Golf Digest 100 Greatest Public Courses

[ShanksForeNothing]

They just came out with their latest ranking of the top 100 public curses in the US.  What have you all played?  What courses are overrated/underrated?  

 

America's 100 Greatest Public Courses | Courses | Golf Digest

[david.c.w]

I am lucky enough to have played 10 of the top 20, and my October trip to Bandon will check off 5 more.

 

All of the 10 I have played are worthy of top 20 status and I would play again in a heartbeat.

 

My only significant comments on the list:

• Pebble lives up to they hype.
• Streamsong Red was my least favorite of the 3 courses.  I would rank them Blue - Black - Red.  I know most publications and people put Red as #1, i just don't agree.
• I hate Caledonia Fish Club (and True Blue).  I cant believe they make any list of good courses.  Perhaps it is because I have only played them in July when it is hot and humid as hell, but I think they are lame, and I have played them 4+ times when on vacation with my family.

 

[Abh159]

Mossy Oak at #60 is a tad bit low in my opinion. It's in the middle of nowhere, but I think the Mossy Oak (#60) and Old Waverly (#75) combo is one of the most underrated stay and play packages in the country.

 

I mean how often do you have a Gil Hanse design (Mossy Oak) and a US Open course (Old Waverly, 1999 US Women's Open) literally right across the street from each other!

 

If you have never been I highly recommend you check it out. Just don't go in July/August. Mississippi is miserable in the summer. 

[ShanksForeNothing]

16 minutes ago, Abh159 said:

Mossy Oak at #60 is a tad bit low in my opinion. It's in the middle of nowhere, but I think the Mossy Oak (#60) and Old Waverly (#75) combo is one of the most underrated stay and play packages in the country.

 

I mean how often do you have a Gil Hanse design (Mossy Oak) and a US Open course (Old Waverly, 1999 US Women's Open) literally right across the street from each other!

 

If you have never been I highly recommend you check it out. Just don't go in July/August. Mississippi is miserable in the summer. 

 

Had no idea those two are so close to each other, never really had them on my radar.  They are now for sure

[Mullenboy]

I've played 26.  List seems good enough to me.... Spyglass Hill at 10 is a stretch, but what the hell.

[jwhite86]

I've played 5... but have plans to play at least 6 more in the next year or two

[Avidswampthing66]

1 hour ago, Abh159 said:

Mossy Oak at #60 is a tad bit low in my opinion. It's in the middle of nowhere, but I think the Mossy Oak (#60) and Old Waverly (#75) combo is one of the most underrated stay and play packages in the country.

 

I mean how often do you have a Gil Hanse design (Mossy Oak) and a US Open course (Old Waverly, 1999 US Women's Open) literally right across the street from each other!

 

If you have never been I highly recommend you check it out. Just don't go in July/August. Mississippi is miserable in the summer. 

I agree.  Both courses are incredible.  Mossy oak should be higher IMO.  The variety and shot values are high.

 

[mci711]

1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,12,13,16,17,18,19,20,26,29,33,34,47,55,56,59,68, 78,83,90.

 

After the top 20 my list really thins out. But there are some awesome new courses listed that look really interesting - The Mclemore Club, Grizzly Ranch, Black Diamond Ranch, Ozarks National are all on the list to play. 

 

Sheep Ranch this fall and hopefully a bunch of the Pinehurst courses this winter/spring. 

 

I don't know how Cog Hill keeps staying in the top 60. I like the course and played it 5 times a year the past 6 years but there are more than 60 better courses than Cog. 

[Avidswampthing66]

I’ve played 9 w/Pasatiempo being my favorite so far.  
So good to see Wild Horse on the list.  

 

[dokex]

1 hour ago, david.c.w said:

I am lucky enough to have played 10 of the top 20, and my October trip to Bandon will check off 5 more.

 

All of the 10 I have played are worthy of top 20 status and I would play again in a heartbeat.

 

My only significant comments on the list:

• Pebble lives up to they hype.
• Streamsong Red was my least favorite of the 3 courses.  I would rank them Blue - Black - Red.  I know most publications and people put Red as #1, i just don't agree.
• I hate Caledonia Fish Club (and True Blue).  I cant believe they make any list of good courses.  Perhaps it is because I have only played them in July when it is hot and humid as hell, but I think they are lame, and I have played them 4+ times when on vacation with my family.

 

Why are those two courses "lame"?

[vallygolf]

12 minutes ago, mci711 said:

1,2,3,4,7,8,9,10,12,13,16,17,18,19,20,26,29,33,34,47,55,56,59,68, 78,83,90.

