Most Difficult Course You’ve Played

[DaveP043]

1 minute ago, dagolfer18 said:

It may be straightforward to you, because you’re a low handicapper. I’m a bogey golfer, so Duke was definitely more demanding to me because of my current ability level. Of course, if I get to your level, the course may not seem as demanding anymore. As for ‘tricky’, all it means to me is just something that’s hard. Duke, to me, was definitely tricky. Hope this clarifies things a bit for you.

I'm not at the level that @iacas is, but I understand what he's talking about.  Perhaps you've come a bit south and played at Tobacco Road. To me, that course is "tricky".  Many of the greens have huge slopes, there are lots of blind shots, lots of visual intimidation, but in most cases there's plenty of room.  It doesn't play really long, but has a pretty high slope rating, meaning that its also pretty tough for bogey golfers, less so for better players.  For me, its tricky, but not particularly difficult.  

[dagolfer18]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

I'm not at the level that @iacas is, but I understand what he's talking about.  Perhaps you've come a bit south and played at Tobacco Road. To me, that course is "tricky".  Many of the greens have huge slopes, there are lots of blind shots, lots of visual intimidation, but in most cases there's plenty of room.  It doesn't play really long, but has a pretty high slope rating, meaning that its also pretty tough for bogey golfers, less so for better players.  For me, its tricky, but not particularly difficult.  

No I have not. That course is definitely on my radar for the near future though. I’ve heard that Tobacco Road has some tricks to it.

[HarrogateHacker]

It’s tricky to say, my most difficult round was at a club called Cleeve Hill Near Cheltenham England, which I don’t think is that difficult, but it was windy, rainy, cloudy.  There was blind shots because it’s hilly and I was going around in my own (and playing awful).  In nice conditions, I’m sure it would be fine

[JGus]

8 hours ago, HarrogateHacker said:

but it was windy, rainy, cloudy.  There was blind shots because it’s hilly...

Isn't it always windy, rainy, and cloudy up that way, don't think I ever seen the sun when I golfed, and the number of blind shots is ridiculous on courses around there compared to stateside courses.

[HarrogateHacker]

1 hour ago, JGus said:

Isn't it always windy, rainy, and cloudy up that way, don't think I ever seen the sun when I golfed, and the number of blind shots is ridiculous on courses around there compared to stateside courses.

It certainly feels that way at the moment, weather has been awful recently!!!  I’m going to have to sneak a few days in Spain or Portugal to remind myself what a sunny course looks like!!

[Birdwell49]

There is a course somewhat local to me called Musgrove Mill GC.  It's in Clinton, SC and was designed by the Arnold Palmer Group.  We were members there for a couple of years, but actually dropped our membership because it's so difficult. I've played lot's of good & hard golf courses around the world, but this place is a constant challenge regardless of weather conditions.  It is absolutely beautiful, but it will kill confidence as much as anything because you have to be "on".  There is no miss as the fairway ends and the woods begin.  

[Cantankerish]

My nephew keeps getting us tee times at Colony West in Tamarac, Florida.  It was the home of some event in 1972.  I can only use my driver on about five holes.  It's 3-wood off the tee for the most part, and then often another 3-wood because the course is so long (7200 from the pro tees, I play either the 6600 or 6800).  It has some tough bunkers with near vertical lies being a fairly common issue.  But mostly I am talking about a long course that defends by daring you to use your driver.  That does not make sense to me.  Too hard, and not especially fun.

[David in FL]

4 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

My nephew keeps getting us tee times at Colony West in Tamarac, Florida.  It was the home of some event in 1972.  I can only use my driver on about five holes.  It's 3-wood off the tee for the most part, and then often another 3-wood because the course is so long (7200 from the pro tees, I play either the 6600 or 6800).  It has some tough bunkers with near vertical lies being a fairly common issue.  But mostly I am talking about a long course that defends by daring you to use your driver.  That does not make sense to me.  Too hard, and not especially fun.

Why are you playing from tees that long?  The blue tees are about 6,300 yards.  Those are the tees I’d be playing!  

[Cantankerish]

27 minutes ago, David in FL said:

Why are you playing from tees that long?  The blue tees are about 6,300 yards.  Those are the tees I’d be playing!  

It's a good point.  I have been golfing for under two years.  The course has been under extensive renovation for that entire time.  The tee boxes are sorta in flux.  ATM, they don't even have the pro tees set up.  You have an option at about 6100 yards and another at 6500 or 6600 and then the temp back tees at 6800 or 6900.  I have not played the 6100 tees, but I am told that it castrates the course.  Perhaps I am suffering from amnesia though.  Since I do not especially enjoy Colony West with the layout I am seeing, perhaps something different would be better.

