Strangest / Quirkiest Course?

[Deleted member 21258]

Thinking generally the most unusual or interesting or quirkiest courses I have played have almost all been hilly courses, you end up with some bonkers holes and some pure brilliant holes. Absolutely love hilly courses due to ride and work out!

By far the most bonkiest course I have ever played is Painswick Golf :-

https://www.painswickgolf.com/course

https://www.painswickgolf.com/

 

[Robster59]

Poloc Cricket Club Winter Golf Section
I believe the Golf Section has now closed but undoubtedly the quirkiest I've ever played. It's sadly now closed but it was basically squashed into the cricket pitch during the winter.
6 holes, 3,225 yards Par 63 when played as an 18 holer. It was founded in 1889 and was officially recognised by the R&A. Slightly dangerous as all the holes crossed another at least once, the greens where like upturned soup plates around the edge of the course and the cricket pitch was yellow post marked.
It was also made slightly more interesting by walkers in the park who didn't realise it was a golf course and would happily stroll in front of you just as you were playing a shot.

 

[Eagle2]

Poloc Cricket Club Winter Golf Section
I believe the Golf Section has now closed but undoubtedly the quirkiest I've ever played. It's sadly now closed but it was basically squashed into the cricket pitch during the winter.
6 holes, 3,225 yards Par 63 when played as an 18 holer. It was founded in 1889 and was officially recognised by the R&A. Slightly dangerous as all the holes crossed another at least once, the greens where like upturned soup plates around the edge of the course and the cricket pitch was yellow post marked.
It was also made slightly more interesting by walkers in the park who didn't realise it was a golf course and would happily stroll in front of you just as you were playing a shot.

Ha... surely a winner!
Can you imagine a shotgun start there!

 

[patricks148]

Poloc Cricket Club Winter Golf Section
I believe the Golf Section has now closed but undoubtedly the quirkiest I've ever played. It's sadly now closed but it was basically squashed into the cricket pitch during the winter.
6 holes, 3,225 yards Par 63 when played as an 18 holer. It was founded in 1889 and was officially recognised by the R&A. Slightly dangerous as all the holes crossed another at least once, the greens where like upturned soup plates around the edge of the course and the cricket pitch was yellow post marked.
It was also made slightly more interesting by walkers in the park who didn't realise it was a golf course and would happily stroll in front of you just as you were playing a shot.

bet there was the odd bowler who liked to take a few divots on a legnth on the pitch

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Bamburgh Castle is a strange golf course, as is Scrabo in Northern Ireland. Scenic, bonkers, quirky, picturesque, take your pick. Fun golf at it's best.

Agree with Bamburgh Castle - but what views!

 

[tugglesf239]

Silverdale in Carnforth, near Lancaster ticks the quirky list for me. Old part of the course is set in a quarry. Some spectacular wee holes.

 

[Thefish]

Silverdale in Carnforth, near Lancaster ticks the quirky list for me. Old part of the course is set in a quarry. Some spectacular wee holes.

The13th hole "The Plateau" is our signature hole and is recorded in ‘Britain’s 100 Extraordinary Golf Holes’ as No 24. It can ruin many a card, but good golfers play this hole well and see the hole as a birdie opportunity.

 

[IanM]

The Cricket Pitch will take some beating in this category..... I always think Painswick in Gloucestershire is noteworthy for blind par 3s, shared fairways, horse riders, ramblers and playing over a cemetery (nearly)

 

[patricks148]

The Cricket Pitch will take some beating in this category..... I always think Painswick in Gloucestershire is noteworthy for blind par 3s, shared fairways, horse riders, ramblers and playing over a cemetery (nearly)

Harpenden Common had a cricket pitch in the middle of one of the holes, pavillion and all. Bamford CC only played on Sundays, not sure what the golf club did about play though. Had a pub opposite as well as a road running though it.

 

[IanM]

you can also snap hook one onto the cricket pitch from the second at Puttenham... I assume golf goes on during cricket matches!

 

[GB72]

Sutton Bridge, 9 hole course in an old dock, Once of the greens is on top of a 15ft dock wall, literally it is fairway, a 15ft vertical wall and a green on top.

