Golfweek's Top 50 Municipal Courses 2010

[Steve_ Shaffer]

From golfbusinesswire.com
Golfweek Releases Third-Annual Best Municipal Courses List
  
ORLANDO, Fla., (May 6, 2010) - Golfweek magazine, the publication preferred by serious golfers, will feature its annual rankings of Golfweek's Best Municipal Courses as part of its upcoming May 7 issue. Considered one of the most accessible lists in the magazine's extensive collection of rankings, the 2010 Golfweek's Best Municipal Courses list honors the county's top 50 government-owned layouts that have redefined the meaning of "public golf" in the United States.

"'Muni golf' used to carry a negative connotation. Not anymore," said Bradley S. Klein, national director of Golfweek's Best Courses ratings program. "Our list of Golfweek's Best Municipal Courses includes recent U.S. Open tracts like Torrey Pines' South Course in San Diego (No. 5 on our list and home to the 2008 Open) and Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y. (No. 1 on our list and the site of the 2009 U.S. Open). But it also includes lesser-known, well-kept gems like Memorial Park Golf Course (No. in Houston, Montauk Downs State Park (No. 33) in Montauk, N.Y., and Lassing Pointe (No. 42) in Union, Ky."

While the top two spots on this year's list continue to be held by Bethpage State Park's Black Course and Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., this year's No. 3 ranking goes to newcomer Butterfield Trail Golf Club in El Paso, Texas. Additional layouts debuting on the 2010 Golfweek's Best Municipal Courses list in 2010 include Washington County Golf Course in Hartford, Wis. (ranked No. 35) and Ol' Colony Golf Complex in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (No. 49 on the list).

Here's the Top 10

Golfweek’s Best: Municipal Courses (2009-2010)

1. Bethpage State Park (Black) 8.07
Farmingdale, N.Y.
1935, A.W. Tillinghast; Rees Jones (1998)

2. Chambers Bay 7.61
University Place, Wash.
2007, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Bruce Charlton

3. Butterfield Trail* 6.33
El Paso, Texas
2007, Tom Fazio

4. Piñon Hills 6.18  
Farmington, N.M.
1990, Ken Dye

5. Torrey Pines (South)      6.18
San Diego
1957, William F. Bell

6. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium) 6.13
Scottsdale, Ariz.
1987, Jay Morrish, Tom Weiskopf

7. Indian Wells Golf Resort (Players) 5.95
Indian Wells, Calif.
2007, John Fought

8. Memorial Park 5.88
Houston
1936, John Bredemus; Baxter Spann (1996)

9. Olympic Course at Gold Mountain 5.83
Bremerton, Wash.
1996, John Harbottle

10. Harding Park 5.83
San Francisco
1925, Willie Watson

Here's the rest of the list:

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/may/06/2010-golfweeks-best-municipal-courses/

Here's some commentary:

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2010/may/06/golfweeks-best-municipal-courses-2009-10/?RANKINGS-GolfweeksBest

Noticeably absent for those of us in the Philadelphia metro area are any munis in PA and DE. There is just one muni ranked in NJ- Hominy Hill in Colts Neck.

[Cliff Hamm]

Once again a glaring omission for New England is Connecticut's Shennecossett.

[PCCraig]

12. Thunderhawk 5.71
Beach Park, Ill.
1999, Robert Trent Jones Jr.

13. Shepherd’s Crook 5.70
Zion, Ill
1999, Keith Foster


Nice job by Lake County, IL. Even more so considering they are about a half a mile apart!

[Anthony Fowler]

Cliff, I agree that Shennecossett deserves to be on the list.

What about Rustic Canyon?  Isn't it owned by the county?  If it's eligible, how could it not be in the top 5?

I haven't played it, but does anyone think Rochelle Ranch deserves consideration here?  Perhaps the location takes it out of view for most raters.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

Anthony, Brad doesn't count Rustic Canyon because it was built by a private developer.

It appears that this list favors fame and conditioning and has little to do with architecture.

[Jerry Kluger]

Is TPC Scottsdale a municipal course owned by the city or county, etc.?

[Ted Cahill]

Butterfield Trail?  That's a head scratcher.  These raters need to get to Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, IL.  Congrats to Thunderhawk in Illinois.  Well earned.  Olympic Course at Golf Mountain should be 3rd. 

[Joe Bausch]

I did a photo tour of #39 on the list, Greystone, last year:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,40480.0/

[Nick Campanelli]

11. Wintonbury Hills 5.72
Bloomfield, Conn.
2003, Pete Dye, Tim Liddy

I, personally, would rank Shennecossett at an equal level with Wintonbury Hills.  While I think there are a few great holes at Wintonbury (5,6,14,17), I personally feel the course is overrated, and only gets the hype it does because its Dye's / Liddy's only layout in New England.  While Wintorbury's conditions are stellar (their fees are almost double Shennecossetts), the routing and layout in Groton keeps your interest and challenges golfers from the 1st tee to the 19th hole      

[JLahrman]

I agree with some of the other comments regarding the definition of "municipal" - some of these do not appear to be what I woiuld consider to be municipal but perhaps I'm mistaken.

I've only played it once, but Lassing Pointe at #43 is a definite head scratcher personally.  Decent course although there are others I would prefer to play in the Greater Cincinnati/Ohio area, not sure how it could be considered Top 50 unless it's something about the "municipal" criteria.  Not sure if these would count as municipal, but just in the Hurzdan family Cooks Creek, Walden Ponds, and The Players Club Foxfire are courses that I like more than Lassing Pointe.

