What is the coolest golf course you've played.

[FeeLinWoozey]

For me I think it is Northstar golf course in Fairbanks Alaska. I played there when training up there for the army and they claim to be the northern most golf course in the United States. 

[poprocksncoke]

Would have to be Cypress Point, second on the list would be Riviera. 

[Siamese Moose]

Banff Springs and/or Jasper Park Lodge

I'm a sucker for the mountains.

[gumpwine]

Pebble Beach would have to be mine. Just because of the history. It's a great track as well. Very fair for an average golfer. Holes on the water are spectacular, but the ones not on the water are good but not great.

Cabo del Sol is even better for picturesque views. Not as good of a track, but still really cool to play.

Just played Westchester CC in an outing (South course though, not the West) and it was the most well-kept course I've ever seen. Great track as well. 

[RetiredBoomer]

I've never been privileged to play a very famous championship course in my many decades of playing.

It wouldn't surprise me if I didn't like it, however.

I love world class course maintenance and picturesque views, of course,
but I don't enjoy being overmatched by the layout.

I do get to play a 1906 Donald Ross course all the time at my own club, however,
and the fact that it's scaled for the  hickory shafts era
suits me perfectly.

[Rob Person]

The coolest was the Judge course at Capitol Hill and the funnest course was in Florida at the US Space Force base

[sirchunksalot]

The coolest course I've ever played was Royal New Kent in VA. It's a Mike Strantz design featuring rolling terrain, high grass, and quite a few bunkers. It was extremely challenging and I enjoyed the beating my game took. 

Not all the photos are mine, but other forum members that I downloaded. 

 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

I've been fortunate enough to having played some top 100 courses. Bethpage Black, Southern Hills, TPC Southwind, Caladonia, and others. All very memorable, but the coolest course was World Tour. 

World Tour is the only way you will get to play famous holes from courses around the world. Agusta's Amen Corner,  Pinehurst #2, Colonial, Bayhill, Doral, TPC Sawgrass, Cypress Point, Seminole, Winged Foot, Oakmont, Royal Troon, St. Andrews, Wentworth, holes from courses from Spain, Australia, Canada.

These are all famous holes so don't expect to score well. But getting to play them was an experience. There is a World Tour in Myrtle Beach and another in Texas.

Edited August 31 by Tom the Golf Nut

[GolfSpy_KFT]

I haven’t had the opportunity to play many courses, but the coolest two I have played are Wild Rock GC in Wisconsin Dells, WI and the Sand Box at Sand Valley, which is a short course. 

Dramatic elevation changes at Wild Rock paired with the ability to transport you away from the 50,000+ tourists in the dells is truly unique. 

The vibes of the Sand Box paired with the natural beauty of the entire Sand Valley property is what makes it so cool and unique. Very laid back, played barefoot with music going the whole time. At dusk, it was one of those “wow, this is why I play the game” moments with my best friends. 

[Rbgreene04]

I’m torn between two. I love Sand Hollow in Utah. There’s something about the drastic contrast between the orange desert rocks and the lush green grass. It’s a fun course and not too punishing. Number 12 being on the edge of a cliff is absolutely insane!

My number 1b would be Northwood in Monte Rio, California. It’s a quaint 9-hole Alister MacKenzie design winding through redwood trees.

When I played it I got randomly paired with a local who plays it everyday and it just made the experience even better. I didn’t have a tee time (they don’t let singles book solo) and so I showed up super early. The starter said he’d get me on no problem and he even went and got us both coffee from the cafe.  I can’t remember what I shot there, but it truly doesn’t matter. Probably the best golf experience of my life. 

[TJ Hall]

7 hours ago, sirchunksalot said:

The coolest course I've ever played was Royal New Kent in VA. It's a Mike Strantz design featuring rolling terrain, high grass, and quite a few bunkers. It was extremely challenging and I enjoyed the beating my game took. 

Not all the photos are mine, but other forum members that I downloaded. 

 

Royal New Kent is my favorite course in this area, glad many were able to experience it as part of the MGS outing!

It is also a very humbling course… o matter how good I feel about my game, I walk out of there feeling like I took a beating!

[GolfSpy_KFT]

3 hours ago, Rbgreene04 said:

I’m torn between two. I love Sand Hollow in Utah. There’s something about the drastic contrast between the orange desert rocks and the lush green grass. It’s a fun course and not too punishing. Number 12 being on the edge of a cliff is absolutely insane!

My number 1b would be Northwood in Monte Rio, California. It’s a quaint 9-hole Alister MacKenzie design winding through redwood trees.

When I played it I got randomly paired with a local who plays it everyday and it just made the experience even better. I didn’t have a tee time (they don’t let singles book solo) and so I showed up super early. The starter said he’d get me on no problem and he even went and got us both coffee from the cafe.  I can’t remember what I shot there, but it truly doesn’t matter. Probably the best golf experience of my life. 

Was that course in California featured on a YouTube video by chance? There’s a guy who goes around playing super unique courses and I know he did one in CA and it looks A LOT like that one. Amazing. 

