Picked this up off another website today and thought it might be of interest to some on here if it hasn't already been discussed
In “How Green is Golf ?” Golf Digest, June 2008 was the following:
'announcement of a fundamental change in how we at the magazine view course conditioning in our various course ranking surveys.
We abandoned the idea that courses should have lush, green, perfectly uniform grass and adopted the position that dry, firm turf provides the best conditions for playing golf.
Old: “How would you rate the playing quality of the tees, fairways and greens on the date you last played the course?
New: How firm, fast and rolling were the fairways and how firm yet receptive were the greens on the day you played the course?
Our new definition takes the position that dry, firm turf provides the best condition for playing golf.
Our new definition is intended to encourage water conservation, by rewarding courses that don’t overwater fairways and greens
It is also intended to reward courses with adequate drainage that allow fairways and greens to be playable in a reasonable time after major rainstorms. “
Neither the old or the new definition ever mentioned rough or bunkers.
Our position has always been that rough is meant to be rough, and bunkers are hazards in which no golfer should expect optimum lies.
Most superintendents and course officials agree that drier turf is usually healthier, less susceptible to diseases, and provides more roll to tee shots and smoother surfaces for putting.
Less water means lower electric bills for high-volume pumps and less fuel for mowers used less often.
We think every course would benefit by adopting our definition as its new standard for course conditioning.
This all sounded great and it is interesting to see how the new method has affected the list.
so here is the list.
1 Augusta National G.C.
2 Pine Valley G.C.
3 Shinnecock Hills G.C.
4 Cypress Point Club
5 Oakmont C.C.
6 Pebble Beach Golf Links
7 Merion G.C. (East)
8 Winged Foot G.C. (West)
9 Fishers Island Club
10 Seminole G.C.
11 Oak Hill C.C. (East)
12 Chicago G.C.
13 Sand Hills G.C.
14 Pacific Dunes
15 National G. Links of America
16 Crystal Downs
17 Wade Hampton G.C.
18 The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
19 Muirfield Village G.C.
20 Medinah C.C. (No. 3)
21 Prarie Dunes C.C.
22 Whistling Straits (Straits)
23 Oakland Hills C.C. (South)
24 Victoria National G.C.
25 The Ocean Course
26 The Olympic Club (Lake)
27 The Club at Black Rock
28 Castle Pines G.C.
29 Bethpage State Park (Black)
30 Baltusrol G.C. (Lower)
31 Riviera C.C.
32 Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2)
33 Bandon Dunes
34 Southern Hills C.C.
35 The Golf Club
36 San Francisco G.C.
37 Butler National G.C.
38 The Honors Course
39 Sebonack G.C.
40 Inverness Club
41 Shadow Creek
42 Canyata G.C.
43 Olympia Fields C.C. (North)
44 The Quarry at La Quinta
45 TPC Players Sawgrass (Players Stadium Course)
46 Rich Harvest Links
47 Los Angeles C.C. (North)
48 Kinloch G.C.
49 Arcadia Bluffs G.C.
50 Shoal Creek
51 Spyglass Hill Golf Course
52 Milwaukee C.C.
53 Garden City G.C.
54 Cherry Hills C.C.
55 Forest Highlands G.C. (Canyon)
56 Double Eagle Club
57 Pete Dye G.C.
58 Kittansett Club
59 Dallas National G.C.
60 Peachtree G.C.
61 Scioto C.C.
62 Eugene C.C.
63 Flint Hills National G.C.
64 Interlachen C.C.
65 Winged Foot G.C. (East)
66 Congressional C.C. (Blue)
67 The Prince Course
68 Stone Canyon Club
69 East Lake G.C.
70 Galloway National G.C.
71 Plainfield C.C.
72 Montery Peninsula C.C. (Shore)
73 Long Cove Club
74 Shoreacres
75 Harbour Town Golf Links
76 Aronimink G.C.
77 Laurel Valley G.C.
78 The Preserve G.C.
79 Mayacama G.C.
80 Bandon Trails
81 Quaker Ridge G.C.
82 The Estancia Club
83 Eagle Point G.C.
84 Sahalee C.C. (South/North)
85 Kiawah Island Club (Cassique)
86 Maidstone Club
87 Sage Valley G.C.
88 Somerset Hills C.C.
89 Black Diamond (Quarry)
90 Tullymore G.C.
91 Hazeltine National G.C.
92 Calusa Pines G.C.
93 Sycamore Hills G.C.
94 Hudson National G.C.
95 Valhalla G.C.
96 Sanctuary
97 Ocean Forest G.C.
98 Grandfather Golf & C.C.
99 Blackwolf Run (River)
100 Crooked Stick G.
Wow, Augusta is now No.1. Now we know how well Golf Digest understands the environmental issues in golf
