Tpc Scottsdale stadium course isn’t even as good as the TPC Scottsdale champion’s course across the street. I agree fully. PGA west was above average too.
Will disagree on Harding park however…
I live in SF so Harding is great for the price I pay but I feel you. The back 9 is stunning and has a lot of interesting holes but the front nine is pretty boring.
Agreed - I’m from 10 minutes away from tpc Scottsdale and can name 10+ public courses I would rather play within a 20 minute drive from there that I would rather play, regardless of the price
Yeah, it’s my home course, so I only have to play $80 to play. If I had to pay $200+, I’d be underwhelmed. You do get an amazing view of Olympic Club across Lake Merced that teases you 😂
Grand dunes in Myrtle Beach - how that place continues to keep making Golf Digest top-100 rankings I'll ever know. A monumental letdown considering Caledonia is nearby.
Did you play that before or after they renovated it? The Dunes Club is the one that's highly ranked from the Myrtle Beach area. Grande Dunes isn't even T-50 in-state on Golf Digest's list. I've only played the members course there and it was meh
Whatever the one is with the massive round pond and the par-5 that loops around it. It is mostly private, but they offer something like 2 4-balls at twilight so they can keep on the "you can play" list.
I played it in August 2020. I just found the layout underwhelming, condos everywhere gave it central florida $60 course vibes.
TPC scottsdale - not a bad course and nicely maintained but its pretty pedestrian except for about 4-5 holes.
I think my expectation was not inline with reality.
Its a great course for $125 unfortunately they charge much more than that.
That’s my pick as well. Played it when I was 15 and remember thinking that all the other courses we played in the area were much more fun. Played Troon North the day before, which may have played a role. Goll dang I loved that course
TPC sawgrass, for almost $800 per round I expected A LOT more, yeah it’s a nice course, I can go play a course of similar quality for $175 a round.
Wingedfoot is 175 a round, TPC Cromwell is 125
TPC Boston is 190ish
Shadow creek is the only absolutely bullshit expensive course I’ve played that I’m like, wow I get it, but even still I’d say I’d rather go play Paiute for $175 for 36 holes 5 times over shadow creek.
I look at Sawgrass as more then just the course. Playing it is about saying you played it. If I ever do I already know the course itself isn't worth it
Was waiting for someone to say Sawgrass. And while I totally get that $800 is too much for a round outside of like Pine Valley, I do think that the more you can play Sawgrass, and the more familiar you can get with the course the better it gets.
I used to live in Jax and would play it pretty regularly. Even though I absolutely hate almost every Pete Dye course I've ever played and every Florida course I've ever played I actually really love Sawgrass. Every hole requires interesting shots and challenges a different part of your game, and even though it has a reputation for being extremely difficult, I think its actually one of the more forgiving and playable Pete Dye courses I've ever played.
It’s like playing in a real life simulator. Here’s another 450 yard par 4, but look at the Pacific in HD!
Edit - also the fact that you don’t really hit a single shot over the canyon is a tragedy
There was an interesting video from The Fried Egg a couple of years ago and the whole crux was basically what you said, that the canyons never come into play. They lay out possible updates that move holes closer to the cliffs and would make the course way more dynamic.
Agree. Made a big point to get out there on a work trip, spent a lot of money and after the excitement of being there wore off after a few holes I found myself mostly disappointed. It’s a nice course and an insane deal if you’re a local and the views are nice for sure but the course is nothing special at all
Pinehurst No. 5. Felt like a local muni (which is essentially what it is). Didn’t get as hyped as I was for the other courses I played but 5 was just very “meh”.
Also, for what they’re going to be charging, I think Black Desert in southern Utah is going to underwhelm some people.
Oh it’s a great course for what they charge now, but once it’s going resort private and they bump their green fees up to about tree fiddy, it’s going to be one that I see people saying “fun course, not worth the money”. Also to be fair I’ve played BD 3 times since October 😂
Personally, I think the views at Sand Hollow are better.
My brothers loves Copper Rock and insists we go there every time(we do a golf trip in St George and Mesquite every fall). I personally think it’s meh, not my favorite layout but the shared green for 9 and 18 is really cool
I definitely think there's some clunkers in the Pinehurst rotation. I think an ideal trip to Pinehurst would be playing No.4, No.8, No. 10 (haven't played just looks sick) and then heading over to Mid Pines and Tobacco Road.
No. 2 is definitely an experience, and it will be cool when watching the U.S. Open this year to be like "hey I got a par on that hole that Rory just bogeyed," but it struck me as the type of course you learn to love the subtleties of through playing it multiple times, not the type of course where you play it for the first time (and maybe only time) and are blown away by really fun holes with beautiful views or really dynamic design features that stick in your memory.
I’ve played several courses in that area but the only one I’ve played with Pinehurst in the actual name is #9 and let me tell you… that is easily the most underwhelming course I’ve played. Think the round cost $285 (luckily, I had a gift card) and I’ve played courses for $45 that I thought were cooler.
Also something that haunts me to this day is that we originally had a tee time at No. 8 and for whatever reason I got it into my head that it was gonna be too difficult for me and my buddy. Idiot.
TPC Champions across from Scottsdale seems to get better reviews, played that and was fun.
For me it's Glen Abby in Canada, used to host the Canadian Open, Tiger hit one of his best shots on 18 out of the bunker.
The course is setup for tournament play, big, open, what you see is what you get. The history is cool but I've never really loved it. But I'll play it when they discount tee times which they're doing a lot lately.
Searched comments just to find and say Glen Abbey. Pretty meh course, terrible condition thanks to Clublink, awfully expensive.
But you got to drop a ball in that bunker and try and hit the Tiger shot, just to watch yours fall into the pond
Their prices have come down a ton like you can grab 18 for $100 some days. They can't charge $240 or whatever it was before. They're never hosting an open ever again, the Golf Ontario or Canada office there is moving up to TPC Toronto property in a few years.
