Golf Magazine's Top 100 in the world -- Hamilton makes the list!

Here's the press release on Golf Mag's Top 100 in the world. Most of the buzz is about Trump's Bedminster course jumping into the Top 100. There are two Canadian courses on the list -- St. George's and Highlands Links -- and it'll be interesting to see how that shakes out as well. The fascinating bit is that a third Canadian course, Harry Colt's excellent Hamilton Golf &CC has appeared on the list, vaulting to 74 in the world. It is impressive and it will make it interesting to see how it compares with St. George's once I get my hands on the final list.

New York, NY, August XX, 2005 – GOLF MAGAZINE will release its biennial rankings of the Top 100 Courses in the United States and Top 100 Courses in the World in the September 2005 issue (on newsstands August 16). While the 2005 rankings mark the 20th consecutive year that Pine Valley has retained its number one position on both prestigious lists, 13 newcomers receive recognition for the first time and Nebraska’s remote Sand Hills Golf Club (No. 8 in World) becomes the first modern course to rank on the World list’s top ten. “Sand Hills is a forerunner of an emerging trend in golf course design,” said GOLF MAGAZINE Editor David M. Clarke of the course, built in 1995. “Designers have traditionally focused on building conveniently located courses to provide easy access to a wide range of golfers. Today, however, many courses rely more on a spectacular setting and a stunning, challenging design to receive national recognition – such as a spot on GOLF MAGAZINE’s Top 100 Courses list – and draw golfers.”Aligned with that trend, ten of the 13 new courses to join this year’s lists are modern constructions, such as Trump National, which cracked the top 50 on the U.S. list with its debut at No. 48 and is one of three new courses that ranked on both the U.S. and World lists, taking the No. 87 spot in the world. With its best holes forming a natural amphitheater on the front nine, real estate mogul and TV boss Donald Trump dreams of hosting a U.S. Open at the Tom Fazio-designed course, built on the Bedminster, New Jersey estate of another larger-than-life mogul, John DeLorean.Following are the names and ranks of courses making their debut on GOLF MAGAZINE’s 2005 lists of Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses in the World listed by rank: Course U.S. RankWorld RankCape Kidnappers (Kerikeri, New Zealand)-27Barnbougle (Tasmania, Australia)-49Friar’s Head (Baiting Hollow, NY)4174Hamilton Country Club (Ontario, Canada)-84Bandon Trails (Bandon, Ore.)4786Trump National (Bedminster, NJ)4887Trump International (W. Palm Beach, Fla.)73-Cascata (Boulder City, Nev.)84-Holston Hills (Knoxville, Tenn.)86-The Bridge (Bridgehampton, NY)90-Calusa Pines (Naples, Fla.)92-Tokyo Golf Club (Sayama-City, Japan)-94Nine Bridges (Jeju Island, South Korea)-95Six of the top ten courses in the U.S. also ranked in the top ten in the world.
Following are the names of the top ten courses on GOLF MAGAZINE’s 2005 lists of Top 100 Courses in the U.S. and Top 100 Courses in the World listed by rank (and 2003 rank):
U.S. Courses Rank
World CoursesRank Pine Valley (Clementon, NJ)1 (1)Pine Valley (Clementon, NJ)1(1)Cypress Point (Pebble Beach, Calif.)2 (2)Cypress Point (Pebble Beach, Calif.)2 (2)Augusta National (Augusta, Ga.)3 (4)St. Andrews (Old Course) (Scotland)3 (6)Shinnecock Hills (Southampton, NY)4 (3)Augusta National (Augusta, Ga.)4 (5)Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach, Calif.)5 (5)Shinnecock Hills (Southampton, NY)5 (4)Sand Hills Golf Club (Mullen, Neb.)6 (7)Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach, Calif.)6 (7)Merion (East) (Ardmore, Pa.)7 (8)Muirfield (Gullane, Scotland)7 (3)Pacific Dunes (Bandon, Ore.)8 (11)Sand Hills Golf Club (Mullen, Neb.)8 (11)Oakmont (Oakmont, Pa.)9 (9)Royal County Down (Newcastle, N. Ire.)9 (10)Pinehurst No. 2 (Pinehurst, NC)10 (6)Royal Melbourne (Composite) (Melbourne, Australia)10 (8)To determine the rankings, GOLF MAGAZINE’s course-rating panel, consisting of prominent players, administrators, journalists and architects (note: participating architects were not allowed to rate courses they designed), gave one subjective grade to each of the 545 nominated courses they played. The panel’s votes were also weighted to favor courses they have played during the past five years. This year, GOLF MAGAZINE is also inviting aspiring golf course architects to submit their own sketches of a par-5 hole to GOLF MAGAZINE’s “Armchair Architect Contest.” Renowned golf course architect Tom Doak – who saw his two newest courses, Cape Kidnappers and Barnbougle, join the Top 100 in the World list this year – will select the winner based on the merits of the design (not the sketch) and the winner will earn the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accompany the course designer on an all-expense paid trip to Montana, Mexico or Scotland (schedule may vary) to consult on one of his exclusive projects. Check out the September 2005 issue of GOLF MAGAZINE for details on the “Armchair Architect Contest” and to see a complete list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. & the World.***