Coral Ridge:
I wouldn't say I have a favorite--and that probably wouldn't be that interesting anyway, but here are the courses I do know that I respect the most architecturally and the general reasons why. I have respect for architecture particularly if there's a difference to it somehow, a logic to it that I can understand somehow and probably ultimately something I might loosely call "taste" which has something to do with what works for me about it with where it is.
NGLA:
Probably the most interesting course and architecture in the world to me for its unique architectural style that works incredibly well for golf and a variety of golf shots. I would cite as my overall feeling about it something Bill Coore said about it; "I can't believe they had the imagination to build some of those holes and the guts to actually do it."
Pine Valley & Merion:
Two courses I would list together for the reason that I think they are the two courses in the world that have 18 holes that show the greatest variety and are the highest quality architecturally that can be found overall in an 18 hole course. Looked at another way what I might consider the weakest hole at either of these two is better architecturally, for some particular reason, than the weakest hole on any other of the great courses in the world. Every single hole on both these courses was burned in my brain from the very beginning and that's something I cannot say of any other courses--even NGLA.
Cypress Point:
Probably the most beautiful architecture in the world, ever!--and I don't just mean the setting. There are a few holes in the middle of the front nine that are not memorable to me, but I believe Cypress may have been the point where architecture reached it's zenith of using and blending with, in every single way, the lines and and the nature of it's particular site. It's ironic that it opened at what appears to have been the height of its architecture (from that point the architecture appears to have devolved downward). In other words the day it opened may have been the most mature and the best it ever was--highly unusual in architecture. Again, I see Cypress as the zenith of what man can do architecturally with nature and the fact that it opened in 1928 just preceding the financial crash and that I don't think architecture reached that point either before or since I think is highly ironic!
Seminole:
A course and architecture that probably has the greatest spectrum of "playability" to it that cannot be seen, or easily seen. It can be a championship course to test the best without a single one of the best saying it's "over the top" and about two days later it can be a relatively friendly "members" course. I've seen that happen many times and that's saying a lot to me about the quality of it's architecture. It does not have 18 good holes though. Some are really great and some have just one thing about them that keeps them sort of in the game.
Shinnecock:
Probably the golf course in the world that seems to have the most of it all! I don't think Shinnecock would lead the world of architecture in any one single element or aspect of architecuture but when you put it all together the general strength of all its architectural elements and aspects would probably put it on top in the opinion of the most people, and would in my opinion.
There's one example at Shinnecock, however, that shows the delicate balance of all things to do with golf architecture and the perception of it. If nothing at all was altered about the golf course except that the nines were turned around the golf course would not even come close to the top of the list overall, in my opinion!
Oakmont:
For top flight players the equal to Shinnecock for the strength of its architecture. Shinnecock's architecture has more elasticity to be "membership" friendly, as Oakmont seems to be the course in the world that stays closest to championship "playbability" all the time.
Royal County Down:
Hard to explain but for it's difference somehow. To carry off degrees of blindness and occassional narrowness in the use of its features like it does says a lot. Without question some of the most amazing bunkers in the world.
Port Rush:
Both the Dunluce and the Valley course seem to me to be some of the best natural golf ground in the world and the courses on it use it very well.
Maidstone:
If I had one course to play every day for the rest of my life it would be Maidstone! It doesn't matter to me if the one great asset of the course is its variability due to the wind! I don't care if it can be very easy one day and real hard and interesting the next with the wind. If it wasn't a bit of a lamb without the wind it would be impossible with it--and that shows true amalgamation of architecture with the natural elements to me!
Others I respect:
Huntingdon Valley; A real shot makers course because of almost constant uneven lies.
Pacific Dunes: Lots of variety, great setting for it, wind interest and variation, par skewing at it's finest, and a great old/new direction for American architecture!
Rustic Canyon: Although I haven't seen it built I think I know enough about it to say it's an example of real subtle sophistication in architecture and the fact that it's at the affordable public level makes it that much more interesting.
Others:
Fishers Island, Misquamicut, Riviera, Merion West, Lancaster, Lehigh, GCGC, Somerset Hills.