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Top 100 U.S. Golf Course.... seekers


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[quote name='wingedfoot97' timestamp='1431234607' post='11530816']
I like this thread. A few I have played...Riviera, LACC, Pinehurst, East Lake, Spyglass, Harbour Town, and Pebble.

A few I want to play.... Olympic, Bel Air, Ocean Forest, Yeamans Hall, Congressional, Honors Course, Peachtree, and Pine Valley.

[b]A tip I received and used often is simply asking. The problem/trick is knowing WHEN to ask. Knowing HOW to ask. Knowing a great deal about the club and its history always helps.[/b]

Sand Hills is also on my list. Read they have good Tuscan steaks in the clubhouse too.

I have yet to go to Bandon but will knock that out one day.
[/quote]

Could you please elaborate on the bolded?

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[quote name='snkstaff' timestamp='1431824867' post='11571412']
So how does someone get on at National golf links of America? Write a letter? I am just beginning my quest to play the best courses. Any tips would be great
[/quote]

Hiya Snkstaff

Best of luck on beginning your quest. You'll find over the time of doing this there will be many obstacles and pitfalls along the way, but sometimes the most welcome surprises will come from places and people you never even thought about!

As for National Golf Links of America, well what can I say about that place that hasn't been said before. It's a very exclusive place and dang near impossible to get on without knowing a member.

I have been very fortunate to have played 29 of the top 100 golf courses based on Golf Digest and I'll share some of my tips with you:

1) Networking. Just getting to know people and fellow golfers. Letting people know what your quest is and over the course of time you might meet someone that knows a friend who knows a friend type of thing.

2) Charity Outings. Many (not all of them) of the Top 100 golf courses have charity events through out the year. Besides playing a great golf course your also helping a worthy cause

3) Charity Auctions. A lot of Charities auction off rounds of golf to various courses through out the year to some great places. There is no set schedule when a certain place goes up for auction but if you check every now and again at various websites you might surprised.

4) Write a letter. If you write a sincere letter to the club asking for permission to play, some (not all) might get in contact with you. As for NGLA I have written them a couple of times over the years asking to play and every time I get no response or my letter gets sent back to me un-opened, just the way it is.

I hope this helps and best of luck with your Quest!

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  • 1 month later...

[quote name='ggpro' timestamp='1428937930' post='11347609']
Have had a lot of fun times playing Top 100 courses. You didn't say which list you were playing but here are some of my thoughts ....

Best
1.Cypress
2. Pebble
3. Chicago Golf
4. Shinnecock
5. Prairie Dunes

Worst
1. Medinah #3
2. Bethpage
3. Valhalla
4. Olympia Fields North

Sleepers (not on all lists)
1. Cal Club San Francisco
2. Brookside Country Club
3. Canterbury GC

Most Want To Play
1. LACC
2. Crystal Downs
3. Fishers Island
4. Augusta National
5. All the Bandon courses lol!

Soon To Rise To A List

Menlo CC (just redesigned)
[/quote]



Curious to hear how you came up with Chicago Golf being top 3 and Medinah #3 worst 1

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  • 3 weeks later...

[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1429061626' post='11360863']
I've been lucky enough to play all 10 of the top 10, 19 of the top 20, 36 of the top 50 and 61 of the top 100 in the most recent Golf Digest list.


Personal Top 10 USA

1 Sand Hills
2 Cypress Point
3 National Golf Links of America
4 Oakmont
5 LACC
6 Pine Valley
7 Prairie Dunes
8 Shoreacres
9 Shinnecock Hills
10 Merion


Most Overrated

Olympic Club
Inverness
Olympia Fields
Medinah
Pebble Beach


Top 5 want to play

1 Garden City
2 Southern Hills
3 Baltusrol
4 Pikewood National
5 Milwaukee CC

Most under rated courses in the USA

1 Kittanset (MA)
2 Old Town (NC)
3 Orchard Lake (MI)
4 Lawsonia Links (WI)
5 Sweetens Cove (TN)
6 Somerset Hills (NJ)
7 Franklin Hills (MI)
8 MPCC Shore (CA)
9 The Creek Club (NY)
10 Kirtland (OH)
[/quote]

Great to see Shoreacres on your list. I played it today and it's incredible.

Epic Flash SZ 9.5* Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65X
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[color=#000000]I am not really working on the top 100 in US list but a bit of a modified world list and I [/color] have had a pretty good run, but my best was getting invited to play [color=#000000]Cypress Point randomly by a stranger in a bar. Getting to play there out of the blue was pretty cool. [/color]

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[quote name='2bGood' timestamp='1439347533' post='12121032']
[color=#000000]I am not really working on the top 100 in US list but a bit of a modified world list and I [/color] have had a pretty good run, but my best was getting invited to play [color=#000000]Cypress Point randomly by a stranger in a bar. Getting to play there out of the blue was pretty cool. [/color]
[/quote]Damn what bar? I may need to hang around it for a week or two.

