Hard for a course this well known to exceed first-time expectations but it does. NICK PRICES ZEBRA PUTTER. Pine Valley excels at all three, with many contending it has the most formidable hazards and sophisticated green complexes in golf. Additionally, the best par-3 at the club is found on the New (its 5th, which plays from high point to high point across a heath-laden shallow valley). Web100 01 Shinnecock Hills Southampton, New York 4 3 3 1 5.5 02 National Golf Links of America Southampton, New York 5 4 4 2 5.5 03 Fishers Island Fishers Island, New York 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. The club prides itself on the pace and firmness of its world-renowned putting surfaces, so let the beating commence! 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. (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. Alisons superb bunkering and strategies mix with undulating terrain that make it worth the three-hour trip from Tokyo. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), Augusta National is the vision of Bobby Jones and his chosen architect, Alister MacKenzie. Royal Belfast Golf Club, Down 1 Adare Manor, Limerick 10. (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. 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 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. 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. Ran Morrissett, GOLFs Architecture Editor, Photos in revolving gallery above: Royal County Down (Evan Schiller), Friars Head (Jon Cavalier), Baltusrol Lower (Patrick Koenig), Tara Iti (Jacob Sjoman), Ardfin (Konrad Borkowski), Podcast: What makes a Top 100 course? The 3rd through the 5th is a particularly inspired stretch of inland golf, featuring an exemplary par-5, par-4 and par-3. Turnberry became an Open venue in 1977 and has hosted two of its greatest championships, both headlined by Tom Watson. 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. The meanest of the Open rota courses has produced winners such as Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Tom Watson. (Photo: Frank Pont), This quiet club across the street from Winged Foot has counts Jack Nicklaus and Pete Dye among its admirers. Oakmont 13. For the 2014 U.S. Open, a Coore-Crenshaw restoration brought back the tawny-edged fairways and native areas last seen in the 1940s. How they were able to connect all 18 holes without an awkward moment is a marvel. 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. The result is Canadas first authentic links. The panels appreciation of the East Course raises the question: What is the finest 36-hole day in golf at one location? Lakes, creeks and wooded slopes not only contribute to the beauty and variety but also are seamlessly integrated into the design. Together, the designers took bunker configuration and angled greens to new heights in the 1920s. Great attention has been paid to the mow lines, with short tight fairway grass on the high side of the entrance to all the greens. One banal way? Druids Glen, Wicklow 6. As proof of their magical skills, look no further than Rivs 311-yard, par-4 10th. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. Rank/ To view the complete detailed list of the Top 100 Golf Courses of Ireland click the link. The two most famous holes are the par-5 5th, with its long, downward sloping fairway toward the Pacific, and the 195-yard 6th that plays over an inlet of Cape Banks, but the stretch from 13 to 16 is as good a run of par-4s as you will find anywhere. Fescue fairways help the ground-game options flourish as balls release across the rumpled ground. 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. 1 The Club at The Ivy (London) You can find this invite-only club in London's West End neighborhood. 2. 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. A great design lends itself to lasting memories, and Cabot Cliffs is aces in that department. Much more short grass has been added around the green complexes since then and now the design is more thought-provoking rather than terror-inducing. The Country Club (Brookline) 14. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), This 16-time Open venue and site of the 2022 Womens Open was never more testing or memorable than in 2013, when Phil Mickelson rode his 3-wood to victory. Often on a Tom Doak course, the best way to get a ball close to the hole requires both imagination and creativity. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), Venue for five U.S. (Photo: Courtesy Kiawah Island Resort), Credit architects H.S. Merion Golf Club (Pennsylvania) Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located in Haverford Phil Mickelson more than handled the putting surfaces on his way to his historic win at the 2021 PGA Championship. Dont miss Morfontaines nine-hole Valliere course; its green contours are as dazzling as the City of Lights itself. Some of the interior green contours like those found on 5, 10, 11, and 17 are as dazzling as the overall environment. Hotchkin, 1926, H.S. Tillinghast (1936)More about this course , 6,808 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.1065 Mamaroneck, N.Y. / A.W. 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. 9. 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. Also, dont miss its third nine, the Yellow Nine. (Photo: Courtesy Kawana), This cult classic is a personal favorite of both Pete Dye and Tom Doak. 101 to 200, using the same criteria as America's 100 Greatest. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), The Black intimidates golfers with a sign at the 1st tee that recommends the course only for highly skilled golfers. Among them? Increase the use of penal water hazards. (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. The iconic par-3 16th, which extends into the churning Pacific, is the games most dramatic and photographed hole, but there are endless other highlights, from the forested portion to heaving dunes to its famed jagged coastline. 