List of "Best Municipal Golf Courses"

[Coral_Ridge]

Following from the Municipal Makeover thread a little bit, I wonder if it would interest the public golfer to view a well thought out list of the "Best Municipal Golf Courses of the US".  Possibly Golf Digest of Golfweek could do this.  As we all know there is a lot of history in these golf courses.  And many of the preeminent architects have designed them.  Let's face it public golf today is filled with good (maybe great) golf courses, but usually the highest rated are made up of resort or "upscale" courses.  Courses like Rancho Park, Papago, Swope, Seneca, and others should be recognized more if you ask me.  

One course, Torrey Pines has been changed from a municipal to an upscale &/or resort golf course.  Being in another category means that the evaluation criteria changes some.  And yes, the golf courses at Bethpage are the most famous of the municipal golf courses.  Is it possible that it will lose it's municipal category in the future?

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Forget the raters, a municipal golf course rating, should be done be those most in the know, the actual users.  Of course bias would be hard to overcome with these loyal duffers.

I haven't played it, but wouldn't Bethpage Black be deemed number one.  That is if a state course is a municpal course.

Maybe what you mean are government owned courses.

[Coral_Ridge]

Looking back at a couple of old Golf Digests that I have, November 1984 and November 1988, I noticed that even back then the listings of America's 75 Best Public Courses includes many upscale golf courses.  It would be nice to further delineate the public category into upscale, resort, and municipal.  Sort of like Golfweek does with Classic and Modern.

[Matt_Ward]

I agree w Lynn -- a "muni" is a course owned by the taxpayers -- whether they be local, county or state. No doubt Bethpage Black would likely head the list. I would also hasten to add the qualities of the Black's little brother -- the Red Course.

[texsport]

I agree w Lynn -- a "muni" is a course owned by the taxpayers -- whether they be local, county or state. No doubt Bethpage Black would likely head the list. I would also hasten to add the qualities of the Black's little brother -- the Red Course.

The much discussed and honored Quarry@Giants Ridge in Minnesota is a state owned resort course.

[Coral_Ridge]

In the recent past and more than once a "muni" has gotten intense recognition after it has been improved, i.e. money spent.  Case in point, Bethpage Black and Swope (in Kansas City).

The Quarry@Giants Ridge in Minnesota as a state owned resort course, might not fall into a pure municipal category.  IMO if the green fees were still affordable and play wasn't limited to hotel guests, it could be a "muni".

[Bill Gayne]

It's my understanding that the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in L.A. (that's Lower Alabama) was built by the Retirement System of Alabama with State pension fund money.

[Jeff_Stettner]

The perfect example of an outstanding municipal course is Ol' Colony, in Tuscaloosa, AL. Great course on an ideal piece of land maintained firm and fast and very well run. $22 to play. Just fantastic.

[texsport]

[quote author=Jon Davis
The Quarry@Giants Ridge in Minnesota as a state owned resort course, might not fall into a pure municipal category.  IMO if the green fees were still affordable and play wasn't limited to hotel guests, it could be a "muni".

Play is open to all and green fees are $75-$80 at peak season.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

My Southern California list would be:

1. Rustic Canyon  (land owned by County of Ventura and leased out).

2. Wilson course  (City of L.A.)

3. Recreation Park (City of Long Beach)

4. Brookside #1   (City of Pasadena)

5. Harding (City of L.A.)

[Steve_ Shaffer]

I think Brad Kelin did a top 10 in GW a few years ago. The list included the usual suspects- Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, Richter Park, Houston Memorial, Cobbs Creek, et al. This list MUST be revised to include such new courses as Rustic Canyon, Harding Park, Wintonbury Hills, etc.

[Bryan_Pennington]

Isn't the RTJ Trail still owned by the school system pension fund. My understanding of the trail was the pension fund built and paid for 100% so that the pension fund could collect the income stream from sales at the courses to fund pension payments (and diversify their portfolio). Is that not basically a municipal course?

[Bryan_Pennington]

In North Carolina, Wilmington Municipal, Tanglewood and Bryan Park are some of the best.  

Would you consider a course owned by a University as a municipal course?

[Scott_Burroughs]

In North Carolina, Wilmington Municipal, Tanglewood and Bryan Park are some of the best.  

Would you consider a course owned by a University as a municipal course?

I assume you mean a public course at a public university.  Duke is a private U. w/a public course.  Ohio State is a public U. w/private courses.  UNC is public/public.

Given the stretch definitions given above, why not?

It's my understanding that the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in L.A. (that's Lower Alabama)

Aren't 4 of the 9 locations of the RTJGT in the northern half of AL?

