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New World Top 100 Courses Ranking Golf Magazine


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Golf Magazine recently hired a new course rankings editor with GCA ties and he revamped the rater process. The new world rankings are out. Pine Valley is number 1 again. Some observations:

Augusta National dropped to number 9. Pebble Beach dropped out of the top 10 to number 11. Bethpage Black comes in at 53, which is 29th in the US and 4th among US public courses, behind Pebble, Pinehurst, and Pacific Dunes. Bandon Dunes (80) comes in slightly above Bandon Trails (87). I may be wrong but it looks like Nicklaus has only one course in the top 100, Muirfield Village. Tom Doak has quite a few, including Rock Creek Cattle and Ballyneal, but not Old MacDonald. Well-known courses that didn't make the top-100: Pasatiempo, Baltusrol, Spyglass, and Valderrama. I think Peachtree is the only Trent Jones course in the list. I don't see much representation from the Caribbean or Hawaii- Teeth of the Dog is at 59, and unless I missed it I think that is it.

I haven't played most of these courses so take it for what it is worth, but it seems to me that many older courses are overrated due to their history. Is St. Andrews Old really the 3rd greatest course in the world? Not one course built in the last 80 years is better than the 13 courses ranked ahead of Sand Hills, all of which were built before 1935? Is Carnoustie (32) a better golf course than Cabot Cliffs (43)? Only one modern course is in the top 23! It's hard for me to accept that this isn't historical bias at play.

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I'll tell you what man if I was given one course to play for the rest of my life I would choose the Old Course in a heartbeat. It's special, challenging but forgiving, wide but not easy to score consistently, and playable for every golfer. In Doak's article about Pine Valley he says that he would rate either the Old Course or Royal Melbourne West as the number one course on the planet. Some courses are definitely overrated due to history, but some are there for good reason.

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That description of the Old Course can apply to lots of courses. What makes that one so incredible that all but two other courses in the world are not as good? There seem to be other courses with better overall topography, and views, along with 1st rate strategy and design. What about the Old Course elevates it?

The question of one course to play for the rest of your life is interesting. Boy would Cypress Point or even Pebble be tough to beat.

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I'll have to check out the list.

On my trip to Cabot Links this fall I was paired for two rounds (one at Cliffs and one at Links) with somebody on the Golf Magazine panel. He gave me some insight onto how the panel works, which I though I would share.

Apparently every year the panel members are given a list of courses, around 400 IIRC, for rating purposes. They are supposed to play between 10-15 courses that they haven't previously rated every year. They are also apparently allowed to add new courses to the list. As you can imagine, they get to play a lot of good courses. He was on the tail end of a trip that included Southern Hills and a few other top clubs and was going to finally get to play Augusta in October, which was the last course in the 100 he had not played.

FWIW, he preferred Cabot Cliffs to Links.

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But Tom Doak's rating of the best in the world and his description only applies to two. It is very unique, even compared to the other Links I've played. The playability for all skill levels is something I've never seen on any other top course, and the challenge is still there for the Pro's considering it will be hosting it's 30th major in 2021. In terms of design, the course is very subtle but challenging. Topography, the humps and bumps were developed naturally, the bunkers are well placed and are difficult to avoid. I mean the 316 yard 12th is also the number 3 handicap on the course, and the 450 yard Road Hole is the number 5 cap. Each hole has a safe and easy route or a hard but rewarding route. I personally don't think views are the most important thing on a golf course, but I still find the Old visually appealing. Almost every hole has a way to be played strategically or heroically, and I don't know a single other course that has that option. Take the Road Hole for example, it blends the three ideals of Golf Course Architecture perfectly on both the drive and the approach. The tee shot gives an opportunity to be heroic by taking it over the sheds, strategic by playing around it, or penal by slicing into the hotel property or hitting into the sheds. On the approach, you have the hero shot to go for the pin, the strategic shot to let it run up to the front of the green or even laying up in hopes for a easier par/bogey, and it's also penal with one of the deepest bunkers I've ever seen on the left and OB on the right. Every single golf course on the planet was inspired by the Old Course, and when you play it it's clear what a masterpiece it is. It may not have the drama or setting of Cypress Point, or the design merit of Pine Valley, but for average golfers it provides a great challenge while being forgiving enough to thoroughly enjoy.

