Golf Magazine recently published its biennial rankings of the top 100 courses in the world and in the U.S., and a couple of Colorado layouts figure in the mix.
The Tom Doak-designed Ballyneal (left) in Holyoke appears on both lists, while William Flynn-designed Cherry Hills Country Club is one of the top 100 domestically.
Among the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., Ballyneal checked in at No.42. Cherry Hills, which has played host to three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, was slotted in at No. 73.
For the record, here was Golf.com’s top 10:
1. Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif.
3. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
4. Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
5. National Golf Links in Southampton, N.Y.
6. Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa.
7. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif.
8. Merion (East) in Ardmore, Pa.
9. Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb.
10. Pinehurst (No. 2) in Pinehurst, N.C.
Worldwide, Ballyneal checked in at No. 86. Again here, Pine Valley was No. 1. Here’s the entire top 10:
1. Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif.
3. St. Andrews (Old Course) in St. Andrews, Scotland
4. Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland
5. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
6. Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
7. National Golf Links in Southampton, N.Y.
8. Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa.
9. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif.
10. Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland
Here were Golf.com’s snippets that accompanied each of the Colorado courses on the lists:
Ballyneal: “Tom Doak’s 2006 design in the remote, treeless prairie of northeastern Colorado plays like a links, hard and fast, with sandhills, fescues and a different wind every day. The 335-yard, par-4 7th is one of golf’s great short holes, drivable for some, and with its skillfully placed bunkers and wickedly contoured, E-shaped green, interesting for all others, no matter the distance of the second shot.”
Cherry Hills: “One of William Flynn’s only designs west of the Mississippi River has hosted three U.S. Opens, including one of the best ever, when Arnold Palmer charged from seven back to win in 1960. Amid Rocky Mountain backdrops, the main defense comes from the tough-to-read, sloping greens.”
Golf.com’s panel of judges includes 100 people internationally, covering 18 countries. There are major championship winners, Ryder Cup players, architects, leading amateurs, administrators, journalists, photographers, and more than a dozen “connoisseurs who’ve managed to play all of the world’s Top 100 courses.”
