Golf Magazine: Top 100 You Can Play 2008

[Richard Choi]

It is out.

Top 10:

1. Pacific Dunes
2. Pebble Beach
3. Whistling Strait
4. The Ocean Course
5. Pinehurst No 2
6. Bandon Dunes
7. Bethpage Black
8. Chambers Bay (nice debut)
9. Spyglass
10. Sawgrass

New courses:
8. Chambers Bay
27. Erin Hills
29. Fallen Oak
44 We-Ko-Pa (Saguro)
62. The Highland Course at Primland
79. Osprey Meadows
88. Sunday River
93. Circling Raven
96. Redlands Mesa
99. Atlantic City Country Club
100. Tidewater (it's back)

I have a trip to Idaho scheduled for Sept. Excited to see the courses I will play being listed.

I predict Chambers Bay will be equal or surpass the ranking of Whistling Strait by 2016.

[Jay Kirkpatrick]

Glad to see Tidewater back... its gotten lost in the shuffle given all the headliners in Myrtle Beach.  Still think it ranks second on the Grand Strand behind Caledonia and just before The Dunes.

[Tom_Doak]

Was Beechtree in the list?  They had called me a couple of months ago to ask if the course was closing or not, presumably because it was going to be in the top 100 (it was last time) but they didn't want to list it if the course was going to close.

[BVince]

I am surprised that there is not more controversy about this.  Pebble is #2?  Bandon Dunes ahead of Bethpage Black?  

[Richard Choi]

Beechtree is 91 (3rd in Maryland).

I agree that Bethpage should be 5th or 6th and Bandon should barely crack the top 10.

[John Kavanaugh]

I am surprised that there is not more controversy about this.  Pebble is #2?  Bandon Dunes ahead of Bethpage Black?  

Bryon,

You may note that no one cares about rankings anymore.  The basic truth about this list of courses you can play is that anyone who can afford the courses in the top 10 will also have the connections to play the great private courses.  I'd love to see the demographic of you when it comes to $200 + greenfees.

[Tom_Doak]

JK:  Isn't it supply and demand?  Don't you think if Quail Crossing were ranked in the top 10 they would look at the green fees of other top-10 rated courses and think THEY should charge $200 -- or whatever they could get in Evansville?

[Richard Choi]

The basic truth about this list of courses you can play is that anyone who can afford the courses in the top 10 will also have the connections to play the great private courses.  I'd love to see the demographic of you when it comes to $200 + greenfees.

I need to get out more since I've played 5 of the top 10 courses on the list, but I have no connections to speak of

OK, I did play Baltusrol, but that was all my brother...

[John Kavanaugh]

JK:  Isn't it supply and demand?  Don't you think if Quail Crossing were ranked in the top 10 they would look at the green fees of other top-10 rated courses and think THEY should charge $200 -- or whatever they could get in Evansville?

Tom,

Bethpage seems to prove that theory wrong.  It is cheap as hell in New York dollars.  I don't believe rankings add a penny to the value of any green fee past the first two years of a course opening.  The real value comes from the QC...quality and championships.  

[John Kavanaugh]

The basic truth about this list of courses you can play is that anyone who can afford the courses in the top 10 will also have the connections to play the great private courses.  I'd love to see the demographic of you when it comes to $200 + greenfees.

I need to get out more since I've played 5 of the top 10 courses on the list, but I have no connections to speak of

OK, I did play Baltusrol, but that was all my brother...

My God man...Go to the thread next to this one and play Shoreacres.

[Richard Choi]

Bethpage is not a good example. USGA has made sure that keeping the greens fee low was part of the deal in renovation. It is also a muni with a long track record.

[Craig Sweet]

Of the top 10 only one course under $200 to play....gee.

Maybe I CAN'T PLAY....

[Garland Bayley]

Of the top 10 only one course under $200 to play....gee.

Maybe I CAN'T PLAY....

Bethpage and Chambers is one?

[Richard Boult]

Here's the old list... hopefully they'll update their online list soon.

http://www.golf.com/golf/courses_travel/article/0,28136,1570359,00.html

[John Kavanaugh]

Of the top 10 only one course under $200 to play....gee.

Maybe I CAN'T PLAY....

Bethpage and Chambers is one?

How quick will Chambers fail if only people who spend less than $200 to play it are their only customers.  What is the golfing population base within a 70 mile radius?

[BVince]

JK,

They have a large golfing population within a 70 mile radius.  Close by you have the Tacoma area, Lakewood, University Place, Fife, andGig Harbor.  Within 35 miles you have Seattle.  The golfing population is there, just how many people in Pierce County are going to consistently pay 100+ or out of Pierce County 200+ for a round of golf.  There will always be a need for the out-of-town golfers.

[Brad Tufts]

Trump LA up to #34?  Thoughts?

In one play in early 2007....I thought it was not horrible, but pretty weird in spots....there are alot of good golf courses from #35-#100....

[David Stamm]

I think Pasatiempo is a little low and Rustic Canyon is as well.

[Carl Rogers]

Tom,

Beechtree is on the list.

Oddly (but good for me as a golf consumer), Riverfront is not on the Virginia list.  Suffolk, VA is on nobodies list of places to go for much of anything.  I am wondering if location has a lot to do with these lists once you get out of the top 50 or so.

[John Kavanaugh]

JK,

They have a large golfing population within a 70 mile radius.  Close by you have the Tacoma area, Lakewood, University Place, Fife, andGig Harbor.  Within 35 miles you have Seattle.  The golfing population is there, just how many people in Pierce County are going to consistently pay 100+ or out of Pierce County 200+ for a round of golf.  There will always be a need for the out-of-town golfers.

Byron,

Thanks, look like I was wrong again.  Checked the census data and Pierce County has close to 800,000 people.  I'm thrilled to hear that Chambers is only 35 miles from Seattle.  I love the people, climate and food of the Pacific Northwest and should visit to escape the Olde Macdonald douche chills that will ruin Bandon for me in the near future.

[Anthony Fowler]

Is the new list online yet?

Looking at the old lists, I have a hard time imagining there are that many ahead of Torrey.  Where is it this time?

[David Stamm]

Is the new list online yet?

Looking at the old lists, I have a hard time imagining there are that many ahead of Torrey.  Where is it this time?

http://www.golf.com/golf/courses_travel/article/0,28136,1570359,00.html


FWIW, I think there are some courses that probably belong ahead of TP South on that list.

[Wyatt Halliday]

Is this better JK?

























































23: Torrey Pines (South) Ca

[John Kavanaugh]

Wyatt,

I have a relative, non-blood, that works at Golf Magazine.  Perhaps he had hoped someone would either buy the magazine or visit the web site.  Golf Magazine is not some tabloid that shoves its opinions down the throats of golfers by sending out their rag free to every course in the country.  In the name of decency and commerce please delete your list and make the guys on this site pony up for once.

[Eric Smith]

Wyatt,

I have a relative, non-blood, that works at Golf Magazine.  Perhaps he had hoped someone would either buy the magazine or visit the web site.  Golf Magazine is not some tabloid that shoves its opinions down the throats of golfers by sending out their rag free to every course in the country.  In the name of decency and commerce please delete your list and make the guys on this site pony up for once.

I just renewed my subscription to GOLF for $9 for the year; 75 cents an issue = almost free.

plus I think I'm getting some shiny surlyns in the mail to boot.