Best Municipals?

[ks8829]

Harding Park, San Francisco

http://www.harding-park.com/layout9....=129&page;=3913

[Harry Longshanks]

Of the ones I've played, Chambers Bay is the best by a wide margin.

+1

I haven't played it yet, but I can't imagine that there is a muni in the country that is better than Chambers Bay. Aside from the spectacular course itself and the scenery . . . it's a walking-only course, they have dedicated caddies, and it sits several hundred feet below street level, so there isn't a house or commercial building to be seen from the course, which sits at sea level.

[DaleMac]

Definitely agree...amazing public track.

[Dpricenator]

That looks pretty F'in awesome!

torrey pines is awesome. Only $50 for local residents, and F'ING $200 for vistors. Yeah I'm getting my next driver's license in the San Diego DMV.

[Jay-Bird]

Nationally:
Torrey Pines.

Locally:
Buffalo Dunes

[Triclone]

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 think you need to remember where you are playing at before you judge a course. Desert course all ready get a bad rap from non-golfers. The reason there is no water and trees on the courses in Tucson is because your in the desert, and Tucson is better about not using all the water. About the course being flat. if you have not noticed Tucson is in a valley. If you want something more hilly try going to the foot hills and playing la paloma it cost a lot more then playing city courses, but you get your hills. I think we all just need to stop looking a course from the view of lush green and lots of trees and water. and start looking at them more on how thy play, and what thy are doing to impact the environment, golf digest did a good article on this a couple of months ago about there new way of rating course.

[sabram]

Lots of mgood ones mentioned in this thread. I've played BP Black, Torrey, Chaska, Crandon, Harding, Riverdale Dunes, Hudson Hills and a few others mentioned. BP Red is also excellent.

Some other good ones that I've played that I believe are muni operated:
Red Tail , Ft Devens Mass
Saratoga Spa - Saratoga, NY
Spook Rock, Suffern, NY
Rockland Lake, Congers NY (If they put any $$ into this course it would be real good)
Patriot Hills, Stoney Pt NY
Hominy Hill, Colts Neck, NJ
Neshanic Valley, NJ - don't remember the town, near Livingston
Belmont, Richmond VA
Lassing Point, KY (just over the border from Cincy)
Blue Ash - Cincinnati
Angel Park - Las Vegas
Metroploitan, Oakland CA
De La Veaga, Santa Cruz, CA
Costa Mesa, OC, CA
City Park & Wellshire, Denver, CO (nice views of the Rockies)

In Troon, Scotland they have a couple of really good muni links. So if you don't want to play Royal Troon or Prestwick you can play Lochgreen or Darley and save a few quid.

Here are links to my photos of a few of the above:

http://sports.webshots.com/album/569953332lkEVFh

http://sports.webshots.com/album/561338364Tmyiqp

http://sports.webshots.com/album/565253157FMxigY

[sosinsurr]

Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington. 36 hole facility.

Hosted the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links, 2008 NCAA Men's West Regional Golf Championship, 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur. It will also host the 2009 Ping/Golfweek Invitational which showcases the best in college golf.

[chipper2]

In mid-Michigan we have have 3 very good muni's.
Lansing - Groesbeck
Jackson - Cascades
Battle Creek - Binder Park.
All in the $20-$40 range

[joelaiken]

Does not get any more beautiful.   I had the pleasure of living on the Monterey Peninsula for 2.5 years and thought Pacific Grove was a little slice of heaven

Joel

[joelaiken]

Originally Posted by sosinsurr

Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton, Washington. 36 hole facility.

Hosted the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links, 2008 NCAA Men's West Regional Golf Championship, 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur. It will also host the 2009 Ping/Golfweek Invitational which showcases the best in college golf.

I'm hoping to get out the Seattle Area in the spiring of 2013.  Will definitely visit this course.   I was stationed briefly in Bremerton, WA many years ago in the Navy, but did not play golf there.

Joel

[Bucki1968]

Tampa has a few good ones. Rogers Park, Babe Zaharias , and Rocky Point. Wife and I have a Sports Authority discount card and walk 18 holes for 18 bucks on week-ends. Cheaper during week and twilight (12.00 bucks). Good variety of courses. Right now they are in the best shape I have ever seen them in, but they get a little brutal in the summer (greens etc). Kalamazoo Michigan has some great ones also (Milham Park and Eastern Hills).

[joelaiken]

Wilmington Municipal in Wilmington, NC is a nice old Donald Ross course.  Well kept up and challenging.  A pleasure to play.

No practice range.   very inexpensive.

[joelaiken]

Aiken Municipal in Aiken, SC   another Donald Ross design which is a pleasure to play.   People from the North would stay in Aiken when visiting the Masters in the early years, and Aiken became a very quaint getaway for golfers and horse-lovers.   We stayed at the Wilcox Inn which was a total delight and commuted to the Masters  about 15 miles away.

[inthehole]

An exceptionally scenic muni is Berkshire Valley in NE NJ - very nice course

[joelaiken]

Originally Posted by niblick

Of the ones I've played, Chambers Bay is the best by a wide margin.

In the normal price range, Ancil Hoffman in Sacramento, CA is my favorite. I try to play it whenever we visit family down there.

Wow,  I did not know about Chambers Bay. A quick Google revealed it is the 2015 US Open site.    I'm now very anxious to see it up close and personal.

Joel

[stealthduffer]

It's been many years since I've played there but remember Edinburgh USA in Brooklyn Park, MN as a fine course that I believe would fall under the "muni"category.

[ghalfaire]

Not sure how one defines "best muni" but I have not played many outside of the Phoenix area and Sacramento, CA.  But for good value and a challenge around these parts if it is difficult to beat the Papago Golf Course in Phoenix.