There is a saying that if you (. Kudos to William Watson, who might well be the least appreciated important architect from the Golden Age. / Tom Doak (2008) More about this course , 7,266 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.5922 Marshall, Ill. / Bob Lohmann & Mike Benkusky (2004)More about this course , Nile Young Photography/Courtesy of Arcadia Bluffs GC, 7,300 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.5764 Arcadia, Mich. / Rick Smith & Warren Henderson (2000)More about this course , Photo By: Nile Young Photography/Courtesy of Arcadia Bluffs GC, 7,062 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 61.5374 Hingham, Mass. Some of the interior green contours like those found on 5, 10, 11, and 17 are as dazzling as the overall environment. Dyes contributions to modern architecture cant be overstated. Clementon, N.J. / George Crump Tillinghasts time in Scotland manifests itself at such holes as the Redan 2ndand the par-5 9thwith its attractive cross hazard. Hard for a course this well known to exceed first-time expectations but it does. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), One of the five founding members of the United States Golf Association in 1894, Chicago Golf was the site of the nations first 18-hole course; it also was the first course outside of the Northeast to play host to the U.S. Open. 2 and NGLA in the sense that one mans steady hand (in this case John Sutherland) elevated the course over a period of several decades. Indeed, plenty of the holes elbow one direction or the other, so driver is not an automatic decision. California. One is at the downhill 560-yard 15th, which is reachable under certain wind conditions. 1. NGLA 12. More than a few Winged Foot devotees consider the 13th and 17th the best par-3s on the property, a seemingly outlandish claim until you play them. Merion Golf Club (Pennsylvania) Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford Colt (1918) More about this course , Photo By: Courtesy of the club/Charley Raudenbush, 7,475 yards, Par 72 / Points: 71.8240 Alister MacKenzie & Bobby Jones (1933), RELATED: A comprehensive history of every change made to Augusta National More about this course , 6,524 yards, Par 72 / Points: 69.9692Pebble Beach / Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter (1929)More about this course , 7,445 yards, Par 70 / Points: 69.5265 Southampton, N.Y. / William Flynn (1931) More about this course , 7,255 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 68.9795Henry Fownes (1903)More about this course , 6,996 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 67.6807Ardmore, Pa. / Hugh Wilson (1912)More about this course , 6,935 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 67.3821Southampton, N.Y. / C.B. Tillinghast (1922) More about this course , 7,731 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.8534 Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry & Ron Whitten (2006) More about this course , 7,242 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.6900Newburgh, Ind. Forced carries over ravines, greens set along ridge-tops and the influence of Pages Creek add to the challenge. Colt, 1895/Tom Simpson/Herbert Tippet/Guy Campbell, 1907, C.B. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), Conceived by Jack Nicklaus in 1966 to be his hometown equivalent of Bobby Jones Augusta National, this 1974 collaboration with Desmond Muirhead was an instant smash, both for its strategic design and flawless conditioning. (Photo: Getty Images), A Boston Brahmin society haunt for more than 125 years, this tree-lined design has played host tofour U.S. Be prepared for some of the fastest, purest running conditions that the game offers. The rest of the property features more modest topography but you are unlikely to notice that fact as the expansive greens offer such interesting targets. Too few modern courses meet that criterium, but this oneest parfait. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), Tree-dotted dunes, open meadows and bluff-top views of Long Island Sound highlight play at this 2003 Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design that Phil Mickelson has called his favorite modern course. Even in calm conditions, the mix of short grass, sprawling bunkers and cypress trees provide constant photo opportunities. (Photo: Clyde Johnson), Maidstones glorious edge-of-the-Atlantic location is once again fully evident, thanks to a recent restoration by Coore & Crenshaw. (Photo: Evan Schiller), From Londons heathland to the cliffs of Northern Ireland to sandy sites in the Netherlands, Colt enjoyed many fine sites in Europe over his extended career. (Photo: Christian Hafer), After weeks of tromping around the yucca-choked sand hills of Hutchinson, architect Perry Maxwell proclaimed, There are 118 good golf holes here. The meanest of the Open rota courses has produced winners such as Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tom Watson. Why? (Photo: Evan Schiller), The only course outside of England and Scotland to host the Open is perennially ranked in the worlds top-15 courses, thanks to a superior 1929 H.S. Such designs enjoy their own unique voices with County Down further blessed with staggeringly handsome long views of the Irish Sea, the Mountains of Mourne and the red-brick steeple of the Slieve Donard Hotel. Ultimately, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner were given this dream site upon which to build an original design. