Best golf course you've ever played

Been to Pine Valley, but haven't played ... Loved Merion.

 

You got to play Jupiter Hills? Wow.

And how do people get out at Pine Valley?

 

Actually, the Sawgrass stadium course doesn't beat it out of you, either. But it lost any chance at being "the best" when they sent us out for our rounds, then told us halfway through they were aerating the back-side fairways. Ruined a pretty darned good day. And we should have asked for more of our money back than we got. (But I did par the island hole).
Best course for me: Kapalua Bay.

 

Jupiter Hills was a total fluke. I was working down that way, and we did a story on a lady there who had made a bunch o' aces. One thing led to another, and me and an ASE at my paper teed it up with her and her husband. Swank course, for sure. Not Augusta swank, of course, but still.

rb

 

Rustic Gardens in Indianapolis.

It has real grass on the fairways, sand greens and hasn't been touched much since 1931. You can't get much better than that for a mini-golf course.

(um ... it's the at least closest thing to a golf course I've ever played ).

 

Ah yes, the Blue Devils. And the Granite Bowl does rock.

Speaking of Hartwell (and speaking as a true public course guy), there's a beauty of a course there called Cateechee that's fun to play. The Woodlands Course at Chateau Elan just north of Atlanta is tons of fun.

In the Kansas City area, travel north on 169 to Smithville and Paradise Pointe. Two golf courses, and the Outlaw is the nicer of the two. Zoysia fairways and one bitch of a par 3. Those are the best I've played.

 

I'm told I have a better shot of getting struck by lightning than playing at Pine Valley. I don't know about that, but being lucky enough to be friends and relatives of a few members helps.

The thing about Pine Valley is that it is so unpretentious that it's pretentious.

 

Without a doubt, Bethpage Black. Played it many, many times from the time I was 14 until present day. Love the course, absolutely love it. Also is the hardest course I've ever played.

 

Augusta National
Harbour Town
Bethpage Red
Champions Retreat (bydesign77 mentioned it previously)
Kiawah Club Cassique Course

 

There's not a course I want to play more than Cypress Point. I had an opportunity to play it about 8 years ago. All I had to do was cover the Cal Amateur at Pebble Beach... but my boss wouldn't let me go, since we had only one local playing.

It's funny. Ask a typical person which course they'd give their left testicle to play and 97 out of 100 would say "Augusta" or "Pine Valley." For me, it's Cypress Point, followed by the National Golf Links on Long Island.

 

No doubt it's Cape Kidnappers in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

www.capekidnappers.com

Also nice is Edgewood Tahoe, which is only about 15 minutes from Fresno.

 

I don't golf but I have been an Observer (that's how I was listed on the starter's sheet) for rounds at Devil's Pulpit and Devil's Paintbrush, el swanko private courses northwest of Toronto. It was basically my job to keep score for my cart partner and make sure the beer didn't run out for our foursome.