No. 30: The Pfau Course at Indiana University (Indiana, USA)
Here’s a course that I wasn’t quite expecting to put in such lofty company when I visited in late October 2024. The Pfau Course at Indiana University is a Steve Smyers total renovation of a pre-existing course. Apparently the old course wasn’t great, motivating the design of an entirely new one. Good choice—this open, rolling piece of land is one of the best that I’ve seen for a course and it would be a shame to have a design that wasn’t up to snuff.
Smyers’s design is. The Pfau Course stretches to about 8,000 yards (what you need for the college kids these days) and while what I had read about the course suggested that it was extremely hard, I didn’t find this to be so. Provided that you pick the correct tees, it’s very playable, with plenty of open short grass leading into the greens. It’s also very well thought-out from tee-to-green. There’s a good mix of holes with respect to how they fall over the slope of the land and in the bunker patterns. I think we encounter just about every combination of dogleg, uphill, downhill, and side sloping fairway. Some holes are heavily bunkered, but most aren’t. The shaping is excellent throughout; the bunkers are visually appealing but simply constructed and the greens are interesting but not overdone. Smyers shows much more restraint than the architects of some of the courses lower on my list. Plus, the course is exceptionally pretty, surrounded by mature forest with beautiful, native prairie grasses between the holes.
Honestly, I don’t have much negative to say about The Pfau Course. There are probably only two holes (14, 16) that I would call truly outstanding and that’s certainly fewer than some of the courses above. But there isn’t a weak hole in the bunch. Hole-for-hole, it’s the most solid course so far on my list. And I’m so impressed by how well-done the shaping is. You won’t see too many designs that are a better fit for their property.
Here’s a course that I wasn’t quite expecting to put in such lofty company when I visited in late October 2024. The Pfau Course at Indiana University is a Steve Smyers total renovation of a pre-existing course. Apparently the old course wasn’t great, motivating the design of an entirely new one. Good choice—this open, rolling piece of land is one of the best that I’ve seen for a course and it would be a shame to have a design that wasn’t up to snuff.
Smyers’s design is. The Pfau Course stretches to about 8,000 yards (what you need for the college kids these days) and while what I had read about the course suggested that it was extremely hard, I didn’t find this to be so. Provided that you pick the correct tees, it’s very playable, with plenty of open short grass leading into the greens. It’s also very well thought-out from tee-to-green. There’s a good mix of holes with respect to how they fall over the slope of the land and in the bunker patterns. I think we encounter just about every combination of dogleg, uphill, downhill, and side sloping fairway. Some holes are heavily bunkered, but most aren’t. The shaping is excellent throughout; the bunkers are visually appealing but simply constructed and the greens are interesting but not overdone. Smyers shows much more restraint than the architects of some of the courses lower on my list. Plus, the course is exceptionally pretty, surrounded by mature forest with beautiful, native prairie grasses between the holes.
Honestly, I don’t have much negative to say about The Pfau Course. There are probably only two holes (14, 16) that I would call truly outstanding and that’s certainly fewer than some of the courses above. But there isn’t a weak hole in the bunch. Hole-for-hole, it’s the most solid course so far on my list. And I’m so impressed by how well-done the shaping is. You won’t see too many designs that are a better fit for their property.
No. 29: Pine Needles (North Carolina, USA)
Everyone has their favorite among the ‘other’ courses in the North Carolina sandhills. For me, it’s Pine Needles. I’ve always liked this course so much. It’s the right degree of challenge, there are several excellent holes, and it’s a beautiful walk around an expansive and varied property. It just gets so many things right.
The greens here remind me of a friendlier version of the famous no. 2 greens—many run off at the edges, but for the most part, to a lesser degree. These greens are also quite a bit larger. Because the property is so large and varied, the holes also fall across it in different ways, creating a lot of diversity off the tee. There are uphill drives, downhill drives, reverse camber fairways, bunkers to skirt or carry. It’s got a bit of everything.
I suppose if you wanted to criticize it you could say that like The Pfau Course, there aren’t a lot of standout holes. Sure, it may not be Pebble Beach. But the opening holes on both nines are excellent par 5’s, the par 3’s are a varied and visually appealing set, and there are some very good tough par 4’s, especially nos. 2 and 14. And also like The Pfau Course, there isn’t much negative to say about it. Pine Needles is a course to which I’ll always return when I’m in the North Carolina sandhills.
