7 Wonders of the Golfing World

[Andrew Summerell]

In 440 BC, Herodotus referred to the ‘Wonders of the World’, although the final canon of 7 were not actually named for many years. These ‘wonders’ were considered ‘must see’ items in a world where travel wasn’t easy.

What are the 7 Wonders of the Golfing world that any true golf enthusiast must see before they die ?

It doesn’t have to be a list of 7 courses. Items on the list could vary from being a particular hole, or an influential bunker. Maybe it’s a club or a specific book about golf, or any golfing item that is worthy of such a list.

My list so far: (In no particular order)

The town of St Andrew’s
The 15th at North Berwick
Stanford White’s clubhouse at Shinnecock
The Challenge Belt
Amen Corner
The bunkering of the Melbourne sandbelt
Monterey Peninsula

[Andrew Thomson]

St. Andrews
The Melbourne Sandbelt
16th Cypress Point
Hell's Half Acre
Amen Corner
Irish Links
The Claret Jug

[TEPaul]

I think mine might be;

1. The 16th at Cypress
2. The first tee and Road Hole at TOC
3. The 5th at PVGC
4. Merion's first tee and the quarry hole
5. NGLA's first hole and redan
6. North Berwick's redan
7. And, the greatest wonder of all---Fernandina Beach Municpal G.C.

[Ian Andrew]

St. Andrews Old
Royal County Down
Huntercombe
NLGA
Pine Valley
Royal Melbourne
Hirono

[Tom_Doak]

Ian:

Huntercombe, really?  I've never been there.  I know why it was influential but no one had ever suggested it was "wondrous".


My seven architectural wonders would be:

the starting and finishing holes at St. Andrews
the loop at Prestwick
any and all holes at Pine Valley
the quarry at Merion
the windmill at National Golf Links
the 16th at Cypress Point
the 3rd through 6th holes at Royal Melbourne (West)

Sorry to leave off:

the 13th at North Berwick
the Dell at Lahinch

I'm already on record that Cape Kidnappers is the eighth wonder.  

[wsmorrison]

Scotland for its gift of golf and great courses

GCA.com, for the network it creates and the efforts it assists such as golf architecture research and archive center, ideal maintenance meld, research efforts for historical and practical applications, dissemination of information, etc.

The Old Course, every square inch

Offset greens and fairways

The quarry at Merion and the membership that offers its course to national/international championships of all kinds.

NGLA and Myopia for leading America into a better age of golf design

The passion architects of yesterday and today put into their art for us all to enjoy and overanalyze

[Dan_Callahan]

If you could somehow include on the list a course that no longer exists, I would put Lido at the very top.

[mark chalfant]

Royal  Dornoch- green sites

Newport CC- club, course, sense of place

Desert Forest- nuanced fairways in peaceful ecosystem

Longmeadow- esp.  front nine, brilliant routing

CC of Troy-  Travis greens

[Brad Klein]

Bernard Darwin
Pat Ward-Thomas
Herbert Warren Wind
Peter Dobereiner

[Wayne Freeman]

Andrew-  I think this is one of the coolest threads! I'm going to throw in my two cents to this point in my life as I have yet to visit Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland.  
              1.  The 18th hole at Pebble and view from the  
                            green.
               2.  15 and 16 at Cypress point.
               3.   First tee and clubhouse at St. Andrews
               4.   First look at the clubhouse at Shinnecock,
                            first tee, and finishing hole.
               5.   Playing Pine Valley.
               6.   Merion and it's finishing holes.
               7.   The restoration of Bethpage Black- and it's
                             importance in U.S. Open history.
                             

[peter_p]

R&A clubhouse & museum
Sea of Tranquility
Cypress Point
Arnie's workshop (I'd pick Tom Morris's, but its gone)
Perry Maxwell greens
Eden, Hell and everthing surrounding them
North Berwick

[Ian Andrew]

Tom,

I tried to think influence, but my Irish choice doesn't work - I just like the place too much.

I think I may have missed this question completely in hindsight.

[mark chalfant]

Fishers  Island, especially  holes #3 through  #12

St  Georges (Toronto) fabulous routing and exemplary bunkering by Stanley  thompson

[Troy Alderson]

Wayne,

Excellent choices.

