[Adam Clayman]

We've had this question before. The answer lies in what the individual is looking for.

Monterey, Ca. wins in my book due to the combination of quality courses and year round capabilities. Plus, the fog is almost always possible and there's nothing better than walking a seaside golf course immersed in a mist, channelling the Scots of old. And when the sun does shine, what beauty there is to behold. Stevenson said it best when describing Big Sur. The most majestic meeting of land and sea.

[Mac Plumart]

Charleston, SC

[PCCraig]

Ben-

Boston is a great golf town and you're right that with the newest designs at OS and Boston Golf Club put it in rare air.

However the city's biggest negative, as well as Philly's, Long Island's, and Monterey's...is it's lack of affordable quality public golf. There are few decent public golf courses within short travel distance of downtown Boston, however in Chicago for example you could go in any direction from downtown and find a pretty decent course to play and not pay too much $$$.

If your arguement is privates only, that's another story...

[Ben Sims]

Pat,

Yes, Boston really surprised me as I was doing my normal internet surfing the past few days.  I just didn't put it together that it was THAT good. 

Well done.  And there in lies the rub. It took us 27 posts for someone to mention the public vs. private debate.  This is isn't to poo-poo on private golf courses--far from it.  But when we make the case for best golf cities and regions, shouldn't public play--most of the golf played in the US--be a factor in deciding? 

Just another thing the guys across the pond have us beat at...Access to great courses.

[Tim Nugent]

Best would have to be a sum total and therefore the spectrum of Public and Private should be weighed.  I haven't spent much time in Philly proper but are their public opportunities in middle/lower social-economic areas like there is in Chicago - Jackson Park and Harborside come to mind.  Are there public courses that occupy prime real estate like Waveland.  Does Philly have active Park Districts and Forest Preserve Districts that make golf available to the masses?

My criteria of a good golf city has to be one where golf is in the fabric of the community and supported by the community.  Sure, it's nice to fall back on the number of quality private clubs but that is just a subset.

It's also a bonus if Joe six-pack can tee it up where the pros play (Cog Hill) and doubly so on a course where a major has been held (Kemper Lakes - although now private).  I'would take Blacksheep off that earlier list - it's too far removed from Chicago - that would be like calling Westchester New York.

The above criteria shows why some favor Monterray but the cost/accessibility is an issue as is the lack of volume.  It's more like a golf town than a city.  I would put it in with Bandon, Hilton Head, Kiawah, etc.

I'm surprised Phoenix didn't see any love.

[PCCraig]

Just another thing the guys across the pond have us beat at...Access to great courses.

Which is ironic in discussing Boston Golf...access to the best private clubs is very tough even for those who have been living there for years, let alone someone coming in for a long weekend wanting to study a few golf courses.

I was lucky that I caddied at Brookline while in school there, which gave me many chances to play TCC as well as a bunch of the other private clubs in the area.

Also, in discussing the quality of the Boston area, you didn't even get into the courses of the nearby islands...Skankaty Head, Nantucket Golf Club, etc...

[Michael Blake]

Philly is amongst the best on the private side.
And probably amongst the worst on the public side.

[Niall Hay]

Would agree with opinion above,  that Long Island isn't a city or metro area.

I think it is one of four metro areas

New York City metro
Philadelphia
Chicago
Boston

I think it will come down to Philly or Chicago.

Don't sleep on Columbus, Ohio....it NEVER gets the credit of some of the larger metro areas, but it very strong and varied.

Boston is a good call that rarely gets love for being so solid.

NY metro gets too much due to most including Long Island even though some are hours from the city....

Chicago has

Black Sheep
Beverly
Bob O'Link
Butler
Chicago GC
Exmoor
Flossmor (? sp)
Midlothian
Old Elm
Olympia Fields (S & N)
Ravisloe
Shoreacres

Certainly each of these areas were involved in early development of golf.

I'll let the   Philly guys weigh in against the  Chicago guys.  

Maybe you could use some sort of combination of Golfweek and Golf Digest  top courses.

All four metro areas are very deep in number and quality.

[Niall Hay]

Don't sleep on Columbus, Ohio....it NEVER gets the credit of some of the larger metro areas, but it very strong and varied.

Boston is a good call that rarely gets love for being so solid.

NY metro gets too much due to most including Long Island even though some are hours from the city....

[Troy Alderson]

Spokane Washington

4 city municipals all public about $25 per 18holes
3 county course all public about $25 per 18holes
Spokane CC private
Manito G&CC private
Wandamere GC public
Painted Hills, public
Sundown GC public
2 par 3 courses


Coeur d'alene and Post Falls, Idaho

CDA public golf course
Avondale golf club, semi private
Hayden Lake CC, private
CDA resort
Gozzer Ranch, ultra private
The Club at Black Rock, ultra private
The Circling Raven, tribal resort
The Highlands CC public
Pararie Falls gc public
The Links GC public

All within 1 hour of eachc other.  Aside from cold snowy winters, the Spokane/CDA area has a lot of golf and all levels.  There are a lot of other golf courses within an hour and half from each city.