Everyone has their favorite among the ‘other’ courses in the North Carolina sandhills. For me, it’s Pine Needles. I’ve always liked this course so much. It’s the right degree of challenge, there are several excellent holes, and it’s a beautiful walk around an expansive and varied property. It just gets so many things right.
The greens here remind me of a friendlier version of the famous no. 2 greens—many run off at the edges, but for the most part, to a lesser degree. These greens are also quite a bit larger. Because the property is so large and varied, the holes also fall across it in different ways, creating a lot of diversity off the tee. There are uphill drives, downhill drives, reverse camber fairways, bunkers to skirt or carry. It’s got a bit of everything.
I suppose if you wanted to criticize it you could say that like The Pfau Course, there aren’t a lot of standout holes. Sure, it may not be Pebble Beach. But the opening holes on both nines are excellent par 5’s, the par 3’s are a varied and visually appealing set, and there are some very good tough par 4’s, especially nos. 2 and 14. And also like The Pfau Course, there isn’t much negative to say about it. Pine Needles is a course to which I’ll always return when I’m in the North Carolina sandhills.
No. 28: Woking (England, UK)
Here is a course which has inspired much love among architecture aficionados. That’s because contrary to some of what we’ve seen in recent years in Great Britain and Ireland, Woking is one of the best cases of course improvements. Over two decades in the early 20th century, two members, John Low and Stuart Paton made continuous alterations to the course, adding features to make holes more interesting (including the famous centerline bunkers on the short par 4 4th) and reshaping several greens to make them more interesting. This spirit of improvement continues today; the club has removed several trees and shrubs in an attempt to return the course to its old playing characteristics.
Woking is rightly beloved. It has by far the best set of greens of the London heathland courses. Many of these are strikingly original. Take, for example, the par 4 13th green, which has high tiers at its front-left and back-right and a sort-of hourglass-shaped trough through the middle. Or the par 5 15th, which has a ridge that dips into the middle of the green like a nose. Or the approximately 9-tiered 12th green. And it’s not just the green contours that make the holes great. Of course, there’s the famous aforementioned 4th. And the par 5 14th, with its green right next to the clubhouse patio which—along with the roof—is in play. And the long par 4 17th, with one of the best subtle, fall away greens that I’ve seen.
To be sure, most of the interest here has to do with the greens. The terrain is among the less interesting of the big heathland courses and there are a few holes that are either a bit weak or awkward off the tee. But those greens…they’re one of the most interesting sets that you’ll ever see. And they show that greens can be very interesting without being over the top.
Here is a course which has inspired much love among architecture aficionados. That’s because contrary to some of what we’ve seen in recent years in Great Britain and Ireland, Woking is one of the best cases of course improvements. Over two decades in the early 20th century, two members, John Low and Stuart Paton made continuous alterations to the course, adding features to make holes more interesting (including the famous centerline bunkers on the short par 4 4th) and reshaping several greens to make them more interesting. This spirit of improvement continues today; the club has removed several trees and shrubs in an attempt to return the course to its old playing characteristics.
Woking is rightly beloved. It has by far the best set of greens of the London heathland courses. Many of these are strikingly original. Take, for example, the par 4 13th green, which has high tiers at its front-left and back-right and a sort-of hourglass-shaped trough through the middle. Or the par 5 15th, which has a ridge that dips into the middle of the green like a nose. Or the approximately 9-tiered 12th green. And it’s not just the green contours that make the holes great. Of course, there’s the famous aforementioned 4th. And the par 5 14th, with its green right next to the clubhouse patio which—along with the roof—is in play. And the long par 4 17th, with one of the best subtle, fall away greens that I’ve seen.
To be sure, most of the interest here has to do with the greens. The terrain is among the less interesting of the big heathland courses and there are a few holes that are either a bit weak or awkward off the tee. But those greens…they’re one of the most interesting sets that you’ll ever see. And they show that greens can be very interesting without being over the top.
No. 27: Walton Heath—Old Course (England, UK)
I mentioned when I reviewed Walton Heath’s New Course that I didn’t think that there was a big difference in quality between it and the Old. Yet I have 8 very good courses between them. So I must think that the Old is better in some way.
