In his thought provoking book, Tom Fazio predicts that the 1990's will be viewed as a second golden age of architecture, and that courses from the 1990s will be the bulk of the premier courses:
"I'll suggest that when the experts later this century look back and assess the past hundred years of golf architecture, their rankings will indicate that the majority of the premier courses of the twentieth century were designed in the 1990s." (pg. 90.)
While it may be premature, I thought it might be interesting to try to predict the courses which will eventually be considered "premiere." Below is the top 40 from the 2003 World list. Which 20 courses from the 1990's will break into this premiere list, and which 20 courses will they replace?
1 1 Pine Valley - Clementon, New Jersey (Crump/Colt, 1918)
2 2 Cypress Point - Pebble Beach, California (MacKenzie, 1928; Egan)
3 Muirfield - Gullane, Scotland (T. Morris, 1891; Colt, Simpson)
4 Shinnecock Hills - Southampton, New York (Flynn, 1931)
5 Augusta National - Augusta, Georgia (MacKenzie/Bobby Jones, 1932)
6 St Andrews (Old Course) - St Andrews, Scotland (16th Century)
7 Pebble Beach - Pebble Beach, California (Neville/Grant, 1919; Egan)
8 Royal Melbourne (Composite) - Melbourne, Australia (MacKenzie/Russell, 1926)
9 Pinehurst (No. 2) - Pinehurst, North Carolina (D. Ross, 1935)
10 8 Royal County Down - Newcastle, Northern Ireland ( T. Morris, 1889, Dunn, Vardon)
11 12 Sand Hills - Mullen, Nebraska (Coore/Crenshaw, 1995)
12 14 Royal Portrush (Dunluce) - Portrush, Northern Ireland (Colt, 1929)
13 11 Ballybunion (Old) - Ballybunion, Ireland (Murphy, 1906; Simpson, Gourlay)
14 13 Merion (East) - Ardmore, Pennsylvania (H. Wilson, 1912)
15 16 Oakmont - Oakmont, Pennsylvania (Fownes, 1903)
16 15 Royal Dornoch - Dornoch, Scotland (T. Morris, 1886; Sutherland, Duncan)
17 18 Turnberry (Ailsa) - Turnberry, Scotland ( P.M. Ross, 1906)
18 19 Winged Foot (West) - Mamaroneck, New York (Tillinghast, 1923)
19 26 Pacific Dunes - Bandon, Oregon (Doak, 2001)
20 23 National Golf Links of America - Southampton, New York (MacDonald, 1911)
21 28 Kingston Heath - Cheltenham, Australia (Soutar, 1925; MacKenzie)
22 17 Seminole - North Palm Beach, Florida (D. Ross, 1929; D Wilson)
23 21 Prairie Dunes - Hutchinson, Kansas (Maxwell, 1935)
24 24 Crystal Downs - Frankfort, Michigan (MacKenzie/Maxwell, 1929)
25 25 Oakland Hills (South) - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (D. Ross, 1917; R. T. Jones Sr)
26 22 Carnoustie (Championship) - Carnoustie, Scot. - (Robertson, 1842; T. Morris, Park, Braid)
27 20 San Francisco - San Francisco, California (Tillinghast, 1915)
28 29 Royal Birkdale - Southport, England (Lowe, 1889; Hawtree/Taylor)
29 30 Fishers Island - Fishers Island, New York (Raynor, 1917)
30 45 Bethpage (Black) - Farmingdale, New York (Tillinghast, 1936; Rees Jones)
31 31 Chicago - Wheaton, Illinois (MacDonald, 1895; Raynor)
32 27 Royal St. George's - Sandwich, England (Purves, 1887; MacKenzie, Pennink, Steel)
33 33 The Country Club (Championship) - Brookline, Mass. (Campbell, 1895; Flynn, Rees Jones)
34 35 Casa de Campo (Teeth of Dog) - La Romana, Dominican Republic (P. Dye, 1971)
35 41 Hirono - Kobe, Japan (Alison, 1932)
36 42 Riviera - Pacific Palisades, California (Thomas/Bell 1926; T. Fazio, Crenshaw, Coore)
37 39 Muirfield Village - Dublin, Ohio (Nicklaus/Muirhead, 1974)
38 40 Royal Troon (Old) - Troon, Scotland (Fernie, 1878; Braid)
39 32 Olympic (Lake) - San Francisco, California (Reid, 1917; Whiting, R.T. Jones Sr)
40 34 Portmarnock - Portmarnock, Ireland (G. Ross/Pickeman, 1894; Hawtree)