[David in FL]

14 minutes ago, Cantankerish said:

It's a good point.  I have been golfing for under two years.  The course has been under extensive renovation for that entire time.  The tee boxes are sorta in flux.  ATM, they don't even have the pro tees set up.  You have an option at about 6100 yards and another at 6500 or 6600 and then the temp back tees at 6800 or 6900.  I have not played the 6100 tees, but I am told that it castrates the course.  Perhaps I am suffering from amnesia though.  Since I do not especially enjoy Colony West with the layout I am seeing, perhaps something different would be better.

You’re a relatively new, high handicap golfer.  You don’t need to be looking for challenges beyond what this infuriating game provides just by teeing it up!  
 

Tell your nephew that you’re playing tees appropriate to your abilities, and that he should either respect his elders, or you’re going to kick his young ass!    

[Buckeyebowman]

On 1/14/2020 at 2:40 PM, David in FL said:

You’re a relatively new, high handicap golfer.  You don’t need to be looking for challenges beyond what this infuriating game provides just by teeing it up!  
 

Tell your nephew that you’re playing tees appropriate to your abilities, and that he should either respect his elders, or you’re going to kick his young ass!    

Reminds me of guys who go to play some "destination" course, and even if they're 24 handicappers they want to play from the tips because they want to "see the whole thing!" Such an absurd idea. 

[dagolfer18]

What is the most difficult golf course you’ve played? For me, it’s Duke University GC right here in Durham, NC. I remember @iacas told me he’s played here before. Tee shots aren’t too hard, and you could probably get away with hitting driver quite a bit, but the approach shots will get you. This course is a nightmare if your sand play is poor. The greens are quick, and will definitely provide a stern test for the flat stick. It’s about 7100 from the tips (par 72), but 6100 from the whites where we played. I remember that I shot a very respectable 98 there last spring. Coming in close second are Croasdaile CC and Quaker Creek. Both of them have quick greens, Quaker Creek probably the fastest of all three courses I’ve listed. If you’re in the area, all three are worth a visit, but you have to know a member to get on Duke and Croasdaile.

Just realized that somebody has already created a topic on this. Oops 😬 

[Rippy_72]

Any hosting course with a few weeks of USGA Championship like the US Open or Amateur.  Merion, Winged Foot, Shinnecock, Bethpage Black from the tips with firm greens, narrow fairways, and 6-10 inches of rough should get anyone's attention.  A scratch would have a difficult time breaking 80.  One may as well paint a black strip down the left and right rough-miss the fairway, GL advancing let alone making par.  

On a normal day (no huge wind, no rain), Pine Valley would be the hardest for me simply because the green complexes are so challenging.

I played the Prince course from the tips in 30+ wind.  Stupid waste of money.  As a scratch, I did not break 90 and would have been better just declaring the ball unplayable on the first tee and went drinking.

[DaveP043]

37 minutes ago, Rippy_72 said:

I played the Prince course from the tips in 30+ wind.  Stupid waste of money.  As a scratch, I did not break 90 and would have been better just declaring the ball unplayable on the first tee and went drinking.

Perhaps the bad decision wasn't to play, but in the selection of the tees.  

[Rippy_72]

1 hour ago, DaveP043 said:

Perhaps the bad decision wasn't to play, but in the selection of the tees.  

Would not have mattered.  Slope was consistently hard on all tees.  Have you played it?  In 30 mph wind?  The slope rating from the red tees probably wasn't much lower than the tips.   It was more than hard, it was impossible.  I have played many of the top courses in UK and Ireland in wind and rain, my day at the Prince just eviscerating. I had a 20 foot birdie putt on a par three that was downwind and downhill; and, no matter how easily I stroked it, the ball rolled and rolled down a cliff.  I was running out of balls reloading.  Thank you, equitable stroke control.  I just gave up.

How does one determine the correct tees?  And, how much does that matter for a scratch golfer?    Honestly?  Driver ball speed 190-195 mph at the time but now only 165-170 (I am old).  At the time I could easily fly a driver 310.   Course was around 7200 yards.   Hitting driver lob wedge gets boring.  I do not have the card, so, I cannot say what the rating or scope was.  It was a very penal course.   Played a lot of top 100 courses, this one got me like no tomorrow.  Maybe if there was no wind???  Even still, just off the fairway and lost ball.  On one hole, the tee was like 150 feet elevated to a 25 yard wide fairway and a 30 mph gusting crosswind.  I lost maybe 5 balls trying to hit it inside of the jungle.  When a half decent golfer hits 5 good tee shots and all are lost balls, one would have been better taking an unplayable on the first tee.  