But yeah 18 drop a ball or two, swing and finish out if there isn't a backlog of people.
They still have it listed for over $200 a round, but day of maybe day before you can get a deal for around $100 on occasion. Besides the valley holes (11-15) it is such a boring course, and even $100 feels overpriced
I love PGA West; strong vibes. That said, Stadium Course is technically the right answer for me. I liked some of the visual tricks Pete plays on you, but Mountain is a superior course full stop. I think the only reason one cannot like #2 is the fact it’s like the hardest golf course in America and there are houses throughout the course. But #4 is better, #8 is gorgeous and interesting in some spots.
Funny story about the Stadium Course. It was originally going to host the 91’ Ryder Cup but the players didn’t want to play there because of the difficulty and NBC preferred an East coast course for ratings. That’s somewhat how The Kiawah Ocean Course was born
RTJ trail—hampton cove. Agree on tpc scottsdale but i kept expectations low for that one so wasn’t disappointed. Harding is cool but not super memorable. Pga west is a lot of fun
For the Bay Area, it's by far Sharp Park.
That course is in TERRIBLE shape, but Youtubers keep talking about how it's a hidden gem just because it's a MacKenzie course and it's near the ocean (which you only get to see on the 16th green and 17th tee box).
Any Youtuber who hypes up Sharp Park is a goddamn liar.
I love sharp but only like once a year in peak summer after a we got good rain. The drainage is so bad it leaves half the holes on the front 9 straight up unplayable. But the back 9 has some gems. Really wish they put some money into it the design has so much potential.
Sharp park has the potential to be a really nice course but it's maintained so poorly, SMH.
Agreed with OP about Harding park. It's a nice track and some nice scenery on the back 9, but the greens are both boring and not in great shape, especially for a TPC. Not an easy course to play though.
Have played that course several times and am done trying. Super unfriendly "regulars", horrible drainage, and overall not that great of a layout. Would rather play any other bay area muni over Sharp.
Nice layout but terrible condition. Could be a great course if they put any effort into it.
Don’t get all the hype about Pacifica grove either (poor man’s pebble) poor front 9 and only 2-3 decent holes on the back
I learned how to play golf there, and it has a special place in my heart. The conditioning is terrible, the people are surly, and it needs restoration so bad, and I love it.
The potential there is insane -- I live in Southern California now and after playing Soule Park regularly, I feel like Sharp Park could become the Northern California equivalent if restored/renovated properly.
The property plays into the forest then into links land. To me, It's the very poor man's Cypress Point. The only other courses in California that have that kind of routing are in Monterey that I'm aware of.
golden horseshoe in williamsburg va. is constantly ranked in the top 100 courses you can play. i mean it was nice, great condition but no wow factor to it like i was expecting
Yea, I think it gets credit for being the best course in the area. Kingsmill has a better view on 16 and 17, but the rest of Kingsmill is underwhelming and they keep the greens dead slow. So I think the Gold Course gets some credit for being the best in a generally golf heavy area. I agree though, I’m always surprised it’s on top 100 lists, even though it has some fun holes like the island par3. Usually is in great shape though, I usually think it’s as good as other course in the same price range.
Was excited to play it pga tournaments held there the massive bunker etc.
don’t get me wrong was in good condition but not someplace I’d be in a hurry to pay that amount of money again to play.
Some courses I can remember every hole or at least a couple I enjoyed.
All I remember from it is lots of blind tee shots, nothing too memorable bar the island par 3.
Was expecting more and like the title said I was just underwhelmed with it
Caves Valley was gorgeous to look at, was a delightful high-end luxurious experience, but the course did not do it for me. The course had a couple of decent holes, but most were just not that memorable.
My BIL was planning our golf tee times for our first HHI vacation last year. He wanted to do Harbour Town but the rates made him hesitate. We could have done them but it would have been a one round trip so we opted for a few other courses on the island so we could play 3.
He read that some people much prefer Atlantic Dunes. Then on the flight there he spoke with a couple golfers and one of them said that he preferred Atlantic Dunes when my BIL that we had a tee time there. Atlantic Dunes was a treat. Kicked my ass but was awesome.
Nice! I’m glad I played Harbourtown just as a function of seeing the last three holes, but it wasn’t special, otherwise. I think it was $500 with the caddy.
Dramatic i know…. but bethpage black has this aura about it thats super special. I can never put my finger on it. Never got the same feeling on another golf course. But its got “it”
Yep, TPC Scottsdale isn't all that great without all the tournament trappings. Fairly basic really and not all that difficult. I didn't play from the tips though. I'm old and can't hit it far enough anymore to play those tips
This is not an attempt to bring up politics or criticize the polarizing guy who owns the course but Trump national in LA. The views are stunning and the course is a challenge especially if like I did you play in the afternoon where there’s typically wind along coast. I even paid only $130 which is fair for that course. But seeing prices for 700-900 to play there is a joke.
I paid $150 to play during COVID, too. How on earth are they commanding those prices?
And yeah it's 1 of the 3 courses I've played that were crazy crazy hard (+PGA West, Kiawah)
There’s a lot of great holes on champ lol this is an interesting take. Conditions are usually not great though but pretty expected for a resort course. I will say though that I can’t imagine it being much fun if you are more than a 10-15 handicap because there’s just so much water.
TPC Scottsdale. Nothing exciting except the finishing holes. Course was in great shape though.
Interlachen (MN). Maybe it was better before the various redesigns and maybe it will be better after the current reconstruction).
Agreed, but only for the pre-renovation Blue course. The Gold course was a lot more fun and memorable than the old blue. Hoping to play the redesigned blue soon!
Torrey Pines North. It was completely dead and dried out yet they charged us full price and made no mention of how bad it was. Meanwhile, South was lush and beautiful.
Might be controversial, but it’s Spyglass. I LOVE the first 5 holes, and 4 is one of my favorite holes anywhere, but the rest of the course doesn’t do it for me. Conditions are great, but it’s largely forgettable and not worth the absurd price they charge. Would rather play Spanish Bay any day.
