[Sean_A]

Not everything needs to be 6500 yards with 100 yard wide fairways.


Sure, but it would be nice to have a lot more 6500 yard courses with 50 yard wide fairways.

Ciao

[Tom_Doak]

I haven't played many private courses,  but here is my list so far (of 158 total courses played).

1) Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Old Macdonald - Bandon, Oregon
2) Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon Dunes - Bandon, Oregon
3) Pebble Beach Golf Links - Pebble Beach, California    
4) Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Pacific Dunes - Bandon, Oregon    
5) We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Saguaro - Fort McDowell, Arizona
6) True Blue Plantation - Pawleys Island, South Carolina  
7) Caledonia Golf & Fish Club - Pawleys Island, South Carolina  
8  Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club - New Castle, Colorado
9) Martis Camp - Truckee, California  
10) Four Mile Ranch Golf Club - Canon City, Colorado

Oh my god, Cary was right -- Lakota Canyon is in the top ten!  

Well, the John Avram top ten, anyway.  (Sorry John, it's a joke that goes back to before your time here.)

[Eric Smith]

My updated Top 25. New additions in bold. The Bandon courses really blew my drawers off.

St Andrews
Old Macdonald
Sebonack
Machrihanish
Dismal River White
Dismal River Red
Bandon Trails
Pacific Dunes
Renaissance
Pennard
National Golf Links
Wolf Point
Sand Hills
North Berwick
Shinnecock Hills
Prairie Dunes
Ballyneal
Prestwick
Machrihanish Dunes
Sleepy Hollow
Royal Cinque Ports
Turnberry
Royal Porthcawl
Boston
Merion

[hhuffines]

Eric,

Cool list!  Not sure how you rank em but do Ballyneal and Machrihanish hang in there with the best?  I am keen to see them.  Soon!

Thanks,  Hart

[Eric Smith]

Eric,

Cool list!  Not sure how you rank em but do Ballyneal and Machrihanish hang in there with the best?  I am keen to see them.  Soon!

Thanks,  Hart

Hart,

Absolutely! I have thought of both as my favorite at one time or another. My problem is (not really a problem) I have a new favorite every time I tee it up.

[Eric Smith]

Eric,

Cool list!  Not sure how you rank em but do Ballyneal and Machrihanish hang in there with the best?  I am keen to see them.  Soon!

Thanks,  Hart

Hart. I'm going to answer this also. Both hang there with the very best in my opinion. I think there's a case to be made for Ballyneal to be considered Doak 10 and Machrihanish has the most amazing topography and setting you'll see anywhere.

Brian,

I know you and I and Sir Csigo talked about this when we played Machrihanish, but to let Hart and others know as well - in my mind the two courses are similar in many respects, particularly some of the landforms, the 'angry sea' rolls throughout the course, give very much a feeling of playing at BN.

[Steve Green]

New guy here, just to give you taste of who I am.  I have played over 350 courses in 37 states and 7 countries.  In every instance a course on my top 25 left me with the wow - I want to do that again.

In alphabetical order:

Ballybunion
Ballyneal
Bandon Dunes
Banff Springs
Chicago Golf
Cruden Bay
Oakmont
Old Macdonald
Olympia Fields North
Olympic Club - Lake
Pacific Dunes
Pasatiempo
Pebble Beach
Pinehurst #2
Portmarnock Golf Club
Prairie Dunes
Shadow Creek
Shoreacres
Spyglass
The Addington
The Ocean Course
The Old Course
The Plantation Course
TPC Sawgrass
Walton Heath - both

[Joey Chase]

Updated from the first offering, it is amazing how my opinions of a course have changed after another visit, or after seeing other works.

The Old Course
Lahinch
National Golf Links of America
Pinehurst #2
Royal St. Georges
Merion
Royal Portrush
Machrihanish
Royal Dornoch
Bethpage Black
Garden City
Morfontaine (all 27!)
Royal County Down
Yale
North Berwick
Royal Aberdeen
Ballybunion
Waterville
Woodhall Spa
Deal
Quaker Ridge
Rye
Mid Pines
Lawsonia Links
Aberdovey

Just missed list:

Whippoorwill Club
Kennemer
St. Enodoc
Brancaster
Lytham
Hoylake
Fenway
Harlech
Cruden Bay
Brora
Sleepy Hollow
Mid Ocean Club
Portmarnock
Royal Zoute
Oitavos Dunes
Point O' Woods
Enniscrone
Galloway National
El Saler
Deepdale
Pine Needles
Golf du Medoc

[Sean_A]

delete

Ciao

[Tommy Williamsen]

Sean, after reading your comments about Saunton East, I thought you might include it.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I could play any of the following for the rest of my life and love them.  Some I only have played once, but made a lasting memory.
In no particular order.

