The post 10 of the toughest tee times to get on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World ranking appeared first on Golf.

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Our list of the greatest courses in the world features a wide range of amazing places to play. But these 10 courses all share one thing in common: you need to be well-connected to get a tee time.

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The post 9 golf courses that star in popular films, from ‘Tin Cup’ to ‘Happy Gilmore’ appeared first on Golf.

The post 9 golf courses that star in popular films, from ‘Tin Cup’ to ‘Happy Gilmore’ appeared first on Golf.

His name was Bond, James Bond, and the match he played in Goldfinger against the titular villain ranks among the most famous golf scenes in movie history. Though the scene was shot at an English club called Stoke Park, historians of golf (and cinema) agree that the inspiration for the course we see in the film was Royal St. George’s, where author and Bond creator Ian Fleming was a member. With a nod to the 149th Open Championship at Royal St. George’s this week, here are 9 golf courses that have enjoyed cameos on the silver screen.

1. Cypress Point in My Favorite Brunette

In this 1943 film noir parody, all zaniness breaks out when Bob Hope pegs it with a man who plays golf with an imaginary ball. Turns out the guy is mentally ill. The scenery is insane, too, as the sporting action takes place on the seaside par-3 15th hole at Cypress Point.

2. Rolling Hills Golf Club in Caddyshack

Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. In 1979, little-known Rolling Hills Golf Club took a star turn when Billy Murray and Co. descended on the Florida course for 11 madcap weeks of filming. That, anyway, was the venue’s name back then. Today, the course is known as Grande Oaks Golf Club.

3. Kingwood Country Club in Tin Cup

Though Roy McAvoy didn’t seem too bothered by all those water balls, he might be bummed to learn that the hole he played as the par-5 closer in the movie was a par-4 in real life. As in, the par-4 4th hole on the Deerwood Course, one of five tracks at Kingwood Country Club, in Houston.

4. Ocean Course at Kiawah in The Legend of Bagger Vance

If The Legend of Bagger Vance isn’t Phil Mickelson’s favorite movie, it should at least be in his queue. The film about a mystical caddie was shot in part at the site of Mickelson’s near-mythic PGA Championship win.

5. Kanawaki Country Club in The Greatest Game Ever Played

An unwritten rule at The Country Club is that members’ names should only appear in the newspaper when they die. Appearances in movies aren’t encouraged, either. No surprise, then, that for the cinematic adaptation of Francis Ouimet’s historic U.S. Open win, the hush-hush Brookline club itself had a stunt double. Kanawaki CC, in Montreal, did the stand-in duties.

6. Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Happy Gilmore

Happy Gilmore is a film about an ex-hockey player who takes up golf. Pitt Meadows is a golf course in hockey-obsessed Canada (just east of Vancouver). Seems fitting, eh?

7. Bandon Dunes in Golf in the Kingdom

The movie version of Michael Murphy’s best-seller didn’t enjoy much critical acclaim. The same cannot be said of Bandon Dunes, where the film was shot.

8. Kawaguchiko Country Club in Lost in Translation

No movie magic was required to place Mt. Fuji in the backdrop in the scene where Bill Murray’s character ambles to the tee and strikes a drive in a hypnotically beautiful setting. The fleeting moment was filmed at Kawaghuchiko Golf Club, outside Tokyo, which sits in the shadow of the iconic peak.

9. Riviera Country Club in Pat and Mike

With Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in leading roles, this 1952 romantic comedy packed plenty of star power. Same goes for the celebrated L.A. course where parts of it were shot.

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The post How Phil Mickelson is prepping for the Masters at Cypress Point appeared first on Golf.

The post How Phil Mickelson is prepping for the Masters at Cypress Point appeared first on Golf.

Phil Mickelson’s return to Winged Foot for last month’s U.S. Open didn’t go quite as he’d planned. Any dreams of redemption at the site of his most agonizing loss dissipated in Thursday’s round, and Mickelson left Mamaroneck, N.Y. with a trunk slam and early flight home. The good news? Mickelson has another major in his sights just over a month away. And in shifting his focus to the final major of the year, he seems to be zeroing in his training on one thing — speed.

