30 Years is a long time in Golf (Golf Magazine World 2019 vs 1989)

[Kevin Pallier]

I have been playing golf for around 30 years and the first World Golf list a saw was back in 1989.

A lot has changed over the years and the lists are compared below 2019 vs 1989 (N=New & NR=Not Ranked)

1	1 Pine Valley
2	4 Cypress Point Club
3	7 St. Andrews (Old)
4	12 Shinnecock Hills
5	39 National Golf Links of America
6	8 Royal County Down
7	6 Royal Melbourne (West)
8	14 Oakmont
9	3 Augusta National
10	11 Royal Dornoch
11	2 Pebble Beach
12	5 Muirfield
13	27 Royal Portrush
14	N Sand Hills
15	10 Merion (East)
16	15 Pinehurst (No. 2)
17	19 Trump Turnberry
18	73 Fishers Island
19	44 Chicago Golf Club
20	35 Los Angeles Country Club (North)
21	9 Ballybunion
22	50 Kingston Heath
23	17 Winged Foot (West)
24	N Bandon (Pacific Dunes)
25	21 Crystal Downs
26	N Friar's Head
27	N Tara Iti
28	30 Riviera
29	43 Sunningdale (Old)
30	47 San Francisco
31	16 Prairie Dunes
32	23 Carnoustie
33	36 Royal St. George's
34	13 Seminole
35	N Barnbougle (Dunes)
36	NR Lahinch (Old)
37	NR North Berwick (West)
38	48 The Country Club
39	33 Hirono
40	24 Royal Birkdale
41	94 Morfontaine
42	89 Somerset Hills
43	N Cabot Cliffs
44	N Cape Kidnappers
45	NR Shoreacres
46	58 New South Wales GC
47	72 Garden City Golf Club
48	32 Portmarnock
49	28 Southern Hills
50	NR The California Club
51	41 Royal Troon
52	92 Camargo
53	NR Bethpage (Black)
54	26 Woodhall Spa
55	NR Swinley Forest
56	NR Kawana (Fuji)
57	N Ballyneal
58	N Kiawah Island (Ocean)
59	31 Casa de Campo
60	N Cape Wickham
61	67 Royal Lytham & St. Annes
62	NR Winged Foot (East)
63	NR Cruden Bay
64	91 Maidstone
65	61 Royal Liverpool
66	N Castle Stuart
67	NR Rye
68	54 TPC Sawgrass
69	N Whistling Straits (Straits)
70	N Diamante (Dunes)
71	N Kingsbarns
72	18 Oakland Hills (South)
73	NR Sunningdale (New)
74	38 Quaker Ridge
75	NR Prestwick
76	NR Sleepy Hollow
77	N Ellerston
78	NR Royal Hague (Koninklijke Haagsche)
79	22 The Olympic Club
80	N Bandon (Dunes)
81	53 Inverness
82	N Cabot Links
83	78 Yale University
84	42 The Golf Club
85	20 Muirfield Village
86	NR St. George's Hill
87	N Bandon (Trails)
88	NR Utrechtse de Pan
89	N Barnbougle (Lost Farm)
90	85 Walton Heath (Old)
91	NR Peachtree
92	NR Myopia Hunt Club
93	NR Machrihanish
94	N Nine Bridges
95	NR St. George's
96	NR Royal Melbourne (East)
97	NR Waterville
98	N Ohoopee Match Club
99	N Rock Creek Cattle Company
100	N Trump Scotland

[Kevin Pallier]

The following 45 courses were ranked back in 1989 this way
25   Baltusrol (Lower)   
29   Harbour Town   
34   Oak Hill (East)   
37   Kasumigaseki (East)   
40   Medinah (No. 3)   
45   Campo de Golf El Saler   
46   Colonial   
49   Shoal Creek   
51   The Honors Course   
52   The Homestead (Cascades)   
55   National GC of Canada   
56   El Rincon Club de Golf   
57   Wild Dunes (Links)   
59   Firestone (South)   
60   Scioto   
62   Butler National   
63   Wentworth (West)   
64   Troon Country Club   
65   Durban Country Club   
66   Cherry Hills   
68   Haig Point Club   
69   Ganton   
70   Baltimore (East)   
71   Capilano   
74   Long Cove   
75   Royal Montreal (Blue)   
76   Victoria   
77   PGA West (TPC Stadium)   
79   Huntingdale   
80   Canterbury   
81   Oak Tree National   
82   Royal Dar-Es-Salaam G.C. (Red)   
83   Royal Adelaide   
84   Phoenix Country Club   
86   Sotogrande (Real Royal)   
87   Club de Golf Mexico   
88   Essex County Club   
90   PGA West (Nicklaus)   
93   Lake Nona   
95   Commonwealth   
96   Point O' Woods Golf & Country Club   
97   The Australian   
98   Pevero   
99   Paraparaumu Beach   
100   Pine Tree   

