One's Personal Top Ten

[Bob_Huntley]

Hopefully not just another list but a collection of courses that have stirred the soul and senses and given much pleasure. They certainly may not be Doak 10's but they are the tops for me.

Not neccessarily in order.

The Old Course
Pine Valley
Cypress Point
MPCC Composite
Fishers Island
NGLA
Shinnecock
Sand Hills
Riviera
Pebble Beach

Bob

[JESII]

Well Mr. Huntley, if you are looking to be controversial you came up woefully short...

Fishers Island is right at the top of my wish list.

[Bruce Leland]

Bob, yours is a tough act to follow since I haven't played CPC or Pine Valley or TOC, etc,  but if I were to name the 10 courses that I have played that I'd want to play again before I leave this earth.....they would be as follows:

Monterey Peninsula Dunes & Shore (I'll take your composite over either alone)
Spyglass
Northland Country Club, Duluth, MN
Colonial CC Ft Worth, TX
Sutton Bay. Agar, SD
Monroe Golf Club, Pittsford, NY
Black Diamond Ranch, Lecanto FL
Pasatiempo
Shelter Harbour Golf Club, Charleston, RI

[Tom Huckaby]

Bob - refresh us again, what would the MPCC Composite be?

I have a feeling that would crack my Top 10.

Your list is GREAT by me.  But...I haven't played Pine Valley or Fishers Island.  So substitute Royal County Down and Royal Dornoch for those for me.   Also not sure I can keep Riviera, but only because I haven't played it probably 30 years.  So maybe put Ballybunion Old in there instead.  The rest works.

TH

[JESII]

Bruce,

Has Monroe changed at all in the last 10 years? I really liked it 10 years ago, but seem to remember some talk on here about restoration...

I liked that a few of the back tees had forced shaped tee shots due to the trees adjacent to the tee.

[DBE]

1. Pine Valley
2. The Old Course
3. Cypress Point
4. National GL
5. Sand Hills
6. Crystal Downs
7. Royal Melbourne
8. Merion
9. Garden City
10.Somerset Hills

[JESII]

Shouldn't you be hitting balls or something?


David,

Tell me about Shinnecock?

[JNC Lyon]

Divided into a few groups:

My favorite courses (in order of greatness):

Yeamans Hall
Garden City
The Country Club

Great Layouts (in order of greatness):

St. George's
The Ocean Course
Oak Hollow
Monroe

Courses that I have played so much that it is difficult to judge them against other courses (in order of frequency):

Oak Hill (West)
Oak Hill (East)
Seven Oaks
Country Club of Rochester

Very Good Layouts (in order of frequency):

CC of Buffalo
Crag Burn
Teugega

Some Other Favorites (no particular order):

Hackensack
Winston Lake
Brook Lea
Orchards
Park Club
Cobblestone Creek
Canterbury Woods
Mark Twain

[Wayne Freeman]

   My U.S. List

         Cypress Point
         Pine Valley
         Shinnecock
         Merion
         Ballyneal        
         Pebble Beach
         Bethpage Black
         Fishers Island
         Sand Hills
         National Golf Links
                        ..........  hoping one day to see if Augusta makes the list.

[John Kirk]

Wow.  Back after a few weeks, a few new experiences under my belt.

1.  Ballyneal
2.  Pacific Dunes
3.  Shinnecock Hills
4.  National Golf Links
5.  Friar's Head
6.  Riviera
7.  Sand Hills
8.  Crystal Downs

9.  Pasatiempo
10.  Stone Eagle

As many here know, I prefer the modern designs for a number of reasons, and prefer courses like Bandon Trails, Sebonack, Bandon Dunes, Rock Creek Cattle Company and the Kingsley Club to virtually all classic designs.  It seems a shame to leave great courses like Merion, Oakmont, Winged Foot and Prairie Dunes off the list, but I prefer courses to be less exacting.

Pasatiempo and Stone Eagle are personal favorites, not as architecturally diverse as others, but they work for me.

I just returned from a season ending trip to Ballyneal.  I've never played a better golf course, nor experienced a better club atmosphere.

[Bob_Huntley]

Divided into a few groups:

My favorite courses (in order of greatness):

Yeamans Hall
Garden City
The Country Club

Great Layouts (in order of greatness):

St. George's
The Ocean Course
Oak Hollow
Monroe

Courses that I have played so much that it is difficult to judge them against other courses (in order of frequency):

Oak Hill (West)
Oak Hill (East)
Seven Oaks
Country Club of Rochester

Very Good Layouts (in order of frequency):

CC of Buffalo
Crag Burn
Teugega

Some Other Favorites (no particular order):

Hackensack
Winston Lake
Brook Lea
Orchards
Park Club
Cobblestone Creek
Canterbury Woods
Mark Twain

JNC Lyon

When I say ten, I mean ten, not twelve or fourteen but TEN.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

1. Pine Valley
2. The Old Course
3. Cypress Point
4. National GL
5. Sand Hills
6. Crystal Downs
7. Royal Melbourne
8. Merion
9. Garden City
10.Somerset Hills


David,

Royal Melbourne was there but as a member of Riviera and the joys I had there, it aced RM.

