New Golf Magazine top 100 World list 2009 now online

[Cristian]

The new list is online (see link below)

What are your thoughts on following? What trends can we spot?

New 5:

100 Royal Porthcawl
98 Valley Club
91 Waterville
88 Oitavos Dunes
77 Chambers Bay

Gone 5:
Hamilton
Wentworth W
East Lake
Congressional
Shadow Creek


Biggest rise top 5:
74 Kawana +13
76 Valderrama +13
84 Swinley +11
44 Lahinch +10
53 Lytham +9

Biggest drop top 5:
78 Kauri cliffs -15
87 Royal Melbourne East -15
81 Cruden Bay -13
96 Scioto -13
97 Tokyo -13

Biggest rise% of ranking:
5. County Down up 40% (from 7)
3. Augusta National 33%
12. NGLA 33%
44. Lahinch 22%
15. Dornoch 20%

Biggest drop% of ranking:
7. Pebble down 28% (from 5)
4. St Andrews 25%
18. Ballybunion 22%
16. Pacific Dunes 19%
43. Barnbougle Dunes 19%



 http://search.golf.com/top-courses-and-resorts/top-100-world-courses-2009.html

http://search.golf.com/top-courses-and-resorts/top-100-us-courses-2009.html

[Andy Troeger]

One thing that's interesting--the modern courses are NOT in the same order as they were in the "Top 50 Courses of the Last 50 Years," released just last month.

[Emil Weber]

I think that ranking might be one of the better ones around.

Oitavos Dunes at 88 

[Chris_Clouser]

Uh, why isn't Victoria National rated on their list?

[Tony_Muldoon]

Maybe some good might come of this.

Wentworth has dropped from this list of top 100.  I’d be interested if can anyone recall where its last position was?

Wentworth is now the highest green free in the UK.  £235?  It use to be in line with Sunigdale and just aaead of the Open venue’s.

Wentworth hAs lost the World Matchplay event that put it on the TV each autumn, although they stil have the big event each May.

They have continued to change the course and re-lay all their greens under the guidance of that well known architect Ernie Els and the Greenkeeper.  Have you ever read a positive review for the changes? No me neither.

I’ll bet the owners will eventually sit up and take notice of this fall from grace.  They will need to find a new angle to marketing the course and attract the paying public and the raters back to the course.  They get a lot of upmarket corporate days out and visiting overseas golfers.  I have only seen the west course in person once during a tournament.  At the moment it’s the one ‘Colt’ course I wouldn’t pay the asking price for.  It will be interesting to see how long before the current owners realise the long term value of their investment is being devalued by their current policies.  With new courses being added they will have to do a lot to change perceptions of the place.

[PCCraig]

It's a pretty solid US list generally speaking.

[Tom Birkert]

Wentworth is a mess, and the changes that have been made are a joke. They amount to little more than shoving bunkers both sides of the fairway at driving distance and surrounding the greens on all sides with bunkers. The bunkers are also entirely inconsistent with the original style. It's like "My First Golf Course Design". Furthermore, the addition of water on the 18th is desperate.

I was never really a fan of the course originally, it's famous in the UK for being famous - the televised events there raised the profile way beyond where it should have been.

The changes are making even more of a mess too.

[Jim Colton]

One thing that's interesting--the modern courses are NOT in the same order as they were in the "Top 50 Courses of the Last 50 Years," released just last month.

Andy,

 Very odd.  Old Sandwich was 25th on that 50/50 list and I only see 15 moderns ahead of it on this list.  What a difference a month makes.

[Andy Troeger]

Jim,
There are a lot of examples like that...take Shadow Creek, Old Sandwich, Ballyneal, Spyglass, and Chambers Bay

50 Modern List:
21. Shadow Creek
23. Spyglass
24. Ballyneal
25. Old Sandwich
27. Chambers Bay

Top 100 USA List
41. Old Sandwich
46. Chambers Bay
48. Ballyneal
49. Spyglass
57. Shadow Creek

[Andy Troeger]

Here's a good one:

Desert Forest was #35 and Trump Bedminster #45 a month ago and now Trump is #54 USA and Desert Forest #94.

[Brian Phillips]

I think that ranking might be one of the better ones around.

Oitavos Dunes at 88 

Have a look at who is on the rating panel...do you not think there is a bit nudge, nudge, wink, wink...I will scratch your back if you scratch mine...

