Golf Club Atlas Golf Course Rankings

[Matthew Hunt]

Voting is now closed.

[Andrew Hastie]

Sorry late entry
1. The Old Course
2. Royal County Down
3. Royal Melbourne (west)
4. Kingston Heath
5. New South Wales
6. Royal Portrush
7. Portmarnock
8. Royal Sydney
9. Swinley Forest
10.Royal Hague
Trying to compile this list makes you realise you have a lot of courses still to play especially if you have never been to the U.S.

[Tim Leahy]

in case the balloting reopens:

1. Olympic(Lake)
2. Pebble Beach
3. LA CC(North)
4. Spyglass Hill
5. Riviera
6. Pasatiempo
7. Bayonet
8. Kapalua(Plantation)
9. Stone Eagle
10. Torrey Pines(South)

[John Kavanaugh]

Matthew,
For the sake of YOUR best interests, this thread is going to be eliminated. The only reason why I'm leaving it up is so you can read this.

26 posts and your setting up a GCA rating team? I don't think so!

Now go do something more constructive, like pick up Architectural Side of Golf and read it, Try to find out what inspired Bill Coore to take up golf architecture....

BTW, the Golf Digest ratings are an abomination, thus further showing just how badly Golf Digest's knowledge of golf courses really is. If your a Golf Digest Panelist, I suggest either resigning out of disgust or simply lerning something to take back to your colleagues in great hopes they can become better panelists.

Tommy,

Please keep your word and delete soon.

[Brad Tufts]

Personally, I think this thread, against all odds and detractions, has come up with a pretty good list.  

Yeah they may be "ranked" higher or lower than they maybe should be, but it has produced a great list of "GCA-approved" and important courses one should hope to see one day.

It has even inspired me to revisit my personal ranking I did 5 or 6 years ago, even though it appears my top 10/12 will not make the cut-off date...

[Bill Gayne]

I would like to echo Brad's comments. I don't know if the order is correct but there's not a single course on the list that I would not like to see/play. The list is geographically diverse with a good mix of the old and new.

(Matthew, one minor correction is #80 and 42 are the same. Also 30 and 58)

[Tim MacEachern]

Ah, what the heck.  I know I'm late, but...

Courses I've played:

1) The Old Course (of course, only having played it once, I was in shock at the time)
2) Cruden Bay
3) Muirfield
4) World Woods Pine Barrens
5) Cape Breton Highlands
6) Royal Dornoch
7) North Berwick West Links
Crowbush Cove

Don't want to make any calls on courses below 8.  Never played in California .  In order to make the list, my criterion is that I would be willing to get up at 5 in the morning, drive 5 hours to the course, play it, then drive home that day.  Gotta be good for that!

[Bill_McBride]

One last list!

1.   Cypress Point
2.   NGLA
3.   Pacific Dunes
4.   Pebble Beach
5.   The Old Course
6.   Valley Club
7.   Hoylake
8.   Pasatiempo
9.   North Berwick
10.  Oakmont

[Matthew Hunt]

Matthew,
For the sake of YOUR best interests, this thread is going to be eliminated. The only reason why I'm leaving it up is so you can read this.

26 posts and your setting up a GCA rating team? I don't think so!

Now go do something more constructive, like pick up Architectural Side of Golf and read it, Try to find out what inspired Bill Coore to take up golf architecture....

BTW, the Golf Digest ratings are an abomination, thus further showing just how badly Golf Digest's knowledge of golf courses really is. If your a Golf Digest Panelist, I suggest either resigning out of disgust or simply lerning something to take back to your colleagues in great hopes they can become better panelists.

Tommy,

Please keep your word and delete soon.

I have perrmission from Ran for this thread and I will do a In My Opinion Article on it

[Mike_Sweeney]

Matthew,
For the sake of YOUR best interests, this thread is going to be eliminated. The only reason why I'm leaving it up is so you can read this.

26 posts and your setting up a GCA rating team? I don't think so!

Now go do something more constructive, like pick up Architectural Side of Golf and read it, Try to find out what inspired Bill Coore to take up golf architecture....

BTW, the Golf Digest ratings are an abomination, thus further showing just how badly Golf Digest's knowledge of golf courses really is. If your a Golf Digest Panelist, I suggest either resigning out of disgust or simply lerning something to take back to your colleagues in great hopes they can become better panelists.

Tommy,

Please keep your word and delete soon.

I have perrmission from Ran for this thread and I will do a In My Opinion Article on it

Matthew,

Nicely done, and if you ever decide to apply to Cornell, feel free to ask me for a reference and more importantly, I will guilt Tom Doak into doing one for you too.

[JNC Lyon]

If can get my personal list in, that would be good.  Some will be top-tier worldwide, some won't.  I haven't played too many "great" courses, but there are a few up there.

1) The Country Club, Brookline
2) St. George's, Ontario
3) Oak Hollow, North Carolina
4) Oak Hill (East)
5) The Ocean Course
6) Country Club of Rochester
7) Country Club of Buffalo
Teugega
9) Oak Hill (West)
10) Mill Creek, Rochester

[Daryl David]

I can't help it.  I tried not to do it, but here is my list of the  ones I have played.

