davidy233
Tour Rookie
Walked off a golf course last week and said to one of my playing partners (my brother in law) 'Id love to go out again now' - next day my wife who was also playing with us said 'I could have gone straight back to the first tee and played again' which kind of confirmed how much fun the course had been to play for us. That doesn't happen very often to me and when it does I tend to have an affection for that course that lasts.
Reading the Random Golf Irritations thread here about courses with penal rough set up for plus handicappers confirmed that I don't want to play courses that swallow golf balls anymore. I want to play fun golf courses.
So I started looking for courses that are just fun to play, could be championship courses, could be 4000 yarders - I've got both amongst my favourites and I saw a recent article with a top 100 listing of the most fun courses to play in Britain and Ireland - I agreed with most of the ones I'd played that they listed.
Here's the ones I've played from their listing that gave me that 'I want to play another 18 feeling' and bits about why I loved them
St Andrews - The Old Course - first three times I played it years ago i liked it but didn't necessarily think of it as loads of fun - my last visit confirmed that it is fun to me, loved the par 5s and that's not something I normally say.
North Berwick - My brother in law is a member there and we played between Christmas and New Year - need to get him to sign me on again soon, there's a wall I need to be closer to for my approach shot.
Cruden Bay - Played there in a comp on a day when it was blowing a gale and pouring, we were soaked by the third - loved it so much I dragged my missus North to play in the mixed open later in the year.
Royal Dornoch - Tough course and I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the back tees but I don't think I lost a ball and loved the raised greens.
Gleneagles (Queen’s) - Gleneagles is a treat - the 17th here is an incredible par 3 but the whole course is a lovely place to be.
Boat of Garten - Love the setting, seeing deer on the course and the lay of the land - some lovely holes.
Lahinch - Played it on a family holiday as the the wife took the kids to the beach - my love for a blind par three comes from the Dell here - helped that one of the Canadian 70 somethings they sent me out with had paid for a caddie and had no interest in conversing with him - so this old Irish lad spoke to me instead and gave me lines on all the blind shots as well as reading greens for me.
Fortrose & Rosemarkie - Dolphins, a lighthouse and lovely links turf on a bit of land jutting out into the Moray firth, what's not to love?
Cullen - crazy little track, giant rocks and great views, short and just pure fun
Royal Portrush (Valley) - I could happily play here every day, my wife and I both agreed that this was the course we'd enjoyed most anywhere - lost land to accommodate the Open alterations but apparently it's even better now - I'll be back at some point to see.
Silloth on Solway - stayed in a terrible caravan park for a week (my wife had some daft holiday ideas when the kids were little) but the brother in law and I sneaked away for a full day here - wonderful course and it played differently in the morning round to our second time around - curry at lunch was top notch too.
Royal County Down (Annesley Links) - Best miniature links I've ever played 4558 yards of magic and again improved since my visit with addition of three holes, as with the Valley at Portrush I need to play this again.
A couple I liked but didn't feel the need to rush back to the first tee and start again
Crail (Balcomie)
Leven
One from long ago i don't remember - but will visit to see it again
Blairgowrie (Wee)
Couple I didn't really take to
Ardglass
Anstruther
And my starting list for courses I should play for fun in the future from the top 100 fun courses article
Dunaverty
Dumbarnie
Brora
Golspie
Elie
Shiskine
Isle of Harris
Cruit Island
Carne
Formby Ladies
Lanark
Alnmouth Village
Gullane (No.3)
Spey Bay
Lundin
And one that didn't make their list that I'd recommend - the course I go to for a hit in the evening the Ashludie at Monifieth Links is short, linksy and very good fun.
So what are the courses you've had that 'Get me to the first tee and back out there' feeling and where should people go to play fun golf?
Reading the Random Golf Irritations thread here about courses with penal rough set up for plus handicappers confirmed that I don't want to play courses that swallow golf balls anymore. I want to play fun golf courses.
So I started looking for courses that are just fun to play, could be championship courses, could be 4000 yarders - I've got both amongst my favourites and I saw a recent article with a top 100 listing of the most fun courses to play in Britain and Ireland - I agreed with most of the ones I'd played that they listed.
Here's the ones I've played from their listing that gave me that 'I want to play another 18 feeling' and bits about why I loved them
St Andrews - The Old Course - first three times I played it years ago i liked it but didn't necessarily think of it as loads of fun - my last visit confirmed that it is fun to me, loved the par 5s and that's not something I normally say.
North Berwick - My brother in law is a member there and we played between Christmas and New Year - need to get him to sign me on again soon, there's a wall I need to be closer to for my approach shot.
Cruden Bay - Played there in a comp on a day when it was blowing a gale and pouring, we were soaked by the third - loved it so much I dragged my missus North to play in the mixed open later in the year.
Royal Dornoch - Tough course and I wouldn't want to be anywhere near the back tees but I don't think I lost a ball and loved the raised greens.
Gleneagles (Queen’s) - Gleneagles is a treat - the 17th here is an incredible par 3 but the whole course is a lovely place to be.
Boat of Garten - Love the setting, seeing deer on the course and the lay of the land - some lovely holes.
Lahinch - Played it on a family holiday as the the wife took the kids to the beach - my love for a blind par three comes from the Dell here - helped that one of the Canadian 70 somethings they sent me out with had paid for a caddie and had no interest in conversing with him - so this old Irish lad spoke to me instead and gave me lines on all the blind shots as well as reading greens for me.
Fortrose & Rosemarkie - Dolphins, a lighthouse and lovely links turf on a bit of land jutting out into the Moray firth, what's not to love?
Cullen - crazy little track, giant rocks and great views, short and just pure fun
Royal Portrush (Valley) - I could happily play here every day, my wife and I both agreed that this was the course we'd enjoyed most anywhere - lost land to accommodate the Open alterations but apparently it's even better now - I'll be back at some point to see.
Silloth on Solway - stayed in a terrible caravan park for a week (my wife had some daft holiday ideas when the kids were little) but the brother in law and I sneaked away for a full day here - wonderful course and it played differently in the morning round to our second time around - curry at lunch was top notch too.
Royal County Down (Annesley Links) - Best miniature links I've ever played 4558 yards of magic and again improved since my visit with addition of three holes, as with the Valley at Portrush I need to play this again.
A couple I liked but didn't feel the need to rush back to the first tee and start again
Crail (Balcomie)
Leven
One from long ago i don't remember - but will visit to see it again
Blairgowrie (Wee)
Couple I didn't really take to
Ardglass
Anstruther
And my starting list for courses I should play for fun in the future from the top 100 fun courses article
Dunaverty
Dumbarnie
Brora
Golspie
Elie
Shiskine
Isle of Harris
Cruit Island
Carne
Formby Ladies
Lanark
Alnmouth Village
Gullane (No.3)
Spey Bay
Lundin
And one that didn't make their list that I'd recommend - the course I go to for a hit in the evening the Ashludie at Monifieth Links is short, linksy and very good fun.
So what are the courses you've had that 'Get me to the first tee and back out there' feeling and where should people go to play fun golf?
