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. Raves all around for how this course has evolved this century, as demonstrated by the exciting 2022 PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas. Oakland Hills 19. His hard work has reached fruition. 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. Tillinghast (1922)More about this course , 6,665 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.1302East Hampton, N.Y. / Willie Park Jr. & Jack Park (1924)More about this course , 7,730 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.0882 Toledo, Ohio / Donald Ross (1919) More about this course , 7,203 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.0564 Manakin-Sabot, Va. / Lester George & Vinny Giles (2001) More about this course , 6,788 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.0223Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2005)More about this course , 7,140 Yards / Par 70 / Points: 62.0136Columbus, Ohio / Donald Ross (1916)More about this course , 6,539 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.9385South Hamilton, Mass. But its fairways are rumpled and its revetted bunkers are well placed and invariably extract a -shot penalty. A great design lends itself to lasting memories, and Cabot Cliffs is aces in that department. Their own sense of aesthetics complemented the rustic sites color palette of browns, rusts and tans. Its old-school features include cross hazards and medium-size greens. There is much to admire here, including the 606-yard, par-5 12th, which arcs around the bay, and the 212-yard, par-3 15th that demands a carry over the sea. Ballybunion Golf Club, Kerry 5. The middle of each nine features holes along the rugged shoreline. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017, Davis Love III/Mark Love, 2010/Paul Cowley, 2016, Top 100 Courses in the World: GOLFs 2021-22 ranking of the best designs on the planet, This under-the-radar duo is our long-shot pick to win: 2023 Zurich Classic odds, I want to see what my competitive juices take me to: MLB Hall of Famer eyes Champions Tour, I totally thought about keeping it: This pro was once mistakenly sent Greg Normans trophy, 2023 RBC Heritage: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, Modern throwback: TaylorMades all-new BRNR Mini Driver, The first great American public oceanside course, Pebble benefits from an ingenious routing that brings the player to the oceans edge, then onto much higher ground, before returning to the cliffs for the climactic final two holes. Royal Portrush Golf Club, Antrim 9. The lumpiest/bumpiest ground is near the clubhouse and yields such marvels as the 1st with the stonewall and railroad line hard down the right of the fairway, the Narrows 15th and the famous Alps 17th. Much to its credit, the club recently reversed course, recognizing that Donald Ross's work should be brought back to the greatest extent possible. One par-3 is tiny, at 115 yards; the others measure 236, 246 and 256. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Gil Hanse and team cut formidable bunkers into the sandy environs and the art is having your tee balls and approach shots skirt past them. The emphasis on short grass and variety became the foundation for strategic designs that followed, including Augusta National. Measuring just under 6,600 yards, monster length is not required when you have greens this good. Fishers Island (Photo: Courtesy Woodhall Spa), Japans answer to Pebble Beach is this 1936 design that boasts staggering views of snow-capped Mt. Fishers Island 10. 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. The 10 Most Expensive Country Clubs in the United States - Thats the configuration of holes that was used for the 1913 Open when local lad Francis Ouimet stunned the big, bad Brits. Oakmont 13. (Photo: Jacob Sjman), This Southwest Irish gem is wedged between huge sandhills and the Atlantic Ocean. That was never meant to be the course's fate this was Donald Rosss parkland thought-provoking magnum opus. Nothing less than the finest seaside course I have ever seen, said Hall of Fame writer Herbert Warren Wind. Colt and S.V. Set on the northern end of King Island in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia, this course occupies the windiest spot of any on our list. 