Golf Club Atlas Golf Course Rankings

[Andy Troeger]

My list...

1. The Golf Club (New Albany, OH)
2. Wolf Run GC (Zionsville, IN)
3. Blackwolf Run GC--River (Kohler, WI)
4. The Kingsley Club (Kingsley, MI)
5. Crystal Downs GC (Frankfort, MI)
6. Point O'Woods GC (Benton Harbor, MI)
7. Paa-Ko Ridge GC (Sandia Park, NM)
8. Harbour Town GL (Hilton Head Island, SC)
9. Black Mesa GC (Espanola, NM)
10. Whistling Straits GC (Sheboygan, WI)
11. Long Cove GC (Hilton Head Island, SC)
12. Crooked Stick GC (Carmel, IN)

[ChipRoyce]

My list:

1) Pine Valley
2) Royal Dornoch
3) NGLA
4) Pacific Dunes
5) North Berwick
6) Bethpage Black (pre-renovation / restoration / abomination)
7) Shinnecock (1995 Open Set-up / fairway widths)
8. Bandon Dunes
9) Myopia Hunt Club
10) Bandon Trails
11) Spyglass Hill
12) Pinehurst #2

[Tim Bert]

Here's my list based on how I feel this evening.  Only includes courses I've played.

1. Pacific Dunes
2. Sand Hills
3. Ballyneal
4. Pinehurst #2
5. Banff Springs
6. Bandon Dunes
7. Wild Horse
8. Yale
9. Bandon Trails
10. Whistling Straits
11. Newport National
12. We-Ko-Pa


Based on Kavanaugh's criteria, this would be my list:
1. Sand Hills
2. Ballyneal
3. Wild Horse
4. Wintonbury Hills
5. Legends - Ropers Knob
6. Greystone GC
7. Forrest Crossing
8. Orgill GC

I think that's the entire list of courses where I played more than once in 2006.

[Joe Hancock]

Joe,
C'mon have a little fun. You need to come on down and have some fish cancun to loosen you up

The Fish Cancun and three Negra Modelo's......that's all the "loose" I can handle.....but, you can guess what I'm really looking forward to when I get there Wednesday.....that's right.....Fish Cancun and three Negra Modelo's....

Make sure the trailer is "stocked", won't you? I prefer "sqeezably soft" over the kind with the cute bears......

I'll make up a list once I get down there....if I must.....

Joe

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Matthew,
For the sake of YOUR best interests, this thread is going to be eliminated. The only reason why I'm leaving it up is so you can read this.

26 posts and your setting up a GCA rating team? I don't think so!

Now go do something more constructive, like pick up Architectural Side of Golf and read it, Try to find out what inspired Bill Coore to take up golf architecture....

BTW, the Golf Digest ratings are an abomination, thus further showing just how badly Golf Digest's knowledge of golf courses really is. If your a Golf Digest Panelist, I suggest either resigning out of disgust or simply lerning something to take back to your colleagues in great hopes they can become better panelists.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Matthew:

I was tempted to put Pacific Dunes somewhere in there but didn't.

That's because you would have had to put Apache Stronghold ahead of it, and you can't do that in it's current state of condition...

[Kevin Pallier]

Given that I haven't seen much in the US:

St. Andrews (Old)
Muirfield
Royal County Down
Royal Dornoch
Royal Melbourne (Composite)
Woodhall Spa (Hotchkin)
Royal Birkdale
Royal St. George's
Ballybunion (Old)
Carnoustie (Championship)
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
T. Sunningdale (Old)
T. Kingston Heath

[Ed Tilley]

Mainly GB & I

Royal County Down
Royal Dornoch
Pebble Beach
Turnberry
Royal St. Georges
Ballybunion (Old)
St. Enodoc
Sunningdale (Old)
Carnoustie
Formby
Enniscrone
Sunningdale (New)

[Jim Thompson]

Matt,

Is this list to be based on architecture or just the course?

Thanks!

JT

[John Kirk]

Matthew,
For the sake of YOUR best interests, this thread is going to be eliminated. The only reason why I'm leaving it up is so you can read this.

26 posts and your setting up a GCA rating team? I don't think so!

Now go do something more constructive, like pick up Architectural Side of Golf and read it, Try to find out what inspired Bill Coore to take up golf architecture....

BTW, the Golf Digest ratings are an abomination, thus further showing just how badly Golf Digest's knowledge of golf courses really is. If your a Golf Digest Panelist, I suggest either resigning out of disgust or simply lerning something to take back to your colleagues in great hopes they can become better panelists.

Tommy,

The thread has only been going for a day and a half.  Before you know it, this thread might have 150 responses.

I would also like to remind you that no matter how passionate your beliefs are, course ratings are a subjective game.

Following John Kavanaugh's suggestion that we only include courses we've played will lead to a list biased against courses with restrictive policies.  I'd really like to see this exercise completed to see the results.

