Bear's Best....vs. XYZ's Best

[Matt_Cohn]

The Asian Tour is playing at a Bear's Best this week and I think I recognized one or two holes. One of them was #7 at Muirfield Village, the plain-ish looking par 5. Kind of a random choice. I looked up a couple of other Bear's Bests and it was the same thing. Random holes from PGA West, maybe Loxahatchee? I don't know. Not exactly iconic holes.


What architect would have the most recognizable holes on a Bear's Best-style course? Obviously Macdonald/Raynor would be good, since many of their courses used that concept anyway.


RTJ's Best: 16 at Oakland Hills, 16 at Firestone, 13(?) at The Dunes, 4 at Baltusrol (lots of ponds), 4 at Spyglass...how many more truly recognizable holes?


Fazio's Best:  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  (I tend to enjoy Fazio courses but I don't know what hole designs would be utilized.)

Dye's Best: 16-18 at Sawgrass, 18 Harbour Town, 16 PGA West...how many other holes that a decent percentage of golfers would actually know?

I know all these folks have done plenty of good holes, but who has more than 4 or 5 with widespread recognition amongst even avid golfers?   

[Jim Sherma]

Easy answer. The Good Doctor's Best, better known as the back nine at Augusta. The best known 9 in golf.

[Jeff Schley]

My humble Donald Ross submissions:

Beverly CC - 6th hole, 190yd. par 3 (wonderful bunker work)

Plainfield CC - 11th hole, 145 yd. par 3 (what a green!)
Plainfield CC - 16th hole, 580 yd. par 5 (again what a green)

Essex County Club - 11th hole, 180 yd. par 3 (uphill and don't miss left)
Essex CC - 17th, 330 yd. par 4 UPHILL and I mean in a huge way
Essex CC - 18th, 410 yd. par 4 DOWNHILL as much as 17 is uphill.

Pinehurst No. 2 - 5th, 576 yd. par 5 (played as par 4 in majors)
Pinehurst No. 2 - 18th, 451 yd. par 4 (beautiful hole with a major on the line)

Those are the iconic Ross courses I have played, obviously there are others which will make the list but limiting it to my experience.

[astavrides]

I tried to find a list of the holes/replicas online for Bear's Best Cheongna, but could not (I don't read Korean, which may or may not have helped). Did the announcers even mention these were replicas or say which holes they were replicating? Maybe legally they couldn't do so, or maybe they figured no one would care.

[cary lichtenstein]

Pebble Beach
7,8,17,18

[Philip Caccamise]

We of course have a version Stateside... Bear's Best Las Vegas.

It's a bizarre hodgepodge of holes which have no flow and very little excitement. About the only thing interesting to me was seeing the black slag bunkers from Old Works. I cannot recommend it in any way.

[Daryl David]

There is one in Atlanta also. Equally uninspiring.