Although I wouldn't say it began with the ranking of Shadow Creek among the top ten by Golf Digest in 1990, I would say that this was the identifying mark that a new "Golden Age" was now underway.
To be able to say that a brand new course could and should be considered among the finest ever made was a bold statement, whether it was true or not.
I believe that freedom of expression for many architects has occurred since that time and that is why we are seeing courses such as at Sand Hills, Pacific Dunes, Wade Hampton, Victoria National, Whistling Straights and Kinloch. All of these courses, along with Shadow Creek now at #27, are ranked in Golf Digest's Top 30 courses in America and opened between 1990 and 2001.
Cape Kidnappers and Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand, and Kingsbarns in Scotland jump out among others of the top 30 on GD's International list.
I chose the GD list because they rank the courses as one, classic against modern. This clearly demonstrates that we are in an age, a golden age of course design where some of the new can and will stand up to both the tests of the great classic courses and time itself...