10 Golf Courses That Should Host a Major Championship

Spyglass has a unique feeling of unpredictability, since the front and back nine are almost two completely different courses. But what courses they are. Most of the front nine rolls along the ocean, and architect Robert Trent Jones used a little course called Pine Valley as his inspiration. Ice plant and white sand dunes line the fairways.

While the front nine is wide open and left to the wrath of Mother Nature, the back nine is tightly lined with trees, and manicured into immaculate shape. Jones used another little course called Augusta National as his inspiration for the inward half. Indeed, Spyglass’ par-3 12^th looks suspiciously like Augusta’s famous Golden Bell 12^th hole.

There is no reason why Spyglass shouldn’t hold a major championship. However, the locale of Pebble Beach will only get a major every so often, and whenever the town is granted the privilege, the powers-that-be will probably want to show off their overrated showpiece Pebble Beach, instead of the uncharted beauty at Spyglass Hill.

Seminole Golf Club-- North Palm Beach, FL

Consistently ranked as one of the top five courses in America, very little is known about Seminole Golf Club among the general public, except that using the term “private club” to describe it is a vast, vast understatement.

Ben Hogan would practice for the Masters by playing at Seminole every day for about a month. It is lined with tall palms, sits gorgeously along the ocean, and by all accounts is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Indeed, Seminole would be a fantastic championship venue. The problem: the members would probably turn down a major even if they were offered one. Such is the case with ultra-private clubs. Millionaire members don’t want to turn control of their course over to the USGA or PGA for five years.

It’s a shame. But, we can always hope.

Royal County Down Golf Club-- Newcastle, N. Ireland

Very rarely does the British Open add new courses to its rota. Instead, we get fed a series of cookie-cutter courses which try to duplicate the glorified pasture field that is St. Andrews.

Yes, St. Andrews is the birthplace of the game and it’s how golf should truly be played and all that garbage. But it’s a downright boring course. Its twins like Royal Troon and Muirfield give us a major championship consistently void of personality.

Seriously, describe me any hole from the British Open rota besides the postage stamp at Royal Troon or the road hole at St. Andrews? Right, you can’t. There is nothing to separate the courses from one another.

But, on the other hand, Royal County Down in Northern Ireland is a course filled with character. Rolling hills, risk-reward opportunities, challenging fairways, strategically placed bunkers, and beautiful terrain are all to be found. I’m not a fan of links golf, but Royal County Down is one course I’d love to someday make a trip across the pond for.

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