Golf Magazine just published a list of the best 45 courses built in the last 45 years (to coincide with their 45th anniversary):

By GARY GALYEAN
Contributing Writer, GOLF MAGAZINE

1. Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 1995
The architects' minimalist approach dispelled the notion that all the great golf sites are seaside and/or taken. Sand Hills opened minds as to what remote places might yield.
2. Harbour Town
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus, 1969
The low profile, small greens and coastal setting heralded the move from Robert Trent Jones's old, bold designs to Dye's linkslike style, igniting a new wave of design.
3. Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Robert Trent Jones, 1966
Trent Jones's melding of Pine Valley-like heathland to Augusta-like parkland included ice plant, sand, pines and strategic dilemma. The first five holes presaged the naturalism others would expand on 20 years later.
4. Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak, 2001
Six years after Sand Hills debuted, Doak found linksland elements on the coast of Oregon and used them to extraordinary advantage.
5. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974
One of the great routings. Strategic questions are repeatedly asked and answers demanded by sublime use of topography, sand and water.
6. Ocean Forest
Sea Island, Ga.
Rees Jones, 1995
American linksland framed by ocean, river, oak and pine. Its .excellence is a testament to Jones's knowing when to leave well enough alone.
7. TPC at Sawgrass (Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
P. Dye, 1981
At first reviled, now revered, the Stadium Course raised the bar, and Dye became golf's Jackson Pollock.
8. Hazeltine National
Chaska, Minn.
R.T. Jones, 1962
The site of Rich Beem's unlikely Tiger-taming in 2002 earned acclaim after Rees Jones's 1998 redesign of his father's poorly received original.
9. Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
P. Dye, 1991
A juiced-up Harbour Town, the Ocean Course wowed the world at the 1991 Ryder Cup. Dye's recent tweaks have brought renewed praise.
10. Briar's Creek
Johns Island, S.C.
Rees Jones, 2002
An intuitive, coastal design with great shot values. Magnificently camouflaged by wind, marsh, sand and scenery.
11. Forest Highlands
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish, 1988
The advantages of altitude are cleverly neutralized.
12. Wade Hampton
Cashiers, N.C.
Tom Fazio, 1987
Masterly sculpting of unforgiving terrain.
13. The Honors Course
Ooltewah, Tenn.
P. Dye, 1983
A Dye-polar design: sometimes subtle, sometimes overwhelming.
14. The Golf Club
New Albany, Ohio.
P. Dye, 1967
Elevates short holes -- a Dye staple -- to high art.
15. Pete Dye Golf Club
Bridgeport, W.Va.
P. Dye, 1995
Impressively centered around an abandoned coal mine.
16. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
David Kidd, 1999
Without Bandon Dunes there would be no Pacific Dunes.
17. Desert Forest
Carefree, Ariz.
Red Lawrence, 1962
The original in the Arizona desert; perfect natural contours.
18. Mauna Kea
Kohala Coast, Hawaii.
R.T. Jones, 1964
World-class golf on a bed of ancient lava flow.
19. Cascata
Boulder City, Nev.
Rees Jones, 2000
Overshadows all others on Nevada scene; endless desert views.
20. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis.
P. Dye, 1998
Ireland in Wisconsin. Dye spared no effort or material.
21. Atlantic
Bridgehampton, N.Y.
Rees Jones, 1992
In the company of nearby greats, a daunting examination.
22. World Woods (Pine Barrens)
Brooksville, Fla.
T. Fazio, 1993
Pine Valley on Florida's west coast.
23. Long Cove Hilton
Head Island, S.C.
P. Dye, 1981
Dye softens his work for the club player -- a touch.
24. Black Diamond (Quarry)
Lecanto, Fla.
T. Fazio, 1987
An abandoned stone quarry became an unlikely golf setting.
25. Double Eagle
Galena, Ohio
Weiskopf/Morrish, 1991
This revived the alternate-route hole; superior bunkering.
26. Blackwolf Run (River)
Kohler, Wis.
P. Dye, 1988
The architect's use of a winding river is rare and enticing.
27. Nantucket GC
Siaconset, Mass.
Rees Jones, 1997
Firm turf and open-access greens; a return of the ground game.
28. Crooked Stick
Carmel, Ind.
P. Dye, 1964
Perhaps Dye's best early work; just ask John Daly, who made his name here.
29. The Dunes
New Buffalo, Mich.
Tim Nugent, 1991
A nine-green, multiple-tee masterpiece.
30. Shadow Creek
North Las Vegas, Nev.
T. Fazio, 1989
A matchless landscaping illusion.
31. Laurel Valley
Ligonier, Pa.
Dick Wilson, 1959
Technically succinct, harmonic and still a great test.
32. Bellerive Creve
Coeur, Mo.
R.T. Jones, 1959
Acknowledged the need to thwart modern players' length.
33. Champions (Cypress Creek)
Houston, Texas
Ralph Plummer, 1959
Lives up to its name by hosting big events.
34. PGA West (Stadium)
La Quinta, Calif.
P. Dye, 1986
Hyperbolic, soap operatic drama for players at all levels.
35. Redstick
Vero Beach, Fla.
Rees Jones, 2000
A subtle, linksland silhouette demanding tactical excellence.
36. Point O'Woods
Enton Harbor, Mich.
R.T. Jones, 1960
Demonstrates the designer's continuing relevance.
37. Metedeconk National
Jackson, N.J.
R.T. Jones, 1987
A heathland design using fescue and wetlands to punish errant shots. The essence of Jones's long, penal style.
38. Jupiter Hills (Hills)
Tequesta, Fla.
George Fazio, 1970
Like Seminole, wisely uses the state's east coast sand ridge.
39. Bay Hill (Challenger/Champion)
Orlando, Fla.
D. Wilson, 1961
Rewards smart strategy and cracks down on impatience with numerous bunkers.
40. Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
Gainesville, Va.
R.T. Jones/Roger Rulewich, 1991
Beautifully sited and a .masterpiece of strategic bunkering.
41. Greenville (Chanticleer)
Greenville, S.C.
R.T. Jones/Joe Lee, 1970
A river-bottom site wrought in the old style with well-employed streams, lakes and elevation changes.
42. Shoal Creek
Birmingham, Ala.
Nicklaus, 1976
Shoal Creek showed an understated Nicklaus at work.
43. Cog Hill (No. 4)
Lemont, Ill.
D. Wilson/J. Lee, 1964
Rightly hailed as one of our foremost public courses.
44. Sahalee (North/South)
Sammamish, Wash.
Ted Robinson, 1969; Rees Jones, 1996
A superb driving course.
45. Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow)
North Plains, Ore.
Bob Cupp/John Fought, 1992
A worthy championship venue.

