[J Cabarcos]

In no particular order:

TOC:  no explanation necessary.
Augusta National: ditto.
Cypress Point: uhh, same rationale.
Royal Melbourne:  My curiosity is peaked as to the fuss made about the sandhills down under.
Royal County Down:  After going to Portrush, I like to stack the up the often higher rated neighbor.

Double Trifecta Pick:  NGLA:  no top list is complete without this beaut.

Sidebar: @David H. - El Saler left me with much to be desired.  Conditioning seems frequently to be at issue.  The course itself was very nice, but top five/ ten territory it is not IMHO. I would stick to the GB&I for top Euro golf spots.

[Ian Andrew]

If I could have any five:

The Next Five would be:

Woodhall Spa
Myopia Hunt
Kennemer
Royal Hague

and yes shockingly Sand Hills (I still haven't seen it)

Those are the ones that have my eye today...

[J Cabarcos]

Richard...I disagree.  I've met a lot of people who've played Augusta National.  If they did it, why can't you?

Perhaps this is simply a matter of life outlook.  I frankly think anything is possible.  I truly believe I will be a scratch golfer.  Absolutely 100% no doubt about it.  I absolutely believe I will play Augusta National, Cypress Point, Sand Hills, Muirfield, etc, etc, etc...no doubt about it.  It is just the way I think.  Others are different.  I get that and I won't debate this anymore because it is one of my biggest pet peeves in life.  If there is a will, there is a way.  I don't associate with negative people, neysayers, or doubters.  Why go through life that way?  Try to shoot for your dreams, what else do you have to do with your life?  And all this Jennifer Anniston stuff, WTF?!?  Again, if she is the kind of girl you want...try to meet her.

I'll stop now.  I am sorry if this comes off the wrong way, I am just typing off the cuff...but like I said this negative talk is my pet peeve.  Who dares wins!!

Mac:

Amen, Amen, Amen.  If one says "no" to oneself, then he has shut the door upon himself.  If doors are ever going to get shut in front of my nose, it certainly will not be me doing the slamming.  Let it be an ANGC gatekeeper who got annoyed at my insistence throughout the years.

A positive attitude towards things can only expand the possibilities of life, a negative attitude could only curb the potential of one's life.  After four hip and knee surgeries & rehabs, I have learned that outlook is everything. 

[Kin Britton]

1. Cypress Point
2. NGLA
3. Royal County Down
4. Shinnencock
5. Fishers Island

[David Harshbarger]

Sidebar: @David H. - El Saler left me with much to be desired.  Conditioning seems frequently to be at issue.  The course itself was very nice, but top five/ ten territory it is not IMHO. I would stick to the GB&I for top Euro golf spots.

@J C.  Thanks for the info on El Saler.  Do you know if any other Aranas courses are better preserved or maintained?  After Mr. Doak suggested I add Javier Arana to my to-play list, my limited research identified El Saler as his masterpiece. His philosophy was very interesting, so I want to see hiis work.

I would absolutely love to play all of the courses you list, also.  But the ones I listed are ones I will put some focus into playing.  That's wat I like about this exercise, that it makes you ask yourself questions about what is important to you.  Of course I'd love to play Pine Valley, Cypress Point, NGLA (which is high on the list), etc. Etc.  And frankly, I'm looking forward to the time those opportunities arise.  But places like Hirono, for instance, I guess might be missed by many.  To me, the combo of Japanese culture and great golf should translate into a unique golf experience that is worth seeking out, even if the course itself isn't top 10 in broader circles.

Good stuff and ditto on the positive thinking.

It's Arana, not Aranas

[Mac Plumart]

That's wat I like about this exercise, that it makes you ask yourself questions about what is important to you.

David...awesome stuff!!  I'd say the same holds true for life.

[J Cabarcos]

@J C.  Thanks for the info on El Saler.  Do you know if any other Aranas courses are better preserved or maintained?  After Mr. Doak suggested I add Javier Aranas to my to-play list, my limited research identified El Saler as his masterpiece. His philosophy was very interesting, so I want to see hiis work.

