Some folks like a well-heeled crowd within bad-breath distance. For them, Merion
Some folks like a football field in front, that you can still miss, in the cradel of golf. For them, St. Andrews Old
Some folks like their home club and they never leave it. For them, their home club
Some folks like a resort where they spent a wonderful week with their besties. For them, that place
Some folks like a course where they learned the game with a departed ancestor. For them, Nostalgia National
For a nor'easter, playing a desert course for the first time will leave them agape. For a sou'wester, same for a verdant mountain course. For a midAmerica flatlander, hitting a links along the coast is frighteningly fun; for a coastal snob, finding a brilliant opener is Iowa, or the Dakotas, or Indiana, is unexpected.
There is no best opening shot, and it's high time that we stop naming threads in that manner. Instead, how about "Which opening tee shot do you love/leave you gobsmacked and why?"