Bethpage Black Course, Farmingdale, NY
The best golf course in the U.S. is a public course in Farmingdale, New York. The so-called "Black Course" at Bethpage State Golf Facility, the site of the U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009, was designed by A. W. Tillinghast and is over 7,000 yards from the championship tees. Many participants in the U.S. Open agreed that it was among the most difficult course ever chosen for the championship.
99 Quaker Meeting House Rd
Farmingdale, NY 11735-1847
P: (516) 249-0701
F: (516) 249-2580
http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us
Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, GA
Remodeled in recent years, Augusta National plays to almost 7,300 yards from the back tees, and it is a par-72 with a slope rating of 135. It opened in 1933 and was designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Alistaire McKenzie.
2604 Washington Rd
Augusta, GA 30904-5902
P: (706) 667-6000
F: (706) 667-6218
http://www.masters.org
Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, NJ
Amidst acres of sand interspersed with narrow fairways, Pine Valley is considered by many golfers to be the finest golf course in the world. Designed by George Crimp with help from the world's best-known golf architects at the time, it opened in 1918. Duplication is the highest form of flattery: the first six holes of top-50 golf course Spyglass Hill in Carmel, California were modeled after Pine Valley.
Pine Ridge
Clementon, NJ 08021
P: (856) 783-3000
F: (856) 783-3137
Kearney Hill Links, Lexington, KY
This public golf course is over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, and was opened in 1989 after Pete Dye did his consummate magic as the course architect. The course is modeled after many Scottish links and it has open fairways and deep grass and sand bunkers. On a windy day, Kearney Hill becomes very difficult to navigate.
3403 Kearney Rd
Lexington, KY 40511-9083
P: (859) 253-1981
F: (859) 259-3463
http://www.lfucg.com/parksrec/golf/kearneyhill
Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades, CA
Opened in 1926, Riviera Country Club is 6,950 yards long from the back tees and it is a par-71. Riviera is one of the few courses where you'll find a sand trap in the middle of the green when you reach the par-3 7th hole. The course was designed by William P. Bell and George C. Thomas, Jr., and it has a slope rating of 139.
1250 Capri Dr
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272-4099
P: (310) 454-6591
F: (310) 459-5316
http://www.rccla.com
Pine Barrens Course, Brooksville, FL
About 60 miles north of Tampa, Florida is Pine Barrens Course, likened in many ways to Pine Valley Golf Club. This course opened in 1993 and was designed by noted golf architect Tom Fazio. It is only about 6,500 yards from the back tees, but it is a course that will test both your mental and physical abilities.
17590 Ponce de Leon Blvd
Brooksville, FL 34614-0809
P: (352) 796-5500 x4
F: (352) 796-2125
http://www.worldwoods.com
Koolau Golf Club, Kaneohe, HI
Koolau is a par-72 course that is only about 6,800 yards from the championship tees, but it has a huge slope rating of 158, the highest of any course mentioned here. Only about 20 minutes from downtown Honolulu, Koolau ends your day at the par-4 18th with its 22 sand traps and two long carries to a well-guarded green. Koolau opened in 1993.
45-550 Kionaole Rd
Kaneohe, HI 96744-4506
P: (808) 236-4653
F: (808) 235-8295
http://www.koolaugolfclub.com
Tobacco Road Golf Course, Sanford, NC
This golf course was built on an old sand quarry and has been among the nation's best courses since it opened in 1998. Golfers are captured by the course's breathtaking beauty that was designed by Mike Strantz, and it has a slope rating of 150. That says something for a course that only measures 6,500 yards from the championship tees.
442 Tobacco Rd
Sanford, NC 27332-9167
Toll Free: (877) 284-3762
F: (919) 775-1985
http://www.tobaccoroadgolf.com
Calusa Pines Golf Club, Naples, FL
Calusa Pines is over 7,300 yards long from the back tees, and it opened in 2001. Over $1 million was spent on just dynamite to carve out the seven deep lakes that strategically dot the course. The course took three years to build and its architects were Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, both members of the ASGCA.
2250 Ridge Rd
Naples, FL 34120-3910
P: (239) 352-3330
F: (239) 348-7770
Baywood Greens - Woodside Course, Long Neck, DE
There is no more scenic display, complete with timbered bridges and man-made ponds comprising over 27 acres, than you'll find at Baywood Greens, a golf course that is open to the public. By some golfers, it is called "Augusta of the North" with its plantings of over 200,000 flowers, trees and shrubs. This course was designed by Brian T. Ault and it was opened for play in 1998.
32267 Clubhouse Way
Long Neck, DE 19966-6259
Toll Free: (888) 844-2254
F: (302) 947-9216
http://www.baywoodgreens.com
About The Author
Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.
