Ranking Methodology
These rankings are meant to reflect my favorite golf courses. Things that I like about a golf course are described on the Hole Rankings page (click here to view). The total ranking is calculated as a weighted average of five separate categories, described briefly below:
Conditioning (weighting 5%) - Rating of how well a course is conditioned. Conditioning is not a huge factor for me in how I view a course, but getting to play a course that is super firm and fast is always a treat, and playing a course that is immaculate does add to the experience a little.
Design Integrity (weighting 7.5%) - General ranking for the course architecture. Intended to reflect required strategy, reward for good shots vs. punishment for bad shots, and enjoyability to play from a strictly golf perspective.
Aesthetics (weighting 12.5%) - Rating of how aesthetically pleasing a course is. This can be related to an incredible site/scenery or the actual course design.
Experience (weighting 37.5%) - Rating of how much I enjoyed playing the course. This ranking is meant to reflect how excited I would be if I found out I was playing the course the next day.
Hole Rankings (weighting 37.5%) - The average ranking of all 18 holes (based on the hole rankings documented in the Hole Rankings - All Holes page), normalized against all other courses. Reflects the variety, memorability, and depth of the course design.
Rank
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174
Pinehurst No. 2
Royal Melbourne (West)
Cape Wickham
Cape Kidnappers
Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)
Marquette (Greywalls)
Giants Ridge (Quarry)
Tobacco Road
Tot Hill Farm
Kingston Heath
Sand Valley (Sand Valley)
Nemacolin (Mystic Rock)
Forest Dunes - The Loop (Black)
St. Andrews Beach
Sand Valley (Lido)
Lehigh CC
New South Wales GC
Primland Highland Course
Barnbougle (Dunes)
Ocean Dunes
Te Arai (South)
Erin Hills
Aronimink
Bulle Rock
Pine Needles
Homestead (Cascades)
Bethpage Black
Barnbougle (Lost Farm)
Pinehurst No. 10
Southern Pines (post-renovation)
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay
King Island Golf & Bowling Club
Te Arai (North)
Stonewall (North)
Forest Dunes - The Loop (Red)
Lawsonia (Links)
Arrowtown GC
Trump Ferry Point
Belvedere
Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links/Quarry)
Saucon Valley CC (Weyhill)
Golden Horseshoe (Gold)
Royal New Kent
Pinehurst No. 4
Stonehouse
Saucon Valley CC (Old)
Pete Dye River Course at Va Tech
Titirangi
Giants Ridge (Legend)
Jack's Point
Independence GC
Galen Hall
Twisted Dune
Pinehurst No. 3
Nemacolin (Shepherd's Rock)
Sandy Golf Links
Steel Club (Championship)
Boyne (The Hills)
Union League Liberty Hill
Southern Pines (pre-renovation)
Pocono Manor Golf Club
Wawashkamo
Queenstown Harbor
UNC Finley Golf Club
Troy Burne
Boyne (The Heather)
Waynesborough
Green Valley CC
Te Anau Golf Club
The 1912 Club
Jeffersonville
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort (Blue)
Pinehurst No. 8
Cedarbrook Country Club
University of Maryland
Club at Vinitierra
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort (White)
Mattaponi Springs
Raspberry Falls Golf and Hunt Club
Radnor Valley
Eagle Eye
Blue Ridge Trail
Jack Frost
Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort (Red)
