Designers with the most credits in our Top 100 Courses in the U.S. ranking

For the first time since GOLF published its inaugural list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. in 1983, Pete Dye is not among us. The course design icon passed away in January of this year. 

Yet his influence is strongly felt among the Top 100. 

Courses

He leaves behind a litany of great layouts (six in the Top 100, four of which are in the Top 50) as well as numerous protégés. Without trying to simplify a complex topic, Dye imparted some key truths to all architects: Be on-site, get dirt under your nails and make it happen yourself. 

Dye, along with his wife, Alice, did as much to shape modern architecture as anyone. 

With a nod to Dye, here’s a look at how our 2020-21 ranking shakes out by designer.

Our Top 100 Courses in the U.S. broken down by architect

(Ed. note: Bestowing credit for courses built 100 or more years ago is a tricky assignment, because in many cases, many hands have played a role in a course’s evolution. Our approach here is to award primary credit for the original routing if it still serves as the backbone of today’s course and leave it at that. There are exceptions, such as when a course has had a major overhaul. Regardless, the courses listed under each designer are indicative of his vision and talent, though they don’t necessarily reflect every Top 100 course that he may have touched.) 

A.W. Tillinghast (11)

15. Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y., 1923

21. San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif., 1918

23. Somerset Hills
Bernardsville, N.J., 1918

30. Bethpage (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y., 1935

39. Quaker Ridge
Scarsdale, N.Y., 1926

46. Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck, N.Y., 1923

69. Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J., 1922

74. Ridgewood (W/E)
Paramus, N.J., 1929

75. Baltimore (Five Farms East)
Baltimore, 1926

84. Newport
Newport, R.I.
William F. Davis, 1899/A.W. Tillinghast, 1924

99. Baltusrol (Upper)
Springfield, N.J., 1922

Donald Ross (11)

11. Pinehurst (No. 2)
Pinehurst, N.C., 1907

20. Seminole
Juno Beach, Fla., 1929

33. Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017

35. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917/Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1950

40. Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020

57. Plainfield
Plainfield, N.J., 1916

64. Essex County
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass, 1917

86. Glens Falls
Queensbury, N.Y., 1920

89. Aronimink
Newtown Square, Penn., 1928

90. Mountain Ridge
West Caldwell, N.J., 1929

92. Pinehurst (No. 4)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1919/Gil Hanse, 2017

Seth Raynor (8)

9. Fishers Island
Fishers Island, N.Y., 1926

14. Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923

24. Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, Ill., 1921

26. Camargo
Cincinnati, 1926

36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017

47. Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C., 1925

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

85. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Seth Raynor, 1924/Tom Fazio/Jackson Kahn, 2015

Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw (7)

7. Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb., 1994

13. Friar’s Head
Baiting Hollow, N.Y., 2003

38. Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore., 2005

52. Old Sandwich
Plymouth, Mass., 2004

77. Streamsong (Red)
Streamsong, Fla., 2012

80. Sheep Ranch
Bandon, Ore., 2020

91. Sand Valley (Sand Valley)
Nekoosa, Wis., 2017

Alister MacKenzie (7)

2. Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, Calif., 1928

6. Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister MacKenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933

16. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932

27. California Golf Club of San Francisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister MacKenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007

55. Valley Club Of Montecito
Montecito, Calif.
Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929

59. Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz, Calif., 1929

93. Palmetto
Aiken, S.C.
H.C. Leeds, 1897/Alister MacKenzie, 1933

Tom Doak (6)

19. Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore., 2001

34. Ballyneal
Holyoke, Colo., 2006

48. Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, Mont., 2008

66. Old Macdonald
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak/Jim Urbina, 2010

95. Streamsong (Blue)
Streamsong, Fla., 2012

97. Sebonack
Southampton, N.Y.
Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak, 2006

Pete Dye (6)

31. Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C., 1991

42. The Golf Club
New Albany, Ohio, 1967

45. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., 1981

49. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis., 1998

63. Honors Course
Ooltewah, Tenn., 1983

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

C.B. Macdonald (6)

4. National Golf Links of America
Southampton, N.Y., 1911

14. Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923

36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017

56. Piping Rock
Locust Valley, N.Y., 1911

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

78. St. Louis
St. Louis
C.B. Macdonald, 1914

Tom Fazio (4)

50. Wade Hampton
Cashiers, N.C., 1987

70. Gozzer Ranch
Harrison, Idaho, 2007

72. Congaree
Ridgeland, S.C., 2017

81. Shadow Creek
Las Vegas, 1990

Perry Maxwell (4)

16. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932

18. Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957

28. Southern Hills
Tulsa, Okla., 1936

41. Old Town
Winston-Salem, N.C., 1939

David McLay Kidd (4)

44. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore., 1999

61. Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash., 2014

94. Nanea
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, 2003

96. Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)
Nekoosa, Wis., 2018

William Flynn (3)

3. Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Howard Toomey/William Flynn, 1931

58. Kittansett
Marion, Mass.
William Flynn/Fred Hood, 1922

100. Cherry Hills
Cherry Hills Village, Colo., 1923

Gil Hanse (3)

32. Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, Ga., 2018

36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017

92. Pinehurst (No. 4)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1919/Gil Hanse, 2017

Jack Nicklaus (3)

51. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974

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

97. Sebonack
Southampton, N.Y.
Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak, 2006

George C. Thomas Jr. (3)

12. Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles, 1921

17. Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1926

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