Golfweek's Top 100 Residential Golf Courses

[Tim_Weiman]

Tom Doak:

I understand Crystal Downs was a housing development. So was Flynn's Country Club in Cleveland. But, both are done with so much class verses something like Muirfield Village, that they deserve to be in a different category.

Not MV. Doug S. is correct. I can't see how that is left off the list of residential courses.

[Daryl "Turboe" Boe]

Wow.....no Ford Plantation???  Or Wachesaw Plantation??  I am not a big residential/golf club fan, but those two plus Old Tabby not being in the top 5 is ludicrous.  This list is obviously an advertisement for some of these properties.  

I do agree with Wade Hampton though.

I concurr on Wachesaw Plantation, but as far as Spring Island Golf Club (Old Tabby) goes or Ogeechee Golf Club (Ford Plantation), I wonder how many people get back into those two places to see them.  Especially Ogeechee, I am amazed by the people that I talk with down in this area that know most of the courses around that have never even heard of it.  And while many have at least heard of Spring Island/Old Tabby, it is not the easiest place to get to, or to get on to.  If you dont know about it, you certainly wouldnever know that there was a golf club there.  So how many people getting out to see it might affect its position.

I guess I need to go back and look through the initial post again (after I am done posting this), but I dont recall seeing any of the Cliffs family of courses either.  Maybe I just wasnt paying close enough attention.  But in  this part of the world Jim Anthony is building quite an empire of nearby communities.  With the opening of the Nicklaus course at Walnut Cove (I am guessing sometime next spring) they will have 4 course communities open, and at least two more in serious planning stages.  I have heard that they have property set aside for 2-3 more after that in this same area.


LATE EDIT TO ABOVE...
I went back an see that the Cliffs at Glassy actually made the list at #97, which is funny, because even though it is the original course they opened, and it gets lots of attention.  I think the other courses are much better golf courses.  The Cliffs course is spectacular, but the Vinyards course is one of the best courses in this area.

[kwl]

I would add the Detroit Golf Club (between 1920 and 1960). It was a pioneer in the development/course combo.

Courses remain nice, Mr. Doak is sprucing up the place...some of the houses could use work.

Maybe a new category...best hidden gem, under 6000 yards, as a part of a housing development? Mr. Klein, the envelope please...DGC-South. Deafening roar.

[Scott_Burroughs]

I think what this list shows is how weak in general the courses on the list really are, when compared to the top non-residential courses, even putting glaring omissions such as MV on the housing list.

I think what may separate some courses from not being on the housing list (such as Pasatiempo) is the fact that the course is still "core" in a sense.  There are no holes there that have housing down both sides (corridor holes).  All housing is on the perimeter of the central golf course property.

[john_stiles]

It would be nice to see the top 100 'advertising' golf courses .........  which all the magazines should be able to come up very easily by looking at their databases.   That list couldn't be posted obviously but would be very interesting !    

For one,  I have not picked up too many golf magazines since, oh about 1993, and not seen ads for the  'Virginian' !
 
It is a nice list but kind of pointless.  If you have that kind of dough,  do you really need a magazine to sway your opinion. The list doesn't do much for me other than dream about getting into one of those places.

Didn't see  'Mountain Air'  on the list but imagine the golf course might not match some of the others while their lot prices, service and other amenties certainly do.  Their advertising is also way up there along with their landing strip.

Regarding one of the Raynor course's on the list....got a wild hair and actually called the Colony last week.  On the phone,  the person mentioned that they were on this list.  I thought   'Oh no, what is going on here ?'   but said    'Oh that's nice'.

I hope the housing at one of my favorites on the list, Cuscowilla, doesn't get out of Harmony with the course.

[Jeff Goldman]

Is the difference between those listed and not listed the fact that the clubs listed are open to anyone buying into the development?  Is that true of Crystal Downs or others not listed?  Do you get a right to join by buying property?

Jeff Goldman

[Tom_Doak]

Jeff - The bylaws of Crystal Downs actually say [or used to, anyway] that you had to be a member to own property ... so, once they got a waiting list, they had to make a special exception so that members who wanted to sell their home to the highest bidder could at least get the buyer into the club!  They may have changed that rule, though.

I don't think the property-vs.-membership rights has anything to do with this list.  Riverfront, for example, is a public golf course within the development.  I think any "development course" was eligible ... they just forgot a few, or now will have to come up with a hair-splitting reason they didn't include Muirfield Village, Harbour Town and a few others.

[A_Clay_Man]

I wouldn't expect a magazine to do this but I would be more interested in all those housing developments that failed.

No one learns much from success, has there ever been a printed constructive evaluation of the failures?