Taconic

Home to the Williams College golf team, this charming New England course has seen many fine players come through, including Jack Nicklaus, who as an amateur aced the 14th. A hole-in-one is useful on these Wayne Stiles-designed greens, because it eliminates the chance of three-putting, which is the real peril on surfaces that are often perched on high spots around the property. A Gil Hanse restoration shows the importance that the club places in presenting its course in a first-rate manner, and a distant church steeple completes the idyllic New England setting. Max fee: $160 (Photo: Courtesy)