Best University Golf Course

[Kyle Harris]

I was at the PSU-UM game last year and tailgated on the course......while it poured all day. We were one of the first ones on the course. While I didn't get to play it, I did walk it, And I will probably play the next time PSU heads back to Ann Arbor. The golf courses was torn up pretty badly following the game. Our car alone almost got stuck twice...based on looks I was impressed with the layout. Can't wait to play it.

It's possible our university was the first outright owner of a golf course in the US.

And that the White Course at PSU has the oldest continuously operating holes for a University in the country.

[Simon Holt]

except that The Old Course is not owned by St. Andrews University. Does Royal Worlington & Newmarket qualify?

That was the predicted technicality!!!  The town owns the course essentially and the university is a huge part of town life.  I'd happily sacrifice saying we had our 'own' course to play on in order to have access to all 7 and Kingsbarns.

[David Sneddon]

Spent time at Rawls Course today,  first  it has to have the largest range I've ever seen,  ..TOM DOAK.. after 5-6 inches of rain it drained very well.. if that was  your home course, your handicap would travel just fine, and you'd have nearly every shot the bag.  beats UNM..

I didn't get tot he range on my visit there last year. Paid the green fee and right off to the 1st tee.
Agree re: drainage.  They'd had some torrential rains a few days previous, and the course was playing quite  firm and fast.  The bunkers had washed out, though, and what was left looked and felt more like hardened clay.  The greens staff were busy adding more sand to each bunker, and getting them into a playable state,  since they had an upcoming university match.

[Kalen Braley]

Its been 11 years since Ran's write up on Yale and proclaiming it to be the best college course in the country...by a wide margin.

And....

Its been 9 years since anyone has posted on this thread.

So in light of starting a new topic, has anything changed in the last decade to suggest Yale has been knocked off its perch? 

[Tom_Doak]

Its been 11 years since Ran's write up on Yale and proclaiming it to be the best college course in the country...by a wide margin.

And....

Its been 9 years since anyone has posted on this thread.

So in light of starting a new topic, has anything changed in the last decade to suggest Yale has been knocked off its perch?

There have been quite a few university courses built in the past decade . . . it's one of the only categories of golf development that has continued forward, as there are still plenty of wealthy alums at big schools to solicit for such donations.


I've not heard about anything new that would crack the top 5-10.  Maybe the nine holes at Sewanee, but it's surely no Yale.  Ran thought highly of The River Course at Virginia Tech, but again, not in the same vein as Yale.

[V_Halyard]

Its been 11 years since Ran's write up on Yale and proclaiming it to be the best college course in the country...by a wide margin.

And....

Its been 9 years since anyone has posted on this thread.

So in light of starting a new topic, has anything changed in the last decade to suggest Yale has been knocked off its perch?

There have been quite a few university courses built in the past decade . . . it's one of the only categories of golf development that has continued forward, as there are still plenty of wealthy alums at big schools to solicit for such donations.


I've not heard about anything new that would crack the top 5-10.  Maybe the nine holes at Sewanee, but it's surely no Yale.  Ran thought highly of The River Course at Virginia Tech, but again, not in the same vein as Yale.

Interesting thread restart.
Like to hear your insight on the current climate with regard to donor plans vs.  master plan,
Which is the chicken and which is the egg?

[Jay Revell]

Florida State has been rebuilding their course for the past 9 months or so. Grass going in as we speak. They hired Nicklaus and are spending 6-8 million. I've walked some of it and there are some interesting holes. Coach keeps running around sayings its gonna be a top 100 which is misguided on many fronts. Details have been scarce, but with a mandated 1 million annual maintenance budget by the designer I have a hard time imagining it will be an affordable place for the everyman to play. Keep in mind the previous course was pushing over 30,000 rounds at $35 each. Fair to say the new course will cost much more with lots less play. I won't pass any judgement until we see the finished product this Fall. The land is somewhat interesting and the routing is completely new. It will be a monstrous course at nearly 8,000 yards from the tips. There is a short course going in but rumor is it will be limited to the team and high dollar boosters. I can't help but feel they missed an opportunity to do something innovative here, but the product will surely be an improved one and likely one with a high price. Will keep you posted.

[Dan_Callahan]

While it’s not in the same league as Yale, which is one of my all-time favorite courses, the renovations at Taconic are exceptional.

