No. 40: The Loop (Michigan, USA)
Although Tom Doak initially built his reputation as a writer about golf courses and golf course design, two of his first three design assignments were public courses in my home state of Michigan: High Pointe near Traverse City and Black Forest near Gaylord. Both courses sadly no longer exist; each would have been a strong contender for this list. High Pointe, however, has been partially recreated as a private course, featuring most of the holes from the original back nine.
But The Loop, Doak’s third entry into Michigan public golf, being the second of three courses at Forest Dunes, one of the state’s top two golf resorts (along with Arcadia Bluffs), is likely to stick. It's one of the most innovative courses designed in recent years, a reversible course consisting of 18 greens that can be played clockwise (the Black Course) or counterclockwise (the Red Course). As brilliant as this routing is, more noteworthy to me has always been the way that The Loop looks and plays—the scrubby pine forest surroundings remind me of heathland golf and the modest, sandy terrain and fescue fairways provide some of the best links conditions that you’ll see. This course consistently plays firmer and faster than almost every true links course that I’ve played!
Still, The Loop is a bit of a mixed bag. Doak opted for small, crowned green complexes surrounded by ample short grass but limited bunkering. Given the firmness of the terrain, several of these green complexes are too severe. I don’t understand why Doak didn’t do large, randomly contoured greens here. It would fit the landscape and would recall St. Andrew’s, another famous (originally) reversible course. I also think that some of the drives are a bit dull and that the design could have been a bit more active tee-to-green and a bit less active around the greens.
Nevertheless, The Loop has several of my favorite holes in the state of Michigan, especially 12-14 on the Black, 12 on the Red, and the finisher on the Red. And the playing conditions make it a unique and fun—albeit often frustrating—course to play. That was the clincher for The Loop edging out some of the honorable mentions and grabbing the first spot on this list.
Although Tom Doak initially built his reputation as a writer about golf courses and golf course design, two of his first three design assignments were public courses in my home state of Michigan: High Pointe near Traverse City and Black Forest near Gaylord. Both courses sadly no longer exist; each would have been a strong contender for this list. High Pointe, however, has been partially recreated as a private course, featuring most of the holes from the original back nine.
But The Loop, Doak’s third entry into Michigan public golf, being the second of three courses at Forest Dunes, one of the state’s top two golf resorts (along with Arcadia Bluffs), is likely to stick. It's one of the most innovative courses designed in recent years, a reversible course consisting of 18 greens that can be played clockwise (the Black Course) or counterclockwise (the Red Course). As brilliant as this routing is, more noteworthy to me has always been the way that The Loop looks and plays—the scrubby pine forest surroundings remind me of heathland golf and the modest, sandy terrain and fescue fairways provide some of the best links conditions that you’ll see. This course consistently plays firmer and faster than almost every true links course that I’ve played!
Still, The Loop is a bit of a mixed bag. Doak opted for small, crowned green complexes surrounded by ample short grass but limited bunkering. Given the firmness of the terrain, several of these green complexes are too severe. I don’t understand why Doak didn’t do large, randomly contoured greens here. It would fit the landscape and would recall St. Andrew’s, another famous (originally) reversible course. I also think that some of the drives are a bit dull and that the design could have been a bit more active tee-to-green and a bit less active around the greens.
Nevertheless, The Loop has several of my favorite holes in the state of Michigan, especially 12-14 on the Black, 12 on the Red, and the finisher on the Red. And the playing conditions make it a unique and fun—albeit often frustrating—course to play. That was the clincher for The Loop edging out some of the honorable mentions and grabbing the first spot on this list.
No. 39: Greywalls (Michigan, USA)
A lot of people think that Greywalls is the best public course in the state of Michigan and one of the best in the country. There’s a strong case for that: it’s probably the most spectacular course in the state and it has a handful of holes that are unlike anything you’ll ever see. It must have been very difficult to route a course over this hilly, rocky property and Mike DeVries did an outstanding job with that—there are few green-to-tee walks longer than 100 yards, although the hilly nature of the property puts it beyond reasonable walkability for most. I’m not sure that there’s anyone who could have routed a course over this property better. Greywalls also has one of my favorite holes in the state, the par 4 4th with its fairway split into high and low sides by a complex of boulders. Several other holes (5-7, 10, 15) are also very good, although some of those are probably beyond many golfers’ abilities.
