Royal County Down (Championship Links)

Newcastle, Co. Down

Rankings

Golf Digest's Top 100 Golf Courses in America

Since 1966 Golf Digest has published their list of the best courses in the country. Below is their current list with an * marking the public access courses. Courses in BOLD have been played by Billy and a review written; a total of 90 so far. Courses in italics are scheduled to played this year.

Top 10 Courses

  1. PINE VALLEY GOLF CLUB (George Crump and H.S. Colt 1918, Pine Valley, NJ)
  2. Augusta National Golf Club (Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones 1933, Augusta, GA)
  3. CYPRESS POINT CLUB (Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter 1928, Pebble Beach, CA)
  4. SHINNECOCK HILLS GOLF CLUB (William Flynn 1931, South Hampton, NY)
  5. OAKMONT COUNTRY CLUB (Henry Fownes 1903, Oakmont, PA)
  6. MERION GOLF CLUB (EAST) (Hugh Wilson 1912, Ardmore, PA)
  7. NATIONAL GOLF LINKS OF AMERICA (C.B. MacDonald 1911, Southampton, NY)
  8. SAND HILLS GOLF CLUB (Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore 1994, Mullen, NE)
  9. FISHERS ISLAND CLUB (Seth Raynor and Charles Banks 1926, Fishers Island, NY)
  10. SEMINOLE GOLF CLUB (Donald Ross 1923, Juno Beach, FL)
9th Hole at Merion Golf Club (East)
9th Hole at Merion Golf Club (East)

Courses 11-20

  1. WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB (WEST) (A.W. Tillinghast 1923, Mamaroneck, NY)
  2. PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS (Jack Neville and Douglas Grant 1919/H. Chandler Egan 1929, Pebble Beach, CA)*
  3. CHICAGO GOLF CLUB (C.B. MacDonald 1894/Seth Raynor 1923, Wheaton, IL)
  4. CRYSTAL DOWNS COUNTRY CLUB (Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell 1931, Frankfort, MI)
  5. FRIAR'S HEAD GOLF CLUB (Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore 2002, Riverhead, NY)
  6. LOS ANGELES COUNTRY CLUB (NORTH) (George C. Thomas Jr. 1921, Los Angeles, CA)
  7. MUIRFIELD VILLAGE GOLF CLUB (Jack Nicklaus and Desmond Muirhead 1974, Dublin, OH)
  8. RIVIERA COUNTRY CLUB (George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell 1926, Pacific Palisades, CA)
  9. THE COUNTRY CLUB (MAIN COURSE) (Willie Campbell 1895/Alex Campbell 1902, Brookline, MA)
  10. OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB (SOUTH) (Donald Ross 1918/Robert Trent Jones 1950, Bloomfield Hills, MI)
13th Hole at Pacific Dunes
13th Hole at Pacific Dunes

Courses 21-30

  1. PACIFIC DUNES GOLF COURSE (Tom Doak 2001, Bandon, OR)*
  2. OAK HILL COUNTRY CLUB (EAST) (Donald Ross 1925, Rochester, NY)
  3. PRAIRIE DUNES COUNTRY CLUB (Perry Maxwell 1937/Press Maxwell 1957, Hutchinson, KS)
  4. THE OCEAN COURSE (Pete Dye 1991, Kiawah Island, SC)*
  5. PEACHTREE GOLF CLUB (Robert Trent Jones and Bobby Jones 1947, Atlanta, GA)
  6. WHISTLING STRAITS RESORT (STRAITS) (Pete Dye 1998, Haven, WI)*
  7. SHADOW CREEK GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 1990, North Las Vegas, NV)*
  8. SOUTHERN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB (Perry Maxwell 1936, Tulsa, OK)
  9. PINEHURST RESORT (NO. 2) (Donald Ross 1907, Pinehurst, N.C.)*
  10. Pikewood National Golf Club (John Raese/Robert Gwynne 2008, Morgantown, WV)
18th Hole at Riviera Country Club
18th Hole at Riviera Country Club

