Golfweek’s Best 2019: Top 200 Classic Courses

Welcome to Golfweek’s annual Best. Each spring, we publish the three lists that are the foundation of our course-ratings program: Golfweek’s Best Classic Courses (below), Golfweek’s Best Modern Courses and Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play.

The members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on our 10 criteria. They also file a single, overall rating on each course.

Those overall ratings on each course are averaged together to produce a final rating for each course. Then each course is ranked against other courses in its state, or nationally, to produce the final rankings.

We hope you enjoy poring over these rankings, and we look forward to hearing your thoughts on this Best Classic Courses (built prior to 1960) list:

Each course is listed with its 2018 ranking in parentheses (if applicable), its  location, architect(s), and an average ranking from all the Golfweek Raters who reviewed it. The top 100 courses included the year opened.

No. 7 at Pebble Beach Golf Links has been one of golf’s iconic holes for a century. (Ryan Young/PGA TOUR)

Top 200 Classic Courses: 1-50

Rank	Course (2018)	Location	Architect(s)	Year opened	Avg. rating
1	Pine Valley GC (1)	Pine Valley, N.J.	George Crump and Harry S. Colt; p	1919	9.62
2	Cypress Point Club (2)	Pebble Beach, Calif.	Alister MacKenzie; p	1928	9.61
3	Shinnecock Hills (3)	Southampton, N.Y.	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	1931	9.33
4	Augusta National (4)	Augusta, Ga.	Alister MacKenzie and Bobby Jones; p	1932	9.33
5	National Golf Links of America (5)	Southampton, N.Y.	Charles Blair Macdonald; p	1911	9.22
6	Oakmont CC (6)	Oakmont, Pa.	Henry Fownes;	1903	9.09
7	Merion (East) (7)	Ardmore, Pa.	Hugh Wilson; p	1912	8.87
8	Pebble Beach Golf Links (8)	Pebble Beach, Calif.	Douglas Grant and Jack Neville; r	1919	8.87
9	Fishers Island Club (9)	Fishers Island, N.Y.	Seth Raynor; p	1926	8.73
10	Chicago Golf Club (10)	Wheaton, Ill.	Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1894	8.70
11	Crystal Downs (11)	Frankfort, Mich.	Alister MacKenzie and Perry Maxwell; p	1931	8.70
12	Prairie Dunes CC (12)	Hutchinson, Kan.	Perry Maxwell and Press Maxwell; p	1937	8.60
13	Seminole GC (13)	North Palm Beach, Fla.	Donald Ross; p	1929	8.49
14	Pinehurst (No. 2) (14)	Pinehurst, N.C.	Donald Ross; r	1903	8.42
15	Los Angeles CC (North) (15)	Los Angeles	Herbert Fowler, George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell; p	1927	8.42
16	San Francisco GC (16)	San Francisco	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1915	8.38
17	Winged Foot (West) (17)	Mamaroneck, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1923	8.35
18	Riviera CC (18)	Pacific Palisades, Calif.	George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell; p	1927	8.16
19	Shoreacres (21)	Lake Bluff, Ill.	Seth Raynor; p	1921	8.05
20	Camargo Club (19)	Indian Hill, Ohio	Seth Raynor; p	1925	8.02
21	Oakland Hills (South) (20)	Bloomfield Hills, Mich.	Donald Ross; p	1918	7.98
22	Peachtree (22)	Atlanta	Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Bobby Jones; p	1948	7.96
23	Old Town Club (23)	Winston-Salem, N.C.	Perry Maxwell; p	1939	7.95
24	Somerset Hills (26)	Bernardsville, N.J.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1918	7.95
25	Bethpage State Park (Black) (25)	Farmingdale, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; d	1935	7.95
26	The Country Club (Composite) (27)	Brookline, Mass.	Willie Campbell, Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	1895	7.94
27	Plainfield CC (24)	Plainfield, N.J.	Donald Ross; p	1921	7.90
28	Garden City GC (28)	Garden City, N.Y.	Devereux Emmet, Walter J. Travis; p	1901	7.79
29	Winged Foot (East) (30)	Mamaroneck, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1923	7.78
30	Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon) (29)	Flourtown, Pa.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1922	7.77
31	Quaker Ridge (32)	Scarsdale, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1926	7.76
32	Southern Hills (31)	Tulsa, Okla.	Perry Maxwell; p	1936	7.75
33	Maidstone Club (34)	East Hampton, N.Y.	William H. Tucker and Willie Park Jr.; p	1899	7.75
34	Myopia Hunt Club (33)	Hamilton, Mass.	Herbert Leeds; p	1896	7.71
35	Olympic Club (Lake) (38)	San Francisco	Willian Watson and Sam Whiting; p	1929	7.70
36	California GC (35)	South San Francisco, Calif.	Vernon Macan, Alister MacKenzie, Kyle Phillips; p	1926	7.69
37	Pasatiempo (36)	Santa Cruz, Calif.	Alister MacKenzie; d	1929	7.67
38	Valley Club of Montecito (37)	Santa Barbara, Calif.	Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter; p	1928	7.66
39	Piping Rock (39)	Locust Valley, N.Y.	Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1913	7.65
40	Baltimore CC (East) (40)	Timonium, Md.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1926	7.58
41	Newport CC (43)	Newport, R.I	Donald Ross, A.W. Tillinghast; p	1915	7.57
42	Yeamans Hall Club (42)	Charleston, S.C.	Seth Raynor; p	1925	7.57
43	Essex CC (46)	Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	1917	7.56
44	Baltusrol GC (Lower) (41)	Springfield, N.J.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1922	7.54
45	Eastward Ho! (44)	Chatham, Mass.	Herbert Fowler; p	1922	7.53
46	Wannamoisett CC (45)	Rumford, R.I.	Donald Ross; p	1916	7.51
47	Inverness Club (47)	Toledo, Ohio	Donald Ross, Andrew Green; p	1919	7.50
48	Kittansett Club (50)	Marion, Mass.	Fred Hood and William S. Flynn; p	1922	7.50
49	Milwaukee CC (49)	Milwaukee	Charles H. Alison; p	1929	7.49
50	Scioto CC (48)	Columbus, Ohio	Donald Ross; p	1916	7.49
Key	d: daily fee	p: private	** returns to list	r: resort	* new

Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois has twice played host to the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. (Getty Images)

Top 200 Classic Courses: 51-100

Rank	Course	Location	Architect(s)	Year opened	Rating
51	Sleepy Hollow (54)	Scarborough-on-Hudson, N.Y.	Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1913	7.45
52	St. Louis CC (58)	St. Louis	Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1914	7.42
53	The Course at Yale (51)	New Haven, Conn.	Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1926	7.41
54	Olympia Fields (North) (52)	Olympia Fields, Ill.	Willie Park Jr.; p	1923	7.41
55	Whitinsville GC (72)	Whitinsville, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	1923	7.40
56	Ridgewood (Championship Course) (56)	Paramus, N.J.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1929	7.39
57	Interlachen CC (53)	Edina, Minn.;	William Watson, Donald Ross; p	1919	7.39
58	Oak Hill CC (East) (57)	Pittsford, N.Y.	Donald Ross, George Fazio and Tom Fazio; p	1924	7.38
59	Baltusrol GC (Upper) (59)	Springfield, N.J.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1922	7.37
60	Brookside (55)	Canton, Ohio	Donald Ross; p	1922	7.36
61	Old Elm (62)	Fort Sheridan, Ill.	Harry S. Colt and Donald Ross; p	1913	7.35
62	Lawsonia (Links) (64)	Green Lake, Wis.	William B. Langford and Theodore J. Moreau; d	1930	7.34
63	Canterbury (61)	Beachwood, Ohio	Herbert Strong; p	1922	7.33
64	Aronimink (60)	Newtown Square, Pa.	Donald Ross; p	1928	7.33
65	Colonial CC (65)	Fort Worth, Texas	John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell; p	1935	7.29
66	Bel-Air CC (76)	Los Angeles	George C. Thomas Jr. and William P. Bell;	1925	7.28
67	Fox Chapel (66)	Pittsburgh, Pa	Seth Raynor and Charles Banks; p	1925	7.27
68	White Bear Yacht Club (67)	White Bear Lake, Minn	Donald Ross; p	1916	7.27
69	Mountain Lake (69)	Lake Wales, Fla	Seth Raynor; p	1917	7.25
70	Laurel Valley GC (70)	Ligonier, Pa.	Dick Wilson; p	1959	7.23
71	Salem CC (63)	Peabody, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	1925	7.23
72	Franklin Hills (77)	Franklin, Mich.	Donald Ross; p	1927	7.23
73	Lancaster CC (68)	Lancaster, Pa.	William S. Flynn; p	1920	7.22
74	Augusta CC (74)	Augusta, Ga.	Donald Ross; p	1927	7.22
75	Fenway GC (79)	Scarsdale, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1924	7.21
76	Omni Homestead Resort (Cascades) (71)	Hot Springs, Va.	William S. Flynn; r	1923	7.21
77	Moraine (75)	Dayton, Ohio	Alex Campbell; p	1930	7.20
78	East Lake GC (73)	Atlanta	Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross, George Cobb, Rees Jones; p	1915	7.20