But Greywalls also stands out for having one of the longer lists of negatives of any course in my top 40. The basic problem is that like with Arcadia Bluffs and The Loop, there are too many overcooked green complexes. Again, given the severity of the property, this was always going to be a very difficult course—even if the greens had been quite tame. But many greens have severe interior contours (7, 17) and others have extreme runoffs at the edges including the 1st, which may be the most overcooked green complex I’ve ever seen, and the 14th. It’s just too much, too often. And the course is almost perversely well-maintained, with some of the best tight and fast fairways and greens in the state. This just makes it even more difficult to keep the ball within the margins.
Still, if you can turn off scoring mode and just take in the course’s scenery and its strikingly original holes, you’ll probably find this course to be one of your favorites.
A lot of people think that Greywalls is the best public course in the state of Michigan and one of the best in the country. There’s a strong case for that: it’s probably the most spectacular course in the state and it has a handful of holes that are unlike anything you’ll ever see. It must have been very difficult to route a course over this hilly, rocky property and Mike DeVries did an outstanding job with that—there are few green-to-tee walks longer than 100 yards, although the hilly nature of the property puts it beyond reasonable walkability for most. I’m not sure that there’s anyone who could have routed a course over this property better. Greywalls also has one of my favorite holes in the state, the par 4 4th with its fairway split into high and low sides by a complex of boulders. Several other holes (5-7, 10, 15) are also very good, although some of those are probably beyond many golfers’ abilities.
But Greywalls also stands out for having one of the longer lists of negatives of any course in my top 40. The basic problem is that like with Arcadia Bluffs and The Loop, there are too many overcooked green complexes. Again, given the severity of the property, this was always going to be a very difficult course—even if the greens had been quite tame. But many greens have severe interior contours (7, 17) and others have extreme runoffs at the edges including the 1st, which may be the most overcooked green complex I’ve ever seen, and the 14th. It’s just too much, too often. And the course is almost perversely well-maintained, with some of the best tight and fast fairways and greens in the state. This just makes it even more difficult to keep the ball within the margins.
Still, if you can turn off scoring mode and just take in the course’s scenery and its strikingly original holes, you’ll probably find this course to be one of your favorites.
No. 38: Barton Hills (Michigan, USA)
The bottom three courses on my list and two of the honorable mentions are all in my home state of Michigan. No wonder I’ve had such a difficult time ranking the best courses in Michigan.
To be honest, it feels a bit odd to me to rank Barton Hills, a less-well-known Donald Ross design outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan above other Michigan heavyweights like Arcadia Bluffs and Greywalls. It’s just so much tamer and less visually dramatic. But one, it’s not like I think there’s a significant difference. And two, Barton Hills is such a pleasant course with a lot of details that are, I think, very good.
The best thing about Barton Hills is its set of Ross greens. This is probably my favorite set of greens of the Michigan courses that I’ve reviewed. There’s a variety of shapes, sizes, and contours. Several greens (1, 6, 14) have some great corners, allowing for cool tucked pins. And while there’s a lot of contour in these greens, none of it is overdone. Many greens have areas where there’s less contour and areas where there’s more, making short putts straightforward but long putts quite difficult. I also appreciate the fact that many greens are open in front, allowing you to run the ball onto the green.
Like Arcadia Bluffs, Barton Hills gets off to a strong start, with two great longer par 4’s (1, 3) and a very good par 5. But the strength of the course is clearly its set of par 3’s, which present very different challenges. The course is not as interesting of the tee as most others on this list and the holes on the back nine could run together a bit in the memory. But it’s an excellent course, one very much worth playing if you’re in the Detroit area and get a chance. It’s the type of course where I’d really like to be a member.
The bottom three courses on my list and two of the honorable mentions are all in my home state of Michigan. No wonder I’ve had such a difficult time ranking the best courses in Michigan.
To be honest, it feels a bit odd to me to rank Barton Hills, a less-well-known Donald Ross design outside of Ann Arbor, Michigan above other Michigan heavyweights like Arcadia Bluffs and Greywalls. It’s just so much tamer and less visually dramatic. But one, it’s not like I think there’s a significant difference. And two, Barton Hills is such a pleasant course with a lot of details that are, I think, very good.
