2013-14 Ranking: America's 100 Greatest Public Courses ### The game's oldest ranking, established in 1966 [Single Page](/golf-courses/2013-02/100-greatest-public-courses?printable=true) | [Methodology](/golf-courses/2013-02/100-greatest-by-the-numbers) | [By The Numbers](/golf-courses/2013-02/100-greatest-by-the-numbers#bythenumbers) | [America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses](/golf-courses/2013-02/americas-100-greatest-golf-courses-ranking) | [Best In State](/golf-courses/united-states)

By Ron Whitten Photos by Dom Furore, Stephen Szurlej

January 07, 2013

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1. (1) PEBBLE BEACH G. LINKS__Pebble Beach / 800-654-9300 / pebblebeach.com6,828 yards, Par 72 | Points: 68.1169__1. (1) PEBBLE BEACH G. LINKSArchitecturally, there are a few better-designed courses than Pebble Beach. (After all, it's only No. 6 on America's 100 Greatest.) But no course tugs more at one's emotions. (Nine holes right on Carmel Bay -- the Nicklaus victories -- Watson's chip-in.) This is the course every fan wants to play, No. 1 on our ranking of Most Fun Public Courses last September. Our latest round took over 5 hours, as it seemed like every player wanted to film his every shot for memory's sake. Well, it's Pebble Beach. We relaxed and went with the flow.

2. (3) WHISTLING STRAITS (STRAITS)__Haven, Wis. / 800-344-2838 / whistlingstraits.com7,790, Par 72 | Points: 65.4037__2. (3) WHISTLING STRAITS (STRAITS)Pete Dye transformed dead-flat two-mile stretch of Lake Michigan frontage (once slated for a nuclear power plant) into what many call the Pebble Beach of the Midwest, although it's more akin to Ireland's Ballybunion. Where the Straits is superior than either of those two iconic courses is in its par-3 holes. All four border Lake Michigan and are outstanding.

3. (2) PACIFIC DUNES__Bandon, Ore. / 888-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.com6,633 yards, Par 71 | Points: 65.2226__3. (2) PACIFIC DUNESEvery hole causes your jaw to drop, every shot makes your pulse quicken. Plus, it's hard to believe that Pacific Dunes is not entirely natural, that some dunes were manmade, that some of the sand pits that edge fairways or greens weren't simply carved by ocean gales. Seamless architecture is what minimalist design is all about. Where the land was deficient, Tom Doak enhanced it in ways not readily detected.

4. (4) THE OCEAN COURSE__Kiawah Island, S.C. / 888-854-2924 / kiawahgolf.com7,356 yards, Par 72 | Points: 64.9984__4. (4) THE OCEAN COURSEOn the opposite coast from Pacific Dunes and far different. Some might call The Ocean Course a links, but water comes into play with annoying frequency and only some of the greens accept low, running approach shots, on Paspalum turf that is not conducive to bump-and-run. The Ocean Course is simply another example of the ingenuity and versatility of designer Pete Dye. Anyone who finds a resemblance to Dye's Whistling Straits in this course is pulling your leg.

5. (6) SHADOW CREEK__North Las Vegas, Nev. / 866-260-0069 / shadowcreek.com7,560 yards, Par 72 | Points: 64.0959__5. (6) SHADOW CREEKOne of a kind, and maybe Tom Fazio's finest work ever. Shadow Creek plays like a musical composition in three movements, with alternating heavy beats and light moments, building to an resounding crescendo. Every golfer should experience Shadow Creek at least once. Few remember Shadow Creek started out as a private course. It was Golf Digest's Best New Private Course of 1990.

6. (5) BANDON DUNES__Bandon, Ore. / 888-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.com6,732 yards, Par 72 | Points: 63.3770__6. (5) BANDON DUNESMaybe not as visually mesmerizing as Whistling Straits (which it beat for Best New Upscale Public Course of 1999), but talented golfers consider Bandon Dunes to be the consummate shotmaker's course, as good a total examination of one's game as there is in America. What's more, the holes are a more natural fit into the windswept terrain than the mammoth-mounded Straits Course. Bandon Dunes is also ranked sixth among our 50 Most Fun Public Courses.

7. (8) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 2)__Pinehurst, N.C. / 800-487-4653 / pinehurst.com7,495 yards, Par 72 | Points: 63.2606__7. (8) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 2)Pinehurst No. 2 has long been considered a great second-shot course because of its convex greens that demand precise iron play. After preparing the course for the 1999 U.S. Open, architect Rees Jones proclaimed No. 2 to be the greatest recovery-shot golf course in America. With Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw re-introducing hardpan rough and distressed turf off every fairway, No. 2 is now a great test of tee shots, too.

8. (7) BETHPAGE STATE PARK (Black)__Farmingdale, N.Y. / 516-249-4040 / nysparks.state.ny.us7,366 yards, Par 71 | Points: 63.1606__8. (7) BETHPAGE STATE PARK (Black)Gone are its rock hard tees, gravely bunkers, patchy fairways and thatchy greens. Bethpage Black now has the conditioning of a U.S. Open or Tour stop, both of which it has been in recent years. No need to sleep in the parking lot just to get a tee time anymore (just go online), but you may still have to verify your handicap. As a sign near the first tee states, Bethpage Black is an extremely difficult course recommended only for highly skilled players.

9. (9) TPC SAWGRASS (Players Stadium)__Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. / 904-273-3235 / tpcsawgrass.com7,215 yards, Par 72 | Points: 63.0514__9. (9) TPC SAWGRASS (Players Stadium)When TPC Sawgrass first opened, most tour pros hated it. (Remember Jack Nicklaus's description of those original greens? Like hitting a 5-iron onto the hood of a Volkswagen, he said.) So Pete Dye ripped up 10 greens to make them fairer. No need for average players to dread this fantasy come to life. Dye insists he designed the course so high handicappers can shoot their handicap if they'll simply use the appropriate tees and tack their way around the course, ignoring the heroic carries where real disaster awaits.

10. (New) ERIN HILLS G. CSE.__Erin, Wisc. / 866-772-4769 / erinhills.com7,823 yards, Par 72 | Points: 62.9113__10. (New) ERIN HILLS G. CSE.Despite the legend, Erin Hills wasn't designed initially to host a U.S. Open. Its original concept was a simple lay-of-the-land layout that would prove Mother Nature is indeed the best golf architect. The concept changed -- some greens moved, one blind par-3 eliminated -- as the quest for a U.S. Open grew. Erin Hills will host the event in 2017.

11. (11) SPYGLASS HILL G. CSE.__Pebble Beach / 800-654-9300 / pebblebeach.com6,960 yards, Par 72 | Points: 62.6363__11. (11) SPYGLASS HILL G. CSE.What is surprising to first-time players at Spyglass Hill is how hilly the course is, even on dunes holes like the par-4 second. The Monterey Pines are far taller than they appear in photos, too. But there's an intimacy to the holes, like the tandem par 3s -- 12 and 15 -- with tiny greens fronted by deep pools of water -- and an element of whimsy -- like the skinny apostrophe of a green on the fourth.

12. (NEW) OLD MACDONALD__Bandon, Ore. / 888-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.com6,978 yards, Par 71 | Points: 62.6150__12. (NEW) OLD MACDONALDWhen it opened three years ago, we predicted Old Macdonald would eventually become the most popular course at Bandon Dunes Resort, mainly because it has wide fairways and generous greens. At the urging of "Design Fairness proponent" Arthur Little, owner Mike Keiser installed a set of Royal Blue tee markers at 4,258 yards. That should just add to its popularity.