Pine Valley
Royal County Down
Cypress Point
San Francisco
Royal Portrush
Balybunion Old
St. Andrews Old
Royal Dornoch
Sunningdale Old and New
The European Club
Winged Foot East and West
Chicago Golf Club
Morfontaine
Musgrove Mill
Four Streams
Ballyhack
Ballyneal
Castle Pines
Baltimore CC
St Enodoc
Merion
Shinnecock
NGLA
Sebonack
Sand Hills

[John Kavanaugh]

I could play any of the following for the rest of my life and love them.  Some I only have played once, but made a lasting memory.
In no particular order.

Pine Valley
Royal County Down
Cypress Point
San Francisco
Royal Portrush
Balybunion Old
St. Andrews Old
Royal Dornoch
Sunningdale Old and New
The European Club
Winged Foot East and West
Chicago Golf Club
Morfontaine
Musgrove Mill
Four Streams
Ballyhack
Ballyneal
Castle Pines
Baltimore CC
St Enodoc
Merion
Shinnecock
NGLA
Sebonack

You haven't played Sand Hills?! I guess Heaven can wait.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I could play any of the following for the rest of my life and love them.  Some I only have played once, but made a lasting memory.
In no particular order.

Pine Valley
Royal County Down
Cypress Point
San Francisco
Royal Portrush
Balybunion Old
St. Andrews Old
Royal Dornoch
Sunningdale Old and New
The European Club
Winged Foot East and West
Chicago Golf Club
Morfontaine
Musgrove Mill
Four Streams
Ballyhack
Ballyneal
Castle Pines
Baltimore CC
St Enodoc
Merion
Shinnecock
NGLA
Sebonack

You haven't played Sand Hills?! I guess Heaven can wait.

Actually have played Sand Hills.  Spent a week there.  I added it to my list.  Have not played the Doak course at Dismal.  Hope to get there next year.

[Rob Marshall]

Royal County Down
Pebble beach
Lahinch
Oak hill East
Harbor Town
Bethpage Black
Spyglass
Ballybunion Old
Royal Portrush
Torrey Pines South
Aronimink
Country Club Of Rochester
Craigburn Country Club
Pine Barron's
Philadelphia CC
Ocean Course at Kiawah
Hideout
Copperhead
Plantation Kapalua
Firestone South
Country Club Of Buffalo
Leatherstocking
Rolling Oaks
Aviara
Portstewart

[Terry Lavin]

Always subject to revision and reinterpretation, but this is where I'm at today.

1. Sand Hills
2. Cypress Point
3. LACC North
4. Oakmont
5. Chicago Golf Club
6. Pacific Dunes
7. Friar's Head
8. Prairie Dunes
9. Riviera
10. Pebble Beach
11. Olympia Fields North
12. Shoreacres
13. Medinah #3
14. Olympic Club
15. Long Cove
16. Spyglass Hill
17. Fox Chapel
18. Old Macdonald
19. Pinehurst #2
20. Wilshire
21. Erin Hills
22. Whistling Straits
23. Butler National
24. Bandon Trails
25. Beverly CC

edit:  I don't include Dunes Club since it's a 9-hole course.

[Rob Curtiss]

Terry,

Suprised to see Medinah #3 on your list after reading so many people saying they wouldnt waste a day playing it on other threads.

[Terry Lavin]

Terry,

Suprised to see Medinah #3 on your list after reading so many people saying they wouldnt waste a day playing it on other threads.

It's a great course, in my opinion, but I can appreciate why others may not like it.  It gets marked down because three of the par-3 holes are too similar, because the par-4 holes are relentlessly difficult and because there are too many penal holes in general.  But I grew up playing in this area and I have a sentimental attachment to Olympia, Butler, Medinah and Beverly.  That's a little hometown bias, to be sure.

