We rate and rank

[Patrick_Mucci]

courses, why not architects ?

In order, what are Tillinghast's five best courses ?

Ross's

Flynn's

CBM/Raynor

Wilson

Banks

C&C

Doak

RTJ

MacKenzie

Maxwell

Travis

Emmett

[BCowan]

Park Jr?

[Michael Felton]

No Colt? Are you looking for a ranking of architects or a ranking of courses by each architect?

[Ronald Montesano]

Keep adding names...Hanse, Strantz, et al.

Point is, post an architect and post your best five. Easy game.

[Terry Lavin]

Great game, but I don't have the necessary sample size to compete.  This is a bit of a belt notcher exercise but still fun. Have at it.

[Patrick_Mucci]

No Colt? Are you looking for a ranking of architects or a ranking of courses by each architect?

Ranking of courses by each architect.

[Nigel Islam]

I think I can do some of Perry's and do it justice:

1. Crystal Downs
2. Prairie Dunes
3. Southern Hills
4. Kentucky Dam State Park
5. Princeton CC (Ky)

[Patrick_Mucci]

Just rate the courses you've played.

[Mark Saltzman]

Raynor

Yale
Fishers Island
Creek Club
Southampton
Mountain Lake
Lookout Mountain

[Jim Nugent]

Those unofficial GCA.com course rankings from a few years ago tell us how our group as a whole ranks each architect's courses.  Not entirely up to date for the modern guys, but close, and spot on for the ODGs. 

[Patrick_Mucci]

Hey, you know what would help ?

Listing the other architect's courses that you've played that finished outside your top 5.

Mark,

Yale over Fishers Island ?    Did you wrestle with this or was there no doubt from the get go ?

[Brian Finn]

Mac/Raynor
Sleepy Hollow
Yale
The Creek
Southampton
Lookout Mountain

Ross
Plainfield
Pinehurst #2
Brookside CC
Scioto CC
Holston Hills

Mountain Ridge CC
Hyde Park G&CC
Southern Pines
Springfield CC
Columbus CC


Pete Dye
The Golf Club
Kiawah Ocean
PDGC
Long Cove
Harbour Town

[Philip Caccamise]

Me on Tillinghast... OD only, I've played:

top 5
Bethpage Black
Winged Foot West
Winged Foot East
Fenway
Philly Cricket

next 5
Bethpage Red
Knollwood CC
Binghamton CC
Paramount
Sunnehanna

A few others I haven't played but would likely make a list
SFGC
Baltimore 5 Farms
Baltusrol Upper
Baltusrol Lower
Quaker Ridge
Newport CC
Kansas City CC
Somerset Hills CC

There's probably 10 more I'd list in my personal top 150 or so. That's amazing for a guy who didn't even have that many original designs.

[Jim Franklin]

Tillie:

1. SFGC
2. Quaker Ridge
3. Baltimore CC
4. Winged Foot W
5. Bethpage Black
6. Winged Foot E
7. Somerset Hills
8. Baltusrol U
9. Philly Cricket
10. Baltusrol L
11. Brook Hollow
12. Binghamton

[Jim Nugent]

Here is how the courses of various archies ranked in the unofficial GCA survey Ian Andrews did several years ago.  Modern architects like Doak, C&C etc might have a few newcomers -- such as Old Mac, Lost Farm, Dismal Red, Shanquin Bay -- but the ODGs should be complete.

First course listed is top ranked, second is second, and so on:  

Mackenzie:  CPC, RMW, Crystal Downs, ANGC, Lahinch

Tillie:  SFGC, WFW, Bethpage Black, Quaker Ridge, WFE

C&C:  Sand Hills, Friar's, Trails, Kapalua, CO Golf

Doak:  Pac Dunes, Ballyneal, Barnbougle, CK, Sebonack/Rock Creek

Ross:  Seminole, #2, Holston Hills, Plainfield, Wannamoisett

Pete Dye:  Ocean Course, Casa de Campo, TPC Sawgrass, The Golf Club, Whistling Straits

CBM:  NGLA, Chicago GC, Mid Ocean, Piping Rock, ?

Raynor:  Fishers, Yale, Shoreacres, Camargo, Yeamans Hall

Stanley Thompson:  Highland Links, St. Georges, Banff, Jasper, Capilano

Maxwell:  Crystal Downs, Prairie Dunes, Southern Hills.

I probably missed a few, but this list should be pretty accurate.  

[Nigel Islam]

I will add a few more:

Alister Mackenzie:

1. Crystal Downs
2. Pasatiempo
3. *Cal Club
4. OSU- Scarlet
5. Sharp Park

Pete Dye:
1. Whistling Straits, Striats
2. Harbour Town
3. Crooked Stick
4. Pete Dye at French Lick
5. The Fort

I've also played Blackwolf Run River, Eagle Creek, Brickyard, Plum Creek, Plainfield Elks, Sahm, and *Kearney Links of Dye's courses

Donald Ross:
1. Pinehurst #2
2. French Lick Ross (Hill)
3. Scioto
4. Belle Meade
5. Pinehurst #3

William Langford:
1. Lawsonia Links
2. Harrison Hills
3. Eglin AFB Eagle
4. Franklin CC
5. Vincennes Elks

[Mark Saltzman]

Hey, you know what would help ?

