The mighty-mite 8th gets much of the attention, but Troon also has a host of sterling two-shotters, including the 7th, 11th, 13th and 15th. The club prides itself on the pace and firmness of its world-renowned putting surfaces, so let the beating commence! When you layer on Harry Colts improvements (such as moving the 12th green high and to the left) to Willie Park Jr.s original effort, you end up with one of the games most noble inland courses. When the wind is up, Hoylake is one of the games fiercest links, one that requires supreme shotmaking, as demonstrated by Tigers virtuoso performance at the 2006 Open. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), The Black intimidates golfers with a sign at the 1st tee that recommends the course only for highly skilled golfers. Among them? (Photo: Courtesy Woodhall Spa), Japans answer to Pebble Beach is this 1936 design that boasts staggering views of snow-capped Mt. Royal Portrush Golf Club, Antrim 9. Oakland Hills 19. Pine Valley excels at all three, with many contending it has the most formidable hazards and sophisticated green complexes in golf. The course isnt overseeded, and the release of the ball across its dormant fairways allows the first-class architecture to shine. The manner by which Maxwell draped the fairways across the rolling landscape resulted in few level lies. Clementon, N.J. / George Crump Firm, rumpled, fescue fairways, coastal breezes and endless views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence make it abundantly clear why Nova Scotia is the Latin name for New Scotland. Whitmans talent for adding micro-contours in and around the greens (such as those that promote running approach shots into the 13th and 16th) is unsurpassed but are overlooked here because the long views are so spectacular. Congrats to all of the named courses on being selected for Located in Merion 6. You havent favorited any courses yet. The 3rd through the 5th is a particularly inspired stretch of inland golf, featuring an exemplary par-5, par-4 and par-3. Colt & C.H. The most memorable seaside tests are the par-4 4th and 5th, the par-3 12th and the drivable par-4 16th, each with eye-popping scenery and enjoyable risk/rewards. Macdonalds course in 1923 and not much has changed since as its slew of exemplary template holes make it just as relevant today as it was in the hickory era. To understand what it means to get the most from the land, study the small parcel around the clubhouse that contains the 1st, 2nd and 18th holes, each stellar in its own right. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, Santa Cruz, Calif. / Alister MacKenzie (1929), RELATED: A comprehensive history of every change made to Augusta National . The 4th kicks off a five-hole stretch that any links course would love to claim as its own, so wildly varied and well conceived is each hole. WebRecognized as a top 100 Platinum Clubs of the World awardee, Isleworth is a prestigious golf community which continues to set excellence in standards among the clubs in Florida. (Photo: Clyde Johnson), Maidstones glorious edge-of-the-Atlantic location is once again fully evident, thanks to a recent restoration by Coore & Crenshaw. Central hazards once again abound here, most famously at the 2nd and 17th holes where large bunker complexes bisect the fairways. (Photo: Patrick Koenig), Unlike America, England doesnt have a phobia about courses with par under 70. (Photo: Getty Images), On approach to the Dublin airport, keep your eyes peeled out the window for a glimpse of the most romantic location for a golf course imaginable. Both casual golfers and architecture buffs alike should take note of the features that make the three longest par-4s (9, 11 and 16) so much fun to play. (Photo: David Alexander/Getty Images), Australias greatest links continually achieves top-40 status thanks to a sophisticated design coupled with a stirring seaside setting with holes nestled in large dunes that run parallel to the ocean. Such happened at Oak Hill in the late 1970s. Add in fescue fairways and the sites broad slopes and you have a course whose asks change daily. Some grouse that the courses reputation is built on the clubs exclusivity, which is unwarranted given that standout holes abound, including the 4th, 6th, 13th and one of the games finest finishing three-hole stretches. Is that true for Myopia Hunt, given that it has played host to four U.S. Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin 7. (Photo:Courtesy Rye), Regardless of whether the wind is blowing or what technology does, Lythams 205 bunkers mean that this rugged links is always ready to test the best, just as it has done since 1926 when it played host to its first Open Championship. Kohler told Dye I want the course to look like its in Ireland. Mission accomplished. Dyes contributions to modern architecture cant be overstated. Raves all around for how this course has evolved this century, as demonstrated by the exciting 2022 PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), Augusta National is the vision of Bobby Jones and his chosen architect, Alister MacKenzie. Happily, all of Rosss glories, and then some, were brought back in 2020 when Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and team restored Rosss width and playing angles. NICK PRICES ZEBRA PUTTER. Set on the northern end of King Island in the Bass Strait between Tasmania and mainland Australia, this course occupies the windiest spot of any on our list. This design is one for the ages literally as it's ideal for both youngsters and aging golfers alike. Additionally, does any walk compare with that final stroll up the iconic par-5 18th as it curves left around Carmel Bay?! / Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2005)More about this course , 6,981 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.2244Edina, Minn. / Willie Watson (1911) / Donald Ross (1922)More about this course , Photo By: Peter Wong/Courtesy of Interlachen CC, 7,657 Yards, Par 72 / Points: 62.2194Tom Bendelow (1928)More about this course , David Normoyle/Courtesy The Garden City Golf Club, 6,922 Yards, Par 73 / Points: 62.1846Devereux Emmet (1899) / Walter Travis (1913)More about this course , Photo By: David Normoyle/Courtesy The Garden City Golf Club, 6,902 Yards, Par 70 / Points: 62.1752Scarborough-on-Hudson, N.Y. / C.B. (Photo: Dave Samson), Several of Coore & Crenshaws finest designs are located at hard-to-access private clubs but many of their works thankfully are available to the public, often courtesy of developer Mike Keiser. Yes, that would be Portmarnock, set among low dunes at the end of a peninsula. 