Troy

[PCCraig]

Two of the most underrated?

Milwaukee and Indy.

Milwaukee has MCC, Blue Mound, and a few other nice privates. While offering a public pass for it's county courses for like $20 a year for residents which gets you like $40 rounds at Brown Deer Park. Plus there is Erin Hills and Lawsonia a short drive away.

Indy also has a solid private scene but with a fantastic and affordable public course roster that includes The Fort, Purgatory, Brickyard Crossings, Trophy Club, etc...

[Phil_the_Author]

New York City! It is center to an area that contains the greatest concentration of the world's great golf courses and a huge number of very good to simply outstanding courses, aLL of which are easily played, whether as a member of a private club or on a public course, by those who live there

This more than makes up for it being the WORST city in the US for actual golf courses...

[Matt_Ward]

When you factor cost and overall consistency in terms of quality -- Indy and Denver are two places to beat. This is especially so on the public side of the aisle.

If one is talking strictly private places then the immediate NYC metro area runs rings around the competition.

[Rick Shefchik]

For a mix of both public and private -- with relatively great prices -- you could do a lot worse than Minneapolis-St. Paul. I'm not claiming it's the best, but it shouldn't be overlooked in this discussion, either.

Privates:
White Bear Yacht Club
Interlachen
Minikahda
Hazeltine
Minneapolis Golf Club
Golden Valley Country Club
Woodhill
Somerset
North Oaks
(Those are just the privates with the pedigrees. Starting with Oak Ridge, there are easily another dozen that are great fun to play, well maintained and highly regarded by us locals.)

Public:
StoneRidge
The Wilds
Troy Burne
Rush Creek
Chaska Town Course
Edinburgh
The Legends
The Links at Northfork
The Refuge
Prestwick
Bunker Hills
Baker National
U. of Minn.
Keller
 

[Tim Martin]

New York City! It is center to an area that contains the greatest concentration of the world's great golf courses and a huge number of very good to simply outstanding courses, aLL of which are easily played, whether as a member of a private club or on a public course, by those who live there

This more than makes up for it being the WORST city in the US for actual golf courses...

NYC is number 1. Take Westchester and Nassua counties in New York and Bergen and Essex Counties in New Jersey and go no farther out than 35 miles from the NYC limit and you have a treasure trove of great courses. In addition to the privates of which there are many there are also some good public access courses. Dyker Beach Park in Brooklyn and Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx are both worthy. For the history buffs "Vanny" is the oldest public course in the country. Beth Page State Park is within 30 miles of Queens in Nassua county as well. This does not even include lower Fairfield county in Connecticut of which I believe Greenwich, Stamford and Darien are all within 30 miles of the Bronx.

[Bradley Anderson]

A lot of great golf courses in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area.

[Dan Herrmann]

Philly...

There are courses here that are seldom mentioned that'd be another city's #1.

[Phil McDade]

Plus there is Erin Hills and Lawsonia a short drive away.

Pat:

The uninitiated might be surprised how far Green Lake is from Milwaukee proper. One of the worst things about Lawsonia is that it's not really near anywhere. Of course, one of the best things about Lawsonia is that it's not really near anywhere.

[Steve Lang]

  where ever its in the 70's and sunny.. that means for last week or so it has been Houston! public or private..

[John Foley]

I will throw in the homer vote for Rochester NY

PRIVATES
Oak Hill East & West
CC of Rochester
Monroe
Irondiquoit
Brook Lea
Cobblestone Creek
Stafford

PUBLICS
Ravenwood
Greystone
Bristol Harbour
Mill Creek
Victor Hills

Froma a value basis, it's pretty tough to beat.

[Terry Lavin]

This isn't an easy topic, to be sure, but Boston?  NFW.  That's not even as good as Cleveland and Cleveland trails a number of other cities in this regard.

[Tim Leahy]

San Francisco would be in the top five with two at Olympic, SFCC, Lake Merced, Cal Club, Penninsula, Greenhills, Harding, and the Presidio not to mention the views from Lincoln.

[Ben Sims]

This isn't an easy topic, to be sure, but Boston?  NFW.  That's not even as good as Cleveland and Cleveland trails a number of other cities in this regard.

Terry,

Well as your avatar quote thingy says....

At least you're not in doubt.  But I need some evidence along the lines of a list of great courses both classic and modern.

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