The Original Golf Magazine List of Greatest Courses

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In the process of researching my next post I came across the original list that Golf Magazine published in October 1979. In fact, it was not a "top 100" list but was the "50 Greatest Golf Courses in the World". It wasn't until 1982 that Golf Magazine expanded the list to 100 courses.

For the golf crazed, it gives us something more to do. I have long been looking for a reason to go to Italy to play golf and this list provides the incentive. The Pevero Golf Course in Sardinia was designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1967 and is on the original list. It rates a passing note in the original limited edition Confidential Guide to Golf Courses by Tom Doak and notes that it was funded with money from the Aga Khan. Sadly, like many courses that are new and initially hyped, but fade from the lists, Pevero is now a footnote among the world's greatest courses (a 1960s version of the idiot Trump courses).

The Pevero Golf Course in Sardinia

There are some shocking absences from the original list including Sunningdale (Old), National Golf Links of America, New South Wales and Royal Portrush. Asia and the Mediterranean also rate a lot high than they do today.

The 1979 list, which is organized by geography and is not numbered:

United States

Augusta National

Baltusrol (Lower), Springfield, NJ

Butler National, Oak Brook, IL

Champions Golf Course, Houston, TX

Cypress Point, CA

Firestone Country Club (South), Akron, OH

Harbourtown, GC, Hilton Head, SC

Medinah #3, Medinah, IL

Merion (East), Ardmore, PA

Muirfield Village, Dublin, OH

Oakland Hills (South), Birmingham, MI

Oakmont

Olympic Club, San Francisco, CA

Pebble Beach

Pinehurst #2

Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, NJ

Riviera Golf Club, Pacific Palisades, CA

Seminole Golf Club, North Palm Beach, FL

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY

Southern Hills CC, Tulsa, OK

Winged Foot (West), Mamaroneck, NY

Canada and Latin America

Club de Golf Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico

El Rincon Golf Club, Bogota, Columbia

Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Britain and Ireland

Ballybunion, GC, County Kerry, Ireland

Carnoustie Links, Dundee, Scotland

Muirfield, Scotland

Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin Ireland

Royal Birkdale, Southport, England

Royal County Down, Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Royal St. George's, Sandwich, England

St. Andrews (Old Course), St. Andrews, Scotland

Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland

Turnberry (Ailsa), Turnberry, Scotland

Wentworth, Surrey, England

Mediterranean

Club de Golf Sotogrande (Old Course), Cadiz Spain

Pevero Golf Club, Sardinia, Italy

Real Club De Campo, Madrid, Spain

Royal Golf Rabat, Dar-es-Salam, Morocco

Pacific, Far East and South Africa

Bali Handara Golf Club, Bali, Indonesia

Hirono Golf Club, Kobe, Japan

Kasumigaseki (East), Tokyo, Japan

Kawana Golf Club (Fuji), Ito, Japan

Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban, South Africa

Royal Hong Kong Golf Club, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Royal Melbourne (Composite), Melbourne, Australia

Royal Selangor Golf Club (Old), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Singapore Golf Club (Bukit), Singapore

Taiwan Golf & Country Club, Taipei, Taiwan

Wack Wack Golf & Country Club (East), Manila, Philippines

Royal Golf Rabat, Dar-es-Salam, Morocco

Post Title : The Original Golf Magazine List of Greatest Courses

The Original Golf Magazine List of Greatest Courses,