Our Favorite 5

[Paul Richards]

Inspired by the Golfweek article of the same title in the
America's Best issue, I thought this would be an interesting
thread.

Here's my Favorite 5:

1. Pinehurst #2
Not only is a great test of golf, but getting engaged on the
18th green at midnight will always make this place that much more special!

2. Cypress Point
IMHO the best golf course on earth.  Walking the early holes knowing what is coming later, breathing the salt air, and
then coming to the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth -
there's nothing better on earth!  That's why there's Heaven,
there's Cypress Point, and then there's everything else!

3. Pine Valley
It really is all that it is cracked up to be!  Just awesome golf
and in spite of my double-bogey finish on the 18th, I still
shot 80 on my maiden voyage there.  Not bad for a 9!

4. Shinnecock Hills and Winged Foot West
These two courses are so different, but earn the next spot
together on my list.  Both are great championship tests.
While Shinnecock feels like you are playing old-time golf in
Scotland, Winged Foot is just so big and nasty, that it makes
a round there so memorable.

5.  Beverly CC
I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my home course.  Growing up
there as a caddie, and now being fortunate to play it as a
member, there's nothing better!  Ross's genius is evident
when you realize that you could play this course every single
day and still want to come back for more!

[John_Conley]

Seanor had 7 and you have 6.  I thought it was favorite 5.

Mine: (only includes courses I have played)

SAND HILLS

ROYAL COUNTY DOWN - the best I've seen in the British Isles

ONE FLORIDA COURSE - Pine Barrens at World Woods or Jupiter Hills or John's Island's West Course - I'd have to go play them each a few more times and get back to you as to which one I'll pick!  

GOLDEN VALLEY CC - I get to pick one course from the Twin Cities and it nudges out Minneapolis Golf, Interlachen, Minikahda, Somerset, and White Bear Yacht.

EAU CLAIRE CC - Such a list would only be complete if I mentioned an obscure course that I love.  It wins out by a hair over Winona CC.  Ironically, both held their State's Amateur last year.

It was neat to see what the Golfweek guys said.  I'd like to see others add to this thread.  So far only page views.

[THuckaby2]

Haven't seen the GW article - damn I oughtta just go ahead and subscribe.

Anyway, I'll take a stab at this, limiting it again only to courses I've played, and only five.

1. Cypress Point
2. THE National Golf Links of America
3. Cruden Bay, the Scottish "cousin" of NGLA
4. Royal Dornoch
5. Pebble Beach (for sentimental reasons far more than merit - take away the several VERY meaningful rounds I have had there with my Dad and others and another would take its place here - but it won't drop far no matter what).

I reserve the right to change that at any time.  I have a feeling my list is gonna change as this year goes on... And when and if my daughter ever gets enough interest to merit a round on a golf course, said course on which said round occurs immediately vaults to #1, no matter what it is.

TH

[Paul Richards]

Here's my Favorite Five internationally:

1. Royal County Down
2. Royal Dornoch
3. Turnberry (Ailsa)
4. The Old Course, St. Andrews
5. Casa De Campo (Teeth of the Dog)

[Dan Kelly]

I haven't played enough of the great ones, but these five I'd go back to as often as I could -- because they were the most fun:

1. Sand Hills

2. Lahinch

3. North Berwick

4. Highlands Links

5. The Old Course

Contenders: Pebble, Lawsonia

John Conley --

Golden Valley? Really?

I haven't played it. Guess I should search for a way on.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

No order
Pebble, Seminole, Oakmont, Highlands Links, Whistling Straits.

Lots of great ones left..

[Rick Shefchik]

Dan:

Not to contradict John, who after all was only picking favorites, but having played Golden Valley once myself, I'd say the others he mentioned -- Minneapolis Golf Club, Interlachen, Minikahda, Somerset, and White Bear Yacht Club -- are more worthy of the time spent searching for a way on.

I'd also say, after reading John's post, that I've developed a sudden interest in checking out the Eau Claire and Winona CCs.

My own, by the way:

1. The Old Course
2. Sand Hills
3. Interlachen
4. Northland CC
5. Hazeltine

Rick

[Gene Greco]

1. Sand Hills
2. Cruden Bay
3. Cypress Point
4. National Golf Links of America
5. The Old Course

[JohnH]

What the heck.... Oakmont, Cypress Point, Crystal Downs, St. Andrews, and Baltusrol..... to each his own.

