The Next Fifty section has been replaced. Why? Because after twenty years, it had largely run its course. Populating it with the latest courses from exotic destinations where the golf IQ is as bad as the soil and weather seems pointless.
What has replaced it? 147 Custodians of the Game.
The discussion of what constitutes ‘great’ has been distorted and I have grown too impatient to do nothing. For many of us, our favorite outing of the year is to the U.K. – and it isn’t just because of the golf but rather, the total experience. Be it the abundance of trolleys or lack of funny looks when choosing to carry your own bag, golf in the U.K. and former colonies like Australia gets on with it without the expensive rigmarole found stateside. Hence, this new section offers a different perspective as to what matters.
Perhaps this section is a mistake, as the last thing we need is another list, so view it is a compilation instead

. GolfClubAtlas should stand for something and this compilation is meant to reflect the virtues that many of us hold dear, even if it isn’t 100% architecture centric. Maybe it will do some good as a counterpoint to some of the game’s most visible metrics, like the US Open and Golf Digest rankings. Some might take this in part as an anti-caddie message (which it isn’t); rather, it is a pro-choice of carrying message and the only reason I have to type this drivel is because I am in the United States

. Surely, this effort does no harm in an effort to further discussion on what matters.
Six friends scattered around the globe pitched in with
invaluable insight and guidance. When I told one about the criteria, he said,
‘You mean the Cal Club model?’ Right he was – and this list represents places that attract knowledgeable members who don’t need to be suffocated by club policies. They tend to do the right thing on their own in large part because the priorities for the course illustrate what is expected from those who play it.
Bottom line: golf at its best is a simple pursuit - Let's keep it that way. Hope you enjoy this new section.
Here is the link:
http://golfclubatlas.com/147-custodians-of-the-game-year1/Best,