Best 18 Holes Built Since 2000 (in America)

[Tom_Doak]

Ron Whitten and Derek Duncan at GOLF DIGEST offer their own eclectic.  Must be a go to for editors when there is no golf being played!


They somehow chose ten holes that were not nominated in our own process! But I do like their choices for the best holes from David Kidd, Bill Coore and Jeff Brauer, more than our consensus picks.

[James Brown]

Yes, very weird.  Like they were avoiding something.

[Garland Bayley]

Yes, very weird.  Like they were avoiding something.

Avoiding making it public?

[Tom_Doak]

Avoiding making it public?

It's published in "issue 8" [which used to be called August, but they are now non-committal], which just hit my mailbox yesterday.  No sign of it on their web site yet, so I can't link to it.  And I hate to copy and paste copyrighted info.


Just to give a flavor, though, the finishing holes are:


15th at Four Mile Ranch, CO [Engh]
16th at Bayonne [Bergstol]
17th at Brooksville, FL [Weed]
18th at McLemore [Rees Jones / Bergin]


The holes I referred to earlier were


2nd at Gamble Sands [Kidd]
10th at Friars Head [Coore and Crenshaw]
13th at Giant's Ridge Quarry [Brauer]


Fun fact:  they managed to use no holes from any of Mike Keiser's courses

[Bill Seitz]

Yes, very weird.  Like they were avoiding something.

Avoiding making it public?

I saw a link on twitter a day or two ago.
https://reader.golfdigest.com/2020/07/16/americas-best-18-holes-since-2000/content.html


I obviously love their choice for the first hole, but not sure I wouldn't have chose one the architect's other openers.

[Garland Bayley]

Thanks Bill.

[jeffwarne]

Goodness...


Not sure if the hole itself or the comentary about the "Cape" hole are worse.
Challenge the longer carry right side for...a longer shot with trees blocking it.

[Bill Seitz]

Goodness...


Not sure if the hole itself or the comentary about the "Cape" hole are worse.
Challenge the longer carry right side for...a longer shot with trees blocking it.

I can't speak to many of the others, but the commentary for the first at Kingsley leaves a bit to be desired.


"Do we play up the narrow right side? Can we reach the crest? Or do we aim at the wider left side, at the risk of rolling down into the trees? Or do we split the difference and try to carry over that frightful field of pits?"


First of all, the right side is actually pretty wide, and much wider than the left, and not canted, as the left side is (right to left).  The left side slopes pretty hard right to left, making it effectively narrower.  Also, the trees on the left are WAY left, so if you're rolling into the trees, had to really yank it.  There's a lot of rough between the left edge of the fairway and the trees.  At least the fact that both are viable options is correct.  But right is almost always the play given the width, and it's a good miss if you're trying to go over the bunkers.  For me, left is a better option when a) you're into a headwind, or b) you're on your second or third round of the day and you don't want to walk up the hill anymore.

[Kyle Harris]

The 17th at Brooksville isn't even the best hole (or Par-3) on that nine.

Also, that was a nice secret we once had Golf Digest.

[Joe Bausch]

The 17th at Brooksville isn't even the best hole (or Par-3) on that nine.

Also, that was a nice secret we once had Golf Digest.

That choice surprised me.  Fine hole, but others there are so much better.

[Stewart Abramson]

The 17th at Brooksville isn't even the best hole (or Par-3) on that nine.

Here are both par threes from that nine.   [size=78%]https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157642766559233/with/50224419503/[/size] Brooksville CC PIx



Brooksville CC #14 par 3 - 199 yards zoomed





Brooksville CC #17 par 3 - 146 yards zoomed