New Golf Digest Rankings Are Out...

[Mark Saltzman]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/2015-02/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking

[Michael Moore]

Eagle Point ahead of Laurel Valley !

[Ronald Montesano]

It's messed up a bit. They have two (11) in the first run and no (3) indicating what used to be #3.

[David Stamm]

What a strange,  goofy order. Some real head scratchers there.

[Mac Plumart]

Valley Club!!!

[J_ Crisham]

Rich Harvest and Canyata? Neither would  make my top 10 in Illinois

[Tim Martin]

Like that Digest stole a page out of Golfweek's play book with the second 100 Greatest course list. Certainly provides more fodder for those that want to parse the list(s).

[Will Lozier]

The Golf Club may be the most authentic course of Pete Dye's transition period of design, when he first chose to buck convention and start building lay-of-the-land layouts like those he had seen during a 1963 tour of Scotland. In doing so, Dye re-introduced deception, misdirection and railroad ties into American golf architecture. The Golf Club's construction attracted the attention of local boy Jack Nicklaus, who visited several times and made some astute suggestions. That led to a five-year Dye-Nicklaus design partnership. The Golf Club remained untouched for 45 years, until 2013, when Dye remodeled every hole.

I know Pete significantly redesigned the 5th...but wasn't aware that he did work on every hole?!  Or he didn't.

[Mark Fedeli]

and the first thing people are going to see when they read about the new #1:

"No club has tinkered with its golf course as often or as effectively over the decades as has Augusta National Golf Club, mainly to keep it competitive for the annual Masters Tournament"

fantastic.

[Terry Lavin]

Seth Raynor rocks the list, with three "newbies", Camargo (52), Yeaman's Hall (64) and Shoreacres (99).  Even though the list is Fazio, big-course heavy, I find it interesting that these three all jumped in together this year.  Perhaps the makeup of the raters is changing a bit?

The Second Hundred list has a poison pill for all of the Kingsley Kool-Aid crowd: it slips to 133 from 114 and is still behind Lost Dunes.  Oh, the humanity!

[Tim Martin]

Seth Raynor rocks the list, with three "newbies", Camargo (52), Yeaman's Hall (64) and Shoreacres (99).  Even though the list is Fazio, big-course heavy, I find it interesting that these three all jumped in together this year.  Perhaps the makeup of the raters is changing a bit?

Hard to believe a course like Yale barely gets inside the Top 200 at # 192 especially when you consider some of those that come before it.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mark, Mark, Mark - what have I ever done for you to treat my so disrespectfully? We've never met, but I thought we were friends (at least of the internet variety), and I know that over the years my praise for your excellent course profiles has been consistent, generous and unstinting. And yet - you? This? Now? Not a wonderful and personal sharing of a beloved course you've just played, but instead yet another ranking list, and from Golf Digest of all places? Another list with the same 95 courses that show up year after year after year, with just enough 'change' to engender another in an endless stream of rating threads where posters 'scratch the heads' or (worse) type cryptic 5 word posts suggesting that Golf Club X should be in 47th instead of 49th place. Why? Why, Mark? Listen, please -- we all know that it profith a man nothing to gain the whole world and lose his soul, but for a Golf Digest Ranking?! Ah well, alas, so be it. Carry on, dear friend. I see now that the battle is lost, and that the dark forces have won the war. May the gods of golf have mercy on you....

Peter

[J_ Crisham]

Seth Raynor rocks the list, with three "newbies", Camargo (52), Yeaman's Hall (64) and Shoreacres (99).  Even though the list is Fazio, big-course heavy, I find it interesting that these three all jumped in together this year.  Perhaps the makeup of the raters is changing a bit?

Hard to believe a course like Yale barely gets inside the Top 200 at # 181 especially when you consider some of those that come before it.

Tim,   I've yet to play Yale but have played YHC and SA several times- is Yale superior to them?

[Ruediger Meyer]

Whenever I see a list continually switching top spots it seems to me a PR driven change. They know they'll get a lot of news out of having a new number 1

[Matthew Sander]

Rich Harvest and Canyata? Neither would  make my top 10 in Illinois

They are dropping though...

[Tim Martin]

Seth Raynor rocks the list, with three "newbies", Camargo (52), Yeaman's Hall (64) and Shoreacres (99).  Even though the list is Fazio, big-course heavy, I find it interesting that these three all jumped in together this year.  Perhaps the makeup of the raters is changing a bit?

Hard to believe a course like Yale barely gets inside the Top 200 at # 181 especially when you consider some of those that come before it.

Tim,   I've yet to play Yale but have played YHC and SA several times- is Yale superior to them?

The "those" I referred to certainly didn't include YH and SA. One that jumped out at me in this vein was Stanwich which is 30 slots lower at #161.

[Tim Martin]

Whenever I see a list continually switching top spots it seems to me a PR driven change. They know they'll get a lot of news out of having a new number 1

As far as ANGC I don't think this could be further from the truth. I really think they are pretty secure with their place in the game.

[Mark Fedeli]

As far as ANGC I don't think this could be further from the truth. I really think they are pretty secure with their place in the game.

Tim, I believe he was referring to a PR move by Golf Digest, not Augusta. Same as when they randomly swapped Pebble Beach into the number 1 spot a few years back. a year it was hosting the US Open, if I remember correctly. no coincidence there, i'm sure.

[Jonathan Mallard]

I'm assuming Kingsley is omitted because of an editorial connection?

[Tim Martin]

As far as ANGC I don't think this could be further from the truth. I really think they are pretty secure with their place in the game.

Tim, I believe he was referring to a PR move by Golf Digest, not Augusta. Same as when they randomly swapped Pebble Beach into the number 1 spot a few years back. a year it was hosting the US Open, if I remember correctly. no coincidence there, i'm sure.

Got it. Thanks.

[Bill Crane]

Friends:

I see the Kittansett description (#84) gives credit to Wayne Morrison and Tom Paul for clearly establishing that this wonderful course was designed by William Flynn, and highlights their book on disk -  the “Nature Faker”. 
 
Kittansett is just a super course that deserves to be ranked higher than some of the modern courses by big “name” architects or massive earthmoving project courses.  A number of golden age courses seem under-rated especially Somerset Hills and Plainfield in N J.


Pikewood National ?


Wm Flynnfan

[Bill Seitz]

I'm assuming Kingsley is omitted because of an editorial connection?

It's not omitted.  It just didn't score high enough.  Probably needs more astroturf tee boxes.  

[Jud_T]

and Lawsonia doesn't crack the top 200... Impressive that Shoreacres makes it into the top 100 with the only resistance to scoring grade below 7.  I love this list; it keeps all the bedpost notchers and sticks access whoring and paying up for a lot of courses I have little to no interest in playing.  Just makes the quality/$$ equation all the better for those of us who don't prioritize views, exclusivity, difficulty, fairness and keeping up with the Joneses...

[Greg Tallman]

"While architecture purists scoff at the notion of waterfalls on golf courses, there is something magnificent about a cascading water feature done right."

[Benjamin Litman]

Actually, re: Yale, it fell from 181 to 192. Not quite sure how a course so great, especially after the recent restorations, tree removal, and generally improved upkeep, is ranked so low.