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Best Municipals?

post #1 of 70
11/7/07 at 3:32pm
Thread Starter 
When I was in high school in Memphis, TN the nearest course to my home was a new course in a extremely hilly area of NE Frayser called Davy Crockett. It had some of just about everything (except Country club manicuring) - elevated tees, target landing areas, elevated greens, doglegs that wrapped around hills that had no level lies, blind shots, lots of water, killer rough (10 yards off the fairway was usually lost), etc. To this day remains one of the toughest golf courses I have ever played and I have played a lot of great courses, including over half of the PGA tour courses. You would have a much better chance at shooting par your first time at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedre (with the famous island green at 17) than at Davy Crockett. I wonder what it is like today some 40 years later?

The worse municipal golf courses I ever played were in Tucson, AZ. If you like flat, bare, wide-open courses with few trees and no water, then those courses are for you - you'll never lose a ball or go out of bounds, but then again half your shots are like hitting from hard sand in neglected fairway bunkers.

I haven't palyed a municipal course in at least 15 years, what do they charge now?
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post #2 of 70
11/7/07 at 6:34pm

Re: Best Municipals?

Crandon Golf Course in Key Biscayne (Miami, FL area) - it's CC quality and has been used on the Senior tour a bunch of times. Greens are stupid fast and heavily contoured making for some tough putting. Balls much off the fairway are OOB and lost to the Mangrove or Water Gods. Very scenic with views of Miami across the water and tons of wildlife including huge iguanas.

Price is ~$30-60.
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post #3 of 70
11/7/07 at 6:50pm

Re: Best Municipals?

i think any conversation of the best municipal golf courses starts with Tillie's arguably best work, the Black course at Bethpage State Park.
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post #4 of 70
11/7/07 at 8:47pm

Re: Best Municipals?

Many of the municipals in L.A. area about $30 on weekends, walking. +$12 for cart. They are cheaper on weekdays.

Rancho Park is supposed to be great, but play is supposed to take forever. I love Woodley Lakes myself.
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post #5 of 70
11/7/07 at 9:09pm

Re: Best Municipals?

I work and play at a municipal course in Albuquerque NM named Arroyo Del Oso GC. At one time it was named in the top 50 Municipal courses in the country. Its a good golf course especially considering its only $25.50 to walk on the weekends. Its nothing spectacular but its a very solid track. The other 3 muni courses in the city are no where near as good.
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post #6 of 70
11/9/07 at 12:49am

Re: Best Municipals?

Originally Posted by Shindig View Post
Many of the municipals in L.A. area about $30 on weekends, walking. +$12 for cart. They are cheaper on weekdays.

Rancho Park is supposed to be great, but play is supposed to take forever. I love Woodley Lakes myself.
Rancho is awesome, one of my favorite courses. But yes, takes forever to play. A really great course with challenging holes, and a good amount of history. Used to host the L.A. Open.

Try Brookside (#1) in Pasadena. Or the Griffith Park courses. They are far superior than the Woodley/Balboa courses.

If you can, try and play around 10 or 11 on a Monday on any of the mentioned courses. Other than that, you're looking at 5.5 hour rounds for sure.
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post #7 of 70
11/9/07 at 4:23am

Re: Best Municipals?



Any municpal discussion has to include Pacific Grove.

"The poor man's Pebble Beach"

$40 on the weekends.
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post #8 of 70
11/9/07 at 4:27am

Re: Best Municipals?

If you get up to the San Francisco area, Harding Park is a fabulous muni. Had it's heyday in 50s and 60s hosting many tournaments. A older acquaintance of mine won a pro tournament there back in the 60s. It fell into disrepair I believe in the 1990s and was redone a few years back and what a course! It's got the muni feel, yet the service is top end. It was in good shape when I played it a couple years ago and has had some tour stops lately. It's a great setting just across the water from Olympic Club (which you can see from a couple holes on the back 9).
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post #9 of 70
11/9/07 at 5:48am

Re: Best Municipals?