Richter Park
Moselem Springs
Laurel Hill
Golden Oaks
Belmont Golf Course
Fox Hopyard
Flourtown Country Club
Homestead (Old, front 9)
Country Club at Woodmore
Wintergreen (Stoney Creek)
Springhaven Club
Schuylkill Country Club
Sweetwater Golf Course
Woodstone
Lulu CC
River Marsh at Hyatt Chesapeake
Penn National (Founders)
Pocono Farms
Allentown Municipal
North Hills Country Club
Latrobe Country Club
Berwick
Albert Park Golf Course
Greystone
Steel Club (Hill)
Rivercrest Golf Club and Preserve
Northampton CC
Fort Belvoir (Woodlawn)
Skippack GC at Evansburg State Park
Old Hickory
McCullough's Emerald Golf Links
East Potomac (Blue)
Chesapeake Bay Golf Club
Brookside CC
Chantilly National
Olde Homestead
Heidelberg Country Club
Stone Harbor CC
Skytop
Nemacolin (Links)
Locust Valley
Williamsburg National (Jamestown)
Reston National
Bethpage Yellow
Brickshire
Wyoming Valley CC
Mountain View Country Club
Williamsburg National (Yorktown)
Fort Belvoir (Gunston)
Lederach Golf Club
Heritage Hills
Tumblebrook
Pinecrest Lake
Alpine Lake Golf Course
Maxwelton Golf Course
Twin Lakes (Oaks)
Berkleigh Golf Club
Wild Laurel Golf Course
Riverview Country Club
Golden Pheasant Golf Club
Colonial Heritage
Bethlehem Municipal
Butter Valley
Green Pond
Botany Golf Course
Wedgewood (Maple/Pine)
The Club at Shannondell
Macoby Run
Greendale Golf Course
Langston Golf Course (DC)
Seneca Golf Club
Fox Hollow Golf Club
Gilbertsville (Red)
Shepherd Hills
Gilbertsville (Blue)
McCormick Creek GC
Wilkes Barre Muni
National Golf Club
Oakland Golf Club
Twin Lakes (NC)
Whitetail
Furnace Bay Golf Course
Iron Lakes
Southmoore Golf Course
Indian Creek
Pleasant Hills
Meadowbrook Park Golf Course
Cloverleaf Golf Course
Hickory Valley (Ambassador)
Willowbrook
9
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9
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10
9
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10
9
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10
9
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9
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9
9
9
9
8
3
9
9
9
8
9
9
9
9
9
9
8
8
7
9
8
8
9
8
10
6
7
7
9
8
8
9
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7
6
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6
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7
6
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9
7
8
6
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8
6
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8
6
6
7
8
7
7
5
6
6
8
6
7
8
8
2
7
7
6
7
5
5
7
7
8
4
7
4
7
8
3
4
5
5
3
8
7
6
4
6
8
6
5
2
6
5
5
4
6
6
4
3
4
4
2
5
1
7
4
3
2
5
4
4
4
2
4
1
3
3
2
1
2
2
1
3
2
3
2
1
4
1
1
1
2
3
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
10
10
8
9
9
8
9
9
8
9
9
9
8
9
9
9
8
9
8
8
8
9
9
9
9
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9
8
8
9
8
6
8
8
8
9
8
8
9
7
8
8
8
8
8
8
8
9
8
7
8
8
7
8
7
8
7
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
7
9
8
8
8
8
8
7
7
8
8
7
7
6
7
7
9
7
7
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7
7
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6
7
6
6
6
6
7
4
6
7
5
6
4
6
6
5
7
6
6
7
5
6
6
6
6
4
4
5
4
5
4
5
3
4
5
6
5
5
4
4
5
5
3
4
3
2
3
2
2
3
4
3
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
3
2
2
2
2
3
2
1
2
1
2
2
2
1
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
