You know all about the top courses in the United States. Those are the places revered for their history and design.
The thing is that most of us don’t play those courses. We’re out here grinding on average munis and dog tracks, making do with mediocre conditions.
That’s not to say there aren’t some amazing budget courses out there. Muni golf can be awesome if the course is maintained well. Those facilities represent the heartbeat of our golf population.
But for every decent course, there is another one with dirt for greens. For every beautifully manicured tee box, there is another that is sharply crowned and infested with weeds. For every great pro shop employee, there is another who will laugh in your face while telling you the course is closed.
And some courses are so dilapidated that they are virtually unplayable.
We’re not talking about average conditions—and we’re not even talking about poorly designed golf holes that were apparently built by someone taking hallucinogens.
We’re talking about places that are in such disrepair that it would be foolish to play there.
These are the very worst courses in America.
I scoured the internet for days, searching for the absolute bottom of the barrel, Google reviews that left me speechless.
This, my friends, is what I found.
Like a good train wreck, you can’t take your eyes off these monstrosities.
10. Pelham Bay and Split Rock Golf Courses (Bronx, New York)
I get that you don’t go to the Bronx for great golf, but Pelham Bay and Split Rock takes the experience of playing golf in NYC to a new low.
The golf course itself is fine.
The problem? You can barely even get on the course because of mosquitos.
What the reviewers say:
“Didn’t even make it to the first tee. Swarms of mosquitoes so bad it looked like a horror movie. Half the golfers were retreating like they’d seen a ghost while covered in bites and welts. I asked for a refund since I literally didn’t play, and they said no. Apparently, blood donation is part of the experience. Never again.”
“This was by far the worst round of golf I have ever played. To start, there were so many delays that we teed off almost 20 minutes late. Things only got worse from there. From the first hole, we were absolutely swarmed by mosquitos—any time we touched the grass, they attacked. I was literally eaten alive and came home with hundreds of bites on my arms, legs, and even through my shirt on my back. I can’t believe we had to pay ~$97 for this experience. I will be telling everyone I know to avoid this course. DO NOT PLAY HERE.”
“Worst course ever. Played Friday morning and literally 1000s of mosquitoes. Got over 100 bites in the 1st 2 holes. Had to quit and was told no refunds and needed to talk to gm. I think that’s why they make you prepaid on golf now so that you would have to jump through hoops to get resolution.”
9. Stoneybrook East Golf Club (Orlando, Florida)
Who needs Disney World when you have (checks notes) a golf course with a 2.6 rating?
Not only is it universally hated, but Stoneybrook East is charging golfers $65 to play what their customers agree is barely a golf course.
It might be in slightly better shape than some of the others on this list, but we’re splitting hairs.
What the reviewers say:
“Basically unplayable. Fairways bad, tee boxes bad also. Embarrassed to say I paid $65 to play here this morning.”
“You guys really charged a kid $260 for nine holes cause his other 2 didn’t show up for a foursome. This is the biggest dump of a course I ever seen in my lifetime.”
“Better off burning your money. Bunkers are dirt. Collars on the greens are dirt. Should turn this course into a housing complex.”
8. Blackhawk Golf Club (Pflugerville, Texas)
The term “cow pasture” is thrown around a lot in golf circles. Blackhawk Golf Club just north of Austin might literally be a cow pasture based on the reviews I found.
In addition to the completely unplayable conditions, many reviewers said that the staff is extremely rude.
What the reviewers say:
“I’m down to play anywhere, really am not picky… but this course was essentially unplayable. Could be a fun course if it was even in like 3/10 shape but it’s legitimately a cow pasture.”
“Walked in to check in, and the guy at the front desk–an older man who looked like he’d rather be anywhere else–just muttered ‘It’s closed’ with zero explanation or courtesy. When I politely pointed out that our tee time wasn’t for another hour (thinking maybe the course would reopen after a bit of light rain), all he did was vaguely point outside and repeat ‘It’s closed.’ No call, no email, no cancellation notice through GolfNow. Nothing. Just wasted our time and energy.”
“This is one of the few courses I have ever seen with zero grass on some fairways and greens and then large patches of weeds and rough on others. I have hit shots that should leave the ball right next to the green but the ball gets lost due to all the weeds on the fairways.”
7. Nashboro Golf Club (Nashville, Tennessee)
There is a lot that goes into being a terrible golf course. In my hometown of Nashville, one facility dominates the race to the bottom.
Speaking from personal experience, Nashboro is awful in all aspects. It costs about $70 to play, more than most of the courses on this list. The staff is known to be rude. Tee time delays and a lack of carts are common. It often takes more than five hours to play because tee times are set eight minutes apart. You are not allowed to bring your own water on the course. Oh, and you get charged a 10 percent service fee for using a credit card.
And then there is the course, which is pretty gross on all fronts.
What the reviewers say:
“There was a 20-minute delay on our tee time due to a shortage of carts, and they still charged $25 for someone who was just riding along—not playing. At $75 per round, I expected better conditions, instead we were playing on muddy tee boxes and rough greens. Not worth the price or the hassle.”
“Tees boxes were so bad they had most of the tees in the fairways.”
“This is the worst place to play golf in Nashville. It’s priced as a higher end course but my backyard is better maintained than this place… Syringes were found on several fairways, tee boxes were trash, and greens had the most bizarre bumps and crevices. Sadly, that wasn’t even the worst part. The staff was unbelievably rude and dismissive.”
