Golf Digest’s Geoff Shackelford reveals his list of the 10 Best Golf Course Designs in America, and Pinehurst No. 2 made the list.
Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C. / Donald Ross (1935) 7,565 yards, Par 72
The design Donald Ross took from infancy to completion in his retirement years fell into disrepair during decades when architectural demands emphasized fairness. But now reflecting a desire by more golfers to tackle a somewhat-mysterious landscape, Pinehurst No. 2 again presents a series of cunning design-induced questions while never overwhelming the sandhills landscape re-exposed by Ross mentees Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. An inspiration to so many architects, everything about the Pinehurst No. 2 experience reflects the vision of its creators and shows that golf architecture does not need to be played by an ocean to elicit awe.
Mr. Shackelford prefaces his selection of golf courses for this list by saying, “Given golfers and their propensity to disagree on the merits of even the most revered masterpieces, proclaiming design perfection can be dangerous. However, these ten golf courses in their current form come as close to achieving architectural absoluteness thanks to a melding of strategic complexity, walk-in-the-park beauty, experiential purity and an overall sense of design permanence.”
Would you agree with his selections? To view the entire list, click here.
