Here is the Golf Digest 2017-18 Top 100 US Courses list to ponder and contemplate patterns:
1 PINE VALLEY G.C.PINE VALLEY G.C., Pine Valley, N.J./ George Crump & H.S. Colt (1918)
2 AUGUSTA NATIONAL G.C.AUGUSTA NATIONAL G.C., Augusta, Ga. / Alister MacKenzie & Bobby Jones (1933)
3 CYPRESS POINT CLUBCYPRESS POINT CLUB, Pebble Beach / Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter (1928)
4 SHINNECOCK HILLS G.C., Southampton, N.Y. / William Flynn (1931)
5 OAKMONT C.C., Oakmont, Pa. / Henry Fownes (1903)
6 MERION G.C. (East), Ardmore, Pa. / Hugh Wilson (1912)
7 PEBBLE BEACH G. LINKS, Pebble Beach / Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919)
8 NATIONAL G. LINKS OF AMERICA, Southampton, N.Y. / C.B. Macdonald (1911)
9 SAND HILLS G.C., Mullen, Neb. / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (1994)
10 WINGED FOOT G.C. (West), Mamaroneck, N.Y. / A.W. Tillinghast (1923)
11 FISHERS ISLAND CLUB, Fishers Island, N.Y. / Seth Raynor & Charles Banks (1926)
12 CRYSTAL DOWNS C.C., Frankfort, Mich. / Alister MacKenzie & Perry Maxwell (1931)
13 SEMINOLE G.C., Juno Beach, Fla. / Donald Ross (1929)
14 CHICAGO G.C., Wheaton, Ill. / C.B. Macdonald (1894) / Seth Raynor (1923)
15 MUIRFIELD VILLAGE G.C., Dublin, Ohio / Jack Nicklaus & Desmond Muirhead (1974)
16 THE COUNTRY CLUB (Clyde/Squirrel), Chestnut Hill, Mass. / Willie Campbell (1895) / Alex Campbell (1902)
17 OAKLAND HILLS C.C. (South), Bloomfield Hills, Mich. / Donald Ross (1918)
18 PACIFIC DUNES, Bandon, Ore. / Tom Doak (2001)
19 FRIAR'S HEAD G.C., Baiting Hollow, N.Y. / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2002)
20 OAK HILL C.C. (East), Rochester, N.Y. / Donald Ross (1925)
21 THE OCEAN COURSE, Kiawah Island, S.C. / Pete Dye (1991)
22 WHISTLING STRAITS (Straits), Haven, Wis. / Pete Dye (1998)
23 LOS ANGELES C.C. (North), Los Angeles / George C. Thomas Jr. (1921)
24 RIVIERA C.C., Pacific Palisades, Calif. / George C. Thomas Jr. & W.P. Bell (1926)
25 WADE HAMPTON G.C., Cashiers, N.C. / Tom Fazio (1987)
26 SHADOW CREEK, North Las Vegas, Nev. / Tom Fazio (1990)
27 THE ALOTIAN CLUB, Roland, Ark. / Tom Fazio (2004)
28 GOZZER RANCH G. & LAKE C., Harrison, Idaho / Tom Fazio (2007)
29 PRAIRIE DUNES C.C, Hutchinson, Kan. / Perry Maxwell (1937) / Press Maxwell (1957)
30 PINEHURST RESORT (No. 2), Pinehurst, N.C. / Donald Ross (1935)
31 THE OLYMPIC CLUB (Lake), San Francisco / Sam Whiting (1924)
32 THE HONORS COURSE, Ooltewah, Tenn. / Pete Dye (1983)
33 PEACHTREE G.C., Atlanta / Robert Trent Jones & Bobby Jones (1947)
34 THE GOLF CLUB, New Albany, Ohio / Pete Dye (1967)
35 SOUTHERN HILLS C.C., Tulsa, Okla. / Perry Maxwell (1936)
36 BANDON DUNES, Bandon, Ore. / David McLay Kidd (1999)
37 SAN FRANCISCO G.C., San Francisco / A.W. Tillinghast (1924)
38 BETHPAGE STATE PARK (Black), Farmingdale, N.Y. / Joseph H. Burbeck & A.W. Tillinghast (1936)
39 BALTUSROL G.C. (Lower), Springfield, N.J. / A.W. Tillinghast (1922)
40 PIKEWOOD NATIONAL G.C., Morgantown, W. Va. / J. Robert Gwynne & John Raese (2009)
41 SEBONACK G.C., Southampton, N.Y. / Jack Nicklaus & Tom Doak (2006)
42 CASTLE PINES G.C., Castle Rock, Colo. / Jack Nicklaus (1981)
43 VICTORIA NATIONAL G.C., Newburgh, Ind. / Tom Fazio (1998)
44 ERIN HILLS G. CSE., Erin, Wis. / Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry & Ron Whitten (2006)
45 BUTLER NATIONAL G.C., Oak Brook, Ill. / George Fazio & Tom Fazio (1974)
46 GARDEN CITY G.C., Garden City, N.Y. / Devereux Emmet (1899)
47 OLD MACDONALD, Bandon, Ore. / Tom Doak & Jim Urbina (2010)
48 MEDINAH C.C. (No. 3), Medinah, Ill. / Tom Bendelow (1928)
