Golf Digest
Encyclopedia
Golf Digest is a monthly golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

 magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...

 published by Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...

 in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized Golf for Women, Golf World and Golf World Business. The magazine started in 1950, and was sold to The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is an American media company best known as the publisher of its namesake, The New York Times. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr. has served as Chairman of the Board since 1997. It is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City....

 in 1969. The Times company sold their magazine division to Condé Nast
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...

 in 2001.

"America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses"

Since 1985 Golf Digest has produced biennial rankings of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses". The courses are voted on by a panel of several hundred golf experts. Although Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course in Pine Valley, Camden County, in southern New Jersey. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazines 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2009.-History:...

 has topped the list every year except 2001, when Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...

 ranked first, it was again outranked on the 2009-10 list - this time by Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

. The magazine also produces lists of the best new courses, the best golf resorts and the best courses in each U.S. state. Before the "Greatest" rankings were introduced in 1985 Golf Digest produced lists called at different times America's 100 Most Testing Courses and America's 100 Greatest Tests of Golf.

The top ten on the 2009-10 list are as follows:
  1. Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

     - Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

     
  2. Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course in Pine Valley, Camden County, in southern New Jersey. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazines 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2009.-History:...

     - Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 12, making it the second smallest municipality by population in New Jersey, with just seven more residents than the 5 residing in Tavistock, also in Camden...

  3. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...

     - Southampton, New York
    Southampton (town), New York
    The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...

     
  4. Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club is a private golf club in California. The club has a single eighteen hole course, one of eight on the Monterey peninsula near Monterey, California. The course is well known around the world for its series of three holes that play along the Pacific Ocean: the 15th, 16th and 17th,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  5. Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....

     - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census....

     
  6. Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  7. Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...

     (East Course) - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...

  8. Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...

     (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
    Mamaroneck (town), New York
    Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...

  9. Fishers Island Club - Fishers Island, New York 
  10. Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club is a private golf club located in Juno Beach, Florida. Designed by Donald Ross in 1929, it is consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 courses in the United States....

     - Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,262 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,391. Juno Beach is home to the headquarters of Florida Power & Light...



The top ten on the 2007-08 list, published in May 2007, was as follows:
  1. Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course in Pine Valley, Camden County, in southern New Jersey. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazines 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2009.-History:...

     - Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 12, making it the second smallest municipality by population in New Jersey, with just seven more residents than the 5 residing in Tavistock, also in Camden...

  2. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...

     - Southampton, New York
    Southampton (town), New York
    The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...

  3. Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

     - Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

  4. Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club is a private golf club in California. The club has a single eighteen hole course, one of eight on the Monterey peninsula near Monterey, California. The course is well known around the world for its series of three holes that play along the Pacific Ocean: the 15th, 16th and 17th,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  5. Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....

     - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census....

  6. Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  7. Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...

     (East Course) - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...

  8. Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...

     (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
    Mamaroneck (town), New York
    Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...

  9. Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club is a private golf club located in Juno Beach, Florida. Designed by Donald Ross in 1929, it is consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 courses in the United States....

     - Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,262 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,391. Juno Beach is home to the headquarters of Florida Power & Light...

  10. Crystal Downs Country Club
    Crystal Downs Country Club
    Crystal Downs Country Club is a private country club in Lake Township, Benzie County, near Frankfort, Michigan. Designed by golf course architects Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell in 1929, the par-70, 6,518 yard course offers views of Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake...

     - Frankfort, Michigan
    Frankfort, Michigan
    Frankfort is a city in Benzie County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,513 at the 2000 census. The elevation of Frankfort is above sea level. The city is situated with Lake Michigan to the west, Lake Betsie, formed by the Betsie River before flowing into Lake Michigan, on the...



The top ten on the 2005-06 list, published in May 2005, was as follows:
  1. Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club
    Pine Valley Golf Club is a golf course in Pine Valley, Camden County, in southern New Jersey. It was ranked the number one course in Golf Magazines 100 Top Courses in the U.S. and the World in 2009.-History:...

     - Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley, New Jersey
    Pine Valley is a Borough in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 12, making it the second smallest municipality by population in New Jersey, with just seven more residents than the 5 residing in Tavistock, also in Camden...

  2. Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club
    Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

     - Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta, Georgia
    Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

  3. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
    Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the hamlet of Shinnecock Hills in the town of Southampton on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and will host the 2018 U.S. Open...

     - Southampton, New York
    Southampton (town), New York
    The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...

  4. Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club
    Cypress Point Club is a private golf club in California. The club has a single eighteen hole course, one of eight on the Monterey peninsula near Monterey, California. The course is well known around the world for its series of three holes that play along the Pacific Ocean: the 15th, 16th and 17th,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  5. Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club
    Oakmont Country Club is a country club and the "oldest top-ranked golf course in the U. S.", in the Pittsburgh suburbs of Plum and Oakmont, Pennsylvania, USA. The Pennsylvania Turnpike separates the eastern seven holes from the rest of the course....

     - Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont, Pennsylvania
    Oakmont is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. It is a Pittsburgh suburb and part of the Pittsburgh Metro Area. The population was 6,303 at the 2010 census....

  6. Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...

     - Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  7. Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club
    Merion Golf Club is a private golf club located near Ardmore, Pennsylvania that is consistently rated by Golf Digest, among America's greatest golf courses, and will host the U.S. Open in 2013...

     - Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore, Pennsylvania
    Ardmore is a census-designated place in Delaware and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The population was 12,455 at the 2010 census...

  8. Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club
    Winged Foot Golf Club is a 36-hole golf course located in Mamaroneck, New York. The course architect is A. W. Tillinghast, who also designed Baltusrol , Bethpage Black, Shackamaxon Country Club, San Francisco Golf Club, Cedar Crest Park, and nearby Quaker Ridge Golf Club and Wykagyl Country Club...

     (West Course) - Mamaroneck, New York
    Mamaroneck (town), New York
    Mamaroneck is a town in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 29,156 at the 2010 census. There are two villages contained within the town: Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck...

  9. National Golf Links of America - Southampton, New York
    Southampton (town), New York
    The Town of Southampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, U.S., partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town had a total population of 54,712...

  10. Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club
    Seminole Golf Club is a private golf club located in Juno Beach, Florida. Designed by Donald Ross in 1929, it is consistently ranked as one of the Top 10 courses in the United States....

     - Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach, Florida
    Juno Beach is a town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,262 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 3,391. Juno Beach is home to the headquarters of Florida Power & Light...


"America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses"

Alongside the "100 Greatest Courses" ranking, and using the same methodology, Golf Digest publishes a list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses". In this context, "public" means a golf course that is open to play by the public, as opposed to a private club—not necessarily a course operated by a governmental entity.

The top ten on the 2007-08 list, also published in May 2007, was as follows:
  1. Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links
    Pebble Beach Golf Links is a golf course located in Pebble Beach, California, on the west coast of the United States.Pebble Beach is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It hugs the rugged coastline and has wide open views of Carmel Bay, opening to the Pacific Ocean,...

     – Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach, California
    Pebble Beach is an unincorporated community in Monterey County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3 feet . Pebble Beach is a small coastal resort destination, home to the famous golf course, Pebble Beach Golf Links....

  2. Pacific Dunes Golf Course
    Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
    Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of four golf courses located just north of the city of Bandon, Oregon, United States.-Courses:The first course at the resort, Bandon Dunes, opened on May 19, 1999. Bandon Dunes was designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, and it instantly garnered high praise. ...

     – Bandon, Oregon
    Bandon, Oregon
    - Economy :Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture...

  3. Pinehurst No. 2
    Pinehurst Resort
    Pinehurst Resort is a historic upmarket golf resort at Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA. It has hosted a number of prestigious golf tournaments.-History:...

     – Pinehurst, North Carolina
    Pinehurst, North Carolina
    Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 9,706 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the Pinehurst Resort, venue of the 1936 PGA Championship, the 1951 Ryder Cup. The host site for the 1999, 2005,& 2014 U.S. Open Golf Championships, the 2008 U.S....

  4. The Straits Course, Whistling Straits
    Whistling Straits
    Whistling Straits is one of two golfing destinations associated with The American Club, a luxury resort located in nearby Kohler, Wisconsin, and owned by a subsidiary of the Kohler Company. The other course is Blackwolf Run. The Whistling Straits complex is located in the unincorporated Sheboygan...

     – Haven, Wisconsin
    Haven, Wisconsin
    Haven is an unincorporated community in the town of Mosel in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States.-History:A military camp called Camp Haven was named after the community. It was located in Haven on of rented land. The camp operated from 1949 until November 16, 1959. as an anti-aircraft...

  5. Bethpage State Park
    Bethpage State Park
    Bethpage State Park is a New York state park on the border of Nassau County and Suffolk County on Long Island. The park contains tennis courts, picnic and recreational areas and a polo field, but is best known for its five golf courses, including the Bethpage Black Course, which hosted the 2002...

    , Black Course – Farmingdale, New York
    Farmingdale, New York
    The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...

  6. Shadow Creek Golf Course
    Shadow Creek Golf Course
    Shadow Creek is an 18-hole golf course in North Las Vegas, Nevada, designed by Tom Fazio and built by Las Vegas casino magnate Steve Wynn in 1989. Built from empty desert flatland on a site, it cost a reported sixty million dollars...

     – North Las Vegas, Nevada
    North Las Vegas, Nevada
    North Las Vegas is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, located in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The city was incorporated on May 16, 1946.-Geography:...