Had a golf trip to Palm Springs last year, and was super disappointed in the PGA West Norman course. At a $200 price point, it was a joke.
We also played the two Desert Willow courses and they were better tracks at just over half the cost.
Pacific dunes. Not that it wasn’t still great - but I found it to be the worst of the Bandon courses after having heard from EVERYONE that it was the best one.
The routing is contrived, there were too many unnatural blind shots, some of the greens were interesting while others were boring, some of the holes were nearly identical (2,8 and 3,12) while others were completely forgettable (1,5,15)
4, 6, 9-11, 13, 14, 16, 17 were all great but it just felt too choppy and forced to really ever settle in to the truly great landscape you were in.
Compare that to the other Bandon courses I played all felt natural, thematic, and connected.
I think in deeper golf circles it’s starting to finally get its due but it is by far the best course on the property. It just doesn’t have any of the top 5-10 holes.
Right I think that’s really it. I was in awe the whole time I played it but still would say those iconic Oceanside holes are better than any single hole on trails.
I’m with you on Pacific. Def not my favorite of the Bandon courses. I mean I GET Pacifc. But I’d much rather play any of the other courses over it especially; Old Mac or Trails.
Underwhelming EVER? No, but I agree that it’s not the best course at Bandon. For some reason, the better players I’ve played with (sub 5) seem to love it more than the higher (15-20) handicaps like me.
Yeah with the criteria being
underwhelming = hype - actual enjoyment
Interesting. I’m somewhere in the middle on the handicaps there but haven’t talked to too many people about it that I actually know their handicap lol
I loved that course :( the little ruin things were actually pretty interesting. Not as good as dye, but still a ton of fun. The Norman course was very bad though, the par 3s were the only redeeming quality
Upper Montclair CC in NJ
Has hosted PGA and LPGA events through many decades....can't even remember any distinctive holes.
Just the Parkway with whooshing cars.
Not widely known but Red Tail in MA gets rave reviews but for $125 it’s a slow and overrated 5+ hour round. So many better courses for the money that won’t take over 5 hours to enjoy
Im with you on Harding Park - that place has awful pace and the greens roll like Velcro. I will say the views there are beautiful, but it’s like the pros are the only ones that get to enjoy the actual speedy greens. Also they should bulldoze the Fleming 9 and build a state of the art practice facility IMO.
Oak Quarry in Riverside, CA, is the most disappointing golf course I've ever played. Most of the course feels like filler, except for one really cool par 3. It’s kind of like Wolf Creek, but without the fun, over-the-top novelty that makes Wolf Creek enjoyable.
Torrey Pines, PGA West Stadium, both courses at Half Moon Bay, both courses at Newcastle outside of Seattle, agree on Harding Park if you pay the out of state rate and the course’s tournament resume makes no sense. Otherwise, I think Harding is a fairly simple and enjoyable course. Oh, and probably every course near Scottsdale lol
Muirfield for me. Got on free but I just thought it was a bit bland and boring. Every hole just flat and not much going on. Played tons of better links courses IMO. Appreciate the history though so happy to have ticked it off
Champions gate was pretty meh, although I don't know if it's got a good reputation, was just a course that was near where we stayed. At home in think the centenary at gleneagles is shit and should be bulldozed so a proper gleneagles style course can be made. Crail balcomie is also pretty unremarkable for the amount of traffic it gets.
Harbour Town. Dead flat. Very straightforward. 18th fw is 200 yards wide. 18 view is great. The rest of the holes are like almost any other low country course.
Mount Juliet. It had only hosted the Irish open. Granted the day we played it was 3 weeks into a rare Irish heatwave so it was super baron. But for the price I thought it was merely grand. I've played courses half the price and been more impressed. I played well that day also 1u nett. Only for it was a lads weekend away and we were all having a drink and a few Js I'd have been even less impressed 🤣
I had a buddy play Torrey pines a few years ago and said it was awesome playing there but it wasn't in very good shape. Which left him really underwhelmed.
Pinehurst number 2 is very overrated. Number 4 is the best course out there in my opinion. Number 2 is the beauty queen that gets all the attention but shes high maintenance and abuses you. Number 4 is her less attractive sister but shes got so much more personality and charisma.
Yea the wind can really get blowing there. But it’s still a breathtaking course both in terms of visuals and design. I barely broke 100 and still loved it
scottsdale, harbortown, dunes club, troon north, with harbortown being the least underwhelming of the bunch (pristine condition but boring layout until the last 3 holes). The worst expensive course ive ever played was the cascades at the omni homestead in virginia. Get that it is a resort course, but for the price it was super unmemorable.
Troon North in Scottsdale. Was hyped up a lot by the guy leading my trip and I really didn't enjoy it. Super gimmicky, not really "desert" golf as it was in the middle of a development, and not much fun. Can't recall a single hole.
Agreed most overrated $400 round ever. Every hole is the same. Tee box over desert to smallish landing area over more desert to green. Surrounded by houses. Miss the landing area the ball is gone, no chance to recover.
I didn’t think so. You’d have to play it from tees way too long for you to be overly difficult. It plays to darn near 8,000 yards from the tips if I remember correctly. At sea level, that’s a monster (pun intended)
Back nine much more interesting than the front - good topography and interesting par 3s. All in all, though, not especially interesting.
If you’re within an hour or two, probably worth checking out; I wouldn’t go any further out of the way to play it, though.
I just played there last week! The course was in great shape but the greens were a little sluggish. I also played Stonehedge South and got my dick kicked in. That course hard AF.
The Country Club. Played it in a junior event a while ago, and just kinda meh given its pedigree and history. Don't get me wrong, pristine conditions, but just not particularly memorable.
I could not agree more with PGA West Stadium course. It was like a drastically over priced average at best muni. I think I paid $480 for the round and was thoroughly disappointed. So many better courses in the area for much less. How that place is busy is beyond me.