The difference is that the Old has the strengths of the New, namely Fowler’s quirky earthworks, none of its weaknesses, and a few more top notch holes. A few stretches on the Old really shine. One stretch is at the beginning. Discounting the difficult, very long par 3 opener and a dangerous road crossing that follows (a hallmark of English courses), holes 2-5 constitute one of the best opening stretches in English golf, with two fine long par 4’s (2, 4), an excellent short par 4 (3), and the par 4 5th, which has one of my favorite greens in the world.
And as good as that stretch is, the stretch of 13-16, which features 3 par 5’s, is even better. The expansive par 5 14th must be on the short list of best holes in heathland golf. In the middle of the property, if there were ever scenery that typified great heathland golf, it’s the views down and around this hole. The par 5 16th, which would be the standout hole on most courses, is clearly no better than second-best here.
The middle stretch of the course is a bit less interesting and the finishing two holes are solid, but nothing special. Still, the Old has enough top notch holes to make a strong case as one of the top 5 London heathland courses, if not top 100 in the world as it has so often been ranked.
I mentioned when I reviewed Walton Heath’s New Course that I didn’t think that there was a big difference in quality between it and the Old. Yet I have 8 very good courses between them. So I must think that the Old is better in some way.
The difference is that the Old has the strengths of the New, namely Fowler’s quirky earthworks, none of its weaknesses, and a few more top notch holes. A few stretches on the Old really shine. One stretch is at the beginning. Discounting the difficult, very long par 3 opener and a dangerous road crossing that follows (a hallmark of English courses), holes 2-5 constitute one of the best opening stretches in English golf, with two fine long par 4’s (2, 4), an excellent short par 4 (3), and the par 4 5th, which has one of my favorite greens in the world.
And as good as that stretch is, the stretch of 13-16, which features 3 par 5’s, is even better. The expansive par 5 14th must be on the short list of best holes in heathland golf. In the middle of the property, if there were ever scenery that typified great heathland golf, it’s the views down and around this hole. The par 5 16th, which would be the standout hole on most courses, is clearly no better than second-best here.
The middle stretch of the course is a bit less interesting and the finishing two holes are solid, but nothing special. Still, the Old has enough top notch holes to make a strong case as one of the top 5 London heathland courses, if not top 100 in the world as it has so often been ranked.
No 26: Portmarnock—Holes 1-18 (Republic of Ireland)
Portmarnock has also been a stalwart on world top 100 lists since I started following them over 25 years ago. Here, like Walton Heath Old, I think it’s due to the course’s storied championship history. Portmarnock has hosted many Irish Opens that have been won by many of Europe’s top players.
Like a few other courses in this section of my list, I think that Portmarnock is a bit overrated. It is an excellent, championship test of golf, with many pot bunkers (there must be >150) testing most drives and approaches. But many of the holes lack the small fairway contours that make links golf so interesting. I think that the course also lacks great holes. On the front nine, only the long par 4 4th, the par 4 8th with its raised green, and maybe the par 3 7th stand out. Other than the famous par 3 15th, which is all-world, the back nine is mostly very good rather than great.
But therein lies the course’s strength; while you couldn’t point to more than a few holes as outstanding, they’re all at least very good. Most of the holes pose a stern challenge without ever being over the top, something that’s important on such a site where the ground is likely to be firm and the wind is likely to blow. And there’s one more important strength: unlike many links courses, which are routed out-and-back and have stretches of holes playing in the same direction, Portmarnock’s routing constantly changes direction, increasing variety in the wind and keeping players off guard. I can see why this course has hosted so many big European Tour events. And if the R&A ever brought the Open to the Republic, this course would be at the top of the list to host it—although that’d probably be in part because of its close proximity to Dublin.
While I can’t imagine many falling in love with Portmarnock, I think almost everyone will admire and respect it.
Portmarnock has also been a stalwart on world top 100 lists since I started following them over 25 years ago. Here, like Walton Heath Old, I think it’s due to the course’s storied championship history. Portmarnock has hosted many Irish Opens that have been won by many of Europe’s top players.
Like a few other courses in this section of my list, I think that Portmarnock is a bit overrated. It is an excellent, championship test of golf, with many pot bunkers (there must be >150) testing most drives and approaches. But many of the holes lack the small fairway contours that make links golf so interesting. I think that the course also lacks great holes. On the front nine, only the long par 4 4th, the par 4 8th with its raised green, and maybe the par 3 7th stand out. Other than the famous par 3 15th, which is all-world, the back nine is mostly very good rather than great.