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! Macdonald (1915) / A.W. Some of the interior green contours like those found on 5, 10, 11, and 17 are as dazzling as the overall environment. The famed 9th tee near the iconic lighthouse was preserved but the semi-blind turtleback fairway wasn't. Golf Connoisseur's 100 Most Prestigious Clubs on: March 03, 2006, 10:53:46 AM That font of golf journalistic quality, Golf Connoisseur has published its NGLA 12. Some grouse that the courses reputation is built on the clubs exclusivity, which is unwarranted given that standout holes abound, including the 4th, 6th, 13th and one of the games finest finishing three-hole stretches. (Photo: Evan Schiller), Because of its remote location, Crystal Downs was once overlooked but that changed when Tom Doak introduced the course to Ben Crenshaw in the 1980s. Dont miss Morfontaines nine-hole Valliere course; its green contours are as dazzling as the City of Lights itself. (Photo: Patrick Koenig). (Photo: Kevin Diss), Through the years, Oakland Hills the famed "monster" that Ben Hogan slayed in the 1951 U.S. Open became long, narrow and hard, which fit the descriptive of other American championship courses. Modern architects, take note! WebNAPLES GOLF CAPITAL OF THE WORLD Premier Golf Communities in Naples, FL Naples has more than 90 18-hole golf courses and per capita is the #1 city for golf in the US. Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia In 1932, on the grounds of the storied 365-acre Fruitland Nurseries, Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts opened arguably All and all, the upgrades propel the Aisla course into the highest echelon of links for both challenge and beauty. 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. / William Flynn & Frederic Hood (1922)More about this course , Photo By: LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of The Kittansett Club, 6,610 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.6493Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter (1929)More about this course , 6,555 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.6493 Manchester, Mass. As proof of their magical skills, look no further than Rivs 311-yard, par-4 10th. The course so impressed Jack Nicklaus in his 1966 win that he named his own major-worthy course in Ohio after it. Greatness continued: Golf Digest's America's Second 100 Greatest, identifies the best courses Nos. Situated on the side of a hill, Cal Club is guaranteed to catch any wind that is about. How they were able to connect all 18 holes without an awkward moment is a marvel. But golf is played from the ground, not the air, and thats just fine here as the tumbling landforms are ideal for golf. Both casual golfers and architecture buffs alike should take note of the features that make the three longest par-4s (9, 11 and 16) so much fun to play. 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. (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. Yes, that means there are more blind shots here than at the other host sites. Two of its one-shotters the 15th and 17th are media darlings but another of the courses best moments comes at the long uphill 12th, which plays away from the Pacific Ocean to an open, tilted green that is 7 feet higher on its right than left. (Photo: Brian Morgan), Preeminent Canadian architect Stanley Thompson hit his professional peak at this quiet club near downtown Toronto. Two of the best examples occur late in the round. (Photo: Dylan Dethier), Many consider this links to be the fairest Open rota course as most of the holes roll through valleys and the number of blind shots are few, despite the course being set in towering dunes. Though the course just turned 30 years old, it already has an illustrious history of hosting big-time events, none more memorable than the drama-filled 1991 War by the Shore Ryder Cup. (Photo: Courtesy Kiawah Island Resort), Credit architects H.S. Two of the News par-5s the 6th and 13th are exceptions and anchor each nine. A master router, Colt incorporated the dunes in every way possible. For the lucky few who get to play here, they enjoy one of the games most inspiring walks as Alister MacKenzies design effortlessly transports the player around the diverse property. The 6th has been abbreviated to accommodate a splendid new back tee at the home hole. Spectacular ocean views sometimes come with the price of cold and damp playing conditions but not here. Constant refinements, no matter how small, have Friars Head as dialed-in as any course in the country. In the United States, he considered Perry Maxwell to be as talented as anyone; in Australia, his man was Alex Russell, who deserves full credit for the East Course, in addition to Paraparaumu Beach, Lake Karrinyup and other gems in Australia and New Zealand, including Yarra Yarra. (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. The sense of seclusion is palpable, even though you are only 7 miles as the crow flies from a bustling capital city. Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. 