Pocket Planner 2001-2002 : America's 100 Greatest Courses and Best Courses in Each State

Golf Digest, May, 2001

America's 100 Greatest Courses

Criteria used to determine the ranking of America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses by a nationwide network of more than 800 Golf Digest panelists:

SHOT VALUES. How well does the collection of holes present various risks and rewards and test accuracy, length and finesse without overemphasizing any one skill over the other two?

RESISTANCE TO SCORING. How difficult, while still being fair, is the course for the scratch player from the back tees?

DESIGN VARIETY. How varied is the course in terms of differing lengths (long, medium and short par 3s, 4s and 5s), configurations (straight holes, doglegs left and right, uphill and downhill), hazard placements and greens (both shapes and contours)?

MEMORABILITY. How well do the design features (including tees, fairways, greens, hazards, terrain and vegetation) provide both individuality to each hole and a collective continuity from first tee to last green?

AESTHETICS. How well do the scenic values of the course (including those of its surroundings and backdrops) add to the pleasure of a round?

CONDITIONING. How would you rate the playing quality of tees, fairways and greens when you last played?

AMBIENCE. How well does the overall feel and atmosphere reflect or uphold the traditional values of the game?

WALKABILITY. How walkable is the course (terrain and distance between holes)?

Bonus tradition points: 20 percent tournament history, 40 percent architectural history and 40 percent ambiance.

Bonus walking points: Determined by multiplying 10 percent of the walkability score by the maximum possible bonus points (2 points if unrestricted walking is allowed; 1 point if a club restricts walking to certain times or days; 0 points if carts are mandatory).

KEY:

[L] walking permitted any time.
[.] indicates public-access course.
[1999-2000 ranking in brackets.]

FIRST 10

 1. Pebble Beach G. Links,
    Pebble Beach, Calif. [4] [L].
 2. Pine Valley G.C.,
    Pine Valley, N.J. [1] [L]
 3. Augusta National G.C.,
    Augusta, Ga. [2] [L]
 4. Cypress Point C.,
    Pebble Beach, Calif. [3] [L]
 5. Oakmont (Pa.) C.C. [7] [L]
 6. Shinnecock Hills G.C.,
    Southampton, N.Y. [5] [L]
 7. Merion G.C. (East),
    Ardmore, Pa. [6] [L]
 8. Winged Foot G.C. (West),
    Mamaroneck, N.Y. [8] [L]
 9. Pinehurst C.C. (No. 2),
    Pinehurst, N.C. [9] [L].
10. Oakland Hills C.C. (South),
    Bloomfield Hills, Mich. [10] [L]

SECOND 10

11. The Olympic C. (Lake),
    San Francisco [11] [L]
12. Seminole G.C.,
    North Palm Beach, Fla. [14] [L]
13. The Country Club
    (Clyde/Squirrel),
    Brookline, Mass. [12] [L]
14. Medinah (Ill.) C.C. (No. 3), [19] [L]
15. Southern Hills C.C.,
    Tulsa, Okla. [25] [L]
16. National G. Links,
    Southampton, N.Y. [17] [L]
17. Muirfield Village G.C.,
    Dublin, Ohio [15] L
18. San Francisco G.C. [18] [L]
19. Crystal Downs C.C.,
    Frankfort, Mich. [16] [L]
20. Quaker Ridge G.C.,
    Scarsdale, N.Y. [21] [L]

THIRD 10

21. Riviera C.C.,
    Pacific Palisades, Calif. [24] [L]
22. Los Angeles C.C.
    (North), [27] [L]
23. Oak Hill C.C. (East),
    Rochester, N.Y. [26] [L]
24. Inverness C.,
    Toledo, Ohio [29] [L]
25. Cherry Hills C.C.,
    Englewood, Colo. [33] [L]
26. Prairie Dunes C.C.,
    Hutchinson, Kan. [13] [L]
27. Garden City G.C.,
    Garden City, N.Y. [28] [L]
28. Baltusrol G.C. (Lower),
    Springfield, N.J. [34] [L]
29. Scioto C.C.,
    Columbus, Ohio [37] [L]
30. Olympia Fields C.C. (North),
    Olympia Fields, Ill. [41] [L]

FOURTH 10

31. Shadow Creek,
    North Las Vegas [20] [L].
32. Winged Foot G.C. (East),
    Mamaroneck, N.Y. [36] [L]
33. Peachtree G.C.,
    Atlanta [32] [L]
34. Spyglass Hill G. Cse.,
    Pebble Beach, Calif. [30] [L].
35. Wannamoisett C.C.,
    Rumford, R.I. [49] [L]
36. Sand Hills G.C.,
    Mullen, Neb. [31] [L]
37. Wade Hampton G.C.,
    Cashiers, N.C. [22] [L]
38. Interlachen C.C.,
    Edina, Minn. [54] [L]
39. The Golf Club,
    New Albany, Ohio. [23] [L]
40. Colonial C.C.,
    Fort Worth [47] [L]

