Courses you have played this year?

KenL

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Toughest - Carnoustie. The last few holes are so hard. 17 is a "joke", and totally unfair. I was 3 over at the turn but dropped 10 strokes in the last 5 holes.

Best greens - Gifford Golf Club. A super 9 hole course in East Lothian.

Most enjoyable - St Andrews Old Course. Played last week for the first time. Magical. Close second would be Grantown-on-Spey.

Overall condition - Old Course. Amazing condition especially given the number of people playing it. Hardly a divot to be found except those recently filled.

Most disappointing - too polite to say plus I have enjoyed all my golf this year.
 

FairwayDodger

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Toughest - Carnoustie. The last few holes are so hard. 17 is a "joke", and totally unfair. I was 3 over at the turn but dropped 10 strokes in the last 5 holes.

For me 17 is a frustrating hole, certainly from the red tees, and a bit of a waste of what should be a great hole. At an absolute push, if I nailed it, I could maybe carry the burn but I'd be daft to try that in a comp so need to lay up short of the burn, which leaves something like 230+ to the green and virtually no chance of getting there. IMO it'd be better with either the tee moved up 20 yards to make it worth taking on the burn or further back and make it a par 5. As it stands very few amateur females, only the very longest hitters, have any chance of hitting that green in 2. Into the wind? Nobody is getting anywhere near.

Tough course - I shot 86 playing off 4 and was in my buffer - CSS was 81!!!!
 

mcbroon

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Toughest - Dundonald - you have to be accurate off the tee and the pin positions on the day we played were nasty. Also, Glasgow Gailes in a hailstorm is pretty tough.
Best Greens - Prestwick St Nicholas - greens there are always good, in my experience
Overall Condition - Trump - there's nothing that isn't good about that place
Most Enjoyable - Trump - you know it's special as you walk on to the 1st tee and it doesn't let up. Just a fantastic experience and a wonderful golf course.
Overall Best - Trump - the best golf course I've ever played.

Honourable mention to North Berwick, which could have had the nomination for best greens, most enjoyable and best condition. It's a lovely, lovely golf course.
 

Landlocked

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Toughest - Murcar. Poor shots punished without mercy. Great test of your game when played off the whites.

Best greens - Royal Aberdeen. An absolute pleasure to walk on, let alone putt on. Mind you, the fairways would be better to putt on than many courses' greens.

Most enjoyable - Cruden Bay. Great fun from beginning to end.

Overall condition - PGA Catalunya. An impressive course in an impressive complex.

Most disappointing - Diamond Course in Austria. Only watched (the Austrian Open) and have not played there but the location couldn't be more uninspiring.
 

Backache

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Toughest: Dundonald was really windy the day I played it and a bit beyond my game in those conditions in all honesty

Best Greens: Tom Morris Old course at Rosapenna were sensational when we played it

Most Enjoyable: Narin and Portnoo was just stunning.

Nost memorable: I have been really fortunate to play some great courses this year Portrush was certainly memorable.
 

Slab

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Toughest: Bel Mare Legends, Partly due to playing it when I wasn’t in control of my tee shots and partly because it is so tight off the tee, mentally & physically knackered at the end

Best Greens: Heritage Bel Ombre, played it just after the European Tour was on it and the greens were still in great shape and had to be slowed down for us mortals

Overall condition: Anahita, this place always seems like it’s ready to host a serious high level comp, can’t wait to see how they can improve it for the euro tour in May

Most enjoyable: Ile Aux Cerf, played a couple of weeks ago with a really good 4-ball and had a lot of fun in great weather

Overall best: Heritage Bel Ombre, the overall quality mixed with the variety of hole designs makes this my fav this year
 

Lambchops

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Toughest - Telc - really good test for my h/c
Best Greens - Brno Kaskada - greens were like lightning after a Czech PGA event was played on it the days prior
Overall Condition - Telc - absolutely fantastic condition when I played plus a decent, friendly clubhouse
Most Enjoyable - Old Course Budapest - just a lovely course - not too long but challenging enough for a walk around
Overall Best - Old Course Budapest - I just love that golf course
 

MashieNiblick

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Won't try to fill all the categories but I will say that thanks to Richart and the Mariners I fulfilled a long held ambition to play at the Berkshire (Red) and absolutely loved every aspect of it (apart from my score!).
 

patricks148

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Toughest - Carnoustie. The last few holes are so hard. 17 is a "joke", and totally unfair. I was 3 over at the turn but dropped 10 strokes in the last 5 holes.

Best greens - Gifford Golf Club. A super 9 hole course in East Lothian.

Most enjoyable - St Andrews Old Course. Played last week for the first time. Magical. Close second would be Grantown-on-Spey.

