Another top 100 list, "Top 100 Most Prestigious Clubs in the US"

« **on:** February 20, 2006, 03:16:27 PM »

Wandering through the local Barnes & Noble today, I found the new issue of Golf Connoisseur magazine and when I saw the cover story was,"Top 100 Most Prestigious Club in the US", it of course drew my attention. Each club in the top 20 has a paragraph about the club.

The editor actually pokes fun at themselves for doing yet another top 100 list, but theirs is actually pretty interesting and seems well thought out. Here is a link to the article which I found on their website: http://www.golfconnoisseur.com/

Here is a partial list, their top 20:
1. Pine Valley
2. Augusta National
3. Cypress Point
4. Shinnecock Hills
5. Merion
6. San Francisco Golf Club
7. Chicago Golf Club
8. Seminole
9. Fishers Island
10. Newport Country Club
11. NGLA
12. Oakmont
13. The Country Club (Brookline)
14. Maidstone
15. Burning Tree
16. Myopia Hunt Club
17. Crystal Downs
18. Oakland Hills
19. Los Angeles CC
20. Garden City Golf Club

« **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:45:54 PM »

What the heck is their definition of "prestige" which produces a list like that?

Some are pretentious and some not. Some are very difficult to join and others not so much. Many are "old money" but not the #1, which a friend once described as "the most expensive resort course in America," because the majority of foursomes were a member and three guests.

Heck, I'm even a member of one of them, and to paraphrase Groucho Marx, no club which let me join could be too prestigious.

« **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:11:03 PM »

According to the magazine:

- "The clubs were judged by a panel of experts -- golf writers, players, administrators, and others -- on their history, upholding of the game's traditions, quality of the golf course, quality of the membership, and those intangibles that promote prestige."

- "clubs had to be at least five years old to qualify"

- "Every magazine with 'golf' in its title does lists," says James A. Frank, Editor-in-Chief of Golf Connoisseur, "but they're almost always about courses. Our list is different. As everyone who belongs to one knows, a club is much more than its course. A club is defined by the people who belong to it, the tradition that surrounds it, the history that shapes it, and the game of golf that unites us all."

« **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:23:53 PM »

Tom, you got into CD cheap and early, before anyone knew it was worth joining.

« **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:32:40 PM »

Brad,

Guess I should have taken the same approach with the ASGCA.

I probably dragged the Downs down a couple of notches by having to be factored into their quality of membership. But then I still wonder how Pine Valley is at #1 with all of those architect-members they have.

« **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:46:20 PM »

I think anyone can walk into Oakland Hills assuming they have the upfront costs..

« **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:48:41 PM »

Trump snubbed again.

« **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:50:18 PM »

Jeff: I'm not sure it's THAT open, but yes, Oakland Hills does stand out on that list as a new-money, business-connection club. It's very similar in that respect to Winged Foot, which surprisingly did NOT make the list.

« **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:53:56 PM »

I'm surprised this thread became a discussion about prestige, exclusivity and pretentiousness. What's interesting is that a magazine called "Golf Connoisseur" has a list with so many excellent (and much loved, here at gca) examples of classic golf course architecture.

Does this mean the good guys are winning?

Peter

« **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:56:50 PM »

I have a Mac...so I can't get onto the site to see the entire list.

Could someone post the full 100 please?

« **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2006, 06:37:47 PM »

Quote from: Pat Craig on February 20, 2006, 05:56:50 PM

I have a Mac...so I can't get onto the site to see the entire list.

Just go to Macromedia.com and download the flash player. No problem viewing it on my Mac (ps the list isn't really anything worth going to trouble about).

« **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2006, 07:32:00 PM »

Who cares.
If you join a club because of status, then why would you care about the course?
See, I'm all about the golf. I have enough friends.
O.K., I know, who wants to play with a bunch of jerks, or a place that won't let your wife play when she wants , some places are better for business, whatever.
If the course is outstanding..and the membership allows me to join..I'm in.