M2, maybe
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[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1439347062' post='12120962']
[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1429061626' post='11360863']
I've been lucky enough to play all 10 of the top 10, 19 of the top 20, 36 of the top 50 and 61 of the top 100 in the most recent Golf Digest list.


Personal Top 10 USA

1 Sand Hills
2 Cypress Point
3 National Golf Links of America
4 Oakmont
5 LACC
6 Pine Valley
7 Prairie Dunes
8 Shoreacres
9 Shinnecock Hills
10 Merion


Most Overrated

Olympic Club
Inverness
Olympia Fields
Medinah
Pebble Beach


Top 5 want to play

1 Garden City
2 Southern Hills
3 Baltusrol
4 Pikewood National
5 Milwaukee CC

Most under rated courses in the USA

1 Kittanset (MA)
2 Old Town (NC)
3 Orchard Lake (MI)
4 Lawsonia Links (WI)
5 Sweetens Cove (TN)
6 Somerset Hills (NJ)
7 Franklin Hills (MI)
8 MPCC Shore (CA)
9 The Creek Club (NY)
10 Kirtland (OH)
[/quote]

Great to see Shoreacres on your list. I played it today and it's incredible.
[/quote]

Shoracres is SO good. I just love that place. To me it's a model for parkland courses for conditioning and tree removal. The design is amazing also just love all the original Raynor holes out there and the holes through and around the ravines. I need to get back over there asap. IMO easily the #1 course in Chicago.

FREE AGENT CLUB HO NO MO!
Ari Techner
National Custom Works nationalcustomworks.com
[email protected]
IG: @nationalcustom
Twitter: @WorksNational
(still a huge club HO)

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[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1439356958' post='12121742']

Shoracres is SO good. I just love that place. To me it's a model for parkland courses for conditioning and tree removal. The design is amazing also just love all the original Raynor holes out there and the holes through and around the ravines. I need to get back over there asap. IMO easily the #1 course in Chicago.
[/quote]

With what little I know about you, I do know you are a traditionalist and a Raynor fan so there is no doubt in my mind you love his designs. It was my first Raynor track and I must say there is nothing else like it that I have played and the green complexes are some of the most spectacular I have ever seen. Just totally unique. The Biarittz on #6, the Redan on 15 make 2 of the most special par 3's I have ever seen!

Epic Flash SZ 9.5* Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 65X
Epic Flash 15.0* Mitsubishi Tensei AV Blue 75X
Apex '19 20* Fujikura Atmos HB TS Blue 8X
X-Forged UT 21* KBS C-Taper Lite X
Apex CF19 Combo #5-P KBS $-Taper 120
MD4 Raw 50-S/56-X/60-S KBS 610 120
Odyssey MXM-V #7 "Tank" @ 38"
Snell MTB-X / Chrome Soft X Triple Track

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[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1439414031' post='12125652']
[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1439356958' post='12121742']
Shoracres is SO good. I just love that place. To me it's a model for parkland courses for conditioning and tree removal. The design is amazing also just love all the original Raynor holes out there and the holes through and around the ravines. I need to get back over there asap. IMO easily the #1 course in Chicago.
[/quote]

With what little I know about you, I do know you are a traditionalist and a Raynor fan so there is no doubt in my mind you love his designs. It was my first Raynor track and I must say there is nothing else like it that I have played and the green complexes are some of the most spectacular I have ever seen. Just totally unique. The Biarittz on #6, the Redan on 15 make 2 of the most special par 3's I have ever seen!
[/quote]

Shoreacres was my first Raynor also. It is a perfect place to first see his work IMO. It has changed alot in the last 10 years and all for the better. As you say, the green complexes are just amazing. Unique to say the least, until you play other Raynors. Reminds me of one of my favorite architecture quotes straight from Seth Raynor himself. Raynor is being interviewed and the person doing the interview says something along the lines of "Seth you seem to have an amazing ability to build extremely interesting and extremely varied green complexes. What is your secret?" Raynor looks at him and says, "Its easy, I just hire the local village idiot and tell him to build 18 perfectly flat greens....."

FREE AGENT CLUB HO NO MO!
Ari Techner
National Custom Works nationalcustomworks.com
[email protected]
IG: @nationalcustom
Twitter: @WorksNational
(still a huge club HO)

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  • 2 weeks later...

My top ten:

1. Whistling Straits - Straits
2. Blackwolf Run - River
3. Harbour Town Golf Links
4. Chambers Bay
5.Doral Blue Monster
6. Innisbrook Copperhead
7. Wild Dunes - Links
8. Camp Creek
9. Kiawah - Turtle Point
10. The Tribute

Some of these have fallen out of the top 100 since I played them, but they were all great tracks in pristine condition.

