Favorite golf course you have played.

[PrairieParson]

I was curious as to what the rest consider their favorite course they have ever played. I was thinking about this today as I was remembering the course I caddied at and played many rounds, the West Bend Country Club, in West Bend Wi. When I was younger I never appreciated what a fine course it is. It is like no other layout I have ever seen or heard of, and a great test of golf. No two holes are alike, and yet most of them are good tests. It has a unique architecture, and a beautiful setting. Its the only course I can think of I would pay $100 to play. Someday maybe I'll get to play it again. If you ever get the chance to play it, do it. It is a special golf experience.

[Smiffy]

Played a lot of nice courses over the 20 years I have been swinging the clubs. Some you will have heard of, others are courses that I've just stumbled across on my travels and they've turned out to be "hidden gems" that I would certainly travel back to play anytime.
But if I had to pick one course out as my "favourite" it would be Carnoustie in Scotland.

http://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk.../course-video/

Absolutely fantastic course that can have you smiling from ear to ear one minute and then vowing that you are going to be selling your clubs the next!
Played it one year, we were in shirt sleeves on the front nine, turned for home and the tide had turned...blew a gale, chucked it down with rain, and I swear the temperature dropped all of 10 degrees within two holes.
Party of 8 and the worst score on the front 9 was 15 Stableford points. Best score on the back? I think it was about 8!!
The back 9 is tough at anytime, but I've never played a course with a tougher 3 finishing holes...ever.
Not the prettiest place in the world, some would call it bleak and ugly. The prettiest goes to Pitlochry, again in Scotland.

http://www.pitlochrygolf.co.uk/index.asp

But if I had one game of golf left in me it would be played around Carnoustie, preferably on a sunny and calm evening with the skylarks singing. Heaven.

[DaSportsGuy]

EagleSticks

http://eaglesticks.com/

[Lefty-Golfer]

Aronimink. host of the Tiger event for 2001, 2011...outstanding course.

http://www.aronimink.org/

[Where's the Cart Girl?]

http://www.ocngolf.com/

I rememeber liking the Panther Lake course more, but these two are probably 1-2 so far for me. Amazing place. Maybe 1-3 if you slip Nicklaus's Long Bay GC in Myrtle Beach in there, that's a fun course too.

[deronsizemore]

Has to be Valhalla for me or Old Silo .

[yenner]

EagleSticks

Looks beautiful. I may need to head out that way and play a round. Thanks for the recomendation! I'm looking for new places to play next season.

EDIT: Guess I should include min. Haha. I think mine might be Upper Lansdowne . Homestead is a fun course with a great staff. Split Rock is a fun course but their unprofessional staf and (literally) verbally insulting ranger make the day unbearable. I won't go back nor will I recommend ANYONE waste their money on a course that is unkept and a staff that is (again, literally) rude and verbally insulting.

[Dr_Fu_Manchu]

The Ocean Course

[RandomRaiderTTU]

Paa Ko Ridge in Albuquerque, NM.

http://www.paakoridge.com/

Beautiful course, more elevation changes than you can shake a stick at...

Only downside was the bunkers and that was only because I spent too much time in them

[cougar978]

Puakea Golf Course in Lihue, HI.

http://www.puakeagolf.com/

I shot 75 last year on that bitch.

[Dartguy]

Has to be

Yes and yes!

Also, played Keene's Point and Heathrow in Orlando. Very nice, too.

[mike68]

Played Christmas Lake in Santa Claus Land Indiana in August. Just a beautiful setting, rolling hills and a great golf course. http://www.christmaslake.com/

Mike

[Guinness23]

Hands down for me Arcadia Bluffs on Lake Michigan. If I had one course to play the rest of my life this would be it. I try and play it every year. The first year I played it, it was about 49 degrees, 25 MPH winds, gust to 45, with sideways rain. Never a more enjoyable golfing experience in my life. Not to mention a pint of Guinness after the round overlooking the course and Lake Michigan is truly great. Worth every penny.


http://www.arcadiabluffs.com/

[Gerardv]

It's a three way tie between Bayonet and Blackhorse in Monterey/Seaside CA. It's on Old Fort Ord where I was stationed while attending Defense Language Institute, and they are a phenominal pair of courses. Pebble Beach was out of my budget since I was a married E-4 when I lived out there.

The third course is Butterfield Country Club in the Chicago area. My uncle was a priest and they had a certain number as members. I don't remember why, but I was told they had to have a certain number of priests as members. Anyway, he would take me out there from time to time and it was amazing.

Not a blade of grass out of order, the world's nicest golf carts, real balls for range balls, bins of tees at each hole, and when we were out playing someone shined my old nike running shoes we left in the locker room.

Then, when we went to eat, they shined my old golf shoes which were hand-me-downs and past their prime. They looked brand new when I picked them up though.

Even with all that, the highlight was the golf course. The greens were lightening fast but if you hit a good approach shot the ball checked up properly. I will never forget the first putt I ever hit on a real green there. It was a 30 footer from above the hole that I putted about 20 feet off the front of the green.

After that fiasco, my uncle looked at me and said, "don't ever forget, God blesses those who are below the hole."

I never forgot that lesson.

[stickygreens]

Baltusrol Golf Club. Lower and Upper courses.

[sonomajake]

www.tobaccoroadgolf.com/

Place. Was. Sick.

[Jay-Bird]

The Ocean Course

That's on my to do list for sure. I'd like to play it from the tips. The par 3s are insanely tough - LONG and full of water...

My favorite course I've played is Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS. Here are a couple of glowing reviews of the links course... "I don't remember anything about playing there" -- Arnold Palmer "I don't remember anything, really, about the course. I know of it. I even spent five days in a row there when I won the Trans-Miss, but I don't recall anything." -- Jack Nicklaus Best 100 holes in America - #3, #10 Best 18 Holes in America - #8

[Big_M]

Hands down for me Arcadia Bluffs on Lake Michigan. If I had one course to play the rest of my life this would be it. I try and play it every year. The first year I played it, it was about 49 degrees, 25 MPH winds, gust to 45, with sideways rain. Never a more enjoyable golfing experience in my life. Not to mention a pint of Guinness after the round overlooking the course and Lake Michigan is truly great. Worth every penny.

perhaps one of the most underrated courses in the country... anyone within driving distance should play it.

www.tobaccoroadgolf.com/

are you joking... T-road is interesting, but I wouldn't want to play it even semi-regularly.

My favorites are Arcadia Bluffs, Pine Needles, Cedar River, and Shepards Hollow.