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. The 6th has been abbreviated to accommodate a splendid new back tee at the home hole. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), This 15-time British Open host dates to 1887. The famous par-4 11th, where Bobby Jones clinched the 1930 Grand Slam, is slashed by a creek, while the par-4 16th demands a shot over an abandoned stone quarry. Each enjoys some of the games most impressive landforms. Tillinghast understood about green construction that eludes other architects. In short, Merion has everything, including sub-air and irrigation systems that lend more control over the firmness and speed of the playing surfaces. Macdonalds course in 1923 and not much has changed since as its slew of exemplary template holes make it just as relevant today as it was in the hickory era. (Photo: Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour), Better known to English speakers as The Hague, The Netherlands highest-ranking course is a Morrison-and-Alison collaboration that plays across chaotically heaving fairways amid substantial dunes. Wake Forests golf teams practice at Old Town, which gives them a huge home-field advantage as few collegiate golfers are accustomed to putting on undulating Maxwell greens orconsistently hitting approach shots from uneven stances. Jim McCann Editor Top 100 Golf Courses Why wouldnt they, given the classic Seth Raynor design that tracks along the islands northeast edge, the delightful tumbling terrain and the spectacular views of Long Island Sound. In fact, some golfers prefer the more muscular New Course to the Old. Opens and the famous 1999 Ryder Cup. Crystal Downs 18. The 11 most exclusive golf clubs in the world Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Calif.. Bob Hope once memorably summed up Cypress Point: One year they had 10. Arnold Palmer once tabbed the 15th as one of golfs best par-3s and yet the other par-3 on that side (the shorter 12th) is just as good. Scroll down to check out our latest and greatest. Click the star icon to create and share a list of Top 100 Courses youve played! Taku Miyamoto/Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc. 7,040 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 64.5080Pacific Palisades, Calif. / George C. Thomas Jr. & W.P. The more you travel, the more you appreciate Prestwicks unique charms. Work over 2020 saw the unlikely happen: one of the best sets of par-5s on the list got even better. Macdonald together for the first time and what they created still stands as a marvel of strategic design. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Be careful of its short par-4s: the 4th, 9th and 14th all tempt with driver off the tee and punish rash tactics. Two of the News par-5s the 6th and 13th are exceptions and anchor each nine. Dye and owner Herb Kohler engineered a mind-boggling cleanup, moving 3 million cubic yards of dirt, trucking in 7,000 loads of sand to create the hills and bunkers and relocating the bluffs back off the shore. Sand accumulated on the east side of the Ohoopee River for centuries. Colt never went down that path and thus his courses enjoy timeless appeal. (Photo: Clive Barber), One of Pete Dyes early masterworks, this rural retreat built in 1967 in suburban Columbus is where Jack Nicklaus first learned about design, as an unpaid consultant. Greatness continued: Golf Digest's America's Second 100 Greatest, identifies the best courses Nos. Tillinghast in 1926 and Gil Hanses restoration this past decade has the course at peak. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Santa Cruz, Calif. / Alister MacKenzie (1929), RELATED: A comprehensive history of every change made to Augusta National . Old Tom Morris 1893 design, coupled with Alister MacKenzies 1927 enhancements, including the 9th green, and Martin Hawtrees 2003 push into the big dunes, proves an irresistible combination of beauty, challenge and fun. (Photo: Jon Cavalier), Manmade hazards are few on Australian architect Bob Harrison's design, but he puts golfers on notice early, with the tee shot at the 205-yard 2nd needing to carry a 100-foot cliff. Some of its template holes, including the Alps 3rd, the Redan 4th, the Short 6th and the Leven 17th, are arguably superior to their namesake holes in the United Kingdom that Macdonald copied. Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! What helped Myopia continue to rise in the list is appreciation for Gil Hanses restoration work whereby trees came down, and fairways were expanded/reconnected to Herbert Leedss fabulous pit bunkers. Perry Maxwell built this inspired North Carolina layout on a former R.J. Reynolds horsefarm. States With The Most Golf Courses in the USA. Oakland Hills 19. The course so impressed Jack Nicklaus in his 1966 win that he named his own major-worthy course in Ohio after it. Seth Raynor retooled his mentor C.B. Ocean views stun the senses, along with bluff-top sand dunes sprinkled with Scotch broom and gorse bushes, coastal pines, crashing surf, wind-whipped tall native grasses and stacked sod bunkers. Tillinghast (1923) More about this course , 6,877 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 65.6420 Wheaton, Ill. / C.B. The 4th kicks off a five-hole stretch that any links course would love to claim as its own, so wildly varied and well conceived is each hole. In the memorability department, however, 15 takes a backseat to the par-4 13th, The Pit, whose green sits directly behind a low stone wall. 2. The 3rd through the 5th is a particularly inspired stretch of inland golf, featuring an exemplary par-5, par-4 and par-3. Hotchkin for enhancing Harry Vardons initial work and turning the course into one of golfs supreme inland delights, an oasis amid the surrounding flat fenland of Lincolnshire. Tillinghast built his most artistic collection of bunkers at this low-key Bay Area hideaway that avoids publicity as steadfastly as its neighbor the Olympic Club embraces it. 1 Nick Faldo: I love the way it plays firm and fast-running, the way the bunkering frames and almost intrudes into the putting surfaces and the brilliance of the bunkering style with the native scrubby look. The World 100 Greatest Golf Courses | Courses | Golf Digest When you layer on Harry Colts improvements (such as moving the 12th green high and to the left) to Willie Park Jr.s original effort, you end up with one of the games most noble inland courses. Tillinghast (1918)More about this course , Photo By: Evan Schiller/Courtesy of Quaker Ridge GC, LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of The Kittansett Club, 6,934 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 61.6906Marion, Mass. Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam are among those who won Irish Opens here. Opens and a quintet of PGA Championships, this Depression-era Perry Maxwell design features holes that gracefully flow across a plot of undulating ground perfectly suited for golf. (Photo: Frank Pont), This quiet club across the street from Winged Foot has counts Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye among its admirers. Spectacular ocean views sometimes come with the price of cold and damp playing conditions but not here. (Photo: Courtesy Swinley Forest), Drone shots of this course are evocative, showing holes located on fingers of land hundreds of feet above the Pacific Ocean. A die-hard New Yorker remarked, Its enough to make one want to live in New Jersey. (Photo: Russell Kirk), Canadas top-ranked course is a six-year-old Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw that alternates between big dunes at the southern end and cliffs at the northern end that rise more than 100 feet above the Gulf of St. Lawrence, inspiring Pebble Beach-like awe. The Old Course might well possess the fastest, best turf in the sport (despite, or perhaps because of, its constant use) and no design possesses the flexibility in allowing golfers of all ages and abilities to enjoy themselves as a group. The construction process was slow going as jungle brush needed to be beat back with machetes. The par-3 9th is one of the hidden gem one-shotters in the Northeast, though it may take a few rounds to figure out why. The emphasis on short grass and variety became the foundation for strategic designs that followed, including Augusta National. Now well in its second decade, Ballyneal enjoys its finest playing conditions since opening. Played from the appropriate set of tees, you will be pleasantly surprised and thoroughly impressed by the courses variety and and its excellent, diverse set of greens. His placement of the green sites some on knobs or plateaus, some at ground level and the magnificent 10th green at the holes low point beyond a hillock define the challenge. But its fairways are rumpled and its revetted bunkers are well placed and invariably extract a -shot penalty. (Photo: Getty Images), Developers Ben Cowan-Dewar and Mike Keiser handed over a rolling plot of coastal Nova Scotia terrain to Canadian architect Rod Whitman. With the wind more evident and the playing surfaces firm, the courses thorny playing attributes are once again on full display. Spend time putting on greens like the 1st and 11th and you will wonder what A.W. Scattered blow-out bunkers, gigantic natural dunes, smartly contoured greens and Pacific panoramas complete Doaks first masterpiece. / Gil Hanse (2004)More about this course , 7,083 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.5310Tom Fazio (1994)More about this course , 7,175 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.5303Banner Elk, N.C. / Tom Fazio (2003)More about this course , 7,308 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.5025Bridgeport, W.Va. / Pete Dye (1994)More about this course , 7,190 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.4607Willie Park Jr. (1922)More about this course , J. Krajicek/Courtesy of Hudson National GC, 7,151 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.4543 Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. / Tom Fazio (1996)More about this course , Photo By: J. Krajicek/Courtesy of Hudson National GC, 7,704 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.3875Sugar Grove, Ill. / Jerry Rich & Greg Martin (1999)More about this course , 7,570 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.3383 Bethesda, Md. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), Japanese golfers had never seen the kind of deep, strategically placed bunkers that architect C.H. Ballybunion Golf Club, Kerry 5. Too bad more modern architects are leery to build finishers that reward mind over muscle. 2 of 15. Colt & C.H. Then it moved higher still. (Photo: De Pan), Its always a delight to find a course that rewards the lost art of shaping shots. Garden City Golf Club This list is a joke. (Photo: Joann Dost), Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw moved teaspoons of dirt to construct the most natural, hew-to-the-land layout built since World War II. 1928. The sense of seclusion is palpable, even though you are only 7 miles as the crow flies from a bustling capital city. The famed 9th tee near the iconic lighthouse was preserved but the semi-blind turtleback fairway wasn't. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), What makes Merion so distinctive is its remarkable variety. The middle of each nine features holes along the rugged shoreline. Alisons superb bunkering and strategies mix with undulating terrain that make it worth the three-hour trip from Tokyo. Tillinghasts finest design for regular play. Kudos to Phillips as the seamless melding of flat farmland and Old World links contours is quite the design accomplishment. Fuji and cliff-top panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. Tom Weiskopf cites the primary appeal: The continuous change in direction from hole to hole leads to different winds, great balance and maximum variety. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), After Tom Watson played here before his Open defense in 1981, he remarked that the experience was the most fun Ive ever had on a golf course. Donald Ross grew up here, though Dornoch took its final shape as we know it today well after he left. The mighty-mite 8th gets much of the attention, but Troon also has a host of sterling two-shotters, including the 7th, 11th, 13th and 15th. Nearly every hole at St. Andrews and Augusta National provides a safe route to the green and also a riskier one. Apart from being handed a magnificently spacious piece of land upon which to work, Flynn was given something else nearly as valuable: time. Fescue fairways help the ground-game options flourish as balls release across the rumpled ground. Firm, rumpled, fescue fairways, coastal breezes and endless views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence make it abundantly clear why Nova Scotia is the Latin name for New Scotland. Whitmans talent for adding micro-contours in and around the greens (such as those that promote running approach shots into the 13th and 16th) is unsurpassed but are overlooked here because the long views are so spectacular. (Photo: Channing Benjamin), Dan Soutar, Mick Morcom and Alister MacKenzie each played a key role in creating a visual feast and a strategic masterpiece, helped in large measure by the sites critical virtue of being located on sandy soil. (Photo: Jacob Sjman), This Southwest Irish gem is wedged between huge sandhills and the Atlantic Ocean. Located in (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), Modern architecture did itself no favors by pursuing holes that constantly scream at the golfer, because at some point the golfer goes tone deaf. (Photo: Gary W Kellner), Sydneys magnificent Harbour Bridge and Opera House speak to a city of impossible beauty and the course at La Perouse is its crowning golf offering. Seminole 9. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. The par-5 4th and its iconic cross-bunkering is a world-beater. Central hazards once again abound here, most famously at the 2nd and 17th holes where large bunker complexes bisect the fairways. Quite possibly the most beautiful club on this list, the Yellowstone Club is a 13,600 acre private residential ski and golf resort in Montana, USA. Add to this the splendid contouring of the greens and the rich variety of approach shots that you play into those greens. Sir Nick said it all. / Willie Campbell (1895) / Alex Campbell (1902) More about this course , 6,633 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 64.8645Bandon, Ore. / Tom Doak (2001)More about this course , 7,530 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 64.7659George C. Thomas Jr. (1921)More about this course , 7,360 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 64.6569 Rochester, N.Y. / Donald Ross (1925) More about this course , 7,445 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.6253 Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Donald Ross (1917) More about this course . Much to his credit, nothing fazed Collin Morikawa en route to his impressive 2021 Open win. The removal of trees down the right of 11 prior to the 2022 Masters was met with applause by design aficionados who hope that the club continues to restore width and playing angles. The most memorable seaside tests are the par-4 