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What makes a course your favorite?


jnharvey44

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I was in Utah this past week and I got to play at my favorite course, Hobble Creek (picture down below). It's never been in bad condition, but I've played more "pristine" courses, I even had one putt go off line because of a dead yellow patch in the green. But it's up a beautiful canyon, nearly every shot you hit you get to watch it up against the mountains, and in the fall it is ridiculously pretty. Like I said, I've played "nicer" courses, but I don't love any other like I do Hobble Creek purely because of the setting.

That got me wondering, what makes your favorite course your favorite?

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Views is the predominant factor for me. Layout is also pretty important.  I can get over less than ideal conditions as long as the price is right.

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like @den748 said, views and layout makes a course a favorite for me.  For one of my anniversaries, my wife and I played the Sedona Golf Resort.  The layout was ok but the views were stunning.  I also loved Tiera Del Sol in Aruba as well for the views.

 

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When I think back on the courses I have enjoyed the most and would consider favorites, it all comes down to (in no particular order) conditions, routing, and scenery. Conditions need to be good - not easy or tough necessarily, but green and consistent (I realize that isn't always possible). Routing... well, I just like a course has some intrigue to the way holes are laid out. I don't want every hole adjacent to each other, and I like it when a course makes good use of natural elements. I don't like a flat course and I don't want one that has drastic elevation changes on every hole either. As for scenery, the course doesn't have to be set against some picturesque backdrop like the ocean or a mountain, but if it has a few interesting features like an old clubhouse, some creeks and ponds, and a good mixture of plants and wildlife, I'm sold.

Here's a few pics from one of my top-3 courses that I've actually played since moving to DFW: Hawk's Creek - Westworth Village, TX

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IMG_1416.jpg.13642f39107b308fb0cc2a1002f9fd88.jpg

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There was a good discussion on this about 5 weeks ago FWIW 

What I said then in rank order:

 

We're all looking for the same things, we just may have different priorities. I'd say:

1) Layout-playability. I like an interesting layout with a good mix of challenging and more reasonable holes. It's nice if I can reach at least one par 5 in two, but not all of them. I'm OK with a few long or otherwise challenging par 3s, but it's nice to have at least one less so. And I like par 4's to offer a mix of approach shots, not wedges or long irons into all of them. Having a couple water holes is memorable to me. Traps should come into play on some if not all holes. I'm perfectly fine with punishing rough, that's the way it should be IMO. Same with greens, they should all present some challenges - a bunch of big, flat, featureless greens is boring - my regular course doesn't have a single flat green!

2) Condition. I look for a course to be in good condition, most of all the greens. But I don't expect a $30 for 18 muni to be in the same condition as a $300 CC. If it's a nice layout but not in good condition, I may go back and give it another try, course condition can fluctuate. But a course in great condition with a run of the mill layout won't get me back.

3) Value (not price). I'm not looking for cheap, but value. I play a $30 muni regularly, and it's stellar for the price. When I play a more expensive course I expect more, and usually get it - or I don't go back. I've played a couple world class courses at considerable expense - but they were good value as well even if I wouldn't do it regularly.

4) Practice facility & carts. As long as there's a driving range and a representative practice green, that's fine. I just want to loosen up, and have a sense of how fast the greens are - so I have a club on the first green. And while any cart will do, it is nice to have one in good condition with a touchscreen layout-GPS-food ordering features (like my regular course).

5) Staff & clubhouse. A surly staff or mediocre clubhouse detracts but I'm going to spend 4 hours give or take playing, my exposure to staff is usually minutes and the clubhouse probably about 30 minutes. So staff and clubhouse aren't going to sway my memory much...

...to me "memorable" is a combination of all the above, not an attribute in itself (unless maybe it's an ocean course). YMMV

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While I would agree with most of y'all here in that  Layout-playability, and condition are all important, for me the number one thing that makes a course a favorite is people. The lack of other players I mean. I am pretty much a solo player, I really enjoy being out there by myself.  and I really enjoy a round with little  to no other players on the course, for me  that's just about the best it can be. The quite, the solace is really something. Timing is everything for me, sometimes I have to play early in the morning, sometimes later in the day. Day of the week also factors into it.  If it's a course I haven't played before I talk to the pro shop to try to get a handle on the slow times and schedule as best as I can. 