Here's my list, based upon a less than complete examination of the great places to play:

1.  Pacific Dunes
2.  Royal Dornoch
3.  Merion (East)
4.  Ballyneal
5.  Sand Hills
6.  Bandon Trails
7.  Kinloch
8.  Bandon Dunes
9.  Pasatiempo
10.  Kingsley
11.  Riviera
12.  Pebble Beach

Very tough for me to place courses after the first two.  There are another 5-10 courses that could easily fit into the 6 through 10 slots.  But these are the ones I want to have represented, as I am an advocate for modern design.

If I could name courses I haven't played, I would include Royal Melbourne, Cypress Point, Shinnecock Hills, and St. Andrews (Old), and probably Oakmont and Royal County Down.  Oh, and Pine Valley, too.  Still have some work to do.

[Matthew Hunt]

1.Pine Vally 75pts
2.NGLA 72
3.St Andrews Old 65
4.Merrion 58
5.Sand Hills 56
6.Royal County Down 43
7.Winged Foot (East)41
8.Cypess Point 40
9.Royal Dornach 30
10.Ballybunion 27
11. Crystal Downs 27
12. Pacific Dunes 26
13. Muirfield 25
14. Augusta National 21
15. Victoria National 18
17. Royal Melbourne 16
18. Shinnlock Hills 16
19. Oakmount 14
20. Ballyneal  13
21. Woodland Spa  13
22. SFGC 13
23.Teeth  of Dog 12
24. TPC at Sawgrass 9
25. Kingsby Club 9
26. Hoylake 8
27. Royal Cinque Ports 8
28. Bethpage Black 8
29. Machrihans 8
30. High Pointe 7

[Paul Payne]

Matt, Tommy,

I don't see any harm in this excercise and I am curious what the outcome will be, but I agree it cannot be even close to scientific. Along with what has already been mentioned about the subjectivity of the criteria, you have the problem of different views on importance of the various criteria, as well as the fact that everyone will have a different list of courses they have played.

I for one, am not a member anywhere so my course selection will look very different than one who is tied in to the east coast private clubs, and that list will be very different than our freinds from the west coast or overseas.

In the end however, I think it will still be interesting to review and debate the results.

[Garland Bayley]

I guess I am pretty boring as I have only two courses that I have played at least 36 holes on this year.

Here they are ranked in the order in which I would prefer to play them.

Orchard Hills, Washougal, WA
Black Mesa

[Matthew Hunt]

List up to Post #19

1 NGLA 75 pts
2. Pine Valley 75
3.St Andrews Old 71
4.Merrion 58
5.Sand Hills 56
6.Royal County Down 55
7.Royal Dornach 55
8.Cypess Point 50
9.Winged Foot (East)41
10.Ballybunion 27
11. Crystal Downs 27
12. Pacific Dunes 26
13. Muirfield 25
14. Augusta National 21
15. Victoria National 18
17. Royal Melbourne 16
18. Shinnlock Hills 16
19. Pebble Beach 16
20. Oakmount 14
21. Ballyneal  13
22. Woodland Spa  13
23. SFGC 13
24.Teeth  of Dog 12
25. Portrush 11
26. Pinehurst #2 11
27. TPC at Sawgrass 9
29. Kingsby Club 9
30. Bethpage Black 9
31. Hoylake 8
32. Royal Cinque Ports 8
33. Bethpage Black 9
34. Machrihans 8
35. High Pointe 7
36. Sunningdale Old 7
37. Sandwich 7
38. French Lick 6
39. Turnburry (Alisia) 6
40. Parrie Dunes 6
41. New South Wales 6
42. Pennard 5
43. Garden City GC 5
44. Fishers Island 5
45. The European Club 4
46. Camargo 4
47. Senione 4
48. Apache Stronghold 3
49. Royal Birkdale 3
50. Peeping Rock 3
51. The K Club 2
52. Lahninch 2
53. The Country Club 2
54. Kilkeel 1
55. North Berwick 1
56. Winchester GC 1
57. Boston Golf Club 1

[Eric Franzen]

This certainly brings a new twist to the ranking game!
Bethpage Black is no. 30 and 33.

I think that Pebble Beach should move up to no. 7 and 9 on the next version of the list.

[Paul Payne]

Matthew,

I don't get it but do my eyes decieve me?? Are you failing us in the same way all the other rating lists do??

You seem to be cherry picking the results. I have not dug into the gory details yet but there appears to be some spin going on here. There are a few courses out there that got equal ratings with Boston GC. You have also omitted Tobacco road which got a few higher placed votes.

Are you going to make me sit down and really grind through this list or are you going to explain this to me and everyone?

