Whip it Out: Post your Top 25 Courses Played

[Jin Kim]

1. Sand Hills
2. St Andrews Old
3. Prestwick
4. Pacific Dunes
5. Carne
6. Royal County Down
7. Bandon Dunes
8. Ballybunion
9. Western Gailes
10. Lahinch
11. Ocean Course
12. Bayonne
13. Honors Course
14. TPC Sawgrass
15. Black Wolf Run
16. Whistling Straits
17. Cruden Bay
18. Turnberry
19. Carnoustie
20. Royal Portrush
21. Tobacco Road
22. Chambers Bay
23. Pinehurst #2
24. Waterville
25. Bethpage Black

This was a difficult exercise.  I know what #1 is.  I think the top five is pretty set.  The rest for the most part could be in almost any order.  I do know that I enjoyed all of the 25 listed courses more than Pebble Beach.

[Carl Nichols]

Off the top of my head:

1. Royal County Down
2. Pacific Dunes
3. Merion
4. Winged Foot West
5. Ocean Course
6. Portrush (Dunluce)
7. Portmarnock
8. Bandon Trails
9. Olympic Lake
10. Shoreacres
11. Bethpage Black
12.  Kinloch
13. Bandon Dunes
14. Cuscowilla
15. Robert Trent Jones
16. Mar del Plata
17. Harbourtown
18. Long Cove
19. Sea Island (Seaside)
20. Homestead (Cascades)
21. County Louth
22. Desert Forest
23. European Club
24. We-Ko-Pa Sagauro
25. The Island (Dublin)

Close but not quite (and in no particular order):  Jockey Club (Colorada), Laurel Valley, Congressional Blue, Ocean Forest, Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands), Columbia CC, Portstewart, Winged Foot East, Yale

[mike_malone]

    Atlantic City, Ballybunion, County Louth, County Sligo, Gulph Mills, Huntington Valley, Island, Lahinch , Lancaster,
Merion, Myopia, NGLA, N.Berwick,  Pennard, PINE VALLEY,  Plainfield, Portmarnock, Portstewart, Rolling Green, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal County Down,  
 Royal Porthcawl,  Rye, TOC, Yale    


   After seeing Plainfield listed I added it.

[Peter Ferlicca]

1. Pacific Dunes
2. Ballyneal
3. The Old Course
4. Old MacDonald
5. Rock Creek Cattle Company
6. Bandon Trails
7. Rivieria
8. Cabo Del Sol
9. Stone Eagle
10. Wolf Run
11. Meadow Club
12. Pasatiempo
13. Chambers Bay
14. Olympic Lake
15. Tumble Creek
16. Wine Valley
17. Crooked Stick
18. Rancho Sante Fe
19. The Preserve
20. Members Club at Aldarra
21. The Club at Black Rock
22. Bandon Dunes
23. Pronghorn Nicklaus
24. Essex County Country Club
25. Idaho Club

[Michael Blake]

Aberdovey
Addington
Beau Desert
Brora
Cavendish
Co Sligo
Enniscrone
Harborne
Harlech
Huntercombe
Kington
Lakewood Shores Gailes
Lederach
North Berwick
Old Town Club
Pennard
Prestwick
Portrush Valley
Rye
St Enodoc
Southerndown
Tenby
Tobacco Road
University of Michigan
Woking

Close but no cigar: Merion, Sandwich, Ballybunion, Dornoch, Woodhall Spa, Formby, Burnham & Berrow, Carne, Saunton East, Notts, Machrihanish, Castletown, Prestbury, Dunbar, Perranporth, Shepherd's Hollow & Burnham & Berrow Channel Course

Jon H - Raisin River?  Never heard of Rock Barn.  Whats the story?

How good is Arcadia Bluffs?  There is a lot of negative talk about the course on here.

Ciao

WOW!  Lederach is in you top 25 and Merion is 'close but no cigar.'

[John Moore II]

My top 25 courses played, in alphabetical order. I'm not even going to attempt to rank them numerically. #1 on the list is easy, I could most likely give a top 5, but pretty much 2-5 would be interchangeable. Comment away.

