Inland courses from the GOLF Magazine top 100 list:
Pine Valley, Augusta, Oakmont, Merion, Sand Hills, Royal Melbourne (close to 3 miles), Pinehurst, Winged Foot West, Chicago Golf, Prairie Dunes, SFGC (also close), Kingston Heath, Oakland Hills
Royal Adelaide or Valderrama
Tom,
Other than the flaws in your argument relating to climate and geology that are already acknowledged, the other possible big flaw is that most of the top 100 inland courses you list are probably horrendously over-rated, not under-rated. IMO Kingston Heath should not be one of the world's top 30 courses, Oakmont and Merion should not be entrenched in the top 10, and Royal Adelaide and Valderama have no place near the world's top 100 at present time. Others might throw Oakland Hills, Pinehurst and Winged Foot in to the over-rated category as well.
David,
This is back-assward logic. Arguably Pebble, Turnberry, Fishers, Whistling Straights, Kingsbarns, Diamante, Bandon Dunes, Harbor Town, Kauri Cliffs, Nanea, Waterville, The European Club and Cabo del Sol amongst others wouldn't be quite so highly prized without their proximity to the water. And only a pedant would sincerely claim Pinehurst #2 is overrated at #15...
