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1 – Augusta NationalAugusta, GeorgiaWhen Bobby Jones retired from golf in 1930, he and Clifford Roberts looked to build a golf club. They discovered a 365-acre former fruit nursery in Augusta, where flowering plants and trees were in abundance. |
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2 – Cypress PointPebble Beach, CaliforniaJutting out into the boiling Pacific, the par-3 16th hole at Cypress is one of the most photographed in golf.
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3 – Turnberry AilsaTurnberry, AyrshireThe course was showcased at its very best during last year’s Open, where TV cameras on cranes captured the setting beautifully. |
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4 – Pine ValleyPine Valley, New JerseyOne of the mainstays of any list of the world’s best courses, this private club near Philadelphia is a series of visually intimidating islands of greens, fairways and tees. |
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5 – Royal Melbourne (East/West)Victoria, AustraliaA sandbelt classic. There’s no water, just lots of strategically-placed bunkers and speedy, slopey greens. |
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6 – Royal County DownNewcastle, County DownNo.2 on Golf World’s Top 100 in the UK and Ireland. Every blade is perfectly manicured, but the layout feels untouched by human hands as it snakes through heather and gorse.
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7 – Shinnecock HillsSouthampton, New YorkWith the help of 150 Shinnecock Indians from the nearby reservation, a 12-hole course was constructed in 1891; Flynn’s modern incarnation was finished in 1931. |
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8 – Pebble BeachPebble Beach, CaliforniaTV pictures from this year’s US Open will lavish attention on Pebble’s iconic closing holes, but the real magic is to be found on the front nine. |
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9 – Royal BirkdaleSouthport, LancashireOne of the finest courses on the Open rota, Golf World also rates it the No.1 in England. |
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10 – The Old CourseSt Andrews, FifeThe Home of Golf, where the game was first played 600 years ago. Many visitors still say the place is an acquired taste, and it’s true you need to play it several times before you appreciate all the nuances.
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