[Sr Fortson]

Being new to GolfClubAtlas I thought that I would post my personal Top 15 courses and see what kind of feedback I get.  This is with all due respect to such places as Augusta, Pine Valley, Bandon, and the great courses in the northeast that I haven't had the opportunity to play yet.
1.  The Old Course (St Andrews) (no comment needed)
2.   Cruden Bay
3.   Royal Dornoch (best four par 3's anywhere!)
4.   Ballybunion
5.   National Golf Links
6.   Cypress Point
7.   Machrihanish
8.   Kingsbarns
9.   Harbour Town
10.  Pebble Beach
11.  Carnoustie
12.  San Francisco GC
13.  Olympic (Lake)
14.  Turnberry
15.  Royal Aberdeen (I include this one not only for its great
       front 9, but also because a dear friend who has since
       passed away lost the 1935 or 36 British Boys on a dead
       stymie on the 18th green)
Well, that's it, so have at it.  It is ever changing (having changed since I tried to post it earlier today). While I'm at it, I think the most overrated course in the country right now might be Torrey Pines South, which should never have gotten the nod over Olympic for the Open.  

[Marty Bonnar]

Bonjour, Msr Fortson, Snr,
And welcome to the nuttiness that is GCA. You are a brave man indeed to go posting your top 15 at such an early stage in your GCA career. Most of us wouldn't dare!!! I certainly haven't. (These guys are tough!!!)
Well done though on sticking 5 Scottish courses in your top 8. You are clearly a man of impecabble good taste and discernment. Machrihanish above Kingsbarns though??? I ADORE both said tracks and appreciate your nerve at placing the old before the new...I'm going to assume that they are soooooooo close together that you couldn't really separate them...?
One of these days I hope to have the great good fortune to play Cypress and Pebble and be able to place them somewhere into MY personal top 15.
(It's really a pain listening to you lucky SOB's who have smacked the wee white ball around these places that we have only seen on TV and salivated over!!!!)

Best wishes and keep on postin'

Martin.

[Sr Fortson]

Martin,
  Thank you.  I knew you were a soul brother when I read your listing of the previously requested ranking of six courses in Fife.  Your 4 were in the same order as mine.  To boot, you listed what I consider the best whiskey in the world, Cardu. Have you tried Springbank?  Also, even though it is a blend, Johnny Walker Blue is to be tried.  Am leaving for Scotland next week, so am going home.

[Marty Bonnar]

Martin,
  Thank you.  I knew you were a soul brother when I read your listing of the previously requested ranking of six courses in Fife.  Your 4 were in the same order as mine.  To boot, you listed what I consider the best whiskey in the world, Cardu. Have you tried Springbank?  Also, even though it is a blend, Johnny Walker Blue is to be tried.  Am leaving for Scotland next week, so am going home.

It is so scary that you should mention Springbank....a Campbeltown malt. We had a magical weekend in Campbeltown/Machrihanish this Summer. Golf/Drinking/Eating - great fun and good company. Isn't playing golf and having a drink/meal with your pals just the best??
Apparently, Campbeltown had 14 distilleries at one time and Springbank is the only remaining one!! So keep on drinking it or it will expire!!
Are you coming over here soon? Let me know if you are and we'll sort some golf out if necessary!!

Cheers,
Martin.

PS Signing off now - the good lady has arrived home after an evenings 'carousing' in bonnie Edinburgh and requires 'attention'!!!

[Sr Fortson]

Actually, I'm leaving October 28th into Aberdeen.  Three days in Brora and then to St. Andrews.  Staying at the Dunvegan and plan to play everyday for six days. Finishing up with 5 days in Cruden Bay. So, let me know.
Ron

[Jeff Fortson]

I was supposed to be going on this trip as well.  Unfortunately, things have come up which don't permit me to make the trip.  Next time!

As for my top 15 that I've played.....


1 - St. Andrews (Old)
2 - NGLA
3 - Shinnecock
4 - Cruden Bay
5 - Dornoch
6 - Pinehurst #2
7 - Winged Foot (West)
8 - Carnoustie
9 - Kingsbarns
10 - Turnberry
11 - Olympic Club (Lake)
12 - Royal Aberdeen
13 - Winged Foot (East)
14 - Pasatiempo
15 - The Creek Club


Jeff F.