[Mark Johnson]

My list as of noon on 8/12

1  Merion East
2  Chicago
3  Atlantic
4  Bandon Trails
5  Black Sheep
6 Harbortown
7  Somerset
8 Arcadia Bluffs
9 Spring Hill (MN)
10 Kinloch (VA)
11  Giants Ridge (Quarry)
12  Pinehurst 8
13  Pac Dunes
14  Butler
15 Medinah 3
16 Whistling Straits -- Irish Course
17 Windsong
18 White Bear Lake
19 Philadelphia
20 Birmingham CC (East, I think)
21 Shoal Creek
22 Prince Course
23 Medinah 1
24 Town & Country
25 Shoreacres

Honorable Mention:  Hazeltine,  Medina (MN), Farmington,  Cascades, Old White, Arcadia Bluff, Pine Meadow,  Waverly, Chambers Bay

[Jud_T]

Royal County Down
Pebble beach
Lahinch
Oak hill East
Harbor Town
Bethpage Black
Spyglass
Ballybunion Old
Royal Portrush
Torrey Pines South
Aronimink
Country Club Of Rochester
Craigburn Country Club
Pine Barron's
Philadelphia CC
Ocean Course at Kiawah
Hideout
Copperhead
Plantation Kapalua
Firestone South
Country Club Of Buffalo
Leatherstocking
Rolling Oaks
Aviara
Portstewart

OK,

To each his own.  But Aviara?  Seriously?

[Rob Marshall]

Royal County Down
Pebble beach
Lahinch
Oak hill East
Harbor Town
Bethpage Black
Spyglass
Ballybunion Old
Royal Portrush
Torrey Pines South
Aronimink
Country Club Of Rochester
Craigburn Country Club
Pine Barron's
Philadelphia CC
Ocean Course at Kiawah
Hideout
Copperhead
Plantation Kapalua
Firestone South
Country Club Of Buffalo
Leatherstocking
Rolling Oaks
Aviara
Portstewart

OK,

To each his own.  But Aviara?  Seriously?

You're probably right. It was a long time ago. Should have replaced it with The Valley at Portrush.

[Terry Lavin]

Kip Puterbaugh will be bummed at the deletion.

[Mark Hissey]

I can't put them in order. But, here are my top 25 (excluding Sebonack which would make the list but it's a conflict)


Baltusrol Lower
Fishers Island
Friars Head
Garden City
Morfontaine
Muirfield
NGLA
North Berwick
Old Macdonald
Pacific Dunes
Peachtree
Pennard
Pine Valley
Pinehurst No.2
Porthcawl
Quaker Ridge
Riviera
San Francisco
Shinnecock
St Andrews Old
St Enodoc
Troon
Turnberry Alisa
Winged Foot West
Yale

Honorable mention goes to Perranporth and Mountain Lake. Both are incredibly charming for different reasons but don't make the top 25.

EDIT: I just realized I left out Bethpage Black and Somerset Hills. Damn this is hard...

[Stephen Northrup]

in no particular order...

Royal Portrush (Dunluce)
Royal County Down
Bethpage Black
Sunningdale New
Sunningdale Old
Yeamans Hall
Pacific Dunes
Shoreacres
Chicago
Shinnecock Hills
Oakmont
Pinehurst #2
Royal West Norfolk
St. Andrews (Old)
Plainfield
Hidden Creek
Woking
Pebble Beach
Kittansett
The Country Club
Yale
North Berwick
Pasatiempo
Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Swinley Forest

[Steve Salmen]

Muirfield
NGLA
Cypress
Shinnecock
Dornoch
Crystal Downs
Pinehurst
Chicago
TOC
North Berwick
San Francisco
Dunes Club NB
Prestwick
Pac Dunes
Sunningdale Old
Formby
Machrihanish
Lytham
Sandwich
Sunningdale New
Yale
Elie
Pasatiempo
Ballyneal
Piping Rock


The 25 I think I would most like to play that I have not are: (by country)
PV
Augusta
Fishers
Oakmont
Prairie Dunes
Old Mac
LACC
Riviera
Merion
Sand Hills
Gamble Sands
Ocean Course
Highlands Links
Royal Melbourne
Kingston Heath
New South Wales
Barnbougle
Lost Farm
Cape Kidnappers
Royal County Down
Royal Portrush
Lahinch
Ballybunion
Deal
Liverpool

[Andy Troeger]

Six new entries this year, noted with *
1. Pine Valley
2. Cypress Point
3. Shinnecock Hills
4. Pebble Beach
5. Friar's Head
6. Fishers Island*
7. Bandon Trails
8. Pete Dye GC
9. Pacific Dunes
10. NGLA
11. Kinloch*
12. The Golf Club--OH
13. Merion East*
14. Rock Creek
15. Crystal Downs
16. Peachtree
17. Blackwolf Run River
18. Victoria National
19. Gozzer Ranch
20. TPC Sawgrass Stadium
21. Boston GC*
22. The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)*
23. Pikewood National
24. Homestead Cascades*
25. Bandon Dunes


Fell out...
Muirfield Village, Wade Hampton, Black Mesa, Wolf Run, Riviera, Kingsley

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