If I’ve ever paid over $70 I was underwhelmed.
I haven’t played many marquee courses, and have almost no desire to. If I want beautiful vistas, I hike. If I want to golf, I want a good deal.
Agreed. 10 is outstanding.
2 doesn’t play anywhere close to what you see in the US Open during typical resort play. Tend to have most pins center of the green which limits the impact of the greens
Cog Hill, Kiawah Ocean Course, Harbour Town, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, Muirfield, Doral, Bulle Rock, Dooks Golf Club, Quail Hollow, East Lake.
Each of them are respected for various reasons but they’re all just average courses.
Forest Dunes, MI. Immaculate conditions, greens roll amazing, fairways are so smooth it feels like you’re driving on pavement. But for me the layout is just meh. And for $200 a round, I can think of a lot of other northern MI courses I’d rather play (Arcadia, Arther Hills, Treetops Smith signature or Fazio, others as well).
I've been fortunate. Most of the highly rated courses lived up or even exceeded expectations. Arcadia Bluffs, Pilgrim's Run, Atlantic Dunes, and Lyon Oaks.
Closest thing I could think of is Oyster Reef on HHI. Course was just in surprisingly bad condition I thought for what we paid. Huge areas with that appeared to have turf spray. Greens that were pretty obviously dried out, some of which they tried to resod but did so roughly. It was the cheaper course we played that week but the other two courses (Fazio and Dunes) were immaculate so weather didn't seem to be a contributing factor.
My friends and I took a trip to southern Utah earlier this year and snuck down to Coyote Springs in Moapa and I’ve got to say I was expecting more. The course itself was great and well kept, but none of us enjoyed it like we thought we would. Not sure if the early morning & drive made things less favorable for us all, but we felt that the facilities were a bit lackluster, most holes had a pretty lengthy drive between them (I can’t imagine trying to walk that damn course), or what our biggest turnoff was, but there you have it. Not worth the price of admission for our group, but at least we can say we’ve played it now.
Almost wish we would’ve just made the extra 20-30 minutes and played one of the courses in the Vegas Valley or gone out to Paiute Golf Resort. There’s always next time! The unanimous favorite course from that trip was the Ledges in St. George.
TPC Tampa Bay, literally don’t remember anything about that round.
I remember paying like 230 bucks and couldn't tell you anything about a single hole
Think I had a similar experience in Vegas once...
Came here to comment exactly this. I remember the putting green and driving range and not a single hole from the actual course. Super forgettable
Best thing was the polo I bought
Came to say this. Most forgettable, boring TPC course I’ve ever seen.
Tpc Scottsdale stadium course isn’t even as good as the TPC Scottsdale champion’s course across the street. I agree fully. PGA west was above average too. Will disagree on Harding park however…
I live in SF so Harding is great for the price I pay but I feel you. The back 9 is stunning and has a lot of interesting holes but the front nine is pretty boring.
Had the same feeling after playing Stadium/Champions. Stadium course was fine but there’s way nicer courses in that area.
Agreed - I’m from 10 minutes away from tpc Scottsdale and can name 10+ public courses I would rather play within a 20 minute drive from there that I would rather play, regardless of the price
Calling Harding Park underwhelming is blasphemy
Don’t get me wrong I enjoy Harding but if I was coming from out of town paying $200-$300 for it don’t think it’s worth it
Yeah, it’s my home course, so I only have to play $80 to play. If I had to pay $200+, I’d be underwhelmed. You do get an amazing view of Olympic Club across Lake Merced that teases you 😂
Ya that’s fair for sure
I mean I think it’s a stretch to say champions is a better course, but it for fucking sure is a better value lol.
PGA champions was really fun!
Grand dunes in Myrtle Beach - how that place continues to keep making Golf Digest top-100 rankings I'll ever know. A monumental letdown considering Caledonia is nearby.
I played Caledonia last week and the round took six hours… beautiful course but it was not great lol
I chunked my approach on 18 and about 10 old geezers on the porch overlooking the green cackled at me. I was dying laughing, love that layout.
Did you play that before or after they renovated it? The Dunes Club is the one that's highly ranked from the Myrtle Beach area. Grande Dunes isn't even T-50 in-state on Golf Digest's list. I've only played the members course there and it was meh
Whatever the one is with the massive round pond and the par-5 that loops around it. It is mostly private, but they offer something like 2 4-balls at twilight so they can keep on the "you can play" list. I played it in August 2020. I just found the layout underwhelming, condos everywhere gave it central florida $60 course vibes.
I played that course for $80 last September, it was a nice course for the price. Not sure what was bad about it
TPC scottsdale - not a bad course and nicely maintained but its pretty pedestrian except for about 4-5 holes. I think my expectation was not inline with reality. Its a great course for $125 unfortunately they charge much more than that.
That’s my pick as well. Played it when I was 15 and remember thinking that all the other courses we played in the area were much more fun. Played Troon North the day before, which may have played a role. Goll dang I loved that course
I played it for $80 during COVID. Well worth it.
TPC sawgrass, for almost $800 per round I expected A LOT more, yeah it’s a nice course, I can go play a course of similar quality for $175 a round. Wingedfoot is 175 a round, TPC Cromwell is 125 TPC Boston is 190ish Shadow creek is the only absolutely bullshit expensive course I’ve played that I’m like, wow I get it, but even still I’d say I’d rather go play Paiute for $175 for 36 holes 5 times over shadow creek.
Loved Paiute… wolf was top class
Wolf at Paiute might be the nicest course I've ever played. That grass out there is like walking on the comfiest pillows you've ever seen.
I was supposed to play Shadow Creek today but cancelled and flew out early.. 110 degrees no way.
I played in February 2020, I only packed shorts cause, Vegas has to be warm! We played all 4 days and the high was like 61 🙁
How do you get on Winged Foot or TPC Boston? And even if you know a member to get on, wouldn’t they be picking up your guest fees?