The final act of Mickelson’s career has followed a theme of hitting bombs, and although he’s reached the age of Champions Tour status, he’s still trying to keep up with the kids on the PGA Tour who increasingly drive the ball a country mile. His approach has him slimmer than when he was in his prime but generating clubhead speed that most 50-year-olds would kill for.

The quest for bombs has been a mixed bag — Phil is still being Phil — but with two wins over the past three years, he has experienced a fair bit of success. We all know that Mickelson would kill for a U.S. Open win, but we also know he’d settle for another crack at the major he’s won three times — the Masters. And it appears he’ll take that bomb-focused mentality to Augusta for his 28th appearance in the event.

In a tweet posted yesterday, Mickelson showed us that he’s prepping to tackle Augusta National at another one of Alister MacKenzie’s other crown jewels in Cypress Point.

“Special day with my dad and brother at Cypress and our host John Watson,” he said. “Tried to drive the 362-yard 17th. Didn’t make it but it was only my first day of speed training for the Masters.”

He also included a picture of his Foresight numbers, and the results are quite impressive. He reached 180 mph of ball speed and carried the ball 328 (!) yards. Those numbers look more like a 20-something bomber than that of a guy who just won his first Champions Tour event. They’re not quite Bryson DeChambeau numbers, but around Augusta, they’ll be more than enough to score.

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The post Course Rater Confidential: What makes golf-course routing so hard, and so important? appeared first on Golf.

The post Course Rater Confidential: What makes golf-course routing so hard, and so important? appeared first on Golf.

GOLF’s Top 100 course panelists are among the most respected and well-traveled course evaluators in the game. They’re also keen to share their opinions. In this GOLF.com series, we’ll unlock their unvarnished views on all questions course-related. The goal is not only to entertain you but also to give you a better understanding of how to understand and appreciate golf course architecture. You can see GOLF’s latest Top 100 Courses in the World ranking here, and meet all of our Top 100 panelists here.

1. Routing has been called “the hidden art” of golf-course architecture. Are there any golden rules of routing? Absolute no-nos? Any hard lessons you’ve learned in your own career about what to do (or not do) when routing a course?

Tom Doak (Panelist since 1983; has played 97 of the World Top 100; author of the forthcoming book on routing, Getting To 18): In general, I feel that others’ rules for golf design were made to be broken, but one absolute no-no for me is to build a dogleg hole with another golf hole on the inside of it. I managed to win the job at Stonewall in Pennsylvania many years ago by remarking how people would inevitably short-cut their planned 18th hole by going down the 10th fairway, which they had not noticed. But then I made the same mistake in our redesign of Atlantic City Country Club, extending the 10th hole into a par-5, which meant that going down the fairway of the 9th would be an attractive option to some. Just try telling people not to take advantage of a short-cut in a casino town! Never again…

Jim Urbina (Panelist since 2015; has played 69 of the World Top 100): In his book, Golf Architecture, Alister MacKenzie described 13 rules to follow when designing and building a golf course; he broke every rule. Several hard lessons to learn. When someone says, “Build me a championship golf course,” the golf course should be hard but fair and the golf course should have a balanced scorecard. These are a few examples that stifle the designer. These demands hamper the creative process when trying to find the best holes on any given property.

The great architect George Thomas had this to say about the planning of a golf course: “The greatest care must be taken to secure the full value, with the least congestion, moderate expense in construction and other necessary fundamentals. The proper solution is much on the order of a chess problem; the first effort is not generally the best. … Slopes, hills, mounds or any other contour which affect the roll or run of the ball, are aids on all parts of your fairway and your strategy should, if possible, hinge on them.”

These are lessons that you learn to observe when routing a golf course.

