Top 5 Courses You Have Played

[act0fgod]

On 1/25/2025 at 1:19 PM, lpitts82 said:

Peachtree Golf Club

Ansley Golf Club Settindown

Capital City Club Crabapple

Virginia Country Club

Piedmont Driving Club

I assume you're young and grew up or went to school in Atlanta and just moved out to Long Beach?

 

I looked at a top 25 courses list I posted about 15 years ago.  After posting I was given the advice to invest in a passport.  It was great advice.  If creating a similar list today only about 5 of the same courses would be on the list (interestingly one of my top 3 wouldn't make my top 25 now).

[lpitts82]

On 3/8/2025 at 12:08 AM, act0fgod said:

I assume you're young and grew up or went to school in Atlanta and just moved out to Long Beach?

 

I looked at a top 25 courses list I posted about 15 years ago.  After posting I was given the advice to invest in a passport.  It was great advice.  If creating a similar list today only about 5 of the same courses would be on the list (interestingly one of my top 3 wouldn't make my top 25 now).

I lived in Atlanta my first 34 years of life,then Phoneix for a year and a half, and been in Long Beach/LA for the last 7. The only thing that will ever beat Peachtree is Augusta and that one hasn’t happened just yet. 

Edited March 9 by lpitts82

[ESOX ZO]

On 12/17/2024 at 9:01 AM, ESOX ZO said:

RCD

Sedge Valley

Manele

St Patricks

Lahinch

 

 

Will most likely change in a month

Update:

RCD

Te Arai North

Manele

St Patricks

Te Arai South

[act0fgod]

21 hours ago, lpitts82 said:

I lived in Atlanta my first 34 years of life,then Phoneix for a year and a half, and been in Long Beach/LA for the last 7. The only thing that will ever beat Peachtree is Augusta and that one hasn’t happened just yet. 

Well I was off on that prediction.  How are you a Bengals fan?  I enjoyed a lot of courses in Ohio.  I'd rather play LACC than Peachtree (haven't played LACC but have walked it multiple times - have played Peachtree).

[nojohcan]

Going to post mine for future reference.

 

1. Olympic Club (Lake)

2. Camargo Club

3. Sand Valley

4. Erin Hills

5. We-Ko-Pa Saguaro

[PalmettoGolf4]

1. Ocean Course Kiawah Island

2. Arcadia Bluffs

3. Harbour Town

4. Broomsedge Golf Club

5. Dunes Golf and Beach Club

 

List will probably change quite a bit after this year with rounds scheduled at: Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Port Stewart (Strand), Ballyliffin and Castlerock.

[ESOX ZO]

42 minutes ago, PalmettoGolf4 said:

1. Ocean Course Kiawah Island

2. Arcadia Bluffs

3. Harbour Town

4. Broomsedge Golf Club

5. Dunes Golf and Beach Club

 

List will probably change quite a bit after this year with rounds scheduled at: Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Port Stewart (Strand), Ballyliffin and Castlerock.

Have a good trip! Check out Malin Head by Ballyliffin if you have time and want to do some sightseeing, awesome spot with some cool history. 

[Validator]

Public/resort

 

1.RCD

2.Manele Bay

3.Old Course

4.Erin Hills

5.Adare Manor

 

Private

1-Oakmont

2-Lancaster 

3-Merion

4-Fox Chapel

5-Caves Valley

[subcrazy12]

On 1/25/2025 at 5:19 AM, lpitts82 said:

Peachtree Golf Club

Ansley Golf Club Settindown

Capital City Club Crabapple

Virginia Country Club

Piedmont Driving Club

As a Driving Club member it's nice to see someone give some recognition

[icegator337]

1. Arcadia Bluffs

2. Diamante Dunes

3. Ozarks National

4. We-ko-pa Saguero

5. Fallen Oak

[tad950]

On 12/25/2024 at 9:40 PM, Yoshifan151 said:

Like was I a member there? No, a buddy of mine got me on when I came up to visit (he worked at a club in NorCal). I hadn't heard of it prior but I really had a blast out there. Tough but fun track and it was in phenomenal shape.

Played Del Paso a couple times. Pleasantly surprised. I wasn’t expecting much for a course in the middle of Sac.in the summer. 