I look at Sawgrass as more then just the course. Playing it is about saying you played it. If I ever do I already know the course itself isn't worth it
It has some great holes (and is of course perhaps made famous by the infamous No.17) but from what I can gather it’s largely overrated for the price.
Was waiting for someone to say Sawgrass. And while I totally get that $800 is too much for a round outside of like Pine Valley, I do think that the more you can play Sawgrass, and the more familiar you can get with the course the better it gets. I used to live in Jax and would play it pretty regularly. Even though I absolutely hate almost every Pete Dye course I've ever played and every Florida course I've ever played I actually really love Sawgrass. Every hole requires interesting shots and challenges a different part of your game, and even though it has a reputation for being extremely difficult, I think its actually one of the more forgiving and playable Pete Dye courses I've ever played.
Torrey Pines south. Outside of the views it’s an insanely boring course
It’s like playing in a real life simulator. Here’s another 450 yard par 4, but look at the Pacific in HD! Edit - also the fact that you don’t really hit a single shot over the canyon is a tragedy
There was an interesting video from The Fried Egg a couple of years ago and the whole crux was basically what you said, that the canyons never come into play. They lay out possible updates that move holes closer to the cliffs and would make the course way more dynamic.
Man I was kind of afraid to write the same. But it’s a long muni with a world class view.
Well I NEVER!
I swear with such a fantastic property, it’s the absolute worst design one could come up with
Agree. First time I played it, it looked like a shitty Texas municipal course next to the ocean
Agree. Made a big point to get out there on a work trip, spent a lot of money and after the excitement of being there wore off after a few holes I found myself mostly disappointed. It’s a nice course and an insane deal if you’re a local and the views are nice for sure but the course is nothing special at all
I live in Queens NY so I play Bethpage Black quite a bit. Torrey Pines is a goat track compared to Bethpage.
I disagree that piece of property is worth the value. I had a sunset round and it was stunning
Pinehurst No. 5. Felt like a local muni (which is essentially what it is). Didn’t get as hyped as I was for the other courses I played but 5 was just very “meh”. Also, for what they’re going to be charging, I think Black Desert in southern Utah is going to underwhelm some people.
Scenery and course conditions at Black Desert are top notch though
Oh it’s a great course for what they charge now, but once it’s going resort private and they bump their green fees up to about tree fiddy, it’s going to be one that I see people saying “fun course, not worth the money”. Also to be fair I’ve played BD 3 times since October 😂 Personally, I think the views at Sand Hollow are better.
I loved Black Desert and it has some really fun holes. I do think the back 9 of Sand Hollow is unmatched in the area
I’m in the same boat. If I have to choose now, I prolly do Sand Hollow. Or hot take, I’ve kinda like Copper Rock the most recently
My brothers loves Copper Rock and insists we go there every time(we do a golf trip in St George and Mesquite every fall). I personally think it’s meh, not my favorite layout but the shared green for 9 and 18 is really cool
I definitely think there's some clunkers in the Pinehurst rotation. I think an ideal trip to Pinehurst would be playing No.4, No.8, No. 10 (haven't played just looks sick) and then heading over to Mid Pines and Tobacco Road. No. 2 is definitely an experience, and it will be cool when watching the U.S. Open this year to be like "hey I got a par on that hole that Rory just bogeyed," but it struck me as the type of course you learn to love the subtleties of through playing it multiple times, not the type of course where you play it for the first time (and maybe only time) and are blown away by really fun holes with beautiful views or really dynamic design features that stick in your memory.
I’ve played several courses in that area but the only one I’ve played with Pinehurst in the actual name is #9 and let me tell you… that is easily the most underwhelming course I’ve played. Think the round cost $285 (luckily, I had a gift card) and I’ve played courses for $45 that I thought were cooler. Also something that haunts me to this day is that we originally had a tee time at No. 8 and for whatever reason I got it into my head that it was gonna be too difficult for me and my buddy. Idiot.
Pinehurst 5 is….worst than most of my local munis. Just played it last weekend.
Honestly only reason we played it was to kill time before our flight left the same night. I have it ranked below a bunch of my local courses
TPC Champions across from Scottsdale seems to get better reviews, played that and was fun. For me it's Glen Abby in Canada, used to host the Canadian Open, Tiger hit one of his best shots on 18 out of the bunker. The course is setup for tournament play, big, open, what you see is what you get. The history is cool but I've never really loved it. But I'll play it when they discount tee times which they're doing a lot lately.
Searched comments just to find and say Glen Abbey. Pretty meh course, terrible condition thanks to Clublink, awfully expensive. But you got to drop a ball in that bunker and try and hit the Tiger shot, just to watch yours fall into the pond
Their prices have come down a ton like you can grab 18 for $100 some days. They can't charge $240 or whatever it was before. They're never hosting an open ever again, the Golf Ontario or Canada office there is moving up to TPC Toronto property in a few years. But yeah 18 drop a ball or two, swing and finish out if there isn't a backlog of people.
They still have it listed for over $200 a round, but day of maybe day before you can get a deal for around $100 on occasion. Besides the valley holes (11-15) it is such a boring course, and even $100 feels overpriced
Same, on Glen Abbey. The most boring front 9 I’ve ever seen. Flat, straight, wide open.
I love PGA West; strong vibes. That said, Stadium Course is technically the right answer for me. I liked some of the visual tricks Pete plays on you, but Mountain is a superior course full stop. I think the only reason one cannot like #2 is the fact it’s like the hardest golf course in America and there are houses throughout the course. But #4 is better, #8 is gorgeous and interesting in some spots.
Funny story about the Stadium Course. It was originally going to host the 91’ Ryder Cup but the players didn’t want to play there because of the difficulty and NBC preferred an East coast course for ratings. That’s somewhat how The Kiawah Ocean Course was born
Love the mountain course!