Courses 31-40

  1. THE HONORS COURSE (Pete Dye 1983, Ooltewah, TN)
  2. Wade Hampton Golf Club (Tom Fazio 1987, Cashiers, NC)
  3. SAN FRANCISCO GOLF CLUB (A.W. Tillinghast 1918, San Francisco, CA)
  4. Ohoopee Match Club (Gil Hanse 2018, Cobbtown, GA)
  5. THE OLYMPIC CLUB (LAKE) (Sam Whiting 1928, San Francisco, CA)
  6. BALLYNEAL GOLF CLUB (Tom Doak 2005, Holyoke, CO)
  7. GOZZER RANCH GOLF AND LAKE CLUB (Tom Fazio 2007, Harrison, ID)
  8. The Alotian Club (Tom Fazio 2004, Roland, AR)
  9. BETHPAGE STATE PARK (BLACK) (A.W. Tillinghast and Joseph H. Burbeck 1936, Farmingdale, NY)*
  10. BANDON DUNES GOLF COURSE (David McLay Kidd 1999, Bandon, OR)*
3rd Hole at Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club
3rd Hole at Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club

Courses 41-50

  1. TPC SAWGRASS (PLAYERS STADIUM) (Pete Dye 1981, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)*
  2. Congaree Golf Club (Tom Fazio 2018, Ridgeland, SC)
  3. SEBONACK GOLF CLUB (Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak 2006, Southampton, NY)
  4. THE GOLF CLUB (Pete Dye 1967, New Albany, OH)
  5. BALTUSROL GOLF CLUB (LOWER) (A.W. Tillinghast 1922, Springfield, NJ)
  6. CASTLE PINES GOLF CLUB (Jack Nicklaus 1981, Castle Rock, CO)
  7. CAMARGO CLUB (Seth Raynor and Charles Banks 1927, Indian Hill, OH)
  8. ERIN HILLS GOLF COURSE (Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten, 2006, Erin, WI)*
  9. NANEA GOLF CLUB (David McLay Kidd 2003, Kailua Kona, HI)
  10. MYOPIA HUNT CLUB (H.C. Leeds 1898/Gil Hanse 2013, South Hamilton, MA)
16th Hole at Victoria National Golf Club
16th Hole at Victoria National Golf Club

Courses 51-60

  1. WHISPERING PINES GOLF CLUB (Chet Williams 2000, Trinty, TX)
  2. MAIDSTONE CLUB (Willie Park Jr. and Jack Park 1924, East Hampton, NY)
  3. VICTORIA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 1998, Newburgh, IN)
  4. Old Town Club (Perry Maxwell 1939/Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw 2013, Winston-Salem, NC)
  5. SHOREACRES (Seth Raynor 1921, Lake Bluff, IL)
  6. ROCK CREEK CATTLE COMPANY (Tom Doak 2008, Deer Lodge, MT)
  7. SOMERSET HILLS COUNTRY CLUB (A.W. Tillinghast 1918, Bernardsville, NJ)
  8. INVERNESS CLUB (Donald Ross 1919, Toledo OH)
  9. SLEEPY HOLLOW COUNTRY CLUB (C.B. Macdonald 1915/A.W. Tillinghast 1928/Gil Hanse 2017, Briarcliff Manor, NY)
  10. SCIOTO COUNTRY CLUB (Donald Ross 1916, Columbus, OH)
11th Hole at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore)
11th Hole at Monterey Peninsula Country Club (Shore)

Courses 61-70

  1. WINGED FOOT GOLF CLUB (EAST) (A.W. Tillinghast, Mamaroneck, NY)
  2. MONTEREY PENINSULA COUNTRY CLUB (SHORE) (Bob Baldock 1961/Mike Strantz 2004, Pebble Beach, CA)
  3. OLD SANDWICH GOLF CLUB (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw 2004, Plymoth, MA)
  4. GARDEN CITY GOLF CLUB (Devereux Emmet 1899, Garden City, NY)
  5. BANDON TRAILS (Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore 2005, Bandon, OR)
  6. OAK TREE NATIONAL (Pete Dye 1975, Edmond, OK)
  7. SPYGLASS HILL GOLF COURSE (Robert Trent Jones 1966, Pebble Beach, CA)*
  8. CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB (William Flynn 1923, Englewood, CO)
  9. CALUSA PINES GOLF CLUB (Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry 2001, Naples, FL)
  10. THE ESTANCIA CLUB (Tom Fazio 1995, Scottsdale, AZ)
6th Hole at Kinloch Golf Club
6th Hole at Kinloch Golf Club