But therein lies the course’s strength; while you couldn’t point to more than a few holes as outstanding, they’re all at least very good. Most of the holes pose a stern challenge without ever being over the top, something that’s important on such a site where the ground is likely to be firm and the wind is likely to blow. And there’s one more important strength: unlike many links courses, which are routed out-and-back and have stretches of holes playing in the same direction, Portmarnock’s routing constantly changes direction, increasing variety in the wind and keeping players off guard. I can see why this course has hosted so many big European Tour events. And if the R&A ever brought the Open to the Republic, this course would be at the top of the list to host it—although that’d probably be in part because of its close proximity to Dublin.
While I can’t imagine many falling in love with Portmarnock, I think almost everyone will admire and respect it.
No. 25: Blackwolf Run—River Course (Wisconsin, USA)
In contrast to Portmarnock, here’s a course that has experienced a reversal of fortune in the golf magazine lists since I started looking at them. Pete Dye’s River Course at Blackwolf Run used to be well up lists of top 100 courses in the US and was usually in the top 10 public courses. Now you rarely seen it on the former and it’s lucky to be in the top 30 of the latter.
Again, I don’t agree with the lists. While I don’t think the River belongs in the top 100 in the world, or probably even in the top 100 in the US, it’s a stunning course and must be one of the top 20 or 25 US public courses. And that’s for a course with some significant drawbacks, more than any on this list except maybe Greywalls. One, it has a weak set of par 3’s. Two, the routing is disjunct, with holes 5-13 built later and separated from the rest by a few hundred yards but grafted into the middle (between holes 4 and 14). Three, holes 4 and 14, running around opposite sides of a pond, are aesthetically out-of-place, looking like they belong on one of Dye’s many Florida courses. And four, there are a lot of awkward trees in play—the overhanging willows on the par 3 13th are infamous—but there are some recently-planted ones that also make little sense.
Given all that, how can I still think that this course is so good? Simply put, most of the remaining holes are among the most original and best that you’ll see. The course weaves around the Sheboygan River—a proper rushing river—creating some of the most thrilling shots and holes that I’ve seen, including the drivable par 4 9th and the stunning par 5 11th, which would be on my short list of favorite par 5’s. Not too far behind is the par 5 8th, playing down from a high bluff over the river then back up to the green with a split level lay up fairway where playing to the tighter high level gives you a significant advantage for your third. I could go on about additional holes, including 5, 6, 12, 16, and 18, but you get the point. And the greens might be the best set that I’ve seen on a Dye course.
So yes, this course has its negatives. But these are mostly stylistic issues rather than overdone features like at Greywalls or Arcadia Bluffs. This course, while tough, is still quite playable. And I just find it so thrilling and original.
In contrast to Portmarnock, here’s a course that has experienced a reversal of fortune in the golf magazine lists since I started looking at them. Pete Dye’s River Course at Blackwolf Run used to be well up lists of top 100 courses in the US and was usually in the top 10 public courses. Now you rarely seen it on the former and it’s lucky to be in the top 30 of the latter.
Again, I don’t agree with the lists. While I don’t think the River belongs in the top 100 in the world, or probably even in the top 100 in the US, it’s a stunning course and must be one of the top 20 or 25 US public courses. And that’s for a course with some significant drawbacks, more than any on this list except maybe Greywalls. One, it has a weak set of par 3’s. Two, the routing is disjunct, with holes 5-13 built later and separated from the rest by a few hundred yards but grafted into the middle (between holes 4 and 14). Three, holes 4 and 14, running around opposite sides of a pond, are aesthetically out-of-place, looking like they belong on one of Dye’s many Florida courses. And four, there are a lot of awkward trees in play—the overhanging willows on the par 3 13th are infamous—but there are some recently-planted ones that also make little sense.
Given all that, how can I still think that this course is so good? Simply put, most of the remaining holes are among the most original and best that you’ll see. The course weaves around the Sheboygan River—a proper rushing river—creating some of the most thrilling shots and holes that I’ve seen, including the drivable par 4 9th and the stunning par 5 11th, which would be on my short list of favorite par 5’s. Not too far behind is the par 5 8th, playing down from a high bluff over the river then back up to the green with a split level lay up fairway where playing to the tighter high level gives you a significant advantage for your third. I could go on about additional holes, including 5, 6, 12, 16, and 18, but you get the point. And the greens might be the best set that I’ve seen on a Dye course.
