Just went back and re-read and realized that, as I was about to accuse you of changing the subject, that I made the mistake of saying "city" when I meant to say "state"
Still, the same underlying factors would prevail...that states that were largely undeveloped around the golden age of architecture (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) wouldn't really qualify here for my point.
But when looking at places like California, New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, PA, etc...a pecking order of the great courses from 1930 would look very similar to a pecking order of today.
I suspect if you fast forward another 80 years, states like Nebraska, Oregon, Wisconsin, etc will look back on today's rankings and find themselves with similar courses at the top of their lists
And this is also interesting not only to see what cities come up, but also what some of you define as "major"
Could also rephrase this and say "Name a city whose golden age courses are not currently its best courses" and that really gets you thinking...it's easy to find a locale with great golf that nobody even thought about in 1925, but find a city with one of the GCA grandfathers' work that has since been eclipsed by newer courses.
Being from LA, I am used to having the old clubs around. But, having moved to an area that mixes old-world settlement with new "get me out of NY" boomtown features shared with places like Phoenix, Vegas, and Austin, it's interesting to me that with ALL the development around here, people still talk about the best courses as:
Raleigh CC (1948...not the golden age, but still Raleigh's second oldest private club)
Hope Valley CC (1926 - Ross)
Pinehurst
Pine Needles
Mid Pines
Granted, this isn't an indestructable list, but here I am in an area with hundreds of courses built over the last 80 years, and it's best courses are still its oldest ones.
Same holds true in LA/California.
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Ryan, every course listed above is a Ross course, all of which (except Mid Pines) have had extensive restoration efforts in the last 10 years. Our area has the typical cast of Fazio, Nicklaus, Palmer and Jones (Rees and Robert) and Maples (Ellis and Dan) designs; but the old money clubs have the $ to maintain the courses. You might see a Fazio Hasentree gain some recognition but I doubt you will see Fazio Treyburn, Irwin TPC-Wakefield, Jones Old Chatham, Fazio UNC, or Jones Duke ever be considered better than the courses listed above.
You can expand your list to NC and look at Charlotte, Linville Mountains and Wilmington; and you will probably pick a Ross and or old money course as best in area (Charlotte CC, Linville CC, Cape Fear CC).
In each area there are probably newer more "grand" real estate developments with golf courses, but I doubt the newer will be considered better than the older.