 

[fundy]

Harpenden Common had a cricket pitch in the middle of one of the holes, pavillion and all. Bamford CC only played on Sundays, not sure what the golf club did about play though. Had a pub opposite as well as a road running though it.

Haha used to love playing at Harpenden away on a Sunday in a friendly game. Win the toss, bat 1st, bat for an hour then head over the road to the pub for lunch and a beer, get back just in time to field the 2nd inns. Remember our opening bowler being dragged out of the pub one year to get his pads on whilst halfway through his roast!!!

Used to play at a ground in Watford which was alongside the big driving range, they did have massive fences up between the two but every now and again a stray range ball would head across the outfield! That said think cricket balls going onto other sporting arenas caused far more trouble, especially on bowling greens and tennis courts!

 

[Slab]

Posted about this course before but I think it fits the strange/quirky remit
On its own lava rock/mangrove island, accessible only by water taxi. Closing three holes all have carries off the tee of 210-250 from the back tees, 18th hole has 2 greens nowhere near each other (circa 200 yards apart) & the best fairways I’ve ever it off

 

[fundy]

Royston GC in Hertfordshire has some quirks.
It is set on the side of a hill, is quite exposed, and has many elevation changes. But its the only club I’ve been to where I’ve driven into the club car park, paid a green fee in the pro shop, and then been given instructions by the pro on where to drive my car to get to the 1st tee. Yep, you drive back out of the club car park and down the road.

Its a fun course to play though. Especially on a breezy day.

not to mention the local knowledge that all putts break towards the road (except the ones that dont )

good course to play when everywhere else was under water thats for sure

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Vaul GC on the Isle of Tiree - flat as a pancake; played on the machair (common grazing); fenced greens; no vegetation whatsoever above wispy grass level - and it is almost always windy...but the experience is unique with views to Barra Head; the Treshnish Isles, and Mull - and the holes by the shore are spectacular.

Mind you - the course that was built within the boundaries of Dunsfold Aerodrome was very curious - with holes running alongside runways and across internal roads and taxi-ways.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Harpenden Common had a cricket pitch in the middle of one of the holes, pavillion and all. Bamford CC only played on Sundays, not sure what the golf club did about play though. Had a pub opposite as well as a road running though it.

My old course at Puttenham had an interesting start.
1st hole you drove sharply uphill from the base of an old sandpit, trying to avoid a huge old oak tree on the skyline in the middle of the fairway AND the bowling green and graveyard on the right hand side.
2nd Hole you drove over the cricket square in the winter and, off a different tee, around it in the summer. Cricket teams were well used to yells of FORE on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

My old course at Puttenham had an interesting start.
1st hole you drove sharply uphill from the base of an old sandpit, trying to avoid a huge old oak tree on the skyline in the middle of the fairway AND the bowling green and graveyard on the right hand side.
2nd Hole you drove over the cricket square in the winter and, off a different tee, around it in the summer. Cricket teams were well used to yells of FORE on a Sunday afternoon.

I believe that that tree has gone but they've planted a replacement - haven't played Puttn'm for ages. And is the old tree still on the club badge? Maybe. We have an 'iconic' old tree on our 16th. Many think it a b***dy nuisance (especially many ladies given their tee position relative to it) and that it should be removed - for me that would be a sacrilege.

 

[Tongo]

you can also snap hook one onto the cricket pitch from the second at Puttenham... I assume golf goes on during cricket matches!

Likewise on the forest course at Bramshaw where you can see the edge of the cricket pitch from the tee! (I think its the 4th. Used to be the 18th until they re-routed the course)

 

[Tongo]

you can also snap hook one onto the cricket pitch from the second at Puttenham... I assume golf goes on during cricket matches!

The 17th at the Ageas Bowl runs parallel to the Nursery cricket ground. Watched a game there one afternoon and a golf ball appeared on the outfield on at least three occasions!

 

[Robster59]

Silverdale in Carnforth, near Lancaster ticks the quirky list for me. Old part of the course is set in a quarry. Some spectacular wee holes.

I'd agree with that. I played it last year with a smile on my face. It has a lot of interesting holes for sure. The old 9 is certainly quirky and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It's one where you definitely leave the drive in the bag on a number of holes. Without a doubt a course to think your way around. The new 9 is less so as being put on what looks like a farmers field and so has less character.