Alison (1929)More about this course , 7,372 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.9319Tom Fazio (2002)More about this course , 7,314 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.9306 Scottsdale / Tom Fazio (1995) More about this course , 7,348 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.9016Cherry Hills Village, Colo. / William Flynn (1923)More about this course , 7,203 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.8158Naples, Fla. / Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry (2001)More about this course , Photo By: LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of Calusa Pines GC, 7,100 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 61.7497Edison, N.J. / Donald Ross (1921)More about this course , Photo By: LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of Plainfield CC, Evan Schiller/Courtesy of Quaker Ridge GC, 7,008 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 61.7315Scarsdale, N.Y. / A.W. 04: Merion Golf Club. 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. Fishers Island (Photo: Getty Images), Accessible by ferry or air, this exclusive retreat off the Connecticut coast is populated by the oldest of the Old Money crowd, many of whom still enjoy hoofing it. Gone too are the clean-edged bunkers that never looked at home on a Maxwell design. (Photo: Getty Images), A Boston Brahmin society haunt for more than 125 years, this tree-lined design has played host tofour U.S. Holes 1 through 4, which include a Road and Biarritz template, represent one of the games most testing starts. (Photo: Courtesy St. George's Hill), Marrying classic Seth Raynor design with coastal South Carolina topography, Yeamans presents a charming tour of Redan, Biarritz and Road holes woven through marshland and magnificent live oaks. Price was hitting it so pure at the 1994 British Open, he was even striping it with his putter. For the 2014 U.S. Open, a Coore-Crenshaw restoration brought back the tawny-edged fairways and native areas last seen in the 1940s. NICK PRICES ZEBRA PUTTER. Indeed, plenty of the holes elbow one direction or the other, so driver is not an automatic decision. Eventually it became a site for illegal dumping of toxic waste. This low-profile course has aged gracefully and remains in the conversation for Dyes best work. Merion Golf Club (Pennsylvania) Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford The par-4s run the full gamut, from the beefy 4th that rewards a fade off the tee and a draw for an approach to the sub-400 yard gem 12th, which plays to a plateau green. The routing works its way over and across heaving dunes and through an enchanting coastal forest, and the fact that you dont miss the sight of the nearby water for most of the round speaks volumes to its design quality. The 3rd through the 5th is a particularly inspired stretch of inland golf, featuring an exemplary par-5, par-4 and par-3. One of the earliest inland courses that established a new standard in design came here at Sunningdale just after the turn of the last century. 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. That said, Gil Hanses astonishing green expansion has brought back an exciting element of creativity with which few parkland courses can contend. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Trump National Bedminster Old Course (Bedminster) 15. There is a saying that if you The golf world saw two new holes in action at the 2019 Open: the 7th and 8th, which replaced the old, comparatively dull 17th and 18th holes. Yes, stalwarts remain, but, if you look closely at the list, youll notice that what was once considered great architecture is taking on a decidedly broader definition. Only Mike Keiser would have approved of such an unusual par sequence and this course helped modern architecture break free from certain design shackles that had constrained designers over the past five decades. Just as impressive is the diagonal bunker scheme that slashes into the 5th fairway, making it one of the best 400-yarders in the country. But its fairways are rumpled and its revetted bunkers are well placed and invariably extract a -shot penalty. / 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. Thats great architecture. 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. and therefore Null and 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). The construction process was slow going as jungle brush needed to be beat back with machetes. Enjoy! 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. That changed in 2016 when Gil Hanse embarked on a two-year project to imbue the greens with a C.B. (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: Patrick Koenig), Tucked away in a nearly impossible-to-find forested location 40 miles north of Paris is a low-key heathland design that is utterly charming and utterly private. It also signifies theowners high golf IQ. 