Listing the other architect's courses that you've played that finished outside your top 5.

Mark,

Yale over Fishers Island ?    Did you wrestle with this or was there no doubt from the get go ?

Pat, it wasn't a tough decision for me.  I played Fishers Island on what has to be one of the few days where the golf course was very soft.  In those conditions there were just way too many holes that failed to keep my interest.  Everyone knows how great the stretch is from 3-11, and I'm guessing with the usual fast conditions and healthy breeze that rest of the golf course is good (even if nowhere near the quality of the great stretch).  Heck, my 3-wood on the Biarritz plugged in the face of the swale... when's the last time you saw that at Fishers?


Jim Franklin,

I am surprised to see Quaker Ridge so high on your Tilly list.  I can't see it being ahead of Bethpage, Somerset Hills or Baltimore.  Why so high on it?

[Jim Franklin]

Mark -

I loved the routing of the course. It grabbed me from 1 all the way through 18. My top 7 are all VERY close though. WFE could have the best greens and the most fun.

[Jim Franklin]

Doak:

1. Rock Creek Cattle
2. Pacific Dunes
3. Streamsong Blue
4. Ballyneal
5. Old Macdonald
6. Sebonack
7. Stonewall North
8. Lost Dunes
9. Stonewall Old
10. Heathland
11. Beechtree

I feel like I am forgetting something....

[Terry Lavin]

Tillie:

1. SFGC
2. Quaker Ridge
3. Baltimore CC
4. Winged Foot W
5. Bethpage Black
6. Winged Foot E
7. Somerset Hills
8. Baltusrol U
9. Philly Cricket
10. Baltusrol L
11. Brook Hollow
12. Binghamton

Given your rightful devotion to Baltimore, I'm intrigued that Quaker edged it out in your ranking.  That says a lot!

[Tim Gavrich]

I think the only architect of whose courses I've played a relevant sample size is probably Donald Ross, so:

Pinehurst No. 2
Timuquana CC
Mountain Ridge CC
Pine Needles
Sedgefield CC

Brunswick CC
Camden CC
CC of Waterbury
Hartford GC
Wampanoag CC
Triggs Memorial GC
Shennecossett GC

[Jim Franklin]

Ross:

1. #2
2. Seminole
3. Oakland Hills
4. Plainfield
5. Oak Hill
6. Northland CC
7. Aronimink
8. Inverness
9. Scioto
10. Interlachen
11. Wannamoisett
12. East Lake
13. Minikahda
14. Holston Hills

Probably missing a few Ross courses here and there, but this is a start....

[Sean_A]

I am gonna chuck Oakland Hills out because its been sooooo long...

Mid Pines
Pinehurst #2
Franklin Hills
Pine Needles
LuLu

Ciao

[Tim Martin]

CBM/Raynor
1. NGLA
2. Fishers Island
3. Yale
4. Piping Rock
5. Creek Club

Tillinghast
1. Winged Foot West
2. Quaker Ridge
3. Bethpage Black
4. Winged Foot East
5. Philadelphia Cricket Club

Ross
1. Wannamoisett
2. Essex County Club
3. Misquamicut
4. Augusta CC
5. Worcester

Flynn
1. Shinnecock
2. Kittansett
3. Lancaster CC
4. Huntingdon Valley
5. Eaglesmere

[Mac Plumart]

CBM/Raynor
NGLA
Shoreacres
Chicago
Fishers
Camargo
Yale
Southampton
Yeamans Hall
Lookout Mountain


Doak
Dismal Red
Old MacDonald
Sebonack
Rock Creek
Renaissance
Pacific Dunes
Streamsong Blue
Ballyneal
Commonground


Ross
Pinehurst #2
Old Elm
Seminole
Inverness
Pine Needles
Holston Hills
Augusta CC
Mid-Pines
Gulph Mills
CC of Columbus
Southern Pines


Mackenzie
ANGC
Valley Club
Crystal Downs
Pasatiempo
Palmetto


Dye
The Golf Club
Kiawah Ocean
The Honors Course
Pete Dye Golf Club of WV
Harbour Town
TPC Sawgrass
Paiute Wolf
Wintonbury Hills


Coore and Crenshaw
Sand Hills
Friar's Head
The Dormie
Colorado Golf Club
Streamsong Red
Bandon Trails
Cuscowilla
Chechessee Creek


Nicklaus
Dismal White
Sebonack
Harbour Town
The Concession
Muirfield Village
Achasta
Champions Retreat
Southshore Lake Las Vegas
Turtle Point
Bears Club
Great Waters
Bears Best Las Vegas
Bears Best ATL
Stonehenge
Bear Trace Cumberland