1. Royal Dornoch
2. Pac Dunes
3. Royal Co. Down
4. Muirfield
5. Ballyneal
6. Sand Hills
7. Cypress Pt.
8. North Berwick
9. Stone Eagle
10. Kingsbarns
11. Ballybunion
12. Portmarnock

[Bill Shamleffer]

1. St. Louis C.C.
2. St. Andrews New Course
3. Crooked Stick
4. Cog Hill #4
5. Algonquin G.C.
6. Fox Run G.C.
7. Swope Park Memorial
8. Crescent Farms G.C. (formerly The Players Club, formerly Crescent G.C.)
9. A.L. Gustin
10. Normandie
11. George Wright
12. Alvamar G.C.

I restricted this list to courses I have played.  I also left off 2 courses due to they restricted play to carts.


Now for the much better list.  The 12 best courses I have ever walked but never played.
1. St. Andrews Old Course
2. The Country Club
3. Bethpage Black
4. Yale
5. Winged Foot West
6. Colonial
7. Augusta National
8. Sleepy Hollow
9. The Orchards
10. Longmeadow C.C.
11. Medinah #3
12. Bellerive

[John Kavanaugh]

I think this list proves that most golfers only get to play shit courses in their lifetime.  I'm a bit more curious why that is so.  Is it a personality flaw..or is it the structure of american golf.  Based on what I have read over the last five years..I'm going with the personality flaw.

[Jeff Doerr]

John,

Thus is life!

Some people thought that Ford Pinto was a pretty cool car back in the day!

I was born in a house that my dad bought for $1 down and $99 a month - and he was dang proud of it!

Today I make plans for a trip some day to Scotland and Ireland. I seek to add a few really good courses to those I know each year. And, I still dream of getting my 9 down into the low single digits!

[Matthew Hunt]

I think this list proves that most golfers only get to play shit courses in their lifetime.  I'm a bit more curious why that is so.  Is it a personality flaw..or is it the structure of american golf.  Based on what I have read over the last five years..I'm going with the personality flaw.

Money mainly.

Also people like me come from Non-golfing Familys so we dont go on Golf trips.

Access is a Major Issue for people not in the "Know".

[Rick Shefchik]

4) World Woods Pine Barrens
5) Cape Breton Highlands
6) Royal Dornoch

Having played WW Pine Barrens, I'm going to conclude from this list that I should be in no rush to get to Dornoch...

[John Kavanaugh]

People not in the know do not desire access so it is not a issue at all. Of all the top 100's I have played that I am not a member I have paid at less than half so money is not an issue either.  It's all about time and personallity.  

[Matthew Hunt]

People not in the know do not desire access so it is not a issue at all. Of all the top 100's I have played that I am not a member I have paid at less than half so money is not an issue either.  It's all about time and personallity.  

I understand your point but the average Golfer cannnot play Oakmount, Cypress or August when they feel like it.

[John Kavanaugh]

People not in the know do not desire access so it is not a issue at all. Of all the top 100's I have played that I am not a member I have paid at less than half so money is not an issue either.  It's all about time and personallity.  

I understand your point but the average Golfer cannnot play Oakmount, Cypress or August.

That is because the courses you have attempted to spell are not average courses.  There is not a soul born into this world that is restricted from playing any of those three if they have patience (time) and lead a charitable and worthy life. (personality)

[JESII]

You're too much...

[Brad Tufts]

Even though I assume I'm well past the deadline....

1. Merion East
2. The Old Course
3. Prestwick
4. Bethpage Black
5. Pacific Dunes
6. Essex County Club (MA)
7. Ballybunion Old
8. Newport CC
9. Myopia Hunt Club
10. Royal Dornoch
11. Turnberry
12. Bandon Dunes

Honorable Mentions up to #20:  Kapalua Plantation, Salem CC, Cruden Bay, Plainfield CC, Carne, The Country Club (MA), Barona Creek, Bandon Trails

Notables not making my top 20:  Winged Foot West (#21), Kittansett (#24), Pinehurst #2 (#26), Mid-Ocean (#34), Yale (#47, admittedly my only play was pre-sprucing up)

My only criteria was:  Where would you rather play??

[Mitch St. Peter]

For whatever it's worth....

1.) Merion (East)
2.) Cypress Point
3.) Inverness
4.) Ekwanok
5.) Bethpage (Black)
6.) Olympic (Lake)
7.) Lahinch (Old)
8.) Pebble Beach
9.) LA (North)
10.) The Old Course
11.) Turnberry (Ailsa)
12.) Prestwick

[Sean Leary]

Even though I assume I'm well past the deadline....

1. Merion East
2. The Old Course
3. Prestwick
4. Bethpage Black
5. Pacific Dunes
6. Essex County Club (MA)
7. Ballybunion Old
8. Newport CC
9. Myopia Hunt Club
10. Royal Dornoch
11. Turnberry
12. Bandon Dunes

Honorable Mentions up to #20:  Kapalua Plantation, Salem CC, Cruden Bay, Plainfield CC, Carne, The Country Club (MA), Barona Creek, Bandon Trails

Notables not making my top 20:  Winged Foot West (#21), Kittansett (#24), Pinehurst #2 (#26), Mid-Ocean (#34), Yale (#47, admittedly my only play was pre-sprucing up)

My only criteria was:  Where would you rather play??

Jeezus Bradley, how long is your list? What was number 268

[Matthew Hunt]

Bump

I might get it finished this time. No new votes.

I will let John K Vote but I dont think he will take it