[Bill Crane]

The Hidden Gem of this thread would of course be the little course near the Susquehanna River in Central PA.
The Bucknell University Golf Club, Lewisburg, PA.
Actually, a charming little course, and they cut down a bunch of trees and especially evergreen trees in the past 10 or 15 years and made some other improvements and changes.
First nine designed by Emil Loeffler in 1930, the second nine by Ed Ault in 1964.  Apparently, Ron Forse has done work there over the years.
Some really good players attended Bucknell since it was built especially from Pittsburgh.
Not a candidate for the top five, however.


{{  Full disclosure:  I am a graduate and former student member.  My father started buying me a semester membership Fall soph year for the princely sum of $38 !  }}

[John Blain]

Florida State has been rebuilding their course for the past 9 months or so. Grass going in as we speak. They hired Nicklaus and are spending 6-8 million. I've walked some of it and there are some interesting holes. Coach keeps running around sayings its gonna be a top 100 which is misguided on many fronts. Details have been scarce, but with a mandated 1 million annual maintenance budget by the designer I have a hard time imagining it will be an affordable place for the everyman to play. Keep in mind the previous course was pushing over 30,000 rounds at $35 each. Fair to say the new course will cost much more with lots less play. I won't pass any judgement until we see the finished product this Fall. The land is somewhat interesting and the routing is completely new. It will be a monstrous course at nearly 8,000 yards from the tips. There is a short course going in but rumor is it will be limited to the team and high dollar boosters. I can't help but feel they missed an opportunity to do something innovative here, but the product will surely be an improved one and likely one with a high price. Will keep you posted.

Jay-  Everything about this project seems completely ridiculous. Who is footing the bill for this? Just curious, Thanks.
-John

[Tim Martin]

Its been 11 years since Ran's write up on Yale and proclaiming it to be the best college course in the country...by a wide margin.

And....

Its been 9 years since anyone has posted on this thread.

So in light of starting a new topic, has anything changed in the last decade to suggest Yale has been knocked off its perch?

As this question relates to Yale at the time of Ran’s writeup Scott Ramsay was just five years into his tenure as Superintendent. Scott has now been there fifteen years and as a result I think Yale has separated itself from the pack.

[Mike Sweeney]

Jay-  Everything about this project seems completely ridiculous. Who is footing the bill for this? Just curious, Thanks.
-John

As one who thinks college athletics has gone haywire in the pursuit of $$$, this project actually seems pretty well thought out:


https://www.tallahassee.com/story/sports/2018/07/26/seminole-golf-course-set-close-mid-august/825622002/

It also serves the Seminoles’ men’s and women’s golf teams, in addition to the university’s Global Club Management and Leadership program within FSU’s Dedman School of Hospitality.

There will be lots of opinions from GCAers (cue Mike Young!!) on FSU starting this program:

https://dedman.fsu.edu/global-club-management-leadership

Global Club Management & LeadershipThe only major of its kind in the world. This ground-breaking program will give you the opportunity to network with world-renowned leaders in the exciting industry of club and golf resort management.

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But they clearly tried in incorporate more than just a bunch of FSU Football Boosters.

From a golf perspective, I would guess this puts FSU at #1 from a course and facility perspective in the ACC. Obviously Old Town for Wake Forrest University would be preferred by us GCAers, but not so sure it would be #1 for the college recruit.

[Jay Revell]

There are certainly some strategic elements in play on the FSU project which I commend them on, however I can assure you its not fully thought out. Plans are to open this Fall and there is currently no clear outline for how it will be managed or what model they will operate under...only in that setting could that stand a chance of succeeding. The money has been raised by FSU boosters with some commitment by the university but it will clearly fall on FSU for operating costs. Not sure they fully understand how dicey that can be with a course that requires exceptionally large maintenance budgets. My biggest issue has been that they failed to be innovative with the design and the model they appear to be pursuing is for a high end expensive private club. I think creating a course that could have been a model for public golf would have been better but only time will tell. We will see said the blind man...

[JLahrman]

Not that it was or necessarily will be among the candidates for best university golf course, but does anyone have an update on the work happening at Indiana University's golf course?

[R_Paulis]

Like nearly all of its sports teams, Rutgers course is nothing to get excited about. As an undergrad, $4 to play for a day could not be beat. Even at that rate I may have spent $100 a month on golf which was reflected in my class attendance.

[John Nixon]

Not that it was or necessarily will be among the candidates for best university golf course, but does anyone have an update on the work happening at Indiana University's golf course?

I haven't heard anything lately, but I will be passing through Bloomington next weekend. I will take a few minutes to drive past the site and see what I can see. Neither the IU Golf website or Steve Smyers' website look like they've been updated any time recently.