GCA top 100

[cary lichtenstein]

I'm not sure if this idea has been discussed before, but with 1500 GCA members, what about publishing a top 100 list?

[A_Clay_Man]

Cary, The idea was almost discussed along time ago, but in reality, we have tree haters, mound haters, water hazard haters, certain architect haters.

 But mostly what we have, are list haters.

Hope it helps.  

[Craig Van Egmond]

Adam,

       As much as this group supposedly hates lists, many of them are the raters who help compile them and when the lists come out they sure do get a lot of discussion.   Always cracks me up.  

[Jonathan Cummings]

Cary - there is another reason why there is no GCA top 100.  Just wait until you see what happens to this thread, which may give you the idea....

[Jfaspen]

All you would need is a process...  

Give each member 50-100 votes..  I think you would need to use all of them to keep it fair.

even then, you would need to weight the votes to establish #1 vs #2 and so on.  Odds are every person on this site would vote for both CPC and Pine Valley.  We would need a method to determine which one got more votes.

[Dave_Miller]

I'm not sure if this idea has been discussed before, but with 1500 GCA members, what about publishing a top 100 list?

Quassi:

Don't you think there are enough lists out there already
Best
Dave

[Scott_Burroughs]

I'll give it a start:

1. Sand Pines
2. The Ranch
3. The Ridge at Back Brook
4. The Bridge
5. Shadow Creek
6. Cascata
7. Bali Hai
8. Tustin Ranch
9. Tierra Rejada
10. Falcon's Fire
11. Stone Harbour
12. Tattersal
13. Torrey Pines (South)
14. TPC @ Jasna Polana
15. Santaluz
16. Hartefeld National
17. Pasadera
18. Tehama
19. Pinehurst #8
20. Long Bay

[Mike Hendren]

redan-o-matic

Thanks for your post.  It's so easy to envy others on this site, then I realize this bumpkin has played three of your top 10 grovel list.  Each of the invitations was unsolicited.  I am fortunate beyond my wildest expectations - in so many ways.  

Kindest regards,

Mike

[THuckaby2]

Now that's a hell of a list, redanman.

I'd just switch your numbers 1 and 2.. and put your #1 far lower.

Sure YOU won't grovel for Augusta.  But that's just one of the many things that makes you unique.

Funny, I don't think I'd put Friar's Head any higher than #6-7 on my personal list.  Oh it makes the top 10, don't get me wrong... but the others have far more cache and bragging rights value with the boys back home.

BTW, I want to be like Mike... and in fact I am like Mike....

 

[Scott_Burroughs]

Bill,

I might put PVGC in there somewhere and take Maidstone out.  My knees would be dirty for PV......

[Brian_Gracely]

So is Ran going to send out rater's card so the rest of us can get free rounds of golf too?  

Where will the GCA rater's events be held?

Would this forum now be included by Jonathan at Matt Ward's conference?  

Does this now officially make JakaB and Moriarty raters, and unofficially signal the beginning of armagedon?  

And instead of doing ANOTHER list, which would most likely be 99% the same as the existing lists, why doesn't the group try for something original?  How about Top 100 Hidden Gems?  Top 100 that offered truly significant changes to architecture?  Top 100 that are Fun to Play?  Top 100 for Double-Digit Handicaps?
Top 25-50 that you can actually explain why the architecture is significant as opposed to the club and members having major-league pull?  

[Scott_Burroughs]

Brian,

I already tried to start a particular GCA Top list.  Maybe they are favorites, maybe not.

Several years ago, before you discovered GCA, John Conley compiled a Hidden Gem list based on a thread or two in an Excel spreadsheet and passed it out.

[A_Clay_Man]

Craig, Being a rater and appreciating lists are mutually exclusive.

BG, Better yet, Top 100 Greens committees. Criteria could include, best educated, least evasive, most evasive, most ego-centric, least ego centric, most respectiful of the sport, least respectful of others.

Imagine the lobbying needed to ensure that your club makes the list?

Into the valley the 1500 rode...

[Brian_Gracely]

How about Top 100 people not to piss off in order to be able to gain access to private clubs?  

[A_Clay_Man]

Even better, Superintendents.

They deserve the creidit for marrying the designs with the maintaining of same.

[cary lichtenstein]

I like Bill's grovel list idea.  

We could follow that up with a top 10 Hollywood women list we would crawl on our hands and knees over broken glass and hot coals to get into bed with.

[Tom_Doak]

"Courses Worth Groveling to Play"

Cypress Point
Swinley Forest
San Francisco GC
Muirfield
Shadow Creek
Seminole
Fishers Island
Augusta National
Chicago Golf Club
Old Town Club

- from THE CONFIDENTIAL GUIDE TO GOLF COURSES, 1996
reprinted with permission of the author  

[THuckaby2]

That author is very cool to allow reprint from his now-antiquated guide.  

But tell me, are those listed in GROVELLING ORDER?  Ie is Cypress #1, Old Town number 10?  Just want to make sure.

And in case someone wants to argue that the CG isn't at least a bit out of date, notice the absence of Friar's Head and Sand Hills.

 

TD, I love all your books and remain a big fan.  It just astounds me that TCG is going for $350+ on ebay, that's all.

TH

[Brian_Gracely]

TomD,

Is Old Town Club the one in Winston-Salem, NC?  If so, I've never seen it mentioned in the same company as those other courses.  And if so, I should have been more determined to jump the fence when I was going to school next-door

[Tom_Doak]

Sand Hills was in the book in 1994, but you didn't have to grovel to play it back then.  And Ken Bakst doesn't approve of groveling.  So the list remains the same.

As for the order of listing ... it was printed in three columns in the Guide, so I don't know what order it was supposed to be in!

And yes, Old Town Club, Winston-Salem, NC.

[THuckaby2]

TD:

That's a very well-reasoned response re Sand Hills and Friar's Head.

But the question is:  would those not be included today?  Sand Hills certainly is worth grovelling for and surely does require such these days, at least for most people... and just assume you don't know Ken Bakst and/or are the Tom Doak who didn't give a crap about offending people, circa pre-1994?

I ask only in good sport and jest.  But I'm betting each makes a worth grovelling list as of 2005.

 

[frank_D]

brother cary lichtenstein

anyone who responds with a list has an obsesive compulsive disorder and should seek the appropriate treatment

is anyone every going to get really creative and as for a non-deca based list ?

like the top 13 or 11 or 8 - why always a multiple of ten ?

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

TOC
Pine Valley
Cypress Pointe
Augusta National
Royal Dornoch
Royal County Down
Royal Melborne
Turnberry Ailsa
Sand Hill
Pebble Beach
Pacific Dunes
Ballybunion Old
Royal Portrush
National Golf Links
Seminole
San Fransisco GC
Muirfield
Royal St. Georges
Merion
Oakmont
Shinnecock Hills
Crystal downs
Prairie Dunes
Rivieria CC
Carnoustee
Machrihanish
Olympic Club Lake
Chicago Golf Club
Rye
Oakmont
Kingston Health
LA north
Hirono
Sunningdale
Royal Troon
North Berwick
Woodhall Spa
Cruden Bay
Wing Foot West
Baltusrol
Royal Birkdale
St. Edonoch
Highland Links
Jasper Park
Portmarnock
Garden City
Spyglass
Oakland Hills
Wentworth
 This is for a start

[cary lichtenstein]

When they were in their prime:

Michelle Pfeiffer
Elizabeth Taylor
Ann Margaret
Kim Bassinger
Charlese Theron
Halle Berry