The first list

[Anthony Gray]

 When was the first course ranking published?What courses were on top?

 Anthony

[Sean_A]

This must be an early candidate.  Even if it isn't the first, this list is incredibly interesting.  I dare say this list goes a long way to explaining a great many courses which we still see on top 100 lists.  

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/tom-macwood-the-worlds-finest-courses

Ciao

[PThomas]

Golf Digest's first ranking ws in 1966...it was of America's 200 toughest courses

[Adam Clayman]

I guess 1939

[Cristian]

This must be an early candidate.  Even if it isn't the first, this list is incredibly interesting.  I dare say this list goes a long way to explaining a great many courses which we still see on top 100 lists.  

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/tom-macwood-the-worlds-finest-courses

Ciao

It's interesting how poor soil and/or tree growth management and poorer maintenance and presentation have pushed many courses, especially in mainland europe down the list, both in relative and in absolute terms.

[Garland Bayley]

Well we know that Joshua Crane, MacKenzie, and Behr were arguing about what made a good course quite early. Joshua Crane came up with a rating system that could be somewhat objectively applied and compared the result to existing published ratings. That would be before the 1939 date Adam suggested.

See Bob Crosby's IMO piece.

[Tom_Doak]

GOLF ILLUSTRATED (U.S.) did a series on the great courses in the mid 1920's ... they did not say they were ranking the great courses in order, but it started with National Golf Links, Pine Valley, and Lido.  I think they did 8-10 in all.