 

[DaveP043]

2 hours ago, Rippy_72 said:

Would not have mattered.  Slope was consistently hard on all tees.  Have you played it?  In 30 mph wind?  The slope rating from the red tees probably wasn't much lower than the tips.   It was more than hard, it was impossible.  I have played many of the top courses in UK and Ireland in wind and rain, my day at the Prince just eviscerating. I had a 20 foot birdie putt on a par three that was downwind and downhill; and, no matter how easily I stroked it, the ball rolled and rolled down a cliff.  I was running out of balls reloading.  Thank you, equitable stroke control.  I just gave up.

How does one determine the correct tees?  And, how much does that matter for a scratch golfer?    Honestly?  Driver ball speed 190-195 mph at the time but now only 165-170 (I am old).  At the time I could easily fly a driver 310.   Course was around 7200 yards.   Hitting driver lob wedge gets boring.  I do not have the card, so, I cannot say what the rating or scope was.  It was a very penal course.   Played a lot of top 100 courses, this one got me like no tomorrow.  Maybe if there was no wind???  Even still, just off the fairway and lost ball.  On one hole, the tee was like 150 feet elevated to a 25 yard wide fairway and a 30 mph gusting crosswind.  I lost maybe 5 balls trying to hit it inside of the jungle.  When a half decent golfer hits 5 good tee shots and all are lost balls, one would have been better taking an unplayable on the first tee.  

I was mostly just tweaking you, sorry you took it seriously.  I did play that course, 2 or maybe 3 times.  On the north coast of Kauai, its almost always windy, but I don't think we saw 30 mph.  Its a good tough course, with a few really tight fairways.  I don't remember the greens being usually fast, that's been really rare when I've played anywhere in Hawaii.  I do remember the fairway you mention, insanely narrow.  But looking back, could you have played it differently?  Could you have flighted long irons off tees, keeping the ball lower?  Could you have taken better account of the wind at times?  Maybe 2-iron -6-iron would have been a better choice than driver reload driver reload driver lob wedge.  Or move up a tee, play 2-iron wedge.  Tee selection CAN influence the fun you have, even for really good players.  I'm sure it was tough, but just imagine having a go at Ko'olau in those same conditions!

And welcome to The Sand Trap!

[snapfade]

On 1/21/2020 at 8:40 PM, Buckeyebowman said:

Reminds me of guys who go to play some "destination" course, and even if they're 24 handicappers they want to play from the tips because they want to "see the whole thing!" Such an absurd idea. 

Ha ha ha, I swear I started crying. "See the whole thing", I've heard that before even used it with an errant shot. Or "Im getting my moneys worth" Thanks for the good laugh that's awesome

[Rippy_72]

2 hours ago, snapfade said:

Ha ha ha, I swear I started crying. "See the whole thing", I've heard that before even used it with an errant shot. Or "Im getting my moneys worth" Thanks for the good laugh that's awesome

I did that once at an especially long course somewhere in Arizona when on a business trip.  I gave the starter a nice tip and asked if he could pair me with a decent group playing the tips.  On the first hole, this guy Jason clears the dogleg bunker with a three wood.  So, my driver ends up right into the bunker (I made par anyway).  Next hole is 235 par 3 to a front pin, it was probably a 4 iron but being conservative I hit 3 iron to the middle.  This Jason dude asks me if I hit 5 or 6 iron?  I am like, ya right.  What did you hit.  He shows me the 6 iron.  Then, I noticed around 6 drivers in his bag and I ask why?  He says, I usually break a shaft or a couple faces in a round.  He was actually a pretty good player as were the other two.  He snapped one on a 595 yard par 5 and I actually outdrove him, he needed 5 iron from 260 and I also hit 5 iron but from 225.  A blue moon event, usually you get a 12 Hcp thinking they can handle 7400 and 140 slope from the tips.  One of the players was a professional bowler (one of the top in the world), he hit ok but putting was lights out.

I forgot how hard the Cashen course was in a freshening rainy gale, not quite the eviscerating experience as The Prince but a serious wake up call.  I also played in an open competition in Connemara North of Galway in Gale Force 9, I could hardly walk.  On a 400 yard par 4, I hit driver, driver, 8 iron. On the 394 yard hole coming back the other way, I flew the green with a 3 wood and hit 9 iron back into the breeze for a par.  Insane. About 45 mph wind, around 8 clubs.