[David_Tepper]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-best-new-courses-2021-photos-comments?utm_medium=email&utm_source=120221&utm_campaign=hitlist&utm_content=DM23406&uuid=9861c6da148243648f1aa92679fb32a0

[MCirba]

Hmmm...interesting.


How many possible points can a course receive under the GD scoring system?  For instance, where would a 53.whatever place on their current Top 100, assuming that's the number in 2 years?

[Michael Chadwick]

Placing Muirfield Village over Oakland South is very on brand for GD…

[Peter Pallotta]

I know little about renovations and even less about ratings, but it was good to read Derek D bringing his "A game" to the task here, e.g.,"the vast Nebraska Sand Hills, where architects dream of going to do as little as possible" (ha ha); and, with "both splash and sublimity" CapRock is a "meeting of melodic minimalism and intense moments of orchestral wonderment" (very nice indeed!).

[V_Halyard]

Placing Muirfield Village over Oakland South is very on brand for GD…

The Oakland Hills, Congo and Balty transformations are fairly dramatic.

[MCirba]

I know little about renovations and even less about ratings, but it was good to read Derek D bringing his "A game" to the task here, e.g.,"the vast Nebraska Sand Hills, where architects dream of going to do as little as possible" (ha ha); and, with "both splash and sublimity" CapRock is a "meeting of melodic minimalism and intense moments of orchestral wonderment" (very nice indeed!).

He's quite good.


Actually, both of them are.

[Ronald Montesano]

You don't even need to read between the lines. It's almost shameful.

[PCCraig]

The Panelist Comments are the best.


Muirfield goes on about "more than ever the course is tailor made for a PGA Tour event"...like that's a good thing?


For American Dunes all they talk about is how "humbling" it is because of all the tributes to the soldiers...but very little in the way of specific architectural details other than one guy complaining he hit a 6 iron on every par-3 that day.


And the bit about Congressional becoming less architecturally relevant because it slipped from 60th to 90th on the Top 100 US list made me want to hurl.


Golf Digest needs to pair down its panelist core and rework its system from scratch. I like Derek Duncan and appreciate his knowledge base as illustrated in his podcast, and honestly have no idea why he would sign his name to this crap. Obviously Golf Digest has a different angle that GW and GM, but right now the quality of their reviews and ratings are equal to something you'd see from some Yahoo on TripAdvisor.

[Jeff Shelman]

I'm confused about what is a renovation and what is a transformation.

[Tom_Doak]

I'm confused about what is a renovation and what is a transformation.

Or they are!   


I don’t understand how lac la Belle is a new course and not a Transformation.

[Jeff Schley]

I almost need to start a venn diagram to understand their methodologies and which courses are where.
Correct me if I'm wrong but I gathered the following:

• This list combines any new course (ex: Caprock) with renovation (although I would say restoration, ex: OH, Balt.) with transformation (which I would say renovation, ex: Hillcrest).
• It further complicates it by the NEW category with the parenthesis (OVERALL) designation. So I think this means public and private together for NEW courses only.
• They don't itemize out public and private separately in the NEW category, but denote additional rank within public and private "Fifth Place and Second Place, Best Private". This adds to their confusion.

OK, I found some explanation in the link they provided to this article which discusses their classification, but would have been handy to have it in this list as well.

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/americas-best-new-courses-2021


That article lists much more clearly how they classify and the lists. Actually not sure of the purpose of the original article they put out David linked to.  Here is their methodology:

• "The first is Best New Renovation. This category encompasses traditional “renovation” (think of this as the effort to improve, enhance or update the features of a golf course) and “restoration” (a historic-based renovation that returns the course to some identifiable version of its past architecture). In both cases, the course remains essentially itself with the modifications concentrating on tree removal, grassing lines and rebuilt bunkers, tees and green surfaces."

• "The second category is Best Transformation, an award that goes to a course that has taken on a fundamental alteration, perhaps with an entirely new design or the introduction of new holes—an architectural reset. The name remains the same, but if you blinked, you might not recognize the property."

This at least gives a reference point, although I don't like the combination of renovation with restoration as their only delineation is that the restoration goes back to a point in it's history. So renovation apparently either has no history to go back to, or they just take out a bunker because they want to. So it appears all types of work sans re-routing any holes.


The grey area as well is in Transformation which they say can entail an "entirely new design". Why wouldn't that be in the New Category? I'm OK with Hillcrest which rerouted several holes in transformation category.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

OMG - Nicklaus beat out a couple of Hanse's for best renovation. Golf Digest is about to get killed....going to grab my popcorn

[Jeff Schley]

Some odd comments I noticed from anonymous panelists.

• On Muirfield Village renovation - “The sightlines are much improved and new angles create enhanced challenges as compared to the prior version…"  How can the sightlines/angles be improved that much as they didn't take out any trees of note or move fairways, with one hole 15 getting a renovation. Other than that it is tees moving 7-10 yards (back tees only) back and several greens expanding closer towards the hazards. 3 holes the fairway bunkers were moved. I think this comment is just a panelist saying something general to just make a comment. Also "much improved"?