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More on this topic later...but for most of the raters on the new Golf Magazine panel, The Old Course is the standard that all other courses are to be measured by. TOC is the ideal. Anything more manicured is "over conditioned"; anything more demanding is "too penal". In that context, it almost has to be ranked at or near the top.

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views? ... TOC has some of the best views in golf ... the first tee alone is incredible ... the R&A clubhouse behind, the town to the left and at least a couple of dozen people watching hitters off the first tee ... it not only allows for less skilled golfers to make their way around it, it has definite punishment for them if they don't execute their game ... 4th hole allows for right side or left side, short or long, but with bunkers up the right side of the right side, and a bunker in the middle of the fairway on the left side ... if you're a short hitter, you have plenty of space to hit two shots and lay up short of the green by 40 yards, but if you don't hit two good shots, you're in a pot bunker ...

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I'm in no way saying St. Andrews is not a great course, but I'm wondering if its high ranking is influenced too much by its history. The people I know who have traveled to play it said that it's great but not so great that they would plan to go back. Those reactions don't seem like 3rd best in the world status to me.

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Remember it's based on opinion. I completely agree with you on The Old Course. What are the basis of the ranking? Because if it's quality of golf holes and design, it's not even in the top 100 in Scotland. Same with Pebble Beach. In my opinion the quality of holes and design at Pasatiempo are far superior to Pebble. However the location of the land Pebble is located on makes it a favorite of many. I've always said that if Pasatiempo was built on the land Pebble has it would be one of the best EVER, and if Pebble was built on the land Pasatiempo has it would not even be top 100 in northern California. But once again, it's just peoples opinion, so nobody is wrong.

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Considering two or three of CB MacDonald templates were based on St. Andrew's holes, I think your assessment of the Old is off base. Eden's are some of the widest replicated par threes in the world, and they are based off of the eleventh High (In). The Road Hole is considered the original Par 4.5 which heavily influenced RTJ's theory of "hard par easy bogey." Not to mention the rest of the beautiful and complex holes there. I agree with your assessment of Pasatiempo though, I really do think that course is vastly underrated.

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MY9805973TIR.pngGOLF’S COURSE RATING PANEL BY THE NUMBERS:Average age: 52.4 years Percentage of raters who placed Pine Valley in their top 3: 57.3Average years rating courses: 9.8Average number of courses rated in 2019: 191Average number of Top 100 Courses played: 69 Countries represented: 13

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Beauty certainly affects the golfer's feelings about a course as well as the desire to go back and play it again but really is it relevant to the quality of the golf PER SE? My feelings about St Andrews were certainly strong but not about the beauty so much as the ambience and history - and who is to say a beautiful course is better than its plain sister? But as a straight issue of quality golf holes, where strategy and skill are the measure, the St Andrews Old course is hard to beat.

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The beauty of the golf course environment is part of the sensory experience of playing a course. Put the same hole in a plain environment and at the edge of a beautiful ocean waterfront and the latter is a better playing experience. To your second point, I’ve heard and read from others that other than a handful of holes on the Old Course, (1, 11, 12, 17-18), that the individual holes aren’t standout or memorable. Aren’t there at least 100+ courses with quality holes of strategy and skill? Isn’t it that “ambience and history” that leads to the Old Course being rated so highly?

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This is funny as to me Oakmont seems overrated based on its US Open pedigree and history. While I'm sure it is an excellent course, from a strategic playing standpoint it looks like one straightforward hard penal hole after another. You have a relatively small target area to hit off the tee and you either hit it or you don't and if you miss you don't have any recovery options. That said, the greens are reputed to be excellent. If it weren't for its history I would guess Oakmont would be further down on the list.

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The thing with Oakmont is that it encapsulates all the strategic elements of the game, but leaves players with no margin for error. Somewhere like The Old Course, you need to be on the right side of the fairway to have the best angle in. At Oakmont, you have to be in a specific spot. It's not less strategic, it's just way more demanding. Contrast that with, say, Torrey Pines South (a long course with narrow fairways and penal rough) where the fairway is narrow and basically anywhere in the fairway is fine.

Where the Golf Magazine raters are inconsistent is that they can't seem to decide the role that difficulty plays in the game. TOC is great because it's easy for players of all levels; PV and Oakmont are great because they are impossible tests!

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Great point! Augusta dropped because some holes have been tightened up, but Oakmont is rated more highly even though its known for every hole being tight and narrow.

