1. Cabo del Sol (Ocean Course), Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
7,103 yards, par 72 (1994)
800-386-2465, cabodelsol.com
$190-$350
Promotional hyperbole may have influenced Nicklaus to describe Cabo del Sol's closing trio, as "the three finest finishing holes in golf," but there is no question that the stunning seaside/desert locale makes for a memorable conclusion to a round. The par-3 17th, its green hard by the Sea of Cortez, is especially stunning.
2. Cap Cana Resort (Punta Espada Course), Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
7,396 yards, par 72 (2006)
800-785-2198, capcana.com
$220-$320
Bluffs, beach and jungle are constant companions on this modern Caribbean classic. Most memorable is the 249-yard, par-3 13th, which features a dramatic, Cypress Point-like carry over the Atlantic.
3. The Challenge at Manele, Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii
7,039 yards, par 72 (1993)
808-565-2222, lanai-resorts.com$190-$225
The three clifftop holes will linger long in your memory, especially the 208-yard, par-3 12th with its Pacific Ocean backdrop that is so compelling that Bill Gates used its tee box to exchange his wedding vows.
4. Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters Course), Greensboro, Georgia
7,048 yards, par 72 (1992)
800-800-5250, reynoldsplantation.com
$210
With practically the entire back nine skirting Lake Oconee, there's eye candy galore, but fans of risk/reward options will gleefully embrace the short par-4 11th and the reachable par-5 18th.
5. The Greenbrier (Greenbrier Course), White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
6,675 yards, par 72 (1924/1977)
304-536-1110, greenbrier.com
$130-$195
The site of the 1979 Ryder Cup, the Greenbrier Course plays through an Allegheny Mountain valley lined with maples, oaks and pines. However, the two most striking holes are laced with water, the 403-yard, par-4 2nd and the 339-yard, par-4 10th.
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