Biggest letdown - by far TPC Sawgrass, what a colossal rip off. Grotesquely over priced and without question the most poorly conditioned "name" course I've ever played.

Most impressive I've ever played - Gleneagles Kings Course, Sunningdale Old/New, Walton Heath Old, and Woodhall Spa Hotchkins. Not a one of them is a links course...and I played St Andrews, Royal St George's, Royal Aberdeen, and Carnoustie.

Dynapwr Carbon/TSr3 10.0*     w/Hzrdus Smoke Black RDX 60g
Taylormade Qi10 Fwy 15* & Hyb 19*
w/Hzrdus Smoke RDX Red 60/70g

Wilson Staff Utility Iron 21*
w/Hzrdus Smoke RDX Black 80g

Wilson Staff Dynapwr Forged 5-PW

w/KBS $-Taper 110

Vokey SM9 48/52/58 w/DG S200

Scotty Cameron Newport 2.5+

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[quote name='snowdayz' timestamp='1429255508' post='11378983']
[quote name='AlecEmersonGolf' timestamp='1429148783' post='11369805']
[quote name='snowdayz' timestamp='1428806154' post='11337563']
[quote name='AlecEmersonGolf' timestamp='1428464832' post='11308895']
Crystal Downs isnt that hard to get on if youre in the area, just ask your pro and he probably can get you on
[/quote]

Thanks Alec!! I kind of never thought that route with that caliber of club before, but hey anything is worth a shot!!! Have you played it before? If so how did you like it??
[/quote] I haven't played it yet, im going up to play it during the end of may with a buddy who just got in, (been on the list for 11 years). However, my expectations arent outrageously high, as ive heard from many people that the course isnt as good as it was 10-20 years ago. I'm gonna go into the course with an open mind, and after i play it, ill give you guys an honest review.
[/quote]

Congrats Alec on being able to play that course, I hope you and your buddy have a great day!

Thanks for the little tidbit on the course conditioning, I have not heard anything like that but living in the lower part of Michigan not to many people talk about C.D.. I look forward to hearing your review about the course very much, Hit'em straight!!!!!
[/quote] The course is really tough, especially in the wind we played it in (20-25 gusting to 30+), The front 9 every hole with the possible exception of 3 is absolutley world class. The Back 9 is not as good as the front but with that being said it's still awesome, (17 stands out as the best hole on the back in my mind). If you have played Arcadia, it is much better than that, but i would say it isn't the best course I've ever played. Also I talked to my pro about what is the process for getting on exclusive clubs like crystal etc., and he said you can get on most anywhere except the extremely most elite (ANGC, National Golf Links, etc), for about $300

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[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1439429259' post='12127040']
[quote name='DTown3011' timestamp='1439414031' post='12125652']
[quote name='FairwayFred' timestamp='1439356958' post='12121742']
Shoracres is SO good. I just love that place. To me it's a model for parkland courses for conditioning and tree removal. The design is amazing also just love all the original Raynor holes out there and the holes through and around the ravines. I need to get back over there asap. IMO easily the #1 course in Chicago.
[/quote]

With what little I know about you, I do know you are a traditionalist and a Raynor fan so there is no doubt in my mind you love his designs. It was my first Raynor track and I must say there is nothing else like it that I have played and the green complexes are some of the most spectacular I have ever seen. Just totally unique. The Biarittz on #6, the Redan on 15 make 2 of the most special par 3's I have ever seen!
[/quote]

Shoreacres was my first Raynor also. It is a perfect place to first see his work IMO. It has changed alot in the last 10 years and all for the better. As you say, the green complexes are just amazing. Unique to say the least, until you play other Raynors. Reminds me of one of my favorite architecture quotes straight from Seth Raynor himself. Raynor is being interviewed and the person doing the interview says something along the lines of "Seth you seem to have an amazing ability to build extremely interesting and extremely varied green complexes. What is your secret?" Raynor looks at him and says, "Its easy, I just hire the local village idiot and tell him to build 18 perfectly flat greens....."
[/quote]

I just played my first Raynor course (Camargo Club) this week. I absolutely loved the course. Very unique layout with incredible green complexes. The subtlety of the breaks/movement of the greens (and really the entire course) was pretty impressive. It has really opened my eyes to his work and makes me want to seek out more of his designs to play.

Driver: PXG 0311 Gen 4 9*
3w: Taylormade Sim 15*
Hybrid: Titleist 816h 21*
Irons: PXG 0311 Gen 5 T 4i thru GW 
Wedges: Vokey SM9 54*, 58*
Putter: Scotty Cameron Special Select Newport 2.5

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