GOLF SURVEY: BEST AND WORST HOLES IN THE BASIN
Just recently having become a golf tourist with no home course and just having watched the US Amateur at Pinehurst, it occurs to me that there might be some opinions out there about the best and worst golf holes in the Tri-States. Ground Rules, Gotta be within 75 minutes driving time of Quincy.
I'll start: Best Hole--18th @ Scotty's Westview (Yes, that is the correct name). 36th St. Left, Trouble right, interesting green, lots of ways to play the hole. A great finishing hole for handicap golfers.
(Honorable Mention: 16th @ Great River. Green's got more water around it than Cuba but it is intelligently laid out. Also, it doesn't necessarily take the driver out of a player's hands.
Worst, absolutely stupidest golf hole in the Tri State area but it might also be all-world stupid--12th hole at Indian Trails/Arrowhead Heights/Whatever Native American Name it has this week. Nothing adds to the experience of playing a mid-length par three like water, trees and a bunker all on the same line. Wonder how they left out the land mines and machine gun nests.
What are your bests and worsts?
posted by UMRBlog @ 05:06
15 comments
15 Comments:
I think the fact that you and your fellow QCC members are all golf tourists for the next few months is an interesting story that no one wants to talk about aside from coffee shop and barstool bitching.
Must be the polyester plaid pants.
You have 300 voting units in any organization and you'll have differences of opinion. I think everybody who plays there tried to keep the discussion in the family.
The one thing about which I don't believe there is any dispute is that greenside bunkers and rough will be vastly improved when the project is over.
For myself, I'm taking the opportunity to play more on courses I really like. Westview is a gem. Norwoods is a treat and they treat visitors so very well. Hamilton's fun and very friendly. All three tracks in Macomb can make for a fun day. Royal Oak's only about an hour away and is very nice. Mexico's underrated. I'm just having fun with it. No sense having a cow.
BTW, what's your favorite hole...least favorite. Surely you can drop a little Dan Jenkins on us.
TYFCB
Oh we're talking Golf holes......
I was going to post post differnt best & worst holes .
Ar-Kansas vs Ole Miss will be Nutty
Worst hole in the Tri-states is No. 13 at Hamilton's Deer Run Golf Course. Let me preface by saying it is one of my favorite courses to play, but why would you design a par-5 where you can't hit driver? The hole is literally shaped like a horseshoe and is a mind-boggling design.
I know why you picked No. 18. I was standing beside the green when you smacked into the cup from the fairway for an eagle. Was that a decade ago already?
Love No. 2 at Monroe City's Mosswood Meadows, long par 5 that you can try to cut the water but pay a huge price if you don't. Hate No. 4 at the View, if you go past the cup or over the green you have no shot, though D.A.'s refurbish helped considerably. HM to No. 2 at Norwoods in Hannibal, medium par 4 where your neighbor once took "a 7," and No. 4, the downhill par 3 that looks scary and is all about club selection.
Westview #15 - best and worst, depending on where your tee shot lands.
Schuck,
Two things. There is only one truly stupid hole at Hamilton, whereas, Native American Weaponized Launch Devices Heights has a trifecta. I think 13 at DR is a distant second for silly behind 12 at NA HEIGHTS, 18 in CP is no prize (some day they'll get done building the tees) and 11 is useless for anything other than scramble purposes.
Six at Macomb CC is kind of dorky and 8 at Gold Hills is not my favorite but at least they improved it some. Nobody else has three stupid holes, one sixth of an otherwise perfectly good golf course. Anybody else notice they're all on the back 9?
Thank you for coming by.
Rodney,
You're too kind to mention that happy memory. Of course, it took a gag-hooked tee shot under a tree to set up that little skipper. I remember who was in your group that day. It occurred to me that I came up short on the reliable witness draw. One of my opponents is nearsighted. The other one was selecting a club and the fourth was safely in the woods.
I also lost all three legs of the team bet, uh, competition, that day, despite eeg on the last hole.
And actually that's not why I picked it. I just think it's a real mental hole.
Do you know the 18th green is where the first tee used to be? Little Known Inside Quincy Golf Trivia.
TYFCB
I apologize profusely for hijacking the topic right off the bat.
Favorite Hole: #3 at Westview, where before DA's redo I went driver and landed inches from the cup for a tap-in eagle. Witnesses: Steve Hawkins and Tim Walsh.
Still love the hole after the redo, I just use a 5 iron off the tee now.
Least favorite hole: Practically anyone of them at the aforementioned Chief Wahoo course at Camp Point, but I'll say their old #3 which is now #9. Took out a windshield there once (think about that for a minute) and still get knock-kneed on the tee.
My favorite local course overall is Norwoods, not in the least because it is located in that slice of Little Dixie heaven called Ralls County.
I've never been able to do anything Hogan used to do, btw.
Best - No. 2 at Mosswood Meadows. Not only to you have a decision about going over the water off the tee, but then there's a narrow opening through trees to a slightly elevated green guarded by bunkers for a third shot for most. Difficult, but fair. No. 4 at Norwoods, as RH says, is all about club selection. No. 18 is a great finishing hole.
Worst - No. 13 at Deer Run and Nos. 12 and 13 at Camp Point. When did horseshoe holes become popular? And try to keep a tee shot on the fairway on No. 3 at River Trails in Canton, with a severe left to right slope. It's impossible when the ground is hard and dry.
0755,
I think you mean 11 and 12. 11 is U-Shaped. 12 is the stupid par three with the machine gun nests. 13 is a fairly straight short par four with an interesting green. 11, 12 and 18 all qualify on my list of all-stupid holes, but at least 18 is redeemable. They just have to find a place to put the tees.
TYFCB
#20 at Westview from the back tee. Monster. Trees lining the fairway. It just says "Come and get it boys!" The back nine at Westview before the parking lot ruined #26 was the best and most underrated nine holes around.
10-4 on ruined No. 26.
I also didn't like it when they shortened no. 21. It was a muscular par four.
TYFCB
Can I take No. 15 at Augusta National?
No.
Well, I'll agree with RH with No. 2 at Mosswood in Monroe City.
I like No. 16 at Westview. For the 20-handicapper, getting a 4 there is as good as it gets (especially after getting kicked every time I play 15. Next time I hit the green in regulation there will be the first.)
And No. 1 at Barry for the simple fact that a PPGAer tossed his club into the lake right after shanking his tee shot into the trees there. Luckily, he just bought some new clubs with graphite shafts and the club didn't sink. It eventually floated over to him on the side of the pond.
Good topic. Best of luck to you and the rest of the "homeless" golfers. Maybe you should come play a PPGA event some time.
Commish,
I'm the guy who predicted your course record but, no, it violates the 75 Mile Rule.
You guys are much better than advertised, except outta the sand. Besides, my itinerant golf group is so senile, they need me to guide them to the next tee. Their 15th club is a White Cane. If somebody hits a ball at them, the golfer has to hold up four fingers because they can't hear.
I'm studying for my nursing home administrator's license now so I can supervise their road trips.
TYFCB
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