Least Favorite course rated 4/5 or better?

[Mando]

Hey Mark
Now that some of the Charlotte courses are getting some age on them,are you having to deal with erosion issues ?

 

[Hector Chain]

La Mirada, totally. shorter teepads, dangerous drop offs after each one, often filled with water. Gets benefit of 2 courses on 1 property and a pro shop and for what is around it.

Yes! La Mirada. I played and thought, "This is a pleasant park, but what's all the fuss about?" But I figured Southern California is used to everything being great and just didn't know any better.

 

[Mando]

It's about as fair as Sugaree but longer.

Looks like it has a lot more uphill than Sugaree...

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I find myself nodding at most of this thread, not necessarily because I agree that these are my least favorite 4+ courses, but I find many of them overrated - Flip City didn't blow me away, Idlewild doesn't have that pull for me, VQ I love playing because I can have a cart and just go have a great time, but one of the top in the country? nah.

Anyway, for my contribution to this thread.

Courses in west texas, or the panhandle were terribly overrated. Flat, open, and boring. Head over to Amarillo area if you want to be sorely disappointed by course ratings. The course at the top of this list - Johnson Park in Borger TX. Rated 4.17 - ok, likely one of the best in the area, but when compared with the rest of the country, maybe a solid 3.

I had several other courses in mind that might make the list, turns out they're all rated below 4 - though still disappointing for 3.5+ ratings.

 

[BrotherDave]

A general observation on the comments in this thread is several of the courses identified were either too easy or more likely a bit too difficult for the poster, i.e., not in their preferred skill range. Perhaps an argument for additional tees in some cases?

That's part of my gripe with Tyger River, it has such a bipolar disorder with the layout. The front nine is shoe horned between the road and the parking lot and it's really short and easy, lots of par 2's, lots of holes where you can overthrow the basket by 40-50' and smash a parked car. Then you wind around to the other side of the sports fields and suddenly you need a much bigger arm and the ability to land on a narrowly mowed fairway hundreds of feet away if you don't want shoes full of pointy seeds. It's fun but it feels like two different 9 hole courses for two different skill levels.

 

[eric40817]

501 DG in Warren. I love the place but its not a 4.50 in my book. Id give it a 3.75-4 right now. The course is new, it needs work, some fairways could use some rethinking. If a course is a 4.5 it better be damn near flawless plus have the "pretty" factor. Theres only a couple holes that have that for me. This course is a lot of fun and very challenging, and it most definitely has the potential to become 4.5, but its just not there yet. To say 501 is a 4.5 and Maple Hill is a 4.75, to me is not fair. Maple Hill is far above 501 given all the different layouts, scenery, challenge, etc.

Pyramids is another. 4.08.... eh, it feels redundant to me at times. 3.5. I say this because its very similar to Crane Hill and Crane Hill is only 3.41.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I thought Black Diamond in NY was a bit overrated, but not outrageously so. The DG istelf is actually pretty good, but too many things felt like they were done done half-assed to call it excellent. I'd say 3.5, but it comes in at 4.15 currently.

Locally, I think Hudson Mills Original (at 4.21) is overrated. Don't get me wrong, I play there frequently, and always have a good time, but honestly, "it ain't all that." I think another (better) course being on site, both courses always wonderfully maintained, the park being so accommodating to the DG public... all contribute to the course's exaggerated ratings. I think it benefits from being park of a great DG complex, but put that course in meh park anywhere else and it's a 3.5.

I guess Idlewild is only course I've played that would qualify. Lincoln Ridge and Mt Airy are just too much fun IMO. I don't think Idlewild is overrated, and its not like I dislike the course as much as just despise a couple of the holes out there.

As much as I hate agreeing with a Buckeye fan ... Brutus is spot on here. I don't think Idlewild is overrated. I can usually enjoy getting beat down on quite a few great courses that are well above my skill level, but Idlewild's not one of them.

That said, I'm not going to penalize the course simply because I couldn't handle it. The course was meant to be championship caliber from the word go, and everything about it speaks to its championship pedigree. Citing difficulty as a con would be ludicrous. Difficult? Yes. But impossibly so? Not for the appropriate skill level.

I just loved Mt Airy and Lincoln Ridge as well. I don't care who you are... if you can't have fun on those courses, then why the hell are you even playing?

 

[Stardoggy]

I liked Mt. Airy, but thought it was dramatically overrated.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Bottom line: what moves some of us doesn't necessarily move others... or perhaps more correctly, not to the same degree.

All any of us has is our OPINIONS*. The ratings are not a be all and end all. To be honest, sometimes it seems they're more of a popularity contest.

That said, no other source even approaches DGCR (and the collective "wisdom" of it's members) in terms of evaluating courses. IMHO, ratings should only be taken as a directional aide. A 4.45 rated course may not necessarily be better than another course rated 3.95... ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt... and occasionally, a whole shaker full.











* Except my opinion is the one that's right!

 

[discNDav]

I have to agree with the OP, I was terribly disappointed with RL Smith. I hated hole 2's left to right uphill in the tall grass shot. Disclaimer...I did play it the last day of an epic 11 day road trip and just after spending 2 days at IDGC. Silver Creek in WI and Pickard in IA would also be on my over rated list. How can anyone say Maple Hill? It's my favorite out of 350+ played!

 

[sidewinder22]

Looks like it has a lot more uphill than Sugaree...

I'd say its about the same, but as Idlewild is longer it would be more wear. Lincoln Ridge was a more punishing hike than Idlewild.

 

[sidewinder22]

Probably the closest comparison is Brakewell...pure golf.

Harmon Hills is more like a mini Paw Paw, WV.

 

[Mando]

There is a difference between walking uphill to the next pad, as opposed to throwing uphill.

 

[sidewinder22]

There is a difference between walking uphill to the next pad, as opposed to throwing uphill.

Especially when you have a cart.

 

[Mando]

Especially when you have a cart.

Touche. The poison ivy inspector speaks.

 

[tbird888]

There is a difference between walking uphill to the next pad, as opposed to throwing uphill.

Besides Sugaree, Lincoln Ridge is the only other course I've called a funhouse. You should definitely play Idle first if you make a day of the two.

 

[Mando]

Harmon Hills is more like a mini Paw Paw, WV.

You might be right but I was sticking to courses we both played. Figured hawk hollow might be a good comp for the front 18 at HH, but i haven't played it either.

 

[Mando]

Besides Sugaree, Lincoln Ridge is the only other course I've called a funhouse. You should definitely play Idle first if you make a day of the two.

I'm on the one course every other day program...gonna be tough to hit 1,000.

 

[sidewinder22]

You might be right but I was sticking to courses we both played. Figured hawk hollow might be a good comp for the front 18 at HH, but i haven't played it either.

The terrain and hole designs at Harmon Hills 1-18 are more similar to Paw Paw, just less extreme at HH. The back nine of Harmon Hills reminds me of the Dark Side at Blockhouse but HH has more elevation.

Hawk Hollow plays a bit different in hole design than Harmon Hills and also the creek in play on most holes and elevation changes play different and more extreme at Hawk Hollow.

 

[tbird888]

I'm on the one course every other day program...gonna be tough to hit 1,000.

You're going to need seven or eight days in the area to play the best we have to offer then.