One comparison jumps out at me immediately: Spyglass over Pacific Dunes.

I've played Spyglass, but not PD. For those who've played both: can Spyglass really be a better course than Pacific Dunes?

Did Rees Jones compile this list?

Red Stick? It's not even the best post-1959 course in its own town.  

SPDB

Why don't you compile your own list if you have a problem with Rees getting some accolades?  How many of the forty-five have you played?  

HBH

I see absolutely nothing wrong with SPBD's comments. The point of this discussion group is just that, right? To have discussions on Golf Course Architecture. To talk/argue/give your opinions on what you like and what you don't like. If I or anyone else put out their personal top 45 or top 450, I'd expect you and everyone else would want to know why, or what made me like ABC C.C. over XYZ C.C.

A top 45 list comes out by a golf writer and people want to discuss it.

Briar's over Bandon??  Is there anybody, and I mean anybody out there who has played both courses that would rank the experience and course at Briars over Kidd's Bandon??  

IMO Sahalee is a stretch too.

JC

On a more positive note/thought, where would the last half century of golf course architecture have gone without Pete Dye?  Not only has he produced an incredible body of work, but his legacy will endure with the great current architects that trained under him.


Cheers,
Brad Swanson

Brad - I agree. As impressive as his corpus is, i'm not sure he is entitled to ~25% of the list. Are you?

Geoffrey:

I have played the majority of the courses on this list, and IN MY OPINION, Briars Creek is not even close to belonging among the top 45. If I wanted to take the time, I could list a lot more than 45 "modern" courses (that I have played) that are better. However, it probably is still better than Pinehurst #8, which appears on your list.

Jim

This trash came out a month ago.  Why are we discussing it now? The guy should be embarassed. Was he in Rees Jones' payroll or something? Does he not travel much?

No Cuscowilla? No mention of Cuscowilla as being list-worthy?

TimT

Geoffrey:

I did not mean to suggest that Briars Creek and Pinehurst #8 are not good courses. They both are pretty good. Just not among the top 45 or even top 100 courses built in the past 45 years. Actually, I just jotted down a list of 20 Fazio courses that I have played that I rate ahead of #8. Most of them aren't in the top 45 either. Remember, there have been something like 12,000 courses built during those years. It is no shame not to be listed among the top 45, 100, or 200. That would be like saying your kid is stupid because he couldn't get into Harvard.

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