I would absolutely love to play all of the courses you list, also.  But the ones I listed are ones I will put some focus into playing.  That's wat I like about this exercise, that it makes you ask yourself questions about what is important to you.  Of course I'd love to play Pine Valley, Cypress Point, NGLA (which is high on the list), etc. Etc.  And frankly, I'm looking forward to the time those opportunities arise.  But places like Hirono, for instance, I guess might be missed by many.  To me, the combo of Japanese culture and great golf should translate into a unique golf experience that is worth seeking out, even if the course itself isn't top 10 in broader circles.

Good stuff and ditto on the positive thinking.

I have not gone to El Prat GC just north of Barcelona, but that would be my best bet for an Aranas' course keep in the finest condition.  One hurdle, it is a private club and I do not know about their policy when it come to non-resident play.  Keep an eye out for the Open de Espana (Spanish Open) which has been held their in order to catch a glimpse of it on the television.

http://www.rcgep.com/

David & Mac, If the thread question was phrased as top 5 golf course wish list of "pure play" I think the question would be very tough to answer.  Ultimately, because there is a fundamental lack of knowledge of the course itself as well as the notion of attaining the highest level of personal enjoyment from it.  I believe the only thing that we could base our answers on would be prior playing experiences.  I absolutely loved playing MacKenzie's Pasatiempo and Lahinch.  Given those experiences, I would pick in addition previously chosen Cypress Point & Royal Melbourne, the following: Crystal Downs, Montecito, and the Jockey Club.  Now that would be a blast.

[Paul Jones]

Updated - no special order:

The Country Club (Brookline)
Friars Head
Augusta National
Royal Birkdale
Royal St George

[Joe Stansell]

I enjoyed reading this thread. It made me focus on my "reach courses" for the near term. With that in mind, I approached this task as one where I want to sample some of the best work of five different architects, but favoring those courses that I'd realistically be able to play sometime within the next several years. Thus:

The Doak - Pacific Dunes (but eying Ballyneal and Rock Creek, too)
The Coore & Crenshaw - Bandon Trails (but pining for Sand Hills)
The A.W. Tillinghast - Bethpage State Park (Black) (but loving the idea of San Francisco Golf Club)
The McKenzie - Pasatiempo Golf Club (but of course dreaming of Cypress Point Club)
God - The Old Course

That leaves out a bunch of architects on the bucket list, particularly Flynn, Macdonald, Morrish & Weiskopf, Old Tom Morris, and Raynor.  All those and others will have to wait.

[Mark Saltzman]

No I idea if any of these courses would have me, but...

1) N. Michigan trip: Kingsley and Crystal Downs

2) Virginia trip: Ballyhack and Kinloch

3) Rochester trip: Oak Hill West, Monroe, CC of Rochester

3b) Prairie Dunes

NB. I have left off the not gonna happen trips that would include the Long Island and Philly greats.

New number 1: Trip to NE Ohio: Brookside, Canterbury, Sharon, Kirtland, The Country Club

2) Virginia remains but will likely have to wait until 2013.

3a) Rochester - so close yet so far.

3b) Cabot Links / Highlands Links

Long Island and Philly are as appealing as ever and will remain on the bucket list.

[Carl Rogers]

I have to look at this from the perspective as to what might be a conceivable possibility for me in my own neighborhood. Tidewater Virginia ...

have played Ballyhack & Tobacco Road

Pinehurst No.2 & the others
Lower Cascades
Greenbrier
Kinloch (have no clue how to get access)
Crystal Downs (ditto on access)
TPC Sawgrass ... oops that's 6

[Andy Troeger]

Augusta National
Cape Kidnappers
Friar's Head
Pacific Dunes

and just to be different,

Pete Dye GC

I went back through this to see what I chose originally. Happily I'm 3 for 5 on my original selections. I'm going to leave Cape Kidnappers off this time just because I'm not realistically going to New Zealand anytime soon...not that I'm going to Augusta soon either but its always been #1 on this list...

Augusta National
Merion
Fishers Island
Chicago GC--only 90 miles from my original home, plus seeing other MacDonald's adds this to the list
Sand Hills--Friar's Head and Bandon Trails are both in my top six, so I'd love to find out if this one is really their best.