[lpitts82]

21 hours ago, subcrazy12 said:

As a Driving Club member it's nice to see someone give some recognition

It’s a great course and one I could play over and over without getting tired of it. A buddy of mine has been a member his whole life and almost convinced me to join before I was 40 but moving kind of ruined that idea. 

[subcrazy12]

3 hours ago, lpitts82 said:

It’s a great course and one I could play over and over without getting tired of it. A buddy of mine has been a member his whole life and almost convinced me to join before I was 40 but moving kind of ruined that idea. 

Agree highly repeatable and a pretty setting as well.  I also appreciate that you can really vary the tees you play on and the course can play totally different in terms of shot selection and strategy. Excited to see how tough it gets to play with it being one of the final qualifying host sites for the US Open this year.

 

I am very glad to be a member as the intown clubhouse on the park is great as well. Also helps the course is 10 minutes from my office.

[lpitts82]

4 hours ago, subcrazy12 said:

Agree highly repeatable and a pretty setting as well.  I also appreciate that you can really vary the tees you play on and the course can play totally different in terms of shot selection and strategy. Excited to see how tough it gets to play with it being one of the final qualifying host sites for the US Open this year.

 

I am very glad to be a member as the intown clubhouse on the park is great as well. Also helps the course is 10 minutes from my office.

The intown club is very nice and pretty rare in the city. The only real intown club I can think of besides PDC is Ansley because I don’t really consider Capital City and Cherokee as intown. 

[subcrazy12]

4 hours ago, lpitts82 said:

The intown club is very nice and pretty rare in the city. The only real intown club I can think of besides PDC is Ansley because I don’t really consider Capital City and Cherokee as intown. 

Yeah it is somewhat unique. I do think the clubhouse has the best setting in Atlanta with Piedmont park on one side and the midtown skyline on the other 
 

Cherokee is borderline for me being intown but the membership is just so massive. 
 

Cap City at least has the clubhouse downtown on Peachtree but it’s really just social for food. 

[mshills]

On 3/13/2025 at 10:46 AM, subcrazy12 said:

As a Driving Club member it's nice to see someone give some recognition

Indeed. Really good golf course, even better Midtown club. 👍🏼
 

ATL native, been gone a little over a decade now, nostalgia is strong!

[StoutKing]

On 3/13/2025 at 7:05 AM, Validator said:

Public/resort

 

1.RCD

2.Manele Bay

3.Old Course

4.Erin Hills

5.Adare Manor

 

Private

1-Oakmont

2-Lancaster 

3-Merion

4-Fox Chapel

5-Caves Valley

Great tracks.  Lancaster ahead of Merion?  Okay, I hear you.

[carrera]

West coast guy here....has been years since I heard of the Piedmont Driving Club.  Very low profile, except for that scandal years ago.  I assume the club cleared the ranks of all involved?  It was quite the golf news item back in the day.  Must be 15+ years ago.

[mshills]

10 hours ago, carrera said:

West coast guy here....has been years since I heard of the Piedmont Driving Club.  Very low profile, except for that scandal years ago.  I assume the club cleared the ranks of all involved?  It was quite the golf news item back in the day.  Must be 15+ years ago.

I have heard that could be a crime in the state of Georgia. 

 

Just kidding. PDC is a really good bunch. 

[Golferpaul]

Only five?  This isn't easy and it changes over time, but here goes;

 

1. Augusta National

2. Royal County Down

3. Pebble Beach

4. Castle Pines Golf Club

5.  Whistling Straits

 

OK, I can't stop at five.  

 

6.  Cabo del Sol - Nicklaus

7.   Valderrama

8.   Carnoustie

9.   Shoal Creek

10.  Trump Turnberry

[NK425]

1. Plantation course

2. Pacific Dunes

3. Bandon Dunes

4. Old Mac

5. Sheep Ranch

 

[Chanceman]

40 minutes ago, NK425 said:

1. Plantation course

2. Pacific Dunes

3. Bandon Dunes

4. Old Mac

5. Sheep Ranch

 

What??!! You skip Trails?

[Octopus Golfer]

On 3/14/2025 at 4:31 PM, lpitts82 said:

The intown club is very nice and pretty rare in the city. The only real intown club I can think of besides PDC is Ansley because I don’t really consider Capital City and Cherokee as intown. 