[Matthew Hunt]

List up to Post #26

1. St Andrews Old 101 pts
2. Pine Valley 100
3. NGLA 79
4.Sand Hills 73
5.Merrion 70
6.Royal Dornach 65
7.Royal County Down 64
8.Cypess Point 55
9.Winged Foot (East)41
10. Pacific Dunes 38
11. Royal Melbourne(West) 36
12. Crystal Downs 35
13. Muirfield 33
14. Ballybunion 27
15. Kingsby Club 25
16. Pinehurst #2 23
17.Teeth  of Dog 22
18. Augusta National 21
19. Woodhall Spa  21
19. Victoria National 18
20. Bethpage Black 18
21. Whistling Straits 17
22. Shinnlock Hills 16
23. Pebble Beach 16
24. Sunningdale Old 16
25. Turnburry (Alisia) 16
26. The Golf Club 15
27. Lawsonia Links (Green River WI) 15
28. Royal Cinque Ports 15
29. The Ocean Course 15
30. Oakmount 14
31. Ballyneal  13
32. SFGC 13
33. Dancing Rabbit - Azaleas (Choctaw, MS) 12
34. Wolf Run GC 12
35. Royal Portrush 11
36. Black Wolf Run GC
37 Capstone Club (Brookwood, AL) 10
38 Cobblestone (Acworth, GA) 9
39. TPC at Sawgrass 9
40. Tobacco Road 9
41. Hoylake 8
42. Machrihans 8
43. GreyWalls 8
44. Annbriar (Waterloo, IL) 8
45. Dancing Rabbit – Oaks 7
46. High Pointe 7
47. Sandwich 7
48. Metropolitan, Vic 7
49. Point O'Woods GC 7
50. French Lick 6
51. Parrie Dunes 6
52. New South Wales 6
53. Arcadia Bluffs 6
54 Shaker Run (Lebanon, OH) 6
55. Paa-Ko Ridge GC 6
56 RTJ Capitol Hill Links (Auburn, AL) 5
57. Pennard 5
58. Garden City GC 5
59. Fishers Island 5
60. North Berwick 5
61. Burnham and Berrow 5
62. Harbour Town GL (Hilton Head Island, SC) 5
63. Black Mesa GC (Espanola, NM) 4
64. BCC Five Farms 4
65. The European Club 4
66. Camargo 4
67. Senione 4
68. WWPB 4
69. University Ridge (Madison, WI)
70. Nob North (Cohutta, GA)
71. Apache Stronghold 3
72. Royal Birkdale 3
73. Peeping Rock 3
74. Royal Adelaide 3
75. Palmetto 3
76. Cascades 3
77. K Club 2
78. Lahninch 2
79. The Country Club 2
80. Royal Melbourne (East) 2
81. Spencer T Olin (Alton, IL) 2
82. Long Cove GC (Hilton Head Island, SC) 2
83. Crooked Stick GC (Carmel, IN) 1
84. The Frog (Villa Rica, GA) 1
85. Aiken CC (Highland) 1
86. Kilkeel 1
87. Winchester GC 1
89. Boston Golf Club 1
90. Rye 1
91. Royal St. Kitts 1
92. Wolf Point Club 1

Will be slow updating the rest due to exams. If anyone wants to finish it feel free.

[Peter Pratt]

1. Crystal Downs
2. Ballybunion (Old)
3. Sand Hills
4. Royal County Down
5. Pacific Dunes
6. The Ocean Course
7. Pebble Beach
8. Pasatiempo
9. The Kingsley Club
10. High Pointe

[Peter Pratt]

Oops--forgot 11 and 12

11. Whistling Straits
12. Lahinch

[Michael Robin]

1.  Cypress Point
2.  Pine Valley
3.  Shinnecock Hills
4.  Royal Melbourne(West)
5.  Pebble Beach
6.  Merion(East)
7.  Pacific Dunes
8.  Winged Foot(West)
9.  Barnbougle Dunes
10. San Francisco GC
11. Ballyneal
12. Riviera

My List is "Have Played."

[Jason Topp]

From what I have played:

1.  Sand Hills
2.  Royal Melboune West
3.  Ballybunion
4.  TOC
5.  Lahinch
6.  Kingston Heath
7.  Pebble Beach
8.  North Berwick
9.  Prestwick
10. Turnberry
11.  TPC Sawgrass
12.  Sutton Bay

[brad_miller]

1 Prairie Dunes
2 Merion
3 Shinny
4. Old Course
5. Pine Valley
6. NGLA
7. CPC
8. Sand Hills
9. Ballybunion
10. Crystal Downs
11. SFGC
12. Friars Head

[CHrisB]

1. Sand Hills
2. Pine Valley
3. Royal County Down
4. St. Andrews (Old)
5. Pacific Dunes
6. Pinehurst (#2)
7. Muirfield
8. Ballybunion (Old)
9. Pebble Beach
10. Merion (East)
11. Prairie Dunes
12. Cruden Bay

[John Sabino]

1. Sand Hills
2. National Golf Links of America
3. Carnoustie
4. Sunningdale (Old)
5. Merion (East)
6. Royal St. George's
7. Bandon Dunes
8. Royal Portrush
9. Royal County Down
10. Woodhall Spa

[bstark]

1) Shinnecock Hills
2) Sand Hills
3) NGLA
4) Friars Head
5) Mayacama
6) The Golf Course at Yale
7) Garden City GC
Maidstone
9) Pasatiempo
10) Olympic
11) Winged Foot East
12) Wanamoisett GC