13. (10) ARCADIA BLUFFS G.C.__Arcadia, Mich. / 800-494-8666 / arcadiabluffs.com7,300 yards, Par 72 | Points: 62.2723__13. (10) ARCADIA BLUFFS G.C.The rugged dunes-like topography of Arcadia Bluffs was always there, just hidden beneath a forest that was removed to construct the course. What makes this lakefront layout different than other lakeside ones, say Whistling Straits or Bay Harbor, are its distinctive stacked-sod bunkers. They're not circular pot holes found at most links. Arcadia's are curvaceous, with vertical faces that bend and roll around both concave and convex corners.

14. (15) BLACKWOLF RUN (RIVER)__Kohler, Wis. / 800-344-2838 / blackwolfrun.com7,404 yards, Par 72 | Points: 61.7320__14. (15) BLACKWOLF RUN (RIVER)The first encounter with the serpentine Sheboygan River is from the tee on the gorgeous par-4 fifth, so far right that it merely frames the picture. But it creeps ever closer on the next few holes, always in the slice zone, until the reachable par-4 ninth, where it taunts us to carry it and go directly for the green. The river hugs the next four holes too, then disappears, only to reappear on the last three holes, this time on the left. What a water park.

15. (12) KARSTEN CREEK G.C.__Stillwater, Okla. / 405-743-1658 / karstencreek.com7,407 yards, Par 72 | Points: 61.5329__15. (12) KARSTEN CREEK G.C.Karsten Creek, winner of Golf Digest's Best New Public Course title in 1994, was developed by Oklahoma State University and thus is also often at the top of rankings of the best collegiate courses in America. Bold in its features and contours, this is Tom Fazio in a surprisingly challenging mood. Karsten Creek is potentially one of the toughest layouts on America's 100 Greatest Public.

16. (14) BANDON TRAILS__Bandon, Ore. / 800-345-6008 / bandondunesgolf.com6,765 yards, Par 71 | Points: 61.5018__16. (14) BANDON TRAILSBandon Trails is much like Spyglass Hill on the Monterey Peninsula, not directly adjacent to the Pacific Ocean but still a tremendous romp through coast terrain. Its opening and finishing holes are in more rugged sand dunes than Spyglass, and while its forest holes might lack the towering drama of the Monterey pines found at Spyglass, the tumbling topography of Bandon Trails provides a majesty all its own.

17. (18) THE PETE DYE CSE. AT FRENCH LICK RESORT__French Lick, Ind. / 888-936-9360 / frenchlick.com8,102 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.9761__17. (18) THE PETE DYE CSE. AT FRENCH LICK RESORTIf you're foolish enough to want to play Pete Dye at French Lick from the tips, you'll do a lot of walking back from previous greens to those tees. From the 6,400-yard white markers, however, you'll breeze though an 18. Pete Dye and his companions have twice played the course from those tees in under three-and-a-half hours. It's an incredibly easy walk for a mountain course. Pete Dye at French Lick was Golf Digest's Best New Public Course of 2009.

18. (21) HARBOUR TOWN G. LINKS__Hilton Head Island / 800-955-8337 / seapines.com7,101 yards, Par 71 | Points: 60.9168__18. (21) HARBOUR TOWN G. LINKSThe 16th at Harbour Town has contributed a term to golf. Back when Pete Dye was building the course, he was asked to dispose of a huge quantity of sewer sludge from housing developments on Hilton Head, so he dug a big pit to the left of the par-4 16th, had it dumped in there, then covered it with acres of sand. The late golf writer Charlie Price, who lived on the island, took one look at it and dubbed it a "waste bunker." Actually, that's the sanitized version of what he called it. But "waste bunker" is the term that stuck.

19. (17) KAPALUA (Plantation)__Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii / 877-527-2582 / kapaluamaui.com7,411 yards, Par 73 | Points: 60.8925__19. (17) KAPALUA (Plantation)Here's a curious fact: Kapalua's Plantation Course, built on old pineapple fields, is irrigated by the same system used a hundred years ago to water those fields. A century-old stone aqueduct brings water from the top of a rain-soaked volcano down to a pond that sits 800 feet above the course. The pond supplies Kapalua's sprinkler system, which is pressurized solely by gravity.

20. (16) THE QUARRY AT GIANTS RIDGE__Bibawik, Minn. / 800-688-7669 / giantsridge.com7,201 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.8816__20. (16) THE QUARRY AT GIANTS RIDGEIt doesn't get the press that courses like Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Whistling Straits or Arcadia Bluffs, but The Quarry at Giants Ridge plays very links-like with its collection of fairway speed slots, greenside bankboards and backstops and reverse camber greens. Its very inventive design also demands some aerial play too, and its 13th is a drivable par-4 that's nearly as wide as it is long, with three alternate routes to a 100-yard-wide green.

21. (13) THE HIGHLAND COURSE AT PRIMLAND__Meadows of Dan, Va. / 866-960-7746 / primland.com7,053 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.7456__21. (13) THE HIGHLAND COURSE AT PRIMLANDThe Highland Course at Primland, named in 2007 as the year's Best New Public Course in the $75 and Over category, sits atop a mountain plateau overlooking some of the most unusual scenery in America, a deep river valley dotted with tall spirals of rock. The course design by veteran British architect Donald Steel is austere in its green contours and bunkering, as if not to overpower the setting.

22. (19) THE PRINCE COURSE__Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii / 800-826-1105 / princeville.com7,378 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.5374__22. (19) THE PRINCE COURSEThe Prince is a prince, indeed. It was Golf Digest's Best New Resort Course of 1990 and a member of America's 100 Greatest from 1993 until this year, when it dropped off. (It's presently No. 107 on our Second 100 Greatest). The course was closed during 2011 to allow for a total renovation. The new and improved Prince now has Seashore Paspalum turf and some of the surrounding jungle cut back for playability.

23. (20) FOREST DUNES G.C.__Roscommon, Mich. / 939-275-0700 / forestdunesgolf.com7,116 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.4085__23. (20) FOREST DUNES G.C.Forest Dunes is another course, like Spyglass Hill, that has portions that look like Augusta National (pristine turf, pines and gleaming white sand bunkers) and other portions that look like Pine Valley (rugged holes edged by native sand dunes deposited by the nearby Au Sable River). Forest Dunes has clever greens with subtle contouring, with some treacherous pin positions just beyond false fronts of steep putting surface or just beside fall-away ear lobes leading off the sides of greens.

24. (30) PASATIEMPO G.C.__Santa Cruz, Calif. / 831-459-9155 / pasatiempo.com6,500 yards, Par 70 | Points: 60.3351__24. (30) PASATIEMPO G.C.Pasatiempo is arguably Alister Mackenzie's favorite design. After all, he lived along its sixth fairway during the last years of his life. With its elaborate greens and spectacular bunkering fully restored by Tom Doak, Pasatiempo is a classic example of Mackenzie's art. The back nine, playing repeatedly over deep barrancas, is a test for even the most talented of golfers.

25. (25) CHAMBERS BAY__University Place, Wash. / 253-460-4653 / chambersbaygolf.com7,585 yards, Par 72 | Points: 60.0956__25. (25) CHAMBERS BAYBy the time Golf Digest named Chambers Bay as America's Best New Public Course of 2008, the course had already been awarded the 2010 U.S. Amateur and 2015 U.S. Open by the U.S. Golf Association. In the Amateur, it proved to be hard, both in the firmness of its dry fescue turf (Jones called the fairways, "hardwood floors") and in difficulties around and on the windswept greens. Some greens have been toned down for the Open, which should be a rare experience.

