|
Alex Elias  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 1. New York - 4. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, 7. National Golf Links of America (Pictured Above), 9. Fishers Island Club, 11. Winged Foot Golf Club (West), 15. Friar's Head Golf Club, 22. Oak Hill Country Club (East), 39. Bethpage State Park (Black), 43. Sebonack Golf Club, 52. Maidstone Club, 59. Sleepy Hollow Country Club, 61. Winged Foot Golf Club (East), 64. Garden City Golf Club, 81. Quaker Ridge Golf Club, 88. Hudson National Golf Club, 97. Piping Rock Club New York holding the top spot shouldn't come as a surprise, as Long Island alone could be ranked in the Top 3. In total, New York is home to fifteen courses ranked in Golf Digest's America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses. Notably, five New York courses are ranked in the Top 20. Outside The Top 100, The Creek, Atlantic Golf Club, and Wykagyl Country Club are a few of the many courses that greater bolster New York's resume.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 2. California - 3. Cypress Point Club, 12. Pebble Beach Golf Links, 16. Los Angeles Country Club, 18. Riviera Country Club, 33. San Fransisco Golf Club, 35. The Olympic Club (Lake), 62. Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore), 67. Spyglass Hill Golf Club, 76. The Valley Club of Montecito, 79. Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Dunes), 91. The Quarry at La Quinta, 96. Pasatiempo Golf Club If there was any debate for another state to be ranked No. 1, then California was the answer. Similarly to New York as Shinnecock, NGLA, and Sebonack are located nearby in Southhampton, No. 3 Cypress Point Club and No. 12 Pebble Beach Golf Links are 1.8 miles apart, No. 16 Los Angeles Country Club and No. 18 Riviera Country Club are separated by 5.9 miles, and No. 33 San Francisco Golf Club and No. 35 The Olympic Club are within 2.9 miles of one another, and 8.2 miles away from California Golf Club. Also similar to New York, California has a number of notable clubs outside Golf Digest's Top 100 including California Golf Club of San Fransisco (Pictured Above) and Bel-Air Country Club, which would handedly rank inside the Top 5, or even possibly the Top 3, in a number of states.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 3. New Jersey - 1. Pine Valley Golf Club (Pictured Above), 45. Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower), 57. Somerset Hills Country Club, 80. Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper), 82. Plainfield Country Club With New York and California ranked 1st and 2nd, The Garden State rounds out the Top 3. As New Jersey is home to the No. 1 course in the country, four other NJ courses rank in the Top 100. New Jersey truly separates itself as a result of its depth one through fifteen. For example, the 8th ranked course in New Jersey is Hollywood Golf Club, which Jon Cavalier recently said, "New Jersey is an extremely golf-rich state surrounded by extremely golf-rich states, and as a result, it's full of unsung and underrated gems. By my count, the Walter Travis-designed Hollywood Golf Club would be the best course in at least half the states in the country." Interestedly enough, while Golf Digest ranks Hollywood Golf Club outside their Top 200, Golf.com ranked Hollywood 89th in the U.S..  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 4. Pennsylvania - 5. Oakmont Country Club, 6. Merion Golf Club (Pictured Above), 94. Aronimink Golf Club Although Pennsylvania is home to only three Top 100 courses, Pennsylvania's 1-2 punch of Oakmont-Merion is as strong as it gets. In the Philadelphia area, Merion is joined Aronimink, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Gulph Mills, and many more, while Oakmont is joined in the Pittsburgh area by Fox Chapel and Longue Vue. While Oakmont, Merion, and Aronimink receive the credit they rightfully deserve, there are a number of underrated courses in Pennsylvania as well. In my opinion, Gulph Mills and Stonewall are two that are not talked about nearly enough.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 5. Massachusetts - 19. The Country Club, 50. Myopia Hunt Club, 63. Old Sandwich Golf Club, 78. Essex County Club (Pictured Above), 89. Kittansett Club, 90. Boston Golf Club As a state home to tremendous American history, Massachusetts is also home to superb golf course architectural history. In fact, almost every historic golf course architect has left his mark on Massachusetts. The Country Club - Willie Campbell (1895) / Alex Campbell (1902), Gil Hanse (2018) Old Sandwich Golf Club - Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw Myopia Hunt Club - Herbert (H.C.) Leeds Kittansett Club - William Flynn & Frederic Hood Essex Country Club - Donald Ross Boston Golf Club - Gil Hanse Eastward Ho! Country Club - Herbert Fowler Sankaty Head Golf Club - Emerson Armstrong Hyannisport Club - Alexander Findlay & Donald Ross Dedham Country & Polo Club - Seth Raynor In addition to the vast designs, Massachusetts golf displays courses stretching from Boston to Cape Cod to the Islands, truly making each round feel memorable in its own unique way.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 6. Florida - 10. Seminole Golf Club (Pictured Above), 41. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium), 69. Calusa Pines Golf Club Although only three Florida courses are ranked in The Top 100, McArthur, Mountain Lake, Naples National, and Indian Creek are respectively ranked 10th, 13th, 17th, and 25th in the state of Florida. As a result, it would be deliberately obtuse to not recognize the exceptional depth of courses in The Sunshine State. In fact, the case can certainly be made for Florida to be ranked in the Top 5, and soon may be, as a result of The Florida Golf Boom.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 7. Illinois - 13. Chicago Golf Club (Pictured Above), 55. Shoreacres Golf Club, 75. Butler National Golf Club, 85. Canyata Golf Club, 93. Medinah Country Club, 99. Olympia Fields Country Club (North) Although many would consider Shinnecock-NGLA to be the best 36 hole day in golf, Chicago Golf Club-Shoreacres is a close second. In addition to the C.B. Macdonald designed Chicago Golf Club and Seth Raynor designed Shoreacres, Illinois is home to four other courses ranked in The Top 100, as well as superb courses outside the Top 100 such as Old Elm Club, Beverly Country Club, and many more.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 8. Ohio - 17. Muirfield Village Golf Club, 44. The Golf Club, 47. Camargo Golf Club, 58. Inverness Club (Pictured Above), 60. Scioto Golf Club Although the top Ohio courses may not always receive the same recognition as the top courses in other states, Ohio is a golf enthusiasts dream. Inverness Club, an excellent Donald Ross design, was recently superbly restored by Andrew Green, The Golf Club is arguably Pete Dye's greatest work, and Camargo features Raynor's templates.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 9. Wisconsin - 26. Whistling Straights: Straights Course, 48. Erin Hills Golf Course, 86. Milwaukee Country Club (Pictured Above) The consensus #1 Public Golf Course State, Wisconsin is additionally home to many superb private clubs, including Milwaukee Country Club, Blue Mound Golf & Country Club, and the recently opened The Lido, a restoration of the 1917 C.B. Macdonald design. In regard to the public courses, Whistling Straights and Erin Hills are routed across two of the more phenomenal and distinctive layouts in the country.  Courtesy of Jon Cavalier (@linksgems) 10. South Carolina - 24. Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course, 42. Congaree Golf Club
In somewhat of a coin toss between the Carolinas, South Carolina has a slight edge over North Carolina. Although North Carolina has more Top 100 Courses, South Carolina boasts some of the greatest depth in the country. While Yeamans Hall ranks 104th on Golf Digest, Golf.com ranks the Raynor designed course 44th. Nearby, another Raynor Gem, Country Club of Charleston (Pictured Above) is one of the many underrated South Carolina courses, including Checcessee Creek Club and Colleton River Club.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