Bryan Park (Champions)
CCNC (Dogwood)
Duke Golf Club
Eagle Point
Forest Creek (North)
Foxfire (Original)
Mid Pines
Mid South
Moose Run (River)
NCSU Lonnie Poole
The Neuse
Park Ridge
PGA (Dye)
Pinehurst #1
Pinehurst #2
Pinehurst #5
Pine Needles
The President  (Eagle)
Riverfront
Southern Pines
Tanglewood Park (Champions)
Thanksgiving Point
Tobacco Road
Wilmington GC

[Kalen Braley]

My top 25 played...very much a west coast oriented list.

1   Cypress Point
2   Pacific Dunes
3   Ballyneal
4   Rock Creek Cattle Club
5   Pasatiempo
6   Wine Valley
7   MPCC - Shore
8   Gozzer Ranch
9   Black Rock Golf Club
10   Lakota Canyon
11   Idaho Club
12   Sanctuary Golf Course
13   Redlands Mesa
14   Pete Dye - Promontory
15   Saddle Creek
16   Murphy Creek
17   Circling Raven
18   Jack Nicklaus - Promontory
19   South Mountain
20   Thanksgiving Point
21   Stevinson Ranch
22   Indian Canyon
23   Beechtree
24   Jeremy Golf Club
25   The Hideout

[David_Madison]

Reasonably in order:

Oakmont
Pebble Beach
NGL
Merion East
Shinnecock
Portmarnock
Pinehurst #2
Sebonac
Olympic
The Ocean Course
Winged Foot West
Aronimink
Mountaintop
Wade Hampton
Garden City
Bethpage Black
Cuscowilla
Ridgewood
Oakland Hills
TPC Sawgrass
Old Town
Shadow Creek
Mayacama
Harbour Town
Jupiter Hills

[Tony Weiler]

I need to get out more.  I stopped at 20.  

1.   Sutton Bay
2.   Torrey Pines (South)
3.   Interlachen
4.   We Ko Pa (Saguaro)
5.   Hazeltine Nat’l
6.   Hawktree
7.   Vista Verde
8.   Grayhawk (Talon)
9.   Deacon’s Lodge
10.   Couer d’Alene C.C.
11.   Links of N.D.
12.   Pelican Hill (South before Renovations)
13.   TPC Scottsdale
14.   Old Works
15.   Bully Pulpit
16.   Eagle Bend
17.   Raven at So. Mt.
18.   We Ko Pa (Cholla)
19.   Whirlwind (Devil’s Claw)
20.   Prairie Green

[John Moore]

Top 10 in no order

Pinehurst #2
Franklin Hills
Indianwood Old
Crystal Downs
Pine Needles
Tobacco Road
Arcadia Bluffs
Kingsley Club
Mid Pines
Cape Kidnappers

the rest are hard to sort from each other

[Ian Andrew]

Pine Valley  George Crump, H.S. Colt, 1918 Pine Valley, N.J. US
National Golf Links of America C.B. Macdonald, 1911 Southampton, N.Y. US
Royal County Down Old Tom Morris, 1889 Newcastle N. Ireland
Royal Melbourne (West) Alister Mackenzie, 1926 Melbourne Australia
Cypress Point Alister Mackenzie, 1928 Pebble Beach, Calif. US

Shinnecock Hills William Flynn, 1931 Southampton, N.Y. US
St. Andrews (Old Course) Nature, St Andrews Scotland
Merion (East) Hugh Wilson, 1912 Ardmore, Pa. US
Royal Dornoch Old Tom Morris, 1886 Dornoch Scotland
Crystal Downs Alister Mackenzie, Perry Maxwell, 1932 Frankfort, Mich. US

Riviera George C. Thomas, Jr., Bill Bell Sr., 1926 Pacific Palisades, Calif. US
Royal Portrush (Dunluce) H.S. Colt, 1929 Portrush N. Ireland
Pacific Dunes Tom Doak, 2001 Bandon, Ore. US
Seminole Donald Ross, 1929 Juno Beach, Fla. US
Pebble Beach Jack Neville, Douglas Grant, 1919 Pebble Beach, Calif. US