26. (24) THE HOMESTEAD (Cascades)__Hot Springs, Va. / 800-838-1766 / thehomestead.com6,667 yards, Par 70 | Points: 59.8292__26. (24) THE HOMESTEAD (Cascades)As Morrison & Paul point out in their comprehensive biography of William S. Flynn, Seth Raynor was originally consulted about building the Cascades course, but declared the property insufficient. So the relative unknown Flynn got the job and made the most of it. Cascades was ranked by Golf Digest as one of America's 100 Greatest for 40 years and is No. 129 on our exclusive Second 100 Greatest ranking in 2013.

27. (22) MAY RIVER G.C. AT PALMETTO BLUFF__Bluffton, S.C. / 866-706-6565 / palmettobluff.com7,171 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.8185__27. (22) MAY RIVER G.C. AT PALMETTO BLUFFBuilt some 35 years after nearby Harbour Town Golf Links, May River is an interesting contrast in Jack Nicklaus's portfolio, an equally low-profile layout with a number of bump-and-run approach shots but with several Pine Valley-like waste areas. It has a classic routing with the first nine turning clockwise through forest, the back nine circling counter-clockwise and both touching repeatedly on the wetlands of namesake May River.

28. (23) PRONGHORN CLUB (Nicklaus)__Bend, Ore. / 866-372-1003 / pronghornclub.com7,379 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.7940__28. (23) PRONGHORN CLUB (Nicklaus)When it first opened, Pronghorn was strictly private and its Nicklaus Course was ranked by Golf Digest as No. 2 among America's Best New Private Courses of 2004. Two years ago, the club (which also has a Fazio-designed 18), began allowing public play on its Nicklaus track, whose back nine may be the most delightful Jack has ever designed, with gambling holes and gorgeous scenery at every turn.

29. (31) THE BROADMOOR G.C. (East)__Colorado Springs / 800-634-7711 / broadmoor.com7,355 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.6572__29. (31) THE BROADMOOR G.C. (East)Few golfers recognize that the East Course at The Broadmoor is a combination of Donald Ross holes (one through six and 16 through 18) and Robert Trent Jones ones (holes seven to 15). The East was the site of Jack Nicklaus's first U.S. Amateur win in 1959 and Annika Sorenstam's first U.S. Women's Open win in 1995. It has also hosted the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, won by Eduardo Romero, and 2011 U.S. Women's Open, won by So Yeon Ryu.

30. (New) DORMIE C.__West End, N.C. / 855-955-1999 / dormieclub.net6,883 yards, Par 71 | Points: 59.6192__30. (New) DORMIE C.Conceived as an exclusive private club just a few miles north of Pinehurst, the economic downturn forced owners to open its doors to outside play last year. The design is typical of Coore & Crenshaw, a timeless look where holes often play to targets obscured by landforms, bunkers or ground-hugging green contours. Play it soon. One never knows when Dormie will revert to its original business plan.

31. (27) MAUNA KEA G. CSE__Kohala Coast, Hawaii / 808-882-5400 / maunakeabeachhotel.com7,370 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.5374__31. (27) MAUNA KEA G. CSEThe immediate thrill at Mauna Kea is its now-iconic par-3 third, a daunting tee shot over an ocean cove that's a great substitute for those unable to gain an invitation to tackle the 16th at Cypress Point. The remaining holes at Mauna Kea are thrilling too, with constant views of the ocean, awkward lies on sloping fairways and roughs of crunchy lava rock.

32. (26) OSPREY MEADOWS AT TAMARACK RES.__Donnelly, Idaho / 208-325-4653 / tamarackidaho.com7,319 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.4615__32. (26) OSPREY MEADOWS AT TAMARACK RES.Osprey Meadows burst onto the golf scene as the upset victor in Golf Digest's 2006 survey of America's Best New Public Courses $75 and Over, beating out heavy favorite Bandon Trails. It then suffered through a period of economic recession but has regained its bearings and recovered its conditioning. There may be no lovelier course to play during the autumn months.

33. (37) THE CHALLENGE AT MANELE__Lanai City, Lanai, Hawaii / 808-565-2222 / golfonlanai.com7,039 yards, Par 72 | Points: 59.4052__33. (37) THE CHALLENGE AT MANELEIf anything, The Challenge at Manele should be even more popular than Mauna Kea, as it has not just one, but three ocean-cove holes, including the par-3 12th and dogleg-right par-4 17th. But it's ranked two positions below (and tiny fraction of a point behind) Mauna Kea. The Challenge is used to being an underdog. It was a seventh place finisher in Golf Digest's ranking of Best New Resort Courses of 1994. (World Woods's Pine Barrens Course won that year.)

34. (New) THE GREENBRIER (Old White TPC)__White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. / 855-453-4858 / greenbrier.com7,274 yards, Par 70 | Points: 59.2869__34. (New) THE GREENBRIER (Old White TPC)C.B. Macdonald's nearly 100-year-old design of the Old White at The Greenbrier was always respected, but after Lester George's restoration of it (re-establishing such things as a Principal's Nose bunker and Dragon's Teeth mounds), Golf Digest panelists rediscovered its pleasures and ranked it the Best New Public Remodel of 2007.

35. (29) OLD WAVERLY G.C.__West Point, Miss. / 662-494-6463 / oldwaverly.com7,000 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.8496__35. (29) OLD WAVERLY G.C.A carefully crafted design, Old Waverly was No. 3 among Best New Private Courses in 1989 and was the site of Juli Inkster's first U.S. Women's Open win in 1999. It has twice been ranked among America's 100 Greatest, from 1995 to 1998 and from 2005 to 2006. Five years ago, the former private club became semi-private, began accepting outside play and soon made our ranking of America's 100 Greatest Public Courses.

36. (32) SEA ISLAND G.C. (Seaside)__St. Simons Island, Ga. / 855-572-4975 / seaisland.com7,055 yards, Par 70 | Points: 58.8141__36. (32) SEA ISLAND G.C. (Seaside)The resort continues to credit H.S. Colt for its Seaside design, but in truth the present Seaside Course is purely Tom Fazio, who incorporated an original Colt-designed nine (called Seaside) along with the Marshland 9 designed by Joe Lee in 1974 to create a new 18 hole course. But in keeping with the resort's heritage, Fazio styled his new course in the manner of Colt, with big clamshell bunkers as well as exposed sand dunes off most of the windswept fairways.

37. (28) WOLF CREEK G.C.__Mesquite, Nev. / 866-252-4653 / golfwolfcreek.com6,939 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.7947__37. (28) WOLF CREEK G.C.Wolf Creek is a fantasy calendar come to life, with holes clinging to stark canyon hillsides and plunging down narrow ravines. A genuine amateur architect design (although Jim Engh provided an early routing), Wolf Creek finished third in Golf Digest's survey of America's Best New Upscale Public Courses of 2001, behind Pacific Dunes and Arcadia Shores. All three are now ranked among the Top 40 on this year's America's 100 Greatest Public.

38. (43) TORREY PINES G. CSE. (South)__La Jolla, Calif. / 800-985-4653 / torreypinesgolfcourse.com7,628 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.6949__38. (43) TORREY PINES G. CSE. (South)Torrey Pines sits on one of the prettiest golf course sites in America, atop coastal bluffs north of San Diego with eye dazzling views of the Pacific. Rees Jones's remodeling of the South Course in the early 2000s not only made the course competitive for the 2008 U.S. Open, it brought several coastal canyons into play for everyday play, especially on the par-3 third and par-4 14th. This is the highest ranking yet for Torrey Pines on America's 100 Greatest Public. It once was ranked 93rd.