[GolfSpy_KFT]

1 minute ago, GolfSpy_KFT said:

Was that course in California featured on a YouTube video by chance? There’s a guy who goes around playing super unique courses and I know he did one in CA and it looks A LOT like that one. Amazing. 

Edit, IT IS that course! Here’s the video!

 

[Rbgreene04]

Edit, IT IS that course! Here’s the video!
 

Yeah! 100% Erik Anders Lang did a video and I think Zac Radford did as well. Thats how I heard about it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Erin B]

Ahhh, so many courses come to mind. Avila Beach CA is pretty cool. Coeur d'Alene ID is awesome, La Purisima CA is a very nice course. Santa Ynez has some great courses, and can’t forget about Mesquite and Wolf Creek. But Devil’s Tower is probably the coolest course I’ve played. That includes the awesome New Jersey courses. Oh wait, Blue Lakes, Twin Falls is really cool, but Elk Horn in Spearfish is cool too. However, I’m still sticking with the Golf Club at Devil’s Tower!

[Rbgreene04]

15 hours ago, Erin B said:

Ahhh, so many courses come to mind. Avila Beach CA is pretty cool. Coeur d'Alene ID is awesome, La Purisima CA is a very nice course. Santa Ynez has some great courses, and can’t forget about Mesquite and Wolf Creek. But Devil’s Tower is probably the coolest course I’ve played. That includes the awesome New Jersey courses. Oh wait, Blue Lakes, Twin Falls is really cool, but Elk Horn in Spearfish is cool too. However, I’m still sticking with the Golf Club at Devil’s Tower!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I loved Coeur d’Alene. Not just the floating green, but they have some sneaky memorable par 3s. However, I just recently played Wolf Creek, and didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I knew it was going to be gimmicky, but I was just expecting better holes and views. That one you posted with the tower looks awesome. 

[Levithan88]

I've only been golfing now for about 5 years and don't travel much so my course experience is quite limited, but this summer I had the chance to hit up the northern part of the lower Michigan.  I played Kingsley and Forest Dunes. 

Kingsley was the most unique and beautiful course I've ever played. It was also quite difficult! The greens are crazy fast and undulating. 

The 18th hole is a par 3 plateaued green down a hill. Intimidating, being right in front of the club house but really fun. 

Forest dunes was amazing as well. A bit of an easier course compared to Kingsley but not by much. I didn't get to play the Loop or the Bootlegger but I'd love to take a guys trip back at some.point and play them all. It's worth the trip for sure. 

 

Edited September 2 by Levithan88

[Erin B]

7 hours ago, Rbgreene04 said:

I loved Coeur d’Alene. Not just the floating green, but they have some sneaky memorable par 3s. However, I just recently played Wolf Creek, and didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. I knew it was going to be gimmicky, but I was just expecting better holes and views. That one you posted with the tower looks awesome. 

I love Coeur d’Alene too! When I played it, was just me and my caddie so I told him to grab his clubs and play. He birdied the floating green and I got a par. I tipped him $50 after because we had such a great round. But Devil’s Tower! 

[funkyjudge]

There have been many, but my top three are:

Keystone Ranch Golf Course

Old Course at St Andrews

Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort

Edited September 2 by funkyjudge

[Indy_Oz]

I haven’t played many iconic courses, but the two that stand out are one from the late 90s and one from this year. 
In about 98/99 I played Royal Lytham St Anne’s in NW England. I stayed next to the course for 1 week per month for about 18 months and got to know a couple of older members and they invited me to play before that job came to an end. I played a few courses in that area in that time. Fun times. Oddly, my golf hiatus started about a year or two after that job ended. 

The recent memorable course is the 2023 Ryder Cup venue, Marco Simone (just outside Rome, Italy). 

It was a fun and challenging course (for me at least!) with brutal rough and they still had all the Ryder Cup signage, decorations and banners. Seeing Seve quotes on the wall and all the murals, photos of past Ryder Cup moments etc was so cool. 

 

[FeeLinWoozey]

On 8/31/2024 at 11:07 AM, gumpwine said:

Pebble Beach would have to be mine. Just because of the history. It's a great track as well. Very fair for an average golfer. Holes on the water are spectacular, but the ones not on the water are good but not great.

Cabo del Sol is even better for picturesque views. Not as good of a track, but still really cool to play.

Just played Westchester CC in an outing (South course though, not the West) and it was the most well-kept course I've ever seen. Great track as well. 

I would love to play Pebble Beach sometime

[FeeLinWoozey]

On 8/31/2024 at 2:17 PM, GolfSpy_KFT said:

I haven’t had the opportunity to play many courses, but the coolest two I have played are Wild Rock GC in Wisconsin Dells, WI and the Sand Box at Sand Valley, which is a short course. 

Dramatic elevation changes at Wild Rock paired with the ability to transport you away from the 50,000+ tourists in the dells is truly unique. 

The vibes of the Sand Box paired with the natural beauty of the entire Sand Valley property is what makes it so cool and unique. Very laid back, played barefoot with music going the whole time. At dusk, it was one of those “wow, this is why I play the game” moments with my best friends. 

