Whip it Out: Post your Top 25 Courses Played

[Jim Nugent]

Sean, IIRC you've said real good things about Merion.  But it doesn't make your top 25 or honorable mentions? 

[Sean_A]

Maybe they hacked down the rough on the 3rd - it was a sea of hay!  Down the right of the 4th as well.  Besides, these past few years fairways have been moved in around greens.  If you play the course in the winter it becomes quite obvious when trying to chip from the shady, wet areas.  

You are right though, I am fed up with idiotic course presentation.  

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

They must have done.  I didn't notice anything unusual about the relatively light rough between 3 and 4.

[Adam Lawrence]

Sean, you should go back to Hockley, I think you'd be impressed. New-ish head greenkeeper Glenn Kirby is getting stuck into an extensive programme of clearing the invasive vegetation. Their ultimate goal is to be regarded as the best downland course in Britain. See this before and after shot of the third hole from Glenn's Twitter feed.

http://t.co/9q8d7FLjYe

[Mark Pearce]

A quick look at the Hockley website suggests that the course could still benefit from the liberal use of a chainsaw!

[Adam Lawrence]

It absolutely could - they're just starting what will be a multi-year programme. It has huge potential.

[Sean_A]

Adam

I have a lot of time for Hockley and it is pleasing to know they are clearing some crap out - especially on the way up the hill.  Strangely, there are lots of newish plantings which are awful. I will definitely make my way back as its been way too long since my last go.

Jim

I do not believe I have played a better course than Merion, but like Sunny, its expensive as hell and I am told the rough has gotten well out of control.  Unlike Sunny, I would pay full whack to play Merion again.  

Ciao

[Bill Crane]

Revised my list to include courses from our Scottish sojourn last month.  It was awesome, especially Royal Dornoch !!

1)   Pine Valley
2)   Merion
3)   Crystal Downs
4)   Winged Foot West
5)   Pebble Beach
6)   Kittansett
7)   Royal Dornoch
   The Old Course, St Andrews
9)   North Berwick
10)   Muirfield Village
11)   Koninklijke Haagsche - Royal Hague
12)   Somerset Hills
13)   Yale
14)   Eastward Ho
15)   Plainfield
16)   TPC Sawgrass
17)   Baltusrol Lower
18)   Chechessee Creek Club
19)   Cruden Bay
20)   Congressional
21)   Round Hill (Ct.)
22)   Cruden Bay
23)   Hidden Creek Club
24)   Galloway
25)   Brora

[Sean_A]

Bill

Cruden Bay must have made a big impression!

Ciao

[John Kirk]

Cruden Bay is the Grover Cleveland of golf courses.

[Thomas Dai]

Bill
Cruden Bay must have made a big impression!
Ciao

Number 19 must be the Championship course
Number 22 must be the St Olaf
All the best

[Mark Saltzman]

Another update (and I reserve the right to make changes without notice!)

1   NGLA
2   Shinnecock Hills
3   Ballyneal
4   Merion
5   Oakmont
6   Sunningdale (Old)
7   Lahinch
8   Friar's Head
9   Prairie Dunes
10   North Berwick (west)
11   Rock Creek Cattle Company
12   Plainfield
13   Prairie Club (Dunes)
14   Sand Hills
15   Pinehurst No 2
16   The Golf Club
17   Kingsley Club
18   St Andrew’s Old
19   Highlands Links
20   Boston
21   Valley Club
22   Sleepy Hollow
23   Whitinsville
24   Baltimore
25   LACC North

Next 20 Classic
Barton Hills
Somerset Hills
Newport Country Club
Myopia Hunt Club
Yale
Kittansett
Riviera
Fishers Island
St George's
Franklin Hills
Lancaster
Pasatiempo
Pebble Beach
Walton Heath (Old)
Winchester
Brookside CC
The Country Club
Charles River
Old Town

Next 20 Modern
Streamsong (Blue)
Old Sandwich
Sebonack
The Olde Farm
The Patriot
Wade Hampton
Rustic Canyon
Kinloch
Victoria National
Wine Valley
Dismal River
Johns Island West
Shooting Star
Cuscowilla
Long Cove
Diamond Creek
The Honors
Pine Tree
Wolf Run

[Thomas Dai]

Mark,
That's a fabulous listing. Very envious!
Only Sunningdale (Old), Lahinch, North Berwick (West), St Andrew’s Old and Walton Heath (Old) from UK&I. Which other UK&I courses have you played and did you do your usual splendid photo-tours of any?
All the best

[Jim Nugent]

Mark, no Bandon courses?