39. (35) WHISTLING STRAITS (Irish)__Haven, Wis. / 855-444-2838 / whistlingstraits.com7,201 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.6420__39. (35) WHISTLING STRAITS (Irish)The Irish Course has same manufactured dunescape as found on its more famous sister Straits Course, but has three major differences. The fairways are bent grass, not fescue, on the Irish. That allows carts to be used by players. (It's walking only on the Straits.) And the Irish has the only blind par 3 found at Whistling Straits, 183 yards over sand hills to a huge green ringed by over a dozen bunkers. Doesn't get more Irish than that.

40. (41) FALLEN OAK G.C.__Saucier, Miss. / 877-805-4657 / fallenoak.com7,487 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.5999__40. (41) FALLEN OAK G.C.Although it didn't get built for another 15 years, Fallen Oak Golf Club was first conceived by Las Vegas casino mogul Steve Wynn soon after Tom Fazio had completed Shadow Creek. Wynn wanted Fazio to do a similar course for his Beau Rivage casino hotel on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Wynn's empire got swallowed by MGM Grand, which ultimately had Fazio design Fallen Oak. Unlike Shadow Creek, it's built from a graceful rolling forest dotted with wetlands, so there was no need for mammoth earth-moving.

41. (34) PAA-KO RIDGE G.C.__Sandia Park, N.M. / 866-898-5987 / paakoridge.com7,562 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.3951__41. (34) PAA-KO RIDGE G.C.Paa-Ko Ridge, Golf Digest's Best New Affordable Public Course of 2000, is quite long from the tips and regular tees. Yes, a golf ball carries farther at its 6,500-foot elevation, but Paa Ko also plays long because both nines work up mountain foothills for several holes before playing downhill. The 496-yard par-4 seventh is the same shape and dimensions as the 10th at Augusta National and the back tee of the par-4 17th, atop a butte, affords perhaps the best vista in New Mexico. There are very wide and deep greens here, too, so a depth chart is a must.

42. (45) BARTON CREEK C.C. (Fazio Canyons)__Austin / 866-572-7369 / bartoncreek.com7,153 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.3836__42. (45) BARTON CREEK C.C. (Fazio Canyons)Unlike its older brother, the Fazio Foothills Course, which had been among America's 100 Greatest Public in 2011-2012 but slipped off this year, the Fazio Canyons courses at Barton Creek has wider corridors, softer slopes and more gentle bunkering. But it also has plenty of water in play, in the form of streams, creeks and ponds. The 561-yard 18th is especially water laden, playing over the same serpentine boulder-edged creek twice.

43. (62) PGA WEST (TPC Stadium)__La Quinta, Calif. / 800-742-9378 / pgawest.com7,300 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.2131__43. (62) PGA WEST (TPC Stadium)Originally private, the TPC Stadium Course (the original 18 at PGA West) was a candidate for Golf Digest's Best New Private Course of 1986. It finished third. It was also once involved in the old Bob Hope Desert Classic, until some pros petitioned to remove it. It's one of Pete Dye's rambunctious best, with a finish that mimics his later design at TPC Sawgrass: a gambling par-5 16th (called San Andres Fault), a short par-3 17th to an island green and an intimidating par-4 18th with water hard against the left edge all the way to the green.

44. (63) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 4)__Pinehurst, N.C. / 855-235-8507 / pinehurst.com7,117 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.1893__44. (63) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 4)Tom Fazio recently said that he felt his work at Pinehurst No. 4 was perhaps his best remodeling job to date. Confined by the existing corridors of the old layout, Fazio created an unusual complement to neighboring No. 2 Course by adding two new par 3 holes, styling the greens with slopes and run-offs, creating large expanses of native sand and then peppering the land with 180 pot bunkers, most of them in clusters guarding doglegs and pin placements.

45. (36) TULLYMORE G.C.__Stanwood, Mich. / 800-972-4837 / stivesgolf.com7,250 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.1096__45. (36) TULLYMORE G.C.Architect Jim Engh doesn't do conventional. His Tullymore design in central Michigan has probably the longest, skinniest set of putting surfaces of any course on America's 100 Greatest Public, along with the longest, skinniest set of bunkers, most of which are deep trenches with repeating knobs that bring to mind Art Deco. Tullymore was Golf Digest's Best New Upscale Public Course of 2002, and was also ranked among America's 100 Greatest from 2007-2010.

46. (39) THE HARVESTER G.C.__Rhodes, Iowa / 641-227-4653 / harvestergolf.com7,340 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.0993__46. (39) THE HARVESTER G.C.The Harvester is a throwback design, incorporating the look, feel and playing qualities of classic old courses built 75 years ago. Holes seem to emerge from the land, greens and bunkers have an angular appeal to them and other crisp-edged features flow in long horizons across the landscape. Harvester finished second among America's Best New Affordable Public Courses of 2001 to The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, which is ranked No. 99 on this year's 100 Greatest Public.

47. (T48) PINE NEEDLES LODGE & G.C.__Southern Pines, N.C. / 800-747-7272 / pineneedles-midpines.com7,015 yards, Par 71 | Points: 58.0740__47. (T48) PINE NEEDLES LODGE & G.C.Whenever golfers visit Pinehurst, they always book rounds at Pinehurst No. 2 as well as the others at the resort. Pine Needles, just down the highway in Southern Pines, often gets overlooked. It shouldn't, especially since its Donald Ross heritage was reinforced by a restoration by John Fought nearly 10 years ago. Pine Needles has hosted two U.S. Women's Opens, so was it being overlooked when the 2014 U.S. Women's Open was awarded to Pinehurst No. 2? No. The USGA has already indicated that Pine Needles will host another sometime in the future.

48. (73) PROMONTORY, THE RANCH CLUB (Dye Canyon)__Park City, Utah / 888-458-6600 / promontoryclub.com7,615 yards, Par 72 | Points: 58.0120__48. (73) PROMONTORY, THE RANCH CLUB (Dye Canyon)Pete Dye's elder son Perry Dye loves the challenge of tough sites (he's moved mountains to build several in Japan), so it wouldn't be surprising to learn that Perry convinced Pete that a great course could be carved from this rugged Utah terrain. Some holes plunge down crevices between mountain slopes. Others leapfrog over badlands of rock and sagebrush. As with most Dye designs, the greens are tricky, the bunkering extensive and there's rarely a level lie. Unbelievable vistas enhance any round at Promontory.

(49) CROSSWATER__Sunriver, Ore. / 800-801-8765 / sunriver-resort.comBob Cupp (1995)7,683 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.5838__(49) CROSSWATERPart of Crosswater was reportedly built in the meadow where John Wayne, as Rooster Cogburn, filmed his climactic charge with guns blazing in the 1969 film, True Grit. The Bob Cupp design is far more subtle than a Wayne western, with low-profile greens edged by graceful chipping areas and fairways intersected repeatedly by the Big and Little Dechutes rivers. Crosswater was Golf Digest's Best New Resort Course of 1995.

50. (72) MATTAPONI SPRINGS G.C.__Ruther Glen, Va. / 804-633-7888 / mattaponisprings.com6,937 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.8952__50. (72) MATTAPONI SPRINGS G.C.Mattaponi Springs was carved from a dense Virginia pine forest by Bob Lohmann and his then-associate Mike Benkusky, the team that also produced (in the same year) the private Canyata in Illinois, ranked No. 37 on Golf Digest's new ranking of America's 100 Greatest. Mattaponi finished second to Minnesota's Wilderness at Fortune Bay in our survey of America's Best New Upscale Public Courses of 2005.