The best thing about Barton Hills is its set of Ross greens. This is probably my favorite set of greens of the Michigan courses that I’ve reviewed. There’s a variety of shapes, sizes, and contours. Several greens (1, 6, 14) have some great corners, allowing for cool tucked pins. And while there’s a lot of contour in these greens, none of it is overdone. Many greens have areas where there’s less contour and areas where there’s more, making short putts straightforward but long putts quite difficult. I also appreciate the fact that many greens are open in front, allowing you to run the ball onto the green.
Like Arcadia Bluffs, Barton Hills gets off to a strong start, with two great longer par 4’s (1, 3) and a very good par 5. But the strength of the course is clearly its set of par 3’s, which present very different challenges. The course is not as interesting of the tee as most others on this list and the holes on the back nine could run together a bit in the memory. But it’s an excellent course, one very much worth playing if you’re in the Detroit area and get a chance. It’s the type of course where I’d really like to be a member.
No. 37: Walton Heath—New Course (England, UK)
The Old Course at Walton Heath has been a staple of top 100 lists probably about as long as magazines have been printing them. But hardly anyone ever talks about the New Course. I think the reason is that the Old has hosted several major tournaments while the New hasn’t. Both courses were designed by William Fowler and they weave in and out of each other. Stylistically, there isn’t much to separate them.
The strength of both Walton Heath courses is Fowler’s earthworks—his heather covered ridges and pits that dot most of the holes. These add both visual and strategic interest without being overbearing on the landscape. They’re a bit eccentric but charming—very much like many of England’s old buildings and, traditionally, some of its aristocrats. To be sure however, they also form part of the reason why I’d agree with the consensus that the Old is a better course, albeit not by much—several fairways are interrupted by these earthworks at awkward distances, requiring either a layup or a heroic carry. These may have been out of driving range in Fowler’s day, but they make some holes a bit awkward now.
Having said that, the New has some of the finest holes on the property including the par 4 5th (neighboring the famous 14th next door), the par 4 12th with its massive, outstanding green, the blind par 4 14th, and the short par 4 17th, one of the most clever drive and pitch holes that you’ll see.
While I’d still recommend the Old Course if you can only do one round at Walton Heath, you should try to make time for a second round. And that must be on the New.
The Old Course at Walton Heath has been a staple of top 100 lists probably about as long as magazines have been printing them. But hardly anyone ever talks about the New Course. I think the reason is that the Old has hosted several major tournaments while the New hasn’t. Both courses were designed by William Fowler and they weave in and out of each other. Stylistically, there isn’t much to separate them.
The strength of both Walton Heath courses is Fowler’s earthworks—his heather covered ridges and pits that dot most of the holes. These add both visual and strategic interest without being overbearing on the landscape. They’re a bit eccentric but charming—very much like many of England’s old buildings and, traditionally, some of its aristocrats. To be sure however, they also form part of the reason why I’d agree with the consensus that the Old is a better course, albeit not by much—several fairways are interrupted by these earthworks at awkward distances, requiring either a layup or a heroic carry. These may have been out of driving range in Fowler’s day, but they make some holes a bit awkward now.
Having said that, the New has some of the finest holes on the property including the par 4 5th (neighboring the famous 14th next door), the par 4 12th with its massive, outstanding green, the blind par 4 14th, and the short par 4 17th, one of the most clever drive and pitch holes that you’ll see.
While I’d still recommend the Old Course if you can only do one round at Walton Heath, you should try to make time for a second round. And that must be on the New.
No. 36: The Island (Republic of Ireland)
The Island was one of the top 5 courses that I played on my Ireland trip from Dublin to Donegal in 2023, although clearly 5th among that bunch. This course’s reputation has grown recently as the course has undergone several renovations, probably to attract the attention of course raters and the dollars of American tourists. One of my German playing partners told me that he had seen it ranked as the top course in Ireland.
Now I wouldn’t go anywhere near that far, but The Island is very good. The dunes are large and dramatic and, consequently, there are some very dramatic and interesting holes—starting with the 1st, where you drive either to the base of or between two huge sand dunes. Several interesting holes follow including the par 5 3rd with its green perched on a narrow ridge and the short par 3 4th, with brilliant contouring on and around its green. The back nine also has its share of excellent holes including the par 5 10th doglegging around out-of-bounds, the long par 3 13th, reminiscent of the famous Calamity at Royal Portrush, and the par 4 17th with its drive along a massive dune and sandpit and its partially blind, subtle green.