So yes, this course has its negatives. But these are mostly stylistic issues rather than overdone features like at Greywalls or Arcadia Bluffs. This course, while tough, is still quite playable. And I just find it so thrilling and original.
No. 24: St. Enodoc (England, UK)
As with Blackwolf Run’s River Course, St. Enodoc has also seen a significant reappraisal on recent lists, but to its benefit. What was once seen as a nice holiday course—British for ‘a not serious but occasionally nice course that I play when I’m on vacation’—thanks to its championing by Tom Doak and others, the James Braid designed St. Enodoc now frequently finds itself on world top 100 lists. I think that its upward mobility may have gone a bit far, but there’s no doubt that St. Enodoc is a fine course with several excellent—and unusual—holes.
St. Enodoc gets off to an outstanding start. I felt that the par 5 opener was the finest that I played in England. And I’m not sure that there’s a better drivable par 4 in the world than the 4th, zigzagging around an out-of-bounds cattle pasture with its narrow green hard up against the fence. After that, the famous 6th, with its 50 foot high sand dune obscuring the approach to the green, couldn’t make the impression on me that it deserved.
Like a few other courses in this middle section of my list, St. Enodoc has a weak stretch in its middle, namely holes 11-14, which start on flat farmland that becomes hillside farmland. This stretch really felt to me like it belonged on a lesser course—although you usually find such indifferent stretches on a Braid course. He didn’t get the plum assignments like Harry Colt. But the finish is strong, starting with a quirky drop shot par 3 over a road and 3 holes on prime dune land.
There is one very polarizing hole here, the par 5 10th, which doglegs left around a bunch of bushes. Many find it too narrow and awkward. I loved it. You can’t unleash a full drive most of the time but if you’re precise, you can use the contours of the fairway to feed your ball into a narrow strip of fairway and shorten the approach. It’s a really quirky hole—and dangerous, with the tourist path running along the left edge of the fairway—but it’s one that I felt works and fits this oddball holiday course well.
As with Blackwolf Run’s River Course, St. Enodoc has also seen a significant reappraisal on recent lists, but to its benefit. What was once seen as a nice holiday course—British for ‘a not serious but occasionally nice course that I play when I’m on vacation’—thanks to its championing by Tom Doak and others, the James Braid designed St. Enodoc now frequently finds itself on world top 100 lists. I think that its upward mobility may have gone a bit far, but there’s no doubt that St. Enodoc is a fine course with several excellent—and unusual—holes.
St. Enodoc gets off to an outstanding start. I felt that the par 5 opener was the finest that I played in England. And I’m not sure that there’s a better drivable par 4 in the world than the 4th, zigzagging around an out-of-bounds cattle pasture with its narrow green hard up against the fence. After that, the famous 6th, with its 50 foot high sand dune obscuring the approach to the green, couldn’t make the impression on me that it deserved.
Like a few other courses in this middle section of my list, St. Enodoc has a weak stretch in its middle, namely holes 11-14, which start on flat farmland that becomes hillside farmland. This stretch really felt to me like it belonged on a lesser course—although you usually find such indifferent stretches on a Braid course. He didn’t get the plum assignments like Harry Colt. But the finish is strong, starting with a quirky drop shot par 3 over a road and 3 holes on prime dune land.
There is one very polarizing hole here, the par 5 10th, which doglegs left around a bunch of bushes. Many find it too narrow and awkward. I loved it. You can’t unleash a full drive most of the time but if you’re precise, you can use the contours of the fairway to feed your ball into a narrow strip of fairway and shorten the approach. It’s a really quirky hole—and dangerous, with the tourist path running along the left edge of the fairway—but it’s one that I felt works and fits this oddball holiday course well.
No. 23: Cape Breton Highlands Links (Nova Scotia, Canada)
Now if there were ever a course on this list that should speak to me, it’s this one: Cape Breton Highlands Links, the centerpiece of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park at the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It combines the majesty of a national park, a great, tough hike, and course designed by Canada’s favorite golf architect son, Stanley Thompson.
This course has long been recognized as one of the best in the world, although it’s also quite an outpost, being a good 3-4 hours drive from Halifax, which itself isn’t exactly a great population center or tourist destination. But now that they’ve built Cabot about 1 1/2 hours away, I think more American golfers, rather than just Canadians on a national parks tour, will come up here and see it.
