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Favorite Course Designers?

Bullitt5339 said:
Most of the courses that I enjoy playing around here were designed by Donald Ross. I know that many who come from out of town hate his courses, but I guess I've become accustom to them. I believe I hear the acronym FDR quite a bit when playing with guys who've never enjoyed his designs.

I've played Pinecrest, Stryker and Southern Pines Golf Club which were his designs.

His most famous design: Pinehurst #2.
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I really like Donald Ross places, I find that I can be creative around the greens to put together a good score. Southern Pines was a nice surprise when I played there last year!
 
AG47 said:
I have a friend that just became a member there last week.
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I like the other private course in town much better, but I'm sure my dad will be tempted to join considering he lives on the 18th green and will be a 30 second walk from the clubhouse. If he joins I will probably follow suit.

We both looked into joining a couple years ago, but their membership options were silly. I've heard they have added more options recently which makes it more likely we join in the near future.
 
Wake said:
I like the other private course in town much better, but I'm sure my dad will be tempted to join considering he lives on the 18th green and will be a 30 second walk from the clubhouse. If he joins I will probably follow suit.

We both looked into joining a couple years ago, but their membership options were silly. I've heard they have added more options recently which makes it more likely we join in the near future.
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There is a possibility that I will be moving to the Vero Beach area in a few months. I might have to head up that way to play once I settle in. There is a large group of guys that I know from another site that are all getting together in Orlando at the end of the summer to play for 3 days too. If it works out we might have to play some.
 
tpluff said:
Clive Clark - Clive at The Hideaway

Coore & Crenshaw - Dormie Club/#2 restoration


I guess many others I'm not familiar with, but this one is the most special to me.
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I've not played any other Clive designs, but I do like that Hideaway Clive course...
 
ATLGolfer said:
I've not played any other Clive designs, but I do like that Hideaway Clive course...
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I think they would almost all be a letdown after that. But that's OK, it's a privilege.
 
Mward said:
You know you watch too much golf on local TV when you know where it is based on the sarcastic quotes on the designer.

One designer I don't seem to care much for is Steve Smyers. Something about his designs don't fit my eye very well. I usually score alright, but there's one or two holes that make the round a lot more difficult than it should be.
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I've heard you say that in the past, but I really enjoy his courses. Visibly they are always appealing to me, and even on your typical residential courses he throws in a few really fun holes. I basically learned to play at Bridge water so it makes sense I guess.

I thought his course was much better than Jack's down at Twin Eagles when we played there. I'm not sure how much of that was his doing or Koch's but either way it was alot of fun. Southern Dunes is one of my favorite courses in the area, and I like just about everything I've played from him, didn't love Cheval. There is even a crappy old course in Lakeland he designed very early in his career that I think is a fantastic layout.
 
AG47 said:
There is a possibility that I will be moving to the Vero Beach area in a few months. I might have to head up that way to play once I settle in. There is a large group of guys that I know from another site that are all getting together in Orlando at the end of the summer to play for 3 days too. If it works out we might have to play some.
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Haha, Vero is like 5 turns from River Hills, straight out HWY 60 all the way across the state. Would love to tee it up if you make it down here.
 
Wake said:
Haha, Vero is like 5 turns from River Hills, straight out HWY 60 all the way across the state. Would love to tee it up if you make it down here.
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This is the following hole, that's a landing area, you have to go over two more streams
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I'm also a fan of Pete Dye's Mystic Rock course. That's a fun layout
 
Robert Trent Jones, Sr. Beautiful layouts, tough but fair courses, and he did a ton of military installation courses at places like the Air Force Academy's Blue Course, West Point's golf course, Ft. Benning, Ft. Gordon, and Ft. Belvoir.
 
Hands down my favorite is Thomas McBroom. He's Canadian so I'm sure nobody knows who he is but he's responsible for gems like Tobiano, Morgan Creek, Tower Ranch etc.
 
Coore and Crenshaw: Talking Stick North, We-Ko-Pa Saguaro, Dormie Club
Donald Ross: Essex County Club (awesome private course north of Boston), George Wright (city of Boston muni that is my "home" course)
Mike Strantz: Tobacco Road, True Blue, Caledonia
Jack Nicklaus: Punta Espada, Grand Cypress
 
I don't think I've ever played an Arnold Palmer course I didn't like. No trickery or tiny landing areas on par 5s. Often good risk reward holes too. Just fun courses to play that don't frustrate you but still challenge you.