But The Island shares a weakness of some of the aforementioned courses: it’s too difficult, especially given the land and prevailing conditions. As with Greywalls and Arcadia Bluffs, the design tries too hard to compete with the challenging terrain, with several crowned greens—which, as I mentioned above for The Loop, really don’t work when you have links conditions. Obviously the wind blows a lot here and while many holes have sufficient width, some don’t—most comically the par 4 14th, where the fairway is about 60 feet wide between dunes and marsh. The grass in the dunes was also some of the thickest I’ve seen, often rendering shots into the dunes lost or unplayable.
There’s a lot to like here but again, trying too hard keeps this course from being as good as it could be.
The Island was one of the top 5 courses that I played on my Ireland trip from Dublin to Donegal in 2023, although clearly 5th among that bunch. This course’s reputation has grown recently as the course has undergone several renovations, probably to attract the attention of course raters and the dollars of American tourists. One of my German playing partners told me that he had seen it ranked as the top course in Ireland.
Now I wouldn’t go anywhere near that far, but The Island is very good. The dunes are large and dramatic and, consequently, there are some very dramatic and interesting holes—starting with the 1st, where you drive either to the base of or between two huge sand dunes. Several interesting holes follow including the par 5 3rd with its green perched on a narrow ridge and the short par 3 4th, with brilliant contouring on and around its green. The back nine also has its share of excellent holes including the par 5 10th doglegging around out-of-bounds, the long par 3 13th, reminiscent of the famous Calamity at Royal Portrush, and the par 4 17th with its drive along a massive dune and sandpit and its partially blind, subtle green.
But The Island shares a weakness of some of the aforementioned courses: it’s too difficult, especially given the land and prevailing conditions. As with Greywalls and Arcadia Bluffs, the design tries too hard to compete with the challenging terrain, with several crowned greens—which, as I mentioned above for The Loop, really don’t work when you have links conditions. Obviously the wind blows a lot here and while many holes have sufficient width, some don’t—most comically the par 4 14th, where the fairway is about 60 feet wide between dunes and marsh. The grass in the dunes was also some of the thickest I’ve seen, often rendering shots into the dunes lost or unplayable.
There’s a lot to like here but again, trying too hard keeps this course from being as good as it could be.
No. 35: Forest Dunes (Michigan, USA)
Forest Dunes has gone from being relatively unknown (but loved among those who knew it) 20 years ago to being a nationwide destination. The addition of The Loop increased its national renown, but it’s the Tom Weiskopf-designed original course that’s still the favorite of most. It’s not hard to see why. While the course is relatively flat, the variety and flow of the holes appeals to almost everyone, with seamless movement among different forest landscapes then out into more open, sandy expanses. Forest Dunes is one of the most pleasant and easiest walks in the state, although unfortunately few people walk it. I also think that it has five of the best holes in the state: the par 5’s 5 and 15, the relatively short par 4’s 6 and 13, and the drivable par 4 17th.
While there are a few other very good holes in the mix, there are several tame ones. And there is one poor hole—the split fairway par 4 10th. Then there’s an issue with the trees. Several holes are a bit too tight and have trees in awkward spots. Other holes, most notably the 13th (and also the parking lot/clubhouse area) have lost beautiful trees over the years that played an important role in the design.
But Forest Dunes is probably the most likable public course in my home state. It’s very playable and very pretty. A few of the architecture aficionados might not be as impressed, but I think their views might be tainted a bit by the fact that this course was designed by Tom Weiskopf rather than Hanse or Coore and Crenshaw. The routing and several of the holes are excellent. And it doesn’t ever go over-the-top, which detracts significantly from some of Michigan’s other top public courses, like Greywalls or the original Arcadia Bluffs. Forest Dunes is a very sound course, and that’s worth a lot to me.
Forest Dunes has gone from being relatively unknown (but loved among those who knew it) 20 years ago to being a nationwide destination. The addition of The Loop increased its national renown, but it’s the Tom Weiskopf-designed original course that’s still the favorite of most. It’s not hard to see why. While the course is relatively flat, the variety and flow of the holes appeals to almost everyone, with seamless movement among different forest landscapes then out into more open, sandy expanses. Forest Dunes is one of the most pleasant and easiest walks in the state, although unfortunately few people walk it. I also think that it has five of the best holes in the state: the par 5’s 5 and 15, the relatively short par 4’s 6 and 13, and the drivable par 4 17th.
