Our book of lists: the best golf course rankings in the game just got even better

Golf Digest, May, 2005 by Jerry Tarde

NOT OVERSTATING THE CASE ONE BIT, Golf Digest founder Bill Davis invented golf course rankings. Before him, everybody might have had a favorite course, but nobody ever drew up a list of the best. In 1962, a New York mapmaker asked for Davis' help in creating "a golf map," which led Golf Digest to rank America's 200 Toughest Courses in 1966, based on the USGA's highest Course Ratings.

Davis recognized that such a list had immediate influence on the direction of American architecture as course operators endeavored to make the list. He shifted the emphasis from pure course difficulty to the elusive quality of "greatness" by publishing America's 100 Greatest biennially beginning in 1971, and the list's influence only grew.

The holders of golf 's major championships have used our list as the litmus test for tournament venues, and greens committees have chased ever-rising standards of Conditioning--one of the seven criteria of judgment we use to determine the list--with ever-rising maintenance budgets. (OK, so not all our influence is for the good.) One munificent benefit of Golf Digest's rankings has been the move to restore walking to the game. When the editors added bonus points in 1993 to courses that allow walking, a nationwide trend toward mandatory carts was almost immediately reversed.

That's our history. What you hold in your hands is the present tense of worldwide golf. For the first time, we pull together all of Golf Digest's course lists and add an international ranking to bring you the most comprehensive golf guide ever assembled in one issue.

The significant news about our 100 Greatest this year is the abandonment of Tradition as a criterion. It was largely derived from the number of tournaments held at a site, an effort to recognize how well the course stood up to the best players, but we came to recognize that it tended to prop up older courses well past their shelf life. The change was debated for two years, and our editors are convinced that this year's list, with 18 newcomers, is a clearer snapshot of modern taste in golf architecture.

Senior Editor Ron Whitten, Rankings Editor Topsy Siderowf, Editorial Projects Manager Sue Sawyer and Editorial Assistant Mary Jane McGirr led our team of 800-plus selectors in producing this section (see pages 145-184).

I remember back in the late '70s, Bill Davis telling me that "Palmer, Nicklaus and Player were the stars of the game, but the future stars will be golf courses." When golfers get together, he said, it will not be to argue over who the best players are, but what courses they want to play most. And, it turns out, he was right.

Jerry Tarde, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief

top dogs 5

1. Hank Haney's bearlike Bouvier, Chunk (below).

2. Sam Snead's golden retriever, Meister.

3. Bing Crosby's black Labrador, Remus.

4. Ken Green's alligator-wrestling German shepherd, Nip.

5. Dan Jenkins' Yorkshire terrier, Barbara Jane.

Best tip

Count to one after you hit a putt before you look up. Your head will stay still, and you will follow through.

Birdie of the month

To PGA Tour tournaments and sponsors, for closing in on a billion dollars in all-time charitable contributions.