As for my home course, I know when to go and be alone on the course and when to stay away. When I can't get to the course because of too many people, there's always the range.

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  • 2 years later...

Bringing back an older thread. Reason I searched for this was recently my favorite course did new flyovers drones and featured one a day on their instagram page. The course is The Rise in Vernon, BC Canada. It is a Fred Couple design and has gone through some changes, which I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of however the course itself is just awesome. The views are top notch, the difficulty is there, but hitting fairways means you can score well and there is also a ton of variety in the holes. 
https://www.instagram.com/golftherise/?hl=en 
Really encourage you to check it out and let me know what hole you think is best!

My second favorite course Arrowtown in Arrowtown NZ did a similar thing last year on their IG page. Again check it out! Love when courses do these. 

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Favorite I’ve Ever Played: Pine Valley

Not just because of the prestige. The course design is incredible. Every hole truly feels unique without being gimmicky. I played it once in 2018 and once in 2019 and I can still remember practically every shot from both rounds. It’s fun, challenging and fair.  It more than lives up to the height 

Favorite Public Course Near Me:

The Course at Glen Mills

Elevation changes, great conditions and some absolutely beautiful holes and scenery (especially in the fall).  A very fair course that can really beat you up if you get too aggressive and put yourself in some bad spots; especially around the greens  

 

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.... Favorite can mean so many things. But I will go with my everyday favorite. My winter home course is Aguila in Phoenix. While many here are charging $200 and higher in season, Aguila is $24 with my sr city card at twilite. Since I pretty much only play twilite when possible it works great for me. 

All the people that work there know me. They are very friendly and accommodating. One day I told them when paying for my round that I came down with something and had to leave after 9 so that is why I hadn't played in a week when I normally play 4-6 times a week. He charged me for 9 and when I said "Oh, that isn't necessary" he replied " Too late" and smiled. 

The course itself is always in good shape. Occasionally I get to play behind a qualifier there like the Phoenix Open and it is in CC condition and a real treat for $24. 

The layout is challenging but fair. I can move back a the box for a real challenge and move up a tee box for a strictly fun round. Gary Panks is the course designer and his theory of course design is make it playable for all levels but make the greens very difficult to read. Everything he does on and around the greens is either making you think you see something that isn't there or making you not see something that is. I have over 1,000 rounds on the course and some putts still confuse me. So playing he course never gets old or repetitive. 

There are plenty of hawks, coyotes, roadrunners, lizards, quail with lovely voices, doves then of course rabbits and more rabbits. And lastly the views while not spectacular, are very eye appealing with the South Mountains in view on many holes. There no homes on the course, just some in the distance across the street on a few holes.  I still stop and take in the views most every round.


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@GolfSpy_APH, I have to say that The Rise in Vernon pictures were breathtaking and it's tough to pick a favorite!  

This tread made me think back to a previous thread listing top 10 courses you played and why I picked the ones on my list to be my favorite.  Like others above, certainly course layout (from my list e.g. Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, NY), surrounding views (like Torrey Pines, Old Head in Ireland and Mid Ocean in Bermuda) and course condition (like Firestone where even the off areas where precisely manicured) were important.   

However, other factors that came to mind that went beyond the physical attributes of the course that made the golf courses special. The course's tradition (e.g. playing Oak Hill with its many US Opens, PGA Championships and Ryder Cup or playing Champions Golf Club within days after the Tour Championship was played there).   The entire course's entire staff making even non-members feel special and at home (e.g. Detroit Golf Club).  Finally, the personal and emotional connections a course may have (e.g. playing with my late father-in-law at his home course Leatherstocking in Cooperstown, NY).  

What makes a course your favorite?  It's likely the combination of a course's physical attributes and the overall personal experience one has that makes it special.

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The Country Club of Rochester is my favorite course I have ever played.  

Now I know the post isn’t what is your favorite course you’ve played…below I’ll explain what about this Ross gem makes it so special…

It’s not your traditional out & back layout and has a large variety of holes.  Long par 3’s, elevation changes, short par 5’s with tiny greens surrounded by traps and above all…the allure of seeing it every single day I drive to the firehouse knowing I cannot play there.