While there are a few other very good holes in the mix, there are several tame ones. And there is one poor hole—the split fairway par 4 10th. Then there’s an issue with the trees. Several holes are a bit too tight and have trees in awkward spots. Other holes, most notably the 13th (and also the parking lot/clubhouse area) have lost beautiful trees over the years that played an important role in the design.
But Forest Dunes is probably the most likable public course in my home state. It’s very playable and very pretty. A few of the architecture aficionados might not be as impressed, but I think their views might be tainted a bit by the fact that this course was designed by Tom Weiskopf rather than Hanse or Coore and Crenshaw. The routing and several of the holes are excellent. And it doesn’t ever go over-the-top, which detracts significantly from some of Michigan’s other top public courses, like Greywalls or the original Arcadia Bluffs. Forest Dunes is a very sound course, and that’s worth a lot to me.
No. 34: Mid Pines (North Carolina, USA)
While there are a few courses on this list that belong in the same class for their severity, including Greywalls and The Island, Mid Pines belongs in one with Barton Hills—very pleasant courses with an excellent set of Donald Ross greens. The interior contours here aren’t quite as interesting as Barton Hills but the broader green complexes are. Like no. 2 and Pine Needles, there are some interesting run-offs at the edges of these greens.
Where I think Mid Pines succeeds most however is how the shapes of the greens and the contours of the fairways place a premium on thoughtful driving to set up better angles for your approach shots. Several greens are angled to better accept approaches from one side of the fairway over the other. Several fairways are sloped and require you to keep your ball on the high side to get the best angle. On other holes, the right shot shape off the tee will allow you to use the slope of the fairway to gain significant distance. Mid Pines is full of holes where various elements come together in a subtle way to generate a lot of interest. And several of these holes, namely nos. 4, 7, 12, 17, 18 (all par 4’s) are personal favorites.
To be sure, there are a lot of holes on Mid Pines that are solid, but nothing special. I’m not a big fan of the opening holes, with the exception of the great 4th. Still, it comes together in a way that puts it in another class with Barton Hills: just the type of course where I’d like to be a member.
While there are a few courses on this list that belong in the same class for their severity, including Greywalls and The Island, Mid Pines belongs in one with Barton Hills—very pleasant courses with an excellent set of Donald Ross greens. The interior contours here aren’t quite as interesting as Barton Hills but the broader green complexes are. Like no. 2 and Pine Needles, there are some interesting run-offs at the edges of these greens.
Where I think Mid Pines succeeds most however is how the shapes of the greens and the contours of the fairways place a premium on thoughtful driving to set up better angles for your approach shots. Several greens are angled to better accept approaches from one side of the fairway over the other. Several fairways are sloped and require you to keep your ball on the high side to get the best angle. On other holes, the right shot shape off the tee will allow you to use the slope of the fairway to gain significant distance. Mid Pines is full of holes where various elements come together in a subtle way to generate a lot of interest. And several of these holes, namely nos. 4, 7, 12, 17, 18 (all par 4’s) are personal favorites.
To be sure, there are a lot of holes on Mid Pines that are solid, but nothing special. I’m not a big fan of the opening holes, with the exception of the great 4th. Still, it comes together in a way that puts it in another class with Barton Hills: just the type of course where I’d like to be a member.
No 33: Stoneham (England, UK)
Stoneham must be one of the most under-appreciated courses in England, although like the anonymity of Walton Heath’s New Course, I think I can explain it: it’s because this course is outside of the Surrey heathland belt. If it were in it, people might talk of this course the way that they talk of Walton Heath and Woking.
Stoneham is the work of Willie Park Jr., who built many English courses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries then headed to the US where he built several more (including, I believe, the first version of Meadowbrook). His routing over this broad, hilly property is excellent, with the front nine working counterclockwise around the perimeter and the back nine consisting of back-and-forth holes in the interior.
While the front nine has its highlights, especially the long par 4 4th with its heaving fairway and the long par 3 7th with its lay-of-the land green, most of the best holes are on the back. For me, the best part of the course was the stretch of 12-16, featuring two of the most beautiful and best par 5’s that I’ve seen (12, 14) and a great drivable par 4 with a super skinny green (13). I also loved the short par 3 15th with a trench bunker curving around the front and right of its green. But in one of their many questionable renovations of Great Britain and Ireland’s best courses, Mackenzie and Ebert replaced this with some smaller, more modern looking bunkers after my visit. Pictures on the club’s website show other changes to the bunkering that look much better (they appear to have significantly improved the lame par 3 2nd), but I wonder if I would find Stoneham as charming now as I did in 2018.
