"What's The Best Non-Major Course On Tour?"

[David_Tepper]

An article in the 6/25/06 issue of the Hartford Courant posed this question to a number of PGA Tour members. The answers were surprisingly old-school/retro.

Mickelson, Parnevik, Andrade & C. Petterson picked Harbour Town/Hilton Head.

Pavin, K. Perry, Toms, Bubba Watson & Durant picked Colonial.

B. Quigley, P. Sheehan, Sindelar & Vance Veazey picked Westchester.

Andrade & J.J. Henry picked Muirfield Village.

Pavin & Quigley also picked Riviera.

Azinger picked Waialae.

Surprise, surprise, no TPC course made the list!!!  

You can find the article at www.courant.com/sports/golf/

[Wayne_Kozun]

But does the tour really care?  The keep moving tournaments from classic country club settings to TPC settings.

How about Spyglass Hill, Kapalua, Hamilton G&CC (occasional host of Canadian Open).

I guess that Torrey Pines was off the list since it is (or will be) a major course

[Phil Benedict]

Don't you think the original TPC is a great course?  I'm not a fan of water but this is an exciting course to play a pro tournament on.

[Yannick Pilon]

Rivera, no question.

But it hosted a few majors....

Still, IMHO, the best regular tour stop every year.

Yannick

[Chris Neff]

I have to agree with you Phil! TPC at Sawgrass is a great test on tour. The true test is when the TPC goes to May and the golf course will not be overseeded. The golf course will play the way Pete Dye intended it to play. I have been out to TPC twice over the last month to see the status of the project and it's amazing the work that has happen in a short period of time. I like how they have brought the chipping areas back into play. And when you see it when it opens back up you will see Pete's flavor throughout. I think he has been there a bunch over the summer and he made some great changes in a few spots with Fred Klauk the superintendent.The other course that I will throw out there is Firestone CC. great test of golf when it's dry.

[Tim Gavrich]

For what it's worth and despite the fact that it is a TPC that is part of a housing development, River Highlands is a great golf course.  It's not going to be so exciting this year, due to all the rain, but in more normal conditions, it's a great test.  Unlike nearly all tour stops, it has two very interesting short par fours in #s 2 and 15 (2 isn't really driveable, but is great fun nonetheless).  With varying par threes and interesting green complexes (there are a couple of fairly usual ones, but it's mostly good stuff), it's certainly one of the best TPC courses, and, I believe, a very strong course in its own right.  Not to mention what could be the most exciting 4-hole finish on tour.

Maybe I'm a homer, but I really like TPC River Highlands

[Jordan Wall]

Kapalua is amazing.  

The design, the challenge with wind, the challenge without wind, the greens, and pretty much everything are extraordinary.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Rivera, no question.

But it hosted a few majors....

Still, IMHO, the best regular tour stop every year.

Yannick

Better than Pebble Beach?

[David_Madison]

Quail Hollow. Tiger and many others on Tour rave about it. The event draws one of the strongest fields of the year, specifically because of the quality of the course.

[Jfaspen]

Quail Hollow. Tiger and many others on Tour rave about it. The event draws one of the strongest fields of the year, specifically because of the quality of the course.

Didn't the Booz Allen do a lot better last year because it was held at Congressional?

[Glenn Spencer]

Quail Hollow. Tiger and many others on Tour rave about it. The event draws one of the strongest fields of the year, specifically because of the quality of the course.

I would be hard to move me from Westchester or Riv, but Quail Hollow might just do it. 16-18 seem fabulous and I really like the short 4 effort there, can't remember what hole though. 11 or 14 maybe.

[JR Potts]

I would have to go with Muirfield Village.

[David_Tepper]

David M., Jeff F., & Glenn S. -

Olin Browne did rate Quail Hollow the best non-major course on tour. Sorry, I neglected to list that in my summary.

DT

[Gary Daughters]

Mirasol is a nice call, Shiv.

The new course in Greenville also seems to have its moments.

[Matt_Ward]

One would be hard pressed to beat the likes of Kapalua, Westchester or TPC / Sawgrass. Each is extremely well done and each has a number of unique features that make a return visit so much fun for the viewer to enjoy.

[JSlonis]

Rivera, no question.

But it hosted a few majors....

Still, IMHO, the best regular tour stop every year.

Yannick

Better than Pebble Beach?

Wayne,

Pebble hosts the US Open, so it doesn't qualify for this list.

I'm not surprised to see Westchester and some of the other more classic courses listed.  The tour players love playing this style of course.

I would think that the Quail Hollow course in Charlotte that now hosts the Wachovia Championship would make the list as well.

[Glenn Spencer]

I just looked at the schedule for 2006 and it is truly amazing some of the crap that they play. It really is, no wonder it is all about the majors for the good guys, it is probably the only time they are really juiced up. Besides the ones listed, the only others that may be a part of the argument are Cog and Castle Pines.

[Yannick Pilon]

Wayne,

I know Pebble and Riviera don't really qualify, but if I had to pick one, I would still tend to favor Riviera.

Somehow, I have never been a big fan of Pebble.  I have played Riviera, and absolutely loved every second of it. Pebble, on the other hand... I am not sure I would rush to play it if I was in the area.  I would much rather use all my efforts to play Cypress.

Again, with Pebble, seems to me a lot of it is about location and no so much about the course itself.  But I might be totally wrong since I have not played it and do not really plan on spending the money....

Yannick

[George Pazin]

Pebble hosts the Crosby, er, AT&T every year too!

I haven't played very many Tour courses, but the only must see non-majors for me are TPC, Kapalua, and Riviera, in that order.

I think Mystic Rock is the best and worst Tour course I've played.

 

[Wayne_Kozun]

Rivera, no question.

But it hosted a few majors....

Still, IMHO, the best regular tour stop every year.

Yannick

Better than Pebble Beach?

Wayne,

Pebble hosts the US Open, so it doesn't qualify for this list.

But, as Yannick indicated in his post, Riviera has hosted the odd PGA championship so it is, arguably, a major course.  It is not clear if the "non-major" part meant the best course for a non-major event or the best course on the PGA tour that has never hosted a major.

I am really surprised that Spyglass isn't getting more votes, or is it not really considered to be on the PGA tour so it only hosts a minor part of an event.

[Tim Leahy]

I am surprised that Spyglass did not get more mention. I would love to see a PGA at Spyglass and see what the score would be for four rounds.

[Glenn Spencer]

Pebble hosts the Crosby, er, AT&T every year too!

I haven't played very many Tour courses, but the only must see non-majors for me are TPC, Kapalua, and Riviera, in that order.

I think Mystic Rock is the best and worst Tour course I've played.

 

Kapalua over MVGC, Westchester and Harbour Town? Really? I hope you enjoy the views.  

[George Pazin]

I enjoy seeing the ball bounce around.

 

I also forgot Mirasol, but I think the Tour is as well, starting next year.

 

[Tom Dunne]

Kapalua over MVGC, Westchester and Harbour Town? Really? I hope you enjoy the views.  

I've played HT and attended tons of Buicks/Barclays at WCC, and yeah, I'd take Kapalua over both, not just for the views but for the variety of holes and how the ball takes the contours of the land throughout. It's immensely fun both to play and to watch the pros on. Would love to see a major there someday. Maui's gotta be nice in August, too, right? JMHO...

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

My top 5 that have already been named:

1) Quail Hollow
2) Riviera
3) Harbour Town
4) Colonial
5) Muirfield Village

5 that I will never pay to play:

1) Redstone - Either one
2) TPC Avenel by the Sea
3) Sugarloaf
4) Disney
5) Honda