« **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:17:53 PM »

Pretty elegant Website, if tough to navigate. Winged Foot made the list at no. 47. But then Rockaway Hunt Club is also there, at no. 83. Go figure. I can't tell if the criteria are the golf course, the locker room or the gene pool. Gulph Mills (no. 38) made the list, maybe TEP knows something about this.

« **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:24:24 PM »

Jesse... welcome aboard!
I am probably one of the few here that upon remodeling my home course of many years chose to leave it after the dues were raised by a factor of x5 and we added bag and clean and every other kind of 'boys'....tore down the starters shack in favor of making him stand out on his own regardless of weather and the rounds started pushing 5 hours....god I love this game!

« **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:39:23 PM »

Gene pool of course

« **Reply #15 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:42:08 PM »

Brad:

What do you suppose the procedure is for a magazine to compile a list like that vis-a-vis the clubs they list? In other words, do you think the magazine needs to call the clubs and ask for their permission? The reason I ask is I doubt GMGC would agree to be included on a list like that one and I'm even more certain Fishers Island wouldn't want to be. Now that I think about it I'd say if they called PVGC and asked them they'd probably say no too.

« **Reply #16 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:49:09 PM »

Permission was surely never asked. You need permission to take and run a photo but not to write or rank.

I think this "committee" or whatever it is got together like the old GD committee of the 1960s, emptied a few bottles, and came up with a list after a few raucous hours of throwing chairs around. Not a bad way to do it, certainly. The magazine says it gave the committee "anonymity" to protect it, which means it doesn't have to explain anything and admits there were no set criteria. Whatever the process, they probably just decided on a list of the older, established courses they'd most like to join or be able to join. This is old money talking - or wishing about it. Nothing more than that.

« **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2006, 08:57:43 PM »

TomP...unfortunately they don't, anymore than they have to when asking "who likes your looks or doesn't?"...they are just compiling a response to their question and reporting it....its not necessarily their opinion.

« **Reply #18 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:00:36 PM »

Tom P: In this list, if you refuse permission you get ranked HIGHER.

But if "gene pool" is really the primary determinant then they have it all wrong.

« **Reply #19 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:19:45 PM »

God almighty, I just clicked on that link to that article. Do you see what they say in the beginning---eg basically if you belong to any of these clubs or have played any of them regularly or know any of them well and would like share some info with the magazine they have it all set up for you to do just that. I'm going to have to seriously restrain myself on that one. Can you imagine what I might tell that magazine with my active imagination?

How about if I start off by explaining to them in intimate detail how I got to know a few of the most subtle contours on the 14th green (or whichever one it was) at the Everglades G.C. in the middle of a warm night during spring vacation in 1963?

« **Reply #20 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:37:58 PM »

Thanks for the welcome Mr. Cowley,

I just remember a club, that will remain nameless, decided to push out some of their membership doing the same thing.
First the nice wooden halfway house was torn down and replaced by a brick uh, HOUSE..
There were a few more unnecessary changes to the Clubhouse..
Then changes to those changes..
It got to be too much..
Since I was new to the whole club thing I first took it stride, then it became a limp, and when MOMMA saw the dues statement, I was down and out.
A few friends clued me in after that.
Still I loved the track..But enough was enough.

« **Reply #21 on:** February 20, 2006, 09:41:44 PM »

TomP....isn't nice that memory loss tends to not exclude the important ones?....I want to hear more

.

« **Reply #22 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:01:59 PM »

I am very surprised that Peachtree did not make the list. How many people have played/know a member at Peachtree?

« **Reply #23 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:18:36 PM »

All old clubs on the list provided. What new clubs are included?

Sand Hills?
Sutton Bay?
Blackrock?

« **Reply #24 on:** February 20, 2006, 10:36:33 PM »

Peachtree is ranked #21.

I'm surprised Sankaty is all the way down at 71. And I didn't see Nantucket Golf Club on there at all.

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