While the top US clubs have all been restoring their courses to their original looks in recent years, for some reason, many UK and Ireland clubs have been ‘modernizing’ theirs. Not all of these changes are bad, but many are quite questionable. This issue will come up again later on this list, and more significantly.
Stoneham must be one of the most under-appreciated courses in England, although like the anonymity of Walton Heath’s New Course, I think I can explain it: it’s because this course is outside of the Surrey heathland belt. If it were in it, people might talk of this course the way that they talk of Walton Heath and Woking.
Stoneham is the work of Willie Park Jr., who built many English courses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries then headed to the US where he built several more (including, I believe, the first version of Meadowbrook). His routing over this broad, hilly property is excellent, with the front nine working counterclockwise around the perimeter and the back nine consisting of back-and-forth holes in the interior.
While the front nine has its highlights, especially the long par 4 4th with its heaving fairway and the long par 3 7th with its lay-of-the land green, most of the best holes are on the back. For me, the best part of the course was the stretch of 12-16, featuring two of the most beautiful and best par 5’s that I’ve seen (12, 14) and a great drivable par 4 with a super skinny green (13). I also loved the short par 3 15th with a trench bunker curving around the front and right of its green. But in one of their many questionable renovations of Great Britain and Ireland’s best courses, Mackenzie and Ebert replaced this with some smaller, more modern looking bunkers after my visit. Pictures on the club’s website show other changes to the bunkering that look much better (they appear to have significantly improved the lame par 3 2nd), but I wonder if I would find Stoneham as charming now as I did in 2018.
While the top US clubs have all been restoring their courses to their original looks in recent years, for some reason, many UK and Ireland clubs have been ‘modernizing’ theirs. Not all of these changes are bad, but many are quite questionable. This issue will come up again later on this list, and more significantly.
No. 32: Pennard (Wales, UK)
Ok, now for something a bit different: Pennard is a common land course in southern Wales, meaning that sheep and cattle are free to—and do—graze the course. But a funny thing about Pennard is that the landscape and course reminded me a bit of Arcadia Bluffs—a vast expanse of dunesland (although in this case, not artificial), tilted toward the sea. Pennard also has a few wild greens and some holes with significant elevation changes.
I prefer Pennard for a few reasons. One, it’s obviously much more natural and the course fits (mostly) well into this landscape. And it (almost) never goes over-the-top in its design features the way that Arcadia Bluffs does. Doak’s Confidential Guide gives an impression that Pennard is a wild and quirky place, but I didn’t find that to a great degree. There are a few blind shots, but they’re not excessive. For the most part, the holes are very sound. And the course was in very good condition, with well-maintained fairways and fast greens.
I don’t think that Pennard has too many great holes, the big exception being the short par 4 7th with a wild green near the ruined Pennard Castle. But almost every hole is somewhere between good and very good because the hilly linksland is just so well-suited for golf. There is one truly awful hole near the end—the par 5 17th which is blind and has an artificially tiered fairway completely surrounded by gorse. It’s definitely in the running for worst hole of all the courses on this list.
Still, that isn’t nearly enough to spoil things and Pennard was one of my personal favorites of all the courses that I played in the British Isles.
Ok, now for something a bit different: Pennard is a common land course in southern Wales, meaning that sheep and cattle are free to—and do—graze the course. But a funny thing about Pennard is that the landscape and course reminded me a bit of Arcadia Bluffs—a vast expanse of dunesland (although in this case, not artificial), tilted toward the sea. Pennard also has a few wild greens and some holes with significant elevation changes.
I prefer Pennard for a few reasons. One, it’s obviously much more natural and the course fits (mostly) well into this landscape. And it (almost) never goes over-the-top in its design features the way that Arcadia Bluffs does. Doak’s Confidential Guide gives an impression that Pennard is a wild and quirky place, but I didn’t find that to a great degree. There are a few blind shots, but they’re not excessive. For the most part, the holes are very sound. And the course was in very good condition, with well-maintained fairways and fast greens.
