Golf Magazine US Top 100

[Joel_Stewart]

Olympic Club hits a new low falling to 54.


St Louis CC is a new addition at 78. The club hasn't addressed its tree problem and it's rough lines are terrible so it's a bit of a surprise.


Glad to see Hollywood make the list at 83.

[JC Jones]

I'm thinking back to the first time I visited Somerset Hills, in 1980.  If you'd told me it would one day be ranked 23rd in America I'd have laughed.


To be clear:  I love the course, but these lists are starting to get silly.

Interesting that 2 new members to the panel and one longtime member who is a NJ person would take issue with your comment as if you arent permitted to have your own subjective opinion on the course, its ranking, and the list, generally.


I think there are some silly things about this list. 


Almost 50% of the courses would be considered to be in the Northeast and only 18 courses are public.

JC,


No issue with his comments on the ranking - more on the ‘starting’ to get silly as if this list is inherently more or less silly than any other. Curious if he thinks the lists are getting more silly - why. That’s all. I’m all for differing opinions.

I agree.  They are ALL silly!

[Dan_Callahan]

I think Old Sandwich is a great course. Absolutely one of the best in New England. However, I would not rank it higher than Kittansett, Essex and Newport. I wouldn't rank it higher than Boston Golf Club, which didn't even make the list.

[Michael Pelliccione]

I'm thinking back to the first time I visited Somerset Hills, in 1980.  If you'd told me it would one day be ranked 23rd in America I'd have laughed.


To be clear:  I love the course, but these lists are starting to get silly.

Interesting that 2 new members to the panel and one longtime member who is a NJ person would take issue with your comment as if you arent permitted to have your own subjective opinion on the course, its ranking, and the list, generally.


I think there are some silly things about this list. 


Almost 50% of the courses would be considered to be in the Northeast and only 18 courses are public.

JC, being "new" doesn't make us less qualified to point out a flaw statement.  I don't take offense to when people back up their comments with valid reasoning.  Golf rankings are subjective as can be.   To "laugh" at some clubs hard work, dedication and desire to get better over +40 year period only get to rewarded at #23 isn’t “silly.”   Would expect better that’s all! 

[Mark_Fine]

How can the list be credible if Lehigh CC isn’t on it 


Maybe they should list the courses alphabetically?  But then there would be less to argue about and that would defeat one of the main purposes of these rankings!


Use them to learn about a few courses you might not have played and then go play them and see what you think.  That is what I do. 


And by the way, even someone like Ron Whitten would tell you that his own Top 100 list is very different from Golf Digest’s.  He would also probably tell you that is own list is the best     Of course he would be wrong because my list is the correct one 

[Jimmy Muratt]

I think Old Sandwich is a great course. Absolutely one of the best in New England. However, I would not rank it higher than Kittansett, Essex and Newport. I wouldn't rank it higher than Boston Golf Club, which didn't even make the list.

The Old Sandwich vs Boston GC is an interesting debate which has gone on since they both opened.   I'm a big fan of both courses and think they are both worthy of top 100 status.   They are quite different, however.   I find the greens and green surrounds at Old Sandwich to be some of C&C's best.   The greens are the true defense of the course as it's pretty open off of the tee.   In my opinion, Boston GC is definitely more demanding.   You can easily make a big number on a number of holes.  I enjoy that test and sense of reward when you play well there.   Some knock the 18th hole as a par 3 finisher but I have no issue with that, especially for a private club.

I would give the edge to OS but BGC is certainly deserving to be in the top 100.

[JC Jones]

I'm thinking back to the first time I visited Somerset Hills, in 1980.  If you'd told me it would one day be ranked 23rd in America I'd have laughed.


To be clear:  I love the course, but these lists are starting to get silly.

Interesting that 2 new members to the panel and one longtime member who is a NJ person would take issue with your comment as if you arent permitted to have your own subjective opinion on the course, its ranking, and the list, generally.


I think there are some silly things about this list. 


Almost 50% of the courses would be considered to be in the Northeast and only 18 courses are public.

JC, being "new" doesn't make us less qualified to point out a flaw statement.  I don't take offense to when people back up their comments with valid reasoning.  Golf rankings are subjective as can be.   To "laugh" at some clubs hard work, dedication and desire to get better over +40 year period only get to rewarded at #23 isn’t “silly.”   Would expect better that’s all! 

I absolutely was not talking about your qualifications.  You've seen a bunch, no doubt youre qualified.  I was speaking more to the palace intrigue.


All accounts have Somerset Hills as fantastic.

