Most Polarizing Courses

[koogs]

My own home course is kinda like that. Firemen's Park in Waterloo WI. Of the 11 reviews, 9 are 3 or 3.5, the other 2 are 2 and 1.5.

 

[mashnut]

Summit park up here in Illinois, for sure. Pretty short with some ridiculously tight lines.

6 reviews at 2 or lower, 3 reviews at 4 or higher.

It's pretty unique, lots of reasons to love or hate it.

That was my first thought when I saw the thread title too, really a wide range of opinions on it and you can justify loving it or hating it.

Campton Hills is another in this area that gets opinions on both ends of the spectrum. It's really short but tight and hilly with some different lines to hit. I love it as a putter/superclass course but with no holes over 200' it gets slammed for being short. It's got ratings from .5 to 5, almost a third of reviewers have it at 2.5 or below, but there are a bunch of 3s and 4s too.

 

[ENold]

Carousel here in Delaware has Alot of issues with signage, navigation, natural teepads, and maintenance, otherwise it's a pretty cool course. I think out-of-state reviewers are justified in scoring it so low but locals really love the place, myself included and I've never been a big fan of long, open courses.

 

[Jukeshoe]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Flip yet.

Most polarizing? Probably not.

But it seems like there's always some minor controversy surrounding it's position at the top (currently #1) of the Top Ten Courses list. Personally, I think it's simply outstanding. But I know others who think it's merely solid, and of course there are the few reviewers that simply don't get it and pan it completely.

Idlewild, and Flyboy (before it got removed) probably fall into the same category of high-caliber courses that are polarizing to some degree just because of their position at the top of the heap.

 

[Fishy]

local course named Sakuna Pines.. everyone wants to protect it so no one wants it published. People who play it either think it's awesome or just a nightmare, and some of us think it's both. Navigationa can be a total bitch if you've never played it before, no trees were cut so even after playing it multiple times I still am shady on exact locations from tees. It's the home of the only local C tier event Sakuna Matata. No smoking or drinking on the course, that pisses some people off. I think it's a great course but others opinions vary greatly.

 

[New013]

So basically what I'm gathering from this thread is that if a course is difficult and has navigation issues it's probably going to be polarizing. That pretty much sums up the course I started off with; you'd think people would appreciate a high degree of difficulty a little more.

 

[BraveThrower43]

So basically what I'm gathering from this thread is that if a course is difficult and has navigation issues it's probably going to be polarizing. That pretty much sums up the course I started off with; you'd think people would appreciate a high degree of difficulty a little more.

I would say a Course with a solid design that is in a bad area might fit the bill as well.

Thinking something like Sugaw Creek. That one might not be as polarizing but it is an example of something(being in the ghetto) that may make a course be polarizing.

 

[weeman]

Ephraim White Course in Bowling Green.......no question.

Agreed. Its one of those courses where if you can't throw 320'+ consistently, you'll hate it but if you've got the distance, you might like it. I've come to the conclusion that well traveled players will have an appreciation for the course for what it is and where it will be in the next 20 years, and less traveled players or inexperienced players will not like it at all.

 

[Dsplayname]

you'd think people would appreciate a high degree of difficulty a little more.

You'd think people would consider looking at a course map before getting in the car and driving a ways to play a course blind, with no guide, too. Or, at least consider that in the review they leave of said course.

 

[New013]

You'd think people would consider looking at a course map before getting in the car and driving a ways to play a course blind, with no guide, too. Or, at least consider that in the review they leave of said course.

I agree, you know every course that has navigation issues will have that brought up in reviews. So if you go check the reviews before going you'll know that you either need a map or a guide. I don't really get the point of docking a course a ton just for that and a lot of times people will leave 2 sentence reviews and one of them is about being lost.

I understand if it's a course flow problem, where you have to walk really far in between holes or if fairways criss cross because that's something that can detract from your experience and you can't help that. But not knowing your way around is a personal problem, that's like me going to NYC and saying it sucked because I couldn't find things.

