I never ever thought I would say this, but I recently played a course that ousted Pine Valley for my favorite spot....Shinnecock Hills has done it.
About a month ago I played Shinnecock and have waited to post my reaction to make sure I wasn't making a rash decision when I called it my favorite course on the #14 tee before needing to see the last few holes :-)
How can a course could ever be better than Shinnecock Hills is beyond me. Sandy links type soil, fantastic and interesting green complexes, width, options off the tee, variety in the short holes, great par 5s, etc, etc, etc.
One of the best pieces of land I have seen for a golf course
A really cool angle on #3 from the back left tee box (you can even sneak over the fence and get a few cheese crackers from the National halfway hut :-)
Flynn's Redan (I almost got it up and down from the right bunker!)
#5 Green (maybe the best complex on the course)
Best #10 in the world?
Wow, WOW!
My new favorite hole in the world
#15 from behind
The snaking #16 heading in..
#17, sure feels like a Redan to me minus just a little green tilt
In summary I doubt I ever play a course I like any better than Shinnecock Hills.
PS. I am very intrigued by why what Macdonald/Raynor did here wasn't very good. The piece of land is equally as good as NGLA. I just wonder why they had to dig it up (other than the highway) and not try and keep more of what they did. Either way, what Flynn left is nothing short of perfect.