  7. Bandon Dunes Golf Course
    Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
    Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a complex of four golf courses located just north of the city of Bandon, Oregon, United States.-Courses:The first course at the resort, Bandon Dunes, opened on May 19, 1999. Bandon Dunes was designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, and it instantly garnered high praise. ...

     – Bandon, Oregon
    Bandon, Oregon
    - Economy :Like many communities on the Oregon coast, Bandon had significant fishing and timber industries, which were greatly diminished by the 1980s, though some remnants still exist. Bandon's current economy revolves around wood products, fishing, tourism, and agriculture...

  8. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
    Kiawah Island Golf Resort
    The Kiawah Island Golf Resort is a resort located in Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States, near the city of Charleston. The resort opened in May, 1976...

     – Kiawah Island, South Carolina
    Kiawah Island, South Carolina
    Kiawah is a sea island, or barrier island, on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Located south of Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina, it is operated today largely as a beach and golf resort — the Kiawah Island Golf Resort — with spacious villas, beaches, large and acclaimed golf...

  9. Prince Golf Course – Princeville, Hawaii
    Princeville, Hawaii
    Princeville is a census-designated place on the north shore of the island of Kauai in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 1,698 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Princeville is located at ....

  10. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course
    Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course
    Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club, designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith, was founded in 1999 in Arcadia, Michigan. The course is built on the bluffs above the shore of Lake Michigan on approximately . The course drops from its highest point down to the bluff, above lake level and has of lake...

     – Arcadia, Michigan


Of these courses, the only one that is operated by a governmental entity is Bethpage Black.

In addition to its national rankings, Golf Digest also ranks courses at a state level. For example, in a 1998 survey of Connecticut Public Golf Courses Golf Digest ranked Crestbrook Park Golf Course as one of Connecticut's top public golf courses.

"100 Best Golf Courses Outside the United States"

The magazine also compiles a list of the leading courses outside the United States. This is created using information from national golf associations, plus votes by the same panelists supplemented by some additional ones with international knowledge.

In 2007 the most represented countries were Scotland with fourteen courses in the top 100, Canada with ten, England with ten, Canada with nine, and Australia and Republic of Ireland with eight. The top 10 were:
  1. Royal County Down Golf Club
    Royal County Down Golf Club
    Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. Dating from 1889, it is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland...

     - Newcastle
    Newcastle, County Down
    Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...

    , Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

  2. Old Course at St Andrews
    Old Course at St Andrews
    The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...

     - St. Andrews, Scotland
  3. Royal Dornoch Golf Club
    Royal Dornoch Golf Club
    Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a golf club in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. It is generally referred to as Royal Dornoch. The Championship Course is a links course located on the Dornoch Firth. The club has two 18-hole courses: the Championship Course and the Struie Course...

     (Championship Course) - Dornoch
    Dornoch
    Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...

    , Scotland
  4. Royal Portrush Golf Club
    Royal Portrush Golf Club
    Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the only golf club outside of the UK Mainland which has hosted The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links.The...

     (Dunluce Course) - Portrush
    Portrush
    Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....

    , Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

  5. Muirfield - Gullane
    Gullane
    Gullane is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the 9th century. The ruins of the Old Church of St...

    , Scotland
  6. Royal Melbourne Golf Club
    Royal Melbourne Golf Club
    Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup...

     (Composite Course) - Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

    , Australia
  7. Ballybunion Golf Club
    Ballybunion Golf Club
    The Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland had barely opened its doors before experiencing financial problems. An investment from Colonel Bartholomew saved the club in 1906, and nine new holes were promptly laid out...

     (Old Course) - Ballybunion
    Ballybunion
    Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...

    , Ireland
  8. Turnberry (Ailsa Course) - Ayrshire
    Ayrshire
    Ayrshire is a registration county, and former administrative county in south-west Scotland, United Kingdom, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. Its principal towns include Ayr, Kilmarnock and Irvine. The town of Troon on the coast has hosted the British Open Golf Championship twice in the...

    , Scotland
  9. Carnoustie Golf Links
    Carnoustie Golf Links
    The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...

     - Carnoustie
    Carnoustie
    Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...

    , Scotland
  10. Cape Kidnappers Golf Course
    Cape Kidnappers Golf Course
    Cape Kidnappers Golf Course is an 18 hole course near Te Awanga, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. It was designed by Tom Doak in 2004 and was funded by American developer Julian Robertson....

     - Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand


In 2005 the most represented countries were Scotland and Canada with thirteen courses each in the top 100. The top 10 were:
  1. Old Course at St Andrews
    Old Course at St Andrews
    The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...

     - St. Andrews, Scotland
  2. Royal Melbourne Golf Club
    Royal Melbourne Golf Club
    Royal Melbourne Golf Club is a golf club located in Black Rock, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia with two courses. Royal Melbourne has hosted numerous national and international events, including the 1959 Canada Cup , and the 1970 World Cup...