1 The Club at The Ivy (London) You can find this invite-only club in London's West End neighborhood. (Photo: Konrad Borkowski), Founder Alvaro Carta deserves credit for hiring Pete Dye in 1970 to build this centerpiece attraction for his retreat and then allowing him to have nearly three miles of coastline with which to work. Fescue fairways help the ground-game options flourish as balls release across the rumpled ground. The club prides itself on its firm playing surfaces, which were on full display during the 2021 Walker Cup. Macdonald (1911)More about this course , 7,075 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 67.3575 Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919) More about this course , 6,615 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 66.4734Seth Raynor & Charles Banks (1926)More about this course , 7,089 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 66.4208 Mullen, Neb. Its configuration of holes for the 2022 U.S. Open proved to be its best composite course yet out of its 27 holes but note: GOLF ranks the Clyde/Squirrel course that its members play on a regular basis. Colt, 1895/Tom Simpson/Herbert Tippet/Guy Campbell, 1907, C.B. A bold start that features a 475-yard par-4 and a 225-yard par-3 give way to gentler, though strategically rich holes that were favorites of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a frequent visitor. 10. Chicago Golf Club 8. Sand accumulated on the east side of the Ohoopee River for centuries. PINE VALLEY G.C. Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! Pebble Beach, CA. Hosting major events on a regular basis confers prestige and pride to any membership. WebRecognized as a top 100 Platinum Clubs of the World awardee, Isleworth is a prestigious golf community which continues to set excellence in standards among the clubs in Florida. San Francisco Golf Club 7. Tillinghast design this way: There are probably six hard holes, six really hard holes and six impossible holes. Frighteningly contoured, pear-shaped greens, cavernous bunkers and a procession of rugged par-4s define the trouble. Forced carries over ravines, greens set along ridge-tops and the influence of Pages Creek add to the challenge. The handsome blue stem rough is best admired from a distance but there is no hiding from the severely titled greens at the 4th, 6th and 13th. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), No course thrives more on looking mean. (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. The dunes extend inland only some 350 yards and the architects did a fabulous job in having the holes flow across them in every conceivable manner. Happily, all of Rosss glories, and then some, were brought back in 2020 when Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and team restored Rosss width and playing angles. 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. Tillinghast understood about green construction that eludes other architects. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), Donald Rosss chef doeuvre rolls spaciously through tall longleaf pines in the Carolina Sandhills with holes culminating with legendary inverted-saucer greens. (Photo: Frank Pont), This quiet club across the street from Winged Foot has counts Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye among its admirers. States With The Most Golf Courses in the USA. Laurie Auchterlonie won the 1902 U.S. Open here with record scores, owing to the debut of the longer, more durable Haskell ball. To understand what it means to get the most from the land, study the small parcel around the clubhouse that contains the 1st, 2nd and 18th holes, each stellar in its own right. (Photo: Evan Schiller), Steep ravines affect play throughout Shoreacres famed stretch of holes from 10-15. Following a 2008 Kyle Phillips re-do that was part restoration and part redesign, many feel this private course is equal to any in California north of Cypress Point. When the wind is up, Hoylake is one of the games fiercest links, one that requires supreme shotmaking, as demonstrated by Tigers virtuoso performance at the 2006 Open. Indeed, the entire 18th hole is a master class in how to stagger fairway bunkers to create playing interest and should be recognized as one of the games top dozen finishers. Highlights include wide fairways, wild and woolly bunkers and panoramic views of Moray Firth and the Scottish Highlands. Set in the northwest county of Donegal, St. Patricks too will soon become a household name with golfers flocking here to experience the unbridled joy that comes from playing in and among big dunes as one battles the wind. Royal Portrush (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. This is one of a handful of courses that presents resort guests with a fun test on which they wont lose a single ball, and a week later can be ready to host a U.S. Open. For decades, the land was smothered underneath a canopy of trees but Keith Foster and then Gil Hanse have opened up the property for all to admire. Thats true in spades here as players delight in finding creative ways to use banks and punchbowl features. The Black is one of the great routings, highlighted by the masterful way Tillinghast placed the fairways and greens from the 2nd hole in a valley all the