9
9
10
10
9
9
9
8
9
8
9
8
9
9
8
8
9
9
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9
8
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9
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8
8
7
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9
7
8
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7
6
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6
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7
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6
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8
6
6
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6
7
5
7
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6
6
6
6
8
7
7
6
6
5
5
6
6
5
6
5
7
6
6
4
5
5
5
5
5
4
6
5
4
6
4
6
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
5
5
5
6
5
3
4
3
4
3
4
5
3
3
2
3
3
7
3
2
2
3
4
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
1
2
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
100
100
98
96
98
99
98
97
97
96
96
96
96
96
96
94
90
94
93
91
89
93
92
95
90
92
92
91
92
88
93
98
89
90
89
90
90
85
88
86
90
92
83
81
83
84
83
76
84
75
78
87
82
84
81
77
87
75
74
76
84
90
75
74
72
71
70
66
79
64
76
72
70
68
69
65
70
64
65
65
64
67
63
68
70
59
61
60
62
53
62
60
52
59
60
60
72
57
53
56
55
62
65
55
60
49
61
48
51
48
50
56
62
50
52
51
39
43
45
41
37
29
43
34
36
42
38
40
36
35
43
33
32
22
33
29
20
18
22
17
14
18
19
18
19
18
21
16
15
18
13
16
11
15
10
12
17
16
17
15
12
5
5
15
14
5
7
7
10
9
10
5
2
1
100
98.5
99.7
98
98.6
99
96.1
98.2
98.1
96.7
94
97.2
95.5
93
95.5
96.3
98.6
91.2
92.3
95.2
93.9
88.8
91
87.2
92
89.4
87.3
89.8
88.4
90.2
84.8
86.4
86.5
88.8
85.6
83.9
77.6
84.5
82.2
81
78
74.8
87
87.6
85
78.2
76.5
84.2
72.4
80.8
76.3
68.9
74.2
71.8
73.3
76.2
71.3
72.2
72.6
74.7
61.5
60.3
72.3
69.5
73.1
70.1
72.1
75.4
57.7
75.9
65.1
67.8
67.1
61
68.8
64.7
62
69.6
64.7
67.4
61.8
53.7
63.9
58.3
57
63.8
64.6
60.9
57.9
65.7
57.7
53.3
66.9
51.5
52.2
49.5
57.5
57.9
59.2
60.4
56.2
55.7
50.7
50.2
48
57
44.4
59.8
50
57.9
50.7
49.2
40.7
50.6
47.6
45.1
43.4
45.9
36.9
41.3
36
44.9
26.1
37.9
43.2
28.9
34.6
29
37.8
30.5
17.4
35.5
32.4
42.3
29
31.2
24.1
39.5
25.4
30.9
33.9
26.3
24.3
27.3
27.6
27.9
25.4
23.3
23.2
18.1
22.4
16.2
22.1
14.4
19.1
19.8
9.3
16.5
8
14.1
15.2
19.8
23.1
7.2
9.7
20
15.6
12.2
6
3.3
2
6
7.1
9.4
98.25
97.71
97.14
96.51
96.25
96.01
95.3
94.45
94.42
94.04
93.75
93.7
93.57
93.39
93.07
92.64
92.49
92.46
91.25
91.1
90.35
89.93
89.88
89.58
89.51
88.53
88.49
88.31
88.15
88.09
87.93
87.66
87.56
87.55
87.24
85.99
84.62
84.08
83.83
83.65
83.51
83.05
82.52
82.01
81.27
80.11
79.82
79.61
79.16
78.93
77.62
77.48
77.32
76.68
76.36
76.22
76.12
75.7
75.49
74.77
73.59
73.37
73.24
72.31
71.16
71.18
70.79
70.55
70.28
69.98
69.93
69.44
68.18
67.63
67.45
66.67
66.53
65.63
65.39
65.4
64.95
64.51
64.59
64.36
63.88
62.8
62.12
60.36
60.21
59.52
59.4
58.49
58.34
58.18
58.08
57.84
57.56
57.35
57.08
56.66
55.95
55.89
55.42
54.98
54.01
54
53.52
53.43
52.63
51.99
51.29
50.46
50.01
49.75
47.88
45.54
43.67
43.61
42.46
42.11
40.38
40.21
39.43
39.47
38.96
38.36
37.25
36.39
36.43
36.34
35.65
33.69
32.41
30.89
30.52
29.59
29.31
27.31
26.05
25.47
25.48
24.14
24
23.75
23.5
23.22
22.4
20.75
19.6
19.04
18.8
17.08
16.92
16.79
15.94
15.68
15.39
15.21
14.89
14.69
14.72
14.57
14.55
14.1
13.4
12.39
12
10.22
8.53
7.12
7
6.63
6.44
6.43