Here are the top-ranked courses for 2021-2022, as scored in our seven scoring criteria by Golf Digest's course-ranking panelists. To distinguish it from the adjacent Coore-Crenshaw Sand Valley design (ranked No. 33, 2017-18. The par-3 seventh has another explanation entirely. Highest ranking: Current ranking. Peoria, Ariz. / 928-501-1500 / quinterogolf.comRees Jones & Steve Weisser (2000)7,208 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 56.5957Perhaps no course in the greater Phoenix area provides a better experience of the area's diverse topography. If complaints from the pros about its difficulty was an indication, the remodel was a profound success. 33.More about this course , White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. / 855-453-4858 / greenbrier.com C.B. Gothenburg, Neb. Previous ranking: No. Traps are sprung everywherein the form of pot bunkers, inside doglegs, draped in front of greensand numerous ravines are positioned to ensnare miscalculations. Zion Crossroads, Va. / 540-832-0744 / springcreekgolfclub.comEd Carton (2007)7,348 yards, Par 72 / Score: 56.2808. Previous ranking: No. Mystic Rock's 18th was rebuilt and lengthened before the course hosted a PGA Tour event, the 84 Lumber Classic from 2003 to 2006.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2009. The untouched Woods 9, now considered the resort's walking course, provides a graphic reminder of how golf has changed in five decades.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2013. Previous ranking: No. It's also a bit more compact, since the Blue sits in the center with the Red Course looping around its outside edges. Every golfer should experience Shadow Creek at least once. Haven, Wis. / 855-444-2838 / whistlingstraits.comPete Dye (2000)7,201 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 58.5657The Irish Course has the same manufactured dunescape found on its more famous sister Straits Course, but has three major differences. Far different than Bandon, with a manufactured landscape of lumps and bumps, far more bunkers, plus a couple of lakes, it nonetheless has the same fescue as at Bandon, so tee shots get plenty of roll and some approach shots can be bounced into flagsticks.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2011. Sometimes it's difficult in remote areas of US too! Located in the Sierra Nevada foothills 50 miles northwest of Reno, this is getaway, escapist golf and a refreshing trek through nature. 29. The 1980 design was pure Pete Dye, who set out to test the world's best golfers by mixing demands of precision with target golf. In the case of The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, the empire is Herb Kohlers neighboring 36-hole Blackwolf Run (plus the 10-hole Baths course), not to mention Kohlers Whistling Straits complex just north of Sheboygan. 5.More about this course , Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shadow Creek GC, 800-487-4653 / pinehurst.comDonald Ross (9 1902 /Donald Ross & Walter Travis (A.9 1907)Donald Ross (R.1935)7,588 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.9639In 2010, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw led a team that descended on Pinehurst No. Bandon, OR. Pebble Beach Pebble Beach,. 100 Greatest Public History: Ranked from 2011 through 2014. Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii / 808-565-2222 / fourseasons.com/lanai/golf/ Jack Nicklaus (1993) 7,039 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 60.5232 Manele, previously called The Challenge at Manele, has unseated Kapaluas Plantation course as the highest-ranked public course in Hawaii. For consistency across our platforms, we have omitted Point O' Woods but kept the rest of the ranking intact. At Indiana, Smyers, a nationally competitive amateur player himself, has thought deeply about the topic. With green fees under $50 on weekdays and just over $50 on weekends, Wild Horse is a true bargain among America's 100 Greatest Public. On one hole it's a carry off a tee, on another, it's beside a green, while on a couple, it's a cove in front of a green. / 662-524-1000 / mossyoakgolf.comGil Hanse (2016)7,212 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 57.7544George Bryan, who also owns No. The desert can be a harsh environment, both physically and economically. 2, he created a landscape more suitable for motocross racing, with mammoth hills and deep craters. 45, the Pines Course has just 11 holes playing in the tumbling prairie topography. There are very wide and deep greens here, too, so a depth chart is a must. The Bob Cupp design is far more subtle than a Wayne western, with low-profile greens edged by graceful chipping areas and fairways intersected repeatedly by the Big and Little Dechutes rivers. / 877-805-4657 / fallenoak.comTom Fazio (2006)7,487 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 58.8847Although it didn't get built for another 15 years, Fallen Oak was first conceived in the early 1990s by Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn soon after Tom Fazio had completed Shadow Creek. San Martin, Calif. / 408-695-4590 / cordevalle.comRobert Trent Jones Jr. (1999)7,360 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 58.1888Located in the little-known but abundant golfing area south of San Jose, the gorgeous CordeValle was a private club when it first opened, but is a high-end resort destination these days, with climbing and descending soft hills dotted by gnarled oaks. The course design by veteran British architect Donald Steel is austere in its green contours and bunkering, as if not to overpower the setting.