to have a chance at the green. Great course though, reallY enjoyed shooting over 100 there. I’m not far from there, is it public? I love trying out new courses, even when they’re way harder than I should play. I'm pretty sure Musgrove is private. You might be able to get a complimentary round if you call and inquire about memberships. Thinking about Harbour Town reminded me of Wild Dunes Links Course. I haven't played there in a long time but it's very tight. If memory serves me correctly, missing the fairway by a few yards could easily result in a lost ball. Hopefully they've softened it somewhat since the 80s and 90s. 2 Quote Drive for Show; Putt for Dough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeGlass Posted February 12, 2021 Share Posted February 12, 2021 I would rate Purgatory in Noblesville, IN as the toughest course I have ever played. You can have a fun time playing the white tees, but when you play the Purgatory tees it is, well, Purgatory. Quote G400 10.5° driver K15 16° fairway G425 7W G425 4 hybrid PXG GEN3 6-PW irons Glide 3.0 50° and 54° SS wedges Glide 3.0 56° and 60° Eye2 wedges Works Tank #7 putter Z-Star Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballplayer002003 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 10:47 AM, Watchnut33 said: My wife surprised me with a weekend at Pinehurst last summer and I played 2 and 7. The timing of the weekend was as terrible as it could be, as I had been working through some swing changes and they were compounded by brand new clubs that I wasn’t used to yet. I still had a blast spraying shots all over number 2, and although I didn’t have a good score, my putter was lights out. I finished with no 3 putts, 29 total putts including several made longer than 30 feet. Definitely an extremely challenging course, and as you mentioned, the atmosphere surrounding it adds another element. I found 7 to be harder than 2. I played both from the tips and yes, they are both long. I just found that 7 had a ton of elevated greens with very subtle breaks that are hard to read. The teeth of #2 is easily the greens, no doubt. However from tee to green it is not very difficult. I just think 7 is a beast, plus it has a higher slope rating at 143 compared to #2 at 138. Just to be clear...Bethpage Black has a slope rating of 144. Pinehurst 7 is one of my favorites and should be on everyone's list when they visit Pinehurst. 1 Quote Driver: Epic Flash Sub Zero Hzdrs Smoke x flex 70g 3 Wood: 917 w/ Diamana Whiteboard stiff 5 Wood : Epic Flash 18* Hzdrs Smoke stiff 4 Hybrid: TSi3 Hzdrs Smoke X flex Irons: 5-7 Apex forged 19 w/ Modus 120 X 9-A Apex Pro 19 w/ Modus 120 X Wedges: MD5 52&56 Jaws Dynamic Gold wedge flex Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5.5 34" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfspy_CG2 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 TPC Sawgrass Stadium and Black Wolf Run River course are without a doubt the two hardest courses I’ve played. Both Pete Dye courses... Darn him, you have to wonder what mischievous thoughts were going through his mind when he designed these courses. 1 Quote TSR2 10.0 HZRDUS Red CB 6.0 TSiR2 10.0 Tensei Blue X ink 55g TSR2 16.5 PX Evenflow 5.5 60 g TSi1 20 and 23 degree hybrids Aldila Ascent Shafts R T200 5-GW SteelFiber I80 SM8 48F/54/58 D Grinds Select 5.5 Flowback 35" ProV1X Play number 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGrand Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 Top 5 hardest courses by rating (Course / Tees / Rating): - Erin Hills - Black – 77.9 - Whistling Straits (Straits) – Black – 77.2 - Blackwolf Run (River) – Black – 76.2 - Hazeltine National – Blue – 75.7 - Whistling Straits (Irish) – Black – 75.6 The Actual Hardest Course Setup: The hardest course I have ever played was at Hazeltine National when the course was set up for the Superintendents Revenge tournament (and we did not know about it in advance) - it was definitely playing WAY harder than than the 75.7 rating on the card... My buddy and I had booked a super early tee time because there was a ‘member event/tournament’ that afternoon and we had to be off the course in time for that (I don't know if we actually saw any other golfers while we were on the course that day). The entire round we were wondering what was going on because the course was stretched to its absolute limit on the tee boxes (basically one club length from the back of the box on every hole) and all of the pins seemed to be tucked a few paces onto the green and/or in the hardest spots to hit/putt. It took us a few holes to really figure out that something was going on. At first we guessed that the tee markers might have been moved all the way back so that the