Originally Posted by JumpHigh_HitHard View Post


Any municpal discussion has to include Pacific Grove.

"The poor man's Pebble Beach"

$40 on the weekends.
That looks pretty F'in awesome!

Now that you bring that up, '08 US Open site Torrey Pines is also public.
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post #10 of 70
11/10/07 at 5:02am

Re: Best Municipals?

Originally Posted by Ben View Post
Rancho is awesome, one of my favorite courses. But yes, takes forever to play. A really great course with challenging holes, and a good amount of history. Used to host the L.A. Open.

Try Brookside (#1) in Pasadena. Or the Griffith Park courses. They are far superior than the Woodley/Balboa courses.

If you can, try and play around 10 or 11 on a Monday on any of the mentioned courses. Other than that, you're looking at 5.5 hour rounds for sure.

That's the plan, once this round of quals are over! Even the right day of the week.

Hmm... Griffith Park doesn't look as far away as it did when I was looking at courses a few months ago. I'll certainly give them a try at some point in Dec/Jan. Are they more challenging, more elevation changing, or what?

Does Brookside take 1-person tee times? The convenience of the L.A. City Golf Card is that I can make 1-person tee times easily.

Either way, thanks for the suggestions.
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post #11 of 70
11/10/07 at 6:02am

Re: Best Municipals?

Allentown Municipal (PA)

Killer track. Best of.
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post #12 of 70
11/10/07 at 5:22pm

Re: Best Municipals?

The best muni in Westchester is Hudson Hills. Clean, tough, challenging, great greens. Actually, probably the best, considering price-$55 with a GPS cart on weekdays and $75 on weekends. I've never played a round slower than 4:15, too. Pace of play is terrific. It's much better than any of the munis in NYC.
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post #13 of 70
11/10/07 at 11:17pm

Re: Best Municipals?

Ancil Hoffman GC in Carmichael, CA is the best muni I've played. Fantastic old parkland style course.
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post #14 of 70
11/11/07 at 10:43am

Re: Best Municipals?

I agree with the Black but dollar for dollar the whole Bethpage complex 5 courses are the best value in all of the country.
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post #15 of 70
11/11/07 at 11:25pm

Re: Best Municipals?

Anchorage Golf Course- Anchorage, AK
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post #16 of 70
12/1/07 at 2:52am

Re: Best Municipals?

While Greater Toronto has many fine public play courses (including a few good munis in the cities of Mississauga, Hamilton and Waterloo), the City's own courses - 5 - leave something to be desired.

Unfortunately, they often become political footballs as when some soft-headed politcian argued that they should be sold to condo developers. That was until it was pointed out that they are built in flood planes and that they generate the money which underpin his and his colleagues' profligate ways.
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post #17 of 70
12/1/07 at 7:11am

Re: Best Municipals?

Harding Park in San Francisco is also my favorite municiple golf course. I am bias because I've played this course for the last 23 years. Harding hosted the American Express Championship in October of 2005 with Tiger beating out John Daly in a playoff with a final score of 10 under par.

Harding Park held its own with the top elite golfers from around the world.
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post #18 of 70
12/1/07 at 4:51pm

Re: Best Municipals?

My second favorite municiple golf course is Sharp Park in Pacifica, California just 15 minutes south of San Francisco. Alister Mackenzie designed Sharp Park Golf Course and is best known for designing the Augusta National Golf Course. You can play Sharp Park for only $21 on the weekday and $26 on weekend with a resident card, what a bargain for the San Francisco Bay Area!

Three of my favorite holes are 11-13.

11 holes measures 415 yards dogleg left with a slightly uphill green that I am always happy to just par.

12 holes is 405 yards into the wind protected with bunkers on the right.

13 hole is a par 3 187 yards straight into the wind always playing an extra club or two.

If I can play these three holes with pars, I feel, I am ahead of the game.
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