[David_Tepper]

Sr Fortson-

I enjoyed your post and consider myself fortunate to have played #'s 2, 3, 4, 6, 12, 13, & 15 on your list. They would certainly make mine.

I noted your comments about the par-3's at Dornoch, which are very good. I also see you will be visiting Brora soon. The par-3's there are also very strong.

Have you played Golspie? There are five par-3's on that course that I think are as strong a group as you will find anywhere. I think #16 at Golspie is the best par-3 among all three of those courses (with #6 and #2 at Dornoch as runners-up).

Have a great trip.

DT    

[Sr Fortson]

David,
  Thank you for your comments and suggestion.  I have not played Golspie and since I am going to be right there anyway, I am going to try and squeeze it in during my 3 days up there. I am really looking forward to Brora.  I have been to Dornoch probably 7 or 8 times but have never made the time to go that last fifteen miles.  Keep your fingers crossed that I catch "playable" weather.  That is, not snowing.
Ron

[Jim Franklin]

My top 15 I have played:

1. Cypress Point
2. Friar's Head
3. Pine Valley
4. Oakmont
5. Shadow Creek
6. Sand Hills
7. Pete Dye Golf Club
8. Turnberry(Ailsa)
9. Pebble Beach
10. Merion(East)
11. San Francisco
12. Winged Foot(West)
13. Kingsbarns
14. Western Gailes
15. Pinehurst #2

[Sr Fortson]

Great list, with Friars Head and Pine Valley on my "sometime before I die" list.  Western Gailles, too, is a great course.

[Robert Emmons]

My top 15 in the USA I have played:

 1. National Golf Links
 2. Merion(East)
 3. Shinnecock Hills
 4. Augusta National
 5. Pebble Beach
 6. Pacific Dunes
 7. Fishers Island
 8. Seminole
 9. Los Angeles Country Club(North)
10.Winged Foot(West)
11.Quaker Ridge
12.Olympic(Lake)
13.Pinehurst #2
14.Baltusrol(Lower)
15.Shadow Creek  

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It is hard to have a top 15 without it becoming a top 50 in a hurry. 1. TOC by a mile       2. Cypress Point 3. R. Dornoch 4. R County Down 5. Pacific Dunes 6. Machrihanish 7 Pebble 8. N Berwick 9. Turnberry 10. Cruden Bay 11. Carnouste 12. Seminole 13. Ballybunion 14. SFGC 15 my childhood club Bayou Desaird CC, Joe Lee/ current club Oakbourne CC, Dick Wilson. too many shots, too many memories, too many great holes with majical moments to tie it all together not to include them.

[Jeff_Perryman]

Personal picks and notes, from some of the upscale tracks I've played......
1.  Gardner Municipal GC, (Gardner,MA)  Can be tough to get out, Senior League mornings, high school matches afternoon.  Weekends are kind of crowded, though.
2.  Miller's Tradition, (Madisonville, KY)  Great par 3's (5 of them!) and short par 4's (the rest).  Avoid on dollar a hole day.
3.  Hough's Neck G&CC,  (Kimball Crossing, TN)  The snack bar has been cleared to reopen.  
4.  Laurel's Hills GC, (Morristown, TN)  Becky is back working in the pro shop, (M-Th.) after a leave of absence due to the
gout.
5.  Massasoit CC, (Plymouth, MA)  Named after leader of local Indian tribe that resisted drinking firewater and eating the survivors of the Mayflower crossing, way back when.
6.  Heck's Three-Quarter Acre, (Johnsonville City, TN)  Introduced a skeptical public to the double-dogleg par 3.
7.  Vince and Tootie's Golf Club, (Nebo, KY)  Inspired routing around Thompson's Salvage Yard.  Very little earth moved.
8.  Pinestraw CC, (Pinehurst, NC)  The timeless design of Ronald Doss...........Nuff said.
9.  South Ward Ho, (Bronx, NY)  First true links design in the inner city, (you may want to start a seperate thread on that, I certainly don't want to hijack this thread).
10.  Jimson's Crick CC, (Sewanee, TN)  Undergoing major restoration.  Comparing the original aerials taken in 1999, from up on top of that pine by the clubhouse, and comparing them to some I took by jumping up and snapping the shutter at the very apex of my leap show that the hackleberry and muscadine vines are crowding the "fairways". Plans are to cut back the hackleberry's and muscadine a bit..

