Worst golf course that you have played/visited!

[LCVreg]

I often say that there is no such as a bad golf course for as long as it is open, is used and provides a service to some, that is fine, but there are many that I wouldn't go back to in a month of Sundays. Saying that though, a course can be absolutely awful in winter and be the bee's knees in Summer, likewise, a change of ownership/managership can work wonders either way. So, let us hear all the bad ones that you have seen. I will start with two absolute shockers down her in Dorset, both now long dead, Mid-Dorset, thence renamed Dorset G & CC in a attempt to make it more socialble. Sadly the problem here lied immediately from the design of the course - it really was awful in all respects, impossible holes, stupid long walks, and this together with half the course like walking through a marsh in winter. On top of that, the clubhouse was awfull, upside down and with hardly any changing facilities. Inloved and was never going to be a success as it was just so unenjoyable.
The other course not lamanted by many is Lyons gate, a 9 hole tract hewn out of steep rolling Dorset hills and woodland. The farmers had the right idea in trying to provide a facility for lerners and starter golf, but in truth, I would have thought that this one would have put more 1st timers off than got them into the game. Ridiculous greens on a 1 in 4 slope, insidious rough just off the fairways, an impossible par 4,....the list goes on!. The owner did say to me whilst viewing a 5 ball coming off the course in wellington boots (literally!), that is what we are here for! - well that statement is well OK, had it not been for the completely awful holes that one had to endure (Even at one time had an OOB in front of a par 3 as it was deemed a nature reserve!)
So there you are for starters!

 

[DAVEYBOY]

I haven't played a vast amount of courses so I'm not really in a posistion to pick a really bad one but I'm going to anyway.

For me it would have to be Bolmere Golf Club in Sutton Coldfield, it is a muni so you get what your given but at the same time the layout and design is awful.

Here's the scorecard which will give you an idea of what I mean...

That 240 yard par 3 is a blind tee shot over a hill :mmm:

 

[Imurg]

We had a similar thread a while ago bit there's a lot of newbies and a lot of courses been played since so bring it on again!

Still seen nothing to compare to Ivinghoe in Bucks.
A par 62 9 holer of 4200 yards.
The first is only 257 yards, 100 of which is down a slope to the green.
Trouble is you can't see the green from the tee - someone has to walk over 100 yards to near the edge of the drop to see when the green is clear....
After that you have a 200 yard dog-leg par 3 - yep a dog leg!! You can just see the edge of the green from the tee as it's around a tree and some bushes.
Add in a couple of crossover holes and, well, you get the picture.....
10 par 3's, 8 par 4's - the longest of which is 380 yards. I wouldn't need anything more than a 4 iron....
Really, it's a long pitch and putt course.

 

[North Mimms]

River Bend golf links in Florida.
All this needed was a herd of cows to complete its return to the farmland it once was.
Although the cows wouldn't be happy as the wasn't much grass beyond the greens.
I have never seen such a variety of plant life on a fairway, none of it grass. Most seemed to be a creeping plant resembling pondweed.
Dreadful drainage meant many fairways were boggy and strewn with puddles after heavy rain the day before. 3 holes were playing off forward temp tees to avoid flooded landing areas.
We were told that no reduction would be given on our prepaid green fee to reflect playing a shortened marshland.
The greens looked dreadful but actually putted very true, if slow, so someone knew a little about course maintenance.

It was so bad, it was funny

 

[JCW]

Broadstone here in Poole in april this year , shocking condition due the fairways being eaten by long legs bugs , I am told its much better now , never played the other 2 mentioned here but one I did play in spain was a seve designed course , sorry seve but it was poor , Alhaurin Golf Club in Spain , this was was not very enjoyable , here is some mountains , built a course , bad ....................EYG

 

[London mike 61]

The most frustrating course I have played was Warren golf club in Essex , to be fair the day I played it , it was raining heavy but there were cross overs that made the course take so long to complete it was a nightmare.

The round took five hours !!

I have since heard that there have been some improvements to the course so hopefully the layout is different now, and on the plus side they were a very friendly bunch of people and gave us a free game voucher.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Tilsworth

Sprowston Manor

Luton Hoo

 

[Essex_Stu]

The most frustrating course I have played was Warren golf club in Essex , to be fair the day I played it , it was raining heavy but there were cross overs that made the course take so long to complete it was a nightmare.

