2022 Golfweek Top 100 Public and Best You Can Play State-by-State

[astavrides]

This morning, Golfweek posted their Top 100 Public Courses list on their website. (A couple weeks ago, their Best You Can Play state-by-state list was posted.)


I'll comment now about only one course on the lists.


Hideout GC (Monticello, Utah) at #36 was a head scratcher. I played it for the first time a few days ago. Unfortunately, from a conditioning standpoint, it was almost unplayable. I was told in the pro shop that for the last two seasons they have had almost continuous irrigation system breakages. Consequently, there were many dry patches throughout the course, including the greens, and the grass throughout the course was kept pretty high to keep it from dying. I'm not a good judge of green speeds, but to give a qualitative guess, greens seemed to be stimping at about 4 or 5. This is all unfortunate, and I wish them well with the repairs. They are trying, as some of the tee boxes had been re-sodded. I think the course was well-conditioned before these irrigation system issues.


I can't say the conditions had no bearing on my evaluation of the architecture, but many of the holes seemed to me to be too narrow. Target-like in general, and if you don't hit your target exactly, you can't get a line on where the shot would end up because of surrounding foliage from the tee. According to the search function on this site, there hasn't been much discussion lately about this course, but earlier reviews, while mostly positive yet qualified, kind of support my opinion.


Not sure how anyone could say that this is a better course than Sand Hollow, which it is ranked above.


Hideout is ~ 5 hours from Albuquerque and Salt Lake City, but is only an hour away from Arches NP and 90 minutes from Canyonlands NP.

[Edward Glidewell]

The lists have had issues like that for a long time on the state by state lists. The North Carolina list includes Tiger's Eye and Leopard's Chase, and has for years -- both of those courses (and the other two at the complex) have been essentially unplayable for at least 5 years. Greens with barely any grass, weeds growing in the middle of fairways, etc.


Even if the conditions were good I'm not sure either would belong on a top 15 public course list in NC, but they certainly don't in their current state.

[astavrides]

The lists have had issues like that for a long time on the state by state lists. The North Carolina list includes Tiger's Eye and Leopard's Chase, and has for years -- both of those courses (and the other two at the complex) have been essentially unplayable for at least 5 years. Greens with barely any grass, weeds growing in the middle of fairways, etc.


Even if the conditions were good I'm not sure either would belong on a top 15 public course list in NC, but they certainly don't in their current state.

Thanks for the heads up on those courses. Sounds like longstanding problems, and a flaw with the Golfweek rating system that those haven't been expunged from the list.
I was trying to do the same heads-up with Hideout. Probably best to wait or call ahead before anyone makes that trip.

[Kalen Braley]

Alex,

I played it years ago, when it was in good shape, and I have it as a DS 4 on my personal list.  Its a fun little course, with a few really cool holes, but I'm not sure its even a top 10 public in Utah, much less to be on that list.

P.S. Wine Valley which is below it at 46, I have as a DS 8.

[John Kavanaugh]

I thought the architect hosted a “rater” outing at the Hideout. I remember great things from the peanut gallery.

[Garland Bayley]

Since I have played Hideout, I guess I don't need to bother with US Open course Torrey Pines South as it ranks lower.

[Richard Hetzel]

I played Hideout GC 5 years ago, it was in awesome condition, I do agree on some narrow holes there, but it was an enjoyable round of golf. I don't really care a whole lot about conditioning as long as the greens are well kept to be honest. Heck I chose to play Stryker GC (NC - Fort Bragg) back in March and the fairways were almost all sand. Not that Stryker is gonna make any must play lists, but it is a Ross, so I had to play it once. It probably won't be around that much longer by the way the MWR people are taking care (or not) of the course.


Here are few pics from my round at Hideout. Like I said, it was in great shape and a very enjoyable round. In fact, I had the course to myself!