Your Favorite Golf Course

[Guest]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Donal and am writing in Ireland.
I write a weekly golf page for the Irish Examiner newspaper.

My favourite course is Valderrama- I was lucky enough to be invited to play it a couple of weeks back on the eve of the last ever Volvo Masters.

We recorded a video of the last 3 holes for my (in development!) website.
I stuck them up on youtube. Here are the links:

If you search for "donal valderrama" they will come up

I have also done loads of course reviews in Ireland: Ballybunion, K Club etc if anyone is interested.

Cheers
Donal

[smith5606]

I love Bandon Dunes and will play it again someday soon. But until that day comes, I'll gladly play a Nick Faldo designed little gem only 40 miles from my house, Cottonwood Hills. I just hope that it survives the current economic unpleasantness. It's very nearly a masterpiece - for $35 a round.

[Kcas77]

i loved eagle mountain which is only 20 minutes from scottsdale az. surrounding most of the greens were hills that sloped towards the green so you could see some amazing shots. my favorite hole was the first a 510 yard par five where i hit the ball 365 yards i am not an overly long hitter averaging about 235 yards but you are hitting from an elevated tee with the fairway sloping towards the hole i found it to be a great way to start off the round

[Guest]

Mystic Rock near Pittsburgh

[RC]

My favorite is actually two courses:

1. Augusta National
2. Pine Valley

Of course there are many, many "others" that are great tracks, and great ones I have not played for sure. Several sources list Pine Valley ahead of Augusta, but Augusta causes me goosebumps just walking down the fairway. It is inexplicable, mystifying, magical... and when you stroke a putt and you can walk to the hole before the ball gets there, you also know it can be unforgiving as well as beautiful. Pine Valley is deceiving. It looks easier than it plays. A little mistake can lead to a big number.

[glbrum]

A few off the top of my head:

PGA West Stadium
PGA West Nicklaus
PGA West Norman
Princeville [HI]
Grayhawk [Phoenix, AZ]
Troon North [Phoenix, AZ]

Sadly, it's been about 8-9 years since I've played any of these courses. Hopefully I'll be able to get back out there sooner than later.

[ScruffyScraper]

I loved Castle Harbour in Bermuda. It was very short, but the whole secret to scoring was trying to hit a reasonably flat landing area from the tee.

It didn't matter what club it took to hit a flat spot, because from a flat lie, you could reach any green. If you just banged away, you might have a ¾ or ½ wedge to the green, but the ball would be at least a foot or more above or below your feet. Those fairways put the capital U in Undulating.

In effect, every tee was like a par 3 tee, because you were trying to put the ball on a flat spot, just as if you were trying to hit a green.

I've never been crazy about Bermuda greens, but Bermuda fairway yeild good lies--if they're flat.

[PiKapp23]

In Cincinnati, OH area:
http://www.stonelickhills.com/
http://www.astonoaksgolfclub.com/

Of all courses I've ever played (which is a lot of courses, but very few premium courses):
http://www.oldsilo.com/ -- Lexington, KY area
http://www.snowshoemtn.com/todo/sum-...golf/index.htm -- WV mountains
http://www.stonewallresort.com/golf/golf.asp - WV mountains (sorta)

[apex53]

Favorite has to be Spyglass Hill... First five holes set in the dunes and then you move up into the forest... Had an incredible caddie that had worked there for 20 years... Nothing here in Texas that I have played compares to it... Liked it better than Pebble