Courses 71-80

  1. CALIFORNIA GOLF CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO (A. Vernon Macan 1926/Kyle Phillips 2007, South San Francisco, CA)
  2. OLD MACDONALD (Tom Doak 2010, Bandon, OR)*
  3. CONGRESSIONAL COUNTRY CLUB (BLUE) (Robert Trent Jones 1962, Bethesda, MD)
  4. KINLOCH GOLF CLUB (Lester George and Vinny Giles 2001, Manakin-Sabot, VA)
  5. BUTLER NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (George Fazio and Tom Fazio 1974, Oak Brook, IL)
  6. The Valley Club of Montecito (Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter 1929, Montecito, CA)
  7. Diamond Creek Golf Club (Tom Fazio 2003, Banner Elk, NC)
  8. ESSEX COUNTY CLUB (Donald Ross 1917, Manchester, MA)
  9. MONTEREY PENINSULA COUNTRY CLUB (DUNES) (Seth Raynor 1924/Tom Fazio, Tim Jackson and David Kahn 2015, Pebble Beach, CA)
  10. BALTUSROL GOLF CLUB (UPPER) (A.W. Tillinghast 1922, Springfield, NJ)
17th Hole at The Quarry at La Quinta
17th Hole at The Quarry at La Quinta

Courses 81-90

  1. QUAKER RIDGE GOLF CLUB (A.W. Tillinghast 1918, Scarsdale, NY)
  2. PLAINFIELD COUNTRY CLUB (Donald Ross 1921, Plainfield, NJ)
  3. DALLAS NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 2002, Dallas, TX)
  4. INTERLACHEN COUNTRY CLUB (Willie Watson 1911/Donald Ross 1921, Edina, MN)
  5. Canyata Golf Club (Bob Lohmann and Mike Benkusky 2004, Marshall, IL)
  6. MILWAUKEE COUNTRY CLUB (H.S. Colt and C.H. Alison 1929, River Hills, WI)
  7. VALHALLA GOLF CLUB (Jack Nicklaus 1986, Louisville, KY)
  8. HUDSON NATIONAL GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 1996, Croton-on-Hudson, NY)
  9. KITTANSETT CLUB (William Flynn and Frederic Hood 1922, Marion, MA)
  10. BOSTON GOLF CLUB (Gil Hanse 2005, Hingham, MA)
16th Hole at Calusa Pines
16th Hole at Calusa Pines

Courses 91-100

  1. THE QUARRY AT LA QUINTA (Tom Fazio 1994, La Quinta, CA)
  2. ARCADIA BLUFFS GOLF CLUB (BLUFFS) (Rick Smith and Warren Henderson 2000, Arcadia, MI)*
  3. MEDINAH COUNTRY CLUB (NO. 3) (Tom Bendelow 1928, Medinah, IL)
  4. PETE DYE GOLF CLUB (Pete Dye 1994, Bridgeport, WV)
  5. ARONIMINK GOLF CLUB (Donald Ross 1928, Newtown Square, PA)
  6. PASATIEMPO GOLF CLUB (Alister MacKenzie 1929, Santa Cruz, CA)*
  7. PIPING ROCK CLUB (C.B. Macdonald 1913/Bruce Hepner 2015, Locust Valley, NY)
  8. SHOOTING STAR GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 2009, Teton Village, WY)
  9. OLYMPIA FIELDS COUNTRY CLUB (NORTH) (Willie Park Jr. 1922, Olympia Fields, IL)
  10. SPRING HILL GOLF CLUB (Tom Fazio 1999, Wayzata, MN)
6th Hole at Crooked Stick Golf Club
6th Hole at Crooked Stick Golf Club

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