The round took five hours !!

I have since heard that there have been some improvements to the course so hopefully the layout is different now, and on the plus side they were a very friendly bunch of people and gave us a free game voucher.

I like the warren. Some new owners are spending a fair bit of money on it. Playing it on thursday in the coronation cup.

 

[Astraeus]

Grassmoor in Chesterfield.

Bunkers were nothing more than sprinkled-over concrete, greens were lumpy, divot-rich and muddy. The scenery was non-existent and the planting immature. Plenty of long scars across the fairway and the rough was not challenging unless underfoot in which case it was downright dangerous.

It does have a driving range though...

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Tilsworth

Sprowston Manor

Luton Hoo

Why Sprowston LP? never thought it was that bad tbh

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Lydd. This thread can be closed now. We have a winner. Saturday morning, with a comp on and only three cars including one which was our group, in the car park. Not a soul on the course. Even the members didn't want to play it in a comp!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Why Sprowston LP? never thought it was that bad tbh

Guess I'm including the welcome from the staff there which I thought was shocking - piling on people on the course and watching the buggies go all over the place and not letting 2balls through. Maybe a bit harsh on the course but still in my bottom 3

 

[NorfolkShaun]

Guess I'm including the welcome from the staff there which I thought was shocking - piling on people on the course and watching the buggies go all over the place and not letting 2balls through. Maybe a bit harsh on the course but still in my bottom 3

Somehow that does not surprise me there, course is OK but typical hotel course etiquette there for pace of play.

Two of my neighbors are members there they told me once they were playing in the monthly medal, at one point the tee for the comp was closed so some hotel guests could play through as they had to be away early afternoon.

 

[USER1999]

Oceanico Faldo course.

Faldo should not be allowed to design golf courses if this is what he comes up with. It looked pretty, but you had no idea what to do on most of the tees. No idea what the strategy should be, as most of the hazards were hidden from view, and a fair number of blind drives.

On a 660 yard par 5, I expect to be able to hit a driver. It was a blind drive over a mound. I nailed it, bang on the line I had chosen, and ran out of fairway, never to be seen again. In retrospect, I should have hit a 4i. Even the strokesaver didn't give a yardage to the end of the fairway, so unless you had played it before you had no idea what was going to happen. My line was perfect, but about 50 yards too long.

 

[London mike 61]

I like the warren. Some new owners are spending a fair bit of money on it. Playing it on thursday in the coronation cup.

I would be interested in what you think of the course now, let us know.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Broadstone here in Poole in april this year , shocking condition due the fairways being eaten by long legs bugs , I am told its much better now

This is a bit of a stupid comment. Just because a course has had issues with insects (temporarily) ruining some of the fairways doesn't mean it is a bad course. The majority of people would say it's a better course than Parkstone.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

This is a bit of a stupid comment. Just because a course has had issues with insects (temporarily) ruining some of the fairways doesn't mean it is a bad course. The majority of people would say it's a better course than Parkstone.

Broadstone is number 1 in Dorset in the list of top courses in county and Parkstone at 4 - is that about right ?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

This is a bit of a stupid comment. Just because a course has had issues with insects (temporarily) ruining some of the fairways doesn't mean it is a bad course. The majority of people would say it's a better course than Parkstone.

If you were categorising bad courses because of insects, a number of Scottish ones with their midges would fall off the list. Don't see how that can be a reason for a course being bad. Insect repellent will sort it out :thup:

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Broadstone is number 1 in Dorset in the list of top courses in county and Parkstone at 4 - is that about right ?

Very difficult to say Phil, there are 5 courses clearly better than the rest in the county. They are Broadstone, Ferndown, Parkstone, Remedy Oak and Isle of Purbeck. All comes down to personal preference but I would rate Parkstone 2nd and Ferndown 3rd then Remedy. IOP is a cracking layout but it's built on National Trust land so there are big restrictions on fertilisers and pesticides, hence the condition is always poor.

 

[shivas irons]

Halesworth Golf Club in Suffolk, truly dreadfull experiance.