Overall condition - Old Course. Amazing condition especially given the number of people playing it. Hardly a divot to be found except those recently filled.

Most disappointing - too polite to say plus I have enjoyed all my golf this year.

For me 17 is a frustrating hole, certainly from the red tees, and a bit of a waste of what should be a great hole. At an absolute push, if I nailed it, I could maybe carry the burn but I'd be daft to try that in a comp so need to lay up short of the burn, which leaves something like 230+ to the green and virtually no chance of getting there. IMO it'd be better with either the tee moved up 20 yards to make it worth taking on the burn or further back and make it a par 5. As it stands very few amateur females, only the very longest hitters, have any chance of hitting that green in 2. Into the wind? Nobody is getting anywhere near.

Tough course - I shot 86 playing off 4 and was in my buffer - CSS was 81!!!!

I like the 17th, last two times Ive played it , Birdied it, that has been helped by it being down wind both times, so even off the back tee;s ive been able to drive the burn (though the 2nd time i only just made it) so only had a wedge both times.

on the down side though the 18th has been into and has been driver, 2 hybrid, 5 iron last time.
 

FairwayDodger

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I like the 17th, last two times Ive played it , Birdied it, that has been helped by it being down wind both times, so even off the back tee;s ive been able to drive the burn (though the 2nd time i only just made it) so only had a wedge both times.

on the down side though the 18th has been into and has been driver, 2 hybrid, 5 iron last time.

Driving the burn is the key, maybe I'll take it on next year! But the very impressive, big hitting, swede I played with went for it and didn't make the carry this year.

Oh, was actually CSS 80 when I played. I had a stableford adjustment as well.
 

Smiffy

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Poor year for me this year as far as "new" courses are concerned.
I think The Cuddington was the only new one I visited, and enjoyed it very much.
Oh forgot. Also played in the Seniors Open at Pyecombe, which was new to me. The course was a bit "meh" but the weather didn't help. Worst conditions I played in all year.
 

JV24601

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Toughest - Alwoodley
Best Greens - La Reserva
Overall Condition - Archerfield - Fidra
Most Enjoyable - Valderrama
Overall Best - Valderrama

 

Crazyface

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Toughest - Reddish Vale. I was lucky to come off with 105 !!!
Best Greens - Carnoustie
Best Overall Condition -Carnoustie
Most Enjoyable - Carnousite - I was on my own no one following, wifey as caddie and chief photographer.
Overall Best - Carnoustie - nothing will ever match this

I note that St Annes gets lots of votes, and I've played this this year, but hey Carnoustie eh? Played in rain but no wind gross 91 should have been less. Reddish perfect day middle of summer, this is one tough place to play !
 
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I can imagine Faldo is very tough for men, for me off the red tees, I didn't think it too bad, in fact I thought some of the tees were too far forward, There were a couple of tough holes on the back nine though. I wouldn't like to carry a bag around it either.

Vilamoura Old course is a stunner, only let down of the red tees at least by the 18th.

I found the Faldo tricky off the tee. I struggled to pick the line for my tee shots, plus the elevation changes for approach shots gave me a little trouble.

I suppose otherwise the trickiest course was West Hill, basically because I kept high siding myself on the greens and then struggled with pace and tine holes on the putts.
 

evahakool

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Poor year for me this year as far as "new" courses are concerned.
I think The Cuddington was the only new one I visited, and enjoyed it very much.
Oh forgot. Also played in the Seniors Open at Pyecombe, which was new to me. The course was a bit "meh" but the weather didn't help. Worst conditions I played in all year.


Pyecombe must have been bad if it was worse than Cooden, must have been a monsoon you played in.:whoo:
 

Crawfy

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Great to see Dundonald get a few mentions. 2015 is first year in a while I havent got down to play in, and unfortunately couldn't make the GM meet last week. I have felt for a while that it doesn't get the recognition it deserved due to having some very established neighbours.
 

huds1475

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Toughest - Reddish Vale. I was lucky to come off with 105 !!!
Best Greens - Carnoustie
Best Overall Condition -Carnoustie
Most Enjoyable - Carnousite - I was on my own no one following, wifey as caddie and chief photographer.
Overall Best - Carnoustie - nothing will ever match this

I note that St Annes gets lots of votes, and I've played this this year, but hey Carnoustie eh? Played in rain but no wind gross 91 should have been less. Reddish perfect day middle of summer, this is one tough place to play !

Interesting. Played Rddish Vale in an Open and shot 85 (handicap 21 at the time) putted really badly too, me not the greens. Wouldn't put it I the tough category but...

Would estimate I would go round Carnoustie way north of 105!

Funny game.:D
 
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