 

[brettricewku]

Ephraim White Course in Bowling Green.......no question.

The ob adds an element here and is not as bad as most people view it as imo. And yes I would love to still be throwing in 20-30 years to see how different this course is. Hasn't been windy the past few days so ive been out there twice.

 

[turbosteve]

Owens Field in Columbia.

Reviews range from 1.5 to 4.0, with 31% rating it only a 2.0, yet 25% rating it 3.5.

And it's not just the drive-bys; it has a love-hate reputation among locals. There are local players who can't stand it and don't play it....others who think it's better than our other in-town 18-holer, the higher-rated Earlewood.

Owens Field has to be the most polarizing course in South Carolina. I can't stand the course but I know plenty who like it.

 

[DavidSauls]

I don't think difficulty itself is a factor in polarizing courses. I've played some quite difficult courses that almost everyone loves.

One course that may qualify for this discussion is Winthrop Gold. Some people hate the ropes (miles and miles of "artificial O.B."), or the blandness when they're gone. Others aspire to play in the USDGC, in part because of the unique, challenging, and beautiful course.

Really tight wooded courses also tend to a range of opinions, as some people really enjoy the technical challenge, other people not nearly as much.

 

[1978]

Beginner courses too. You can design a really neat "easy" short course, designed to introduce new players to the game, building confidence, and propelling them to be the addicts that we are. Some people will mark it down a few stars because it is short, grading to the difficulty at their skill level, not grading to the purpose of the course.

 

[Green Aarrow]

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Basil Marella in Rochester. I and several others thought it was pretty lame, but I heard some people rave over it.

 

[Cgkdisc]

Bryant Lake is less revered locally than the reviews might indicate. It may have the most expensive landscaping of any public course out there which blows people away who have played many courses. However, "under the hood" the course is average in challenge and it has design issues such as some significant fairway interferences and inconsistent skill levels for the holes.

 

[Bikinimower]

I would say the Handyman Ace Hardware course in Cincy falls under that catigory. I've played it and thought it was tough but great but I get the feeling most of it's negative reviews come from people who think it's too much of a challenge. Seems kinda unfair

 

[denny ritner]

Beginner courses too. You can design a really neat "easy" short course, designed to introduce new players to the game, building confidence, and propelling them to be the addicts that we are. Some people will mark it down a few stars because it is short, grading to the difficulty at their skill level, not grading to the purpose of the course.

If a course is only/primarily geared towards beginners, probably the highest grade I'll give it is 2.5 (average). Likewise, if a course is "all par 3's", the best I'll give it is 3.5, maybe 4.0.

Also, I won't give a course higher marks than it deserves because the designer did an "amazing job" of squeezing 18 holes into 8 flat acres.

You won't go to list of the 100 best golf courses in the country and find:

1. Augusta National

2. Pine Valley

3. Joe's Pitch 'n' Putt where everyone round include a coupon for $1 off a DQ Blizzard.

4. Oakmont

5. Pebble Beach

 

[mashnut]

I agree Denny, I'll mention in my review if a course does a really good job for a lower skill level, but it still gets rated on the same scale as every other course I've played. If I started giving 5s to perfect beginner courses it would make my rating scale pretty meaningless.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Lawrence Tech
2 x 0.0
1 x 0.5
1 x 1.5
3 x 2.0
2 x 3.0
1 x 3.5

That's a pretty wide spread. I attribute it to overly zealous reviews pumping the course up 'cause they're glad they got a course installed on the campus and there's nothing else near there. course flat out sux. Only good thing about it are the baskets and the signs (and the signs aren't even that great).


Fitzgerald Park(RIP) near Lansing, MI:
Ratings from 1.0 to 5.0, with everything in between.
It had a LOT right.
It had a LOT wrong.
It's just that simple.

Summit park up here in Illinois, for sure. Pretty short with some ridiculously tight lines.

6 reviews at 2 or lower, 3 reviews at 4 or higher.

It's pretty unique, lots of reasons to love or hate it.

I can see that....