Actually, I have mixed feelings about this course. One big negative is that by any reasonable standard, this routing is unwalkable, with several multi-hundred yard walks from a green to the next tee. Yet at the same time, since we’re in a national park and the surroundings are spectacular, it seems like there’s less of a reason to mind that. The long walks also enable us to experience very different parts of this expansive property, making it, golf aside, an outstanding hike. There are few courses that I’d rather just hike. And it’s a national park…you’re supposed to be hiking here. Until a few decades back, that’s what everyone did—there were no golf carts. So I guess it isn’t unwalkable.
There are two other issues. One, a lot of holes have significant tree overgrowth. Apparently they can’t cut down trees in a national park and it’s detracting from some of the best holes, most notably nos. 7 and 15. And two, there are a few holes, especially the middle stretch 9-12, that are indifferent.
But most of the rest are outstanding and, because of the expansive routing, of incredible variety. I love the long 2nd, tumbling out of the woods and down toward the ocean and a crazy green. Nos. 6 and 7, running along an ocean-adjacent marsh and bouncing over and around hills up into the mountains respectively, must be the world’s best back-to-back par 5’s. The middle of the back nine is also outstanding, with the wild fairway on the long par 4 13th, the even wilder fairway on the short par 5 16th, the aforementioned par 5 15th, and the tough, reverse camber fairway leading to a crazy green on the par 4 14th.
This course has one of the best sets of green contours that you’ll ever see, ranging from subtle but interesting (3, 7, 10) to wild (2, 5, 14, 18). Still, they never feel over-the-top because the maintenance crew keeps them a bit slower (perhaps due to lack of funds) and they don’t have steep drop-offs to their sides.
So while I have some reservations, Cape Breton Highlands Links is a great experience and an excellent course.
Now if there were ever a course on this list that should speak to me, it’s this one: Cape Breton Highlands Links, the centerpiece of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park at the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. It combines the majesty of a national park, a great, tough hike, and course designed by Canada’s favorite golf architect son, Stanley Thompson.
This course has long been recognized as one of the best in the world, although it’s also quite an outpost, being a good 3-4 hours drive from Halifax, which itself isn’t exactly a great population center or tourist destination. But now that they’ve built Cabot about 1 1/2 hours away, I think more American golfers, rather than just Canadians on a national parks tour, will come up here and see it.
Actually, I have mixed feelings about this course. One big negative is that by any reasonable standard, this routing is unwalkable, with several multi-hundred yard walks from a green to the next tee. Yet at the same time, since we’re in a national park and the surroundings are spectacular, it seems like there’s less of a reason to mind that. The long walks also enable us to experience very different parts of this expansive property, making it, golf aside, an outstanding hike. There are few courses that I’d rather just hike. And it’s a national park…you’re supposed to be hiking here. Until a few decades back, that’s what everyone did—there were no golf carts. So I guess it isn’t unwalkable.
There are two other issues. One, a lot of holes have significant tree overgrowth. Apparently they can’t cut down trees in a national park and it’s detracting from some of the best holes, most notably nos. 7 and 15. And two, there are a few holes, especially the middle stretch 9-12, that are indifferent.
But most of the rest are outstanding and, because of the expansive routing, of incredible variety. I love the long 2nd, tumbling out of the woods and down toward the ocean and a crazy green. Nos. 6 and 7, running along an ocean-adjacent marsh and bouncing over and around hills up into the mountains respectively, must be the world’s best back-to-back par 5’s. The middle of the back nine is also outstanding, with the wild fairway on the long par 4 13th, the even wilder fairway on the short par 5 16th, the aforementioned par 5 15th, and the tough, reverse camber fairway leading to a crazy green on the par 4 14th.
This course has one of the best sets of green contours that you’ll ever see, ranging from subtle but interesting (3, 7, 10) to wild (2, 5, 14, 18). Still, they never feel over-the-top because the maintenance crew keeps them a bit slower (perhaps due to lack of funds) and they don’t have steep drop-offs to their sides.
So while I have some reservations, Cape Breton Highlands Links is a great experience and an excellent course.
