Tom Doak and his coauthors do a great job of identifying courses to visit in the vicinity of other, more famous courses, and bringing to light very interesting courses that are generally under the radar. However, it takes considerable effort to visit even 100 golf courses (much less 1,000), and as a result, they are only going to touch about 10% of courses in the world. I am fairly certain that they'll hit all of the very best golf courses in the world in the next couple of years, but they're inevitably going to miss some of the very good ones.
What very good courses ("definitely worth a game if you're in town [and not even 'looking for a game']") have been omitted from the first two volumes of the newest edition of the CG?
For those who read quickly--I am hoping to start a list of proposed 6s and 7s, in line with Tom's scoring in the books. Note that courses in regions with snow are going to be reviewed in Volume 3.
Here's my submission:
Timuquana CC, Jacksonville, Florida: 6 [2001ish]. It was definitely worth driving 100 miles from my Florida home to see Timuquana back then, but I admit that I've tended to score Florida courses a little bit generously relative to Tom et al. and that my memory of the place is fading. I loved the challenge of Ross's design on this dead-flat property, winding through the oaks, where getting out of position meant hitting precise recovery shots to greens elevated well above their surrounds.
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UPDATE:
Some of the courses came with fairly ambiguous recommendations, some of them were debated herein, and some were mentioned but with the poster rating them (explicitly) a 4 or 5. Again, this is just my best effort to categorize them, and I know I haven't read all of the posts as the poster intended them. Prices, for public courses, were gathered sometime since 2016.
The following courses were given a strong nomination and seconded. These appear to be the real standouts, among the courses not listed in the books:
** Forfar GC, Angus, Scotland, Old Tom Morris/James Braid £36-39
** Prestbury GC, Cheshire, England, Harry Colt, £33-65
** Bearwood Lakes GC, Berkshire, England, Guy Hockley and Martin Hawtree
** Cumberwell Park GC, Orange nine, Wiltshire, England, Adrian Stiff, £25-45 for 18 holes
** Welshpool GC, Wales, James Braid, £12-30
** Castletown Golf Links, Isle of Man, Old Tom Morris/Mackenzie Ross, £35-65
** Aiken GC, South Carolina, John Inglis/James McNair, Jr., $20-25
** Frederica GC, St. Simons Island, Georgia, Tom Fazio
** Timuquana CC, Jacksonville, Florida, Donald Ross/Bobby Weed
** Sara Bay CC, Sarasota, Florida, Donald Ross
** Hide Out GC, Naples, Kelly Blake Moran
** San Clemente Municipal GC, Orange County, William P. Bell, $14-44
** Barona Creek, San Diego County, California, Todd Eckenrode, $80-160
** Marine Memorial GC, Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, William P. Bell, $7-40
** Berkshire CC, Reading, Pennsylvania, Willie Park Jr.
** South Bend CC, Indiana, George O'Neil
** Knollwood Club, Lake Forest, Illinois, C.H. Alison
** Exmoor CC, Highland Park, Illinois, Donald Ross
** Bandon Crossings, Bandon, Oregon, Dan Hixson, $34-84
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Now, sorted by geography, according to the following symbols:
** Given a strong nomination and seconded
* Given a single strong nomination
! Inspired some debate
? Ambiguous recommendations
/ "5 or 6"
5 "5"
===== Volume 1 ======
~~~~~ Scotland ~~~~~~
? Elgin GC, Moray, £40-45
* Cruden Bay GC, St. Olaf 9, Old Tom Morris/Tom Simpson and Herbert Fowler, £15-35
? Duff House Royal GC, Aberdeenshire, Alister MacKenzie, £23-50
** Forfar GC, Angus, Old Tom Morris/James Braid £36-39
? Cawder GC, Glasgow, James Braid, £45
? Ranfurly Castle GC, Renfrewshire, Andrew Kirkaldy and Willie Auchterlonie/James Braid, £40-50
~~~~~ England ~~~~~~
* Huddersfield GC, Yorkshire, Tom Dunn/Sandy Herd/Herbert Fowler/Alister MacKenzie/Fred Hawtree/Donald Steel/Cameron Sinclair, £30-40
* Manchester GC, Harry Colt, £20-65
? Fairhaven GC, Lancashire, J.A. Steer and James Braid/Dave Thomas/Donald Steel, £50-110
** Prestbury GC, Cheshire, Harry Colt, £33-65
* Sandiway GC, Cheshire, Ted Ray and Sidney Collins, £30-70
* South Staffs GC, Staffordshire, Harry Vardon/Harry Colt/James Braid/Donald Steel, £43
* Sandwell Park, West Midlands, Harry Colt, £38-45