[Richard_Goodale]

I could swear I did this on this site no more than a week or two ago.  Is this just a Senior moment?

It is interesting that were I to rise to the bate (sic) again, I probably would not have exactly the same list that I had 10 days ago.  I have too many favorite courses, and too many, too shifting, influences on what favorite means to me.

That being said, it is clear that I absolutely must play Cruden Bay this year or next, if only to re-establish my street cred on this site....

[Mike_Cirba]

Since this is "favorite", and not "best"

1) The Old Course
2) Merion
3) Pine Valley
4) North Berwick/NGLA
5) Muirfield/Maidstone

Ok, I cheated...shoot me

Looking forward to seeing where Sand Hills and Shinnecock fit in here

[Bill_McBride]

Here are my favorite 5, in no particular order....

Pebble Beach
Pasatiempo
Valley Club of Montecito
Oakmont
Pacific Dunes

My want-to-play list is a lot longer.  Now I need to make that East Coast swing and the British Isles trip.  And the Canada trip, and the Midwest trip......

Here's a question:  Tom Doak's Pacific Dunes is a course with classical antecedents and themes.  Which architect's work does it most remind you of?   (Hint on my opinion: check my list and add Meadow Club and the lost Sharp Park Golf Club!)

[Mike_Sweeney]

In no particular order of courses played:

Merion
NLGA
Sand Hills
Maidstone
Yale

[John_Conley]

Dan Kelly & Rick Shefchik:

Rick, when you go to Eau Claire... play the new course at Mill Run and make it a 36-hole day.  I've heard it is nice and can't wait to play.  If you've never played the original Mill Run... it is yet another example of a successful course that never strived to be anything better than below average.  Not a lot of trouble, excellent turf, some pretty flowers, low rates, and voila!  Goldmine.

I've heard the desire to have a "Championship" course behind the original 18 actually caused extensive financial problems for the owners.  Too bad if true, but another example of how tough it is to make a go of it with expensive daily-fee courses.

When at ECCC, don't expect to find a long course.  Probably 6400 yards, par 71.  I think it held up just fine in the 2001 State Am if memory serves.

Dan, Grab the best player at the U of M and include Mike Fermoyle if you work for the St. Paul paper.  Don't tell the kid anything about the holes and ask him what he thought when you get done.  He'll probably talk about "those long par 4s" and how easy it was to bogie the par 3s, even if you hit the green.

What's the catch?  Those long par 4s, if you have a scorecard, are actually 3 par 5s - two of which any good amateur could expect to reach with an iron.  Golden Valley is yet another great course, this one designed by Tillinghast, that has trouble holding up to the length of good players.  At par 73 - with SIX par 5s - it is "gettable", as Tim Herron did with a -8 65 in the second round of the 1992 Minnesota Amateur.  I think he had 34 putts that round.  Hit all 6 par 5s in two and played them 7 under.

Any weaknesses at GVCC?  Yes.  All of the five par 3s play about 165.  The course is bisected by a road in one place, RR tracks in another, and has power lines running across the 6th fairway.  Finally, if you are driving the ball really well you get a sense after about 14 holes that it could really use some meat.  Know #14 at Interlachen?  Not really much of a hole, but at 440, it is long (or at least used to be   ).  And that length comes at just the right place in the round, so it works.  Golden Valley could use a hole like that, but if you thought of it as a par 70 in your mind you'll get the length you need.

Let me know if you like it after you play.  Of all the courses I am familiar with on Golf Digest's Best in State listing, none is more disregarded than Golden Valley - IMHO.

Rick,
Winona is a very good golf course.  Enjoy.  Let me know after you play these.

Birdies and Sunshine!

[ian]

My five:
1. Pinehurst #2
2. Royal Dornock
3. Muirfield
4. Cypress Point
5. Crystal Downs

I hummed and hawed on The Golf Club, Sunningdale, and Gleneagles (I seem to be alone on my love of the Kings Course).

[Tom Doak]

Strictly in alphabetical order:

Cypress Point
National Golf Links
Royal Dornoch
Royal Melbourne (West)
St. Andrews (Old Course)

I suppose this would really be my "ideal" five; there are other courses which I've enjoyed playing just as much as these.

