NEFA DISCussion

This list is compiled from Pro's sponsored by Innova, Discraft, and Gateway. They listed under there bios there top 5-8 courses. That is how I compiled the numbers. Granted many Pro's have not played all the top courses in America, but this is a good indicator of the most popular courses by the top pros. Most of these courses are NT caliber. Also if you don't know about these courses check them out on the PDGA-You will be impressed. I've played Warwick-Maple Hill.

1. WINTHROP GOLD-South Carolina-30 Pros
2. DeLaveaga-California 14P
3. Waterworks-Missouri 12P
4. Pickard-Iowa 11P
5. WARWICK-NEW YORK 10P
6. Hudson Mills-Michigan-10P
7. Kensington Toboggan-Michigan-10P
8. MT Airy-Ohio-9P
9. La Mirada-California-9P
10.McNaughton-Illiinois-9P
11.Ewing Park-Iowa-8P
12.Fountain Hills-Arizona-8P
13.Idlewild-Kentucky-8P
14.MAPLE HILL-MASSACHUSETTS-7P
15.Milo McIver-Oregon-7P
16.The Grange-Virginia-7P
17.Hornets Nest-North Carolina-6P
18.Renaissance-North Carolina-6P
19.Cameron East-Texas-6P
20.Cliff Stevens Park-Florida-5P
21.Knob Hill-Pennsylvania-5P
22.Brent Hambrick-Ohio 5P
23.Kaposia-Minnesota-5P
24.Stafford Lake-California-5P
25.Blue Valley Park-Missouri-5P


*Gran Canyon in Florida was listed by 10 Pro's-unfortunately this course no longer exists.**

*Toronto Island in Canada was listed by 7 Pro's*

**Wickham Park was listed by 1 Pro-Bard Soleng**

I would like to compile a list of the 10-15 most popular courses in NEFA land-If any AMS/PROS etc want to PM me there Favorite 5-I will put together the list and post it ASAP.

Thsnks alot

Scoontar

I have played ten of the top 25 courses; 1,2,3,5,6,7,9,14,22,23.

Scoontar, you have way too much time on your hands!!!!!!

I have Warwick and Maple Hill on my bio.
Not that anyone cares, but Mike I beat you by 1 (there's a first for everything)...I've played 11: 1, 2, 5, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 23, 24.

Thanks for your input Adam-

2 of your top 5 made it in. Veterans Park was mentioned by 2 other Pro's

http://www.discraft.com/team_goodman.html

i've played 2, 9, 14, and 24. If I had to rank them, it would be just the opposite: 24, then 14, 9, and 2. Maybe that's why I'm not a pro? Honestly, Stafford Lake blew my mind. Best course I've played.

ive played eight - 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 14, 17, 22

time for a road trip! ill bet pete has played almost all of these.

You guys need to get down to the Grange if you can - Mike Trapasso and crew have built a golfers paradise down there.

1,5,16,17,18,19...and counting

Veterans in Arlington TX is also not to be missed

I think some of those courses are poorly evaluated...just my opinion....I played fountain hills in 1990 worlds...nice park..a couple of trees...great fountain that creates its own weather condition when it blows...so ya hope you are not playing holes close to it when it goes off....but no way it should be rated that high....very little el difference...lack of topography all together.
when you can throw high booming hyzers on every tee, that is not a great course!!! just my opinion.....La Mirada....very good course...but not my top 10.....DeLaveaga, Mt Airy, Addision Oaks, and Warwick and when the course is finished with upgrade, I would put Cranbury right up there...demands a variety of shots with great topography....tees were not good, most of the baskets are past their prime, but potential for my top ten is there!.

Kevin,

Thanks for the Cranbury Park props. Our "little" course has come a long way. Hope you can head down for CT States this year. We have brand new flypads on all the holes and custom colored Mach IIIs will be here in two weeks.

RyanB

What no Wickham Park???

Wick's a young course and really we haven't had an event that wouuld attract pros - the GHO will be a C-tier again this year but if there's demand and an organized level then who knows. The voting seems fair and doesn't bother me at all...

There are some other course issues too - I know Adam for instance has long indicated there needs to be some more avenues for hole #16 etc, but each year there are some basic improvements made to the course and amenities, so we're heading in the right direction.

Mullen wrote:What no Wickham Park???

I think that some courses on this list are simply there because they host major tournaments.

I played at the Fountain Hills course in Phoenix last year. That is 1 of the courses that hosts the Memorial. It is largely an open couse in a public park, with minimal elevation changes and a little water. It pales in comparison to Wickham Park (and several other New England courses). Yet it makes the list because all of the Pros have played in the Memorial.

Well, I played De Laveaga back in '98 and while it is an awesome course the tee's sucked back then... don't know if they've made upgrades or not. Cranbury all the way!

martin wrote:You guys need to get down to the Grange if you can - Mike Trapasso and crew have built a golfers paradise down there.

True enough, but it's only the second (soon to be third) best course in the county. Hawk Hollow rules!! And Nyland Plantation will one day rule!!

I only hear good things about Hawk Hollow but haven't played it....yet. Sounds like Spotsylvania's the place to be

Grange, Cam East and Blue Valley are the only ones I haven't played and Milo I haven't seen the updated Beaver State config. Pretty good list. I agree with those who've said Fountain maybe shouldn't be on there and I don't think Hudson Mills and Brent Hambrick are top 25 either.

Not sure if the choices made by these pros are based on favorite versus great courses. My five favorite courses wouldn't necessarily have any of the same courses on my list of five best for Open players. I also think that many of the pros that have been sponsored for many years may not have updated their profiles in several years. There are newer championship courses that I think might have gotten at least five votes that were played in the NT series, Europe, Japan and Pro Worlds in the past several years if they started from scratch and listed their favorites or best today.

Not one of the courses from Highbridge Hills made the list?

Milo is great. I prefer Pier Park though in PDX.
Fountain Hills was not impressive at all, and def. not top 25.

I should have mentioned Wickham as a potential great course.....yes great park with most of natures gift's evident.
I played there a couple of years ago....and while I like it....I came away thinking I would tweek a couple of holes ...but it will get there!!

veganray wrote:

martin wrote:You guys need to get down to the Grange if you can - Mike Trapasso and crew have built a golfers paradise down there.

True enough, but it's only the second (soon to be third) best course in the county. Hawk Hollow rules!! And Nyland Plantation will one day rule!!

you can easily make the argument that either 18 at the grange is only third best in spotsy (soon to be 4th)- loriella long is better than either of them imo as a stand-alone course. the grange is obviously a better collective experience though.

...and every course in spotsy is better than hudson mills or fountain hills.