Brian Curley (Panelist since 2011; has played 65 of the World Top 100): I think it is like the game of baseball. On one hand, it is quite complicated, but on the other, so simple. Never be afraid to break the rules, however. There are numerous factors but I have found your first instinct seems to always be best. In my past dealings in Asia, we often would be asked to give an initial impression of a property (often very severe ones) and I would offer up a quick, “Here’s something for ya” kind of plan to get our foot in the door. Months later, after little or no response, they would come back and say “OK, we are ready to go,” and the plan had been submitted, approved as drawn and with strict limitations for any change. I was amazed how often these were fine as is and required nothing but the next step. Obviously, sites vary dramatically, public vs. private matters, and just the impact of walking vs. cart paths impacts decision-making. But I tend to start with the path of least resistance in terms of proper width and line of sight. On great sites, you tend to work from greensites backwards. On severe sites there is a hunt for adequate landing areas and friendly grades. I have also been much more open to the opinions of operators who focus on pace of play, especially getting players out at the start.

2. For all those armchair architects out there who think, “I could do THAT,” what are some of the biggest challenges of routing that might not be obvious to the outside observer?

Doak: When people tell me one of my holes would have been better had I located the green or tee differently, I think, sure, but what about the holes that come before and after? The routing is a puzzle and it’s important that the pieces fit together well. When we are honing in on the final plan, anytime we consider tweaking a hole, it’s two or three holes that will be affected, because you can’t knock over one domino without hitting another. (Well, I suppose you can if you want a 100-yard cart ride from each green to the next tee, but I hate that sort of arrangement.) The other two fundamentals of routing are trying to plan the fairways around areas where drainage collects, and maintaining visibility from tee to fairway to green, two things that most amateurs don’t even think about until they run into trouble.

Urbina: Linking the best holes together so that they flow, making sure the routing is cost effective, navigating do-not-touch-areas and, most importantly, the walkability of the routing. A.W. Tillinghast said this about course layout: “A round of golf should present 18 inspirations — not necessarily thrills, because spectacular holes may be overdone. Every hole may be constructed to provide charm without being obtrusive with it. … If his round ends happily, this is one beautiful course. Such is human nature.” The outside observer should be careful not to overwhelm the golfer on every tee box with difficult holes. Never force a hole for the sake of the scorecard.

Curley: Don’t get too hung up on the scorecard and by all means try to use the routing as the first tool to create variety in design. Look for natural holes as much as possible but, at the same time, do not be afraid to move dirt if you must. Grades must be lived with for the life of the course but nips and tucks can change initial designs (many great courses have done so over the years but few have made drastic grade changes). Find the great opportunities but don’t shy away from an occasional breather hole. Find the great natural par-3 but remember (as Pete Dye told me) you can always put a par-3 anywhere.

3. What’s an example of a masterful routing?

Doak: Cypress Point is famous for how it goes through the dunes into the trees, back out into the dunes for the 8th and 9th, back into the trees again at 10 and 11, and then out across the dunes to the ocean. At Pacific Dunes I tried to mimic that. Many people have noted how the holes along the ocean aren’t at the end of each nine, but interspersed through the round so you never know when to expect them. But, the other great feature of the property was the bowl of sand dunes in the center, which gave me places for four great short par-4 holes, but I didn’t want to use them all consecutively. So, you play the first and second holes in the bowl, then you head to the ocean for 3-4-5, come back into the bowl for the 6th-7th-8th, head to the ocean again (twice), and come back through the bowl one last time at the short par-4 16th.

Where the terrain was relatively flat and boring, we built our longer holes, including three of the par-5s (the 3rd, 12th and 15th). Each of them starts with a tee in the dunes, and ends with a green either at the foot of the dunes or just up in them. In between, there’s not more than three feet of elevation change along the way, but each of them gives you bunkers crowding the direct line of play either on the tee shot or the second shot, so no one ever complains of them being dull.

Urbina: One of my favorite routings is Riviera Golf Club in California. The first hole on the front nine starts out to the east, holes 2-5 circle back toward the west and southwest. Over the next four holes, directions change three times. The back nine starts off to the south and swings through multiple compass changes, finishing to the northeast on the famous 18th hole that goes uphill. The looping of the routing and the constant change in wind direction is always challenging the golfer. It is a fabulous George Thomas routing.

