Sebonack
Golf Club, the much-heralded collaboration between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak,
leaped into Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses
at No. 39, the second highest debut in the 2009-10 version of the magazine’s
biennial survey. Sebonack, which recently was ranked No. 7 in Golfweek’s 100 “Best
Modern Courses” 2009, led a parade of seven Nicklaus Design courses to
make Digest’s coveted survey.
Nicklaus Design also had seven courses
make Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s
100 Greatest Public Golf Courses, with Harbour Town Golf Links–Jack’s first
design and a collaboration with Pete Dye in 1969–being the only one to make
both lists. Harbour Town was No. 13 in the public ranking and No. 75 in the
combined list (up 18 spots from two years ago).
Sebonack, a dramatic layout
in Southampton, N.Y., nestled against the picturesque Peconic Bay, has received
rave reviews since a head-turning debut in the summer of 2006. Just months
after opening, it appeared on GOLF
Magazine’s list of
the “Top 100 Courses in the U.S.” Now it has completed the trifecta
among golf’s leading publications.
Jack’s top-100 mainstay, Muirfield Village
Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, came in at No. 19 in the Digest ranking,
followed at No. 28 by Castle Pines (up eight spots from two years ago).
Mayacama Golf Club, a Nicklaus Signature Course tucked in the wine country
of Santa Rosa, Calif., was at No. 78. Sycamore Hills in Fort Wayne, Ind., and
the 2008 Ryder Cup venue of Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., rounded
out the Nicklaus entries at Nos. 93 and 95, respectively.
In the ranking of
America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, May River Golf Club at Palmetto Bluff
in Bluffton, S.C., which continues to grab national acclaim since opening in
2004, came in at No. 22. The Challenge at Manele in Lanai, Hawaii, was at No.
35, followed by The Ocean Course at Ginn Hammock Beach at No. 44 (up 13 spots).
Turtle Point at Kiawah Island (S.C.) was at No. 48; Old World Golf Course in
Anaconda, Mont., was at No. 67; and The Summit at Cordillera rounded out the
Nicklaus public courses at No. 92.
Golf Digest also ranked the 100
Best Courses Outside the United States, and Nicklaus’ dominance in Mexico was
evident with the ranking of the Ocean Course at Cabo del Sol at No. 24 and
Vista Vallarta at No. 79. Punta Espada Golf Club at Cap Cana, which just last
week hosted a Champions Tour event, was No. 46 in the global ranking, and Jack’s
recent design at Monte Rei in Faro, Portugal debuted at No. 96. For more on Golf Digest’s rankings, visit www.golfdigest.com.
Eight Nicklaus
Design courses appeared in Golfweek’s recent ranking of the
100 “Best Modern Courses” for 2009. Led by Sebonack at No. 7 (up
three spots from the last ranking), the other Nicklaus layouts were Muirfield
Village (No. 11); Harbour Town (No. 28); Castle Pines (No. 31); Mayacama (No.
38); The Concession in Sarasota, Fla. (No. 60); Shoal Creek in Alabama (No.
65); and Valhalla (No. 84).
Golfweek also released its 2009 state-by-state
ranking of America’s top public-access and resort courses for 2009 and 20 Nicklaus
Design golf courses were recognized in 15 states. Twelve of those courses made
their way into their respective state’s top five, while four took top honors–Cougar
Canyon Golf Links, a Nicklaus Design layout in Trinidad, Colo.; Bayside Resort
Golf Club in Fenwick Island, Del.; Old Works in Anaconda, Mont.; and Bear Trace
at Ross Creek Landing in Clifton, Tenn. Cougar Canyon was making its debut
in the ranking.
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