Might have to make the drive up there and play 

[tony@CIC]

Easy question for me  - it's Barnboogle/Lost Farm in Tasmania Australia. It's consistently rated one of the top 25 courses in the world and my wife and I played there in 2017. It's on the northern tip of Tasmania and right on the Bass Straight. Note the Lost Farm portion of the complex is 20 holes which my wife and I walked. Accommodations include these cabins with a great view of the grasslands and the wallabies when they come out at night. 

 

 

Edited September 2 by tony@CIC

[WaffleHouseTour]

I’m not sure what makes “the coolest” golf course - other than maybe a vibe or a feel. But to me that isn’t necessarily the best from an architecture standpoint, or a favorite.  But I’d nominate Landmand in NE, and Elmwood CC in IA

Landmand has a very laidback vibe, embraces some rollicking greens, expects the wind, and some wild bunkering.  But “up top” on the Anderson family farm, Kings Collins Design were allowed to go wild. I wouldn’t want to play it every day, but once a month is a pretty “ cool” experience. 

Elmwood CC is a golden age design, a bit on the short side, but has recently gone thru a renovation to make it a bit longer. As the kids say, it has all the feels. Almost the whole course is cut to fairway height. Lots of tee boxes attached to greens. Lots of little extras like square and triangle shapes to greens and bunkers. You could play this one every day. 

again, not claiming they are the best, but definately high in the cool category

[GolfSpy_KFT]

12 hours ago, FeeLinWoozey said:

Might have to make the drive up there and play 

Wisconsin is well worth the drive! Lots of great golf to be played

[Dan1247]

On 9/2/2024 at 7:58 AM, WaffleHouseTour said:

I’m not sure what makes “the coolest” golf course - other than maybe a vibe or a feel. But to me that isn’t necessarily the best from an architecture standpoint, or a favorite.  But I’d nominate Landmand in NE, and Elmwood CC in IA

Landmand has a very laidback vibe, embraces some rollicking greens, expects the wind, and some wild bunkering.  But “up top” on the Anderson family farm, Kings Collins Design were allowed to go wild. I wouldn’t want to play it every day, but once a month is a pretty “ cool” experience. 

Elmwood CC is a golden age design, a bit on the short side, but has recently gone thru a renovation to make it a bit longer. As the kids say, it has all the feels. Almost the whole course is cut to fairway height. Lots of tee boxes attached to greens. Lots of little extras like square and triangle shapes to greens and bunkers. You could play this one every day. 

again, not claiming they are the best, but definately high in the cool category

The windsock as the flag makes this course cool to me. As much as I'd love to play the famous courses (not just virtually), little things like this are what make courses cool and interesting to me.

There is a course I've played a few times that has a driveway running across two fairways. It shouldn't be in your landing zone, but we all know how that works out.

[FeeLinWoozey]

On 9/2/2024 at 6:58 AM, WaffleHouseTour said:

I’m not sure what makes “the coolest” golf course - other than maybe a vibe or a feel. But to me that isn’t necessarily the best from an architecture standpoint, or a favorite.  But I’d nominate Landmand in NE, and Elmwood CC in IA

Landmand has a very laidback vibe, embraces some rollicking greens, expects the wind, and some wild bunkering.  But “up top” on the Anderson family farm, Kings Collins Design were allowed to go wild. I wouldn’t want to play it every day, but once a month is a pretty “ cool” experience. 

Elmwood CC is a golden age design, a bit on the short side, but has recently gone thru a renovation to make it a bit longer. As the kids say, it has all the feels. Almost the whole course is cut to fairway height. Lots of tee boxes attached to greens. Lots of little extras like square and triangle shapes to greens and bunkers. You could play this one every day. 

again, not claiming they are the best, but definately high in the cool category

Where at in IA I'm in central IA

On 9/2/2024 at 11:13 AM, GolfSpy_KFT said:

Wisconsin is well worth the drive! Lots of great golf to be played

I'm in Central IA so not to far of a drive!

[WaffleHouseTour]

10 hours ago, FeeLinWoozey said:

Where at in IA I'm in central IA

Sioux City. Member at Whispering Creek there.  Also at Elmwood in Marshalltown.  I spend a lot of time in DesMoines for work, so found a place to play in the neighborhood - it’s worth the drive.

[GolfSpy_APH]

There are a few that come close, but The Rise in Vernon, BC is a clear favorite. 

While I really do NOT like their recent changes (a guess it's been 4 or 5 years now) to accomodate a monster of a clubhouse it is still a spectacular course.

A Fred Couples design it offers amazing views, crazy challenges and variety with shot selections that not many courses frequently offer.

[FeeLinWoozey]

12 minutes ago, WaffleHouseTour said:

Sioux City. Member at Whispering Creek there.  Also at Elmwood in Marshalltown.  I spend a lot of time in DesMoines for work, so found a place to play in the neighborhood - it’s worth the drive.

There are a lot of good courses in the Des Moines area! I don't play the city courses much but the surrounding area courses are nice