 

After the top 20 my list really thins out. But there are some awesome new courses listed that look really interesting - The Mclemore Club, Grizzly Ranch, Black Diamond Ranch, Ozarks National are all on the list to play. 

 

Sheep Ranch this fall and hopefully a bunch of the Pinehurst courses this winter/spring. 

 

I don't know how Cog Hill keeps staying in the top 60. I like the course and played it 5 times a year the past 6 years but there are more than 60 better courses than Cog. 

I agree with the Cog Hill assessment.  Not sure how it keeps its ranking (lots of Chicago raters with a not great public scene???)  Not too many other huge gripes.  Still a sham that Southern Dunes (AZ variety) and WeKoPa Saguaro are superior in nearly every way to Quintero and dont get the recognition.  IMO at least a third of the bottom 50 are inferior tracks, but still get the nod.  Panelists bias against desert courses is real.  I have to track down some of the new ones, but I have played over 70 of this years list.  Rustic Canyon is another omission.  Conditioning may be holding it back.  It can at times be a tad bit rough around the edges, but that layout is top notch.

[cassel191919]

Shawdow Creek over Pinehurst makes me a little sick

[mci711]

4 minutes ago, vallygolf said:

I agree with the Cog Hill assessment.  Not sure how it keeps its ranking (lots of Chicago raters with a not great public scene???)  Not too many other huge gripes.  Still a sham that Southern Dunes (AZ variety) and WeKoPa Saguaro are superior in nearly every way to Quintero and dont get the recognition.  IMO at least a third of the bottom 50 are inferior tracks, but still get the nod.  Panelists bias against desert courses is real.  I have to track down some of the new ones, but I have played over 70 of this years list.  Rustic Canyon is another omission.  Conditioning may be holding it back.  It can at times be a tad bit rough around the edges, but that layout is top notch.

 

The thing is, there is good public golf in Chicago and Illinois. I think TPC Deere Run is better course than Cog. Then there are definitely a handful that compete with it that definitely aren't top 60 in the country.

 

Great point on Southern Dunes and WekoPa. Quintero is pretty, but the layout isn't great at all. I love Southern Dunes, it feels different than everything else in the area. 

[goaliedad30]

I've played 19 of these. Wouldn't be hard to add Corded Valle, since I live probably 15 minutes from there. Also haven't played Edgewood sadly. Surprised to see Grizzly Ranch on there. Great place, and some outstanding holes, but some really quirky ones too (especially the par 5 holes)

[DanMN]

I have played 19 of the Top 100, and 7 in the Top 20.  Have Bandon planned for 2022, so looking forward to seeing 5 more in the top 20 in the near future.

 

A couple of my personal observations:

• While I really enjoyed Blackwolf Run (River), both Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes would be higher on my personal list.  Staying in WI, Lawsonia Links seems more reasonable on this list (#68) than another list I recently saw it on, where it was somewhere in the 20's.  
• As a MN native, I can't stress enough what a good deal the Quarry at Giants Ridge (#35) is.  Coupled with Giants Ridge's other course (Legends) and the Wilderness at Fortune Bay, if you can find your way to Northern MN in the summer, you'll have tons of daylight and great value golf.
• I recently played Ozarks National (#30).  Enjoyed the course, but to me it's a step below Sand Valley (#18), so I'd agree with their order of those two.
• Not surprising to see Torrey Pines fall (I believe down 6 spots from the last publication).  Great setting, but underwhelming course IMO.

I haven't made it to Mossy Oak and Old Waverly yet, but those are high on my list.  

[mci711]

1 minute ago, DanMN said:

I have played 19 of the Top 100, and 7 in the Top 20.  Have Bandon planned for 2022, so looking forward to seeing 5 more in the top 20 in the near future.

 

A couple of my personal observations:

• While I really enjoyed Blackwolf Run (River), both Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes would be higher on my personal list.  Staying in WI, Lawsonia Links seems more reasonable on this list (#68) than another list I recently saw it on, where it was somewhere in the 20's.  
• As a MN native, I can't stress enough what a good deal the Quarry at Giants Ridge (#35) is.  Coupled with Giants Ridge's other course (Legends) and the Wilderness at Fortune Bay, if you can find your way to Northern MN in the summer, you'll have tons of daylight and great value golf.
• I recently played Ozarks National (#30).  Enjoyed the course, but to me it's a step below Sand Valley (#18), so I'd agree with their order of those two.
• Not surprising to see Torrey Pines fall (I believe down 6 spots from the last publication).  Great setting, but underwhelming course IMO.

