Top 10 Dye Courses

[Wayne Freeman]

 Have only played a handful of Dye's courses, but you don't need much more than Casa de Campo and Whistling Straits.  Talk about drama and vistas.  Incredible!

[Robert Mercer Deruntz]

Dye Fore will soon make this list! I love Dye courses and continue to think about the genius of his work at Casa de Campo.  I think the Dye Fore is a template for future designs.  It has the length to handle long hitters, but demands creativity and thought about shot placement.  Almost all the holes offer recovery options.  The Fairways are possibly 60 yards wide, but a good player must be on the correct side of the fairway for an opportunity to hit an approach shot close.  Also, the course is grassed with a bermuda strain that can be watered with salt water--something that Southern California courses probably need to consider implementing.

[James Edwards]

Tim, Tom,

I agree that HT shouldn't be high up the pecking order, It didn't excite me a great deal, although I enjoyed 17.. I have only seen a few of his courses, but out of the on es I've been to, i'd say

1.  Ocean Course
2.  TPC Sawgrass
3.  Long Cove
4.  PGA West
5.  Old Marsh
6.  Harbour Town

[A_Clay_Man]

Tim Liddy1- Your description of "high sculpture" is intriguing and makes me want to learn more. Especially since you have the very good taste to place the composite course at BWR in your list.

Of these top courses listed, I am obviously biased towards the orig. River course. I use it as a yardstick. Comparing it to the Stadium course at pga west, I can only see the difficulty at pga west as possibly winning in a criteria match.

What am I missing?

[Jim_Coleman]

    "Casa de Campo" isn't sufficient.  The "Teeth" is Pete's most famous work there (and still his best anywhere).  But wait until word gets out on DYE FORE.  Maybe the best views in the world.  It's Old Head that also happens to be a pretty good course.  The back nine is a series of postcards.  And La Romana Country Club is no dogtrack either.
     This is the best winter golf in the world.  Period.  End of discussion.

[Steve Lang]

 

For those less travelled in the south-central US there's Dye offerings too.. notably:

Oak Tree in Edmond, OK,  especially in its new version, see article at

http://www.southcentralgolf.com/Pages/ISSUE/1102/ISSUE1102Oaktree.html

Also, Waterwood National on Lake Livingston, TX.  A hidden gem in TX..

How about a listing of events held at Dye courses.. after all OT had the PGA and most recently the PGA Club Pros Championship, and Waterwood had PGA Tour School long time ago...

[Top100Guru]

Mr. McCarthy;

It is evident that you are "privy" to some information about the beginings of Secession, however, the "wheels truly came off" with PB Dye, when he went against members wishes and started bulldozing the tree line on #7 at 6am in the morning, that is when the preverbial *^%$ hit the fan....

[mark chalfant]

     1   The Golf Club
     
     2   Ocean  Course

     3   Firethorn

     4   Blackwolf  River

     5   Meadow  Valley



      6   Kingsmill

      7   Radrick  Farms

     
     
       

[Brian_Ewen]

Guys
When I read "Bury me in a Pot Bunker"  , I remember Mr Dye stating that the only course he had designed outside America was in the Dominican Republic . Does this still stand today ? .

I am always amazed at the amount of courses here in the Far East that are labelled Pete Dye courses . This week the Singapore Masters is being held at Laguna National GC , and the course , reporters , commentators are all stating what a fantastic Pete Dye layout it is .

But it cant be , if Mr Dye's book is still true ? .

Brian

[Scott_Burroughs]

Brian,

Bury Me in a Pot Bunker came out about 10 years ago, plenty of time to build some Far East courses.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Brian,

     A lot of the "Pete Dye" courses are really Perry Dye courses. Go look at Dye Designs website sometime and see how many of them he built.

[James Edwards]

Talking about Perry Dye, has any one been to his new course in San Roque - Spain, next door to the classic San Roque Old?

Interesting golf course, which has some of the most debateable bunkering I have ever seen anywhere in the world.  If someone has been it, I would appreciate their views.  There is one hole, the 8th, called Cascades - a par 3 with a bunker the entire length of the left side of the hole, downhill with sleepers... and when you look back, it is a bunker stepping ever 10 metres or so up to the tee...  Sharp, sharp edging to bunkers..  

Artistically, impressive but a maintenance nightmare I would be lead to believe.

[Mark Saltzman]

Top 10 Dye [that I've played]...

1. The Golf Club
2. Pete Dye Golf Club
3. The Honors Course
4. Casa de Campo - Teeth of the Dog
5. Kiawah Island - Ocean
6. Promontory
7. TPC Sawgrass
8. Whistling Straits - Straits
9. Old Marsh
10. Crooked Stick
11. Oak Tree National

[John Shimp]

I like doaks list. Id rank honors higher.  Id include colleton too.  I was there this summer just after playing harbour town.  My son played us am quals at colleton.  Back 9 at colleton is better than either 9 at HT.  Jim lewis, what kind of cap do you carry?   Colleton is quite tough but wonderful too. 

[Mac Plumart]

I have yet to play 10 Pete Dye courses, but here is my list of favorites.

1--The Golf Club (2)
2--Kiawah Ocean (10)
3--The Honors Course (18)
4--Pete Dye Golf Club Of WV (28)
5--Harbour Town (37)
6--TPC Sawgrass (64)
7--Paiute Wolf (67)

My overall rankings are in ()'s.

I love Dye's work!
 

[Bob_Huntley]

I cannot speak on this subject having played only two courses of PD. The first was Harbour Town, a gem.

The other, Carmel Valley Ranch had the most bizarre hole on just about any course I have ever seen. The twelth hole had railway ties down the middle of the fairway in a V shape, allowing the tee shot to kick left ino a jungle. Thank goodness the hole has been changed in recent years and the woodwork has gone.

Bob   

[Andy Troeger]

Following Mac's template with overall rankings in ()

1. Pete Dye GC (7)
2. The Golf Club (11)
3. TPC Sawgrass (12)
4. Blackwolf Run River (15)
5. Whistling Straits (30)
6. Honors (34)
7. Oak Tree National (50)
8. Long Cove (63)
9. Crooked Stick (65)
10. Harbour Town (72)

[Sean_A]

Well. after 8.5 years of lists, the one Dye course which really intrigues me is The Golf Club.  I don't have a clue if its his best or worst course, but the visuals Dye managed to create on such a flat sight is incredible.  The course begs to be played.  Did Dye do another course in the same vein as TGC?

Ciao