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2011. Overall, it was a year of movement with 17 courses debuting or returning after an absence. 22, 2007-08. Architect: Jack Nicklaus. 61, 2017-2018. It was also once among the rota of courses for the old Bob Hope Desert Classic, until some pros, objecting to its difficulty, petitioned to remove it. They reduced the irrigation to mere single rows in fairways to prevent grass from ever returning to the new sandy wastelands. Typical of a Norman design, the greens are big but docile and the bunkering is plentiful and dramatically shaped.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2013. Bold in its features and contours, this is Tom Fazio in a surprisingly challenging mood. The Blue definitely has the bolder set of greens, some with massive shelves and dips. 23 on "America's Top 100 Public Courses" list by Golf Digest. 18), Kidd exposed entire hillsides of sand, which are now deftly landscaped to add beauty as well as stability against rain and wind. 21.More about this course , Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii / 877-527-2582 / kapaluamaui.comBill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (1991)7,596 Yards, Par 73 / Points: 59.9800Here's a curious fact: Kapalua's Plantation Course, built on old pineapple fields, is irrigated by the same system used a hundred years ago to water pineapples. Patrick Koenig View: 10 20 30 01 Baltimore (East) Timonium, Maryland 74 65 1 4.5 02 The rolling greens and rumpled fairways are framed by rugged sand dunes and marvelously grotesque bunkers. New York is first, with 16 courses in. Formerly the site of a different, much narrower golf course, Coore & Crenshaw found ways to widen many of the same spaces and added new holes on previously unused parts of the property. Highest ranking: No. Today, water worries are in the past, in part because of a new storage tank that allows the club to capture and store recycled water.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. 94. Meet the newcomers on our 2021/2022 Top 100 Courses You Can Play list By: Nick Piastowski May 4, 2021 Mammoth Dunes in Nekoosa, Wis. 01 Crystal Downs Frankfort, Michigan 24 10 10 1 5.5 02 Oakland Hills (South) Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 54 38 34 2 5 03 Kingsley Club Kingsley, Michigan 99 85 3 5 04 Dunes Club New Buffalo, Michigan 4 5 05 Meadowbrook Country Club Northville, Michigan 5 4.5 06 Forest Dunes (The Loop - Black) Roscommon, Michigan 6 4.5 07 Forest Dunes (Weiskopf) / 888-285-5375 / bullerock.comPete Dye (1998)7,375 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 56.4285This great course is built on the old Blenheim Farm, which had been the home of many thoroughbred race horses. Like the rest of the world, Yale Golf Course fell on hard times in 2020 and even shuttered its doors for a period of time, letting the course grow over while it was forced to downsize staff due to COVID-19. The five opening holes, in Pine Valley-like sand dunes, are an all-too-brief encounter with the Pacific seacoast. Previous ranking: No. It possesses some of Dye's most exciting holes, from the triple-option reachable par-4 ninth to the boomerang-shaped par-5 11th to the monster par-4 18th, where Kohler surprised Dye by converting a long waste bunker into a temporary lagoon for tournament events. Our Connecticut Best In State Rankings were last updated in December 2020. Bandon Trails starts and finishes in serious sand dunes (the 18th being recently remodeled by Coore) while the remainder rolls through Oregon forest. The late golf writer Charlie Price, who lived on the island, took one look at it and dubbed it a "waste bunker." In this case its a sudden descent into the namesake quarry, including four holes benched into the rock walls around the perimeter. Rising Fawn, Ga. / 706-398-0882 / themclemore.comBill Bergin & Rees Jones (2020)7,005 yards, Par 71 / Score: 56.3342. Apparently, the name chosen for the club had been part of the local lexicon for nearly 250 years. 17, 2011-12. Though not as broad as is customary for the designers, the cant of the holes and the engaging fairway bunkering puts a premium on shaping shots and hitting the correct lines off the tee. Highest ranking: No. 11.More about this course , Bandon, Ore. / 888-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.comTom Doak & Jim Urbina, with George Bahto, Bradley Klein,Karl Olson & Mike Keiser (2010)6,944 Yards, Par 71 / Points: 62.3008When it opened in 2010, we predicted Old Macdonald would eventually become the most popular course at Bandon Dunes Resort, mainly because it has wide fairways and generous greens. In fact, the USGA is bringing back the Women's Open again in 2022.