Curley: Having grown up just a couple of par-5s away, I am a huge Cypress Point fan and always find reason to note its greatness. In terms of breaking the rules of routing, Cypress has back-to-back 5s, back-to-back 3s, is an uneven 37-35, and you tee off over 17-Mile Drive to start. Yet it is the best golf experience in the world. Much of the greatness stems from having a walking-only, no-continuous cart path design. The magic of the center dune (which functions like the hub on a wheel with holes playing in and out) would never have the same charm if cart paths were required.

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The post Ben Crenshaw reveals his top 10 courses in the world appeared first on Golf.

The post Ben Crenshaw reveals his top 10 courses in the world appeared first on Golf.

There may be no man more qualified to share his opinion on the worth of the world’s greatest tracks than Ben Crenshaw. The former major champion has aged into one of golf’s elder statesmen—a prolific player turned even-more-prolific designer.

Tournaments

Crenshaw’s design tastes (in lockstep with his partner, Bill Coore) have birthed some of golf’s greatest modern gems, from Sand Hills to Friar’s Head. But, personal preference aside, Crenshaw’s top 10 courses in the world share a unique perspective into his history, his creative inspiration and of course, his love for the game.

Ben Crenshaw’s Top 10 Courses in the World

1. The Old Course at St. Andrews — St. Andrews, Scotland

2. Royal Melbourne — Melbourne, Australia

3. Augusta National Golf Club — Augusta, Ga.

4. Pine Valley — Pine Valley, N.J.

5. National Golf Links of America — Southampton, N.Y.

6. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club — Southampton, N.Y.

7. Kingston Heath — Cheltenham, Victoria, Australia

8. Cypress Point — Pebble Beach, Calif.

9. Chicago Golf Club — Wheaton, Ill.

10. Pinehurst No. 2 — Pinehurst, N.C.

To see how GOLF rated all of these courses, check out our definitive 2020-21 ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World.

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The post Fun, authentic, and not stupid: These are my top 10 favorite golf courses appeared first on Golf.

The post Fun, authentic, and not stupid: These are my top 10 favorite golf courses appeared first on Golf.

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4. Olympic Club

Olympic is a classic, Americana golf course in every sense of the word. Pristine and powerful, it’s tough but fair. If you want to understand the essence of what U.S. Open golf is at its very best, there’s no better education than 18 holes at Olympic.

3. Royal Porthcawl

I was torn about whether I should’ve made this no. 2. I’m still torn. It’s rough and raggedy, but utterly spectacular in an unassuming sort of way. With panoramic views of the ocean on all 18 holes, each hole can play differently depending on the wind. It’s golf as it should be. Arg! I should’ve ranked this No. 2.

2. Riviera Country Club

Of all the courses on this list, if somebody told me I could only choose one to play every day the rest of my life, it’d be Riviera. That’s the kind of course Riv is. It’s pristine, with endless more qualities lurking beneath the surface that you couldn’t fully discover if you played it a thousand times. Play Riveria once, and you won’t be able to stop thinking about it.

1. Cypress Point

As I’ve written before, I truly do not understand how a course could possibly be better than Cypress Point. Critics talk about the substandard 18th hole — which, in my view, is an average hole that feels worse because of how spectacular the previous stretch is. I’ve heard others go on about the course itself not being as complex as Pine Valley, which admittedly I haven’t played yet. But it all strikes me as overcomplicating the reasons why we love golf. The worst holes at Cypress Point feel like Augusta National, and the best holes are mind-blowing, and quite literally involve hitting from cliff to cliff over the Pacific Ocean. How can you beat that?

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The post Field guide: Stunning and simplistic, Cypress Point is pure golf appeared first on Golf.

The post Field guide: Stunning and simplistic, Cypress Point is pure golf appeared first on Golf.

