11 New Courses added onto GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the U.S.

[The TXBexar]

The 11 New Courses are spread out over the US, with Texas getting one on he List with Dallas's Trinity Forest, and a classic course, Pine Hurts No. 10, being added back to the list after the latest makeover done by Tom Doak adding another notch on the belt for Pinehurst's legendary gold offerings.

Looking over the courses added, I feel like they are all deserving, but some of these, to me at least, are far under ranked compared to the others that seem to be over-voted and too far up the list for my personal thoughts; what about you? Do you agree with the new list? have you played any of these courses and know that they are better, or worse, then where the yare ranked this year? Would love to hear everyone's opinions about the various courses!

[The TXBexar]

Here's my take:

• No.73. Interlachen, No.74. Medinah (No. 3), No82. Fox Chapel, No.87. Ladera, No.88. Pinehurst (No. 10), No. 94. Old Elm, and even I can admit (begrudgingly) that even Philly's Cricket Club (Wissahickon) at No.98. all deserve this list, and would even say they are under ranked based on their design & heritage and what they bring to the game of Golf.
• Dallas's Trinity Forest at No.96. does not deserve the list, even with it's homage to the classic St. Andrew's Links course design. 

Now you may ask why the Dallas boy is beating down on the local course, while seemingly supporting his rival Philadelphia's course? Well, that's just the way life goes in Dallas right now lol. But in all honestly, it's because I do not believe Trinity Forest in Dallas is actually a good golf course, considering all aspects of golf that one would experience while playing a round there. 

I have never, and probably never will, experience a round at Trinity Forest due to it being such an exclusive course to play (even though it's technically a Municipal course that has to have a certain percentage of rounds played on it every year by non-members/member quests) but I did get to walk the course before it was open to the public because I was fortunate enough to be a part of a group that was invited to see the course during it's final phase of construction. Based on my knowledge of the design, and from my on grounds walking experience, this is what led me to believe this course is a great concept, but ultimately will be a poor golf experience if I ever play it:

• It's built on top of an old, closed city landfill. This itself isn't an issue for me though, it's actually a pretty cool feature & idea to use "old trash" to create "new beauty" within a city, and honestly had me really intrigued & excited about the course design. But this is the source of one of my major issues with the course: there's no natural vegetation to make you fill like you are in nature while playing. There's no trees (because their can't be as the roots would penetrate the Clay-Cap that's on top of the landfill sealing in the trash, fluids, waste, etc. and keeping the bad stuff from seeping out of the landfill and into the environment), and there's no natural shrubbery or natural surrounding landscape around the holes. This takes so much away from the looks of it when you realize that there's nothing to look at or enjoy with your view while playing, and nothing stopping you from trying to "Go for Glory" on every single hoe because even if you miss, you ain't really punished.
• It's built on top of an old, closed city landfill! Yes, I am duplicating this response because it's also the source of the next issue I have with this course, the Clay-Cap protecting the landfill. This Clay-Cap provides great rolling landscape to provide true undulation to the fairways, greens, and the entire course no matter where you are. it was pretty cool to see the terrain rolling To & Fro from the Tee's and Greens and feeling like you are on St. Andrews (minus the all the cool surrounding features of St. Andrews, like the Olde English architecture). But, if anyone knows anything about Clay soils, they suck  when the weather gets varying. It had rained a day or so prior to walking the course, and there was still low spots that were boggy & soggy with water in key areas on the approach to the green. Now, it was still under-construction, and I actually talked to the Hydraulics Engineer that was contracted for the course, and he discussed major innovations being used for drainage due to the fact that the water would not seep into the ground soil (due to the clay-cap again) and the need for watering during the spring, summer & fall due to heat (and the fact that the ground soil was on top of clay again, which dries up quickly and cracks during dry times). I can't find it again, but there was a photo going around Dallas this summer showing the new course having ground cracking issues through the fairways this summer due to the heat drying out the limited top-soil depth quicker then they could hydrate it, and the clay-cap exasperating the expansion of the soil as its top layers dried as well. This happening only adds to my belief that it's not a top-tier golf course that represents the U.S.
• And last, but not least, IT'S BUILT ONTOP OF AN OLD, CLOSED CITY LANDFILL!! Ok, ok, that's out my system but seriously, it's on top of a man-made hill-top in Texas, that sits above all the surrounding terrain and tree canopies, and don't forget it has no shade or reprieve from the sun because it can't due to being on top of landfill. When we were walking the course, it was mid-morning, low-80's already, partly cloudy & sunny, and was already feeling almost miserable. It's Texas, 4 months of the year you literally have to plan your outings, adventures, sports events, anything you want to do outside around the time of day it's going to be when you're doing it due to the heat! Hell, growing u when you went to Baseball games in the old Texas Rangers stadium, they basically gave away the seats on the east side of the stadium for any day games because those seats baked in the sun; and then just 20miles away someone said, Hey, let's build a Golf course on a hill top with no shade!

While the design of the course seems pretty magnificent, with the rolling terrain and wide-open course design giving a feel of standing on the links at St. Andrews, It feels like a Fools Folly, where someone built it here because they could, not because they should. Maybe I'll get to play it someday and it'll change my opinions, but based on what I know & experienced I can't honestly believe this course is anything close to a Top 100 experience for the game of golf in the U.S.

[Shankster]

Best 100 courses?  Those lists are garbage.  Can’t play the majority of them. Useless list in my opinion.  I’d love to play Shinnecock, NGLA, Augusta, Crystal Downs, etc… but I’m not a member or a billionaire so it isn’t going to happen.

 

GD’s best 100 public courses is wrong in my option too.  I’ve played the #2 and a few other but the #98 to my eye is better than the #2.

[The TXBexar]

2 hours ago, Shankster said:

Best 100 courses?  Those lists are garbage.  Can’t play the majority of them. Useless list in my opinion.  I’d love to play Shinnecock, NGLA, Augusta, Crystal Downs, etc… but I’m not a member or a billionaire so it isn’t going to happen.

 

GD’s best 100 public courses is wrong in my option too.  I’ve played the #2 and a few other but the #98 to my eye is better than the #2.

I agree, pointless to try and provide a list of courses that greater the 90% of the reads will never get to see in-person in their lives.