[JC Jones]

My list has more to do with learning about architects and style rather than just courses so here it goes:

1.  Merion - Obvious reasons given the work Flynn put in and seeing bunkers that arguably set the standard for bunker design in America.

2.  Shinnecock - To continue with Flynn (backups would include Rolling Green and Lancaster)

3.  NGLA - I've not seen a CBM course so why not start at the top!

4.  Fishers Island - I have likewise not seen any of Raynor's work.  Backup to this one is Yale.

5.  Pinehurst #2.  - I am really into Ross right now (good thing he did so much in North Carolina!) and would like to see more.  Backup to this is Holston Hills.

I guess it is pretty heavy on the Northeast but I need to see some of this work to get a better understanding.

2 years later and I've only played Merion and Holston on this list.  Interestingly, the others on this list are no longer in my top 5.  In no particular order:

Sebonack
Dismal River
PraIrie Dunes
Chicago Golf Club
Oakmont

This is obviously a US list.  Crazy how the things that interest us can be so fluid.

[Carson Pilcher]

Augusta National
Royal County Down
Bandon Dunes
Royal Melbourne
Sand Hills

[Mark Saltzman]

JC, what made NGLA drop from the list? Fear of not drivin Sahara?

[hhuffines]

Mac, getting down to five is tough, but here are mine:

Ballybunion Old
Royal Melbourne
Pebble Beach
Royal Dormoch
Mid Ocean

Cruit Island and Royal Hague could be in there too....

[JC Jones]

JC, what made NGLA drop from the list? Fear of not drivin Sahara?

Not sure, really.  I'm not real interested in template courses in the first place, but I've had some friends recently play Chicago and 2 of them put it above NGLA so I'm riding on their wave of emotion I suppose.  it certainly wasn't meant to slight NGLA in any way.

I posted this list mainly so I could revisit often to see if my interest continue to change.  I've lived 90 minutes from #2 for 2 years, in that time I've played Old Town around a half dozen times and #2, zero.  Never would have guessed that 2 years ago.

[Paul Jones]

Updated...

Augusta National
The Country Club
Friar's Head
Somerset Hills
Boston Golf Club

[Michael George]

I have excluded those that I have current plans of playing and have limited to US courses (too difficult to go worldwide).  Also, cheating by listing "trips".

Philadelphia - Pine Valley, Merion

Hamptons - NGLA, Shinnecock, Sebonack, Maidstone, Friars Head

NC/VA Mountains - Wade Hampton, Diamond Creek, Grandfather, Olde Farm

Boston - Myopia Hunt, Boston GC, Old Sandwich, Essex

Chicago - Shoreacres, Chicago, Olympia Fields, Beverly

[Will Lozier]

This list literally changes hourly!  To provide diversity among designers...

Camargo
Pine Valley
Sand Hills
The Old Course
Merion East

Alternates: The Golf Club, Lawsonia

[Eric Smith]

I've no pending plans to play these but wish to at some point:


Muirfield
Shinnecock Hills
Pacific Dunes
Diamanté
Sunningdale (Old)

[Bob_Garvelink]

1. Crystal Downs
2. Kingsley Club
3. Greywalls
4. Cypress Point
5. Bandon Dunes (All Courses)

[Greg Tallman]

I've no pending plans to play these but wish to at some point:


Muirfield
Shinnecock Hills
Pacific Dunes
Diamanté
Sunningdale (Old)

So get down here with the group in January and knock one of those off your list.

[Cory Lewis]

9 pages and I never posted on this thread.  Wow.  I'll modify it a little based on courses I want to play after July.  Have a few trips planned that will knock off some of the list:

1. Chicago
2. LACC
3. Honors
4. Old Mac
5. Milwaukee

[JC Jones]

9 pages and I never posted on this thread.  Wow.  I'll modify it a little based on courses I want to play after July.  Have a few trips planned that will knock off some of the list:

1. Chicago
2. LACC
3. Honors
4. Old Mac
5. Milwaukee

Those of course being the last 5 courses in the US you haven't played

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