I haven't made it to Mossy Oak and Old Waverly yet, but those are high on my list.  

 

Blackwolf Run is the most overrated course in the country. If I could play 10 rounds between Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes and Blackwolf Run it would be split 5-5 at the SV courses. 

[j_murphy]

17. Pasatiempo

55. PGA West (TPC Stadium)

92. Poppy HIlls 

 

[david.c.w]

58 minutes ago, dokex said:

Why are those two courses "lame"?

 

I think in general I don't care for coastal, marshy, swampy courses.  EVERYTHING is always wet in the summer.  Sand is wet, fairway is wet, rough is wet, waste bunkers are wet.  Greens run at an 8.  Caledonia's range is muni mats into tattered nets and the 18th is a super short par 3, almost like an afterthought.

 

Maybe if i played in the fall/winter it would be better, just dont like the conditioning, the layout or even the overall marsh type of course.

 

 

[italianstallion]

2 hours ago, david.c.w said:

I am lucky enough to have played 10 of the top 20, and my October trip to Bandon will check off 5 more.

 

All of the 10 I have played are worthy of top 20 status and I would play again in a heartbeat.

 

My only significant comments on the list:

• Pebble lives up to they hype.
• Streamsong Red was my least favorite of the 3 courses.  I would rank them Blue - Black - Red.  I know most publications and people put Red as #1, i just don't agree.
• I hate Caledonia Fish Club (and True Blue).  I cant believe they make any list of good courses.  Perhaps it is because I have only played them in July when it is hot and humid as hell, but I think they are lame, and I have played them 4+ times when on vacation with my family.

 

 

I'm a person in that camp that believes that Pebble doesn't live up to the hype. 8 or 9 good to great holes sure, and the ocean views are great, however architecturally nine or 10 of the holes aren't stand outs and any holes that are routed inland or have views facing inland are spoiled by large compound-type houses. For courses with ocean views, I rate Kiawah and Kapalua Plantation higher on my list than Pebble.

 

I totally agree with your assessment of the Streamsong property. Blue is easily my favorite and most fun of the three. Black is a lot of fun to play once you've played it a couple times. Red is hard and many of the holes are relatively bland for the property. Red 15, 16, and 17 might be one of the best stretches of holes on the property though from a view and architecture perspective. Red is ranked where it is because people think hard = higher ranking.

 

I haven't played Caledonia but I did enjoy True Blue.

 

Of the courses I've played on this list, I would rank them as follows: 

 

1. Bethpage Black

2. Kiawah

3. TPC Sawgrass

4. Pasatiempo

5. Kapalua

6. Pebble

7. Streamsong Blue

8. Streamsong Black

9. Streamsong Red

10. World Woods Pine Barrens

11. Torrey Pines

 

Notable exclusions from this list for me personally (as I would rate them higher than no's 10 and 11 on my list):

1) Taconic Golf Club

2) Montauk Downs

3) True Blue (I feel it's a tie with Pine Barrens)

 

 

 

[dokex]

23 minutes ago, david.c.w said:

 

I think in general I don't care for coastal, marshy, swampy courses.  EVERYTHING is always wet in the summer.  Sand is wet, fairway is wet, rough is wet, waste bunkers are wet.  Greens run at an 8.  Caledonia's range is muni mats into tattered nets and the 18th is a super short par 3, almost like an afterthought.

 

Maybe if i played in the fall/winter it would be better, just dont like the conditioning, the layout or even the overall marsh type of course.

 

 

Thanks for the explanation.

[stevopagolf]

I've played 22 of these. All of the top 5 and 9 of the top 20.  Lots of new ones to go explore.  I have been very fortunate.

 

I wasn't a huge fan of Spanish Bay.  World Woods Pine Barrens best value for all players at least in my opinion.   Bethpage Black (for NY residents at least)

[byoshio82]

10/100 so far. Mostly in Oregon / Washington / California / Hawaii

Totally disagree with the rankings for the Bandon courses Trails is my favorite. I do enjoy Pacific Dunes as well though. Not a fan of Old Mac or Bandon. Looking forward to playing sheep ranch. COVID & kids threw a major ranch in chipping away at these lists.

[krtgolfing]

1 hour ago, david.c.w said:

 

I think in general I don't care for coastal, marshy, swampy courses.  EVERYTHING is always wet in the summer.  Sand is wet, fairway is wet, rough is wet, waste bunkers are wet.  Greens run at an 8.  Caledonia's range is muni mats into tattered nets and the 18th is a super short par 3, almost like an afterthought.