grounds crew could mow more easily or something like that (plausible, since it was so early), so we played the tees as marked but figured/hoped they’d get moved up by the time we were a few holes in – and tough pins aren’t exactly unusual at that course. After we were a few holes in though, the pattern was pretty evident. We didn't know why it was set up that way, but we ended up having an absolute blast playing such a wild set up. After we finished on 18 we chatted with a couple people who were getting ready for the event and they explained to us what a Superintendent's Revenge tournament was and that the course was set up to basically play as hard as it could (we had already figured that part out – but it was nice to have it confirmed). 1 Quote Driver: HiBore XL Tour, Aldila VS Proto Fairway: 980F 15* and 19* Irons: MP-32 5-PW and MX-23 3 -4, Rifle 6.0 Wedges: MP-T4 54*, 60*, TT Dynamic Gold Wedge Flex Putter: Studio Design 1.5 Ball: ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyD Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 My experience is lacking compared to most of the courses here, but I once played a private course in Maine call the Woodlands. Course and slope are 73.9/145 from the back tees, which is where we played from. I was 17, so I can't remember that far back, but I believe my 9 handicap at the time shot a 90 or higher. Quote When my wife asked if I wanted to leave Maine and move to where she grew up, I couldn't say no to Pinehurst, NC. I honestly don't spend much money on golf equipment, but I'm constantly reading reviews in case I ever get ready to buy I swing left handed and have been the State of Maine Left Hander's champion since 1997, the last year they held the tournament. I'm currently a 6.3 handicap. Trying to get lower, but my gut gets in the way. WITB Driver: TS3 8 degree Irons: 990's S300 Stiff shafts bought when I was in college. (Received a personal use discount, otherwise would've stuck with my Hogan Edge's) 3 Wood: Epic speed 15 degree 52/56/60 Z Spin wedges (heck of a deal $100 for all 3 at Dick's in 2013) Putter: OG Rossie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 TPC Las Vegas...lots of blind tee shots and forced carries, if you missed the fairway it was at least a one shot penalty Quote XR Driver Matrix Ozik 8m3 Black Tie Shaft King F7 3W UST Mamiya Chrome Elements 7F4 Shaft King F7 5W UST Mamiya Chrome Elements 7F4 Shaft King F7 4 Hybrid Graphite Designs Tour AD-HY 95 Shaft PXG 0211 DC 5-PW Mitsubishi MMT 80 Shafts RTX ZIPCORE 50*,54*,58* UST Mamiya Recoil 95 Shafts Metal X Milled #7 with SuperStroke 2.0 grip MTB Twitter: @timldotson Instagram: timldotson Facebook: TimDotson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KC Golf Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 On 4/25/2021 at 7:01 PM, ballplayer002003 said: I found 7 to be harder than 2. I played both from the tips and yes, they are both long. I just found that 7 had a ton of elevated greens with very subtle breaks that are hard to read. The teeth of #2 is easily the greens, no doubt. However from tee to green it is not very difficult. I just think 7 is a beast, plus it has a higher slope rating at 143 compared to #2 at 138. Just to be clear...Bethpage Black has a slope rating of 144. Pinehurst 7 is one of my favorites and should be on everyone's list when they visit Pinehurst. I agree that Pinehurst #7 is very difficult. I remember #2 being very difficult on approaches with long irons. I didn't play the tips on #2 and the greens were more receptive given it had rained that week, but it was still hard getting the ball close. I can see how it would be amazing as test for the world's best with a US Open set up. I would say that on a typical windy, Fall day in Bandon, OR. Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes are some of the toughest courses to play in America. Even with caddies telling you where to hit it, it can still be very hard to hit and keep it on the greens and make putts. Some par 3s were next to impossible with the wind gusts. I learned how to take half swing 5 and 6 irons for trajectory distance control. I should note that I was very impressed at how good the caddies were. 1 Quote TSi 3 9.0 AV Raw White 65 Stiff TSi 3 15.0 GD Tour AD - DI 6 Stiff TS3 21 Hybrid Tensei AV Blue 65 HY Stiff U-510 19 Utility Iron HZDUS Smoke Black 6.0 Stiff Haywood 5-PW iron Signature - Recoil 780 ES F4 Stiff - Bent 2 deg flat 52 - 09 Tour Preferred EF - KBS Tour Wedge Haywood 56 - 12 KBS Tour Wedge 60 - 10 Tour Preferred - KBS Tour Wedge Scotty Special Select - Squareback 2 - 35” Z-Star XV Official Tester - 2021 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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