51. (56) LONGABERGER G.C.__Nashport, Ohio / 740-763-1100 / longabergergolfclub.com7,243 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.8927__51. (56) LONGABERGER G.C.Designer Hills called Longaberger "probably as beautiful a piece of property as I've ever had to work with," when he built the course over a dozen years ago. Told to route the course to preserve as many trees as possible, Hills made the brawny Longaberger wander gracefully from ridge top to valley, testing every shot with uphill, downhill and sidehill lies. It's Art Hills' most natural design, and won Golf Digest's award for Best New Upscale Public Course of 2000.

52. (46) THE DUNES G. & BEACH CLUB__Myrtle Beach / 855-409-2177 / thedunesclub.net7,195 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.7984__52. (46) THE DUNES G. & BEACH CLUBIts ocean dunes are mostly covered with turfgrass and mature trees now, but when Robert Trent Jones built The Dunes back in the late 1940s, the property was most windswept sand dotted with lagoons. Those lakes come in prominently on many holes, particularly on the 11th through 13th, dubbed Alligator Alley. (The boomerang-shaped par-5 13th is also called Waterloo.) The home hole, with a pond in front of the green, started as a gambling par 5 but today is a daunting par 4.

53. (61) CASCATA__Boulder City, Nev. / 702-294-2005 / golfcascata.com7,137 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.7933__53. (61) CASCATAOne of the great engineering feats in golf thus far in this century, Cascata climbs up and down a steep, rocky mountain hillside southeast of Vegas. Cascata is authentically Nevada on the edges, the barren areas akin to Wolf Creek in Mesquite, but its turfed areas, planted with date palms, ironwoods and willows, and crossed by endless babbling brooks, is something of a salute to nearby Shadow Creek. Cascata plays mostly uphill on the front, downhill on the longer back nine. The ninth tee is 600 feet above the clubhouse; it reportedly snowed on the ninth one day while people were dining on the patio below.

54. (50) GOLDEN HORSESHOE (Gold)__Williamsburg, Va. / 800-648-6653 / colonialwilliamsburg.com/golf6,817 yards, Par 71 | Points: 57.7679__54. (50) GOLDEN HORSESHOE (Gold)Back in 1966, Golden Horseshoe was ranked among America's 200 Toughest Courses by Golf Digest. How times change. Earlier this year, we ranked The Gold Course as one of America's 50 Most Fun Public Courses. "Trent Jones in his kinder, gentler persona," we wrote. "Even the island green seventh hole is a generous target."

55. (76) ATUNYOTE G.C.__Verona, N.Y. / 877-748-4653 / turningstone.com7,315 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.7004__55. (76) ATUNYOTE G.C.A stern championship test for a casino resort destination, Tom Fazio's Atunyote features a pond or wetlands in play on three of the first nine holes and on all but one hole on the back nine. Only a handful of holes play in mature woods, the rest have newly planted trees that are rapidly maturing. Atunyote hosted the 2006 BC Open on the PGA Tour, which became the Turning Stone Resort Championship in 2007 through 2010.

56. (42) G.C. AT CUSCOWILLA__Eatonton, Ga. / 800-458-5351 / cuscowilla.com6,847 yards, Par 70 | Points: 57.6905__56. (42) G.C. AT CUSCOWILLAPart of a sterling list of Ten Best New Upscale Public Courses of 1999 (which included Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, Bay Harbor and Tobacco Road), the Golf Club at Cuscowilla has wowed our panelists with its variety of terrain, from piney woods to meadow holes to waterfront holes along Lake Oconee. Its inverted-saucer greens are in keeping with the low profile design of the layout. From the day it opened, Cuscowilla has played firm and fast, years before that became popular.

57. (68) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 8)__Pinehurst, N.C. / 800-487-4653 / pinehurst.com7,092 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.6092__57. (68) PINEHURST RESORT (No. 8)Located not within the Pinehurst Resort complex but about a mile north, Pinehurst No. 8 is one of Tom Fazio's most versatile designs, as each hole plays differently from the previous. The front nine is mostly tree-lined, the back more open, with both touching on ponds, marsh and Pine Valley-like sandy wastelands. For putting surfaces, Fazio built crowned greens with greenside swales as a salute to Donald Ross and Pinehurst No. 2.

58. (70) SPRING CREEK G.C.__Gordonsville, Va. / 540-832-0744 / springcreekgolfclub.com7,389 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.6067__58. (70) SPRING CREEK G.C.Spring Creek was an upset winner of Golf Digest's 2007 award for America's Best New Public Course Under $75. With its sprawling bent-grass fairways and greens framed by a dense forest of hardwoods and massive sculptured bunkers, the course looks like a Tom Fazio design. Designer Ed Carton learned the business working for Fazio, but he achieved Spring Creek at a fraction of a Fazio budget.

59. (40) THE WILDERNESS AT FORTUNE BAY__Tower, Minn. / 800-992-4680 / golfthewilderness.com7,207 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.5826__59. (40) THE WILDERNESS AT FORTUNE BAYIn 2005, The Wilderness at Fortune Bay won America's Best New Upscale Public Course, a year after architect Jeff Brauer won the same award for The Quarry at Giant's Ridge, also in northern Minnesota. Where The Quarry uses slopes and ramps, Wilderness rewards aerial play, with some high-low alternate fairways, lake-edged greens and a pair of drop-shot par 3s. As we wrote back in 2005, "its options outnumber its rock outcroppings, and there are outcroppings galore."

60. (57) THE LINKS AT SPANISH BAY__Pebble Beach / 800-654-9300 / pebblebeach.com6,821 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.5179__60. (57) THE LINKS AT SPANISH BAYThe Links at Spanish Bay was the first true links course built in America in many decades, but it took years for conveyor belts to deposit sand atop exposed bed rock to return this mined-out sand quarry back to a linkland site. The trio of designers, playfully dubbed "The Holy Trinity," thoughtfully shaped an 18 that looks natural, plays strategically and is sensitive to the coastal wetland environment.

61. (92) CORDEVALLE G.C.__San Martin, Calif. / 408-695-4590 / cordevalle.com7,169 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.4361__61. (92) CORDEVALLE G.C.Located in the little-known but abundant golfing area south of San Jose, the gorgeous CordeValle, climbing and descending soft hills dotted with gnarled oaks, was a private club when it first opened, but is a high-end resort destination these days and a popular tournament host. Besides hosting the U.S. Women's Senior Amateur in late September 2013, it will officially kick off the PGA Tour's newly expanded 2013-2014 season with the Frys.com Open in the second week of October 2013.

62. (60) BLACKWOLF RUN (Meadow Valleys)__Kohler, Wis. / 855-444-2838 / blackwolfrun.com7,250 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.3602__62. (60) BLACKWOLF RUN (Meadow Valleys)Even before Pete Dye completed the River Course at Blackwolf Run, he had taken the front nine of the original Blackwolf Course (Best New Resort winner of 1988) and merged it with a newly-constructed nine to form the Meadows Valley Course. The Sheboygan River isn't in play as much on Meadows Valley as it is on the River, but there are plenty of deep bunkers and tricky pin positions.

