If you're a golf fan, you're familiar with what's called the "rota." It's the list of courses that churn out major championships like the University of Miami churns out NFL prospects.
You can probably name several of the staple courses in the rota off the top of your head: Pebble Beach, Oakmont, Winged Foot, St. Andrews, Medinah, Southern Hills, Pinehurst... and the list goes on. A major championship is played at these courses about once every 10 years.
But, there are so many other courses which deserve to host one of golf's grandest events. Yet, they never have, and probably never will. Here are the top 10 courses that should host a major championship:
Shadow Creek Golf Course-- Las Vegas, NV
Not only is Shadow Creek downright cool, featuring a par-3 situated on a waterfall and several holes winding around clear blue lakes, but its location just outside downtown Las Vegas couldn't be better. The tournament would attract plenty of tourists looking to mix in a little golf with their gambling and intoxication, plus the local golf scene in Vegas is quite strong.
The bad news: Shadow Creek isn't really built to accommodate spectators. It was designed more as a haven for degenerate gamblers to get their mind off of blackjack strategies for a while, so it features lots of expensive landscaping and unnecessary bodies of water (a calming sight after you've lost $25,000 at a baccarat table, I'd imagine).
By the way, I have a nagging curiosity: if John Daly were exempt to a major played at Shadow Creek, is there any chance he'd make his tee time? Or, would he skip the tournament for a few extra hours drinking at the Palms? Perhaps long John would be motivated to play after spending 15 hours at the $500 slots. Wouldn't it be fun to find out?
Peachtree Golf Club-- Atlanta, GA
While Jim Nantz brings us all to the point of tears with his soft lucid poems about the beauty of Augusta National, another Bobby Jones masterpiece sits just a few miles away in Atlanta. Peachtree features a Southern plantation-type design just like Augusta National, and is every bit as gorgeous.
However, there is already a major championship played in Georgia (it's called the Masters in case you haven't heard of it). And, with the Tour Championship being held at East Lake in Georgia (another Bobby Jones design), I doubt that Georgians would be granted a third marquee event.
Sand Hills Golf Club-- Mullen, NE
It’s hard for a newer course to earn a major championship, especially one guarded by its members. Sand Hills, a Crenshaw design, is consistently ranked #1 on lists of the best new courses in America. Yet, it’s a course that the casual golfer probably has never even heard of.
For a course to reach “classic” status, it has to host major events. And, it would be nice to highlight new, unplayed courses like Sand Hills instead of old relics all the time. Remember the amazing success that Whistling Straits had for the 2004 PGA Championship? Remember how Bethpage Black went from just a good municipal course to a world-class venue overnight due to the 2002 US Open?
7 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Ben Weixlmann about 1 year ago
No Firestone or Bellerive?
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Kyle Beakley about 1 year ago
Well, Firestone hosted a PGA back in the 70's and has the World Series of Golf every year (now it's called the NEC Inviational or something like that. It's a WGC event, which is basicaly a major in everything but name).
As for Bellerieve, eh it's OK. Nothing spectacular. I'd rather see a major played there than at Pebble Beach or Pinehurst for sure. But I'd take a major at Shadow Creek or Spyglass Hill over Bellerive.
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J. Michael Morris about 1 year ago
The vast majority of these suggested venues are so exclusively private that they have zero interest in hosting an event. It would be like saying to these members, "wow you have a great house, it's like a mansion, why isn't it on MTV Cribs?
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Kyle Beakley about 1 year ago
Good point to emphasize. If this list was 10 Courses that Could Realistically Host a Championship But Have Gotten Snubbed, then it would be a lot different.
But, again, this is purely in theory. I was looking at it from a fan's point of view rather than a golf aristocrat's point of view (in which case you can eliminate Pine Valley, Cypress, Seminole, Peachtree, and Sand Hills automatically).
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Michael Fitzpatrick about 1 year ago
Nice article here, very well done. There is a lot that goes into selecting a US Open golf. It needs to be long (now a day) but it also needs to be fair. As J. Michael mentioned, the members of the clubs also need to vote to allow the PGA to host the tournament at their club (Winged Foot recently voted against having another Open at their club). The International, although 8,300+ yards would most likely be too long for an Open, it would immediately take away about half of the field (if that is not already done at some of the longer US Open courses). Some other courses you mentioned, although very picturesque courses might be not be traditional enough for an Open; some of them have holes that are a little too 'awkward' for the PGA (whether we agree with that or not, that is how the PGA thinks) Cypress Point will never have an Open until they open up their club to more diversity - the PGA already took away the Pro-Am from Cypress due to their membership rules.
I do agree that they should branch out to some new courses for the Open though.
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Kyle Beakley about 1 year ago
Well, the USGA needs to rely on tradition since they put on "our national championship".
However, I think that the PGA should let tradition go to the wayside and play their championship on the wildest, toughest, and most fun courses available. That's the only thing that can make their major anything special; otherwise, the PGA is just the the bastard stepchild of the US Open.
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CG Bowers 11 months ago
I disagree with your last comment. The Donald Ross, AW Tillinghast, type traditional designs are so subtle and beautifully designed, that I think more tournaments should be held on them, not just majors. Look at how interesting all the major championships have been in '08... Torrey Pines was doubtful before the tournament for me, as it as an ugly, nondescript 1950's course, with only the surrounding scenery to make it interesting to look at. But look at the US Open it produced..the most exciting one by far during my lifetime. And I can't WAIT for Bethpage next year, which is the most exciting looking course to have ever held an open...now if only mother nature cooperates in 2009 instead of giving us a week straight of monsoon like conditions, the course will really shine. And players other than Woods may have a chance, because it won't play to an effective 8, 126 yards like it did in 2002 with driver shots backspinning about 10 yards on every tee shot, or plugging half a foot into the ground. It's a course that should play dry, like Shinnecock, to highlight creative shotmaking. And what can one say about places like Oakmont, Winged Foot and Oakland Hills... the PGA champion won't be crowned until the end of the 36-hole marathon tomorrow, but I doubt they'll be below par. It's nice to watch the best sweat a little and see bunkers that are actual hazards, and rough that means a shot strayed is usually a shot lost.
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