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked 2003-04 & since 2007. Still others are edged by manmade irrigation lakes or natural desert washes. Ranked 49th in Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public Courses in 2021, this Mike Strantz layout needs to be seen (and played) to be believed. Wynn's empire got swallowed by MGM Grand, which ultimately had Fazio create Fallen Oak. There are many lakes in play, including long Grob Lake that dominates the left side of the par-3 17th and par-5 18th. Hot Springs, Va. / 800-838-1766 / thehomestead.comWilliam Flynn (1923)6,873 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 59.5748As Wayne Morrison and Tom Paul point out in their massive, comprehensive biography of William Flynn, Seth Raynor was originally consulted about building the course, but declared the property insufficient. In Los Angeles, the municipal Wilson and Harding courses at Griffith Park, and Rancho Park in the Westside, are wonderful classic courses. Native grass roughs and groves of hardwoods add an idyllic touch. 78. Original owner Joe Jemsek wanted a ball-busting championship course when it was built back in the mid-1960s. 47. A standout is its 13th, a drivable par 4 that's nearly as wide as it is long, with three alternate routes to a 100-yard-wide green.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2005. Previous ranking: No. Designed by Jack Nicklaus and ushering in a new era of golf in China, the World Cup course at Mission Hills was named one of the most influential golf courses in the world in 2008. 57. St. Simons Island, Ga. / 855-572-4975 / seaisland.comTom Fazio (1999)7,005 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 59.2018The resort continues to credit H.S. 22.More about this course . Previous ranking: No. Amateur in 2018 and its sixth U.S. Open in 2019.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. 157 on our exclusive Second 100 Greatest ranking in 2021.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. Fox Chapel Golf Club. Highest ranking: No. 74. Highest ranking: No. The ninth tee is 600 feet above the clubhouse; it reportedly snowed on the ninth one day while people were dining on the clubhouse patio below.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. Photo Credit: Andrew Brown/Indiana Athletics. GOLF DIGEST RANKS PUNTA ESPADA IN WORLD'S 100 BEST GOLF COURSES - Cap Cana Blog. Previous ranking: No. 61, 2005-06. Golf Cars & Carts (352) 796-0403 1150 Ponce De Leon Blvd Brooksville, FL 34601 4. Few remember Shadow Creek started out as a private course. Pine trees are prevalent but not imposing. 15, 2003-04. 75. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Trump National Doral. The course concludes with Dye's favorite finish, a gambling par-5 16th, a 17th over water (in this case, 205 yards) and a now-strong par-4 18th. Highest ranking: No. And there are three easier courses at Cog Hill for high handicappers. But "waste bunker" is the term that stuck.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. Augusta National (GA) 3. 51. The Resort at Glade Springs (Stonehaven) T147. To make the layout even more exciting during tournament play, Steve Wenzloff of PGA Tour Design Services remodeled several holes, most significantly the 12th, which will now be a drivable par 4.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. Photo Credit: Photo courtesy of SentryWorld. Few golfers recognize that the East is a combination of Donald Ross holes (one through six and 16 through 18) and Robert Trent Jones ones (holes seven to 15). Bandon Trails might be ranked lower than some of its counterparts at Bandon like Pacific Dunes and Old Macdonald, but weve long considered it such a compelling layout that it needs no seascape to command ones attention. 34, 2017-18. The Black Course is the clockwise routing, slightly shorter and, at No. Celebrating its 48 th anniversary in 2023, The Bay Course has long been dubbed as "Hawaii's favorite resort course." We allowed that, and it won. 01 Ballyneal Holyoke, Colorado 52 23 22 1 02 Colorado Parker, Colorado 88 77 2 03 Castle Pines Golf Club Castle Rock, Colorado 3 04 Cherry Hills Cherry Hills Village, Colorado 05 Denver Denver, Colorado 06 Broadmoor (East) Colorado Springs, Colorado 07 Sanctuary Sedalia, Colorado 7 08 Ravenna Littleton, Colorado 8 09 Maroon Creek Aspen, Colorado 10 Previous ranking: No. Though not a stop on any of the professional tours, Edgewood Tahoe is one of golfs most televised courses as the annual host of the American Century Championship. The Bermuda turf is firm and bouncy, and while the routing is sprawling, it's easily walkable.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2015. Highest ranking: No. And likewise second-fiddle to No. Cascades was ranked by Golf Digest as one of America's 100 Greatest for 40 years and is No. 18, 2017-18 through present.More about this course , Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jeffrey R. Bertch, 888-936-9360 / frenchlick.comPete Dye (2009)8,102 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 60.6000If you're foolish enough to want to play Pete Dye at French Lick from the tips, you'll do a lot of walking back from previous greens to those tees. The classic routing has the front nine turning clockwise through forest while the back nine circles counter-clockwise. 100 Greatest Public History: Newly ranked. Highest ranking: No. All three are now ranked among America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2003. 62, 2017-18. Yardage and Par: 7218 yards, par 72. Golf design is about transforming land. Many may well prefer it.