What are the best most expensive golf courses?

[Alex Miller]

Generally it seems that the lower the cost to build a golf course, the better the golf course is. That's likely because the land is more suitable for a course and the architect was able to use the lay of the land to the fullest. Property value obviously has a huge impact on overall cost to the project, but the construction of some courses has been REALLY expensive.

What are the exceptions to this rule (if it is a rule, which it may or may not be)? Was it worth the cost, and why?

I'll offer up Shadow Creek. Although I have only seen pictures it is widely praised and the cost was enormous. Others?

[Mark Saltzman]

I suspect courses like Gozzer Ranch and Mountaintop cost a lot of money to build and both are among GD's 100 greatest.

[Emile Bonfiglio]

Liberty National

[Peter Ferlicca]

The Club at Black Rock-  Waterfalls everywhere and shaping galore.  Don't like the course, but others do

Trump National- I hate it but cost somewhere like 250 million

[Alex Miller]

Liberty National

Oooh oooh! Bayonne!

Can anybody compare and contrast Shadow Creek and Bayonne? They seem like compliments to each other. One dug out of the desert and one built on reclaimed lands.


Peter,

Do you mean Trump LA? I said BEST most expensive. 

[Howard Riefs]

Sebonack at ~$100 million

[Chris Roselle]

Liberty National

Oooh oooh! Bayonne!

Can anybody compare and contrast Shadow Creek and Bayonne? They seem like compliments to each other. One dug out of the desert and one built on reclaimed lands.


Peter,

Do you mean Trump LA? I said BEST most expensive. 

Trump LA might be the HARDEST most expensive that I have ever played.

[John Ezekowitz]

I am pretty sure Cornerstone, the Greg Norman course near Telluride, was fairly expensive to make. This is based on just looking at the property/routing and the way they had to run some of the cart paths. Anyone have more information?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Yale

[Steve Burrows]

I recall reading that Riviera cost astronomically more than most others at the time of construction.

[Mark Bourgeois]

I recall reading that Riviera cost astronomically more than most others at the time of construction.

Wasn't that just the clubhouse?

[Steve Burrows]

I recall reading that Riviera cost astronomically more than most others at the time of construction.

Wasn't that just the clubhouse?

You might be right, though the club website suggests that it was an incredibly expensive golf course irrespective of the clubhouse.

http://www.therivieracountryclub.com/html/history.cfm?history_ID=2.  

If no one beats me to it, I'll check the club history book when I get home tonight and see if says anything more specific.

[Paul Jones]

I have no clue on how much Whistling Straits cost, but I heard it was a flat piece of land.

[Alex Miller]

Original post ammended to satisfy my curiosities. 

[Jeb Bearer]

Wasn't Banff one of the most expensive courses ever at the time?

[Carl Nichols]

Sebonack at ~$100 million

That includes the cost to acquire the land, I assume?  If I were Alex, I'd assume away that cost in my question.

[archie_struthers]

 

Two that could qualify , Trump National Scotland.  (Have not played ).     

Cascata.    Las Vegas.     Have played

[Mac Plumart]

Lido

[Sam Morrow]

Didn't Fallen Oak cost something like 40 million? In Mississippi that's a pretty impressive number.

[Jim Colton]

Yale

[Jim Nugent]

Ferry Point in the Bronx.  Still not finished, NYT says will cost $97 million to complete.

[Tom_Doak]

Yale and Banff and Lido were the three old-time courses that were always talked about as having been enormously expensive to build.

In the past decade or two, expensive has been the rule and not the exception.  Every course built out West that was sand-capped was very expensive.

Sebonack was a hugely expensive project ($100 million plus), though 40% of that was the land acquisition, and a bunch more went into the clubhouse and cottages.  The golf course also cost way more than it should have, due to paying two designers and making expensive environmental promises and building things the most expensive way possible -- and, on top of all that, because it was in the Hamptons and you pay double for everything out there.  But, even with all that, there are modern golf courses that cost twice as much to build as Sebonack.

P.S.  You are just talking U.S. here.  Pretty much every course built in Korea in the last twenty years, and in Japan in the 80's and 90's, cost $40 million or more to build.  I just don't know that any of those count as "best".

[jeffwarne]

Yale and Banff and Lido were the three old-time courses that were always talked about as having been enormously expensive to build.

In the past decade or two, expensive has been the rule and not the exception.  Every course built out West that was sand-capped was very expensive.

Sebonack was a hugely expensive project ($100 million plus), though 40% of that was the land acquisition, and a bunch more went into the clubhouse and cottages.  The golf course also cost way more than it should have, due to paying two designers and making expensive environmental promises and building things the most expensive way possible -- and, on top of all that, because it was in the Hamptons and you pay double for everything out there.  But, even with all that, there are modern golf courses that cost twice as much to build as Sebonack.

P.S.  You are just talking U.S. here.  Pretty much every course built in Korea in the last twenty years, and in Japan in the 80's and 90's, cost $40 million or more to build.  I just don't know that any of those count as "best".

Tom,
Can you elaborate on which golf courses cost $200 million to build?
In the US?
wow

[Anthony Butler]

Yale and Banff and Lido were the three old-time courses that were always talked about as having been enormously expensive to build.

In the past decade or two, expensive has been the rule and not the exception.  Every course built out West that was sand-capped was very expensive.

Sebonack was a hugely expensive project ($100 million plus), though 40% of that was the land acquisition, and a bunch more went into the clubhouse and cottages.  The golf course also cost way more than it should have, due to paying two designers and making expensive environmental promises and building things the most expensive way possible -- and, on top of all that, because it was in the Hamptons and you pay double for everything out there.  But, even with all that, there are modern golf courses that cost twice as much to build as Sebonack.

P.S.  You are just talking U.S. here.  Pretty much every course built in Korea in the last twenty years, and in Japan in the 80's and 90's, cost $40 million or more to build.  I just don't know that any of those count as "best".

Nine Bridges on that Island off Korea and the Mission Hills courses in China..

The Cut in Western Australia was pretty expensive for that part of the world. Of course, we should mention Ellerston, where Greg Norman was given an unlimited budget yet somehow exceeded it.

And let's not forget Pine Valley which bankrupted the owner George Crump and pushed him to commit suicide... Speaking of which, Tom,  is it possible you might be able to talk to Gil Hanse before he starts in on Doral?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Anthony Butler,

Have you ever met or had any personal dealings with Donald Trump ?

Why do you suppose Mr Hawtree agreed to do the second course for him  in Scotland ?