Next best things: 50 amazing courses that *just* missed out on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses ranking

Below, in alphabetical order, is a nod to the courses that just missed the cut in our Top 100 Courses in the World ranking — in some cases, by a razor-thin margin.

Note: An asterisk (*) indicates that the course appeared on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World 2017-2019 ranking.

*Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922

Baltusrol (Upper)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922

Banff Springs
Banff, Alberta, Canada
Stanley Thompson, 1911

Bel-Air
Los Angeles, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr.,William F. Bell, 1926

Congaree
Ridgeland, S.C.
Tom Fazio, 2018

Durban Country Club
Durban, South Africa
George Waterman/Lawrence Waters, 1922

Eastward Ho!
Chatham, Mass.
Herbert Fowler, 1922

El Saler
El Saler, Spain
Javier Arana, 1968

Essex County
Essex, Mass.
Donald Ross, 1917

*Ganton
Ganton, England
Harry Vardon, 1905

HOW WE RANK THE TOP 100 COURSES IN THE WORLD

Harbour Town
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus, 1969

Highlands Links
Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia, Canada
Stanley Thompson, 1940

Jasper Park Lodge
Jasper, Alberta, Canada
Stanley Thompson, 1921

Kittansett
Marion, Mass.
William Flynn/Frederic Hood, 1922

Lawsonia (Links)
Green Lake, Wisc.
William Langford/Theodore Moreau, 1930

Mid-Ocean
Tucker Town, Bermuda
C.B. Macdonald, 1921

Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Bob Baldock, 1962

Moraine
Dayton, Ohio
Alec Campbell, 1930

Naruo
Kawanishi-Shi, Japan
C.H. Alison, 1931

*Oak Hill (East)
Rochester, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1923

THE LIST: GOLF’S TOP 100 COURSES IN THE WORLD 2020-2021

Old Macdonald
Bandon, Oregon
Tom Doak/Jim Urbina

Old Sandwich
Plymouth, Mass.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2004

Old Town Club
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Perry Maxwell, 1939

Paraparaumu Beach
Kapiti Coast, New Zealand
Alex Russell, 1949

Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929

Pikewood National
Morgantown, W.V.
J. Robert Gwynne/John Raese, 2009

Piping Rock
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald, 1913

Plainfield
Plainfield, N.J.
Donald Ross, 1921

Ridgewood (West/East)
Paramus, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1929

Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie)
Aberdeen, Scotland
Robert Simpson/Archie Simpson/Tom Simpson/J.H. Taylor/James Braid, 1888

THE TOP 100 IN THE WORLD YOU CAN PLAY

Royal Adelaide
Seaton, Australia
Cargie Rymill/Dan Soutar/Alister MacKenzie, 1905

Royal Cinque Ports
Deal, England
Henry Hunter/James Braid, 1919

*Royal Porthcawl
Porthcrawl, Wales
H.S. Colt, 1913

Sand Valley
Nekoosa, Wisc.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2017

*Shanqin Bay
Bo’ao, Hainan, China
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2012

South Cape Owners Club
Namhae, South Korea
Kyle Phillips, 2013

Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach, Calif,
Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1966

St. Enodoc (Church)
Wadebridge, England
James Braid, 1907

Streamsong (Red)
Streamsonf, Fla.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2012

The Creek Club
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1923

TOP 100 COURSES: A DEEP DIVE INTO THE RANKINGS

*Tokyo
Sayama-Shi, Japan
Komel Ohtani, 1940

*Valderrama
Sotogrande, Spain
Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1975

Valley Club of Montecito
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929

Victoria
Cheltenham, Australia
A.V. Macan, 1893
Oscar Damman/Bill Meader/Alister MacKenzie, 1927

Wade Hampton
Cashiers, N.C.
Tom Fazio, 1987

West Sussex
Pulborough, England
Guy Campbell/C.K. Huchinson/S.V. Hotchkin, 1930

White Bear Yacht Club
White Bear Lake, Minn.
William Watson, 1915

Wolf Point
La Hoos, Texas
Mike Nuzzo, 2008

*Yas Links
Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Kyle Phillips, 2010

Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C.
Seth Raynor, 1925

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