Which courses have you played, where you've walked away thinking that the course didn't live up to the hype? Courses which enjoy good reputations, and arent really all they're cracked up to be. I mean, like the Huntingdale's and Royal Sydney's of this world. Places that turn out to be fairly ordinary when put under the microscope. They are my two nominations for the most overrated course in the land. How about others?

Jarrod, I think we may have done this before but here goes:

Metropolitan: flat, no truly memorable holes, great conditioning, but overall the experience of playing there is just a little bland. Where are the great holes that make a great course? Play instead at Woodlands, Victoria or Commonwealth where there is far more strategic interest to keep you interested.

Kooyonga: Cannot understand how a course that has been raped and pillaged by nearly every architect in the land, resulting in so many clashing styles, can be rated so highly. If it weren't in SA (and therefore has to be ranked high to keep their average up) it woudn't make the top 25. Of course, properly restored with its original bunkering, and with that awful lake on 17 filled in, it could be a different story.

Dishonourable mention to Moonah Links (although the rankings haven't been passed on it yet), but it was certainly one course where I walked away thinking I'd wasted my $75 and would definitely never return. The Dunes at $45 is 10 times the course that Moonah Links is.

Royal Queensland is the most overated course I have ever played.
damo

I'm gonna step up & say 'The Australian'. It's a good course, but it reminds me of a lot of American courses.

I see a lot of courses below it on the rating that I think are better, more interesting courses.

The Australian has to be the most over rated in the country.
Ranked # 8 by Golf Aust .It is there because every panelist rated it between 12 and 15 except Parry who had it at 3.
Because of its consistancy and one high mark it finishes at 8.
The original course at The Australian would never have been out of the top 6 on anybodys list - right there next to Commonwealth.

Kooyonga
Royal Queensland?
How can it be over rated when nobody rates it in the top 40 ?

I forgot to put The Vines in there. Big wraps on the course, and a pretty high rating, but it was just another suburban track in many ways.

Royal Sydney - turn to my playing partner on the 10th and said "please tell me they don't play Australian Open's here". The middle of the basin is very reminiscent of Albert Park, and I'm being kind. Any course who's most talked about feature is it's club house has to have problems.

The Lakes. Couple of average par 3's to finish each nine, one side of the road completely different golf course to the other side and last of all random chunks of Kikuyu that kill the ground game. Oh and the recent addition of those sensational TWP grass faced bunkers everywhere is just the thing to send it over the edge.

JJ

I forgot to put The Vines in there. Big wraps on the course, and a pretty high rating, but it was just another suburban track in many ways.

Joondalup for me...

Given the choice, I rather play Vines...

JJJ,
Did you enjoy Peter Thomson's piece in the Age during the week about his work at The Lakes? Incredble.

The Lakes lost it's distiction of style years ago. JJJ said across the road was like a different course. I think the whole thing seems like about 5 different courses.

Huntingdale (more after the changes), Moonah Links and Ocean Course at the National.

I actually like Royal Sydney.

Cypress Lakes by a mile for me. Often ranks well in the magazine lists but has some stupid cambers on fairways that feed well struck shots into trouble and there are far too many blind shots. The 9th (I think) requires a long iron into an elevated green and if you come up short your ball rolls down into a permanently wet are from which pitching is very tough. At $95 odd a game - no thanks.

3putt,
Lots of people like Royal Sydney. But is it worthy of top 10 recognition? (I wouldn't know: the closest I've come to RS is the front gate)

Did you have your dog with you Henry? They might have let you on otherwise.

Royal Pines East. They should be digging it up instead of the West course. Why on earth would you give it the courtesy of a major ladies tour event.

Huntingdale (more after the changes), Moonah Links and Ocean Course at the National.

I actually like Royal Sydney.

Over-rated means that it didn't live up to the wraps on them. Are you saying 3putt that Moonah Links and National Ocean had wraps on them at some point, or conversely, that you knew they were shockers, prior to playing them, and they actually turned out to be worse than what you expected?

Henry,

Just had a read of Thommo's article. Extremely interesting :?

I think that the concept of surveying the members about their course to see if there are any issues is a fantastic idea. One or two courses where just such a survey would make interesting reading spring to mind.

JJ

Mac - just because it's not in your top 40 does that mean I can't call it overated ?!
bmc - totally agree with royal pines east - it is a shocker.
damo

I rather like Royal Sydney as well, but I also think it is not really up there with the best. I seem to recall Colin Montgomery was a bit disappointed he had been brought all the way down for the Open a few years back.

Lake Karrinyup is also a tad over rated - brutally hard (ignore Els' -29, he was on drugs I'm sure) but not much fun or interest.

In summary it would seem we are picking on courses that are ranked highly because of prestige or the difficulty of becoming a member.

Twas always thus!

I think I saw Capricorn INternational's Old Course rated highly somewhere. Great Course and nice to play but no where near the top 50 in the Country and a very poor 2nd to the New Course.

Still, plenty worse tracks going around.

damo
RQ was sadly a much better golf course in the mid-seventies.It was probably under rated then and it seems to rely on the reputation it deservedly built a long time ago.

I know you guys all like it, but Ranfurlie has to be the most boring course I've ever played. The fairways were incredibly wide and with no trees it just lacked challenge. And my wife hated it more than I did.

Cheers

CM

Cookiemonster - I'll bite.

Do you think wide fairways are always easy ?

Did you dislike the appearance of the place or the strategic aspects of the course?

Are trees really needed for a challenge on the golf course ?

Just curious

Matthew

cookiemonster,
I have agree with you: courses with lots of options off the tee, great looking bunkers and lots of short-game interest are always over-rated. 8O

You'd probably hate the Old Course too.

wow, you guys are quick. MatthewM, it is not a pretty golf course, and call me shallow, but I like a bit of eye candy. Henry, have you played it? The fairways are a million miles wide and you can hit it nearly anywhere and still have a shot at the green. The bunkers and greens were good though, but I just don't think its as great as you guys all make out.