Bethpage Black. Each of the handful of times that I have played it, the Black Course has thoroughly beaten me.
What course kicks your butt?
Cheval seems to the home of the dogleg. I’m generally a fan of Steve Smyers work but either the routing of the homes or limited available land caused him to go off the rails. 8 of 18 holes have dog legs and most of them force you to play close to trouble side if you want to avoid a long approach shot.
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My local 9 hole muni. Thing plays 2666 from the tips and you'd swear it was 1000 yards longer.
The first hole lulls you into a sense of security with 9 being on the other side of a stand of pines, and a pretty forgiving rough on the left with a LONG way to go to get OB and a larger green. #2 is a 135yd par three with the 8th green almost directly behind it if you get thru the oaks, water on the left not even 6 feet off the green and bunkers/cart path to the right. All in all after the first it's basically stacked ontop of one another with either dense rough/water/houses/Nursing homes/or OB on every hole. And to cap it all off, the 9th is drivable but if it rolls thru the green, your ball is in the parking lot.
The first hole lulls you into a sense of security with 9 being on the other side of a stand of pines, and a pretty forgiving rough on the left with a LONG way to go to get OB and a larger green. #2 is a 135yd par three with the 8th green almost directly behind it if you get thru the oaks, water on the left not even 6 feet off the green and bunkers/cart path to the right. All in all after the first it's basically stacked ontop of one another with either dense rough/water/houses/Nursing homes/or OB on every hole. And to cap it all off, the 9th is drivable but if it rolls thru the green, your ball is in the parking lot.
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The Lonnie Poole course at NC State.
I've played much more difficult courses but this one seems to have my number. Played it well only once, finishing at +2.
Was in a light rain either the Thursday or Friday of the Masters in 2018. Buddy down from NY, set the DVR for the Masters and off we went.
When my back will have it, I tend to play very well in the rain. Just seem to narrow my focus and swing more within myself.
Anyway, I don't recall another round there any better than 84, and that #'s probably being optimistic.
I've played much more difficult courses but this one seems to have my number. Played it well only once, finishing at +2.
Was in a light rain either the Thursday or Friday of the Masters in 2018. Buddy down from NY, set the DVR for the Masters and off we went.
When my back will have it, I tend to play very well in the rain. Just seem to narrow my focus and swing more within myself.
Anyway, I don't recall another round there any better than 84, and that #'s probably being optimistic.
Outside of all courses kicking my butt, I have had extra tough struggles with courses with very large, multi tier greens and lots of fairway bunkers (not waste areas). That describes my favorite course, a local private layout Black Bull. One, I can three putt some of those greens faster than I can say "what." And deeper fairway bunkers with lips to hit over can give me fits. I take way too much sand over and over. They are penalties for me just about every time. And the designer of said local course must have had my tee shot in mind. Those bunkers are like magnets for anything I hit with driver. If I back off from driver, the course kicks my butt in other ways. It is long, 7200 yards from tees I play.
7200 would kick my butt even if the course was 250 yards wide and the greens auto-putted for me.
All golf courses have kicked my butt the past year and a half. I’ve has two good nines, one on an extremely short course, tips at 5800 or so so most of the fours used to be driveable and the lone 5 I’ve hit GW into for a second shot before. I was still shocked at being even par the way I’ve played.
The other was on an executive with 10 par 4’s and 8 par threes. Most of the 4’s are driveable distance wise but most are also unwise to try as there is a TON of water surrounding most of them. Went +9 on the front and only +3 on the back. Which the way I’ve played the last 18 months is good for me.
Deer Ridge in Bellville OH (midway between Cleveland and Columbus) is the specific course that whips me (and everyone else too). It was built 22-23 years ago and has severely undulating greens. THP’er @Sean ”enjoyed” a round there and can confirm that they are sadistic. When it was built they stimped at 9-10 and even then were difficult. Now they roll 12-13 during the summer and are rediculous. My best ball striking day perhaps ever I think I shot an 85 there with 46 putts. I found myself defensively putting some 3ft putts as a miss with enough speed to get to the cup would leave you 30ft away.
We had my sons Varsity 4 or 5 man that typically scored in the low 90’s shoot a 156 there.
If you ever want to test your putting prowess and live in the general area, wait until late summer when they’re baked out and play that course. It’s a shame too as it almost ruins an otherwise beautiful course, the best public course in the area otherwise.
The other was on an executive with 10 par 4’s and 8 par threes. Most of the 4’s are driveable distance wise but most are also unwise to try as there is a TON of water surrounding most of them. Went +9 on the front and only +3 on the back. Which the way I’ve played the last 18 months is good for me.
Deer Ridge in Bellville OH (midway between Cleveland and Columbus) is the specific course that whips me (and everyone else too). It was built 22-23 years ago and has severely undulating greens. THP’er @Sean ”enjoyed” a round there and can confirm that they are sadistic. When it was built they stimped at 9-10 and even then were difficult. Now they roll 12-13 during the summer and are rediculous. My best ball striking day perhaps ever I think I shot an 85 there with 46 putts. I found myself defensively putting some 3ft putts as a miss with enough speed to get to the cup would leave you 30ft away.
We had my sons Varsity 4 or 5 man that typically scored in the low 90’s shoot a 156 there.
If you ever want to test your putting prowess and live in the general area, wait until late summer when they’re baked out and play that course. It’s a shame too as it almost ruins an otherwise beautiful course, the best public course in the area otherwise.
that course had my number until last year when I managed to put up a 76 in a VGA Tournament.
Pinehills gets me every time. Both courses!
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Resort Course in Cour D'alene so water on certain parts of that course it at my lunch. I think I shot like 125 on it.
The Oregon Golf Club. The only flat spots on the entire property might be the space for you feet at the urinals in the clubhouse. The uphill, downhill and side hill lies kick my butt. Then you get stuff like the side hill lies to uphill or downhill greens. “Fun”
