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The Complete History of Best New Courses

Take a look back at all the annual winners, dating back to 1983

1987 (appeared in the Feb., 1988 issue): Best New Public Courses
1. Heather Glen G. Links, Little River, S.C., Willard Byrd. (Now Heather Glen's 1st & 2nd 9s)
2. Edinburgh USA G. Cse., Brooklyn Park, Minn., Robert Trent Jones Jr.
3. Vineyard G. Cse., Cincinnati, Jack Kidwell & Michael Hurdzan.

Best New Resort Courses
1. Semi-Ah-Moo G. & C.C., Blaine, Wash., Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay.
2. Treetops at Sylvan Resort, Gaylord, Mich., Robert Trent Jones & Roger Rulewich. (Now Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece Cse. at Treetops)
3. Boyne Mountain G.C. (Monument Cse.), Boyne Falls, Mich., William Newcomb.

Best New Private Courses
1. Wade Hampton G.C., Cashiers, N.C., Tom Fazio.
2. Valhalla G.C., Louisville, Jack Nicklaus.
3. Barton Creek G.C., Austin, Tex., Tom Fazio. (Now Barton Creek's Fazio Foothills Cse.)

Comments: Tom Fazio made his first appearance in the winner's circle. His Wade Hampton later made our 100 Greatest list. So did runner-up Valhalla, the much-maligned two-time PGA Championship site. Barton Creek, third in private, and a former 100 Greatest course, is now open to public play.

1988 (appeared in the Feb., 1989 issue): Best New Public Courses
1. Blackwolf Run G.C., Kohler, Wis., Pete Dye. (Now 9 of Blackwolf's River Cse. & 9 of its Meadows Valley Cse.)
2. Page Belcher G. Cse. (Stone Creek Cse.), Tulsa, Okla., Don Sechrest.
3. Michaywe Hills G.C. (Lake Cse.), Gaylord, Mich., Jerry Matthews (Now called The Lake G.C.)

Best New Resort Courses
1. The Links at Spanish Bay, Pebble Beach, Calif., Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sandy Tatum & Tom Watson.
2. The New Course at Grand Cypress, Orlando, Jack Nicklaus.
3. Teton Pines G.C., Jackson, Wyo., Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay.

Best New Private Courses
1. Black Diamond Ranch G. & C.C., Lecanto, Fla., Tom Fazio. (Now Black Diamond's Quarry Cse)
2. Indianwood G.& C.C. (New Cse.), Lake Orion, Mich., Bob Cupp & Jerry Pate.
3. Metedeconk National G.C., Jackson, N.J., Robert Trent Jones & Roger Rulewich. (Now Metedeconk's 1st & 2nd 9s)

Comments: Tom Fazio recorded his second win in as many years, Jones and Dye their second since 1983. Dye's Blackwolf Wolf was later split into 36 holes, but the 18 that won Best New was the 18 that hosted the 1998 U.S. Women's Open. Black Diamond's Quarry Cse. in now a member of the 100 Greatest, while Spanish Bay has been on and off several times. In 1988, it cost $90 to play Spanish Bay, $57 to play Blackwolf but only $40 (as a guest of a member) to play the private Black Diamond Ranch.

1989 (appeared in the Feb., 1990 issue): Best New Public Courses
1. Cantigny G.C., Wheaton, Ill., Roger Packard.
2. Eagle Bend G.C., Bigfork, Mont., William Hull. (Now 9 of Eagle Bend's Ridge Cse & its 9-hole Lake Cse.)
3. Desert Dunes G.Cse., Palm Springs, Calif., Robert Trent Jones Jr.
4. Timber Ridge G.C., East Lansing, Mich., Jerry Matthews.
5. Moreno Valley Ranch G.C., Moreno Valley, Calif., Pete Dye.

Best New Resort Courses
1. Kauai Lagoons G. & C.C. (Kiele Cse.), Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii, Jack Nicklaus.
2. Stoney Creek G.C., Wintergreen, Va., Rees Jones. (Now Stoney Creek's Monocan & Shamokin 9s)
3. Sedona Golf Resort, Village of Oak Creek, Gary Panks.
4. Ventana Canyon Golf & Racquet C. (Canyon Cse.), Tucson, Tom Fazio.
5. Lake Lanier Islands Hotel & G.C., Lake Lanier Islands, Ga., Joe Lee & Rocky Roquemore. (Now called Emerald Pointe G.C.)

Best New Private Courses
1. Shadow Glen G.C., Olathe, Kan., Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf.
2. Forest Highlands G.C, Flagstaff, Ariz., Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf. (Now Forest Highlands' Canyon Cse.)
3. Old Waverly G.C., West Point, Miss., Bob Cupp & Jerry Pate.
4. Hallbrook C.C., Leawood, Kan. Tom Fazio.
5. Hammock Dunes G. Links, Palm Coast, Fla., Tom Fazio.

