Share this
Twitter
Myspace
Digg
Del.icio.us
Reddit
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Facebook
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
TagsIt's true that New Jersey has plenty of demanding golf courses but the attraction to play some of the best courses in the world is an enticing proposition.
"That's why we put together a list of courses that anyone can walk on and play for pay," said Bradley S. Klein, national director of Golfweek's Best Courses ratings program. "The beauty of our Top-50 list is that it showcases the extent to which professional golf today takes place on publicly accessible courses."
Major-championship sites occupy the top five spots on the list, and the top three - Pebble Beach, St. Andrews (Old Course) and Whistling Straits (Straits Course) — will host the PGA Tour's next three majors. This provides even more fodder for those who have said that the Tour has never played its four majors on a stronger collection of courses.
PGA Tour sites occupy 34 spots on the list, including the top seven. Nine Champions Tour sites made the list, followed by five for the LPGA and four for the Nationwide Tour. Six international courses made the list.
It often has been said that golfers, unlike fans of other sports, have the rare privilege of playing on the same fields as the game's top professionals.
As this list shows, that never has been more true.
Golfweek's Best: Tour Courses You Can Play (2009-2010)
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links
PGA / U.S. Open, AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Pebble Beach, Calif.
2. St. Andrews (Old)
PGA / British Open
St. Andrews, Scotland
3. Whistling Straits (Straits)
PGA / PGA Championship
Kohler, Wis.
4. Turnberry (Ailsa)
PGA / British Open
Turnberry, Scotland
5. Bethpage State Park (Black)
PGA / U.S. Open
Farmingdale, N.Y.
6. Spyglass Hill
PGA / Pebble Beach National Pro-Am
Pebble Beach, Calif.
7. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
PGA / Players Championship
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
7.85
8. Cap Cana (Punta Espada)
Champions / Cap Cana Championship
Punta Espada, Dominican Republic
9. Harbour Town GL
PGA / Verizon Heritage
Hilton Head Island, S.C.
10. Fallen Oak GC
Champions / Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic
Saucier, Miss.
11. Sea Island (Seaside)
PGA / McGladrey Classic
St. Simons Island, Ga.
12. Kapalua (Plantation)
PGA / SBS Championship
Lahaina, Hawaii
13. Cog Hill (No. 4, Dubsdread)
PGA / BMW Championship
Lemont, Ill.
14. Mayakoba (El Camaleon)
PGA / Mayakoba Golf Classic
Maya Riviera, Mexico
15. Kinderlou Forest
Nationwide / South Georgia Classic
Valdosta, Ga.
16. Greenbrier Resort (Old White)
PGA / Greenbrier Classic
White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
17. Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain (Saguaro & Tortolita)
PGA / Accenture Match Play Championship
Marana, Ariz.
18. Port Royal
PGA / PGA Grand Slam
Southampton, Bermuda
19. Trump International
PGA / Puerto Rico Open
Rio Grande, Puerto Rico
20. CordeValle
PGA / Frys.com Open
San Martin, Calif.
21. Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek)
LPGA / Safeway Classic
Cornelius, Ore.
22. Celtic Manor (Twenty Ten)
PGA / Ryder Cup
Newport, Wales
23. Crosswater
Champions / Jeld-Wen Tradition
Sunriver, Ore.
24. PGA National (Champion)
PGA / Honda Classic
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
25. Torrey Pines (South)
PGA / Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego
26. Bay Hill Club
PGA / Arnold Palmer Invitational
Orlando, Fla.
27. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
PGA / Waste Management Phoenix Open
Scottsdale, Arizona.
28. TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae
Nationwide / Fresh Express Classic
East Bay Hills, Calif.
29. Doral Golf Resort & Spa (Blue)
PGA / CA Championship
Doral, Fla.
30. Rose Hall Resort & Spa (Cinnamon Hill)
LPGA / Mojo 6
Montego Bay, Jamaica
31. The Club at Savannah Harbor
Champions / Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf
Savannah, Ga.
32. TPC Sawgrass (Valley)
Nationwide / Winn-Dixie Jacksonville Open
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
33. Four Seasons Hualalai
Champions / Mitsubishi Electric Championship
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
34. Sonoma GC
Champions / Charles Schwab Cup Championship
Sonoma, Calif.
35. Atunyote Golf Club
PGA / Turning Stone Resort Championship
Verona, N.Y.
36. TPC Louisiana
PGA / Zurich Classic
Avondale, La.
37. Classic Club
PGA / Bob Hope Classic
Palm Desert, Calif.
38. Grayhawk (Raptor)
PGA / Frys.com Open
Scottsdale, Ariz.
39. Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead)
PGA / Transitions Championship
Tarpon Springs, Fla.
40. Indian Wells Golf Resort (Celebrity)
PGA / LG Skins Game
Indian Wells, Calif.
41. Ross Bridge
Champions / Regions Charity Classic
Hoover, Ala.
42. University of Georgia GC
Nationwide / Stadion Athens Classic
Athens, Ga.
43. TPC Las Colinas
PGA / HP Byron Nelson Championship
Irving, Texas
44. Kingsmill GC (River)
LPGA / Michelob Ultra Open
Williamsburg, Va.
45. TPC Deere Run
PGA / John Deere Classic
Silvis, Ill.
46. Royal Ka'anapali GC (North)
Champions / Wendy's Champions Skins Game
Lahaina, Hawaii
47. Rio Secco
All / Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge
Henderson, Nev.
48. TPC Summerlin
PGA / Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Childrens Open
Las Vegas
49. Turtle Bay Resort (Palmer)
LPGA / SBS Open
Kahuku, Hawaii
50. Torrey Pines (North)
PGA / Farmers Insurance Open
San Diego
— ANDY LAGOMARSINO, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Why is this article in here?