• "If it’s not clear by now, here’s the latest: Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner are the most in-demand designers in the country for club renovations and restorations, and they’re closing in on Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and Tom Doak, for original work as well."    This seems like a premature statement to me.Yes he is doing great restoration work, but original designs compared to C&C and Doak?  Let's respect the work of others and be objective.

[MCirba]

I can't imagine what could be done to Muirfield Village to make it better?


Read that any way you wish.

[Peter Pallotta]

Mike, I think GD has happily accepted and embraced its main/target audience, and completely broken all and every bond of fellowship with the likes of us here at gca.com, and so is now revelling in its new-found freedom to say absolutely anything it wants, using whatever words and rating criteria it can make up right on the spot, e.g., transformation, reconstituted, terraformed, rehabilitated, 'the best new renewed restoration of a previously transformative renovation - private - by someone not named Gil Hanse - Arizona, California, and New Mexico - Sept. 2019 to Oct. 2027, etc.: what difference does any of it make? None at all! It seems as if GD now believes that for all practical purposes (i.e., financial / social media metrics) it literally does not matter one iota what it or any of its panelists ever have to say, and so is enthusiastically going to town, totally unfettered.
I find it all quite fun and refreshing actually -- like some meta level satire by a French existential dadaist from the 1920s, on mescaline.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ron's Robust Rankings


Currently soliciting applicants for a new ranking system. Categories as follows:


Transformative Renovation
Restorative Transformation
Renovative Restoration


If you are versed in the aforementioned, doctrinal methodologies, please send me a DM.

[V_Halyard]

OMG - Nicklaus beat out a couple of Hanse's for best renovation. Golf Digest is about to get killed....going to grab my popcorn

Taunting. Fifteen Yards and Loss of Down

[Steve Lapper]

Some odd comments I noticed from anonymous panelists.

• On Muirfield Village renovation - “The sightlines are much improved and new angles create enhanced challenges as compared to the prior version…"  How can the sightlines/angles be improved that much as they didn't take out any trees of note or move fairways, with one hole 15 getting a renovation. Other than that it is tees moving 7-10 yards (back tees only) back and several greens expanding closer towards the hazards. 3 holes the fairway bunkers were moved. I think this comment is just a panelist saying something general to just make a comment. Also "much improved"?

This is laughable. The guy must've OD'd on milkshakes.

[Kalen Braley]

I think this is just affirmation that certain powers and forces cannot be ignored, and golf is not immune to it.

Now that Arnie has passed, Jack is certainly the 'next man up' to be placed on the pedestal and frequently worshipped.

P.S. Mike Cirba...in case you missed it from a while back. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGdEegxu8e4

[Anthony Gray]

 When you see a photo of a links course it registers as a links course. Now is the same for the sand hill courses. They all have that distinctive look.


 Nice to see many public courses represented.

[Jonathan Cummings]

My understanding is that Congo informed Golfweek that they wanted all previous rating panel votes erased after Green's work because the old course was essentially gone.  But when asked if Congo wanted to now be considered a modern and not a classical course they said no, Green redid the course reflecting "classical" features and in a tribute to golden age design.  I wonder if Digest's "Transformation" categorization throws a monkey wrench into this.....

[Tom_Doak]

My understanding is that Congo informed Golfweek that they wanted all previous rating panel votes erased after Green's work because the old course was essentially gone.  But when asked if Congo wanted to now be considered a modern and not a classical course they said no, Green redid the course reflecting "classical" features and in a tribute to golden age design.  I wonder if Digest's "Transformation" categorization throws a monkey wrench into this.....

There’s a lot of that going on behind the scenes.  GOLF Magazine now disallows old votes from before THE IMPORTANT RENOVATION OF CERTAIN COURSES, but not others.  This is clearly a method to elevate those courses in the rankings.

[Joel_Stewart]

Golf Digest needs to pair down its panelist core and rework its system from scratch. I like Derek Duncan and appreciate his knowledge base as illustrated in his podcast, and honestly have no idea why he would sign his name to this crap. Obviously Golf Digest has a different angle that GW and GM, but right now the quality of their reviews and ratings are equal to something you'd see from some Yahoo on TripAdvisor.

You don't understand GD.  Its a revenue source for them, the results are not important. The income from the panelists fees and the income from clicks on the web site are what drives GD.


Ron Whitten wasn't able to change the system and Derek will not be able to change it either.  It's always been controlled by Jerry Tarde the publisher.  Until he leaves it will stay the same.

[Sean_A]

The actual list or any GD list isn't the issue for me. It's the severe cut back on Feed the Ball episodes which is far and away the most irksome aspect of the D Duncan and DG partnership. That problem would exist no matter which publication DD worked for. Can't blame the man, he deserves to make a decent living and buy a few bottles of bourbon now and again. Do yourself a favour. Go back and listen to the Feed the Ball podcast.

Ciao

[Brian Finn]

The actual list or any GD list isn't the issue for me. It's the severe cut back on Feed the Ball episodes which is far and away the most irksome aspect of the D Duncan and DG partnership. That problem would exist no matter which publication DD worked for. Can't blame the man, he deserves to make a decent living and buy a few bottles of bourbon now and again. Do yourself a favour. Go back and listen to the Feed the Ball podcast.

Ciao

Hear! Hear!

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