It’s a tease.  I have only played it twice and I would love nothing more than to play there regularly.

It’s super fair with everything right in front of you.  

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For me when I think of my favorite courses it always boils down to condition and layout. 
 

i have played some spectacular view courses and while I do enjoy them, they typically don’t scratch the surface of my favorite to play because I can get a view walking a mountain. Give me a we’ll maintained course all day.

One of my favorite courses is North Conway CC in New Hamshire. Has some fantastic Mountain View’s and is always prime conditions.  Actually had a really cool train track that goes along the course, super cool.

084330FD-5802-4FE2-A4D7-16B32FDDA8DE.jpeg.17170813326d0e98ea7205b420a4d4a2.jpegE4D1F32D-E900-48F0-8971-6E7947698344.jpeg.e4cda3abfc15904348e8dd0a77fb469d.jpeg

Don’t get me wrong I’m still going to courses with views (banff is on that short list).

 

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2 hours ago, Lacassem said:

For me when I think of my favorite courses it always boils down to condition and layout. 

 

... I am with you but it's a favorite so greedy is OK. I want it all. I want layout, conditions, friendly staff and it has to be scenic. That can just be beautiful trees, water and wildlife. But a really nice course in great condition winding through homes just doesn't do it for me. I should have added wildlife to my post and will edit because there are plenty of hawks, coyotes, roadrunners, lizards, quail, doves, rabbits and more rabbits. You folks that live in the country are spoiled and different than city folk that don't have nature in our backyards, so we need it on the golf course. 

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7 hours ago, chisag said:

 

... I am with you but it's a favorite so greedy is OK. I want it all. I want layout, conditions, friendly staff and it has to be scenic. That can just be beautiful trees, water and wildlife. But a really nice course in great condition winding through homes just doesn't do it for me. I should have added wildlife to my post and will edit because there are plenty of hawks, coyotes, roadrunners, lizards, quail, doves, rabbits and more rabbits. You folks that live in the country are spoiled and different than city folk that don't have nature in our backyards, so we need it on the golf course. 

I would agree! But the. Price comes jnto play. I’ll pay a premium for the whole kit and kaboodle here and there but I like my 40 dollar 18 😂

lots of wild life! Still need to see a moose sometime have not had that checked off yet.

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So, the courses I personally quest to play and enjoy are those that border on the unique. I'm talking experiences in golf you can't get anywhere else. Courses that look very natural to me, be they man made naturalism think Chambers Bay, Bandon, Tobacco Road) or actual natural (Scottish Links, Shinnecock Hills). Views are nice but I want the views to fit the landscape and be a landscape I'm not familiar with, stuff like desertscapes, big sky locations, the plains. I guess I'm spoiled being the in the northeast in that a course like the one posted by @Lacassemdoesn't really do much for me personally, but that's fine.

Above all, is a sense of a unique experience on the course. I want to be challenged, but not cheated. I want to have enough fun, but not feel like I'm being tortured for that enjoyment. There's a fine line between fun and tough, and tough for toughness sake and striking that balance is very important to my level of course enjoyment.

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I dunno, I mean, my favorite course is a local muni. Great folks, great price, driving range, multiple short game practice areas, and a round of 18 is almost always under 4 hours even on the weekends. I don't need glitz and glamour and beautiful vistas. Just someplace I can count on. 

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2 minutes ago, Berg Ryman said:

So, the courses I personally quest to play and enjoy are those that border on the unique. I'm talking experiences in golf you can't get anywhere else. Courses that look very natural to me, be they man made naturalism think Chambers Bay, Bandon, Tobacco Road) or actual natural (Scottish Links, Shinnecock Hills). Views are nice but I want the views to fit the landscape and be a landscape I'm not familiar with, stuff like desertscapes, big sky locations, the plains. I guess I'm spoiled being the in the northeast in that a course like the one posted by @Lacassemdoesn't really do much for me personally, but that's fine.

Above all, is a sense of a unique experience on the course. I want to be challenged, but not cheated. I want to have enough fun, but not feel like I'm being tortured for that enjoyment. There's a fine line between fun and tough, and tough for toughness sake and striking that balance is very important to my level of course enjoyment.

