Worst Courses Played

[Chas]

I salute your knowlege of East African history.  You remind me that I was in Kampala, staying with the Gujuratti family of my old school buddy, a year or two before Obote lost power to Idi Amin.  So maybe it was in 1970, at any rate it was after 1969 and before the madman took over and ruined the country, causing bodies to float in Lake Victoria and murdering many at the major University in Kampala.

My caddie was a very engaging black fellow who I suspect was amused by my failure to stop the ball on the blasted green until the 3rd or 4th attempt on the first few holes.   I did eventually get the idea.  I have many black and white photos of that vacation but sadly none taken on the golf course.

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by Clambake

Just the fact that there was a golf course in Uganda in '71 is pretty amazing.   Even more amazing was that you were there playing golf.    Was this guy your caddy by any chance?

He was the angry ranger yelling at him in his backswing.

[Chas]

HA!

If that were the case, they'd have found me floating in the big lake - still wearing my golf shoes.

[bwdial]

Well, I played another shithole.  Countryland Golf Club in Cumming Georgia has the worst greens I've ever played.  Sadly, these must have been the "better" greens, since the front was closed so that they could be reseeded with Bermuda.  The guy who took my $29 - a "discounted" rate - told me that the "heat got 'em".  Really?  Are you sure it wasn't the piss poor maintenance?  Anyway, we had to play the back nine twice, and the greens were virtually un-puttable.  Several well struck birdie or par putts bounced offline and completely missed the hole.

This was the best green on the course.  There was at least 100 square feet of puttable surface.  It was like a tiny little slice of Augusta.

This was much more typical.

Drainage issues?  This would have been the best green on the course, if it hadn't have been for the river of clay and rocks that bisected it and ran into the adjacent bunker.  That bunker was an absolute mudhole which I was lucky enough to visit on our second trip through.

[dsc123]

I am amazed at how many of these I've played.

I've played about 4 rounds of golf in MA and two of the courses I played on on this list.  I actually think Newton Commonweath wasn't bad, but the posts about that course on here are about 5 years old by now.  Ponkapogue was horrendous.  Almost the worst I've ever played.  The greens looked like the one bwdial just posted.

I've also played 3 courses in PA, one of which, Cobbs Creek, had a mention here.  I don't remember the course being that bad.  Its run by Billy Casper now, maybe its improved recently.  That was actually for my bachelor party, which was supposed to be in Atlantic City, but the area evacuated because of a hurricane.  We made it through 11 or 12 holes before the hurricane hit.  We played 2-3 more holes in sideways downpour and called it a day.

There have probably been 7-8 mentions from my area (DC Metro Area) though I haven't played most of them.  The DC courses are the worst though.  There are three, the one I never played was Langston, which I think is the first club in the country to have an african-american pro.  That was mentioned early on and led to some heated posts.  Its a landmark, and a dump.

But I've played the other two, East Potomac Park and Rock Creek Park.  I would venture to guess that the greens at East Potomac run around 6 on the stimp and the course is generally in bad shape.  A par 5 flooded about 3 years ago and they still have it set up as a makeshift par 3.  But Rock Creek.  That's the winner in my opinion.  Its a tough, narrow course.  The fairways are so hard its like playing in a parking lot.  One season they killed the greens and set up temporary greens for 1/2 the holes in the fairway.

[darkhunter139]

Originally Posted by bwdial

Well, I played another shithole.  Countryland Golf Club in Cumming Georgia has the worst greens I've ever played.  Sadly, these must have been the "better" greens, since the front was closed so that they could be reseeded with Bermuda.  The guy who took my $29 - a "discounted" rate - told me that the "heat got 'em".  Really?  Are you sure it wasn't the piss poor maintenance?  Anyway, we had to play the back nine twice, and the greens were virtually un-puttable.  Several well struck birdie or par putts bounced offline and completely missed the hole.

This was the best green on the course.  There was at least 100 square feet of puttable surface.  It was like a tiny little slice of Augusta.

This was much more typical.

Drainage issues?  This would have been the best green on the course, if it hadn't have been for the river of clay and rocks that bisected it and ran into the adjacent bunker.  That bunker was an absolute mudhole which I was lucky enough to visit on our second trip through.

Wow....that is bad.

I would have asked for my money back, they should have shut the whole course down.

[C FLO34]

The most interesting thing is that you seemed to play the course twice....I would have turned around demanded my money back if I saw the first green in that condition.