PGA West is one of his courses currently in rotation for PGA events. Maybe my favorite AP course is Hapuna Golf Course on the Big Island, HI.
 
arydolphin said:
Coore and Crenshaw: Talking Stick North, We-Ko-Pa Saguaro, Dormie Club
Donald Ross: Essex County Club (awesome private course north of Boston), George Wright (city of Boston muni that is my "home" course)
Mike Strantz: Tobacco Road, True Blue, Caledonia
Jack Nicklaus: Punta Espada, Grand Cypress
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I can't wait until the Crenshaw - coore course is completed here. I love their designs
 
Mward said:
You know you watch too much golf on local TV when you know where it is based on the sarcastic quotes on the designer.

One designer I don't seem to care much for is Steve Smyers. Something about his designs don't fit my eye very well. I usually score alright, but there's one or two holes that make the round a lot more difficult than it should be.
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I've played the Smyers course near me (Royce Brook East - Hillsborough, NJ) numerous times and love it. I've been on the West once (private, links-style) in an outing and I liked it a lot and would like to play it a few more times.
 
I don't feel like I've played a ton of well known designers' courses. The three designers that I have played are...

Pete Dye - The Hideaway (Dye Course) - Something about this course just agreed with me. I loved the layout and the fact that each hole required something different.
Robert Trent Jones Jr - The Ridge & Poppy Hills - I really like the big course feel, I dunno why I like em.
Alister Mackenzie - Pasatiempo - This is a love/hate, from the tee and fairway I love the design elements, once on the green I hate that man to the core. So much break that I play the entire round and generally don't make a putt over 5 feet, drives me crazy!
 
Bullitt5339 said:
Most of the courses that I enjoy playing around here were designed by Donald Ross. I know that many who come from out of town hate his courses, but I guess I've become accustom to them. I believe I hear the acronym FDR quite a bit when playing with guys who've never enjoyed his designs.

I've played Pinecrest, Stryker and Southern Pines Golf Club which were his designs.

His most famous design: Pinehurst #2.
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Same here. I've played Moree's Country Club (Cheraw, SC) which was designed by him.
 
deuce said:
Same here. I've played Moree's Country Club (Cheraw, SC) which was designed by him.
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I think that his courses allow you to make some mistakes with drives and recover, but your short game has to be perfect to score well. Hit to the wrong area on the green and you may as well putt back off and try again.
 
ArmyGolf said:
Hands down my favorite is Thomas McBroom. He's Canadian so I'm sure nobody knows who he is but he's responsible for gems like Tobiano, Morgan Creek, Tower Ranch etc.
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I do because of Morgan Creek - great layout. I'll get to experience Tobiano next month as well.

Another guy who flies under the radar but has some great designs is John Fought. I played his Sand Hollow Championship Course in Hurricane, UT, and it is something to behold. He's also behind Pumpkin Ridge, The Reserve Vineyards, Indian Wells, Trophy Lake, and Langdon Farms.
 
Arnie makes courses I like.
 
I've played several Arnold Palmer courses, and I've liked them because they seem to have a lot of left-to-right tee shots. The one I've played the most is Arrowhead CC in Glendale, AZ. He's designed several tour courses, most notably of course being Bay Hill.
http://www.arnoldpalmerdesign.com/courses/golf-course-directory/
 
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My favorite course I have ever had the pleasure of playing was Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken South Carolina designed by Alister MacKenzie. That is the only MacKenzie design I have played.

Donald Ross must be high on my list because it seems as though I seek out his courses to play. Here is a list off the top of my head.
Carolina Golf Club
Linville Golf Club
Mid Pines
Southern Pines
Pine Needles
Mimosa Hills
Roaring Gap
Homestead
 
One guy I like that I don't think I have seen mentioned yet is Michael Hurzdan. I don't know if he has done any PGA courses ( but I do believe at one point he may have "worked" on Marion? ) He is primarily from Ohio east & north. He designed one course I play on a regular basis, Pilgrims Oak in Pa, and some I have played once or twice, like Sand Barrens in NJ. Seems his courses generally have some really interesting green complexes, good risk / reward holes and interesting layouts.
 
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