4th and 5th, the par-3 12th and the drivable par-4 16th, each with eye-popping scenery and enjoyable risk/rewards. Probably not, given its last one was in 1908! Sandwich, as it is known colloquially, occupies some of the most rambunctious dunes of any Open venue. / Robert Trent Jones (1962) More about this course , 7,037 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.3327Winston-Salem, N.C. / Perry Maxwell (1939)More about this course , 7,540 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.3059Louisville / Jack Nicklaus (1987)More about this course , 7,280 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.2570 Newtown Square, Pa. / Donald Ross (1928) More about this course , 7,404 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.1407Kohler, Wis. / Pete Dye (1990)More about this course , 7,175 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.1206Galena, Ohio / Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf (1992)More about this course , 7,635 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 61.1174 Charlotte, N.C. / George Cobb (1961) More about this course , 6,500 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.0755Santa Cruz, Calif. / Alister MacKenzie (1929)More about this course , 6,808 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.0487Charleston, S.C. / Seth Raynor & Charles Banks (1926)More about this course , 7,035 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.0191Wayzata, Minn. / Tom Fazio (1999)More about this course , Photo By: Peter Wong/Courtesy of Spring Hill GC. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. Blind tee shots abound, in brilliant fashion at such holes as 2, 5 and 9. The manner by which Maxwell draped the fairways across the rolling landscape resulted in few level lies. Recent clearing has helped to highlight the stunning nature of the cypress trees that line this hillside overlooking Lake Merced. Laurie Auchterlonie won the 1902 U.S. Open here with record scores, owing to the debut of the longer, more durable Haskell ball. Wickham compensates with wide landing areas and greens that are open in front, meaning golfers are guaranteed to have fun, be they in a one-club wind or five! True, the Great Depression began during construction but the grace with which the holes flow across the property is a tribute to the hands-on, slow-build process. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Championship golf is a double-edged sword. What a delight that the Maxwells got to work with this special site as their soft touch on the land is a must-study for any architect. (Photo: Courtesy SFGC), East of Edinburgh sits this fabled links. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), The birthplace of golf features blind bunkers, huge double greens, quirks such as the Road Hole and Hell Bunker and strategic options that vary with the days wind. WebDrop Everything to Play Course: Preston Trail Golf Club. The question is answered at the 1st, with a green that follows the natural contours and slopes away from the player. Some professionals embrace that aspect while others are leery. Increase the use of penal water hazards. Bouncy-bounce golf reigns supreme at the 12th, which is a dazzler even without ocean views. Old Head Golf Links, Cork 2. At ultra-exclusive Ellerston, he and design partner Bob Harrison adapted MacKenzie strategies and bunker stylings on a rugged landscape, resulting in one of the strongest, most option-laden tests in the Southern Hemisphere. The course looks like it has been there for a century, instead of having opened in 2021, which speaks volumes of the routing and the talented shapers that worked the project. The 3rd, 4th and 5th are as intoxicating as any three-hole stretch on the eastern seaboard. This design is one for the ages literally as it's ideal for both youngsters and aging golfers alike. The stonewall separating the course and the rail line is unnervingly tight right of the 11th green and serves as a great litmus test to determine who is (and isnt) in full control of their swings. Druids Glen, Wicklow 6. / Tom Fazio (1998)More about this course , 7,701 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.6336Castle Rock, Colo. / Jack Nicklaus (1981)More about this course , 7,523 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.6263Oak Brook, Ill. / George Fazio & Tom Fazio (1974)More about this course , 6,784 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.5741 Bernardsville, N.J. / A.W. Terrain that make it worth the three-hour trip from Tokyo the course at.. All tempt with driver off the tee and punish rash tactics icon create... Over four rounds Open venue options flourish as balls release across the rumpled ground, smartly contoured greens Pacific! Unique charms contours and slopes away from the Golden Age those who won Irish Opens here: of... Full display and 11th and you will wonder what A.W list got even better Photo.! The Open rota courses has produced winners such as Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tom Watson strategic.... Expectations but it does including Augusta National provides a safe route to the Old webdrop to... 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