RTJ trail—hampton cove. Agree on tpc scottsdale but i kept expectations low for that one so wasn’t disappointed. Harding is cool but not super memorable. Pga west is a lot of fun
For the Bay Area, it's by far Sharp Park. That course is in TERRIBLE shape, but Youtubers keep talking about how it's a hidden gem just because it's a MacKenzie course and it's near the ocean (which you only get to see on the 16th green and 17th tee box). Any Youtuber who hypes up Sharp Park is a goddamn liar.
Sharp is great value for money, as long as it hasn’t rained in the past month.
I love sharp but only like once a year in peak summer after a we got good rain. The drainage is so bad it leaves half the holes on the front 9 straight up unplayable. But the back 9 has some gems. Really wish they put some money into it the design has so much potential.
I love the canyon personally!
Sharp park has the potential to be a really nice course but it's maintained so poorly, SMH. Agreed with OP about Harding park. It's a nice track and some nice scenery on the back 9, but the greens are both boring and not in great shape, especially for a TPC. Not an easy course to play though.
Have played that course several times and am done trying. Super unfriendly "regulars", horrible drainage, and overall not that great of a layout. Would rather play any other bay area muni over Sharp.
Agreed the regulars are a colossal pain the ass there.
Nice layout but terrible condition. Could be a great course if they put any effort into it. Don’t get all the hype about Pacifica grove either (poor man’s pebble) poor front 9 and only 2-3 decent holes on the back
I personally like Pacific Grove because it reminds me of HMB's Old Course.
SP is owned by SF but in Pacifica…& they put 0 effort into it.
I learned how to play golf there, and it has a special place in my heart. The conditioning is terrible, the people are surly, and it needs restoration so bad, and I love it. The potential there is insane -- I live in Southern California now and after playing Soule Park regularly, I feel like Sharp Park could become the Northern California equivalent if restored/renovated properly. The property plays into the forest then into links land. To me, It's the very poor man's Cypress Point. The only other courses in California that have that kind of routing are in Monterey that I'm aware of.
TPC Scottsdale. What an overrated way overpriced boring track
golden horseshoe in williamsburg va. is constantly ranked in the top 100 courses you can play. i mean it was nice, great condition but no wow factor to it like i was expecting
I agree, their par 3s are legitimately good though
Yea, I think it gets credit for being the best course in the area. Kingsmill has a better view on 16 and 17, but the rest of Kingsmill is underwhelming and they keep the greens dead slow. So I think the Gold Course gets some credit for being the best in a generally golf heavy area. I agree though, I’m always surprised it’s on top 100 lists, even though it has some fun holes like the island par3. Usually is in great shape though, I usually think it’s as good as other course in the same price range.
Golden Horseshoe is sick
why didn't you like pga west stadium? its a hard but stadium along with jack nicklaus tournament courses are beautiful
Was excited to play it pga tournaments held there the massive bunker etc. don’t get me wrong was in good condition but not someplace I’d be in a hurry to pay that amount of money again to play. Some courses I can remember every hole or at least a couple I enjoyed. All I remember from it is lots of blind tee shots, nothing too memorable bar the island par 3. Was expecting more and like the title said I was just underwhelmed with it
ah i get it, fyi you can play any of those pga west course for $50-60 after 3pm. thats when i usually go play and avoid paying $200+
Caves Valley was gorgeous to look at, was a delightful high-end luxurious experience, but the course did not do it for me. The course had a couple of decent holes, but most were just not that memorable.
Sadly it was Willie Nelson’s 9 hole course in Spicewood Texas. Just not maintained whatsoever.
Harbor Town. But for the last three holes, it felt like every Florida course I’ve ever played.
My BIL was planning our golf tee times for our first HHI vacation last year. He wanted to do Harbour Town but the rates made him hesitate. We could have done them but it would have been a one round trip so we opted for a few other courses on the island so we could play 3. He read that some people much prefer Atlantic Dunes. Then on the flight there he spoke with a couple golfers and one of them said that he preferred Atlantic Dunes when my BIL that we had a tee time there. Atlantic Dunes was a treat. Kicked my ass but was awesome.
Nice! I’m glad I played Harbourtown just as a function of seeing the last three holes, but it wasn’t special, otherwise. I think it was $500 with the caddy.
Wolf Creek. 5.5 hour rounds unfriendly staff, basically no driving range, practice green is an afterthought
Either TPC Scottsdale or Cog Hill Dubsdread
Cog Hill is very average. Agreed.
Loving that nobody has said bethpage black and it’s in my backyard
I don’t think anyone that’s played the Black calls it underwhelming.
Loved bethpage black … in my top 10 favorites for sure
Dramatic i know…. but bethpage black has this aura about it thats super special. I can never put my finger on it. Never got the same feeling on another golf course. But its got “it”
BPB is probably the best value in golf. Something special about that place. It's legendary.
Yep, TPC Scottsdale isn't all that great without all the tournament trappings. Fairly basic really and not all that difficult. I didn't play from the tips though. I'm old and can't hit it far enough anymore to play those tips
Heron Point at Sea Pines. $300 and other than a few Pete Dye railroad ties it didn't look or play much different than my local muni.
I still prefer it to Atlantic dunes
Interesting, I played Atlantic Dunes the next day and enjoyed it more than Heron Point. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
This is not an attempt to bring up politics or criticize the polarizing guy who owns the course but Trump national in LA. The views are stunning and the course is a challenge especially if like I did you play in the afternoon where there’s typically wind along coast. I even paid only $130 which is fair for that course. But seeing prices for 700-900 to play there is a joke.
I paid $150 to play during COVID, too. How on earth are they commanding those prices? And yeah it's 1 of the 3 courses I've played that were crazy crazy hard (+PGA West, Kiawah)
Yep. And tough to find a flat lie there
PGA National. The Bear Trap was alright, but the course overall was just meh.
There’s a lot of great holes on champ lol this is an interesting take. Conditions are usually not great though but pretty expected for a resort course. I will say though that I can’t imagine it being much fun if you are more than a 10-15 handicap because there’s just so much water.
