Course design you dislike.

[huds1475]

Flat parklands

 

[pendodave]

Bunkers in the rough - let a ball run into them fgs
Hazards which are only in play for bad/short hitting players
Long grass - no-one comes off a course saying how much they've enjoyed looking for golf balls
Par 3s which are all the same(ish) length. One long, one 9 iron and a couple in between are fine.

 

[Swingalot]

silly long par 5s

 

[hairball_89]

Silly enforced carries - upwards of 170 yards. Water or stupid rough. I've played with a few guys who will literally get to a tee and give themselves a blob because they can't carry the obstacle.

Blind tee shots are a funny one. In most cases I think they're OK, as they're not usually on big doglegs or on fairways with bonkers camber where you simply have to hit one side and not the other. But where you absolutely have to hit a specific area, then at the very least give me a marker post.

 

[Imurg]

Silly enforced carries - upwards of 170 yards. Water or stupid rough. I've played with a few guys who will literally get to a tee and give themselves a blob because they can't carry the obstacle.

Blind tee shots are a funny one. In most cases I think they're OK, as they're not usually on big doglegs or on fairways with bonkers camber where you simply have to hit one side and not the other. But where you absolutely have to hit a specific area, then at the very least give me a marker post.

Come to Ellesborough....you'll love it..

 

[Grant85]

Fairways cambering steeply either left or right. If there's a flat spot to land your ball in short, fair enough it's a strategic penalty, but all too often it's just a sign that a hole has been 'fitted in' on the side of a hill.

Also bunkers that you can't see. This is rare these days, but a bunker has an intimidation factor that can only be a factor if you can see it.

 

[need_my_wedge]

Blind tee shots can be a pain, especially when you nail it over the marker post but can’t find hide nor hair of it when you get there yourself. Long rough and years of dropped leaves in trees, and the pro that says “well, don’t hit it in there”. we’re not all as good a the pro’s and able to hit the fairway every time...... oh wait ?... but we don’t have a few hundred spectators milling around to spot it down either. If I hit into the trees, I should be able to find it and play out sideways, that’s the punishment for wayward play, not wading through knee high rough or knee deep leaves.

 

[KenL]

Flat parklands

Better than hilly parklands though!

 

[KenL]

I am not a fan of modern "USGA" style greens with big humps and roll-offs.

I don't like greens that run downhill front to back.

 

[patricks148]

Not fan of blind shots either, or for that matter bunkers in the middle of a fairway on s sunday best drive for most Handicap golfers. And of course where its only set up from the very back tee's

 

[Deleted member 23344]

I agree on stupid carries that mean that a high handicapper can‘t make it ... sheer arrogance on the part of the designer. I also agree on blind shots too.

 

[davidy233]

Flat parklands

Fixed that for you

 

[Rlburnside]

Agree with the par 3s, I also dislike long par 3s they are generally boring holes, rather have a harder tricky short par 3.

We have our club championship this weekendI was out last night and played 9, looks like I’m going to have to use driver or some kind of wood for all the par 3 s ?

 

[USER1999]

Golf courses where every hole suits a fade more then a draw (or vice versa). Sure, there should be holes that are better played with a particular shot shape, but it needs to be equal.

 

[larmen]

Long carries to the fairway with deep rough before that.

a good golfer isn’t punished because they always carry 160+ yards but as a beginner when you stuck in the deep stuff after a duffed tee shot it’s not enjoyable.

 

[clubchamp98]

I quite like a hole with fairway bunker, you know it’s there you have a choice take it on or lay up short.

Up by the green yes but not off the tee on a par 5.

 

[Foxholer]

...
Also bunkers that you can't see. This is rare these days, but a bunker has an intimidation factor that can only be a factor if you can see it.

H'mm! As long as you know it's there, there's an intimidation factor!

 

[Foxholer]

Up by the green yes but not off the tee on a par 5.

HH's post still applies. Key is in the positioning imo. It needs to be in a place where a significant advantage is gained if flown/bypassed compared to a lay-up. But certainly rather more appropriate to Par 4s than 5s. There are several great examples at Walton Heath.

 

[nickjdavis]

Blind shots but especially those off the tee for me....I love to be able to look at a hole stretched out in front of me and watch my ball soar off into the distance, arcing gracefully upwards into the blue sky and then softly descending to settle on the lush green fairway. Where is the pleasure in golf when you cant see any of this happening and you have a tight nervousness in your chest as you walk over whatever obstacle caused the blindness, anxiously waiting to spot your ball? And on the days where my shot is not quite deserving of such Worsdsworth like prose, well, at least I will be able to see where it landed and scuttled off into the undergrowth.

Par3's over 200 yards....for the vast majority of golfers they will be looking to escape with a 4 at worst....that's not the way to enjoy golf.

Hidden hazards like ditches just out of sight.

 

[clubchamp98]

HH's post still applies. Key is in the positioning imo. It needs to be in a place where a significant advantage is gained if flown/bypassed compared to a lay-up. But certainly rather more appropriate to Par 4s than 5s. There are several great examples at Walton Heath.

I disagree , if you hit your tee shot in the middle of the fairway you should be in the middle of the fairway not in a bunker.
Other opinions are avaliable though.