 

Maybe if i played in the fall/winter it would be better, just dont like the conditioning, the layout or even the overall marsh type of course.

 

 

You can warm up for free at True Blue across the street for free. The 9th is a par 3 with tips at 118 yards.

Edited September 16, 2021 by krtgolfing

[Argonne69]

 

I've played 51 of the courses, including 8 of the Top 10, 17 of the Top 20, and 24 of the Top 30.

 

Pebble is my #1 course.

 

Karsten was the biggest ripoff. Solid course but $430 as a non-accompanied guest? Ridiculous. I'd put it at #75 or lower.

 

The Bull does not belong on the list.

 

Agree with the Arizona comments. Quintero over We Ko Pa (Saguaro) and Southern Dunes? Bah.

 

Cog Hill belongs on the list, but I prefer The Glen Club in Illinois. 

 

Chambers Bay was a blast. I'd have it around #12.

 

Sawgrass is also fun, but #11? I'd put it at 50 or below.

 

Arcadia South is a cow pasture with a few greens thrown in. Definitely not Top 100 material.

 

Love Pete Dye, but don't understand the love for Harbourtown. Top 100? OK. Put it at #95, not #25.

 

Ozarks National belongs on the list, but I thought Buffalo Ridge Springs was better.

 

I definitely prefer The Loop over Forest Dunes.

 

Sentry World is decent, but take away the flowers and it's at #99.

 

Paako Ridge but no Black Mesa? Hmmmm.

 

Edited September 16, 2021 by Argonne69

[Schley]

Wolf Creek should be higher for sure. Also Lawsonia.

[graveydellic]

I've played 13 of the top 15.  Didn't bother to scroll much further as I don't think I have played more than 4 or 5 after that.  

 

I think everyone should go to Pebble once because it has a mystique and aura that isn't repeated that many other places.  Plus, the whole area is just a great vibe like nowhere else in the U.S.  That said, the golf course to me is fine at best.  The oceanside holes are spectacular and interesting, but to me the inland holes fall flat and leave much to be desired.  

 

Similarly, Sheep Ranch has a lot of hype due to it being new and with name brand architects.  It ranks last for me in regards to Bandon courses, and below many on this list.  Easily some of the most stunning views you can find on a golf course, but they really crammed it in there and there variety of holes is minimal.  There are three par 3's that all play about 100 yards, and three par 4's that all play about 300 yards.  If you catch it on a day with no wind, you'll have a field day because it has no defense outside of the weather, especially if you are reasonably long off the tee.

 

I like Kiawah for the vibe, the course is really unique but incredibly challenging.  Bandon Trails is probably my favorite I have played on this list.  I just think it's an amazing walk with a ton of great holes.  Played it alone a couple times when no one was out there and it's absolutely divine.  

[ronw04]

Always good to look over lists like this to remind me how many great golf courses are out there for me to see. 

 

Sadly, I've only been to 2, bethpage black and Harbour town. And obviously, there is no comparison. In fact I'd probably put Lighthouse Sound in Ocean City above Harbour Town but I'm probably in the minority there. 

 

Going to try to get to Pinehurst to check a few of these boxes if they have another one of those deals again in February. Kids have a habit of getting in the way of these plans however 😆

[duckboat24]

Only played 4 on the list but if I were to list them:

1 - Wild Horse 

2 - Streamsong Black

3  - World Woods PB

4 - Streamsong Blue 

[Chanceman]

I don’t get to the US too often so have only played 12 of the 100 and in order of personal favouritism:

Pebble Beach

Bandon Dunes

Bandon Trails

Pasatiempo

Pacific Dunes

Wildhorse

The Prairie Club Dunes

Rams Hill

Torrey Pines

The Prairie Club Pines

Spyglass Hill

Quintero

But would rate Wekopa Saguaro in this group plus AK Chin and Redlands Mesa.

 

[RTP419]

20 hours ago, david.c.w said:

 

I think in general I don't care for coastal, marshy, swampy courses.  EVERYTHING is always wet in the summer.  Sand is wet, fairway is wet, rough is wet, waste bunkers are wet.  Greens run at an 8.  Caledonia's range is muni mats into tattered nets and the 18th is a super short par 3, almost like an afterthought.

 

Maybe if i played in the fall/winter it would be better, just dont like the conditioning, the layout or even the overall marsh type of course.

 

 

 

 

FYI the 18th @ Caledonia is a Par 4, the 9th is a Par 3.