Christian Hafer

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Cypress is famed for its back-to-back par-3s, the 15th and 16th. It’s also famous for a membership of just a few hundred of the world’s elite, and the wait lists that runs for years. It’s also designed by one of the most intriguing architects in golf’s history, Alister MacKenzie.

Christian Hafer

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Its beginnings were spearheaded by a woman named Marion Hollins, and it gave Bobby Jones such a thrill when he played it that it ultimately led to MacKenzie securing a job at a little course in Augusta, Ga.

Christian Hafer

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Cypress Point sits on some of the most prime land in the world, but for all its history or status the course is seemingly the only concern. When I arrived long before the sun had even started to think about popping up, I was in awe as I drove right past the 13th hole. It was starting to sink in. Just a few feet from me was one of the hardest courses in the world to play.

Christian Hafer

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I stopped and parked at Fanshell Beach Overlook, where you can see the 13th green just across the street, guarded only by a small wooden fence. I parked my rental truck and watched the sun come up over the front nine of the course. Rays of light caught the jagged edges of MacKenzie’s signature bunkering. The grounds crew darted across the landscape, making sure everything was tidy before the first round of the day. Our round.

Christian Hafer

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I snapped out of my daze and made my way past the 1st tee and turned right into the clubhouse. Just a small wooden sign in the twisted trees indicates what’s perched on top of the hill. The small pro shop and locker room hugs the 1st tee, and an understated clubhouse watches over some of the most picture-perfect golf holes in the world.

Christian Hafer

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It’s surreal how low-key it is, and walking into the locker room only adds to the understated vibe. Three names to a locker, and these are the names of successful, powerful men. The place smells of old wood worn rough then smoothed again by years and years of use.

Christian Hafer

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I lace up my shoes and head to the 1st tee, where I meet my caddie and look down the barrel of the gun. No practice swings. I mean, the “range” is essentially a chipping area off to the right of the 1st fairway. Cypress is solely about the course and getting out and back in with some pace. It’s fantastically old school.

The majesty of Cypress Point.

Christian Hafer

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I place my ball on the tee and proceed to… top it, barely covering 17 Mile Drive, just a few feet in front of me. I reload and we are off. The course is as close to perfection as I have experienced. It’s not because the conditions are pristine — and mind you, they are exceptional — but it’s more about the quality of the course’s design, the visual onslaught and variety in shots required. You start up into the trees and from every angle you find a fairway here or a green there. As you weave back down you play back-to-back par-5s with completely different approaches.

Christian Hafer

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Cypress Point is shorter by today’s standard, yet it’s no pushover and somehow extremely playable — with the exception of the 16th and 17th holes, which are both the most difficult and most beautiful. Yet nothing compares to turning the corner and walking from the 14th green across the road and toward the water to the 15th tee box.

Christian Hafer

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The Pacific crashes against the rocks and the wind swirls as the 16th sits perched out in the distance. The next few holes are the most dramatic golf holes I have ever played. The 15th calls for a mid-range iron but the 16th is long and daunting — a 230-yard shot into a thrilling green with water lurking everywhere.

Christian Hafer

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I pulled my tee shot left onto the beach, where I met a seal that cautiously approached my ball a few yards away (and I don’t think it was impressed with my recovery). But between my new friend the seal, the deer grazing just off the fairway and the super’s dog chasing the utility cart, it all made me forget I was on one of the most expensive stretches of land in the U.S. And still never for a moment did I feel like I was out of place, because it was always just about the golf. In fact, everyone at Cypress Point was there to simply enjoy the game. Maybe that’s what makes Cypress Point just so remarkable.

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The post 6 things I learned playing Cypress Point Club appeared first on Golf.

The post 6 things I learned playing Cypress Point Club appeared first on Golf.

I’m not a golf course architecture junkie. Never have been and you’ll never hear me proclaim to be. I’ve always been more focused on what’s going on in the golf swing than the actual course around me, strange as it sounds, and I’ve under-appreciated plenty of what I’m sure are fascinating green complexes over the years. All this is a long way of saying that you should take my following statement with a grain of salt: That when people ask me what Cypress Point Club is like, I respond by saying it’s simply not possible for any golf course to be any better.

