The greatest courses in the world...

[Bravo]

Golf Digest spends a lot of effort on rating courses. For a long time - they had the top 100 US courses - which were largely private. Now they have the following in the May issue:

1) Top 100 US.
2) Top 100 Public
3) Top courses in each state.
4) Top courses in the world outside of the US.

To determine the world courses, they sent questionaires to golf organizations in each country across the world soliciting nominations. From this, they received 1005 nominations. Then they distributed the names of these courses to their raters, which include low handicap golfers in many areas of the world...

I was perusing the list last night and did a quick country count...

1) Scotland (not surprisingly) was 1st with 13 courses.
2) Canada (shows my ignorance) was Tied for 1st - also with 13. I never would have thought this.
3) England was a strong 2nd with 10.
4) Australia/New Zealand (combined) had 14.
5) Ireland/Northern Ireland had 7 - which was impressive.

Here in the states, we get such tremendous TV coverage of the Open Championship, that we have fairly high awareness of the Open rota courses...St. Andrews, Muirfield etc. So the names on there from Scotland and England are familiar.

On the other hand, Canada only has one televised event per year - the Canadian Open. I guess this is why I was surprised Canada tied Scotland for 1st place. I just don't get any exposure to the great courses on TV.

But I was really blown away by the Australia/New Zealand numbers with 14. I'll bet I have never seen a single hole televised from Australia.

In any event, I recommend you buy this issue of Golf Digest because I think they do a fairly good job and spend a lot of effort on this.

[Rockford35]

Canada has so many nice courses. Most are tucked away in nooks and crannies, but many are right under your nose.

Here's a new one that opened in my neck of the woods:

Dakota Dunes Golf Course

R35

[DaveE]

That's a nice looking course. The rates seem reasonable too.

If we manage to pull off the outing in November and this becomes a regular thing, I think it would be nice to go North one year. Maybe we could pick a month when it's hotter than hell here and head your way.

[Rockford35]

Sure. It's cheap for you guys, that's forsure.

R35

[Bravo]

I would love to get out of the heat in the middle of August. I Do Not play past a 7:30 am tee time from mid-June through August. It is just too hot...

About three years ago, the wife and oldest daughter took a trip to Missoula Montana in August. Oh Gawd - it was heaven on earth...beautiful mountains and lows in the 50s at night and highs in the 70's in the day.

Judging from the map, that's not too far from Regina...

[Rockford35]

Missoula is an outstanding place. So nice there. We stopped on our way west a few years ago after spending a week in Yellowstone. Great country.

We played a course in Red Lodge, Montana. Man, was it sweet. One hole had a picturesque view of the mountains overlooking a 160 yard par 3 that had at least 100 feet of vertical drop.

I hit a wedge and it still went into the drink behind the green.

I would do the Montana thing in a second. Great country.

R35

[DaveE]

I guess we need to get the Novermber outing off the ground first but I would jump at the chance to get out of here mid-summer. Plus, I love hitting the ball at higher elevations so I can feel like a long knocker.

[Rockford35]

Well, Regina is 1853ft ASL. If we headed out to the "hills", we might make 1900.

Maybe.

Missoula is way above us. In the foothills, sorta. If you come in from the south, it's sucha great view coming down to the city. Really breathtaking if you're not from that sort of country.

R35

[VtDivot]

www.highlandslinksgolf.com

That one is probably one of the 13 in Canada, I would imagine. I play it every summer when I go home to Nova Scotia on vacation, it's a real treat; very inexpensive too. It was ranked as high as 50 something in the world at one point I think.

[VtDivot]

Originally Posted by rockford35

Canada has so many nice courses. Most are tucked away in nooks and crannies, but many are right under your nose.

Here's a new one that opened in my neck of the woods:

Dakota Dunes Golf Course

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Rock

Grooming looks superb there... I love how's it's cut right out of the Prairie. 41$ green fees is awesome too!!! I've never made it west of T.O., but would love to get out that way someday. Nice looking country, much different than Eastern Canada or NorthEastern USA that's for sure

[Silver]

Yeah, we have some really fantastic courses out this way as well.

This is about 30 minutes out of my home town and about 4 hours from Vancouver:

http://www.predatorridge.com/

This is supposed to be really amazing as well:

http://www.greywolfgolf.com/

Whistler (co-home of the 2010 Olympics with us) has a couple of nice courses (Nicklaus and Palmer each designed courses up there) and there are a few more in the Interior, plus some of the private courses around here are supposed to be fantastic.

I've never played anywhere but here, but there is some truly spectacular golf in really wonderful weather year round (a little chilly in the winter and a little warm sometimes during the summer, but not too bad). We're very lucky.

[MAHALLEDAY]

http://www.golfclearlake.com

IMO best cousre in Manitoba, certainly the best course I've ever played.

[Bravo]

1) National GC - Woodbridge
2) St.George's Islington
3) Hamilton G and CC - Ancaster
4) Beacon Hall - Aurora
5) Highlands Links - Breton
6) Redtail GC - Port Stanley
7) Capilano GC - Vancouver
8) Royal Montreal
9) Greywolf GC - Panorama
10) Banff Springs GC
11) Angus Glen - Markham
12) Lynx at Kingswood Park - Fredericton
13) Fox Harbor GC- Wallace

It pissed me off that the article did not mention the province of each course, only the town. The only places I recognize are Vancouver and Montreal.

Where are the rest of these courses located??

[Rockford35]

They're all in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia, or, as the rest of the world seems to see it, "Canada".

I had a look through those courses and shook my head. Good, yes, but deserving over some that I've played that are beyond the noses of a bunch of prisses? Most of those courses are semi-private or private. And super expensive to play. I'd rather play some of the nice courses around here than pay 125CDN to be looked down apon because I don't make 200K+ a year or better.

I'm an average guy that knows good golf when he sees it. I'm not taken by flowers, parking lots or clubhouses. It's all about how the course plays, the feel of it and the challenge.

Come to Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta. Or even the East Coast. Fantastic courses there.

I should mention that Banff Springs is in Alberta, and it is a great course.

R35

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by VtDivot

Rock

Grooming looks superb there... I love how's it's cut right out of the Prairie. 41$ green fees is awesome too!!! I've never made it west of T.O., but would love to get out that way someday. Nice looking country, much different than Eastern Canada or NorthEastern USA that's for sure

VT,

That course is actually built on a huge sand dune left there by glacial deposition. It's built on a Native Reserve, the head greenskeeper there is a friends brother in law. He's meticulous at keeping that course in as good a shape as he can, a challenge being that it's built on sand. Of course, taking a divot is sweet, you can just pelt that grass and put it back into the hole.

Saskatchewan has many, many hidden wonders. Waskaesiu, White Bear, Mainprize, Madge Lake, all fantastic course that are more than challenging.

I'll make everyone here a pact, that if I win a considerable lottery, i'll pay to have everyone flown up here for a driving tour of Saskatchewan and it's courses, all expenses paid.

You have my word on that.

R35