Toughest course?

[Deleted member 25172]

Which is the toughest course you've ever played, and why?

For me, who haven't played at too many different courses, Royal Cinque is the clear "winner" here. Only played it once, and obviously the wind didn't help, but it was by far the hardest course setting itself I've ever encountered. Going to Carnoustie in late April, so I have a feeling this may change after that trip.

Greens rock hard and with so many angles and plateaus it almost made me car sick trying to work out some sort of line towards the hole. The hidden shots in general, and the third tee shot in particular when I hit was I thought was one of my best ever drives; only to find it didn't even reach the fairway. Any fairway misses and you could say sayonara to any hopes of getting a few points on the hole.

With all the above said. I can't wait to give it another go.

 

[Imurg]

Hankley Common at H4H a couple of autumns back...
Combination of a strong breeze, tough course, lots of heather and swinging it like a knob!

 

[bluewolf]

Southerness. Always windy (very). An absolute beast of a course with no hiding place from the wind.

 

[Grant85]

Dougalston / Esporta / Virgin Active in Milngavie to the north of Glasgow.

Long course, tight fairways, a lot of trees and overgrown areas. Also plenty of streams and a few ponds.

 

[Bxm Foxy]

Dartmouth Championship course for me. Tough!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Probably Valderrama for me. Hitting the fairways isn't good enough, due to the overhanging trees you have to be on the correct side of the fairway to have a shot to the green. Then factor in silly quick greens (think Augusta quick) with slopes as well and it becomes quite challenging.

 

[Scozzy]

Machrahainish for me,played it twice in the space of 6 weeks,the first time I came off on a real high,stunning conditions,great,challenging course and thrilled with my nett 73.Couldnt stop talking about of “those” great days on a wonderful course with a few pals all playing well. Next trip was quite cold with a really nasty,gusty wind,I walked off feeling violated,shaken and light about 6 balls.fantastic experiences both but I’d hate to play a medal there in December,what a beast!!

 

[Papas1982]

Dundonald battered me last year.
110 shots!

Considering I then played both courses at Turnberry within a few shots of my handicap made me grateful for them warm up.

 

[patricks148]

I wouldn't say its the toughest, but i don't think ive have ever played well at this course, racked up scores that Englands opening pair would be happy with as an opening partnership each time..

Rosemount Blairgowrie

 

[Swingalot]

Bit of a issue with this one. I'm sure many will list links courses, but it is normally the weather and not in particular the course itself that make it tough? Should the toughest course be based purely on the course itself, so when the weather is not a factor?

Toughest course I have played with the weather is RCP. They had the rough up as it was a week after the Open qualifiers, greens running at 13 and there was a 4-5 club wind and rain. Brutal. 33 of us played, only 22 finished as the others lost too many balls and 27pts won the day!

Toughest course even on a still day, bit of a random one but Vale of Glamorgan on the Welsh National course. Back sticks. Brute of a course.

 

[fundy]

Carnoustie in the wind and Valderrama on a still sunny day lol

That said the course thats beaten me more than any other has to be the Duchess at Woburn. Played it may times and pretty sure Ive never broken 90 lol

 

[Deleted member 21258]

Royal St Davids, and just cant see how I can beat my handicap there by much even when playing well, its the long par 4s that do a lot of the damage. I need to improve my chipping alot to save pars.

 

[USER1999]

I wouldn't say its the toughest, but i don't think ive have ever played well at this course, racked up scores that Englands opening pair would be happy with as an opening partnership each time..

Rosemount Blairgowrie

I think when I played it with Toad, in the rain, I was level par on the back 9, and about on handicap on the front. Lovely course though.

For me, Legacy in Bradenton Fl, off the back tees is brutal.

 

[Crow]

I wouldn't say its the toughest, but i don't think ive have ever played well at this course, racked up scores that Englands opening pair would be happy with as an opening partnership each time..

Rosemount Blairgowrie

Pfft, only Kim Jong Il has ever scored in the thirties.

 

[Garush34]

The composite course at Gullane the Monday after the Scottish Open in 2015. Was a great day out, but a tough set up with tough conditions just highlighted my bad play. Was great to play the same tees and pin positions they had on the final day.

At the time I didn't rate the course that much having played 2 and 3 previously, but looking back I can see that it is actually one of the best courses I have played.

 

[oltimer]

Uttoxeter - Greens impossible, defy logic as the putted balls turn Uphill -

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Bit of a issue with this one. I'm sure many will list links courses, but it is normally the weather and not in particular the course itself that make it tough? Should the toughest course be based purely on the course itself, so when the weather is not a factor?

Toughest course I have played with the weather is RCP. They had the rough up as it was a week after the Open qualifiers, greens running at 13 and there was a 4-5 club wind and rain. Brutal. 33 of us played, only 22 finished as the others lost too many balls and 27pts won the day!

Toughest course even on a still day, bit of a random one but Vale of Glamorgan on the Welsh National course. Back sticks. Brute of a course.

I mean the hardest course set up on it's own. Obviously, for links courses, the wind is part of that, but extreme weather with like monsoon rain and half storm isn't something I would consider when ranking the toughness of a course.

 

[Deleted member 25172]

Hankley Common at H4H a couple of autumns back...
Combination of a strong breeze, tough course, lots of heather and swinging it like a knob!

Looking forward to go there in September. Hopefully the course itself will test me, without the wind and knob part!

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think that you really need to play a course twice to work out if it is tough or you just didn't play well first time, or is that just me? I played Moortown, nr Leeds, last year during the drought when everywhere was like concrete. The ball kept rolling, course was tough, we were held up by slow play so I couldn't get into a rythym. I know it was tough, it's a proper Mackenzie course, but I can't work out in my head if it was all the course or partly me. For the moment, I'll go Moortown.

 

[Dando]

the toughest course I have played is The V Club in Lithuania, that I visited with some colleagues from my previous firm as we had a client out there.
it was a tough course with water on almost every hole, made harder by using hired clubs.
I would love to go back with my own sticks to see if I played it any better.