[William_G]

No Yale love on this list?
Yale>>>>SH

Perhaps the university should realize what an architectural gem they have and actually take some of their $30 billion endowment to take care of the course.  Having just reopened from nearly a year being closed doesn't leave it in the best spot to make a case to be in the top 100.   Go play Yale in it's current state and play Sleepy Hollow and let's then see if you feel the same.

conditioning eh?
down that hole again
nice Estate/Clubhouse at SH for sure

[JC Jones]

The primary problem with the GOLF Magazine US Top 100 is that it is NOT a collection of the 100 best courses in the United States.  Much of that has to do with systemic issues that can be classified as both unique and not unique to the GOLF magazine panel.

[Mark_Fine]

JC,
What does the list represent?  I think it is a nice list of exceptional golf courses.  I don't particularly care about the order they are placed in. 

[Kyle Casella]

I think Old Sandwich is a great course. Absolutely one of the best in New England. However, I would not rank it higher than Kittansett, Essex and Newport. I wouldn't rank it higher than Boston Golf Club, which didn't even make the list.

The "order" in which the New England courses fall is quite interesting to me. Possibly worth it's own thread, but I agree with you. I love Eastward Ho!...it's one of the most fun golf courses I have ever seen and the setting is otherworldly but I am scratching my head a little bit here with how it falls in relation to the other courses in the region. The absence of BGC is criminal.

[Andrew Harvie]

Nothing against Pinehurst No. 4 but it's not a Top 100 golf course in the US.

[JC Jones]

JC,
What does the list represent?  I think it is a nice list of exceptional golf courses.  I don't particularly care about the order they are placed in.

Its a list generated by a primarily closed and myopic feedback loop with very few disruptions, even fewer of which (due to its construct) that can be internalized.

[William_G]

Nothing against Pinehurst No. 4 but it's not a Top 100 golf course in the US.

no doubt

[Adam G]

Could not agree more. It's my favorite in New England. I get that people can disagree about the ordering -- but having TCC, Myopia, Old Sandwich, Eastward Ho, Kittanesett, and Essex all above 64 and BGC nowhere to be found is totally baffling.

The absence of BGC is criminal.

[Sean Leary]

Gamble Sands making it is a surprise to me, despite being a huge fan...Just don't think there is enough interest in and around the greens to make a list like this, but that's just me..


I'm trying to figure out which old stand bys didn't make the list....

[George Smiltins]

The panel for the world top 100 is listed here. Is this the same group doing the top 100 USA? Maybe they added some more US based individuals and took out the non-US folks?

https://golf.com/travel/meet-golfs-top-100-course-raters/


Either way, with such a small number of panelists (and not all of them are on the road actively seeing courses the majority of the year) there are certainly going to be a few that slip through the cracks. According to his IG account, Lukas Michel is currently tearing through the US in his gap between the US open and the Masters but I don't think this is the norm. I'm going to guess and say there is a chance Ashley Mayo and Chick Wagner haven't played Boston Golf Club.   

[Brent Carlson]

That's a nice jump for Inverness, all the way up to #33.

[William_G]

love Gamble Sands, great job by DMK

[Mark_Fine]

George,
I know Chick Wagner well, played a far amount of golf with him.  He has played everywhere.  I would be surprised if he didn't play BGC. 

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

Nothing against Pinehurst No. 4 but it's not a Top 100 golf course in the US.

no doubt

I third.


Nice move by St. Louis CC. I was there last week and they've cleared out a lot of treed areas. Not sure how recently Joel was there but its getting better, though more could be removed. Other than Greenbrier, is there another American CB MacDonald original left off the list? Cant think of one


I'm surprised Cedar Rapids didn't make the cut

[Ira Fishman]

I am not sure who is on the panel for the US rankings, but it would be fun to see each panelist's rankings. It would not tax the website in the least.


Ira

[corey miller]

Rankings and Club Affiliations.

[Joe Zucker]

I'll agree with the comments for Pinehurst #4 and Gamble Sands.  Both great courses, but hard to see them as top 100.  The one that stands out for me is Moraine.  It is a great course and looks beautiful, but I found the greens to lack interest and internal contours to be considered this great. 

[Ira Fishman]

I'll agree with the comments for Pinehurst #4 and Gamble Sands.  Both great courses, but hard to see them as top 100.  The one that stands out for me is Moraine.  It is a great course and looks beautiful, but I found the greens to lack interest and internal contours to be considered this great.

If PH4 were not located at Pinehurst, it would be viewed as a very good but not great resort course.


Ira