[Andrew Lewis]

Another update (and I reserve the right to make changes without notice!)

9   Prairie Dunes
13   Prairie Club (Dunes)
14   Sand Hills
17   Kingsley Club

Mark -

A couple questions for you:

1) You include Prairie Dunes and Kingsley in your top 25, but Crystal Downs is neither there nor in your classic next 20.  Kingsley and the Downs are compared to each other quite often already and, in my view, Prairie Dunes and the Downs should be discussed in that way more frequently.  And although I agree with you in ranking Prairie Dunes highly -- and even above the Downs -- I'm curious as to why the Downs doesn't even crack your honorable mention list?

2) You rank Sand Hills (which I have played) behind the Dunes course at Prairie Club (which I have not played).  Is Prairie Club that good??!!

Cheers, Andrew

[Jud_T]

Mark,

Interesting ranking.  Have you really played 17 courses better than TOC?  What was the wind like when you played it?

[Jason Thurman]

Andrew, I haven't played Sand Hills. But see my list below for my answer to your question:

1.   Pebble Beach
2.   Prairie Club Dunes
3.   Crystal Downs
4.   Pinehurst No. 2
5.   Idle Hour
6.   Erin Hills
7.   Whistling Straits - Straits
8.   Lawsonia Links
9.   Kingsley Club
10.   Blackwolf Run - River
11.   The Harvester
12.   Wild Horse
13.   Pine Needles
14.   Prairie Club Pines
15.   Valhalla
16.   Rustic Canyon
17.   Tobacco Road
18.   Blackwolf Run – Meadow Valleys
19.   Arcadia Bluffs
20.   The Trophy Club
21.   The Fort
22.   Broadmoor
23.   Hyde Park
24.   Harrison Hills
25.   Mid Pines

I'll be interested to watch this list evolve over the years. My current list is obviously heavily biased to the four or five significant regions that I've visited or lived in. I really got the architecture "bug" a little over two years ago, and I've played every course on this list since that time (though some had been played previously).

[Nigel Islam]

Andrew, I haven't played Sand Hills. But see my list below for my answer to your question:

1.   Pebble Beach
2.   Prairie Club Dunes
3.   Crystal Downs
4.   Pinehurst No. 2
5.   Idle Hour
6.   Erin Hills
7.   Whistling Straits - Straits
8.   Lawsonia Links
9.   Kingsley Club
10.   Blackwolf Run - River
11.   The Harvester
12.   Wild Horse
13.   Pine Needles
14.   Prairie Club Pines
15.   Valhalla
16.   Rustic Canyon
17.   Tobacco Road
18.   Blackwolf Run – Meadow Valleys
19.   Arcadia Bluffs
20.   The Trophy Club
21.   The Fort
22.   Broadmoor
23.   Hyde Park
24.   Harrison Hills
25.   Mid Pines

I'll be interested to watch this list evolve over the years. My current list is obviously heavily biased to the four or five significant regions that I've visited or lived in. I really got the architecture "bug" a little over two years ago, and I've played every course on this list since that time (though some had been played previously).

Good to see you managed to get Crystal, Arcadia, and Kingsley in on your trip up North, Jason!

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark, no Bandon courses?

Jim,

Ask me again in 5 weeks 

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark,
That's a fabulous listing. Very envious!
Only Sunningdale (Old), Lahinch, North Berwick (West), St Andrew’s Old and Walton Heath (Old) from UK&I. Which other UK&I courses have you played and did you do your usual splendid photo-tours of any?
All the best

England
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal Liverpool
Royal St George's
Walton Heath (Old)
Walton Heath (New)
Sunningdale (Old)

Ireland

Ballybunion
Doonbeg
Druid's Glen
Druid's Heath
Glenlo Abbey
Kilkea Castle
Killarney
Lahinch
Mount Juliet
Old Head
Portmarnock
Royal County Down
The European Club
The Island
The K club
Tralee
Waterville

Scotland
Carnoustie (Championship)
Cruden Bay
Gullane (No 1)
Kingsbarns
Muirfield
Murcar
North Berwick (West)
Peterculter
Royal Aberdeen
Royal Montrose
Royal Troon (Old)
St. Andrew's (New)
St. Andrew's (Old)
Turnberry (Ailsa)

All pre picture taking.