/ Bath GC, Tom Dunn/J.H. Taylor/James Braid/Harry Colt, £15-50
! Tadmarton Heath GC, Oxfordshire, C.K. Hutchison, £25-60
5 Frilford Heath GC (Red), Oxfordshire, J.H. Taylor, £36-80
5 The Oxfordshire GC, Rees Jones, £50-80
5 Frilford Heath GC (Green), Oxfordshire, J.H. Turner and C.K. Cotton, £36-80
5 Studley Wood GC, Oxfordshire, Simon Gidman, £25-60
5 Oxford GC, Oxfordshire, James Braid/Harry Colt, £15-35
5 Ipswich GC (Purdis Heath), Suffolk, James Braid, £40-60
5 Woodbridge GC (Heath), Suffolk, James Braid, £40-55
* Knole Park GC, Kent, J.F. Abercromby, £40-75
? Chart Hills GC, Kent, Nick Faldo, £33-95
? East Sussex National, Bob Cupp, £25-70
5 Worthing GC (Lower), Harry Colt, £25-60
** Bearwood Lakes GC, Berkshire, Guy Hockley and Martin Hawtree
5 Blackmoor GC, Hampshire, Harry Colt, £45-70
5 Brokenhurst Manor, Hampshire, Harry Colt, £40-70
** Cumberwell Park GC, Orange nine, Wiltshire, Adrian Stiff, £25-45 for 18 holes
! Remedy Oak GC, Dorset, John Jacobs, £95
~~~~~ Wales ~~~~~~~~
** Welshpool GC, James Braid, £12-30
? Llandrindod Wells GC, Harry Vardon/James Braid, £15-35
~~~~~ Northern Ireland ~
* Castlerock GC, Bann 9, Frank Pennink, £10-20
~~~~~ Isle of Man ~~~~
** Castletown Golf Links, Old Tom Morris/Mackenzie Ross, £35-65
~~~~~ Jersey ~~~~~~~
* Royal Jersey GC, F.W. Brewster and others, £60-90
* La Moye GC, George Boomer/James Braid/Henry Cotton, £75
===== Volume 2 ======
~~~~~ North Carolina ~~
! Hope Valley CC, Durham, Donald Ross/Perry Maxwell/Dan Maples/John LaFoy/Brian Silva
? Forsyth CC, Winston-Salem, Donald Ross
/ Sedgefield CC, Greensboro, Donald Ross
? Greensboro CC (Farm Course), Donald Steel
? Myers Park CC, Charlotte, Donald Ross
5 Old North State Club, New London, Tom Fazio
~~~~~ South Carolina ~~
5 TPC Myrtle Beach, Tom Fazio, $75-130
! The Muni, Charleston, Johnny Adams, $10-24
? CC of Spartanburg
! Aiken GC, John Inglis/James McNair, Jr., $20-25
* Midland Valley, Ellis Maples, $28-38
~~~~~ Georgia ~~~~~~~
** Frederica GC, St. Simons Island, Tom Fazio
* Old Toccoa Farm, Dan Proctor & Dave Axland, $45-55
/ Currahee Club, Toccoa, Jim Fazio
~~~~~ Florida ~~~~~~~~
** Timuquana CC, Jacksonville, Donald Ross/Bobby Weed
? Palatka GC, William D. Clark/Bobby Weed, $17-23
? Ocala GC, Ron Garl, $13-27
/ Deltona Club, David Wallace/Bobby Weed, $15-30
! Victoria Hills GC, DeLand, Ron Garl, $29-59
? Mission Inn Resort (El Campeon), George O'Neil and Charles E. Clarke, $75-150
? CC of Orlando
* Streamsong (Black), Gil Hanse, $85-$275
** Sara Bay CC, Sarasota, Donald Ross
** Hide Out GC, Naples, Kelly Blake Moran
? West Palm Beach GC, Dick Wilson, $15-31
~~~~~ Tennessee ~~~~~
? The Country Club, Morristown, William Langford
~~~~~ California ~~~~~~
? Santa Anita GC, Los Angeles, James Harrison Smith, $13-39
** San Clemente Municipal GC, Orange County, William P. Bell, $14-44
? Porcupine Creek GC, Rancho Mirage, Tim Blixseth and Tom Weiskopf
* The Madison Club, La Quinta, Tom Fazio
* Rams Hill Golf Club, San Diego County, Tom Fazio/Tim Jackson and David Kahn, $75-150
** Barona Creek GC, San Diego County, Todd Eckenrode, $80-160
** Marine Memorial GC, Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, William P. Bell, $7-40
~~~~~ Hawaii ~~~~~~~~
/ The Club at Kukui'ula, Kau'ai, Tom Weiskopf
! Puakea GC, Kau'ai, Robin Nelson, $45-85
~~~~~ Mexico ~~~~~~~~
? Tijuana CC, William P. Bell, $?
===== Volume 3 =====
~~~~~ Massachusetts ~~
* Hyannisport Club, Alex Findlay/Donald Ross/Ron Forse
5 Tedesco CC, Marblehead, Skip Wogan
~~~~~ Connecticut ~~~~
* Keney Park, Hartford, Devereux Emmet/Robert "Jack" Ross/Matthew Dusenberry, $30-44
~~~~~ Pennsylvania ~~~
** Berkshire CC, Reading, Willie Park Jr.
* Schuylkill CC, Orwigsubrg, Willie Park Jr./Donald Ross
~~~~~ Virginia ~~~~~~~~
? Williamsburg GC, William F. Gordon/John LaFoy
~~~~~ Indiana ~~~~~~~~
** South Bend CC, George O'Neil
~~~~~ Illinois ~~~~~~~~~
** Knollwood Club, Lake Forest, C.H. Alison
** Exmoor CC, Highland Park, Donald Ross
* Butterfield CC, Oak Brook, William Langford
* Evanston GC, Skokie, Donald Ross/Ron Prichard
* Bryn Mawr CC, Lincolnwood, William Langford
~~~~~ Minnesota ~~~~~~
* Town and Country Club, St. Paul, George McCree and E.J. Frost/Robert Foulis
~~~~~ Missouri ~~~~~~~
* Swope Memorial GC, Kansas City, A.W. Tillinghast, $17-34
~~~~~ Washington ~~~~~
* Aldarra GC, Sammamish, Tom Fazio
~~~~~ Oregon ~~~~~~~~
** Bandon Crossings, Bandon, Dan Hixson, $34-84