I was lucky to get a tee time. Darting down the East Coast for a golf/bachelor trip, my best friend (who doubled as my best man), called in the mother of all connections to get us a round. We were the first group out, and it was a truly unbelievable experience.

Here’s what I learned along the way.

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1. You go for the golf, and that’s it

Cypress Point doesn’t have a big, fancy clubhouse. Or a big, fancy restaurant. Or a big, fancy entrance leading to a state-of-the-art learning center equipped with the latest and greatest technology. It’s about the golf, and that’s it. It’s refreshing and wonderful. Everything is stripped back to the essentials, because only then can you truly appreciate the game in its purest form.

2. It’s trousers only

I showed up wearing shorts and needed to do a quick change before my tee time. Not my finest moment, but a valuable lesson learned and some wisdom I can impart on all of you.

3. It’s got serious Augusta National vibes

The course is like a story, or a good song. You get a glimpse of the ocean to start, then work your way into the pines. The course changes along the way, and always whispers in your ear to let you know how far you are from the ocean. Ocean cliffs slowly turn to dunes which slowly transition to pines. Halfway through the round is peak Augusta National. The holes are austere and brilliant, but in a wholly different way than you are about to experience. As the process begins reversing — from pines to dunes to cliffs — you feel the rhythm gearing up. You get a glimpse of what’s to come on the 14th, before the trees part and the song of the course finally erupts in chorus as you’re unveiled over the Pacific.

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4. Savor the final holes

When we finally got to the 15th hole and began hitting from cliff to cliff with the ocean waves crashing in the background, my playing partner turned to me and said this is probably the most beautiful piece of land he’s ever stood on — golf course or no golf course. It’s true, so when you finally get there, truly, take time to savor it. That doesn’t mean play slowly, but it does mean to keep your head up. Look around for details you’ll be able to remember, because you may never be there again. It’s hard to understate how awe-inspiring those final holes are.

5. Go for it on the 16th, but club up

Look, if you literally can’t reach the green, don’t go for it. There’s a bail out option to the left. But if you can, it doesn’t matter what club you need to use to get there: go for it. Even if it means pulling a driver on a par-3: Go for it. Club up just to be sure, because there’s more room for error long than there is short, and pause for an extra moment at the top of your backswing. I smashed a 4-wood that landed on the front fringe and two-putted for par. It wasn’t the best contact ever, but it’s the shot I remember the most.

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6. Prepare yourself for the 18th

People are far too harsh about Cypress’ admittedly underwhelming 18th hole. It’s the worst hole on the course, sure, but I’d push back against the assertion that it’s a bad hole. It’s a short, tight, quirky hole that feels worse because people play it after coming off the most magnificent stretch of holes on the planet. They’re grumpy — sad that the round is basically over, sad they have to turn their backs on the ocean and walk away. Obsessing over the flaws of the 18th hole is classic perfection-is-the-enemy-of-the-good stuff. Know going in that it’s not the best hole in the world, and you’ll enjoy everything more.

Have you seen our new “Subpar” series? Check out the first installment featuring John Rahm below!

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL SUBPAR INTERVIEW WITH JON RAHM ON YOUTUBE

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GOLF recently unveiled its Top 100 Courses in the World, which included all the well-known iconic gems like Augusta National, Cypress Point, St. Andrews and, well, you get the picture. But there’s more than one way to make a list, so here’s ours! Over the next month, GOLF staffers will take their turn creating their own ranking, but not of the best courses in the world — the best courses they’ve played. Enjoy, and if you haven’t made the time to create your own list to dissect and look back on, now’s the time to get started.