Comments: We expanded to a Top 5 in each category in 1989, which turned out to be a most distinguished class. Shadow Glen (Morrish & Weiskopf's second win), Forest Highlands and Old Waverly, top three in the Private category, all subsequently made the 100 Greatest, although only Forest Highlands remains on the list. Kauai Lagoons eventually made it, only to fall off after a hurricane extensively damaged it. Both Cantigny and Moreno Valley Ranch were the only 27-hole complexes ever honored in our Best New survey.

1990 (appeared in the Feb., 1991 issue): Best New Public Courses
1. Tidewater G.Links, North Myrtle Beach, S.C., Ken Tomlinson (using a Rees Jones routing).
2. Bryan Park G.C. (Champions Cse.), Brown Summit, N.C., Rees Jones.
3. Crumpin' Fox C., Bernardston, Mass., Roger Rulewich.
4. Deer Creek G.C., Overland Park, Kan., Robert Trent Jones Jr.
5. Green Spring G. Cse., Washington City, Utah, Gene Bates.

Best New Resort Courses
1. The Prince Cse., Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii, Robert Trent Jones Jr.
2. The King's G.C., Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii, Jay Morrish and Tom Weiskopf.
3. Boyne Highlands G.C (Donald Ross Memorial Cse.), Harbor Springs, Mich., William Newcomb, Everett Kircher, Stephen Kircher, Jim Flick & the spirit of Donald Ross.
4. Ko Olina G.C., Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, Ted Robinson.
5. Eagle Creek Resort G. Cse., Findlay, Ill., Ken Killian.

Best New Private Courses
1. Shadow Creek, North Las Vegas, Nev., Tom Fazio & Steve Wynn.
2. Sycamore Hills G.C., Fort Wayne, Ind., Jack Nicklaus.
3. Sherwood C.C., Thousand Oaks, Calif., Jack Nicklaus.
4. Wynstone G.C., North Barrington, Ill., Jack Nicklaus.
5. Marbella G. & C.C., San Juan Capistrano, Calif., Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf.

Comments: A true amateur architect won in the Public category with Tidewater, although tax attorney Ken Tomlinson had Rees Jones do his preliminary routing. A course dedicated to Donald Ross -- by reproducing some of his best holes -- contended in the Resort category. Robert Trent Jones Jr. and Tom Fazio become the first architects to notch three Best New wins. It was a tourism victory for Hawaii in the Resort Category, while Nicklaus dominated in the Private ranks, although his Sycamore Hills lost to Shadow Creek. The top four Private courses later landed on our 100 Greatest, but only Shadow Creek and Sycamore Hills remain on it.

1991 (appeared in the Feb., 1992 issue): Best New Public Courses
1. Harbour Pointe G.C., Mukilteo, Wash., Arthur Hills.
2. Elk Ridge G.C, Atlanta, Mich., Jerry Matthews.
3. Eaglesticks G. Cse., Zanesville, Ohio, Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry.
4. Windsor Parke G.C., Jacksonville, Fla., Arthur Hills.
5. The Legends G.C. (Moorland Cse.), Myrtle Beach, S.C., P.B. Dye.

Best New Resort Courses
1. The Ocean Cse., Kiawah Island, S.C., Pete Dye.
2. Kapalua G.C. (Plantation Cse.), Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii, Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw.
3. Coeur d'Alene Resort G.C., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Scott Miller.
4. Troon North G.C., Scottsdale, Ariz., Jay Morrish & Tom Weiskopf. (Now Troon North's Monument Cse.)
5. The Pines at Grand View Lodge, Nisswa, Minn., Joel Goldstrand. (Now The Pines' Lakes & Woods 9s)

Best New Private Courses
1. The Golf Club of Georgia (Lakeside Cse.), Alpharetta, Ga., Arthur Hills.
2. Golf Club of Tennessee, Kingston Springs, Tenn., Tom Fazio.
3. Chenal C.C., Little Rock, Ark., Robert Trent Jones Jr.
4. Robert Trent Jones G.C., Lake Manassas, Va., Robert Trent Jones & Roger Rulewich.
5. Loch Lloyd C.C., Belton, Mo., Don Sechrest.

Best New Canadian Courses
1. Devil's Pulpit G.C., Caledon, Ont., Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry.
2. King Valley G.C., King City, Ont., Doug Carrick.

Comments: Art Hills became the first architect to win two Best New categories in a single year. The Ocean Course, now a 100 Greatest member, hosted the Ryder Cup later in 1991, while Private honorable mention Robert Trent Jones G.C. (at one time, also on the 100 Greatest) has since hosted three Presidents Cups. Troon North, fourth among Resort courses, later made the 100 Greatest, but dropped off in 1999. We introduced a new Canadian category in 1991, finally acknowledging that great things were happening north of the border.