Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Golf Digest's Best New Courses

This just in from Golf Digest... nothing local

AMERICA’S BEST NEW COURSES NAMED IN GOLF DIGEST
Award’s 23rd Straight Year Recognizes the Best in Golf Course Design;
23 States with Courses Included

New York, NY—For the 23rd consecutive year, Golf Digest has unveiled the results of its survey of America's Best New Courses. The latest ranking, which also includes the Best New Canadian courses, appears in the January 2007 issue (on newsstands December 12).

The magazine selected King Carter Golf Club, in Virginia, as America’s Best New Public Under $75; Osprey Meadows, in the foothills of Idaho, as America’s Best New Public $75 and Over; The Concession Golf Club, east of Sarasota, Fla., as the year’s Best New Private Course; and The Stanwich Club, in Greenwich, CT, as America’s Best New Remodel. (The Remodel category was added in 2005 to recognize courses that underwent such extensive makeovers that the owners and members consider them new).

The full ranking and feature story on America’s Best New Courses 2006, along with additional course photography not appearing in the magazine, can be viewed now at www.golfdigest.com/bestnew.

“It was a season that celebrated authenticity in golf design,” said Ron Whitten, Golf Digest Senior Editor, Architecture. “America’s Best New Courses of 2006 reflect what pleasures can result when man and money yield to Mother Nature.”

King Carter Golf Club, America’s Best New Public Under $75, was designed by Joel Weiman (a first time Best New winner, who is the in-house course architect of Maryland based contractor McDonald & Sons). Located in southeast Virginia, the course was named after the 18th century tobacco baron, Robert (King) Carter, who previously owned the land.

Osprey Meadows, America’s Best New Public $75 and Over, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. (a five-time Best New Course winner) and Bruce Charlton and is located in central Idaho along the 21-mile-long Lake Cascade.

The Concession Golf Club, America’s Best New Private, was co-designed by Jack Nicklaus and British golf legend Tony Jacklin. The course is located outside of Sarasota, Fla., and marks Nicklaus’ sixth Best New win and Jacklin’s first.

The Stanwich Club, America’s Best New Remodel, is located in southern Connecticut. A longtime member of Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses (1969-’79 and 1987-2003), Stanwich has been extensively made over by Tom Fazio (a 12-time Best New winner—the most of any architect since the ranking’s inception).

As part of the America’s Best New Courses survey, the magazine also recognizes the Best New Canadian courses. The Ridge at Manitou, in Ontario, was designed by Thomas McBroom and is this year’s winner. This marks McBroom’s fifth Best New triumph in the Canadian category.

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AMERICA’S BEST NEW COURSES
Golf Digest January 2007 Issue
Best New Public Under $75
1. King Carter Golf Club, Irvington, VA; Joel Weiman, designer
2. Blue Heron Golf Club (Highlands & Lakes Nines), Median, OH; John Robinson, designer 3. Sundance at A-Ga-Ming Golf Resort, Kewadin, MI; Jerry Matthews, designer
4. The Shoals (Schoolmaster), Muscle Shoals, AL; Roger Rulewich and Bobby Vaughan, designers
5. The Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild, Patterson, LA; Rick Baril and Robert von Hagge, designers
6. Juniper Golf Course, Redmond, OR; John Harbottle, designer
7. Bergamont Golf Club, Oregon, WI; Andy North, designer
8. The Jewel Golf Club, Lake City, MN; Hale Irwin and Stan Gentry, designers
9. Callippe Preserve Golf Course, Pleasanton, CA; Brian Costello, designer
10. Mines Golf Course, Grand Rapids, MI; Mike DeVries, designer

Best New Public $75 and Over
1. Osprey Meadows, Donnelly, ID; Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Bruce Charlton, designers
2. Bandon Trails, Bandon, OR; Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, designers
3. Bay Creek Resort & Club (Nicklaus), Cape Charles, VA; Jack Nicklaus, designer
4. Northern Bay Golf Resort, Arkdale, WI; Dave Relford and Matt Mootz, designers
5. Classic Club, Palm Desert, CA; Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay and Vicki Martz, designers
6. Sunday River Golf Club, Newry, ME; Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Ty Butler, designers
7. The Prospector at Suncadia, Cle Elum, WA; Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay and Erik Larsen, designers
8. Bayside Resort Golf Club, Selbyville, DE; Jack Nicklaus, designer
9. Redstone Golf Club (Tournament Course), Humble, TX; Rees Jones, with David Toms, designers
10. The Meadows at Mystic Lake, Prior Lake, MN; Garrett Gill and Paul Miller, designers

Best New Private
1. The Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, FL; Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin, designers
2. Forest Creek Golf Club (North Course), Pinehurst, NC; Tom Fazio, designer
3. The Club at Carlton Woods (Fazio Course), The Woodlands, TX; Tom Fazio, designer
4. Champions Retreat Golf Club (Bluff & Island Nines), Evans, GA; Jack Nicklaus/Arnold Palmer, Ed Seay and Harrison Minchew, designers
5. 3 Creek Ranch Golf Club, Jackson, WY; Rees Jones, designer
6. Ballyneal, Holyoke, CO; Tom Doak, designer
7. Tumble Creek Golf Course at Suncadia, Cle Elum, WA; Tom Doak, designer
8. Daniel island Club (Ralston Creek Course), Daniel Island, SC; Rees Jones, designer
9. Stone Eagle Club, Palm Desert, CA; Tom Doak, designer
10. Tuhaye Golf Course, Tuhaye, UT; Mark O’Meara and Brit Stenson, designers

Best New Remodel
1. The Stanwich Club, Greenwich, CT; Tom Fazio, designer
2. The Country Club of Rochester, Rochester, NY; Gil Hanse, designer
3. Kingsmill Resort & Spa (River Course), Williamsburg, VA; Pete Dye, designer
4. Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, Radford, VA; Pete Dye, designer
5. Hermitage Country Club (Manakin Golf Course), Manakin-Sabot, VA; Keith Foster, designer

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What about Golf Magazine naming Lederach GC, a course you were sort of luke warm about, as one of their "Top 10 New Publics You Can Play?" That's a big deal.

Joe Logan said...

Good to hear from you, Steve, and good to bump into you and your wife at the movie the other night.

What I would say is that of all the emails I have received about Lederach since I wrote that review, only one person truly disagreed with me. That person is you.

Just the past couple of weeks, I got an email from a golfer/reader who had played Lederach for the first time. After the round, out of curiousity, he went back to see if I had reviewed it. His conclusion: I was tough on it but he agreed with every word.

Anonymous said...

I guess the people who are the "one and dones" at Lederach want more Center Squares, a nice walk in the park where they don't have to think, not that there's anything wrong with that. More than 20,000 rounds were played at Lederach in 2006. Let's see how they do in 2007. As you know, one of your favorite(sic) holes at Lederach, the 9th, will have a new expanded green next year allowing more pin placements.I guess you're waiting for #11 to be bulldozed.By the way, how in the world did Raven's Claw get ranked by Golfweek as #8 public in PA?

Joe Logan said...

I will go back to Lederach.

Maybe the change at the 9th green will help. Maybe I'll see things I didn't see the first two times around. Maybe I'll change my mind. It wouldn't be the first course to grow on over time.