My top 10: Josh Sens

1. CRUDEN BAY GOLF CLUB, CRUDEN BAY, SCOTLAND

As links go, they don’t get much more wild or wonderful. But it’s hard to separate the course from the experience of easing off the road in a seaside Scottish village and finding yourself in such a beautiful and unpretentious place. There’s a good chance a local member will be your caddie, and while they can help you read greens and pick out targets, the lingering memories of the day have little to do with the shots you’re hitting. All those Golf in the Kingdom cliches about golf being a spiritual pursuit usually makes my eyes roll. But Cruden Bay wins over even the coldest inner-cynic.

PREVIOUS LISTS: Sean Zak | Jessica Marksbury

2. CYPRESS POINT CLUB, PEBBLE BEACH, CALIF.

I’m not sure I can tell you anything about this course that you wouldn’t know from reading The Match, or David Feherty’s excellent piece, which was published some years ago in GOLF Mag. Suffice to say that very few things in life live up to relentless hype. Cypress Point is one.

A view of Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Josh Sens

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3. BARNBOUGLE DUNES, TASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

As take-your-breath-away pretty as any course you’ll play. Plus: wallabies!

4. SUNNINGDALE GOLF CLUB, NEW COURSE, SUNNINGDALE, ENGLAND

Most people seem to prefer Sunningdale’s Old Course, which ranks higher than the New on GOLF’s Top 100 List. I get it. The Old is ridiculously charming. But the New Course (which is hardly new; it opened in 1923) has plenty of character, too, and I think it makes more interesting demands from tee to green.

Sunningdale's Old Course gets a lot of love, but the New Course (pictured) is no slouch either.

Josh Sens

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5. HIGHLAND LINKS, NOVA SCOTIA

This is a muni, operated by the Canadian parks department, and tight budgets in recent years have made conditioning an issue. But damn, what a layout. Stanley Thompson designed it, as in Canada’s answer to Alister MacKenzie, and it runs through amazingly varied and eye-popping terrain. There are holes on forested ridges. Holes beside the sea. Holes along a river. All of them artful. It’s as great a walk as anywhere I’ve played.

6. KINGSTON HEATH, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

There’s no shortage of competition in the Sandbelt region, what with Royal Melbourne, among others, in the neighborhood. But one of the many things that makes Kingston Heath stand out is how much was made of such relatively little space. It’s such a clever, creative routing, with — bonus! — MacKenzie bunkering.

7. THE PRESERVE, BANDON DUNES, BANDON, ORE.

Short courses are all the rage, with good reason, and I’ve not played a better one than this 13-hole par-3 course. The same wispy, linksy look and feel of Bandon’s other courses, but the barrier to entry is much lower and the entertainment quotient is every bit as high. I’ve played it in a foursome, an eight-some, a 12-some. I’ve played it with more beers than clubs in my bag. You can start your day with it, as a warmup. Or close your day with it, as a kind of cocktail hour exclamation point. If you can’t have fun on this course, you should find a different hobby.

One of the greens at The Preserve at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Josh Sens

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8. LOS ANGELES COUNTRY CLUB, NORTH, LOS ANGELES, CALIF.

Ocean, schmo-shun. Who needs one? Firm and fast and filled with every challenge you could ask for. All the more amazing that it sits, landlocked, in the middle of the chaos of LA.

9. HANS MERENSKY, PHALABORWA, SOUTH AFRICA

One word: giraffes. Ok. A few more words. For several holes, one strode beside me, like a caddie. Baboons chattered from the trees. Elephants grazed in the near distance. So it goes on a course cut through Kruger National Park. In the morning, rangers sweep the property to make sure there’s nothing waiting around to eat you. But they can’t do much about the crocs. At one point, I was walking near a water hazard when the local I was playing with pulled me away. “Watch it, mate,” he said. “There are four in there that’ll kill you. And two that’ll kill you properly.” Oh, and the course itself is really good.

10. PINEHURST NO. 2, PINEHURST, N.C.

The most fun I’ve ever had bogeying nearly every hole.

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GOLF’s Instruction Editor, Luke Kerr-Dineen, reflects on his once in a lifetime opportunity playing Cypress Point in California with a childhood friend.

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