49 SPYGLASS HILL G. CSE., Pebble Beach / Robert Trent Jones (1966)
50 BALLYNEAL G.C., Holyoke, Colo. / Tom Doak (2006)
51 TPC SAWGRASS (Players Stadium), Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. / Pete Dye (1980)
52 CAMARGO CLUB, Indian Hill, Ohio / Seth Raynor & Charles Banks (1927)
53 KINLOCH G.C., Manakin-Sabot, Va. / Lester George & Vinny Giles (2001)
54 INTERLACHEN C.C., Edina, Minn. / Willie Watson (1911)
55 WHISPERING PINES G.C., Trinity, Texas / Chet Williams (2000)
56 OLD SANDWICH G.C., Plymouth, Mass. / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2005)
57 SCIOTO C.C., Columbus, Ohio / Donald Ross (1916)
58 OAK TREE NATIONAL, Edmond, Okla. / Pete & Alice Dye (1976)
59 DALLAS NATIONAL G.C., Dallas / Tom Fazio (2002)
60 PETE DYE G.C., Bridgeport, W.Va. / Pete Dye (1994)
61 BALTUSROL G.C. (Upper), Springfield, N.J. / A.W. Tillinghast (1922)
62 WINGED FOOT G.C. (East), Mamaroneck, N.Y. / A.W. Tillinghast (1923)
63 CANYATA G.C., Marshall, Ill. / Bob Lohmann & Mike Benkusky (2004)
64 SOMERSET HILLS C.C., Bernardsville, N.J. / A.W. Tillinghast (1918)
65 MONTEREY PENINSULA C.C. (Shore), Pebble Beach / Mike Strantz (2004)
66 SHOREACRES, Lake Bluff, Ill. / Seth Raynor (1921)
67 KITTANSETT CLUB, Marion, Mass. / William Flynn & Frederic Hood (1922)
68 ARCADIA BLUFFS G.C., Arcadia, Mich. / Rick Smith & Warren Henderson (2000)
69 SPRING HILL G.C., Wayzata, Minn. / Tom Fazio (1999)
70 BANDON TRAILS, Bandon, Ore. / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2005)
71 MILWAUKEE C.C., River Hills, Wis. / H.S. Colt & C.H. Alison (1929)
72 MAIDSTONE CLUB, East Hampton, N.Y. / Willie Park Jr. & Jack Park (1924)
73 CHERRY HILLS C.C., Cherry Hills Village, Colo. / William Flynn (1923)
74 THE ESTANCIA CLUB, Scottsdale / Tom Fazio (1995)
75 CONGRESSIONAL C.C. (Blue), Bethesda, Md. / Robert Trent Jones (1962)
76 QUAKER RIDGE G.C., Scarsdale, N.Y. / A.W. Tillinghast (1918)
77 PLAINFIELD C.C., Edison, N.J. / Donald Ross (1921)
78 ARONIMINK G.C., Newtown Square, Pa. / Donald Ross (1928)
79 OLYMPIA FIELDS C.C. (North), Olympia Fields, Ill. / Willie Park Jr. (1922)
80 THE VALLEY CLUB OF MONTECITO, Montecito, Calif. / Alister MacKenzie & Robert Hunter (1929)
81 VALHALLA G.C., Louisville / Jack Nicklaus (1986)
82 BOSTON G.C., Hingham, Mass. / Gil Hanse (2004)
83 THE QUARRY AT LA QUINTA, La Quinta, Calif. / Tom Fazio (1994)
84 THE G.C. AT BLACK ROCK, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho / Jim Engh (2003)
85 HUDSON NATIONAL G.C., Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y. / Tom Fazio (1996)
86 DOUBLE EAGLE CLUB, Galena, Ohio / Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf (1992)
87 YEAMANS HALL CLUB, Charleston, S.C. / Seth Raynor & Charles Banks (1926)
88 RICH HARVEST LINKS, Sugar Grove, Ill. / Jerry Rich & Greg Martin (1999)
89 INVERNESS CLUB, Toledo, Ohio / Donald Ross (1919)
90 DIAMOND CREEK G.C., Banner Elk, N.C. / Tom Fazio (2003)
91 ESSEX COUNTY CLUB, Manchester, Mass. / Donald Ross (1917)
92 BLACKWOLF RUN (River), Kohler, Wis. / Pete Dye (1990)
93 THE PRESERVE G.C., Carmel, Calif. /Tom Fazio, J. Michael Poellot & Sandy Tatum (2000)
94 CROOKED STICK G.C., Carmel, Ind. / Pete Dye (1967)
95 LAUREL VALLEY G.C., Ligonier, Pa. / Dick Wilson (1959)
96 CALUSA PINES G.C., Naples, Fla. / Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry (2001)
97 FLINT HILLS NATIONAL G.C., Andover, Kan. / Tom Fazio (1997)
98 SAHALEE C.C. (South/North), Sammamish, Wash. / Ted Robinson (1969)
99 MAYACAMA G.C., Santa Rosa, Calif. / Jack Nicklaus (2001)
100 EAGLE POINT G.C., Wilmington, N.C. / Tom Fazio (2000)