way through the dogleg left 9th. If its classic old layouts that appeal most to you then check out a pair of Stanley Thompson-designed courses from the late 1920s at St Georgesand Westmountor take a look at the old Harry Colt tracks at Hamilton(1916) and Toronto(1911). (Photo: Gary Lisbon), For most of its 80-year history, the Cal Club, as locals call it, served up a tight though well-regarded course, enhanced by its association with Ken Venturi. One is at the downhill 560-yard 15th, which is reachable under certain wind conditions. Way to go! Then it moved higher still. Scattered blow-out bunkers, gigantic natural dunes, smartly contoured greens and Pacific panoramas complete Doaks first masterpiece. The result is Canadas first authentic links. (Photo: Getty Images), Tom Doaks works along large bodies of water populate our list but some contend what he did in the American West at Rock Creek is just as exhilarating as his more photographed courses in sandy soil. Often on a Tom Doak course, the best way to get a ball close to the hole requires both imagination and creativity. Hogs Head Golf Club The other new entries are Blainroe (#91), Kilkenny (#93), Moyvalley (#95), Corballis Links (#97) and Dunfanaghy (#100). Indeed, plenty of the holes elbow one direction or the other, so driver is not an automatic decision. Most Junior Friendly Club: Trophy Club. After the Womens U.S. Open was played the following week, a powerful message had been broadcast around the world from the home of American golf about the virtues of width, short grass and great greens. Its thrilling finish features three consecutive -par holes where anything can happen: the drivable 16th, the brutish one shot 17th (which plays in the opposite direction as 16) and the par-5 18th, which cascades downhill toward the distinctive white art-deco clubhouse. Theres also internal out-of-bounds, a feature for which the course is well known. Rock Creek Golf Club and Resort Trails is one of their best public or private. Hard to imagine that the professionals now try to drive the sliver of green at 14 but thats how much the game has changed and yet the hole is still no easy par. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Kudos to Phillips as the seamless melding of flat farmland and Old World links contours is quite the design accomplishment. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. The more the world speeds up, the more people appreciate clubs like Swinley where calm reigns supreme. 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. 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. A poor course set-up for the 1999 Open furthered its reputation as Carnastie. Thats a shame. (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. Be prepared for some of the fastest, purest running conditions that the game offers. Too few modern courses meet that criterium, but this oneest parfait. (Photo: Airswing Media), Tara Iti jumped onto our World list in 2017 as one of our highest debuting courses ever. / 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. Bouncy-bounce golf reigns supreme at the 12th, which is a dazzler even without ocean views. 7,181 yards, Par 70 / Points: 72.1554. Amateurs, who look at links golf as an adventure vs. a livelihood, are more uniformly effusive in their praise. (Photo: Clyde Johnson), Maidstones glorious edge-of-the-Atlantic location is once again fully evident, thanks to a recent restoration by Coore & Crenshaw. Old Head Golf Links, Cork 2. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. (Photo: Courtesy Kawana), This cult classic is a personal favorite of both Pete Dye and Tom Doak. Too bad more modern architects are leery to build finishers that reward mind over muscle. (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. Colt, 1912/S.V. 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. California Golf Club of San Francisco. Many of its greens are plateaued, with some of the more pronounced coming on the 3rd, 11th and 14th holes. Trump National Bedminster Old Course (Bedminster) 15. Perry Maxwell built this inspired North Carolina layout on a former R.J. Reynolds horsefarm. Fuji and cliff-top panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. The course is buoyed by its enviable location in the dunes along the Pacific Ocean, along with superior fine-fescue fairways and swirls of natural grass and sand. 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. 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. In fact, some golfers prefer the more muscular New Course to the Old. Add all the different asks together and you have a historic course like no other. Its no wonder this course is a darling among design aficionados. (Photo: Courtesy SFGC), East of Edinburgh sits this fabled links. 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. / 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 .