+1 on Tobacco Road, a Mike Strantz course. Such an incredibly beautiful course and for the rate $, I truly feel it's a steal of a deal. Cannot recommend it enough to anyone and everyone that is looking to play a track in the NC area.

Mike Strantz designed Caledonia & True Blue in the Pawleys Island area of SC, and I absolutely love Caledonia. It's mainly a combination of the course conditions, the flower beds, nature, bird songs, the layout, all while being fair and challenging that do it for me. The local rate on the weekends is in the $90s and I try to make it up there to either of those two courses once every 2-3 months or so. (And yes, Caledonia did have an issue for quite a few months about their burnt out greens, but all is well now)

At the end of the day, I simply love playing new courses and as long as the green fee is in line with the course conditions, I'm content to play almost anywhere. I find myself much more engaged, in the moment and focused with my game when I'm at a new course and conversely, I play a lot better. 

 

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54 minutes ago, Berg Ryman said:

So, the courses I personally quest to play and enjoy are those that border on the unique. I'm talking experiences in golf you can't get anywhere else. Courses that look very natural to me, be they man made naturalism think Chambers Bay, Bandon, Tobacco Road) or actual natural (Scottish Links, Shinnecock Hills). Views are nice but I want the views to fit the landscape and be a landscape I'm not familiar with, stuff like desertscapes, big sky locations, the plains. I guess I'm spoiled being the in the northeast in that a course like the one posted by @Lacassemdoesn't really do much for me personally, but that's fine.

Above all, is a sense of a unique experience on the course. I want to be challenged, but not cheated. I want to have enough fun, but not feel like I'm being tortured for that enjoyment. There's a fine line between fun and tough, and tough for toughness sake and striking that balance is very important to my level of course enjoyment.

Yea that one view wise is decent but nothing that stands out. Its one of the few courses that hits cost, maintenance and views. There are a few up there that are super unique but the actual golf....eh.

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45 minutes ago, Lacassem said:

Yea that one view wise is decent but nothing that stands out. Its one of the few courses that hits cost, maintenance and views. There are a few up there that are super unique but the actual golf....eh.

Fair, I just mean mountainscapes like that in general. It's a spoiling we have in the northeast/New England really. We're never really too far to just take a drive in that environment so it doesn't hold the same reverence for me that other landscapes do.

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5 minutes ago, Berg Ryman said:

Fair, I just mean mountainscapes like that in general. It's a spoiling we have in the northeast/New England really. We're never really too far to just take a drive in that environment so it doesn't hold the same reverence for me that other landscapes do.

OHHHHH yes 100% agree. Every course we play around here is a hill or mountain. I had never looked up tobacco road before....Sign me TF up for that whole area.

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1 hour ago, mikeanthony said:

+1 on Tobacco Road, a Mike Strantz course. Such an incredibly beautiful course and for the rate $, I truly feel it's a steal of a deal. Cannot recommend it enough to anyone and everyone that is looking to play a track in the NC area.

Mike Strantz designed Caledonia & True Blue in the Pawleys Island area of SC, and I absolutely love Caledonia.

 

... Another relatively unknown gem is Tot Hill Farm. I used to drive down from Greensboro to play it when visiting my folks. Not only a ton of elevation changes but like all Strantz courses it is just pretty unique,  a visual treat and one of my favorites:



https://www.tothillfarm.com

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2 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Another relatively unknown gem is Tot Hill Farm. I used to drive down from Greensboro to play it when visiting my folks. Not only a ton of elevation changes but like all Strantz courses it is just pretty unique,  a visual treat and one of my favorites:



https://www.tothillfarm.com

$35 for 18? Are you F'ing kidding me?! I need to move yesterday.

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1 minute ago, EasyPutter said:

Bottom line for me is how does the course make me feel.  There are lots of variables that can go into that but overwhelming factor is how comfortable do I feel on the course from arrival to clubhouse and pro-shop, to Starter and getting onto the course, playing the course, being in the environment of the course, interactions with other golfers anywhere on the course, and packing up heading off the property, do I feel like I wish I was going to be able to play there again tomorrow.  If all those boxes are checked then it would be at the top of my favorite course list.  I have a few of those already 🥰

Please note what is missing, just about everything to do with how I played the round.  Golf for me is not a number but an experience.  Classify me as a recreational tourist golfer perhaps but know it is about the being-there for me.