     - Melbourne
    Melbourne
    Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

    , Australia
  3. Royal Portrush Golf Club
    Royal Portrush Golf Club
    Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is the only golf club outside of the UK Mainland which has hosted The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links.The...

     - Portrush
    Portrush
    Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....

    , Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

  4. Royal County Down Golf Club
    Royal County Down Golf Club
    Royal County Down Golf Club is a golf club in Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland. Dating from 1889, it is one of the oldest golf clubs in Ireland...

     - Newcastle
    Newcastle, County Down
    Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...

    , Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

  5. Royal Dornoch Golf Club
    Royal Dornoch Golf Club
    Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a golf club in Dornoch, Sutherland, Scotland. It is generally referred to as Royal Dornoch. The Championship Course is a links course located on the Dornoch Firth. The club has two 18-hole courses: the Championship Course and the Struie Course...

     - Dornoch
    Dornoch
    Dornoch is a town and seaside resort, and former Royal burgh in the Highlands of Scotland. It lies on the north shore of the Dornoch Firth, near to where it opens into the Moray Firth to the east...

    , Scotland
  6. Muirfield - Gullane
    Gullane
    Gullane is a town on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth in East Lothian on the east coast of Scotland. There has been a church in the village since the 9th century. The ruins of the Old Church of St...

    , Scotland
  7. Ballybunion Golf Club
    Ballybunion Golf Club
    The Ballybunion Golf Club in County Kerry, Ireland had barely opened its doors before experiencing financial problems. An investment from Colonel Bartholomew saved the club in 1906, and nine new holes were promptly laid out...

     - Ballybunion
    Ballybunion
    Ballybunion or Ballybunnion is a coastal town and seaside resort in County Kerry, Ireland, from the town of Listowel. There are castle ruins near the town, although all that remains is a single wall, and two golf courses in the area including the famous Ballybunion Golf Club, a top class Links...

    , Ireland
  8. New South Wales Golf Club
    New South Wales Golf Club
    New South Wales Golf Club is a golf course designed by Alister MacKenzie in late 1926. It consists of 18 holes, 2 of which are beside the sea. This links style course is situated in La Perouse, Sydney, and regularly rates in the top 50 golf courses in the world....

     - Sydney, Australia
  9. National Golf Club - Woodbridge
    Woodbridge, Ontario
    Woodbridge is a large suburban community in the City of Vaughan, just north of Toronto in Southern Ontario. It was once an independent town before being amalgamated with nearby communities to form the city in 1971. Its traditional downtown core is the Woodbridge Ave...

    , Canada
  10. St. George's Golf and Country Club
    St. George's Golf and Country Club
    St. George's Golf and Country Club is a golf course and country club located in Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario in the west end neighbourhood of Islington...

     - Toronto, Canada

See also

  • Golf Magazine
    Golf Magazine
    Golf Magazine is a monthly golf magazine owned by Time Inc.. It was started in 1960 by Universal Publishing and Distributing, who sold it to Times Mirror in 1972. Time Inc. acquired it in 2000. It was the world's most widely read golf publication from August 2006 to January 2007. The magazine is...

  • Golf World
    Golf World
    Golf World is a weekly magazine covering the game of golf published by Condé Nast Publications. It celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007, and is therefore the oldest golf publication in the United States...

  • Kingdom magazine
    Kingdom magazine
    Kingdom is a golf magazine founded by American golfer Arnold Palmer. It was first published in late 2003.The magazine is published by golf media specialists, TMC USA, and was the brainchild of publisher, Matthew Squire, and the then president of Arnold Palmer Design Company, the late Ed...

  • HK Golfer
    HK Golfer
    HK Golfer is a monthly golf magazine published by Times International Creation Limited in Hong Kong and distributed globally.The magazine features in-depth coverage of golf in Hong Kong and globally with event previews, reports, interviews, player profiles and award-winning photography...

  • Links Magazine
  • Travel + Leisure Golf
    Travel + Leisure Golf
    Travel + Leisure Golf was a bimonthly American magazine published by American Express. Unlike other golf magazines, Travel + Leisure Golf focused less on the sport than on the affluent golf lifestyle, with regular features on cars, resorts, wines, and spirits....


Recognition

In 2009, Golf Digest was nominated for a National Magazine Awards by the American Society of Magazine Editors
American Society of Magazine Editors
The American Society of Magazine Editors is an industry trade group for editors of magazines published in the United States. The group advocates on behalf of member organizations with respect to First Amendment issues, and serves as a networking hub for editors and other industry employees...

in the Magazine Section in recognition of the excellence of a regular section of a magazine based on voice, originality and unified presentation.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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