Um, how is Cherokee not intown? It’s in the middle of Buckhead. 

[lpitts82]

3 minutes ago, Octopus Golfer said:

Um, how is Cherokee not intown? It’s in the middle of Buckhead. 

As I said in an earlier post I’ve never played Cherokee and could not recall where it was located….I also left Atlanta 8 years ago and have lived in 3 difference cities since so it’s possible to forget things. 

[Gdane]

On 6/30/2016 at 6:46 PM, Gdane said:

Its been 2 and a half years since I've posted on this thread and my list has changed significantly.

 

Conway Farms (IL)

Greywalls (MI)

Quintero (AZ)

Kemper Lakes (IL)

Whistling Straights Irish (WI)

 

 

9 year check-in....

 

Mid Pines (NC)

Dormie Club (NC)

Arcadia South (MI)

Lawsonia Links (WI)

Conway Farms (IL)

 

HM: I love 3/4 Strantz courses I've played (Tot Hill, Caledonia, True Blue) so I have a hard time picking one in my top 5.

 

[Johnny Biarritz]

On 3/13/2025 at 7:46 AM, subcrazy12 said:

As a Driving Club member it's nice to see someone give some recognition

Piedmont Driving Club...I've heard of that place. 

[Johnny Biarritz]

On 9/5/2014 at 11:59 AM, Johnny Biarritz said:

My top 5 would be
1) Pebble Beach
2) Pacific Dunes
3) Old Macdonald
4) Peachtree
5) Bethpage (Black)

The next five has some quality joints as well
6) Eagle Point
7) TPC Sawgrass
😎 Baltimore (East)
9) Bandon Trails
10) Old Town Club

To head off the obvious question of "where is Bandon Dunes ranked?" I haven't played Bandon Dunes, I had time to play 3 courses at Bandon on a really cramped weekend, and Bandon Dunes was the one that got left out.

Interesting to look back and see this. It's changed in 11 years, to be sure.

1. Pebble Beach, holding strong at #1 since 2011

2. Pacific Dunes, holding at 2 since 2011

3. Pinehurst #2

4. Cabot Cliffs

5. Old Macdonald

 

6. San Francisco Golf Club

7. Cape Breton Highlands Links, if this course was maintained to the same level as SFGC or Pebble, it would be #1 by a huge margin.

8. Old Town Club

9. Peachtree

10. Bethpage (Black)

[sabram]

I'm approaching 900 courses played and can't  really say I have only five favorites, so here goes:

 

My Favorite (not highest ranked) U.S. Courses are (in alphabetical order):

Ballyneal

Garden City GC

LACC North

Merion- East

Sleepy Hollow

Yale

 

My Favorite (not highest ranked) US Public Courses are (in alphabetical order):

Lawsonia Links

The Loop

Old Macdonald

Pinehurst #2

Sand Hollow

Sedge Valley

Tobacco Road

We Ko Pa - Saguaro

 

My Favorite (not highest ranked) courses in Ireland are(in alphabetical order):

Carne

Corballis

County Sligo (Rosses Point)

Portsalon

Royal Portrush - Dunluce

 

My Favorite (not highest ranked) courses in Scotland are(in alphabetical order):

Cruden Bay

Nairn

North Berwick - West Links

Prestwick - Old

The Old Course @ St Andrews

Turnbury Ailsa

 

My Favorite (not highest ranked) courses in England are(in alphabetical order): (IMO, the English courses are  the most under appreciated in the world)

Berkshire Red and Blue

Deal (Royal Cinque Ports)

New Zealand

Pulborough (West Sussex)

Rye

Sunningdale Old & New

Walton Heath Old & New

Woking

 

 

 

[Golf_vk]

-pinehurst no.2

-Bethpage Black

-PGA Frisco East

-French Lick Dye course

-Arcadia

 

Bay Hill and Cabot citrus farms honorable mentions 

[jatrain]

1.) North Berwick

2.) Bandon Dunes

3.) Pac Dunes

4.) Whistling Straits

5.) Old Mac

 

Honorable Mentions: Blackwood Run combined course, Elie, Crail, Kilspindie, Kapalua and WeKoPa Saguaro

 

Playing Royal Dornoch, Cruden Bay, the New Course and maybe the Old Course in August, interested to see how they stack up

Edited June 28 by jatrain