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2015. 44, 2005-06. Previous ranking: No. Highest ranking: No. 32, 2009-10. Those lakes come in prominently on many holes, particularly on the 11th through 13th, dubbed Alligator Alley. Its green, perched like a birthday cake, was formed by piling dirt over an old railroad boxcar.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2015. Mid Pines now features acres of exposed sand instead of traditional rough and marvelous naturalized bunkers protecting small, perched putting surfaces. To retain playability for resort golfers, Kidd provided some of the widest fairway corridors in all of American golf, an experiment he first undertook, with great success, a few years early at No. Less heralded are his courses from the 1970s. Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club Tamaki course. So the relative unknown Flynn got the job and made the most of it. 45. Highest ranking: 35th, 2003-2004. 6.More about this course , 888-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.comDavid McLay Kidd (1999)6,732 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 63.3123Maybe not as visually mesmerizing as Whistling Straits (which it beat for Best New Upscale Public Course of 1999), but talented golfers consider Bandon Dunes to be the consummate shotmaker's course, as good a total examination of one's game as there is in America. "100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2011. Bethpage Black now has the conditioning of a U.S. Open or PGA Tour stop, both of which it has been in recent years. The remaining holes are a stern hike through hills covered with majestic Monterey pines (which, sad to say, may someday disappear to pitch canker, but are being replaced in some areas with cypress trees). La Quinta, Calif. / 800-742-9378 / pgawest.comPete Dye (1986)7,300 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 57.8848Originally private, the Stadium Course (the original 18 at PGA West) finished third in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Private Courses of 1986. Previous ranking: No. 16, 2005-06 & 2011-12. At Big Cedar Lodge, Missouri's largest golf resort with five courses, including the nation's only public 18-hole design by Tiger Woods, 2020 was record year and 2021 bookings have been so. 1. 65 (2015-2016 and previous). Does the word refer to primarily municipal courses and straight daily-fee operations? 51, 2013-14. Three mountain ranges surround the site: the Whitefish, Purcell and Rockies Mountains. 79 on this year's ranking. Macdonald's nearly 100-year-old design of the Old White at The Greenbrier was always respected, but after Lester George's restoration (re-establishing such things as a Principal's Nose bunker and Dragon's Teeth mounds), Golf Digest panelists rediscovered its pleasures and ranked it the Best New Public Remodel of 2007. Wild Horse is perhaps their finest, laid out on the southern edge of the Nebraska sand hills and patterned after the great Sand Hills Golf Club to the northwest, which both Proctor and Axland helped build. Because of its water reduction, the course was recently awarded a Green Star environmental award by Golf Digest. Previous ranking: No. Previous ranking: No. On one hand the design needs to be enjoyable for students, faculty and local play, and on the other it has to have the mettle to test the skills of the best amateurs in the country. Several new courses made impressive entrances, notably No. Casa de. For major events, like the 2012 U.S. Women's Open, Dye's original 18 was used. Reawakened in the fall of 2020, the Leviathan-sized golf course and magisterial holes like the Road, Cape, Knoll and the worlds best Biarritz once more breathe fire over the rocky, tumbling site. 57 Wilderness Club, this is a destination course worth hiking to play.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2017-18. Opens were played on consecutive weeks at No. Highest ranking: No. 20, 2005-06. Pine Valley (NJ) 2. Previous ranking: No. 12 (on America's 100 Greatest Courses) Crystal Downs, a neighbor every northern Michigan that visitor wants to play, even though it's private and Arcadia is public. In the last decade, the club (which also has a Fazio-designed 18) began allowing public play on its Nicklaus track. The most fascinating hole comes early, the par-4 second with out-of-bounds indicated by a barbed-wire fence hard along the right from tee to green.100 Greatest Public History: Ranked since 2015. Stillwater, Okla. / 405-743-1658 / karstencreek.com Tom Fazio (1994) 7,449 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 59.9734 Karsten Creek, winner of Golf Digest's Best New Public Course title in 1994, was developed by Oklahoma State University and thus is also often at the top of rankings of the best collegiate courses in America. Every encounter features a generous bailout option. Highest ranking: No. More about this course , Streamsong, Fla. / 888-294-6322 / streamsongresort.comGil Hanse (2017)7,320 Yards, Par 73 / Points: 59.3133Like its sister courses, No. Golf Digest's course list for the layman golfer with access to public tracks only. Highest ranking: No. Pete Dye and his companions have twice played the course from those tees in less than three-and-a-half hours, on foot.
March 11, 2023