No. 22: Sunningdale—New Course (England, UK)
Continuing a the recent theme of reversals of fortune, when I first started looking at golf magazine lists of the best courses in the world, the Old Course at Sunningdale featured prominently but the New, while often fondly referenced in discussion of the Old, was nowhere to be seen. That has changed. The New is now a staple on these lists. Some think it’s even better than the Old.
While I think the New is an excellent course, clearly in the top tier in the London heathlands, I can’t quite bring myself to agree with the revisionist history. It’s going to be awhile before we reach Sunningdale’s Old Course on my list, which gives you an idea of what I think of the difference between them. I’m also pretty skeptical that it belongs on a list of the top 100 courses in the world—for those following closely, that’s four British/Irish courses in this section of my list (Walton Heath Old, Portmarnock, St. Enodoc, Sunningdale New) that continue to place on world top 100 lists and probably shouldn’t.
Why? A lot of people know the New Course’s strengths—the great par 3 5th and the stunning par 5 6th. These holes are as great as advertised, clearly both belonging on a short list of best heathland holes. But what of the rest of the course? While many of the holes are solid, it’s hard to point to many other outstanding ones. I like the long par 4 4th, the long par 5 13th with its centerline fairway bunker in the layup zone, and the par 4 15th with an awkward, blind pond in the crux of the dogleg, tempting you to try to cut the corner.
But beyond those (and many would dispute the 15th), what are the outstanding holes? 10? It’s a good long par 3, but awfully tough. 12? A good short par 4, but I don’t think anything too special. Everyone recognizes that the finishing holes are weak, although I would also point out that the opening 3 are very good. And another issue here, which is rarely an issue on the heathland courses, is that the trees are overgrown, narrowing several holes beyond what’s optimal. Plus, the heather is quite thick, making for a tough day if you’re not driving it well.
To be fair, I played the New in some pretty poor weather. But between the tree overgrowth and the lack of top flight holes, I was left wondering why this course is so highly regarded. It is beautiful and does have the Colt pedigree but hole-for-hole, I’m not quite seeing it. Still, maybe I’d need to give this course a go in better conditions to give it a fair assessment.
Continuing a the recent theme of reversals of fortune, when I first started looking at golf magazine lists of the best courses in the world, the Old Course at Sunningdale featured prominently but the New, while often fondly referenced in discussion of the Old, was nowhere to be seen. That has changed. The New is now a staple on these lists. Some think it’s even better than the Old.
While I think the New is an excellent course, clearly in the top tier in the London heathlands, I can’t quite bring myself to agree with the revisionist history. It’s going to be awhile before we reach Sunningdale’s Old Course on my list, which gives you an idea of what I think of the difference between them. I’m also pretty skeptical that it belongs on a list of the top 100 courses in the world—for those following closely, that’s four British/Irish courses in this section of my list (Walton Heath Old, Portmarnock, St. Enodoc, Sunningdale New) that continue to place on world top 100 lists and probably shouldn’t.
Why? A lot of people know the New Course’s strengths—the great par 3 5th and the stunning par 5 6th. These holes are as great as advertised, clearly both belonging on a short list of best heathland holes. But what of the rest of the course? While many of the holes are solid, it’s hard to point to many other outstanding ones. I like the long par 4 4th, the long par 5 13th with its centerline fairway bunker in the layup zone, and the par 4 15th with an awkward, blind pond in the crux of the dogleg, tempting you to try to cut the corner.
But beyond those (and many would dispute the 15th), what are the outstanding holes? 10? It’s a good long par 3, but awfully tough. 12? A good short par 4, but I don’t think anything too special. Everyone recognizes that the finishing holes are weak, although I would also point out that the opening 3 are very good. And another issue here, which is rarely an issue on the heathland courses, is that the trees are overgrown, narrowing several holes beyond what’s optimal. Plus, the heather is quite thick, making for a tough day if you’re not driving it well.
To be fair, I played the New in some pretty poor weather. But between the tree overgrowth and the lack of top flight holes, I was left wondering why this course is so highly regarded. It is beautiful and does have the Colt pedigree but hole-for-hole, I’m not quite seeing it. Still, maybe I’d need to give this course a go in better conditions to give it a fair assessment.
No. 21: Mammoth Dunes (Wisconsin, UK)
Mammoth Dunes has become a pretty controversial course, but for the opposite reason that most courses become controversial: people see it as too friendly and too forgiving of poor shots rather than unfairly punishing. And I can certainly understand where they’re coming from; I shot two very good scores here and didn’t play great in either round. I certainly didn’t get away with that kind of play next door at Sand Valley.