6. Cliffside Golf Course (Gallipolis, Ohio)
With rampant complaints about a ruthlessly mean owner, private money games that kick the golfing public off the course and conditions that have deteriorated significantly over the years, it doesn’t appear like Cliffside will be winning any awards—except from me declaring them one of the 10 worst golf courses in America.
The course is also, to no surprise, not on any sort of cliff. Hey, it’s Ohio.
What the reviewers say:
“Hitting out of fairways is like hitting out of rough. If you do hit in the rough you might as well forget that ball and take a drop. You spend most of your time here looking for ball out of rough then playing golf. They use to have beautiful white sand bunkers but now they are grass bunkers.”
“I’ve seen cornfields in better condition. The greens are the slowest and bumpiest I have ever putted on, bunkers? There are none. Tee boxes? 1 inch high. Truly one of the most pathetic golf courses I have ever seen.”
“The owner is inconsiderate and rude. If he’s there, get out or suffer the consequences.”
5. Ponkapoag Golf Course (Canton, Massachusetts)
This is such an awful golf course that the great Rick Reilly actually wrote a book about it.
In this case, conditioning is … an issue.
Reviewers are certain that Ponkapoag’s greens are the worst in the country.
No fancy explanation necessary—this course is just a dirt patch.
What the reviewers say:
“This is absolutely not a real golf course. You are putting through sand pits on every green… We got through three holes and turned around because it wasn’t even worth the walk and they told us no refunds even though this place wouldn’t even qualify as a goat track. I wouldn’t play here if I was paid.”
“There were multiple holes with no green. Just a flag in a fairway with a spray painted circle around it.”
“This course is an absolute disgrace to the sport.”
4. Pinetuck Golf Course (Rock Hill, South Carolina)
Located just south of Charlotte, Pinetuck has been fully dismembered by reviewers.
If they aren’t ripping apart the course’s essentially unplayable greens, they are griping about how the golf carts consistently break down.
Harbour Town doesn’t sound so bad anymore.
What the reviewers say:
“The greens are like infields in baseball. There is no fairway, it’s all rough. And there is CONCRETE UNDERNEATH THE TEE BOXES. This place is a danger to public safety as it took our group of three FOUR DIFFERENT CARTS TO PLAY 11 HOLES.”
“I’m convinced the management reviewed every book out there on golf course management and deliberately decided to do exactly the opposite.”
“Their boast of ‘best greens in Charlotte’ was definitely not true. They were so bad in fact, that we had to incorporate a two putt and good rule. Many cart paths were reminiscent of off-road tracks and were very confusing as to where the next hole was. The tee boxes were designated by literal plastic wiffle balls bolted into the ground.”
3. Norwood Country Club (Norwood, Massachusetts)
The only “country club” on this list, Norwood CC receives the most hilarious course reviews in the country.
Do I really need to say anything? Keep in mind it cost over $50 to play here.
What the reviewers say:
“The ranger pointed me in the direction of the first tee, but then just moments later, as I teed it up on what I thought was the tee box, the old fart came running and yelling at me for teeing off from the parking lot. To be honest, I couldn’t even tell the difference from that and the actual grass.”
“Hole 3 has been underwater since the Clinton administration … The pro shop is stocked like a Soviet supermarket, and the staff act like you’re interrupting their nap every time you ask a question.”
“Calling this a ‘Country Club’ is like calling Burger King ‘fine dining.’ Whoever is in charge of this golf course clearly gave up a long time ago. If they put as much effort into embarrassing themselves screaming at their paying customers online as they did on the course, it would look like Augusta. I should have brought a mop and my floaties instead of golf clubs. I will not be returning to this crime scene.”
2. Victoria Golf Course (Carson, California)
This course earned notoriety after appearing in a famous Bob Does Sports video where Bob pranks Joey Coldcuts into playing a course that is almost all dirt.
The video speaks for itself.
This course is just south of Los Angeles, where I think you might be able to find better golf.
It somehow costs upwards of $40 to play here. And if you’re wondering if the condition has improved in the four years since this video came out … yeah, no.
What the reviewers say:
“Nice course if it had grass and wasn’t full of gopher holes.”
“Honestly this might be on of the worst maintained golf courses in the U.S.”
“Worst conditions of any course I’ve ever played… they also do not sell alcohol because they lost their liquor license.”
1. Leo J. Martin Golf Course (Weston, Massachusetts)
This isn’t a great look, Massachusetts public golf. You’re on this list three times. There are 50 states. I’m no math major, but that isn’t ideal.
With an astonishingly low Google rating of 2.7, Leo J. Martin is only considered a golf course because it calls itself one.
The greens are… just fields with weeds and sand? How is anyone playing golf here?
What the reviewers say:
“Cannot call this place a golf course. Greens and tee boxes nonexistent. Some of the holes are just fairway with a flag in the center. Fairways resemble a stony beach. Perfect place to twist an ankle. Wouldn’t play it again for free.”
“Based on the reviews, my expectations were low. And, it was worse than the reviews. The greens were unputtable. No difference between the fairway and the rough. First course that i requested a refund after 18. This was not golf.”
“Whoever runs this place should be behind bars… I’d rather stare at a wall for 4 hours.”
That’s enough from me. What is the worst golf course you’ve ever played?
Let me know in the comments.
The post The 10 Worst Golf Courses In America appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
