Okay y'all... I figured I didn't want to start another Pine Valley or Augusta National thread... unless of course, you live in either New Jersey near the course, or Augusta or Atlanta...

But since having moved to San Francisco, I live within a 15 minute drive of 5 wonderful golf courses, of which I can play at only ONE! tickedoff Mind you, I'm not complaining, because I love Harding Park. What a golf course, and I'm just spoiled to get resident rates there...

BUT, man, I gotta say, I drive slowly everytime I drive over to Daly City and get the chance to see the Olympic Club (WOW! yahoo), and then a buddy told me about San Francisco Golf Club and California Golf Club of San Francisco, along with Lake Merced Golf Club... all of which are private (in some cases, VERY private) golf clubs.

So I decided (while on vacation) to drive by San Francisco Golf Club, and WHOA.... shocking shocking

It was unreal. Absolutely unreal, and I would have to say it's near the pinnacle of a golfing experience. There are no yardage markers, and no carts (unless you are medically disabled). I saw 4 golfers walking down a fairway with their caddies, and the course was just meticulous. Absolutely stunning.

Anyways... one day in my life, I only hope to be able to play these... and when I do, I'll be able to die after that.

So let's hear it from the rest of y'all... as I'm sure there are courses that you may (or may not) have access to, that you would LOVE to play...

Thanks!

I would love to play Chicago GC, Butler National, Olympia Fields, Shoreacres, Rich Harvest, Conway Farms...ok that's a long list, I'll stop now.

I'm in Houston and would love to play Lochinvar Golf Club and River Oaks Country Club. I'm sure I will get the pleasure to play both at some point and I look forward to it.

NICE list of golf clubs.

It's amazing to me that there are SO MANY world-class courses in the Chicago area, for the weather it gets during the winter. Wow.. there must be some serious "old money" in Chicago.

Great list...

Well, that is tough. There are two nice courses near me. One which everyone knows (Valhalla) or a new course built a few miles from me (Olde Stone). I don't have a membership at either, but I work for a family that does and they have offered many times to take me but my schedule never worked out. So I guess I have a tie between Valhalla and Olde Stone here in Kentucky.

C.J.

Chicago is an amazing place for those that appreciate great golf courses. You have that entire list along with others like Medinah, Beverly, Bob O Link, Black Sheep, North Shore and many more...not to mention great golf downstate (Canyata = an amazing new course).

Mayacama, Santa Rosa, CA
Meadow Club, Fairfax, CA

MN- Hazeltine, Interlachen, and Spring Hill.

I really wish I would have qualified for the AM last year becuase it was at Hazeltine and I could of slept in my own bed.

Mine ain't nothing fancy. I ive in Statesboro, GA and would love to play ForestHeights Country club. However, even being a ex Teaching pro, as well as doing the club repair for the course, I still can't get on

There's a coupleof course I would love to play in Savannah, just drawing a blank right now. Come on..It's 245 in the morning and I have to get up for work in 45 minutes. LOL

-CHRIS-

Royal Troon (Open 2004) and Old Prestwick (Very first Open)

I have to say in my local area i have played all the Private courses but two. That would be a local Privately owned club called Westmoreland C.C. and Long Vue C.C., Long Vue would be easier for me then Westmoreland. but i have already played Oakmont, South Point, Deer Run, Sewickly, Allegheny and Churchhill.

i'm in the dallas ft. worth area and for me its between 4 courses:
1. Vaquero (sp)
2. TPC Craig Ranch
3. Dallas National
4. Colonial

Poor Chris.... LOL Can get all the tour stuff hook ups but not play a private Country CLub in the boonies of Georgia...... I find that actually really funny!!!

Lets see when COBA hold their tournment this year I will get you on our team if your still around. Don't really want to pay $450 a person to play in GSU Pro-Am.

Maybe I just ask my aunt and uncle to get us on this weekend. That if you promise not to see if your clubs can float! again!!

Andy

Well my list.....

(1)Augusta National of course live like 1 1/2 hours away away.
(2)Woodyards near Pooler, Ga ( Norman design) should have played it before it went private. But they do hold public tournments there.
(3) Forest Heights Country Club in Statesboro, Ga for Chris oh wait I've played there 10 times or so. LOL
(4) TPC @ Sugarloaf in Atlanta... worked at BellSouth tourn and sucked that I couldn't play it. Maybe if I get buddy buddy with some of committee members I could get on. (Sad part I worked in Pro Shop during tourn which made it even worse!!!!)

Me too. Man I need some $$$

Rich Harvest and Chicago GC for me...

For me ... Due Process (in Colt's Neck, NJ). Johnny Miller designed it. It is drop dead gorgeous. And (from what I hear) wicked difficult (slope rating is 142). Its also just about the most exclusive club in the country (not exclusive as in Donald Trump "look at me" exclusive, but rather, in terms of millionaires and billionaires that keep their names out of the papers, and purposely try to live beneath the public radar).

$500K membership fee (but for those invited to join, that's a rounding error on their taxes). No one knows who's on the membership list ... but it only has 65 members, and a very restrictive guest policy. (Mostly it is Wall Street titans). Owned by the guy that is the CEO of Arizona Iced Tea, and a Goldman Sachs investment banker.

I need some connections!

I live 10 mins from Congressional. Now if I could just win a Senate seat...

For me it would have to be Oak Hill CC in Rochester, NY.

A little history taken from their webpage:

The 2003 PGA championship featured 100 of the best players in the world. Contested over the pristinely groomed East Course, it provided a challenge that the best golfers in the world could not conquer. Tiger Woods proclaimed the East Course the hardest, fairest golf course the players have ever played and Ernie Ells agreed saying, "It is the best, fairest and toughest championship golf course I've ever played in all my years as a tour professional." Shaun Micheel was the eventual champion and one of only three people to tour all 72 holes under par.