63. (64) PUMPKIN RIDGE (Ghost Creek)__North Plains, Ore. / 503-647-4747 / pumpkinridge.com6,839 yards, Par 71 | Points: 57.3290__63. (64) PUMPKIN RIDGE (Ghost Creek)The once and future king of golf, Pumpkin Ridge's Ghost Creek Course was Golf Digest's Best New Public Course of 1992 and, with spectator vantage points installed during construction, was positioned to host major championships. But the 1996 U.S. Amateur (the third and final win by Tiger Woods), the 1997 and 2003 U.S. Women's Opens and 2006 U.S. Women's Amateur were all played on the club's private 18, Witch Hollow. A major could still be in the cards for Ghost Creek. It's that good.

64. (47) COG HILL G. & C.C. (No. 4)__Lemont, Ill. / 866-264-4455 / coghillgolf.com7,554 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.3111__64. (47) COG HILL G. & C.C. (No. 4)Some tour pros were critical of Rees Jones's remodeling of Cog Hill No. 4, insisting it's too hard for high handicappers. Well, its nickname is, after all, Dubsdread. That's because original owner Joe Jemsek wanted a ball-busting championship course when it was built back in the mid-1960s. Jones's renovation was true to the philosophy of original architect Dick Wilson, who liked to pinch fairways with bunkers and surround greens with more bunkers, all of them deep.

65. (66) BAY HARBOR G.C. (Links/Quarry)__Bay Harbor, Mi. / 231-439-4028 / bayharborgolf.com6,724 yards, Par 70 | Points: 57.2948__65. (66) BAY HARBOR G.C. (Links/Quarry)One of three grand "new Pebble Beaches" that debuted in the late 1990s, Bay Harbor was ranked third in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Upscale Public Courses of 1999, behind the twin juggernauts (and fellow Pebble Beach clones) Bandon Dunes and Whistling Straits. Bay Hill consists of 27 holes, but we rank its Links 9, which plays mostly on a plateau overlooking Lake Michigan, and its Quarry 9, which dips in and out of a lakefront stone quarry.

66. (67) TETHEROW G.C.__Bend, Ore. / 541-388-2582 / tetherow.com7,298 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.2734__66. (67) TETHEROW G.C.A decade after David McLay Kidd established his architectural reputation with the original Bandon Dunes course, he returned to Oregon, settled in Bend and built another dazzling course, Tetherow. Far different than Bandon, with a manufactured landscape of lumps and bumps, plus a couple of lakes, it nonetheless has the same fescue as at Bandon, so tee shots get plenty of roll and approach shots can be bounced to flagsticks.

67. (T53) THE CLASSIC AT MADDEN'S RESORT__Brainerd, Minn. / 800-642-5363 / maddens.com7,102 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.2500__67. (T53) THE CLASSIC AT MADDEN'S RESORTIt's a genuine amateur architect design, although course superintendent Scott Hoffmann consulted with a veteran designer as well as others when creating The Classic at Madden's. It's beautiful but not for the faint of heart, a hilly course with some narrow, pine-lined fairways and occasional challenging shots over water from sidehill or downhill lies. But, like other multiple course operations such as Bethpage and Cog Hill, Madden's has easier alternative layouts for high-handicappers.

68. (71) PELICAN HILL (Ocean South)__Newport Coast, Calif. / 800-315-8214 / pelicanhill.com6,580 yards, Par 70 | Points: 57.2294__68. (71) PELICAN HILL (Ocean South)One highlight of Pelican Hill's Ocean South Course, which was Golf Digest's Best New Resort Course of 1992, are the 12th and 13th, back-to-back par 3s tucked on a ledge just above the Pacific Ocean, the latter with alternate greens. Although the rest of the course is farther from the coastline, mostly on highlands above the Pacific Coast highway, the entire 18 offers spectacular views and challenging golf.

69. (44) BLACK LAKE G.C.__Onaway, Mich. / 989-733-4653 / blacklakegolf.com7,046 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.2097__69. (44) BLACK LAKE G.C.Black Lake was a definite departure from the usual style of architect Rees Jones. There's not an artificial mound to be found on the course. It has an old-fashioned northeastern look, playing around cranberry bogs and a small sand quarry, with holes meshing seamlessly into the surrounding terrain and dense tree lines. Greens are mostly plateaus with bunkers recessed into the faces. Black Lake was runner-up to Longaberger in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Upscale Public Courses of 2000.

70. (New) RED SKY G.C. (Norman)__Wolcott, Colo. / 866-873-3759 / redskygolfclub.com7,580 yards, Par 72 | Points: 57.1690__70. (New) RED SKY G.C. (Norman)There are two 18s at Red Sky Ranch, one by Greg Norman, the other designed by Tom Fazio. Public play on each alternates on a daily basis. A ridgeline separates the two courses (the ridge designated as a wildlife corridor), with the Norman 18 positioned on a western slope, affording long-range views of the Rockies to the west and south. The equally scenic Fazio, facing eastward, scored below what was needed to make America's 100 Greatest Public.

71. (84) KALUHYAT G.C.__Verona, N.Y. / 877-748-4653 / turningstone.com7,105 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.9873__71. (84) KALUHYAT G.C.Another course at New York's Turning Stone Resort ranked among the Top 100 Public, Kaluhyat opened a year before sister course Atunyote. Kaluhyat is an out-and-back routing (the eighth green is farthest from the clubhouse) on a hilly piece of property, with 50 feet of elevation change. It has more forested holes, more water hazards and forced carries than Atunyote.

72. (T81) GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT & SPA (The Bear)__Acme, Mich. / 231-534-6000 / grandtraverseresort.com7,078 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.9808__72. (T81) GRAND TRAVERSE RESORT & SPA (The Bear)Another out-and-back routing (like Kaluhyat, the eighth green is the farthest point from the clubhouse), the Nicklaus-designed Bear leap-frogs over 12 water hazards between first and last hole. Built at the height of the mania of difficult golf, The Bear had at one time the highest course and slope ratings in the country. But that phase has passed. They no longer even post them on the scorecard.

73. (New) BOYNE HIGHLANDS RESORT (Heather)__Boyne, Mich. / 800-462-6963 / boyne.com7,118 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.9523__73. (New) BOYNE HIGHLANDS RESORT (Heather)This is the course that really triggered the golf boom in Northern Michigan. Ski lodge owner Everett Kircher had Trent Jones built it so he could sell hotel rooms during the summer. The Heather made America's 100 Greatest in 1971 and remained on the list until 1989. The long par-4 18th over water is considered one of Trent's toughest closing holes ever, but truth is, Kircher dug the big pond in front of the green without Trent's knowledge.

74. (T48) CAMP CREEK G.C.__Panama City Beach, Fla. / 850-231-7600 / campcreekgolfclub.com7,151 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.8920__74. (T48) CAMP CREEK G.C.Conceived as an exclusive private club, Camp Creek is now a resort facility open to guest play. A reported two million tons of sand were reshaped to create the rolling topography, with the front nine in sand dunes and lagoons close to the Gulf of Mexico and the back nine farther inland amongst dense pines. Nearly every water hazard is on the left on the opening nine, on the right on the closing nine. Elaborate sand-scapes and buffer bunkers give Camp Creek its distinct character.

75. (85) NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT (Mystic Rock)__Farmington, Pa. / 800-422-2736 / nemacolin.com7,550 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.8292__75. (85) NEMACOLIN WOODLANDS RESORT (Mystic Rock)Mystic Rock is one of the more curious courses Pete Dye ever designed, with mostly oval greens and rectangular bunkers. Because many holes were blasted from rock, some holes have fields of boulders in the rough and all water hazards are bulkheaded with stacked stone. The course concludes with Dye's favorite finish, a gambling par-5 16th, a 17th over water (in this case, 205 yards over water) and a now-strong par-4 18th. Mystic Rock's 18th was rebuilt and lengthened before the course first hosted a PGA Tour event, the 84 Lumber Classic from 2003 to 2006.