But—and maybe it’s because I shot two good scores here—I really liked Mammoth Dunes and thought that there was a lot here that’s very good. I think the two principal criticisms are that (1) the fairways are almost endlessly wide and (2) that the areas around the greens largely slope toward the green, saving a lot of mediocre shots.
The former is certainly true. But it’s also true that on several holes, you get a significant benefit from being on one side rather than the other. On the par 5’s especially, you have a much easier layup or shot at the green if you hug the trouble. The 7th in particular stands out—there’s miles to the left but if you stay away from the trouble on the right, the hill takes your ball further left, shortens your drive, and makes it harder to carry the crossing junk well short of the green and leave a decent length for your third.
And while the slopes allow you to get away with a lot of indifferent shots, they have to be the right kind of indifferent shots. Take the uphill par 3 4th. As I learned accidentally, a shot at the left side of the green will catch the contours and feed toward pins on the right side of the green, turning what you might have thought was a bad shot to a center pin into a great one. But if your indifferent shot goes at a center pin and comes up short, the ball will come backwards, down the hill. I do think that on balance, the slopes give you the benefit of the doubt. But the course rewards someone who knows the slopes and knows where the safer side to miss is. You can make the course work in your favor if you play smart here. If you play dumb, you’ll get away with a few, but will also end up in some very tough spots and might make a few big numbers.
So the course ends up being quite fun. What’s wrong with that? To hear some of the same people who champion width criticizing it here is a bit odd. And there are undoubtedly a few excellent holes here. I liked the par 5’s, especially nos. 3 and 7, the short, uphill par 4 no. 10, the spectacular short par 3 13th over a massive sand pit, and the Golf Digest design contest hole, the drivable par 4 14th, where a bold drive can use the fairway contours to feed onto the green.
Mammoth Dunes has also started to fall a bit in the rankings. Hopefully it doesn’t fall too far because it must be one of the top 20 or 25 public courses in the US.
Mammoth Dunes has become a pretty controversial course, but for the opposite reason that most courses become controversial: people see it as too friendly and too forgiving of poor shots rather than unfairly punishing. And I can certainly understand where they’re coming from; I shot two very good scores here and didn’t play great in either round. I certainly didn’t get away with that kind of play next door at Sand Valley.
But—and maybe it’s because I shot two good scores here—I really liked Mammoth Dunes and thought that there was a lot here that’s very good. I think the two principal criticisms are that (1) the fairways are almost endlessly wide and (2) that the areas around the greens largely slope toward the green, saving a lot of mediocre shots.
The former is certainly true. But it’s also true that on several holes, you get a significant benefit from being on one side rather than the other. On the par 5’s especially, you have a much easier layup or shot at the green if you hug the trouble. The 7th in particular stands out—there’s miles to the left but if you stay away from the trouble on the right, the hill takes your ball further left, shortens your drive, and makes it harder to carry the crossing junk well short of the green and leave a decent length for your third.
And while the slopes allow you to get away with a lot of indifferent shots, they have to be the right kind of indifferent shots. Take the uphill par 3 4th. As I learned accidentally, a shot at the left side of the green will catch the contours and feed toward pins on the right side of the green, turning what you might have thought was a bad shot to a center pin into a great one. But if your indifferent shot goes at a center pin and comes up short, the ball will come backwards, down the hill. I do think that on balance, the slopes give you the benefit of the doubt. But the course rewards someone who knows the slopes and knows where the safer side to miss is. You can make the course work in your favor if you play smart here. If you play dumb, you’ll get away with a few, but will also end up in some very tough spots and might make a few big numbers.
So the course ends up being quite fun. What’s wrong with that? To hear some of the same people who champion width criticizing it here is a bit odd. And there are undoubtedly a few excellent holes here. I liked the par 5’s, especially nos. 3 and 7, the short, uphill par 4 no. 10, the spectacular short par 3 13th over a massive sand pit, and the Golf Digest design contest hole, the drivable par 4 14th, where a bold drive can use the fairway contours to feed onto the green.
Mammoth Dunes has also started to fall a bit in the rankings. Hopefully it doesn’t fall too far because it must be one of the top 20 or 25 public courses in the US.
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