How good is Oak Hill? In the five stroke play championships contested at Oak Hill, only 10 players have been under par. Not to bad for a grand old tract of land that has evolved into one of the golf’s hidden gems.

As Oak Hill looks into the future to the 2008 Senior PGA Championship, it will be able to lay a claim that no other golf club in the world can make. It will be the only club to have hosted the PGA Championship, the Ryder Cup, the United States Open, the United States Amateur, the United States Senior Open and the Senior PGA Championship! Not a bad claim for a golf club in upstate New York!

I live about 5 minutes from Garden City Golf Club and about 15 minutes from Deepdale, so I wouldn't turn down an invitation to play either one...or both.

PM Sent

Here in the NYC area theres quite a few for me unfort!

topping the list would be:

Pine Valley
National Golf Links Of America
Winged Foot (West Course if poss)
Shinnecock Hills

I live in the Atlanta Area...and there are only two courses I want to play that I cant get on

1) Atlanta Athletic CLub
2) Peachtree Golf Club

TPC Sugarloaf is over rated and I am playing East Lake this spring so that leaves these two on my list.

You've got to add Carlton Woods to that list. Great course. I've played both Carlton Woods and Lochinvar. Two of the best I've ever set foot on. Lochinvar is not the most difficult, but it is the most meticulously cared for course I've ever played. For those unfamiliar with Lochinvar, this is where Butch Harmon was at and coached Tiger out there for some time. Most people in Houston golf have heard of it, not many know where it is even located and even less have actually played it.

Dansrixon, I guess I've seen East Lake too much in the winter for the Tour Championship and it always looks horrible. Maybe going by in summer time would change my mind about it.

Man, those are some TOP quality courses, and some of the most well known in the world for sure...

Alas.. I need to stop spending so much time on the internet, and make some more $$$$$ and get more connections, so that I can play some of these courses...

<--- Give you one guess what mine is

Shinnecock, National Golf links, Maidstone, Friars Head, The Bridge, Atlantic, The Creek, Deepdale, Sebonack. I could keep going. Here on Long Island most of the great courses are private

Deepdale is another on the wish list.

Last years Met Amateur was held at Baltusrol. Theres some top courses used for some of our local events. Really impressive.

Mayacama in Santa Rosa, CA

Forgot about Champions in Houston, where they used to play the Tour Championship. One of the hardest tracks around with some killer rough. A place that sports at least 35 + handicaps, and over 100 from 0-4. Pretty tough competition.

Shady Canyon in southern California. Tiger belongs to this course and plays it whenever he is out visiting his mom. Very exclusive.

Los Angeles Country Club - ultra private.

Yeah i have been to the tour championship the last couple years, and the begining of November is not the prettiest time to play golf, hence why we are going in the spring. I like the layout of the course though...there are some real fun holes and its a real tough course.

PS...ironically my hook up there is through john deere who has a corporate membership at East Lake since they where heavily involved in the renovations.

I would agree with TPC. Some fun holes, but not great holes.

I love East Lake. Getting heckled by some of the locals is always an experince

scotty, you're doon the west coast?

Royal Troon and Prestwick can be had for a price.

My local is Loch Lomond. I know they used to allocate some tee times to the SGU for clubs, not sure if it still happens?

I've never had the opportunity to play AAC or Sugarloaf, but i did play at a club called the River Club in Suwanee Ga, that course is Unreal, beats anything i have ever played anywhere, i've played in Mytrle Beach, Pinehurst and Las Vegas. The greens were as true as TW being the worlds #1 player.

Have you ever heard of the club dansrixon? We were told that (Ron White) from blue collar comedy lived there,pretty exclusive club, there are only two pilers that expose the club, blink once and you miss it.
Gmonster

Sherwood Country Club

I have heard of it...never played it though. I will have to check it out. Suwanne is a town over from where i live.

Ron White was(is) a member at Sugarloaf.... there were pics of him on his website playing golf and he said he was a member. I saw him at Masters in 05 on Wednesday Par 3 Contest sitting on the grass like everyone else.... Strange not to see him with a cigar and a drink!!! LOL

Sherwood is ok, mainly big and flashy. It's very nice, but it's no LA North, Bel Air, or Riviera truthfully.

I would definitely recommend it,if you find a member give me a heads up I was able to play there because i was in a corporate tournament. I would do anything to play there again.Well almost anything . What do you think about Old Atlanta in Suwanee? Have you ever been there?
Gmonster

I'm from Rochester, NY but currently live 200 miles east in Albany. I visit Rochester on a monthly basis, and my grandmother lives about a driver and a 3 iron away from Oak Hill. I see it almost everytime we go, and just drool from inside the car. I would give anything to play that course, preferably the east course.

Carlton Woods is another course I would like to play, but Lochinvar is the course I would really love to get on.

Dallas National and Colonial are two Texas courses that I would LOVE to play.

I LOVE Old Atlanta, very under rated course. I think it is a fun layout. I used to play there all the time befoer they changed management. I drive past it on my way home everyday and get the urge to play it again. Old Atlanta is a great track but is Laurel Springs is the best course in Suwanee that I have played, Its a private Nicklaus course off of 141.

My best local course that i don't have access to is Royal Liverpool. It's about 25mins in the car door-to-door. About an hour away is Royal Birkdale, Hill Side, Formby and loads of other topl class links courses, but as far as I'm concerned they're not 'that' local.

I live in the Bay Area. Two come to mind and definitely far from attainable:

1) Cypress Point
2) Olympic Club

Oh I wish . . .

i drive by there all the time. i'd love to play there some day!