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. Twenty-three miles north of Aberdeen, Cruden Bay offers many novel features, including the postcard-perfect par-3 4th, which overlooks the Water of Cruden and the fishing village of Port Erroll, and the par-4 14th, with its funnel-shaped bathtub green. (Photo: Courtesy Royal Liverpool), Bandons original course is a David McLay Kidd design draped atop craggy headlands above the Pacific. Tillinghast (1918) More about this course , 6,960 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.5718Pebble Beach / Robert Trent Jones (1966)More about this course , Photo By: Courtesy of Pebble Beach Company, 7,245 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.5002Ponte Vedra Beach / Pete Dye & Alice Dye (1980)More about this course , LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of Monterey Peninsula CC, 6,873 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.4628 Pebble Beach / Mike Strantz (2004)More about this course , Photo By: LC Lambrecht/Courtesy of Monterey Peninsula CC, 6,729 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 62.3327 Lake Bluff, Ill. / Seth Raynor (1921) More about this course , Hugh Hargrave/Courtesy of Whispering Pines CC, 7,468 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.3161 Trinity, Texas / Chet Williams (2000)More about this course , Photo By: Hugh Hargrave/Courtesy of Whispering Pines CC, 6,944 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.3008Bandon, Ore. / Tom Doak & Jim Urbina (2010)More about this course , Mike Klemme/Courtesy of Oak Tree National, 7,410 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.2427 Edmond, Okla. / Pete Dye & Alice Dye (1976)More about this course , Photo By: Mike Klemme/Courtesy of Oak Tree National, 6,908 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.2410 Plymouth, Mass. 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. Most of the greens are open in front and many are at grade with their surrounds, presenting countless run-up shot opportunities that dovetail with the bouncy playing conditions derived from the sandy soil underneath. After a recent ownership change, a superb upgrade was performed by Martin Ebert that better utilized the jagged cliffline. With the wind more evident and the playing surfaces firm, the courses thorny playing attributes are once again on full display. The question is answered at the 1st, with a green that follows the natural contours and slopes away from the player. Winged Foot, Bandon, Sunningdale or here? The 2nd hole, arguably the courses finest, starts from a tee high on a bluff and requires a rousing tee shot over wetlands, followed by an equally dramatic approach to an elevated green with punchbowl qualities. 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. The Royal County Down Golf Club 4. Macdonald (1915) / A.W. The emphasis on short grass and variety became the foundation for strategic designs that followed, including Augusta National. 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. Most are open in front to accommodate for the wind, some greens fall away from the player, a couple are knobs that are particularly hard to hold and the tiny putting surface at the 9th protects par at the drivable 295-yard par-4. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), This host to 24 Open Championships (including the first 12) features an irresistible combination of quirk and muscle. (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. Colts 99-year-old companion to its charming elder, the Old, stands on its own merits. On a difficulty scale of 1 to 10, Jack Nicklaus once rated the West course a 12. (Photo: Kevin Murray), Neither as long nor as tough as its illustrious West sibling, the East enjoys its own devoted fanbase for its variety and the encouraging manner in which ground game options are now presented. 9. The famed 9th tee near the iconic lighthouse was preserved but the semi-blind turtleback fairway wasn't. (Photo: Evan Schiller), GOLF Magazines Top New International Course of 2009 has maintained its early lofty results thanks to a brilliant Gil Hanse/Mark Parsinen design that was effusively praised by Phil Mickelson before Mickelson won the 2013 Scottish Open here. 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. (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. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), Venue for five U.S. Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! Two of the News par-5s the 6th and 13th are exceptions and anchor each nine. Measuring just under 6,600 yards, monster length is not required when you have greens this good. Fishers joined our World Top 100 at No. (Photo: Getty Images), Greg Norman has never been shy about professing his admiration for Alister MacKenzie. 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. 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. Thanks to the inspired positioning of the bunkers and the angled green, options abound on how to card a big number on this tiny hole. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Site of three U.S. 