Bob

[Kevin Pallier]

Gee whiz Bob only one course outside America ? - you need to get out more 

[Ian Andrew]

1. Pine Valley
2. The Old Course
3. Royal County Down
4. Cypress Point
5. National GL
6. Merion
7. Royal Dornock
8. Crystal Downs
9. Riviera
10. Prestwick

[Jed Peters]

Bob - refresh us again, what would the MPCC Composite be?


TH

Don't want to speak for Bob, but here's my ideal version of what an MPCC composite course would look like.

Walkable, too!

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35829.0.html

[Bob_Huntley]

Gee whiz Bob only one course outside America ? - you need to get out more 

Kevin,

You may not know that I am not home grown and have played a great deal overseas. However, I did say something about stirring the soul and the general pleasure that I have received from these venues. Riviera may well not be a Royal County Down but the half a dozen times that I played there could in no way equal the enjoyment of my time at Riviera. The rounds and memories of having an ace at the sixth hole and a two on  the par 5 second. In addition I lived on the course and that alone makes it a favorite.

Bob

[Bob_Huntley]

Bob - refresh us again, what would the MPCC Composite be?


TH

Don't want to speak for Bob, but here's my ideal version of what an MPCC composite course would look like.

Walkable, too!

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35829.0.html

Jed, You hit  on the head.

Bob

[Kevin Pallier]

Gee whiz Bob only one course outside America ? - you need to get out more 

Kevin,

You may not know that I am not home grown and have played a great deal overseas. However, I did say something about stirring the soul and the general pleasure that I have received from these venues. Riviera may well not be a Royal County Down but the half a dozen times that I played there could in no way equal the enjoyment of my time at Riviera. The rounds and memories of having an ace at the sixth hole and a two on  the par 5 second. In addition I lived on the course and that alone makes it a favorite.

Bob

Bob

No worries at all - I was just stirring the pot (hence the grin)....as you say they are your own "personal" Top10

[Lloyd_Cole]

Haven't done this for a while, here goes using Bob's prescription (the fun I had) and in no particular order

Royal Melbourne West
Royal County Down
Ganton
Royal Dornoch
West Sussex
North Berwick
Alwoodley
Kingston Heath
Tobacco Road
Cruden Bay

[Jon Spaulding]

Soul-stirrers, in no particular order:

Pasatiempo
Bayonet (the military version)
Shelter Cove
Ballyneal
Pebble
Skungamaug River
Garden City
CPC
Yale
Maidstone

[CJ Carder]

I use Bob's definition of "Top 10" anyway when I'm compiling my list of favorite courses.  With that in mind, here are my 10, in order:

1.  Muirfield
2.  Turnbery - Ailsa
3.  St. Andrews Old
4.  Golden Horseshoe - Gold (my home course)
5.  Royal Dornoch
6.  Pinehurst #2
7.  Spyglass
8.  Cascades
9.  True Blue
10.  Sawgrass

[JNC Lyon]

Divided into a few groups:

My favorite courses (in order of greatness):

Yeamans Hall
Garden City
The Country Club

Great Layouts (in order of greatness):

St. George's
The Ocean Course
Oak Hollow
Monroe

Courses that I have played so much that it is difficult to judge them against other courses (in order of frequency):

Oak Hill (West)
Oak Hill (East)
Seven Oaks
Country Club of Rochester

Very Good Layouts (in order of frequency):

CC of Buffalo
Crag Burn
Teugega

Some Other Favorites (no particular order):

Hackensack
Winston Lake
Brook Lea
Orchards
Park Club
Cobblestone Creek
Canterbury Woods
Mark Twain

JNC Lyon

When I say ten, I mean ten, not twelve or fourteen but TEN.

Bob

I'll try ten:

Yeamans Hall
Garden City
The Country Club
The Ocean Course
Oak Hill (East)
Oak Hill (West)
Crag Burn
Oak Hollow
Seven Oaks
St. George's

Maybe not the ten best, but the ten I've enjoyed the most.

[Ash Towe]

I will give it a go.
In no particular order-

Muirfield
Cypress
The Old Course
Royal Melbourne West
San Francisco GC
Cape Kidnappers
Royal Birkdale
Plainfield
MPCC Shore
Kingsbarns

[Sean_A]

Well

No matter how I break it down, three courses always finish up there:

SANDWICH
NORTH BERWICK
PRESTWICK

The following are close, but not quite at the level of the above:

ENNISCRONE
ST ENODOC
PENNARD
BALLYBUNION
PORTRUSH
MERION

Since Sir Bob insists on 10:

ADDINGTON


The one thing I do hope, is that this list will change in the coming the years.

Ciao

[Paul Nash]

With only really UK to judge and many not played, this is in no particular order:

Hankley Common
Woodhall Spa
Bearwood Lakes
The Berkshire (either but would tip the Red - although the last 5 holes on Blue are great)
Saunton Sands East
Porthcawl
The Old Course - only played once and still can't really make up my mind if I loved it or if it is all about th history
New Zealand
Swinley Forrest
Gleneagles Kings

Some other UK courses that I am really looking forward to playing and know that they could enter my top 10
West Sussex
The Addington
Beau Desert
Ganton
Notts
Sherwood Forest
Formby
North Berwick
Kingsbarns
Royal Aberdeen
Hillside
Royal County Down
Turnberry Ailsa
European Club
Carne
Waterville
Dornoch
Spey Valley
Loch Lomond