[Jerry Kluger]

The world list obviously favors the classical courses.  The top US list surprises me as to Plainfield (Too low) and Torrey Pines and Trump International - are they really top 100?

[David Stamm]

The world list obviously favors the classical courses.  The top US list surprises me as to Plainfield (Too low) and Torrey Pines and Trump International - are they really top 100?

No, Torrey is not, but no one wants to hear me toot that horn, so I'll refrain. And the more great courses I see and as time goes by, I really question Spyglass' place. or whether it should have a place at all. I oike Spyglass and it's a very good course, but I can't think a course that benefits from it's locale to the fullest like it does. Nice to see Bel Air about to drop off after Fabio's masterful work.

[henrye]

I have not seen or played Wentworth since the Els changes, but I think the course has always received a bad rap due to its high price and its Pebble/Pinehurst style marketing.  The London heathlands has some of the finest golf courses in the world, so the competition for excellent golf in the area is high.  The golf course on its own was world class and not at all over the top in the way that the club is.  It's just that some of the neighbours are even better.

[Jim Colton]

Here's the biggest pont movers from last time: (New, Old, Change), not counting the newcomers
Sebonack   36.90   32.35   4.55
Crooked Stick   32.78   28.28   4.50
National Golf Links of America   73.68   69.73   3.95
Royal Lytham & St. Annes   51.59   48.33   3.26
Valley Club of Montecito   38.30   35.26   3.04
Hazeltine National   35.23   32.32   2.91
Plainfield   35.58   32.86   2.72
Salem   30.71   28.08   2.63
Bellerive   31.21   28.64   2.57
Nine Bridges   51.03   48.64   2.39
The Honors Course   36.05   33.67   2.38
Lahinch (Old)   53.47   51.11   2.36
Piping Rock   30.77   28.46   2.31
Swinley Forest   41.96   39.71   2.25
Cherry Hills   36.73   34.50   2.23
Friar's Head   58.33   56.15   2.18
Cape Kidnappers   56.75   54.63   2.12
Ganton   47.87   45.83   2.04

A lot of courses from England on that list.

Biggest Losers (* means not on top 100 U.S., so points can be no higher than 28.48)
Cascades (Upper)*   28.48   34.85   -6.37
Congressional (Blue)   36.19   41.57   -5.38
Shadow Creek   36.27   41.58   -5.31
Scioto                   38.37   43.24   -4.87
Tokyo                   38.33   43.16   -4.83
Kauri Cliffs                   43.14   47.83   -4.69
Royal Melbourne (East)   41.36   45.59   -4.23
Cruden Bay                   42.67   46.70   -4.03
Milwaukee                   29.13   32.73   -3.60
Southern Hills   49.07   52.56   -3.49
Ocean Forest   29.75   33.23   -3.48
Quaker Ridge   44.18   47.56   -3.38
Wade Hampton   35.52   38.71   -3.19
Cabo del Sol (Ocean)   38.48   41.62   -3.14
Pacific Dunes   67.29   70.42   -3.13
Ballybunion (Old)   67.10   70.09   -2.99
Pasatiempo                   33.73   36.67   -2.94
Desert Forest   29.35   32.29   -2.94
East Lake                   37.71   40.61   -2.90
Olympia Fields (North)   30.01   32.91   -2.90
Pebble Beach   81.30   84.12   -2.82
Spyglass Hill                   40.13   42.91   -2.78
Black Diamond (Quarry)*   28.48   31.25   -2.77
Naruo                   37.86   40.56   -2.70
Blackwolf Run (River)*   28.46   31.08   -2.62
Double Eagle   29.30   31.62   -2.32
Calusa Pines   33.14   35.45   -2.31
European Club   41.67   43.94   -2.27
Medinah (No. 3)   47.89   50.12   -2.23
Muirfield Village   52.43   54.61   -2.18
Highland Links   41.56   43.70   -2.14
Peachtree                   34.05   36.18   -2.13
Sea Island (Seaside)*   28.48   30.58   -2.10
San Francisco   62.14   64.21   -2.07
Harbour Town   43.70   45.74   -2.04
Winged Foot (West)   63.67   65.69   -2.02
Barnbougle Dunes   53.75   55.75   -2.00

[Ron Csigo]

Maybe some good might come of this.

