[Daryl David]

I know this special upscale version of the magazine has been discussed before, but I noticed the fall issue just released includes a ranking of America's 50 best modern clubs.  The ranking was limited to 200 top private clubs that opened between 1990 and 2005.  Boy I guess rankings do sell magazines otherwise they wouldn't keep inventing new lists.  Here is the top 10 from the list.  

1. Sand Hills
2. Caves Valley
3. The Estancia Club
4. Double Eagle Club
5. Flint Hills National
6. Calusa Pines GC
7. The Quarry at La Quinta
8. Kiawah Island Club
9. Pumpkin ridge GC
10. Whisper Rock GC

[Walt_Cutshall]

I've only played the Quarry at La Quinta, but it was an excellent course, and the club seemed appealing as well. The course was about as well conditioned as any I've played, and the caddy experience was beyond belief.

I agree that we do seem to have rankings overload these days, but it does spark discussion and I'm sure it sells magazines.

[cary lichtenstein]

David

Can you either post the remaining ones or provide us with a link

Cary

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's not online yet.

www.golfdigestindex.com

[Daryl David]

Below is the full list

Designer stats:

Fazio 21
Nicklaus 5
Rees Jones 4
Engh 2
C and C 2
Doak 1

1. Sand Hills
2. Caves Valley
3. The Estancia Club
4. Double Eagle Club
5. Flint Hills National
6. Calusa Pines GC
7. The Quarry at La Quinta
8. Kiawah Island Club
9. Pumpkin ridge GC
10. Whisper Rock GC
11. Victoria National
12. The Preserve
13. Trump International
14. Forest Creek
15. Mayacama
16. Dallas National
17. Ocean Forest
18. Secession
19. The Stone Canyon club
20. Old Memorial
21. The Bridges at Santa Fe
22. Kinloch GC
23. Friar's Head
24. The Rim
25. Sage Valley
26. Sanctuary
27. The Alotian
28. Colleton River Plantation
29. Pet Dye GC
30. Atlantic GC
31. Members Club at Aldarra
32. Lost Dunes
33. Rich Harvest Farms
34. Southern Highlands
35. Belfair GC
36. Naples National
37. The Club at Black Rock
38. Mirabel Club
39. The Club at Carton Woods
40. Nantucket GC
41. CordeValle GC
42. The Bear's Club
43. The Gallery GC
44. The Club at Pronghorn
45. Quintero Golf Club
46. Hawk's Ridge
47. Kuki'o Golf Club
48. Old Overton
49. Shady Canyon
50. Hudson National
 

[Andy Troeger]

Are these rankings of the entire "club" including atmosphere, clubhouse, etc? Not just the golf course itself? Otherwise it would seem odd to have differenes from the normal 100 Greatest list.

[Jim Franklin]

Caves Valley at #2 is the funniest thing I have ever seen. They treat you great and it is a cool experience, but the course is nowhere near top 100 let alone #2.

[Geoffrey_Walsh]

Andy is correct.  It is the total experience.

[Tom_Doak]

That is a bizarre list.  It should be titled "Sand Hills and 49 modern clubs which are nothing like Sand Hills".  Some of them seem to have made the ranking strictly on the basis of excess.

I didn't even think Sanctuary WAS a club, I thought it only had one member.

[Daryl David]

This is what it says as to how the list was formed.

We polled The Golf Digest Course Ranking Panel, a group of more than 800 golfers,.  In the summer they received a ballot with the names of 200 top private clubs, all opened between 1990 and 2005.  Panelists ranked their top 10 in order.  Clubs earned 10 points for each No. 1 ranking, 9 points for each No. 2, and so on.


 

[Joel_Stewart]

That is a bizarre list.  It should be titled "Sand Hills and 49 modern clubs which are nothing like Sand Hills".

It is bizarre in that Fazio gets 21 clubs yet #1 is Sand Hills which is the anti-Fazio.  IMHO 75% of the panelists love Fazio, prefer to ride in a cart and prefer looks to playability.  If they love Sand Hills so much why is Friars Head #23?  Estancia at #3 is laughable and Alotian which was almost a unanimous #1 a few years ago for best new at #27 is very strange.

[Tom_Doak]

Hearing how they did this is even stranger.

There would only be two ways to use the top-10 votes.  The first would be to rank them on the basis of which course got the most points overall ... which boils down to which of them has hosted the most panelists who think they belong in the list.  Sand Hills would likely be #1 that way, and it would also explain Friars Head at #23 [access denied!], but it's hard to imagine Flint Hills National would wind up fifth that way.

The only other way to rank them is to go by their AVERAGE score, but that's pointless, because a tenth-place vote would be a lot worse than no vote at all, and their system apparently didn't record votes for 11th place versus 63rd on a panelist's personal list versus the courses he hadn't seen at all.

Either way, it's a poorly designed ranking with a predictable poor result, other than the #1 answer.

[Daryl David]

The article that goes along with the list is mostly a detailed piece about Sand Hills. (nice photos and lots about Mr. Youngscap)  What is interesting is that the author spends most of the article making the point that Sand Hills is the "anti private club".  Makes a big deal about the spartan facilities, non pretentiousness, and low initiation and dues.  Basically the opposite of what the others on the list seem to have been measured on.