That's about it for now.  Springer's coming on.......

[larry_munger]

In no set order  PV, CPC, Merion, Shinnecock, NGLA, Seminole, Sand Hills, The Old Course, Prairie Dunes, Pinehurst #2, Ballybunion, Pebble Beach, Fishers Island, SFGC, Riveria.

[Carlyle Rood]

I find that my Top 15 lists rarely correlate to the so-called "experts."

The following is how I would rank things:

1. #8
2. #11
3. #15
4. #5
5. #4
6. #14
7. #9
8. #1
9. #7
10. #6
11. #10
12. #13
13. #3
14. #12
15. #2

Kudos to anyone who can recognize the pattern above!  

[Jim Franklin]

I see you posted at 1:16AM, were you drunk?

[Bob_Farrell]

Are Tiger and I the only ones who have pl;ayed Carnoustie? How can anyone leave tht off  alist if they've played it?

BF

[Jim Franklin]

Bob -

I played Carnoustie, but it didn't crack my top 15. It actually comes in at #19 in my top 100. I liked it, but liked the other ones more. I loved Western Gailes.

[Jeff Fortson]

Bob,

If you look above you will notice that both my father and I have Carnoustie in our Top 15.

Jeff F.

[Bob_Farrell]

Sorry Jeff I missed it.

Hurricane:

i haven't gotten to Western Gailes yet but everyone I know who has says it's really great. It's on my list for the next trip


BF

[erichunter]

pinehurst #2, waterville, cpc, dornoch, toc, pebble, shoreacres, forest creek, tpc sawgrass, kapalua plantation, canterbury, austin cc, mid pines, harbour town, cabo del sol

[Gyrogolf]

Okay, stuck in Dallas at the airport I'll take a crack. However, I would like to remind everyone having the temerity to list one's own home track needs to be reminded of MacKenzie's bemused lament of everyone being "inordinately fond of their little mud hole". . . . . even if it is Olympic.

#1. NGLA (Gee, what a shock)
#2. County Down
#3. Cypress
#4. Fishers Island
#5. TOC
#6. Lahinch
#7. Swinley Forest
#8. Pebble Beach
#9. Garden City (I think this may be too low)
#10. Shinnecock Hills
#11. Prestwick (Too low also)
#12. Dunluce
#13. (Tie) Sunningdale Old / Woodhall Spa
#14. Shinnecock Hills
#15. Maidstone
#16. Stevinson Ranch
#17. . . . . Wait, I left off PV, Merion, Pinehurst, The New Course, Hoylake, Westhampton, Shoreacres, Bandon/Pacific . . . . . oh, The Pit for amusement. . . . SF Club, Barona Creek. . . . Cherry Hills. . . . Oh, Newport . . . can't forget about Point Judith as a delicious afternoon in the summer . . . . . Winged Foot East? I might even put Mirabel on the list because it is better than Shadow Creek, or is it? Well, Yale for its grandiousness or Whipperwill because Banks has to be somewhere on the list unless I want to bump it because of Mid Ocean . . . . but what about The Plantation or Mauna Kea . . . or Spyglass? Bel Air for glamour?

Of course, once Devries is done at Meadow, it will definitely be on the list . . . . but I could keep driving and play Sea Ranch . . . . or I could keep writing and miss my airplane.

#1. NGLA
#2. County Down

Depending on my mood, those are the only two I am sure about.

[Jim Franklin]

Gyro -

I think you're sure about Shinnecock too, you have listed at #10 and #14. Nice list though, I need to play NGLA next summer.

[Chris_Clouser]

Most of my stuff is in the Midwest but here goes with designer.

1. Crystal Downs (Mackenzie/Maxwell)
1a. Prairie Dunes(Maxwells)
3. Southern Hills (Maxwell)
4. Oakland Hills (Ross/RTJ)
5. Medinah (numerous)
6. Muirfield Village (Muirhead/Nicklaus)
7. Milwaukee CC (Alison)
8. Old Town (Maxwell)
9. Rolling Green (Flynn)
10. Oklahoma City (Maxwell)
11. Crooked Stick (Dye)
12. Purgatory GC (Kern)
13. French Lick (Ross)
14. U of Michigan (Mackenzie/Maxwell)
15. Twin Hills (Maxwell)

You might also notice another trend in there somewhere.

[III]

Chris it sounds like you really like Maxwell courses.

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