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. Forsgate Banks Course (Monroe Township) 14. (Photo: LC Lambrecht), Built in the late 1940s, this Robert Trent Jones Sr. design came before he acquired his Oakland Hills monster rep. More of Stanley Thompsons influence is seen in Jones early work, highlighted here by his imaginative and enormous punchbowl green at the 10th. With GOLF Course Rater Lukas Michel, Methodology:How we rate courses|Meet our expert panelists, More GOLF course rankings:Top 100 Courses in the U.S.|Top 100 Courses You Can Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the U.S. | Americas Best Municipal Courses | Top 100 Short Courses in the World, Analyzing a golf course need not be complicated. Some professionals embrace that aspect while others are leery. Found in the state of Georgia, in the United States, many golfers are adamant that the Augusta National is the worlds most exclusive and prestigious golfing club. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), This ancient links dates to 1842 and is defined by heather, gorse, jungle-like fescue rough, steep-faced revetted bunkers and the sinuous Barry Burn all of which create havoc in the wind. 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. Macdonald flair that, well, even Macdonald would appreciate. (Photo: Brian Oar), Devereux Emmet and Walter Travis share credit for this old-school design that plays across Hempstead Plain on Long Island. The courses most famous hole is also its most feared, the 650-yard, par-5 15th, which falls away on both sides of the fairway and sports a horizon green perched precariously on a bluff overlooking the ocean. Its been associated with the Turnberry hotel for more than 100 years. (Photo: Courtesy Royal Liverpool), Bandons original course is a David McLay Kidd design draped atop craggy headlands above the Pacific. Congrats to all of the named courses on being selected for 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. Greatness continued: Golf Digest's America's Second 100 Greatest, identifies the best courses Nos. Fun fact: The winning score at its four U.S. Trails is one of their best public or private. The 3rd, 4th and 5th are as intoxicating as any three-hole stretch on the eastern seaboard. (Photo: Getty Images), Hale Irwin survived the 1974 Massacre at Winged Foot U.S. Open to win at seven over par. Garden City Golf Club This list is a joke. The more the world speeds up, the more people appreciate clubs like Swinley where calm reigns supreme. 2 ball marker against whatever you value in your bag that this ranking period (between January 2020 and now) was the most nuanced yet. (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. Our panel clearly appreciates the variety of obstacles that the golfer must overcome as the course has steadily climbed the World ranking since its initial appearance in 2007. Crystal Downs 18. Here, he did what he did best: produce a course that is a delight to play every day. (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. Number of Golf Courses in the State of Texas: 907. Geoff Ogilvy didnt fare much better in 2006, when his five-over total took home the trophy. Add in fescue fairways and the sites broad slopes and you have a course whose asks change daily. Probably not, given its last one was in 1908! Recent tree clearing along the perimeter has enhanced the sites phenomenal coastal setting. Im also a fan of the often very wide fairways that reward positioning and of the mix of long and short par-4s. Blind tee shots abound, in brilliant fashion at such holes as 2, 5 and 9. Some par-4s are short, others are monsters with the delta being as much as 200 yards. (Photo: Kevin Murray), Thanks to a 25-year-long restoration effort with meticulous attention to detail, Somerset Hills has reached the point where some trumpet it as A.W. Over the years, the courses original wonder faded as bunkers grew in and green complexes shrank. / 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. (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. / 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. Two of the News par-5s the 6th and 13th are exceptions and anchor each nine. WebPlatinum Clubs of the World have released their 2020-2021 list of the Top 100 Golf & Country Clubs in the world. Meanwhile, a brawny collection of two-shotters dominates the stretch from 6-10. Fishers Island Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin 7. (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. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Arnold Palmer, Tom Weiskopf and Tom Watson are among the Americans who have triumphed at Troon, yet the most memorable shot was struck by a non-winner: 71-year-old Gene Sarazen, who aced the 123-yard Postage Stamp 8th (pictured) during the 1973 Open with a 5-iron! (Photo: De Pan), Its always a delight to find a course that rewards the lost art of shaping shots. Two of the best examples occur late in the round. (Photo: Courtesy Woodhall Spa), Japans answer to Pebble Beach is this 1936 design that boasts staggering views of snow-capped Mt. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty Images), 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. Thats the flexibility of short grass and Rosss design genius. Royal Portrush Any modern architect should spend time here, studying how its creators teased so much from land that is neither rambunctious nor expansive. (Photo: Joann Dost), NGLA, or National, as its known, brought Seth Raynor and C.B. 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:David Cannon/Getty Images), Wickham wows with an opening stretch of seaside headland holes, three par-3s that skirt the sea and a Cape-style 18th that demands a bite-off-as-much-as-you-dare drive over Victoria Cove. This low-key 1926 Seth Raynor creation in suburban Cincinnati dishes out deep bunkers and huge, squared-off greens on a property laced with valleys and ravines. The home of the Masters tournament, the Augusta National Golf Club was founded more than 80 years ago and has only 300 members. (Photo: Brian Morgan), Preeminent Canadian architect Stanley Thompson hit his professional peak at this quiet club near downtown Toronto. (Photo:John and Jeannine Henebry), Gil Hanse and team restored George Thomass classic to perfection in 2010. Theres also internal out-of-bounds, a feature for which the course is well known. One par-3 is tiny, at 115 yards; the others measure 236, 246 and 256. Indeed, plenty of the holes elbow one direction or the other, so driver is not an automatic decision. 