Wentworth has dropped from this list of top 100.  I’d be interested if can anyone recall where its last position was?

Wentworth (West) was #99 on the 2007 list.

[Wayne_Kozun]

From the Canadian perspective it is a shame to be down to only two courses - Highland Links and St Georges, both Stanley Thompson courses.

In domestic Canadian ratings we generally have St. Georges, Hamilton and The National as the top 3 with the number one spot going back and forth.  St. Georges is holding the Canadian Open next year for the first time in a very long while - it will be interesting to see if that helps it pop up the list at all.  

It hasn't helped Hamilton as it has fallen out of the top 100 after hosting the event twice in the past decade.

[Joel_Stewart]

How the heck does Pasatiempo drop like that after being so beautifully restored?  If anything, it should have moved up...

I've thought the same thing for years and have tried to pinpoint why it doesn't rate higher.  First, Pasatiempo is an after thought for most panelists.  I saw 5 Golf Magazine panelists this past year alone in San Francisco and not one played or mentioned Pasatiempo.  They all came to San Francisco to see Cal Club and squeezed in a round at a place like SFGC then down to Monterey.

My general take on Pasa is that its also a difficult walk for some and they don't have a caddie program. As a result they are taking carts and probably can't rate a course that high which you have to ride???   Lastly the greens are so severe that a number of panelists don't enjoy the frustration that comes with it.     

Personally I think Pasatiempo is a top 50 to 60 golf course and is very under rated.  Just my 2 cents!

[Paul_Turner]

Wentworth is a mess, and the changes that have been made are a joke. They amount to little more than shoving bunkers both sides of the fairway at driving distance and surrounding the greens on all sides with bunkers. The bunkers are also entirely inconsistent with the original style. It's like "My First Golf Course Design". Furthermore, the addition of water on the 18th is desperate.

I was never really a fan of the course originally, it's famous in the UK for being famous - the televised events there raised the profile way beyond where it should have been.

The changes are making even more of a mess too.

Tom

Serves them right, to fall out of the Top100!  Colt's courses are getting mauled over the past few years.  

And talk about scope creep with the Wentworth West project, they keep springing new changes on the members..."oh and by the way we're going to a add a river in front of 18."  That feature has the potential to be the worst addition to a Colt course ever.  The winner so far is the pond (with a plastic stork perched on a rock) at Camberley Heath's 16th.

[Sean_A]

Well someone has to say it.  There is no way on gods green earth that Cruden Bay and Swinley are top 100 in the world. IMO, both are struggling to make the top 50 in the UK.  Hell, I don't care for Porthcawl, but I know its a better course than these two and it is a iffy selection for top 100. 


Ciao

[Mark Bourgeois]

The annual report of the Ganton Boosters Club will note happily its promotional efforts both editorial and financial in scope have returned an initial profit -- psychical if not fiscal pending report from the calculators at Coutts.  An increase of 2.07 must of course be denominated in terms of the monetary and grey-matter expense --

It must be said however, such advances pale before the journey yet paced, as the GBC Board has set the baseline for fair value to range from 57.05 to 54.22.

The cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.  Therefore, please submit cheques made to GBC, memo line, "GBC to GM raters: get stuffed."

[Wyatt Halliday]

Can someone clarify why Portrush is a non-argument Top 20 course in the world? I've read and heard different reasons from the GCA crowd and beyond.

And before the shit slinging begins, I know there is more to it than Calamity Corner.

Thanks

[jonathan_becker]

The US link doesn't work anymore.

[Jason McNamara]

With any luck, they're implementing a new page design that doesn't require 9 re-loads to see the whole list.  (Dear SI, I am not going to buy anything off your ads anyway, so can we compromise at 20 courses per page?)

[Tom_Doak]

Brian:

I've never been to Oitavos Dunes, but I am not staying away to scratch Art Hills' back.  And I really doubt he is scratching anyone else's back.

Andy:

The disparity between last month's "top 50" ranking and this month's two lists calls the credibility of the entire process into question.  It sure looks like they are fudging things, although (other than Trump's placings) it is not at all obvious why.  Sebonack finished ahead of Ballyneal on the "50 years" list but trails it in the others ... if either was doing the magazine any favors, it would be Sebonack, but you would think they would want traction on the other lists.