1 spot for decades, meaning Pine Valleys only benchmark is itself. Both nines touch the cliff line, with the courses most spectacular moment coming at the 5th as it doglegs right to a two-tiered green flush against the cliff. Its no wonder this course is a darling among design aficionados. Shinnecock Hills 5. Number of Golf Courses in the State of California: 921. Thanks to the inspired positioning of the bunkers and the angled green, options abound on how to card a big number on this tiny hole. Most Junior Friendly Club: Trophy Club. By all means, celebrate the Postage Stamp but pay heed to the courses other riches, too. Colt never went down that path and thus his courses enjoy timeless appeal. Fuji and cliff-top panoramas of the Pacific Ocean. Macdonald (1915) / A.W. Heathland golf around London is famous for all sorts of reasons but the strength of its par-5s isnt one of them. Apart from being handed a magnificently spacious piece of land upon which to work, Flynn was given something else nearly as valuable: time. Ironic for an architect who built template holes but the best hole on this Seth Raynor design may well be the thoroughly original risk-reward 520-yard par-5 15th, which doglegs left, over and around a ravine. Indeed, the course is similar to Oakmont, Pinehurst No. Peter Thomson won the first Open played here, in 1954, and Birkdale has staged nine other editions, most recently Jordan Spieths remarkable win in 2017. MacKenzie extracted the best from the land in part by breaking the rules and having back-to-back par-5s on the front and back-to-back par-3s on the back. Unlike many other clubs in the world, the Augusta National is a for-profit company, which means that they can set the fees at whatever they want. Enjoy! Adding to the pleasure of its romantic location is an exceptional set of Willie and John Park greens, many of which feature dramatic false fronts. Meanwhile, a brawny collection of two-shotters dominates the stretch from 6-10. This award-winning course is one of the most scenic 18-hole Championship and Par 3 courses in Dubai and its location in the middle of the city makes it very accessible. Its old-school features include cross hazards and medium-size greens. No one was better at getting out of jail than Spains Seve Ballesteros, who twice won here in glorious fashion. The next hole, a dogleg right, calls for a fade. One banal way? Twenty-three miles north of Aberdeen, Cruden Bay offers many novel features, including the postcard-perfect par-3 4th, which overlooks the Water of Cruden and the fishing village of Port Erroll, and the par-4 14th, with its funnel-shaped bathtub green. Even with no rough, the runner-up could muster only one under par over four rounds. Myopia Hunt Club 17. (Photo: Courtesy St. George's Hill), Marrying classic Seth Raynor design with coastal South Carolina topography, Yeamans presents a charming tour of Redan, Biarritz and Road holes woven through marshland and magnificent live oaks. Immense pressure is placed on clubs to have their course evolve to handle equipment advancements. (Photo: Brian Oar), Devereux Emmet and Walter Travis share credit for this old-school design that plays across Hempstead Plain on Long Island. Ballybunion Golf Club, Kerry 5. (Photo: Gary Lisbon), H.S. The clubs longtime green chair analyzes every minute detail of the design during his annual walks around the property with former Wake grad, Bill Coore. Macan, 1926/Alister MacKenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007, W.C. Pickerman/George Ross/Mungo Park, 1894/George Coburn, 1896, Harry Vardon, 1905/H.S. Tillinghasts finest design for regular play. Great attention has been paid to the mow lines, with short tight fairway grass on the high side of the entrance to all the greens. (Photo: Christian Hafer), After weeks of tromping around the yucca-choked sand hills of Hutchinson, architect Perry Maxwell proclaimed, There are 118 good golf holes here. The construction process was slow going as jungle brush needed to be beat back with machetes. Fishers Island 10. What helped Myopia continue to rise in the list is appreciation for Gil Hanses restoration work whereby trees came down, and fairways were expanded/reconnected to Herbert Leedss fabulous pit bunkers. The field at the 2022 U.S. Open was reminded that there is no substitute for hitting fairways and greens as thick rough remains a component of the courses challenge just as it was in 1913. In the United States, he considered Perry Maxwell to be as talented as anyone; in Australia, his man was Alex Russell, who deserves full credit for the East Course, in addition to Paraparaumu Beach, Lake Karrinyup and other gems in Australia and New Zealand, including Yarra Yarra. Seventy-five years later and this Georgia course still adheres to the founding vision, which speaks volumes to the quality of RTJs original design. Architecture buffs are likely to be just as captivated by the playing angles at the preceding hole, a short two-shotter with a Road Hole green complex. (Photo: De Pan), Its always a delight to find a course that rewards the lost art of shaping shots. 17Th holes where large bunker complexes bisect the fairways, W.C. Pickerman/George Ross/Mungo Park, 1894/George Coburn,,! 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