Most Difficult Course You’ve Played

[Hoganman1]

I have three as well: The Ocean Course at Kiawah, Mission Inn-El Campeon (near Orlando) and Musgrove Mill (near Spartanburg, SC). 

[The Recreational Golfer]

On 1/9/2018 at 7:51 AM, Kalnoky said:

Elkhorn Valley Golf Course in Lyons, Oregon. It is an hour away from civilization in the Opal Creek Wilderness Area, the largest old growth stand in the Western Cascades (trees avg 500-1000 years old). If you miss the (very narrow) fairways you will not find your ball. If by luck you find your ball in the forest, it will take two strokes to punch out because of all the trees. Often times the only play was to punch out backwards. And, there is water everywhere. The clubhouse sells t-shirts that say "I lost my balls at Elkhorn".

I attempted 131/73.2 - 6300 and was severely humbled. I basically had no business being out there two years ago. Several guys from my home club warned me! I am curious to try it again this year, as I expect to improve again. Hopefully they are still in business, golf courses are taking a hit around here. 

 

This course is one of my favorites. It used to be a 9-holer and was rated one of the best 9-hole courses in the nation. The white tees are 5,628 yards long, and that don't mean easy. You absolutely have to keep the ball in the fairway. If you miss, the ball is in NW forest understory and don't even bother looking for it. By about the 14th hole I begin to crack under the pressure of having to hit the ball straight or else. Bogeys are easy, pars are earned. Lots of fun, though, and it's in a beautiful setting.

[RandyBobbitt]

Florida State Amateur qualifying at Innisbrook Copperhead, also home of the Valspar Championship on the PGA Tour. I'm about a 4-handicap at the time, and with so many scratch golfers in the field I know it would take a career round to qualify. Parred the first seven holes, so I start planning what I was going to wear when I teed it up at the State Am.

A triple bogey on 8 and finished with an 86. Toughest course I ever played.  

[sofingaw]

Doral Great White.

18 is an island green (cool, but I dunked a few from 90y or so), and this joker is LONG with plenty of water and other hazards. 

Couldn’t keep a proper score, but it was north of 135. Could have been 150. 

Edited July 4, 2018 by sofingaw

[Ballhittinboy]

The Ocean Course at Kiawah on a very windy day 🙂

[jamo]

I guess it would have to be Bethpage Black or Torrey South. I wasn't playing the back tees at Bethpage, but I shot a 76 and was playing well at the time. Torrey I didn't break 90 but I hadn't played for about 3 months, so I was finding the thick rough off pretty much every tee. We weren't playing the back tees there either.

[mcanadiens]

It doesn't have the stats that some of you guys put up there, but for me it was Heatherwoode Golf Club in Springboro, OH.

It's a 72.8/129 that my buddy had the poor judgement of having me play years ago when I was still as green as the grass. Truth be told, I don't belong out there now either. 

Really, it's the typical stuff. The place has narrow fairways, gangster rough and fast, firm greens. Nothing most of you couldn't handle, but not the proper place for the likes of me. It used to host a Nike Open event back in the day. It's a Dennis Griffiths design from 1991 and is generally one of the more highly regarded public courses in this area.

 

[chazza]

Turnberry (long before Trump got his hands on it). Royal St Georges in the driest, hardest summer we've had for forty years. Lahinch in the wind.

[Petrocelli]

I have played Riviera about 15-20 times.  It kicks my ass every time.  I love it.

[bkuehn1952]

On paper it may not be the hardest but in my fading memory, it was the toughest track, Killington Golf Course (VT).  My wife and I played there decades ago.  It is a true "mountain course" because in the winter it is the largest ski area in New England.

Many tee shots are hit down or uphill to invisible hitting areas.  You arrive where your ball might be only to find a granite outcropping.  By the 16th hole my wife lost her last ball.  She asked me to toss her another. I said , "No" because my last ball was the one I was playing.

 

[Vinsk]

I found the greens at Wine Valley out in Washington State to be pretty difficult. The course looks like a links course as there aren’t any trees or vegetation taller than your knee. Beautiful course with large, fast undulating greens. 

I also struggled with the Coeur d’ Alene Resort course. Long and narrow fairways. An absolutely beautiful course with the famous floating green you take a little ferry boat to after your tee shot.

Edited March 2, 2019 by Vinsk

[phillyk]

25 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

I found the greens at Wine Valley out in Washington State to be pretty difficult. The course looks like a links course as there aren’t any trees or vegetation taller than your knee. Beautiful course with large, fast undulating greens. 

I also struggled with the Coeur d’ Alene Resort course. Long and narrow fairways. An absolutely beautiful course with the famous floating green you take a little ferry boat to after your tee shot.

Wine Valley is one of my favorite courses. Huuuge greens! Really the only protection to that course though. 

[Vinsk]

6 minutes ago, phillyk said:

Wine Valley is one of my favorite courses. Huuuge greens! Really the only protection to that course though. 

Yeah. Some of those fairway bunkers that are deep and more like clay/dirt than sand can be a mess too.

[ladders11]

Recently it was La Purisima, in central California. Windy day, everything was uphill. Everything.

[Augster]

Toughest course I’ve played, and I play it every year, is Deer Island CC just outside Mount Dora, Florida. I’ve only broken 90 once from the back tees. 

Brought my friend who is scratch there this year. 106 with a 60 on the back. I’ve never seen him shoot worse than 43 on any 9 ever. 

If you aren’t straight, it’s tough. If you aren’t long it’s tough. If it’s windy, you’ve got zero chance. 

[CaddyCarl]

Last year my golf buddy and I decided it would be fun to play a top ten public course in PA. So we looked around and found the closest one to us. Inniscrone in Avondale, PA. Understand, we're just a couple of weekend hacks. Brother. Blind shots, forced carries, fast greens, etc. Most of you guys would be ok with it, but we played from the whites and got murdered. Relentless beat down, and not fun at all. I'd need some face time with Eric before I tried that again! And of course, Lancaster CC. Good enough for a recent LPGA event, and another on the horizon. Grew up there. I love that course.

[jetsknicks1]

On 3/9/2019 at 3:03 AM, Augster said:

Toughest course I’ve played, and I play it every year, is Deer Island CC just outside Mount Dora, Florida. I’ve only broken 90 once from the back tees. 

Brought my friend who is scratch there this year. 106 with a 60 on the back. I’ve never seen him shoot worse than 43 on any 9 ever. 

If you aren’t straight, it’s tough. If you aren’t long it’s tough. If it’s windy, you’ve got zero chance. 

Water everywhere too.  Very tough course but I did finish par, birdie, par one time lol.

[Cantankerish]

Okeeheelee.  Lake Worth, FL

Water on every single hole, including random ponds in the fairway.  About half of the par 4s and 5s are dangerous to hit driver on either because of sharp doglegs, narrow fairways, or of course, random water hazards everywhere.

No thanks.