[Dawgpack]

The course I got started on a few months back was Wellington Hills in Woodinville, WA. It's pretty much all crabgrass in the fairways and the greens aren't in very good shape. It's only $8 or so for 9 holes though (it's only a 9 hole course) so it was worth playing on, especially when I was just learning. Unfortunately it's being shut down and replaced with soccer fields or something now so no more inexpensive golf for me.

[inthehole]

Nellis air force base in Las Vegas - more dirt than grass on many of the fairways.

[bwdial]

Originally Posted by C FLO34

The most interesting thing is that you seemed to play the course twice....I would have turned around demanded my money back if I saw the first green in that condition.

I'd driven 30 minutes - my friend had driven further - and didn't really know where else to go.  Just looked at it as a long game practice session.  Another of the local courses nearer me has done the same thing, but they did shut it down.  However, they hadn't let it get this bad.

[JerseyThursday]

Originally Posted by Lead Tape

I consider this the worst course ever for one reason, and a good golf course for another reason...Langston GC.

At one time, Lee Elder used to own the course and it's in a pretty bad neighborhood of Wash., D.C.

It was rarely if ever in decent shape, (actually it was in terrible shape) but one time I was playing with the black pro there along with another white friend and on a par 3 hole that bordered a street with a high chain link fence to guard against vandals and trespassers, there was a hill in front of a school about 50 yards away and a group of 3-4 teenagers started bombing us with stones, rocks, and bricks while we were trying to putt. All the hollering at them that we were going to call the cops only made them laugh, tell us "F" you "motherfkr" and throw more stuff.

The good side was it was a great place to find daily action and gamble.

Was the pro with you to talk up the course and get you to join as a member?

[JerseyThursday]

Originally Posted by bwdial

Well, I played another shithole.  Countryland Golf Club in Cumming Georgia has the worst greens I've ever played.  Sadly, these must have been the "better" greens, since the front was closed so that they could be reseeded with Bermuda.  The guy who took my $29 - a "discounted" rate - told me that the "heat got 'em".  Really?  Are you sure it wasn't the piss poor maintenance?  Anyway, we had to play the back nine twice, and the greens were virtually un-puttable.  Several well struck birdie or par putts bounced offline and completely missed the hole.

This was much more typical.

Those photos were hilarious. I particularly love this one.
The greenskeeper chose the one square foot area of grass to put the cup in. I guess everyone needs to knock their approach shots stiff to have a putt.

[saevel25]

God, shut down the course if that happens... :p

I've played cheap courses and expensive ones, if greens are well maintained, i will play any course. But, one thing i hate is unfair greens. If the green's keeper doesn't understand unfair slope and speed, then i am not going to play there. I would like not to have an uphill putt end up farther away than were i started putting.

[dsc123]

I'm going to have the pleasure of playing Ponkapogue again this week.  A friend is getting married and he is setting up a round of golf in there in the morning.  I'll be sure to take some photos.  Last time the greens looked like the first picture posted by bwdial (but not as bad as his second pic)

[JerseyThursday]

Originally Posted by saevel25

God, shut down the course if that happens... :p

I've played cheap courses and expensive ones, if greens are well maintained, i will play any course. But, one thing i hate is unfair greens. If the green's keeper doesn't understand unfair slope and speed, then i am not going to play there. I would like not to have an uphill putt end up farther away than were i started putting.

I’m not sure what you mean by unfair slope and speed. Placing the hole on side/top of a crowned area?

[0ldblu3]

Originally Posted by thehillgolfer

I was on vacation at the outer banks last summer and played at this place called Holly Ridge or something like that. It was awful. The greens were very strange. I'm not sure what type of grass they were or if they were grass, but whatever it was it was awful. Luckily i met some cool people from ohio and we were able to complain about how awful the course was together.

I've played Holly Ridge...lol, it is bizarre. The only good thing about it is $10 for a 130 ball bucket on the grass driving range. The grass on the greens is very, very slow and I remember one of them being like an upside down bowl. Your ball just ran off.

[WWBDD]

Originally Posted by Clambake

Just the fact that there was a golf course in Uganda in '71 is pretty amazing.   Even more amazing was that you were there playing golf.    Was this guy your caddy by any chance?

There was a very good tv show on one of the satellite channels in the ME called Adventure Golf hosted by Ian Cross.

He's played everywhere on all manner of golf course, but not Uganda that I know of.

http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/adventure_golf/index.php

Very entertaining.

There is a very nasty course you can see when descending into Katmandu, but I never got a chance to play it.

[Lesterday]

Originally Posted by inthehole

Nellis air force base in Las Vegas - more dirt than grass on many of the fairways.

That's disappointing to hear. Thanks for the info, at lest now I won't have to go trough the government background check to play the course.