Muirfield Old Tom Morris, 1891 H.S. Colt, 1925 Gullane Scotland
Pinehurst (No. 2) Donald Ross, 1907 Pinehurst, N.C. US
Prestwick Tom Morris, 1878 Prestwick, Scotland
San Francisco A. W. Tillinghast, 1918 San Francisco, Calif. US 62.14
Kingston Heath Des Soutar, 1925 Alister MacKenzie, 1928 Melbourne Australia

Friar's Head Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 2003 Baiting Hollow, N.Y. US
Barnbougle Dunes Tom Doak, 2004 Bridport Australia
Highland Links Stanley Thompson, 1935 Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia Canada
Turnberry (Ailsa) Willie Fernie, 1909 Mackenzie Ross, 1951 Turnberry Scotland
Carnoustie (Championship) Robertson, 1842, Morris, 1872 Carnoustie Scotland

[Roger Wolfe]

Pine Valley  George Crump, H.S. Colt, 1918 Pine Valley, N.J. US
National Golf Links of America C.B. Macdonald, 1911 Southampton, N.Y. US
Royal County Down Old Tom Morris, 1889 Newcastle N. Ireland
Royal Melbourne (West) Alister Mackenzie, 1926 Melbourne Australia
Cypress Point Alister Mackenzie, 1928 Pebble Beach, Calif. US

Shinnecock Hills William Flynn, 1931 Southampton, N.Y. US
St. Andrews (Old Course) Nature, St Andrews Scotland
Merion (East) Hugh Wilson, 1912 Ardmore, Pa. US
Royal Dornoch Old Tom Morris, 1886 Dornoch Scotland
Crystal Downs Alister Mackenzie, Perry Maxwell, 1932 Frankfort, Mich. US

Riviera George C. Thomas, Jr., Bill Bell Sr., 1926 Pacific Palisades, Calif. US
Royal Portrush (Dunluce) H.S. Colt, 1929 Portrush N. Ireland
Pacific Dunes Tom Doak, 2001 Bandon, Ore. US
Seminole Donald Ross, 1929 Juno Beach, Fla. US
Pebble Beach Jack Neville, Douglas Grant, 1919 Pebble Beach, Calif. US

Muirfield Old Tom Morris, 1891 H.S. Colt, 1925 Gullane Scotland
Pinehurst (No. 2) Donald Ross, 1907 Pinehurst, N.C. US
Prestwick Tom Morris, 1878 Prestwick, Scotland
San Francisco A. W. Tillinghast, 1918 San Francisco, Calif. US 62.14
Kingston Heath Des Soutar, 1925 Alister MacKenzie, 1928 Melbourne Australia

Friar's Head Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw, 2003 Baiting Hollow, N.Y. US
Barnbougle Dunes Tom Doak, 2004 Bridport Australia
Highland Links Stanley Thompson, 1935 Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia Canada
Turnberry (Ailsa) Willie Fernie, 1909 Mackenzie Ross, 1951 Turnberry Scotland
Carnoustie (Championship) Robertson, 1842, Morris, 1872 Carnoustie Scotland

Now THIS is an impressive list.

[Pete Lavallee]

I like Ian's format so much, I'll use it too:

Cypress Point (1)
TOC (8)
Royal Dornoch (3)
Pacific Dunes (3)
Pebble Beach (1)

Royal County Down (2)
Ballyneal (2)
Ballybunion Old (4)
Riviera (1)
Pasatiempo (12)

Rustic Canyon (15)
Lahinch (4)
Bethpage Black (8)
The Addington (1)
St Enodoc (2)

West Sussex (1)
Banff (2)
Jasper Park (3)
Cucscowilla (2)
Wild Horse (1)

Turnberry (1)
Kiawah Ocean Course (1)
MPCC Shore (2)
Carnoustie (2)
Kittansett (2)

[Rick]

In alphabetical order:

BALLYBUNION
BANDON DUNES
BUENOS AIRES COUNTRY CLUB
CABO DEL SOL
CAJUILES (Teeth of the Dog)
CARNOUSTIE
CROWBUSH COVE
GREENBRIER
HARBOUR TOWN
HIGHLAND LINKS
JASPER
NEW SOUTH WALES
PEBBLE BEACH
PORTMARNOCK
ROYAL BIRKDALE
ROYAL COUNTY DOWN
ROYAL DORNOCH
ROYAL MELBOURNE WEST
ROYAL PORTHCAWL
ROYAL PORTRUSH
SPYGLASS
THE NATIONAL  (Australia)
TURNBERRY
VICTORIA  (Melbourne)
WAIRAKEI

[Jaeger Kovich]

Jim Thorton - BPB ahead of Friars Head?! If for no other reason than green contours, there are practically none on the black. I'll give you that BPB is a better driving course, FH #2, 6, 9, 14, 15 aint to shabby either!


Jim Kim - Bayonne #12 ahead of: Honors Course, Whistling Straits, Cruden Bay, Carnoustie, Royal Portrush, Chambers Bay, #2 and BPB?
... Listen, I had a fun experience there, but really?!! What do you like so much about the place that it is ahead of all of these? I can understand if you are a scratch and like challenging layouts... but there is Carnoustie, BPB and Whistling Straights. Ok maybe you like the imagination to build the place... but there is Sawgrass, Whistling straights and TR... Maybe its the views?!! is liberty national and the Castle Course #1 on your wish list!!!! 

[Andrew Bertram]

1. Cypress Point
2. Shinnecock Hills
3. Royal Dornoch
4. Royal melbourne West
5. The Old Course

6. Royal County Down
7. Merion
8. National Golf Links
9. Oakmont
10. Ballybunion Old

11. Kingston Heath
12. San Francisco
13. Morfontaine
14. Muirfield
15. Barnbougle Dunes

16. Swinley Forest
17. Winged Foot West
18. Pacific Dunes
19. Pinehurst No 2
20. Turnberry

21. Royal Portrush
22. California Club
23. Sunningdale Old
24. Riviera
25.Cruden Bay


Near Misses: Valley Club, The Golf Club, Pebble Beach, Victoria (Melb), Bethpage Black, Fontainebleau

[Phil McDade]

Lordy, lordy -- all the usual suspects. You people need to get out more.

My list is a top-20:

1) Lawsonia
2) Machrihanish
3) Fraserburgh
4) West Bend CC's front nine
5) Beverly
6) Boat of Garten
7) Shiskine at Blackwaterfoot
8th) Balcomie Links at Crail
9) Blackhawk CC
10) Flossmoor
11) Spring Valley
12) Old Hickory
13) Cullen
14) Dunaverty
15) Ozaukee CC
16) Traigh
17) Peterhead
18) Inverallochy
19) Kettle Moraine
20) Country Club Estates

It goes without saying that the Reverse Jans cannot be included on such a list, as its Brigadoon-like standing in the world of golf renders it beyond the realm of such a listing.

[Tim Gavrich]

Man, this is difficult.  Nonetheless...

FIRST FIVE
- Yale GC / New Haven, CT / CB Macdonald/Seth Raynor
- Palmetto GC / Aiken, SC / Alister Mackenzie
- Sunningdale (Old) / Surrey, England / Willie Park, Jr.
- St. Andrews (Old) / St. Andrews, Scotland / Mother Nature, then Old Tom Morris
- Shelter Harbor GC / Charlestown, RI / Mike Hurdzan and Dana Fry

SECOND FIVE
- Pinehurst (No. 2) / Pinehurst, NC / Donald Ross
- Newport CC / Newport, RI / William Davis, then Donald Ross, then AW Tillinghast
- The Greenbrier (Old White) / White Sulphur Springs, WV / Seth Raynor, then Lester George
- The Homestead (Upper Cascades) / Hot Springs, VA / William Flynn, fixed up by Wayne Morrison and Tom Paul
- Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee / Eatonton, GA / Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw

THIRD FIVE
- Caledonia G&FC / Pawleys Island, SC / Mike Strantz
- CC of Farmington / Farmington, CT / Devereux Emmet
- Tobacco Road GC / Sanford, NC / Mike Strantz
- The Golf House Club, Elie / Elie, Scotland / Old Tom Morris
- Pawleys Plantation G&CC / Pawleys Island, SC / Jack Nicklaus