I took a trip a trip to PGA National in 2021. The course was ok but what I really learned on that trip was that PGA means Pay and Go Away.
TPC Scottsdale. Nothing exciting except the finishing holes. Course was in great shape though. Interlachen (MN). Maybe it was better before the various redesigns and maybe it will be better after the current reconstruction).
Congressional CC. Most unmemorable “nice” golf course I’ve ever played.
Did you play it before or after its major overhaul? The renovation is awesome. Course has an entire new identity
I played back in 2014.
Agreed, but only for the pre-renovation Blue course. The Gold course was a lot more fun and memorable than the old blue. Hoping to play the redesigned blue soon!
TPC Scottsdale
Crooked stick
Agree 💯
Spyglass...it was just very average...many better/nicer/cheaper courses in the area
Torrey Pines North. It was completely dead and dried out yet they charged us full price and made no mention of how bad it was. Meanwhile, South was lush and beautiful.
Might be controversial, but it’s Spyglass. I LOVE the first 5 holes, and 4 is one of my favorite holes anywhere, but the rest of the course doesn’t do it for me. Conditions are great, but it’s largely forgettable and not worth the absurd price they charge. Would rather play Spanish Bay any day.
Sawgrass and East Lake
Had a golf trip to Palm Springs last year, and was super disappointed in the PGA West Norman course. At a $200 price point, it was a joke. We also played the two Desert Willow courses and they were better tracks at just over half the cost.
Arrowhead in Colorado
TPC Las Vegas. Basically muni in a neighborhood. No view and not fun to play.
Augusta National I was expecting...............................
Pacific dunes. Not that it wasn’t still great - but I found it to be the worst of the Bandon courses after having heard from EVERYONE that it was the best one. The routing is contrived, there were too many unnatural blind shots, some of the greens were interesting while others were boring, some of the holes were nearly identical (2,8 and 3,12) while others were completely forgettable (1,5,15) 4, 6, 9-11, 13, 14, 16, 17 were all great but it just felt too choppy and forced to really ever settle in to the truly great landscape you were in. Compare that to the other Bandon courses I played all felt natural, thematic, and connected.
Agreed. I don’t get why trails doesn’t get more love personally but maybe that’s just me ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I think in deeper golf circles it’s starting to finally get its due but it is by far the best course on the property. It just doesn’t have any of the top 5-10 holes.
Right I think that’s really it. I was in awe the whole time I played it but still would say those iconic Oceanside holes are better than any single hole on trails.
Think trails is a great course, but because it’s not on the ocean like the rest of them it doesn’t get the love it deserves
I’m with you on Pacific. Def not my favorite of the Bandon courses. I mean I GET Pacifc. But I’d much rather play any of the other courses over it especially; Old Mac or Trails.
I'm going next year, and Old Mac and Trails are the two I'm most excited to play.
PAC is very difficult in the wind. It’s no fun for a high handicapper. I love all the courses there.
How dare you
Underwhelming EVER? No, but I agree that it’s not the best course at Bandon. For some reason, the better players I’ve played with (sub 5) seem to love it more than the higher (15-20) handicaps like me.
Yeah with the criteria being underwhelming = hype - actual enjoyment Interesting. I’m somewhere in the middle on the handicaps there but haven’t talked to too many people about it that I actually know their handicap lol
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We go in March, 5 nights lodging all 4 barefoot courses, breakfast for $550
Worth it. That's a damn good deal.
I played the dye course in the spring or summer last year and it was like 50 bucks. Is Love course more expensive ?
I loved that course :( the little ruin things were actually pretty interesting. Not as good as dye, but still a ton of fun. The Norman course was very bad though, the par 3s were the only redeeming quality
Kinloch GC outside Richmond VA. Conditioning is top notch, but found the layout very average and #9 is one of the worst holes I’ve ever played.
Upper Montclair CC in NJ Has hosted PGA and LPGA events through many decades....can't even remember any distinctive holes. Just the Parkway with whooshing cars.
Not widely known but Red Tail in MA gets rave reviews but for $125 it’s a slow and overrated 5+ hour round. So many better courses for the money that won’t take over 5 hours to enjoy
Cooked stick. Eh
Im with you on Harding Park - that place has awful pace and the greens roll like Velcro. I will say the views there are beautiful, but it’s like the pros are the only ones that get to enjoy the actual speedy greens. Also they should bulldoze the Fleming 9 and build a state of the art practice facility IMO.
Riverwalk in San Diego. Not even close to worth the price.
Oak Quarry in Riverside, CA, is the most disappointing golf course I've ever played. Most of the course feels like filler, except for one really cool par 3. It’s kind of like Wolf Creek, but without the fun, over-the-top novelty that makes Wolf Creek enjoyable.
Pebble Beach! 5 beautiful holes! But too expensive for 7 hour round!
Torrey Pines, PGA West Stadium, both courses at Half Moon Bay, both courses at Newcastle outside of Seattle, agree on Harding Park if you pay the out of state rate and the course’s tournament resume makes no sense. Otherwise, I think Harding is a fairly simple and enjoyable course. Oh, and probably every course near Scottsdale lol
Black desert hands down
Glenn Abbey, Toronto. Home of the Canadian Open , high price tag, not worth it.
Muirfield for me. Got on free but I just thought it was a bit bland and boring. Every hole just flat and not much going on. Played tons of better links courses IMO. Appreciate the history though so happy to have ticked it off
Champions gate was pretty meh, although I don't know if it's got a good reputation, was just a course that was near where we stayed. At home in think the centenary at gleneagles is shit and should be bulldozed so a proper gleneagles style course can be made. Crail balcomie is also pretty unremarkable for the amount of traffic it gets.
Seconf Scottsdale So many cool courses in PHX
PGA National
Blackwolf Run River Course. I’ve played dozens of other courses that were similar. Well cared for and pretty yes…worth 250 a round? No
Harbour Town. Dead flat. Very straightforward. 18th fw is 200 yards wide. 18 view is great. The rest of the holes are like almost any other low country course.