I think there is a disconnect on some of the terms used- strategic, penal, and heroic. I use them as Tom Doak laid out in his book. Generally, a "strategic" hole is one with multiple options in how to play, usually with risk/reward characteristics. An example would be a green open to shots running up on the front and left side and sloped right to left, with fairway bunkers near the left side of the landing area. You can try to get close to the fairway bunkers to have an easier approach shot in,or play to a safer landing area right of the bunkers but have a tougher approach shot with a greenside bunker that you have to get over and a green sloping away from you. Or holes with oblique cross hazards where you can try one side to carry the hazard and be closer to on your approach shot, or play safer to the other side and not take on the hazard.

A "penal" hole is one with a specific landing area and you either hit it or you are in a hazard. An example is a straight fairway with bunkers running up both sides, and anywhere in the fairway leaves you the same degree of difficulty on the approach shot. A "heroic" hole is one where you choose how much of a risk you take and the risk/reward is commensurate. An example is a cape hole or an angled fairway over a hazard running along its near edge and you pick your line that you want to try for.

The thing is that these terms do not describe difficulty. A "penal" hole can be easier than a "strategic" hole. The hazards alongside a penal hole can be quite easy or hard, but the hole is still called a penal hole. A "strategic" hole can have very difficult bunkers and slopes that make the hole very hard.

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I would point out that perhaps the "historical bias" is due to being architecturally on another level for a long period of time, thus selected as a venue for major championships. I like public venues for the US Open as that is truly open to anyone with a handicap low enough to play through and using public and even muni venues (Torrey/Bethpage) resonate with me. Oakmont is so much improved now that the trees are down and believe it is rightly in the top 10 and don't see that changing anytime at all.

Also keep in mind this is the world list, not the US list so we are seeing the US courses on a smaller scale, but will be a preview of the top courses when they do the US list in a year or so.

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I didn't say Oakmont was on another level compared to those courses, I said it is much improved over its previous self. You are picking out 4 of the other top 15 course in the world to compare to Oakmont and the short answer is they are all 5 great courses. I played Oakmont this past August and it wasn't nearly as firm and fast according to our host as a US Open, which is what makes Oakmont so tough, the firm and fast conditions. It is much more hilly than I thought and the greens are just so penal if you are downhill (even in our conditions). I really don't know how the pros don't three jack or worse at Oakmont when above the hole. As the trees are gone you have to look at where the hole is pinned from the tee to determine where you want your approach to be from. Thus, you need to pick your spot off the tee to end up in that ideal approach position. Now that sounds like regular PGA tour players approach and it is, however with fast conditions and sloping fairways to penal rough not to mention wind and the margin for error is just so small. Although after playing it, you have to be on your game putting that week there is just no way you can compete much less win without making your 5 footers from slope.

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Pacific Dunes is ranked 24th. But use any of a handful of others ranked lower- Cabot Cliffs, Riviera, Barnbougle, Lahinch, etc. What you described are reasons why the course is incredibly challenging, but not why it is a better course. And I've never heard or read anyone describe it as having such strategic attributes as you just did.

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You asked a question and I answered, I don't need a cosigner for my opinions and take them or not, but they are my own. I continually learn from new courses and from others, you can choose if you want to learn or not, but it won't change my opinion to suit your golf world view as it is uniquely mine.

Imagine for a second you are actually asking a question, which I thought you were. The architecture of Oakmont dictates the small amount of error for the best players in the world as I layed out. Others may say similar things and add some nuance, but that is the basis for why Oakmont or Bethpage or Shinnecock are superior courses architecturally. The bunker placement, the slope of the fairway, the pinching of a fairway bunker, pinnable flags in spots where you can easily shortside yourself to a downhill pin perhaps. Those are why US Open courses are great courses for the best players in the world and yes synonymous with tough as well. I don't think Torrey Pines is great architecturally as it is way too straight and long without doglegs and many fairway bunkers. I like that it is a muni however and as such has the length to hold modern players at bay with teh USGA setup. Not a fan of it myself architecturally, but it is what it is.

What are your insights? How many top 100 have you actually played? Is that important to give credence to an opinion?

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Your first answer didn't give much substance on the course architecture. Your second answer was better. As you are lumping Oakmont in with several other courses ranked from 4 to 53, do you think the rankings are interchangeable at that level of course? Or do you think Oakmont is superior to all but 7 courses in the world?

I've played a handful of the courses, more on the top US list than the top World list as I haven't played in Europe.

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