Some observations:
-There's nearly been a 50% turnover in the list (45 out/in)
- 21 "New" courses built have entered the current list. Of those only 7 are in the current Top50 and 2 in the Top 25 (Sand Hills and Pacific Dunes)
- Biggest movers up = Fishers Island (+55), Morfontaine (+53), Somerset Hills (+47)
- Biggest movers down = Baltusrol L (-76), Harbour Town (-72), Oak Hill (-67) & out of Top100
- A lot of "classic" venues have entered the list particularly from GB&I
- A fair few PGA Tour / Manjor venues have moved out of the list
- The mix has changed somewhat with USA down / GB&I up roughly around 10 courses
 - Clearly- template hole courses weren't appreciated back in the 80's (see NGLA / Fishers Island / Chicago)

[Eric LeFante]

Great work Kevin

[Mark_Fine]

Whether they are in the Top 100 in the World which we could debate forever or on our own personal Top 100 list (for those here who have played 100 different courses  ) you could throw a dart and any of those courses listed would yield something special. 

[Tom_Doak]

Whether they are in the Top 100 in the World which we could debate forever or on our own personal Top 100 list (for those here who have played 100 different courses  ) you could throw a dart and any of those courses listed would yield something special.

Not if the dart hit on Huntingdale, Firestone (South), El Rincon, or a few others on the 30-year-old list [which was produced when I was in charge of the list, mea culpa]

[Mark_Fine]

Tom,
You may be right but there will always be a couple head scratchers on most any list. 
Mark

[Matthew Rose]

I don't usually pay attention to these things but I'm going to be interested in seeing where those courses undergoing significant "restorations" end up in a few years, like Inverness, Oak Hill, etc..

[Brent Carlson]

With the exception of Pinhurst #2 Ross took quite a hit.


Oakland Hills down 54!

Inverness down 28

Oak Hill - no longer ranked

Scioto - no longer ranked

Can Ross courses make up ground after the restorations are complete or has his architectural style gone out of favor for the foreseeable future?

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

With the exception of Pinhurst #2 Ross took quite a hit.


Oakland Hills down 54!

Inverness down 28

Oak Hill - no longer ranked

Scioto - no longer ranked

Can Ross courses make up ground after the restorations are complete or has his architectural style gone out of favor for the foreseeable future?

I think it has more to do with who renovated these Ross courses before who are now out of style (Oakland Hills - RTJ, Inverness - Fazio)- not Ross himself. I've heard great things about the changes at Inverness, and would imagine some of the others will improve too as they undergo renovations by golden age minded designers

[Mike Hendren]

Ross’ style going out of favor? If so perhaps it’s only because today’s hot shots can’t touch him so they don’t try. I bet Donald could do, say C&C on a great site.  The real question is could Bill and Ben do Ross on an average one.

[Brent Carlson]

With the exception of Pinhurst #2 Ross took quite a hit.


Oakland Hills down 54!

Inverness down 28

Oak Hill - no longer ranked

Scioto - no longer ranked

Can Ross courses make up ground after the restorations are complete or has his architectural style gone out of favor for the foreseeable future?

I think it has more to do with who renovated these Ross courses before who are now out of style (Oakland Hills - RTJ, Inverness - Fazio)- not Ross himself. I've heard great things about the changes at Inverness, and would imagine some of the others will improve too as they undergo renovations by golden age minded designers

Yeah I understand what you are saying.  Let's see how far they rebound after raters have a chance to see the restorations.  I forgot to mention Seminole, which is still a relatively pure Ross that also fell (21 spots).

[jeffwarne]

  The real question is could Bill and Ben do Ross on an average one.

or 400 of them

[Tim Martin]

A couple of things jumped out at me after a glance at Kevin’s lists. First a precipitous fall for Baltusrol Lower from 25 in 1989 to 101 in 2019. Finally I didn’t recall or forgot that Haig Point was so highly ranked in 1989. I came away with the feeling that despite the beautiful location the course was overly penal with too many forced carries. It seems to be somewhat out of favor now despite which rating authority is used.