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. Druids Glen, Wicklow 6. Its abrupt change in direction from any previous holes means golfers dont have a good read on how the wind will affect their tee balls. Bayonne Golf Club (Bayonne) 13. Here, he did what he did best: produce a course that is a delight to play every day. ARCHITECT. Thomass famous quote strategy is the soul of the game manifests itself at Riv. The Dunes random green contours are noteworthy as is the construction technique that left micro-undulations in the fairways. What its holes lacked was playing interest from 50 yards and in. (Photo: Gary Kellner/Dimpled Rock), Golf in the United Kingdom originated along its coastline on linksland but as the sport became popular, people wanted courses nearer to where they lived. 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. Forty percent of the World top 15 (here, Pine Valley, Oakmont, Royal Dornoch, Pebble Beach and Merion) derived much of their substance from individuals who built few other courses. NGLA 12. Recent tree clearing along the perimeter has enhanced the sites phenomenal coastal setting. Its outstanding cluster of gently rolling par-4s, notably the 6th and the 11th, provided a terrific canvas for amateurs such as Justin Rose and Jason Gore in the 1997 Walker Cup. 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. Number of Golf Courses in the State of Texas: 907. That was never meant to be the course's fate this was Donald Rosss parkland thought-provoking magnum opus. Photo By: Taku Miyamoto/Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc. 7,790 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.5043Haven, Wis. / Pete Dye (1998)More about this course , 7,849 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.4146Kiawah Island, S.C. / Pete Dye & Alice Dye (1991)More about this course , 6,947 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 64.3556 Hutchinson, Kan. / Perry Maxwell (1937) / Press Maxwell (1957) More about this course , 7,395 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.3510Cashiers, N.C. / Tom Fazio (1987)More about this course , 7,560 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.1319North Las Vegas, Nev. / Tom Fazio & Steve Wynn (1990)More about this course , Photo By: The Henebrys/Courtesy of Shadow Creek GC, 7,450 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 64.0136Ooltewah, Tenn. / Pete Dye (1983)More about this course , 7,588 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.9639Donald Ross (1935)More about this course , 7,414 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.7615Atlanta / Robert Trent Jones & Bobby Jones (1947)More about this course , 7,317 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.7013Harrison, Idaho / Tom Fazio (2007)More about this course , 7,481 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 63.6918 Tulsa, Okla. / Perry Maxwell (1936) More about this course , Photo By: Andy Johnson/Courtesy of Southern Hills, 7,649 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.6389 Morgantown, W. Va. / J. Robert Gwynne & John Raese (2009) More about this course , 7,170 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 63.5175San Francisco / Sam Whiting (1924)More about this course , 7,500 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.5083Roland, Ark. Conversely, many sites deemed worthy were built approximately a century ago when hickory-shafted clubs were the norm. 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. Work started in 1928 and the course didnt open until 1931. Ballybunion Golf Club, Kerry 5. (Photo: Joann Dost), Turnberry began as a Willie Fermie design and part of the famous Culzean estate. (Photo: Getty Images), The immense appeal of Alister MacKenzies Golden Age masterwork is captured by former world No. 1. Its old-school features include cross hazards and medium-size greens. PINE VALLEY G.C. Im also a fan of the often very wide fairways that reward positioning and of the mix of long and short par-4s. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty), Andrew Greens renovation restored Ross features, expunged those that were not and added length to test todays tournament players. Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam are among those who won Irish Opens here. Like Rye, its quintet of one-shotters and tight sub-70 par make it more of a complete test than a quick glance at its scorecard might indicate. Hotchkin, 1926, H.S. By all means, celebrate the Postage Stamp but pay heed to the courses other riches, too. Thats true in spades here as players delight in finding creative ways to use banks and punchbowl features. (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. (Photo: Evan Schiller), Irelands dunes have benefited from sand deposits over the millennia along its west coast as exemplified by its fabled links in the southwest including Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville. Lahinch Golf Club, Clare 3. Kudos to William Watson, who might well be the least appreciated important architect from the Golden Age. Maidstone has struck the perfect balance. States With The Most Golf Courses in the USA. Woods was the only golfer to break par for 72 holes, owing to rugged, uphill par-4s, massive bunkers and the wrist-fracturing rough found on this Rees Jones-restored A.W.