[Richard Choi]

Glad to see 2 Washington courses make the top 10.

As someone who has played Rustic Canyon and enjoyed it immensely, I would still pick Gold Mountain Olympic Course as a better course. So, I am not sure if RC would make the top 10 even if it was a muni.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jerry,

TPC Scottsdale is indeed owned by the city of Scottsdale.

[Jerry Kluger]

Steve: It sure isn't run like a muni with rates as high as $287.00. 

[Ron Csigo]

Disappointed in not seeing Knoll Country Club - West (New Jersey) on the list.  A lot of nice work has taken place between last golf season and this year.  

Regardless, kudos George!  

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Butterfield Trail?  That's a head scratcher.  These raters need to get to Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, IL.  Congrats to Thunderhawk in Illinois.  Well earned.  Olympic Course at Golf Mountain should be 3rd. 

If Brackenridge is the last course on the list then Aldeen is nowhere close.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Jerry,

Torrey Pines isn't cheap either. TPC Scottsdale also has the Champions course highly rated. Just because it's a muni doesn't mean it's cheap.TPC Scottsdale soaks the tourists. Isn't there a resident rate?

[Tom Yost]

Steve: It sure isn't run like a muni with rates as high as $287.00. 

I agree it is a joke to call the TPC Scottsdale a "muni."

From my understanding, the original agreement was for the second course (formerly the Desert Course) to be operated with a municipal type rate structure favoring residents. And for many years it was, with a high-season rate w/cart peaking out around $60.

Following the redevelopment of the Desert course, now called the Champions course, the fee structure jacked up, residents still get a break, approx $80 high season ($135 for non-residents).  They do thankfully, offer a walking rate of $48 for residents and non-residents alike.

To my knowledge, the Stadium course never had a resident rate.

[JohnV]

None of the courses in Portland Oregon make the list?  Eastmoreland and both courses at Heron Lakes should be close.

Pacific Grove Muni isn't on there either.

Hard to believe.

[Chris Flamion]

Both Harborside courses are on the list?!?  I must have missed something when I played them.

Happy to see number 49 Ol Colony on the list, I love that course.

[Tim Martin]

11. Wintonbury Hills 5.72
Bloomfield, Conn.
2003, Pete Dye, Tim Liddy

I, personally, would rank Shennecossett at an equal level with Wintonbury Hills.  While I think there are a few great holes at Wintonbury (5,6,14,17), I personally feel the course is overrated, and only gets the hype it does because its Dye's / Liddy's only layout in New England.  While Wintorbury's conditions are stellar (their fees are almost double Shennecossetts), the routing and layout in Groton keeps your interest and challenges golfers from the 1st tee to the 19th hole     

Nick-I think you are spot on with your post. Shennecossett deserves to be on the list instead of or at the very least ahead of Wintonbury. The par 3 4th hole("Ant Hill") is one of the toughest around with a classic Donald Ross crowned green and an all world par 5 finisher. Can`t beat the 19th hole for food,atmosphere and drinks.   

[Cliff Hamm]

Tim..love Shenny...the 4th is as difficult a par 3 that I have played.  Best play is to hit it short and see how well you can chip  , but 18!..one of the easiest par 5's I have ever played.  If you want to try to go for it in 2 fine, but even if you miss no real risk as a par is still not difficult.  What makes you elevate it to 'all world' status?

BTW The better question is how does Shenny compare with Triggs,  not Wintonbury.

[Tim Martin]

Tim..love Shenny...the 4th is as difficult a par 3 that I have played.  Best play is to hit it short and see how well you can chip  , but 18!..one of the easiest par 5's I have ever played.  If you want to try to go for it in 2 fine, but even if you miss no real risk as a par is still not difficult.  What makes you elevate it to 'all world' status?

BTW The better question is how does Shenny compare with Triggs,  not Wintonbury.

My comment about 18 refers to a finisher for match play. Don`t kid yourself because there are plenty of ways to make 6 on this hole. Go long left over the green in either 2 or 3 and let me know how many pars you make.

[Sean_A]

The list "sounds" about right.  A load of courses that few people have heard of and fewer would travel to see.  I don't much see the point of a best of Muni list because the vast majority of munis are for locals as they should be.  The best 50 must have 300 that could be included.

Ciao

[Kirk Gill]

Sean, you're right of course. For instance, Denver has a pretty good municipal golf system, and a nice selection of courses that on a given day are a lot of fun to play, and some have a decent amount of architectural interest - but I don't know how many people would travel to see any of them. Colorado has three courses on the list, and two of them are in mountain towns - the Aspen course and Nicklaus' course in Breckenridge. Even though I live here, I don't get up to play the mountain courses all that often, so I'd be interested in the comments of folks who have played those course as to whether or not they might be worthy of a stop sometime.

I'd also say that the City of Aurora has a municipal gem in Murphy Creek. Housing has crept in all around the course and mitigated the experience somewhat, but that course is still a lot of fun to play and rewarding for the GCA enthusiast.

[Mark Arata]

Where are all the Cape Cod courses? Cranberry Valley, the Captains, Bayberry Hills, Dennis Pines? I thought they were all owned by the townships?

8 seems awfully high for Memorial Park....nice course, and a tasty burger and beer can be had at Beck's Prime after the round, but there are a bunch of courses lower on the list that I like more than that...... and Cranberry and The Captains that arent even on the list!