FOURTH FIVE
- Hartford GC / West Hartford, CT / Donald Ross
- Scotscraig GC / Tayport, Scotland / James Braid
- Barefoot Resort (Dye Club) / North Myrtle Beach, SC / Pete Dye
- The Governors Club / Chapel Hill, NC / Jack Nicklaus
- Doral GC (Blue Monster) / Miami, FL / Dick Wilson

FIFTH FIVE
- Duke GC / Durham, NC / Robert Trent Jones, Sr., then Rees Jones
- The Cliffs at Lake Keowee / Ninety Six, SC / Tom Fazio
- Crail Golfing Society / Crail, Scotland / Old Tom Morris
- Callaway Gardens Resort (Mountain View) / Pine Mountain, GA / Dick Wilson
- True Blue Plantation / Pawleys Island, SC / Mike Strantz

JUST OUTSIDE THE CUT
- Pinehurst (No. / Pinehurst, NC / Tom Fazio
- Lundin GC / Leven, Scotland / Old Tom Morris, then James Braid
- Tanglewood Park (Championship) / Clemmons, NC / Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
- The Ranch GC / Southwick, MA / Damian Pascuzzo
- Columbia CC (Original 18) / Blythewood, SC / Ellis Maples
- The Greenbrier (Greenbrier) / White Sulphur Springs, WV / Jack Nicklaus
- Gillette Ridge Golf Club / Bloomfield, CT / Arnold Palmer
- Shennecossett GC / Groton, CT / Donald Ross

With fingers crossed, I hope to add Pine Valley and Ballyhack to the list sometime in 2010.  But for roughly 12 years of playing golf seriously, I will take it.

Cheers.

--Tim

[PThomas]

It goes without saying that the Reverse Jans cannot be included on such a list, as its Brigadoon-like standing in the world of golf renders it beyond the realm of such a listing.

Herb Wind couldnt have stated that any better Phil...

[Matt Bosela]

Quite a bit of Canadian content on my list - a bit less travelled than most:

Oakmont CC, Oakmont, PA (H. Fownes - 1903)
Riviera CC, Pacific Palisades, CA (G. Thomas - 1927)
Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club, Quilchena, BC, CAN (R. Whitman, R. Zokol & A. Suny - 2008)
Westmount GCC, Kitchener, ON, CAN (S. Thompson - 1931)
St. Thomas GCC, Union, ON, CAN (S. Thompson - 1922)

Princeville - Prince Course, Princeville, HI (R. Trent Jones Jr - 1990)
Glen Abbey GC, Oakville, ON, CAN (J. Nicklaus - 1976)
Brantford GCC, Brantford, ON, CAN (S. Thompson - 1906)
Muskoka Bay GC, Gravenhurst, ON, CAN (D. Carrick - 2006)
Bigwin Island, Baysville, ON, CAN (D. Carrick - 2001)

Eagles Nest, Maple, ON, CAN (D. Carrick - 2004)
Oviinbyrd, Footsbay, ON, CAN (T. McBroom - 2004)
Warren GC at Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN (B. Coore & B. Crenshaw - 1999)
Devil's Pulpit, Caledon Village, ON, CAN (Dr. M. Hurdzan & D. Fry - 1990)
Tanglewood Park - Championship, Clemmons, NC (R. Trent Jones - 1956)

Burlington GCC, Burlington, ON, CAN (S. Thompson - 1922)
Lookout Point CC, Fonthill, ON, CAN (W. Travis - 1922)
Cog Hill - Dubsdread, Lemont, IL (D. Wilson & J. Lee - 1964)
Taboo, Gravenhurst, ON, CAN (R. Garl - 2002)
Osprey Valley - Heathlands, Caledon, ON, CAN (D. Carrick - 1992)