[Mark Saltzman]

Another update (and I reserve the right to make changes without notice!)

9   Prairie Dunes
13   Prairie Club (Dunes)
14   Sand Hills
17   Kingsley Club

Mark -

A couple questions for you:

1) You include Prairie Dunes and Kingsley in your top 25, but Crystal Downs is neither there nor in your classic next 20.  Kingsley and the Downs are compared to each other quite often already and, in my view, Prairie Dunes and the Downs should be discussed in that way more frequently.  And although I agree with you in ranking Prairie Dunes highly -- and even above the Downs -- I'm curious as to why the Downs doesn't even crack your honorable mention list?

2) You rank Sand Hills (which I have played) behind the Dunes course at Prairie Club (which I have not played).  Is Prairie Club that good??!!

Cheers, Andrew

Andrew,

To be honest, I've never understood the greatness most see in Crystal Downs.  Maybe I would on a return visit, who knows?

2) I've said before, I think the Dunes Course is the most elastic golf course I've ever seen.  I don't really know if it's 'better' than Sand Hills, but I had at least as much fun playing it as I did Sand Hills.  I hope to get back to both one day!

[Mark Saltzman]

Mark,

Interesting ranking.  Have you really played 17 courses better than TOC?  What was the wind like when you played it?

Jud, we played late in the afternoon and the wind was 1-2 clubs, with 1 playing downwind and 18 into the wind.

One of the biggest mistakes in my golfing life was taking a caddie the day I played TOC.  As you know, I'm a fairly short hitting straight hitter.  Every hole the caddie gave me a line, and I hit it.  I shot 71 and really (for me) didn't miss a shot all day.  Not only did I not hit it in the trouble, I didn't even know it was there.  I missed so much of the experience of figuring out how to get around The Old Course that even putting it at 18 is a stretch.  I may just be there because I had a great time playing the golf course with my Dad.

Like I said in my previous couple posts, a return visit may significantly change my opinion.

[David_Tepper]

Top 27 (in no particular order)

U.S.
Olympic Lake
San Francisco GC
California GC
Cypress Point
Spyglass
Pasatiempo  

Scotland
Royal Dornoch
Royal Aberdeen
Cruden Bay
Nairn
Castle Stuart

England
Sunningdale Old
Sunningdale New
Wentworth West
Royal Birkdale
Royal Lytham St. Anne's
Royal Liverpool
St. Endoc
Berkshire Red
Berkshire Blue

Ireland (the whole island )
Portmarnock
Royal County Down
Royal Portrush - Dunluce
Portstewart
County Sligo (Rosses Point)
Ballybunion Old
Lahinch

Some other very good courses I really like:

Meadow Club, Lakeside, Sonoma, Golspie & Brora

[Matthew MacKay]

The Old Course
Royal County Down
Pebble Beach
Muirfield
Yale
Turnberry
The Country Club
St George's
San Francisco
Royal Portrush
Riviera
Pinehurst #2
Pasatiempo
Pacific Dunes
Oakland Hills
North Berwick
LACC North
Highlands Links
Carnoustie
Bethpage Black
Garden City
Lahinch
Sleepy Hollow
Myopia Hunt
Jasper

[Jim Sherma]

As of today:

Top 5 (No particular order):

St Andrews Old
Ballybunion Old
Pine Valley
Kingsbarnes
Baltimore CC Five Farms

6 Through 15 (No particular order):

Leven
Tobacco Road
Baltusrol Lower
Dormie Club
Saucon Valley Old
Lehigh CC
Lancaster CC
St Andrews New
Hershey CC West
CC of York

16 Through 25 (No particular order):
 
Carnoustie
Dooks
Baltusrol Upper
Saucon Valley Weyhill
Philly Cricket Wissahickon [Pre-renovation - Post-renovation could move this up to the higher grouping based on the posted progress]
Philmont North
Crail Balcomie [tough because the location is so magical, the course generally doesn't merit the higher grouping though]
Saucon Valley Grace
Mid-Pines
Mark Twain GC [yes, it is that good]

Others I considered: Hershey CC East, DuPont, Fota Island Deerpark Course, Ballyhack, West Shore CC and Lebanon CC