http://www.kiwicaddy.com a guide to get from the rough to the green Sat, 10 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://www.kiwicaddy.com/2010/07/14/top-golf-courses-in-the-united-states/ http://www.kiwicaddy.com/2010/07/14/top-golf-courses-in-the-united-states/#comments Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:04:44 +0000 www.kiwicaddy.com http://www.kiwicaddy.com/?p=12

Augusta National Golf Club (Augusta, GA) Home to The Masters, arguably the most highly regarded golf tournament in the world, Augusta National’s greens and fairways are always in tip top shape no matter what the occasion. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts in 1933, the club has maintained the same stringent obedience to tradition and golf etiquette despite the changing world around it. Amen corner, stretching from the tail end of the 11^th hole and the tee shot of the 13^th, is the most feared section of any golf course in the world.

Pine Valley Golf Club (Pine Hill, NJ) Smaller than the contingent of country clubs that generally host the major tournaments, Pine Valley is less well known by casual golfers than some other elite courses, but is consistently ranked among the best in the world. With history dating back to 1913, The club prefers to stick to their own conventions, opting not expand or alter its aesthetic appeal and quaint charm in order to accommodate major PGA Events.

Cypress Point Club(Pebble Beach, CA) The closing stretch of holes at Cypress Hills constitutes one of the most picturesque backdrops in all of golf, breathtakingly positioned cross the crashing waves and rough terrain of the Pacific. Golfers lucky enough to actually play this exclusive private course will no doubt enjoy a memorable combination of scenic landscapes and ugly scorecards.

Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, CA) Pebble Beach , like Augusta, is one of the most recognizable courses on the planet. The “figure 8″ shaped links have been open since 1919, playing host to the US Open tournament once every decade or so since the 70s. Easily the most highly esteemed public course in the country, Pebble Beach also charges the highest green fees at 495 per round.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Southhampton, NY) Founded in 1891, the oldest formalized golf club in the United States, home of the oldest clubhouse as well, is still among the country’s top courses. Like Pebble Beach, the historic private club hosts the US Open at 10 year intervals.

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Old Course at St. Andrews (Scotland) The Old Course at St. Andrews is believed to be the oldest golf course in the entire world and is still ranked by many as the best. It cannot be pinned down for certain exactly when people began playing golf at what is now the Old Course (then the New Course, one would imagine), but written documents prove the course’s existence dates back to at least the early 1500′s. Famously quirky double greens define the course, shared by 14 holes at 7 different locations. The Old Course at St. Andrews offers more than just a gorgeous game of golf; it carries with it a history lesson in one of the world’s favorite pastimes.

Royal Country Down Golf Club (Northern Ireland) Providing 2 separate but equally esteemed courses allows challengers of differing skill levels to pick their poison. The par 71 Championship Links are longer, covering 7204 yards , while the much shorter par 66 Annesley Links is equally difficult despite the reduced distance. The Royal County Down Golf Club is one of the few golf locales in the world with Augusta-esque maintenance and attention to detail, each and every green and fairway meticulously manicured.

Muirfield (Scotland) Built on ancient elevated land reclaimed from the sea, Muirfield features wind strewn grass and sea-shelled bunkers along the Scottish oceanfront offer an experience like none other. The location is home to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the oldest organized golf club in the world (though some courses and the game itself obviously predate it).

New South Wales Golf Club (Australia) The list is of top courses in the world, not just the UK, so it would not be complete without a mention of at least one of the renowned courses down under. Located in Sydney, the breathtaking links are framed against the Pacific Ocean, serving as a “Pebble Beach South” with a particularly Aussie flair.

Carnoustie Golf Links (Scotland) Captured in time by Jean Van de Velde’s epic collapse on the final hole in the 1999 Open Championship, Carnoustie will prove to be a nearly impossible yet spectacular challenge for any golfer no matter how practiced.

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