Also buried within the piece are some sub-category winners.  They are:

Best member lodging: Flint Hills National
Best Wine: Mayacama GC
Best Locker Room: Old Memorial
Best Clubhouse: Southern Highlands
Best Food: Caves Valley

[John Kirk]

Pumpkin Ridge at #9 is interesting, since the club is very busy, and has reduced its membership initiation by almost half in the last 10 years.  The golf courses, though only 15 years old, are a bit outdated for championship play.

Yet I agree with the overall sentiment that the club has a great atmosphere.  It's a nice place, with a large, established membership, and golf courses well suited for walking and a wide variety of skill levels.  Many of the hospitality staff have been there for years, which makes for a family environment.  The American Golf Corporation, which I think is now owned by Goldman Sachs, must be proud that one of their courses is included in this list.  

There are still financial issues that prevent the courses from receiving the type of care and attention they deserve.

[jeffwarne]

Is there any hope that a NEW club will ever be built where you can park, pull your clubs out of the trunk (God forbid-change your shoes right there),walk to the first tee/pro shop/starter.
 (and carry your bag/pull your cart/take a cart/caddy-whatever)

and tee off without:

a radio/ earpieced army of towel wielding,bagtag assembling,
uniformed greeters to grab your bag,give you a goody bag with 10 useless things, ask you 10 silly questions, show you how to fix a ballmark etc., that merely delay you from the task at hand of -------PLAYING golf.

This list with an exeption or two, is littered with such "clubs".
It's to the point where everybody expects such treatment and those that don't want it (or provide it) are suddenly the odd ones.

A man can dream

[Daryl David]

Is there any hope that a NEW club will ever be built where you can park, pull your clubs out of the trunk (God forbid-change your shoes right there),walk to the first tee/pro shop/starter.
 (and carry your bag/pull your cart/take a cart/caddy-whatever)

and tee off without:

a radio/ earpieced army of towel wielding,bagtag assembling,
uniformed greeters to grab your bag,give you a goody bag with 10 useless things, ask you 10 silly questions, show you how to fix a ballmark etc., that merely delay you from the task at hand of -------PLAYING golf.

This list with an exeption or two, is littered with such "clubs".
It's to the point where everybody expects such treatment and those that don't want it (or provide it) are suddenly the odd ones.

A man can dream

Done deal.  Ballyneal

[jeffwarne]

I was hoping that was the case at Ballyneal.
How about Sand Hills? (I haven't been there)

By the way on my recent trip to Southwest England that was the case (although I would be afraid to change shoes in the parking lot-besides you might as well use the locker room as you have to change to street shoes to enter the bar/dining)

Now if we can get one a bit less remote

[George Pazin]

Jeff, there's probably more than people are aware of, though they certainly aren't going to make a list like this.

[John Kirk]

Jeff,

I would say Pumpkin Ridge meets those requirements much more so than Ballyneal.  For one thing, caddies are mandatory at Ballyneal.

[Sean Leary]

I wonder how many of these 50 actually have full memberships.  I am guessing very few...

[Garland Bayley]

Sean, John,

We are all waiting for you two to duke it out over Pumpkin Ridge vs. Aldarra.  

[John Kavanaugh]

Is there any hope that a NEW club will ever be built where you can park, pull your clubs out of the trunk (God forbid-change your shoes right there),walk to the first tee/pro shop/starter.
 (and carry your bag/pull your cart/take a cart/caddy-whatever)

and tee off without:

a radio/ earpieced army of towel wielding,bagtag assembling,
uniformed greeters to grab your bag,give you a goody bag with 10 useless things, ask you 10 silly questions, show you how to fix a ballmark etc., that merely delay you from the task at hand of -------PLAYING golf.

This list with an exeption or two, is littered with such "clubs".
It's to the point where everybody expects such treatment and those that don't want it (or provide it) are suddenly the odd ones.

A man can dream

Victoria National fits with the exception that you can not take a pull cart.  You can carry your bag, or just one club, anytime you want.  Carts and caddies are also available.  The bag boys know that I don't like to be bothered when I pull in the parking lot so they leave me alone but take note of the people who enjoy the service and take care of them.  It is really quite simple at private clubs to get the service you want or the privacy you desire.  You just ask.

One of the nicest things that I have ever experienced from being a member of VN is that when I was in the hospital for a three day stay in a city an hour from the course I received one set of flowers.  Not from my wife or family but from the staff at Victoria National.

I recently ordered a steak at lunch and the new waiter misunderstood my order as medium well.  Without me saying a word the chef corrected him saying that I like my steaks medium rare.  There is nothing wrong with good service and people who become your friends.  

[JC Jones]

Is there any hope that a NEW club will ever be built where you can park, pull your clubs out of the trunk (God forbid-change your shoes right there),walk to the first tee/pro shop/starter.
 (and carry your bag/pull your cart/take a cart/caddy-whatever)

and tee off without:

a radio/ earpieced army of towel wielding,bagtag assembling,
uniformed greeters to grab your bag,give you a goody bag with 10 useless things, ask you 10 silly questions, show you how to fix a ballmark etc., that merely delay you from the task at hand of -------PLAYING golf.

This list with an exeption or two, is littered with such "clubs".
It's to the point where everybody expects such treatment and those that don't want it (or provide it) are suddenly the odd ones.

A man can dream

Kingsley Club

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()