I don’t think that Pennard has too many great holes, the big exception being the short par 4 7th with a wild green near the ruined Pennard Castle. But almost every hole is somewhere between good and very good because the hilly linksland is just so well-suited for golf. There is one truly awful hole near the end—the par 5 17th which is blind and has an artificially tiered fairway completely surrounded by gorse. It’s definitely in the running for worst hole of all the courses on this list.
Still, that isn’t nearly enough to spoil things and Pennard was one of my personal favorites of all the courses that I played in the British Isles.
No 31: Pilgrim’s Run (Michigan, USA)
Every list is going to have something on it that runs against consensus and on mine, it’s choosing Pilgrim’s Run as Michigan’s top public course. Not only have I never seen it as no. 1, more often than not, it doesn’t make the top 10.
Obviously, I think that the consensus is completely wrong. And for a long list of reasons. One, Pilgrim’s Run has the best set of green contours of any Michigan public course. They’re interesting and varied, without ever being over-the-top (the flattish, rumpled 3rd and 12th are especially outstanding). Two, it’s one of the best courses from an aesthetic point of view, wandering around a lovely mature forest with beautiful bunkering and shaping that blends in well with its surroundings. Three, the average hole here is probably stronger than any other Michigan public course, with no poor holes and several outstanding ones. I particularly like the par 5’s, each of which is among the best in the state, and some of the par 4’s on the back nine, especially the 16th, which might be the most beautiful pond hole on a state that’s full of them. The drivable 18th around (or over) another pond is a favorite finisher.
Detractors will point to weaknesses in routing and the fact that the course has a very unusual design history, with the owner giving 6 friends an opportunity to design 3 holes apiece. But the routing only has one weakness, a long walk between the 8th and 9th holes. And while the latter sounds like a recipe for disaster, it didn’t become one because Mike DeVries was tasked with bringing it all together, which he did brilliantly. Pilgrim’s Run doesn’t suffer from occasionally going over-the-top the way that DeVries’ other top Michigan courses The Kingsley Club and Greywalls do. Like Forest Dunes, it’s a very sound course.
Pilgrim’s Run is a course of many strengths and few weaknesses. I’ve played it several times over the last 20+ years and have loved it every time, whether I played well or not. While it has only been 6 or 7 years since I played it, maybe if I played it again, I’d rethink my position, as I have with Arcadia Bluffs. But for now, I think I’ll admit to myself that I think Pilgrim’s Run the best public course in Michigan.
Every list is going to have something on it that runs against consensus and on mine, it’s choosing Pilgrim’s Run as Michigan’s top public course. Not only have I never seen it as no. 1, more often than not, it doesn’t make the top 10.
Obviously, I think that the consensus is completely wrong. And for a long list of reasons. One, Pilgrim’s Run has the best set of green contours of any Michigan public course. They’re interesting and varied, without ever being over-the-top (the flattish, rumpled 3rd and 12th are especially outstanding). Two, it’s one of the best courses from an aesthetic point of view, wandering around a lovely mature forest with beautiful bunkering and shaping that blends in well with its surroundings. Three, the average hole here is probably stronger than any other Michigan public course, with no poor holes and several outstanding ones. I particularly like the par 5’s, each of which is among the best in the state, and some of the par 4’s on the back nine, especially the 16th, which might be the most beautiful pond hole on a state that’s full of them. The drivable 18th around (or over) another pond is a favorite finisher.
Detractors will point to weaknesses in routing and the fact that the course has a very unusual design history, with the owner giving 6 friends an opportunity to design 3 holes apiece. But the routing only has one weakness, a long walk between the 8th and 9th holes. And while the latter sounds like a recipe for disaster, it didn’t become one because Mike DeVries was tasked with bringing it all together, which he did brilliantly. Pilgrim’s Run doesn’t suffer from occasionally going over-the-top the way that DeVries’ other top Michigan courses The Kingsley Club and Greywalls do. Like Forest Dunes, it’s a very sound course.
Pilgrim’s Run is a course of many strengths and few weaknesses. I’ve played it several times over the last 20+ years and have loved it every time, whether I played well or not. While it has only been 6 or 7 years since I played it, maybe if I played it again, I’d rethink my position, as I have with Arcadia Bluffs. But for now, I think I’ll admit to myself that I think Pilgrim’s Run the best public course in Michigan.
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