FIFTH 10

41. Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Ore.[L].
42. Maidstone C.,
    East Hampton, N.Y. [38] [L]
43. Chicago G.C.,
    Wheaton, Ill. [35] [L]
44. Fishers Island (N.Y.) C. [L]
45. Somerset Hills C.C.,
    Bernardsville, N.J. [45] [L]
46. Bethpage G. Cse. (Black),
    Farmingdale, N.Y.[L].
47. Plainfield C.C.,
    Plainfield, N.J. [44] [L]
48. Cascades G. Cse.,
    Hot Springs, Va. [53] [L].
49. Kittansett C.,
    Marion, Mass. [39] [L]
50. Milwaukee C.C.
    River Hills, Wis. [72] [L]

SIXTH 10

51. Prince Cse., Princeville Resort,
    Kauai, Hawaii [43] [L].
52. Victoria National G.C.,
    Newburgh, Ind. [L]
53. The Honors Cse.,
    Chattanooga, Tenn. [42] [L]
54. Hazeltine National G.C.,
    Chaska, Minn. [74] [L]
55. Sand Ridge G.C.,
    Chardon, Ohio [L]
56. Canterbury C.C.,
    Cleveland [64] [L]
57. Baltimore C.C. (East),
    Timonium, Md. [50] [L]
58. Butler National G.C.,
    Oak Brook, Ill. [67] [L]
59. Valley C. of Montecito,
    Santa Barbara, Calif. [88] [L]
60. East Lake G.C.,
    Atlanta [66] [L]

SEVENTH 10

61. Laurel Valley G.C.,
    Ligonier, Pa. [51] [L]
62. Whistling Straits (Straits),
    Haven, Wis. [L].
63. TPC at Sawgrass (Stadium),
    Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. [52] [L].
64. Cog Hill G. & C.C. (No. 4),
    Lemont, Ill. [40] [L].
65. Salem C.C.,
    Peabody, Mass. [78] [L]
66. Harbour Town G. Links,
    Hilton Head Island, S.C. [71] [.]
67. The Ocean Cse.,
    Kiawah Island, S.C. [62] [.]
68. Shoal Creek,
    Shoal Creek, Ala. [61] [L]
69. Desert Forest G.C.,
    Carefree, Ariz. [63] [L]
70. Blackwolf Run G.C. (River),
    Kohler, Wis. [55] [L].

EIGHTH 10

71. Congressional C.C. (Blue),
    Bethesda, Md. [59] [L]
72. Crooked Stick G.C.,
    Carmel, Ind. [90] [L]
73. Bellerive C.C.,
    Creve Coeur, Mo. [77] [L]
74. Castle Pines G.C.,
    Castle Rock, Colo. [46] [L]
75. Camargo C.,
    Indian Hill, Ohio [82] [L]
76. Mauna Kea G. Cse.,
    Kamuela, Hawaii [69].
77. Pasatiempo G.C.,
    Santa Cruz, Calif. [94] [L].
78. Valhalla G.C., Louisville, Ky. [68] [L]
79. Grandfather G. & C.C.,
    Linville, N.C. [L]
80. Point O'Woods G. & C.C.,
    Benton Harbor, Mich. [81] [L]

NINTH 10

81. The Estancia C.,
    Scottsdale, Ariz. [65] [L]
82. Sahalee C.C. (South/North),
    Redmond, Wash. [98] [L]
83. Black Diamond Ranch G. & C.C.
    (Quarry), Lecanto, Fla. [58] [L]
84. Jupiter Hills C. (Hills),
    Jupiter, Fla. [95]
85. NCR C.C. (South),
    Kettering, Ohio [85] [L]
86. Forest Highlands G.C. (Canyon),
    Flagstaff, Ariz. [57] [L]
87. Shoreacres, Lake Bluff, Ill. [L]
88. Eugene (Ore.) C.C. [87] [L]
89. Sanctuary G.C.,
    Sedalia, Colo. [48][L]
90. Double Eagle C.,
    Galena, Ohio [60] [L]

TENTH 10

91. The Quarry at La Quinta,
    La Quinta, Calif. [73] [L]
92. Stanwich C.,
    Greenwich, Conn. [70] [L]
93. Long Cove C.,
    Hilton Head Island, S.C. [56] [L]
94. Sycamore Hills G.C.,
    Fort Wayne, Ind. [83] [L]
95. Greenville C.C. (Chanticleer),
    Greenville, S.C. [93] [L]
96. Crosswater,
    Sunriver, Ore. [80] [L].
97. World Woods G.C. (Pine
    Barrens),
    Brooksville, Fla. [75] [L].
98. Aronimink G.C.,
    Newtown Square, Pa. [L]
99. Wilmington C.C. (South),
    Greenville, Del. [89] [L]
100.Atlantic G.C.,
    Bridgehampton, N.Y. [79] [L]