Most difficult course you have played?

[2blue]

Southerness - 6566yds Par 69 SSS 73 & that's before the wind blows

 

[sunshine]

Personally:
Kapalua was very playable but impossible to play anywhere near to handicap. Super tough due to greens, wind, length, but still hugely enjoyable.
Real Sevilla was really tough due to the amount of water in play, especially the nerve wracking carries off the tee. Great course though.
If you have a slice Dunbar is a nightmare with OOB down the right on nearly every hole.

Couple of times I have played courses which on the day were set up very tough:
Heritage course at the London Club the day after it hosted the European Tour (Sunday pin positions, greens firmed up, fairways narrowed, rough grown thicker especially around the greens - bit of a beast!)
Wales National at the Vale (windy day, rough grown long with 200+ yard carries to every fairway, very soft so playing extremely long - probably our own fault for playing from the back tees )

According to friends, St Mellion is a killer.

 

[Hobbit]

Woodhall Spa off the very back tees in a 36 hole scratch comp on a very windy day.... "my name is Hobbit and I'm a rubbish golfer."

 

[sunshine]

Pinner Hill - although I haven't played it since I was off 22 or something. But I never had a good round there. It felt really long, probably due to the slightly longer holes all seemingly being uphill, and the fact that's there not really any nice short, easy par 3s to break it up. Now that I think of it, as well as being off a higher handicap it was also in the days before I replaced my long irons with hybrids so it's no wonder I struggled. I would like to go back there again this year and see if I do better these days.

First time I managed to play nine holes in level par or better was at Pinner Hill (was actually level after 13 then the wheels came off ).

Pinner has some long par 4's which are bogey holes, but the par 5's are so short. I'm not saying it's an easy course but suggest you return this year and you may revise your opinion!

 

[Orikoru]

First time I managed to play nine holes in level par or better was at Pinner Hill (was actually level after 13 then the wheels came off ).

Pinner has some long par 4's which are bogey holes, but the par 5's are so short. I'm not saying it's an easy course but suggest you return this year and you may revise your opinion!

Yeah as I say, a lot has changed in my game and in my bag since I went there and I would like to give it another go. But in answering the topic honestly, at the time I played it probably was the hardest for me. Just looking at the card again.. the par 5s are short, you're right, and I had forgotten that there are four of them.

 

[Grizzly]

The 2010 course at Celtic Manor - in a howling gale, with a dodgy knee.

Thankfully, the senior member of our party read the conditions and suggested we play a modified Texas Scramble which meant we saw some of the nicer bits of the course as well. I reckon no one of our party would have broken 130 had we medalled it round.

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Carnoustie on a cold windy April day, tees of the day playing 6900 yards.

Struck the ball superbly but not a chance of breaking 80. Hitting great tee shots on 10 and 18 and having to lay up short of the burn, 16 playing 250 yards into the wind, 20 yards longer than the Senior Open tees that year

Honourable mention to Southerness, always breezy, always tough but I rate my 72 there one year as probably my best round of golf especially after starting bogey, double bogey. Level par for the rest although no idea how I managed that...

 

[davemc1]

I agree with Davy, We played Southerness in an open medal/stroke play. It was a joke tbh. Hated every minute.

I did hit a 5 iron into the last par 3, which was as good as anything I’ve ever hit. That one shot that makes you come back...

 

[davemc1]

Homer and L/Phil agreeing on something is worth a thread all of its own ?

 

[NWJocko]

3 that stand out whenever talking about this.....

Southerness
Carnoustie
Royal Lytham from the Open Tees

 

[carldudley]

Probably Faldo Course at the Emirates GC.

The course isn't the most difficult in the world, until you add in the 45degs heat, the copious amounts of sand oh and the water too - sacrificed many a ball that day.

The cold towels and the course marshal coming round with ice pops was a godsend.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I don’t know if it’s the most difficult, but I’ve never managed to play well around the Brabazon.

Also, the Faldo course at Amondeira, Portugal

 

[rksquire]

Not that glamorous but played Galgorm immediately after the NI Open in August past. Balls lost in the first cut, narrowed fairways, slick greens. Not enjoyable at all. Did not enjoy it. Apart from that, Royal Portrush was a real mixed bag of lost balls and birdies - was tough but enjoyable.

 

[clubchamp98]

Birkdale played in the wind .
On a still day it’s a joy ,but in the wind it’s a real test.
Also Western Gailes we played when they were getting it ready for a big comp .
It was a brute in the wind with knee high rough.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Every invitation I accept results in a course that I find considerably harder than ours at our club.
Our track was designed for 1906 distances without a lot of room for lengthening.
When it closed for two seasons to be rebuilt to address drainage issues, it actually became a bit shorter.
A membership over-represented by seniors is not demanding a greater challenge.

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Birkdale in the wind and rain - almost lost the will to live!

 

[Jacko_G]

Southerness is a good shout, can be extremely taxing into any sort of wind.

Royal Troon back 9 is murder into a wind also.

 

[patricks148]

not the hardest course i've ever played but never played well there.... Blairgowrie, first time had the worste case of the shermans you could imagine, 2nd hooksoff the tee, 3rd blocks off the tee 4th i was just sheer hite in every department

avoid it now

 

[clubchamp98]

not the hardest course i've ever played but never played well there.... Blairgowrie, first time had the worste case of the shermans you could imagine, 2nd hooksoff the tee, 3rd blocks off the tee 4th i was just sheer hite in every department

avoid it now

If your struggling that could be any golf course though.
I feel your pain ,I have had days like that where I should have gone home after 9 holes if not before.

 

[richart]

Silloth in a bitter wind.