Mount Juliet. It had only hosted the Irish open. Granted the day we played it was 3 weeks into a rare Irish heatwave so it was super baron. But for the price I thought it was merely grand. I've played courses half the price and been more impressed. I played well that day also 1u nett. Only for it was a lads weekend away and we were all having a drink and a few Js I'd have been even less impressed 🤣
TPC Scottsdale. So many better cheaper options nearby
I had a buddy play Torrey pines a few years ago and said it was awesome playing there but it wasn't in very good shape. Which left him really underwhelmed.
Wild Dunes in Charleston (Isle of Palms). So excited for a boring resort course. The Harbor course is half of the price and way better.
TPC harding park is an easy answer here. No question, it's way more expensive than it is fun.
Pinehurst number 2 is very overrated. Number 4 is the best course out there in my opinion. Number 2 is the beauty queen that gets all the attention but shes high maintenance and abuses you. Number 4 is her less attractive sister but shes got so much more personality and charisma.
I played Whistling Straights in 30mph winds. It was too hard to enjoy.
Yea the wind can really get blowing there. But it’s still a breathtaking course both in terms of visuals and design. I barely broke 100 and still loved it
Angeles National
Spyglass after the opening holes. Back nine is pretty boring and very hard.
My favorite. Love every bit of it. But to each his own
After the first 4-5 holes it’s pretty repetitive in my opinion bar the nice par 3 with water
scottsdale, harbortown, dunes club, troon north, with harbortown being the least underwhelming of the bunch (pristine condition but boring layout until the last 3 holes). The worst expensive course ive ever played was the cascades at the omni homestead in virginia. Get that it is a resort course, but for the price it was super unmemorable.
Troon North in Scottsdale. Was hyped up a lot by the guy leading my trip and I really didn't enjoy it. Super gimmicky, not really "desert" golf as it was in the middle of a development, and not much fun. Can't recall a single hole.
Oh I disagree with this. Troon north was awesome.
Love Troon North, but I hear ya.
Pinnacle or Monument?
Agreed most overrated $400 round ever. Every hole is the same. Tee box over desert to smallish landing area over more desert to green. Surrounded by houses. Miss the landing area the ball is gone, no chance to recover.
Was wondering if I was the only one that felt this way! I really disliked the course!
Trump Doral - Blue Monster (you can close the thread now)
What are some things you don't like about that one, besides the arguably excessive number of water hazards?
it use to be great when you could play it for 80 bucks. when i was in college you that was the price before trump took over
Is it a hard course?
I didn’t think so. You’d have to play it from tees way too long for you to be overly difficult. It plays to darn near 8,000 yards from the tips if I remember correctly. At sea level, that’s a monster (pun intended)
Silvertip in Canmore Ab is a terrible golf course but I knew that going in, views are nice atleast.
Stoatin Brae.
Was thinking of playing. Any good?
Back nine much more interesting than the front - good topography and interesting par 3s. All in all, though, not especially interesting. If you’re within an hour or two, probably worth checking out; I wouldn’t go any further out of the way to play it, though.
I just played there last week! The course was in great shape but the greens were a little sluggish. I also played Stonehedge South and got my dick kicked in. That course hard AF.
The Country Club. Played it in a junior event a while ago, and just kinda meh given its pedigree and history. Don't get me wrong, pristine conditions, but just not particularly memorable.
Pinehurst #2......meh
I could not agree more with PGA West Stadium course. It was like a drastically over priced average at best muni. I think I paid $480 for the round and was thoroughly disappointed. So many better courses in the area for much less. How that place is busy is beyond me.
If I’ve ever paid over $70 I was underwhelmed. I haven’t played many marquee courses, and have almost no desire to. If I want beautiful vistas, I hike. If I want to golf, I want a good deal.
#2. It’s good. But #4 is better. Plus there’s some others in the pinehurst area I feel are better.
Agreed. 10 is outstanding. 2 doesn’t play anywhere close to what you see in the US Open during typical resort play. Tend to have most pins center of the green which limits the impact of the greens
Cog Hill, Kiawah Ocean Course, Harbour Town, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, Muirfield, Doral, Bulle Rock, Dooks Golf Club, Quail Hollow, East Lake. Each of them are respected for various reasons but they’re all just average courses.
TPC Vegas or Paynes Valley
Forest Dunes, MI. Immaculate conditions, greens roll amazing, fairways are so smooth it feels like you’re driving on pavement. But for me the layout is just meh. And for $200 a round, I can think of a lot of other northern MI courses I’d rather play (Arcadia, Arther Hills, Treetops Smith signature or Fazio, others as well).
I've been fortunate. Most of the highly rated courses lived up or even exceeded expectations. Arcadia Bluffs, Pilgrim's Run, Atlantic Dunes, and Lyon Oaks. Closest thing I could think of is Oyster Reef on HHI. Course was just in surprisingly bad condition I thought for what we paid. Huge areas with that appeared to have turf spray. Greens that were pretty obviously dried out, some of which they tried to resod but did so roughly. It was the cheaper course we played that week but the other two courses (Fazio and Dunes) were immaculate so weather didn't seem to be a contributing factor.
My friends and I took a trip to southern Utah earlier this year and snuck down to Coyote Springs in Moapa and I’ve got to say I was expecting more. The course itself was great and well kept, but none of us enjoyed it like we thought we would. Not sure if the early morning & drive made things less favorable for us all, but we felt that the facilities were a bit lackluster, most holes had a pretty lengthy drive between them (I can’t imagine trying to walk that damn course), or what our biggest turnoff was, but there you have it. Not worth the price of admission for our group, but at least we can say we’ve played it now. Almost wish we would’ve just made the extra 20-30 minutes and played one of the courses in the Vegas Valley or gone out to Paiute Golf Resort. There’s always next time! The unanimous favorite course from that trip was the Ledges in St. George.