That's a fantastic way to capture it "Do I feel like I wish I was going to be able to play there again tomorrow"...Bunch of different things that go into that for each of us but I think thats a good synopsis.

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2 hours ago, Lacassem said:

$35 for 18? Are you F'ing kidding me?! I need to move yesterday.

One warning on Tot Hill Farm (very cool layout and I love Strantz) is that the conditions are rather poor these days. They have kind of let that course (especially the greens) go a bit. Compared to Tobacco Road or True Blue, tot hill is in quite poor shape. 

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2 hours ago, EasyPutter said:

Bottom line for me is how does the course make me feel.  There are lots of variables that can go into that but overwhelming factor is how comfortable do I feel on the course from arrival to clubhouse and pro-shop,

I almost want to start another thread on this, and I'm not picking on you @EasyPutter but why does the clubhouse (especially for a public golf course) matter? I understand it is part of the larger "experience" but always seems like almost the last thing I would care about, personally. But, to your point, I read a decent number of course reviews that focus heavily on the clubhouse which is always odd to me. So maybe I am the crazy one, haha. But if a course has decent conditions and a so-so layout but an unbelievable clubhouse, that won't really matter to me. Flipside is Sweeten's has no clubhouse and is one of my favorite courses in the world. 

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1 hour ago, vandyland said:

One warning on Tot Hill Farm (very cool layout and I love Strantz) is that the conditions are rather poor these days. They have kind of let that course (especially the greens) go a bit. Compared to Tobacco Road or True Blue, tot hill is in quite poor shape. 

 

... Sad to hear. I probably have not played there in 15 years and always hate to hear when great courses go downhill. 

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9 hours ago, Lacassem said:

But the. Price comes jnto play. I’ll pay a premium for the whole kit and kaboodle here and there but I like my 40 dollar 18 😂

 

... Yup, unless I am on vacation or going to say Bandon Dunes, price is a big factor. Lots of courses here that charge $250-350 in season but during the summer can be played for under $60. Some are well worth the $60 and some I would rather play my home course for $29. 

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59 minutes ago, chisag said:

 

... Yup, unless I am on vacation or going to say Bandon Dunes, price is a big factor. Lots of courses here that charge $250-350 in season but during the summer can be played for under $60. Some are well worth the $60 and some I would rather play my home course for $29. 

That’s what I’m talking about, so many courses around here for $120+ Give me the walking $60 please.

Couple times a year I’ll splurge on the bigger dollars but always find myself preferring the others.

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1 minute ago, EasyPutter said:

The title was "What makes a course your favorite" and I do believe I answered it to my own appreciation. 

The impression I get from your comment is you have not experienced many courses with an exceptional clubhouse, probably just the one.  

Since you made a point of it, Clubhouse to me is not just a physical building.  It is the aesthetics and care that it is given, the surroundings and the people who inhabit it from management to staff to guests and members, it is the memorabilia and displays, the creature comforts and ambiance, the welcome and attitude that without a direct word says you are welcome to be there, the cleanliness and arrangement of everything that is enough without being too much.  The facilities and how they are maintained for not just the one-time guest but also the member and those who spend their lives earning a living there.  If that all matches with the rest of the course, the grounds, the cart paths, the cart barn, Starter's shed, tee boxes, bunkers and hazards, greens and everything else, then that is What makes a course my favorite.  Please forgive me for not being clearer before.

And food inside the clubhouse….don’t forget that!

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2 hours ago, EasyPutter said:

he title was "What makes a course your favorite" and I do believe I answered it to my own appreciation. 

The impression I get from your comment is you have not experienced many courses with an exceptional clubhouse, probably just the one. 

Fair enough. Again. didn't want to attack you or say you didn't make a valid point. No issues here. To each their own. 

As a side note, I have played Harbour Town, Pinehurst (1,2,4,6,8,9), TPC Sawgrass, Ocean Course at Kiawah, Pasatiempo. Sea Island (Seaside and Plantation), Old Waverly, Pine Needles, Mid Pines, etc. Maybe I should get out more, haha. 

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