[ed_getka]

Cypress Point
Pasatiempo
Pacific Dunes/Bandon Dunes
Stevinson Ranch
Princeville Prince

[redanman]

in no order of circumstance 5 favorites

-NGLA
Seminole
-Old Course
-Pine Valley
Cypress
Shinnecock
Merion

somewhere in there

[NAF]

My order

1)Cypress Point
2)Sand Hills/Shinnecock
3)Royal County Down
4)Royal Dornoch
5)Swinley Forest

My eclectic 5/Honourable mention
1)Cruden Bay
2)Lahinch
3)Yale
4)Woking
5) Rye

[Darrin]

Having never played a private course, this list may seem laughable to some.....

Favorite 5

1) Pinehurst No. 2
2) Pine Needles
3) Lakewood Shores (Gailes)
4) Pilgrim's Run
5) Clarkston Creek (My home course - a cow pasture,
            but has 18 of the best greens you'll ever play)

[redanman]

Having never played a private course, this list may seem laughable to some.....

Favorite 5

1) Pinehurst No. 2
2) Pine Needles
3) Lakewood Shores (Gailes)
4) Pilgrim's Run
5) Clarkston Creek (My home course - a cow pasture,
            but has 18 of the best greens you'll ever play)

You list made me wonder what you thought of Mid Pines, Darrin.  I always liked it a tad better than Pine Needles, but it is personal taste, perhaps.

Have you had a chance to play Mid Pines also?  I like the pure nature of the routing.

[Evan Fleisher]

Not having had the chance to play many of the "heavy hitters" this group has had access to, my list is also a bit different than the norm...but still prove to be quite fun...

(In no particular order, except alphabetical)

Bethpage State Park Black Course
Chicago Golf Club
Cruden Bay Golf Club
Kapalua Golf Club Plantation Course
North Berwick Golf Club West Links

Man!  That was hard to do!!!  

[Darrin]

redanman:

My one trip to Pinehurst that I've taken (so far!) allowed me enough time to play 3 rounds -- I chose No. 2, No. 8, and Pine Needles.  If I could do it all over again, I would pick Mid-Pines in a heartbeat over No. 8.  I played Pine Needles on my getaway day, and after the round I drove off seething that I didn't play Mid-Pines, too.  (I didn't find No. 8 a terrible course, just not very memorable).  

Incidentally, it was this trip that really piqued my interest in golf course architecture.  I was pleased to find out that Mr. Ross had some local public designs here in SE Michigan; though, frankly Rackham pales QUITE a bit to his best.

Fortunately/Unfortunately(?) my route to and from work takes me right past BOTH Oakland Hills & Franklin Hills Country Clubs.  During early spring/fall when the trees are bare, the views of these courses are magnificent; luckily I have not yet caused any accidents due to gawking.  Can anyone comment on Franklin Hills?  The green complexes look stunning!

[Darrin]

redanman:

My one trip to Pinehurst that I've taken (so far!) allowed me enough time to play 3 rounds -- I chose No. 2, No. 8, and Pine Needles.  If I could do it all over again, I would pick Mid-Pines in a heartbeat over No. 8.  I played Pine Needles on my getaway day, and after the round I drove off seething that I didn't play Mid-Pines, too.  (I didn't find No. 8 a terrible course, just not very memorable).  

Incidentally, it was this trip that really piqued my interest in golf course architecture.  I was pleased to find out that Mr. Ross had some local public designs here in SE Michigan; though, frankly Rackham pales QUITE a bit to his best.

Fortunately/Unfortunately(?) my route to and from work takes me right past BOTH Oakland Hills & Franklin Hills Country Clubs.  During early spring/fall when the trees are bare, the views of these courses are magnificent; luckily I have not yet caused any accidents due to gawking.  Can anyone comment on Franklin Hills?  The green complexes look stunning!

[TEPaul]

Paul Richards:

I was never a big fan of rating and ranking but Cypress is considered by you as the best course on earth but Pinehurst #2 is your favorite? You did explain a bit about your criteria but what weight do you place on getting engaged on Pinehurst's #18 green in ranking and rating criteria?

Would that fall under shot value, conditioning, green contour and interest, the "you know it when you see it" factor or some other X factor? If it's comes under the experience factor, here's my sincere congratulations to you and your affianced and may it be your only experience in this vein, and one that lasts a very good long time!

Dare I ask what your favorite green on earth may be?

Again, many congratulations, that's pretty unique and I think it's great! BTW, did the engagement venue buy you permission to play golf every weekend and all weekend for the rest of your life? If so I might get remarried and guess where?