76. (55) WORLD WOODS G.C. (Pine Barrens)__Brooksville, Fla. / 352-796-5500 / worldwoods.com7,259 yards, Par 71 | Points: 56.8195__76. (55) WORLD WOODS G.C. (Pine Barrens)Back when Golf Digest named the Pine Barrens Course at World Woods America's Best New Resort Course of 1994, most panelists said the layout, carved from sand-based pine plantation, immediately compared it favorably to Pine Valley, with its similar belts of sand and vegetation lining each hole. Pine Barrens also has some canyons of sand that jut into fairways and pose risks and rewards. The Pine Barrens Course was ranked among America's 100 Greatest from 1999 until 2003.

77. (T86) THE BULL AT PINEHURST FARMS__Sheboygan Falls, Wis. / 800-584-3285 / golfthebull.com7,354 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.7671__77. (T86) THE BULL AT PINEHURST FARMSLocated less than a half mile down a highway from Blackwolf Run (thus reinforcing the old adage that great golf comes in clusters), The Bull was built from a legendary cattle farm (breeding champion Holsteins) that was indeed called Pinehurst. The 18 weaves around homesites for the first three holes, then alternates stretches of holes into thick pines and back out onto pasture. Nicklaus designed a couple of interesting dual fairway holes and a surprising number of cross hazards.

78. (59) BULLE ROCK__Havre de Grace, Md. / 888-285-5375 / bullerock.com7,375 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.6853__78. (59) BULLE ROCKAnother great course built from a farm, this one the old Blenheim Farm that had been the home of many thoroughbred race horses. Indeed, Bulle Rock is named for a direct descendant of the very first thoroughbred stud brought to America. Dye's bold design spreads over 275 acres, with no homesites or amenities other than golf. Besides being named America's Best New Upscale Public Course of 1998, Bulle Rock hosted the LPGA Championship from 2005 through 2009.

79. (T88) BAYSIDE RESORT G.C.__Selbyville, Del. / 302-436-3400 / golfbayside.com7,545 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.5906__79. (T88) BAYSIDE RESORT G.C.Jack's first design in Delaware starts along an expanse of Roy Creek as it spills into the Intracoastal Waterway, the moves through salt marsh, across meadows and between clusters of woods in a continuous loop, with the 11th hole (nearly across the state line into Maryland) farthest from the clubhouse. Chicago-based golf architect Rick Jacobson, a former Nicklaus associate, is an uncredited collaborator on Bayside's design.

80. (New) MAKAI G.C. (Makai)__Princeville, Kauai / 808-826-1912 / makaigolf.com7,223 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.4974__80. (New) MAKAI G.C. (Makai)The first solo design of Robert Trent Jones Jr. (Makai was called Princeville Makai when it opened in 1972), situated on bluffs overlooking Kauai's Hanalei Bay and pipeline surf. Two of its three nines (the Lake and Ocean 9s) were recently regrassed and rebunkered by Jones and partner Bruce Charlton, who also re-established the width of several holes. The untouched Woods 9, now considered the resort's walking course, provides a dramatic reminder of golf 40 years ago.

81. (T74) COEUR D'ALENE RESORT G. COURSE__Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / 208-667-4653 / cdaresort.com6,803 yards, Par 71 | Points: 56.4686__81. (T74) COEUR D'ALENE RESORT G. COURSEEverybody plays Coeur d'Alene Resort for the experience of hitting to the famous floating island green par-3 14th, which is certainly worth the trip. But the rest of the immaculate par 71 design is terrific too, especially its four other par 3 holes, including the back-to-back, downhill fifth and sixth, with Lake Coeur d'Alene as their backdrop.

82. (New) KO'OLAU G.C.__Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii / 808-247-7088 / koolaugolfclub.com7,310 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.4292__82. (New) KO'OLAU G.C.When Golf Digest named America's 50 Toughest Courses back in 2007, Ko'olau was ranked third. When the ranking was expanded in 2012 to America's 75 Toughest, Ko'olau dropped all the way to No. 25. Has a tiger become a pussycat? Not likely. It still gets 130 inches of rain per year (mostly in short durations), so you won't get much roll on your tee shots, and its roughs are still tropical rain forests. Take your camera. When the sun shines, the scenery is unsurpassed.

83. (38) OCEAN COURSE AT HAMMOCK BEACH RESORT__Palm Coast, Fla. / 386-447-4611 / hammockbeach.com7,201 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.4265__83. (38) OCEAN COURSE AT HAMMOCK BEACH RESORTThe Ocean Course was something of an experimental plot for Nicklaus, who was working on an exclusive private course nearby at the same time. He applied the turf varieties and natural bunker shapes from The Ocean to his design of the Bears Club in Jupiter. One thing he couldn't duplicate at Bears Club was Ocean's proximity to the ocean. Six of Ocean Course's holes touch the Atlantic coastline (the most in the state), with nine and 18 playing parallel to the beach.

84. (New) TRUMP NATIONAL DORAL (TPC Blue Monster)__Miami / 800-713-6725 / doralresort.com6,701 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.3840__84. (New) TRUMP NATIONAL DORAL (TPC Blue Monster)The PGA Tour has played an event at Doral every year since 1962, and players' struggles, in high Florida winds and bumpy Bermuda greens, gave the Blue its "Blue Monster" nickname. But over the decades, equipment shortened the course and players starting winning with 23-under. Doral was remodeled twice to strengthen its defenses, with little success. New owner Donald Trump will close the Blue Monster in 2013 to have architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner take their shot at returning some teeth to it.

85. (T81) TURTLE BAY RESORT (Palmer)__Kahuku, Oahu, Hawaii / 808-293-8574 / turtlebayresort.com7,218 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.3650__85. (T81) TURTLE BAY RESORT (Palmer)Back when it was known as The Links at Kuilima, the course finished fourth in Golf Digest's survey of Best New Resort Courses of 1993. Today, it's the only one of the Top 5 from that ranking to be included among 2013's America's 100 Greatest Public. The course, whose stunning par-4 17th plays to a green perched on Oahu's north shore, was the site of the Turtle Bay Championship on the Champions Tour from 2001-2003 and 2005-2008.

86. (T86) BLACK MESA G.C.__La Mesilla, N.M. / 505-747-8946 / blackmesagolfclub.com7,307 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.3572__86. (T86) BLACK MESA G.C.Back when Black Mesa was named Golf Digest's Best New Affordable Course of 2003, we described it as a "mountainous minimalist design," a design even more impressive than Pacific Dunes because it was tougher to shape sandstone rock into golf holes and still make it look natural. Our opinion remains the same, as does our concern about the severity of some of Black Mesa's greens. As we said back then, nothing at Augusta National comes close to the steep slopes of Black Mesa's 16th green.

87. (78) TOBACCO ROAD G.C.__Sanford, N.C. / 877-284-3762 / tobaccoroadgolf.com6,554 yards, Par 71 | Points: 56.2099__87. (78) TOBACCO ROAD G.C.The late Mike Strantz was the game's most unconventional course designer. He called his firm Maverick Golf Design for good reason. Tobacco Road was a classic example. In the horse-drawn carriage neighborhood of Pinehurst No. 2, he created a landscape more suitable to motocross, with mammoth hills and deep craters. Each hole looked intimidating from the tee but revealed plenty of elbow room for tee shots and approaches, as well as spin-outs and crash landings.