Scotland for its gift of golf and great courses

(I would include Ireland with that.)

GCA.com, for the network it creates and the efforts it assists such as golf architecture research and archive center, ideal maintenance meld, research efforts for historical and practical applications, dissemination of information, etc.

(The one network that may save American golf.)

The Old Course, every square inch

(Of course.)

Offset greens and fairways

(Explain offset to me.)

The quarry at Merion and the membership that offers its course to national/international championships of all kinds.

NGLA and Myopia for leading America into a better age of golf design

The passion architects of yesterday and today put into their art for us all to enjoy and overanalyze

(Wouldn't that be something to meet the greats from yesterday.  I have meet Mr. Doak (though he would not know me from any other superintendent) and Bill Coore, both when I played Bandon Trails with Ken Nice before it opened to the public.)

My list is any golf course holding a major.
(I have already seen PV.)
Scotland
Ireland
Any golf course that has not been Americanized.
Bandon
Whistling Straits
Any real pasture golf course, see www.pasturegolf.com

Troy

[ed_getka]

NGLA's greens
North Berwick for its quirk, fun, and soul
Herb Wind (lunches with him were a highlight)
R&A clubhouse (to see the belt, the putter with silver balls, the library with its myriad platters and cups from seemingly most clubs in the world, and the drawing that shows how big Hell bunker and its neighbor used to be)
Merion for the quality of golf in a small space
#8 Pebble Beach
Sand Hills for the architecture, expansiveness combined with remoteness from "civilization", and the meals.
1st runner up  View from clubhouse during lunch at Cruden Bay

[Glenn Spencer]

15th at Bethpage
1st at Gleaneagles- Kings
every inch of Garden City
11th at Merion
10th green at Inverness
16th at Pasatiempo
16th green at Camargo

[Troy Alderson]

15th at Bethpage
1st at Gleaneagles- Kings
every inch of Garden City
11th at Merion
10th green at Inverness
16th at Pasatiempo
16th green at Camargo

Glenn,

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures?  Why every inch, are you a member or something?  I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Shouldn't we all add any golf course on the classic and modern list from GolfWeek?

Troy

[Glenn Spencer]

Troy,

Not that I know of. The reason I said that, is for the simple reason that I played it only once and I don't remember one thing there that needed to be different. I think the place is magical.

[Eric Franzen]

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures?  Why every inch, are you a member or something?  I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Troy,

Look no further than...
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/garden1.html

[Troy Alderson]

Does Garden City have a web site with pictures?  Why every inch, are you a member or something?  I am interested in seeing some photos of the golf course.

Troy,

Look no further than...
http://www.golfclubatlas.com/garden1.html

Erik and Glen,

Thank you Erik for directing me to the obvious place to look for pitures, why didn't I think of that.  Are you sure that golf course is on Long Island or England?  Garden City reminds me of Swinley Forest.  I can see why Glen placed it in his 7.

Troy

[mike_beene]

Swinging Bridge at Bel-Air,Swilican Bridge,Alps,Wall at N Berwick,7th tee at Gullane,Valley of Sin,View of Muirfield from the front of clubhouse

[Tommy Williamsen]

3 & 9 at Royal County Down
11 at Ballybunion
13 at Pine Valley
15 at Cypress Point
Clubhouse at Sunningdale
Tiger's second shot at 16 at last years Masters
San Francisco Golf Club

[JSlonis]

The Old Course...every square inch!
Pine Valley, especially that %#$@* 5th hole.
The 16th green at North Berwick West: below

Arnold Palmer ...you said it didn't have to be a course or a hole.
The sheer beauty of Royal Dornoch
The 16th at Cypress Point

[Dale_McCallon]

Shadow Creek would have to be considered a "Wonder" of the golfing world.

[Doug Sobieski]

This morning, I was thinking about Jeff Fortson's experience at Cypress Point, which got me thinking about the greatest things I've experienced in golf, which reminded me of this thread. I've got to add a candidate that hasn't been mentioned.

Moe Norman

Watching him hit golf balls was indescribable. Much like trying to explain why Cypress Point is so great, you can't fully convey to someone how precise Moe was. Most people would probably think that the Moe stories were prone to hyperbole, but if you saw him in person you'd be a believer.