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. Yes, that would be Portmarnock, set among low dunes at the end of a peninsula. Conversely, many sites deemed worthy were built approximately a century ago when hickory-shafted clubs were the norm. 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. As Hanse says, The course enjoys a perfect sense of place and balance.Two shotters like 3 and 10 will challenge the players with uneven fairway lies but its superlative collection of one-shot holes will also prove quite a test, even with ball in hand and a perfect lie/stance. Indeed, the course is similar to Oakmont, Pinehurst No. 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. De Pan may not have the topography of St. Georges Hill but it does have sand dunes throughout the property. Among it many highlights is the 15th hole, the much-copied Redan, a par-3 played to an elevated, diagonal green. 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. Though Sandwich is expansive, tense moments present themselves, including on 4th tee, where you must clear the rotas most fearsome fairway bunker. 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. Ironic for an architect who built template holes but the best hole on this Seth Raynor design may well be the thoroughly original risk-reward 520-yard par-5 15th, which doglegs left, over and around a ravine. 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. The sense of seclusion is palpable, even though you are only 7 miles as the crow flies from a bustling capital city. Seminole 9. Be careful of its short par-4s: the 4th, 9th and 14th all tempt with driver off the tee and punish rash tactics. The carefully curated membership list is full of well-established London theater actors, producers, and writers. Old Head Golf Links, Cork 2. Each enjoys some of the games most impressive landforms. Most Junior Friendly Club: Trophy Club. 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. Bell (1926)More about this course . Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! Golf architecture was about to head in a more exciting direction, one that prized variety as well as the use of grasses for texture and contrast. Forced carries over ravines, greens set along ridge-tops and the influence of Pages Creek add to the challenge. PINE VALLEY G.C. Tiger Woods, who won the 2002 Peoples Open, as that U.S. Open came to be known. For a course known for its difficulty, what gets lost in the shuffle is the brilliance of its quartet of short par-4s at 2, 11, 14 and 17. Tiger Woods, the man who has arguably played to a higher level than anyone else, is a four-time winner. Florida. In short, Merion has everything, including sub-air and irrigation systems that lend more control over the firmness and speed of the playing surfaces. 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. Rolling, sandy terrain, rippled fairways that were spared from a bulldozer, ever-present winds, wavy prairie grasses and gigantic blow-out bunkers create the sensation of being seaside in the middle of landlocked Nebraska. (Photo: David Cannon/Getty), The blend of tidal marshes, scrub-topped dunes, live oaks and the soothing sound of the Atlantic on every hole make this one of the Souths most memorable playing experiences. Oakland Hills 19. Work over 2020 saw the unlikely happen: one of the best sets of par-5s on the list got even better. 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. GOLF's Course Raters and Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor, What makes a Top 100 course? (Photo: Courtesy Kingsbarns), Home of the 2004, 10 and 15 PGA Championships, this 1998 Pete Dye design on Lake Michigan was once a poker-table-flat military training base in World War II. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. The famed 9th tee near the iconic lighthouse was preserved but the semi-blind turtleback fairway wasn't. But golf is played from the ground, not the air, and thats just fine here as the tumbling landforms are ideal for golf. The barren landscape possesses few trees and no water, just drainage ditches that traverse the land. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), This unconventional Tom Doak treasure catapulted him into the spotlight at the turn of the century. (Photo: Courtesy Les Bordes), Diamantes free-form architecture rests gently on the land, and the absence of any hard lines let the golfers eye soak in the delightful contrast between the dazzling Pacific Ocean, the dunescape and the emerald playing surfaces. Equally impressive was how Nicklaus seamlessly integrated spectator areas into the closing holes, using hillsides and amphitheater-style mounding to provide patrons with clear views of the action. Pine Valley 2. Alison introduced to Hirono in the early 1930s, so bunkers built since became known as Alisons. Originally, the course bore a sandy, scrubby appearance, but tree planting changed Hironos character over the decades. 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. Member George Combe deserves much of the credit for RCD as he shepherded the course through the transition to the rubber core Haskell ball 120 years ago. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Site of three U.S. 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. 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: 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. It boasts a state-of-the-art academy and excellent 19th holes, including Boardwalk and QDs. 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. Enjoy! (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.