Tobiano, Kamloops, BC, CAN (T. McBroom - 2007)
Rosedale GCC, Toronto, ON, CAN (D. Ross - 1893)
Bear Mountain - Mountain Course, Victoria, BC, CAN (J. Nicklaus & S. Nicklaus - 2005)
Hammock Beach - Ocean Course, Palm Coast, FL (J. Nicklaus - 2000)
Osprey Valley - Hoot (Wasteland), Caledon, ON, CAN (D. Carrick - 2001)

Honourable Mentions:

Royal Colwood GCC, Victoria, BC, CAN (A.V. Macan - 1913)
Deer Ridge GC, Kitchener, ON, CAN (T. McBroom - 1990)
Wooden Sticks, Uxbridge, ON, CAN (R. Garl - 2000)
Deerhurst - Highlands, Huntsville, ON, CAN (T. McBroom & R. Cupp - 1990)

[David_Madison]

Not one Augusta National yet...

[George Freeman]

In any other circle I would be considered extremely well traveled in golf.  Here I am nothing more than a blip!

With no specific order within each tier:

Tier 1
Oakmont
St. Andrews (Old)
Crystal Downs
Pacific Dunes
Kingsley Club

Tier 2
Bandon Trails
Franklin Hills
Indianwood (Old)
Ocean Course
Greywalls

Tier 3
Lawsonia
Skokie
Bandon Dunes
Arcadia Bluffs
Lost Dunes
Black Sheep

Tier 4
Olympia Fields (North)
Beverly
Inverness
Barton Hills
CC of Detroit
Orchard Lake CC

Tier 5
Forest Dunes
We-Ko-Pa (C&C)
Point O'Woods

[Sean_A]

In no particular order, I hate rankings........

Cypress Point
Pebble Beach
Olympic Club Lake
Monterey Peninsula Shore
Pasatiempo
Valley Club of Montecito
Meadow Club
Oakmont
National Golf Links
Kingsley Club
Crystal Downs
St Andrews Old
North Berwick West
Muirfield
Dornoch
Alwoodley
Hoylake
Sandwich
Deal
Rye
Pacific Dunes
Cuscowilla
Friars Head
Beau Desert
Royal Porthcawl
Capilano

I don't know, Ace has quite an attractive list so far as I am concerned.  

One thing I am not noticing on these lists, and one of my little things which I love to praise courses for, is being very short (from the tips) by today's standards, but still being a good challenge for the handicap player.  I reckon I listed 4 (Addington, Swinley, Rye & St Georges Hill), with St Georges Hill being the longest at ~6500 yards and a fifth, Woking, coming around 6600 yards.    


Michael B - While an awesome course, Merion is very dear for a game of golf.  Lederach can be enjoyed each week.  At either place I will be smiling as I finish.

Ciao

[Melvyn Morrow]

Ian

A minor point re Muirfield. It was designed in 1890 not 1891.

It was opened in May 1891 but the actual course was designed in the last few months of 1890. This helps understand the confusion some have with thinking Hall Blyth was involved with the design concept of the golf course due to his course map of 1891. The map was produced from the layout of the 1890 course and I believe it was for the use of the Members of Muirfield.

We see more architectural maps starting to be produced from this date due to the new Members of various clubs becoming more interested in the design elements having qualified as engineers, surveyors etc. Importantly they could produce and understand maps, which previous Committees Members seemed to have difficulty understanding. The producers of these initial maps were not generally the course designer in the Victoria Age, just tended to use their engineer’s background to prepare the modern course map for their club.

Melvyn 

[Cristian]

......(updated after Bandon travel)

Alwoodley
Ballybunion
Bandon Dunes
Bandon Trails
Casa de Campo (Dentes)
De Pan
Haagsche
Kennemer
Machrihanish
Morfontaine
Noordwijk
Old Macdonald
Pacific Dunes
Pasatiempo
Royal Cinque Ports
Royal County Down
Royal Dornoch
Royal Lytham
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Royal St George's
Royal Zoute
St George's Hill
Swinley Forest
The Berkshire red
Walton Heath Old
Waterville

I notice:
Fewer people travel across the Atlantic regularly than I would have thought (I am in Bandon early June, so trying to do my part).
The Surrey / London Heathlands are overlooked.

Ian A, Bill M, Jim T, Andrew B; winners of most impressive lists for me!