88. (New) LINVILLE G.C.__Linville, N.C. / 800-742-6717 / eseeola.com6,959 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.1738__88. (New) LINVILLE G.C.It's not the oldest course in North Carolina. That was an earlier Linville Golf Club. This one, in much the same location, is a Donald Ross design started in 1924 that took four years to complete. It has a surprising number of parallel holes and a surprising number of unbunkered greens, but several holes are menaced by Grandmother Creek and nearly all of them afford views of Grandfather Mountain.

89. (New) MADERAS G.C.__Poway, Calif. / 858-451-8500 / maderasgolf.com7,167 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.0952__89. (New) MADERAS G.C.A rare core design with residential homes amidst rock-dotted hillsides around its perimeter, Maderas features ponds, lakes, creek gulches, dry washes, canyons and chasms as hazards and sports some of the longest greens in southern California. Its setting below the San Jacinto mountain range is invigorating.

90. (79) KINGSMILL RESORT (River)__Williamsburg, Va. / 800-832-5665 / kingsmill.com6,831 yards, Par 71 | Points: 56.0700__90. (79) KINGSMILL RESORT (River)Typical of a Pete Dye design, critics howled when Kingsmill's River Course first opened, calling it "wicked, nasty, mean" and complaining about its 350-yard-long fairway bunker and green with four separate terraces. (Both features have since been greatly modified.) The River hosted a PGA Tour event from 1981 to 2002 and an LPGA event from 2003 to 2009 and again in 2012.

91. (New) POIPU BAY RESORT G.C.__Koloa, Kauai, Hawaii / 808-742-8711 / poipubaygolf.com7,123 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.0327__91. (New) POIPU BAY RESORT G.C.On the opposite end of the Garden Island from the Prince and Makai courses is Poipu Bay. It, too, runs along the rocky coastline (at a lower elevation than either Prince or Makai) and sports tropical vegetation and drop-dead views of jagged volcanic peaks. It, too, has been recently recarpeted with Paspalum turf.

92. (65) EDGEWOOD TAHOE G. CSE.__Stateline, Nev. / 775-588-3566 / edgewood-tahoe.com7,552 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.0314__92. (65) EDGEWOOD TAHOE G. CSE.Tom Fazio was just 20 years old when he supervised construction of Edgewood Tahoe for his uncle, George Fazio. The original design was low budget and simple in concept, so as not to compete with the stunning scenery of its Lake Tahoe locale. A rebunkering by Ron Fream helped Edgewood Tahoe land the 1985 U.S. Senior Open, won by Miller Barber. Edgewood has twice been ranked among America's 100 Greatest, from 1985 to 1992 and 1999 to 2000.

93. (91) WAILEA G.C. (Gold)__Wailea, Maui, Hawaii / 888-328-6284 / waileagolf.com7,078 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.0098__93. (91) WAILEA G.C. (Gold)Wailea's Gold Course was fashioned by using parts of the resort's old Orange Course. (Other holes of the Orange are now part of Wailea's Emerald Course.) The Gold finished ninth in Golf Digest's survey of America's Best New Resort Courses of 1994 behind, among others, No. 1 World Woods (Pine Barrens) and No. 7 Challenge at Manele. It has clearly gained in stature with our panelists in the past 19 years.

94. (New) BULLY PULPIT G. CSE.__Medora, N.D. / 701-623-4653 / medora.com7,166 yards, Par 72 | Points: 56.0001__94. (New) BULLY PULPIT G. CSE.A rarity for 21st Century Golf, Bully Pulpit was constructed with a budget of less than $1 million and was named Golf Digest's Best New Affordable Course of 2005. The crowd-pleasing design flows with cottonwoods and along the south bank of the Little Missouri River until, after the 13th, it moves upward to a three-hole stretch in dramatic Badlands canyons of pink and red rock.

95. (69) ELK RIDGE G.C.__Atlanta, Mich. / 800-626-4355 / elkridgegolf.com7,072 yards, Par 72 | Points: 55.9643__95. (69) ELK RIDGE G.C.The sprawling Elk Ridge layout, in glorious northern Michigan terrain of woods and wetlands and runner-up in Golf Digest's Best New Public Course of 1991, has two of the more memorable holes on America's 100 Greatest Public. The downhill 184-yard par-3 10th sports a pig-shaped bunker on the right, a reminder that the course was developed by the owner of Honeybaked Ham Company. The par-4 16th was chosen by Golf Digest in 1996 as one of the Best 18 holes among public Places to Play.

96. (83) CIRCLING RAVEN G.C.__Worley, Idaho / 800-532-2464 / circlingraven.com7,189 yards, Par 72 | Points: 55.9366__96. (83) CIRCLING RAVEN G.C.An amenity for the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort, a few miles southwest of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Circling Raven plays has open meadows holes and pine-lined holes, each separated from the other by a railroad bed. So expansive it requires a cart, Circling Ravens' wide open spaces make it fun to play with a free-wheeling game, particularly the 336-yard 10th, which tempts us to aim right for the green over a vast expanse of wetlands.

97. (New) CALEDONIA G. & FISH C.__Pawleys Island, S.C. / 800-483-6800 / fishclub.com6,526 yards, Par 70 | Points: 55.9362__97. (New) CALEDONIA G. & FISH C.Caledonia was the first solo design in the short, brilliant career of Mike Strantz, an 18 shoehorned into a oak-dotted sand-dune parcel so tight that the ninth is a pitch-shot par 3 over the entry road to a wide green that's smaller than the bunker fronting it. No room for a practice range either. Use the one across the highway at sister course True Blue, another Strantz gem.

98. (New) TPC OF MYRTLE BEACH__Murrells Inlet, S.C. / 843-357-3399 / tpc.com6,950 yards, Par 72 | Points: 55.9152__98. (New) TPC OF MYRTLE BEACHThe ninth-place finisher in Golf Digest's ranking of America's Best New Upscale Public Courses of 1999, TPC Myrtle Beach is one of six from that year's Top 10 now ranked among America's 100 Greatest Public. The others are Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits (Straits), Bay Harbor, Golf Club of Cuscowilla and Tobacco Road. Clearly, 1999 was a great year for golf design.

99. (T88) THE G.C. AT REDLANDS MESA__Grand Junction, Colo. / 866-863-9270 / redlandsmesa.com7,007 yards, Par 72 | Points: 55.8136__99. (T88) THE G.C. AT REDLANDS MESAGolf Digest's Best New Affordable Public Course of 2001 is a hugely scenic layout at the base of the pink and red sandstone Colorado National Monument. With its surroundings of flat-top buttes and mesas, and one box canyon green site, it's like playing golf in the Garden of the Gods or at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

100. (T99) THE DONALD ROSS CSE. AT FRENCH LICK RESORT__French Lick, Ind. / 888-936-9360 / frenchlick.com7,030 yards, Par 70 | Points: 55.7901__100. (T99) THE DONALD ROSS CSE. AT FRENCH LICK RESORTEven before the Donald Ross Course at French Lick hosted the 1924 PGA Championship, one golf writer gushed, "It's the kind of course that would make an old hard-nosed Scot stand on the first tee and cry like a baby. This course is no place for prissy fashion boys. People don't perspire on it, they sweat." While the far newer Pete Dye Course at French Lick now better resembles that description, the Ross Course, faithfully restored by Lee Schmidt, is still much as it was back in 1922.

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