I recently was going through my list of courses and checking them versus the “official” golf ranking entities'
opinions. I thought it might be interesting to list the courses I rate way higher than the gurus’ consensus opinions
and courses I rate much lower. With that, here goes:
Courses I feel the consensus over-rates
1) World Woods Pine Barrens---This is a pretty good public course, but no more than that. Some of the holes
blend together and seem to replicate each other. Too many holes favor one shot type (a fade) and being a highly
played public course, it usually isn’t in great shape. Golf Magazine's Top 100 US ranking of World Woods is too
high as is Golfweek’s place for it on their Top 100 Modern list. I think the courses public nature and affordable
greens fees give it a boost in the panelists minds.
2) Eugene CC---Frankly, I find this course to be a very pleasant members golf course. I thought the routing
took good advantage of the limited property and the course was well maintained. It was a bit tight and narrow for
my taste with too much water, but it was pretty solid in total. But when I learned that Golf Digest ranks it on their
Top 100 courses in the U.S. list, I was shocked. I don’t see that at all. Good course for sure…Top 100 in the U.S….
nah.
3) Wild Horse---This is a good and very solid golf course. Interesting greens, well maintained, but one of the
VERY best modern courses in the United States? Nope. Good, affordable, public golf. Yes.
4) Seminole---This is a tough call. Seminole is good, damn good. I’ll even go as far as great. Great routing.
Great test of golf. Wonderful conditioning for fast and firm conditions. Add in the wind, and you’ve got a golf
course. But I think it is too high in the World Top 100 lists.
5) Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands)---This course is ranked as one of the Top 200 Modern Courses, but I
believe it has no business being on that list. The course is a wonderful test of golf for the PGA Tour players armed
with high tech drivers and balls. But considering the mantra of the Golden Age architects was 'A truly great course
is a test for the scratch golfer, yet still playable for the mid to high handicappers', AAC Highlands isn't truly great. It
is a one-dimensional test of golf with an overuse of water as a hazard and it is also over bunkered. The par 3's are
too repeatitve...as are the par 4's. And the back nine doesn't mesh with the front.
Courses I feel the consensus under-rates
1) Dismal River---I guess the course got off to a slow start and was panned early on. Obviously, the panelists
on the Top 100 lists haven’t gotten over that rocky start because Dismal River is an excellent, excellent, excellent
golf course in an amazing location. Give this thing time and you should see it jump in the rankings.
2) Renaissance Club---Tom Doak designed Renaissance and Tom Doak is the man in golf course design
nowadays. So, to find an under-rated Tom Doak course is rare. But this is it. However, they are currently tweaking
the course. Maybe when this is finished the course will rise in the rankings. It should!
3) Arrowhead Pointe--This course is located in the middle of nowhere GA and it is owned by the Georgia State
Parks Division. It is not perfect, but it is really quite good. Golfweek ranks it in the Top 10 for municipal golf
courses and it deserves that ranking. But the course deserves more recognition for many reasons. The course is
good. The cost per round is low. It is a great amenity for the State. The views are spectacular. It is just really,
really good. Is it a Top 200 Modern course? Maybe, maybe not. But it deserves consideration for that level of
recognition, for sure.
4) Atlanta Country Club---For this course to not even be listed as one of the Top 200 modern golf courses in
the United States is a potential mistake. The greens hold their own versus anyone's. The variety of the golf holes
is fantastic. And if you like history, you've got that as well. This course is good and it is not being recognized as
such.
5) Wexford Plantation---This course has been recently renovated by the Arnold Palmer Design Group and
even prior to the renovation it flew under the radar. But make no mistake about it, this is potentially one of the best
modern courses built in the U.S.. Over time, this course should rise in the rankings.