[Bill Gayne]

Scott,

As expected you are correct. Only three of the nine are in L.A. The remainder are in the north or central part of the State. Upon a check of their website, I wasn't aware of the geographic range of the Trail.

Bill

[Kirk Gill]

Wellshire is an ignored muni in Denver with some good architecture.

Frankly, the less Wellshire is talked about, the more I will continue to be able to play it ! I'd be interested, though, as how the design plays now vs. the original plan of the course. There's a LOT of trees out there now.........

There's another muni in Denver I'd love to know more about - Willis Case. It used to be owned by the El Jebel shrine, who added nine holes to the original layout built in the 20's (or so says a rep at the course). I don't know which nine was first, but they are very different in character.

[Bill Gayne]

Another muni that I really liked is North Fulton Golf Course by Chastain Park in Atlanta. I haven't been there in probably 15 years but it was on a great piece of rolling in town property with an excellent routing. As with most city muni's it was land locked and over played. Chandler Egan (Pebble Beach) was the architect. When I played there I heard stories that in the early years many of the pros would come play the course every spring the week before the Masters Tournament. I also heard a story that Alister Mackenzie and Bob Jones arranged for Egan to get the job because he wasn't paid for some work on the west coast and times were tough. Maybe somebody with more knowledge can confirm or provide additional details.

[Jason Topp]

A few nominations:

Waveland - Des Moines, IA.  http://maps.google.com/maps?q=des+moines,+ia&ll=41.596268,-93.688861&spn=0.010450,0.015385&t=k&hl=en

http://www.wavelandga.com/wave_main.htm.  

Built somewhere between 1894 and 1900 depending on the source, with modifications in the 50's to accomodate an interstate.  Several terrific holes (4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 16), a few poor ones (6, 14).  Poa Annua greens bake out in hot summers.

Keller - St. Paul, MN.  http://www.ramseycountygolf.com/keller_golf_course.htm.

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=st.+paul,+mn&ll=45.003433,-93.057053&spn=0.010450,0.015385&t=k&hl=en


  Site of the St. Paul open in the 50's and 60's as well as one PGA.

Papago - Phoenix
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=tempe,+az&ll=33.458219,-111.961756&spn=0.010450,0.015385&t=k&hl=en

[Bob_Huntley]

Lyn,

What about Encino? I haven't played there in decades but I do remember it was a long course in its day.

Had a money game there versus Smiley Quick. He gave me one side and lost. He left the premises in quite a disgruntled state.

Bob

[Mike_Cirba]

Baltimore has perhaps the best muni system of any city I've been to, with Salt Lake City a close second.

Courses of note..

Baltimore - Mt. Pleasant, Pine Ridge, Clifton Park, Forest Park
Salt Lake City - Bonneville, Glendale, Wingpointe

[John Nixon]

Indianapolis has a full range of munis: 9 hole retiree hangouts to Eagle Creek, which, in a previous incarnation hosted the 1982(?) US Public Links championship.

Eagle Creek was an early Pete Dye course on the west side of Indy that runs through some hills and is heavily wooded. It originally consisted of the 18-hole Championship course and a 9 hole course. A few years ago 9 holes were added and the 36 holes reconfigured into two 18 hole courses. But not by preserving the original Championship course and extending the 9 holer but by reconfiguring both courses. So the original Championship course now has 11 or so holes on one course and the remainder on the other. Still a very good place to play, IMHO. Though some complain quite loudly that the new holes are out of character with the original. I think as the new holes age they will fit in better.

Coffin is the other top Indy muni. Tim Liddy did the design, and it is perhaps my favorite. They've had some problems recently with flooding from the adjacent White River, and have had to re-do one green after flooding washed it away. It's a very demanding course off the tee, and features some very tricky greens for a muni course.

[JNC Lyon]

OAK HOLLOW, HIGH POINT, NC

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Other than Bethpage - Richter Park, Hominy Hill, Memorial Park and Montauk Downs come immediately to mind.

[Coral_Ridge]

Years ago I dreamed of a golf trip to Long Island to play the great courses there.  It never materialized since most of the renowned courses are very exclusive, but there appear to be a number of very good municipal courses.  Bethpage, which we all know, and a few others mentioned too on this thread.  But what about the Eisenhower Park - Red Course?  Talk about history and tradition.  I know it has been altered over the years, but is this a worthwhile muni to consider?



http://www.co.nassau.ny.us/golf.html

[Wayne Freeman]

With all the people posting who live in the greater L.A. area I can't believe no one has mentioned Rancho Park yet. Host of the L.A. Open before it moved to Riviera, Rancho is an excellent layout.  Other outstanding courses that come to mind beside the Bethpage five are Montauk Downs (already mentioned, but a real gem), and Triggs Memorial, an old Ross course from the 30's in Providence.