79	Creek Club (81)	Locust Valley, N.Y.	Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor; p	1925	7.17
80	Monterey Peninsula      (Dunes) (88)	Pebble Beach, Calif.	Seth Raynor, Charles Banks and Robert Hunter; p	1926	7.15
81	Hollywood GC (96)	Deal, N.J.	Walter J. Travis; p	1913	7.14
82	Roaring Gap Club (85)	Roaring Gap, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	1926	7.13
83	Cedar Rapids CC (92)	Cedar Rapids, Iowa	Donald Ross; p	1915	7.13
84	Congressional CC (Blue) (80)	Bethesda, Md.	Devereux Emmet, Robert Trent Jones Sr., Rees Jones; p	1924	7.12
85	Medinah (No. 3) (91)	Medinah, Ill.	Tom Bendelow, Roger Packard, Rees Jones; p	1928	7.11
86	NCR CC (South) (78)	Kettering, Ohio	Dick Wilson; p	1954	7.11
87	St. George’s G&CC (93)	Setauket, N.Y.	Devereux Emmet; p	1917	7.11
88	Sankaty Head (83)	Siasconset, Mass.	H. Emerson Armstrong; p	1921	7.10
89	Cherry Hills CC (89)	Englewood, Colo.	William S. Flynn; p	1923	7.10
90	CC of Scranton (84)	Clarks Summit, Pa.	Walter J. Travis; p	1927	7.08
91	Indianwood CC (Old) (95)	Lake Orion, Mich.	Wilfred Reid; p	1925	7.07
92	Skokie CC (86)	Glencoe, Ill.	Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross, William B. Langford and Theodore J. Moreau; p	1938	7.07
93	Kirtland CC (82)	Willoughby, Ohio	Charles H. Alison; p	1922	7.06
94	Charlotte CC (90)	Charlotte, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	1923	7.06
95	Holston Hills CC (94)	Knoxville, Tenn.	Donald Ross; p	1928	7.06
96	Indian Creek GC*	Miami Beach	William S. Flynn and Howard C. Toomey; p	1930	7.06
97	CC of Fairfield (99)	Fairfield, Conn.	Seth Raynor and A.W. Tillinghast; p	1914	7.05
98	Brook Hollow GC*	Dallas	A.W. Tillinghast; p	1921	7.04
99	Misquamicut GC (87)	Westerly, R.I.	Donald Ross; p	1923	7.03
100	Minikahda Club (98)	Minneapolis	William Watson, Donald Ross; p	1907	7.00
Key	d: daily fee	p: private	** returns to list	r: resort	* new

Pine Needles played host to the 2019 U.S. Women’s Senior Open. (Chris Keane/USGA)

Top 200 Classic Courses: 101-150

Rank	Course	Location	Architect(s)	Rating
101	Whippoorwill CC	Armonk, N.Y.	Charles Banks and Donald Ross; p	7.00
102	Ekwanok Country Club	Manchester, Vt.	Walter J.  Travis; p	6.99
103	Monroe GC	Pittsford, N.Y.;	Donald Ross; p	6.98
104	Rolling Green Golf Club	Springfield, Pa.	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	6.97
105	CC of Buffalo	Williamsville, N.Y.	Donald Ross; p	6.97
106	Mid Pines Club	Southern Pines, N.C.;	Donald Ross; r	6.96
107	Meadow Brook Club	Jericho, N.Y.	Dick Wilson and Joe Lee; p	6.96
108	Wykagyl CC	New Rochelle, N.Y.	Donald Ross and A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.95
109	Philadelphia CC (Spring Mill)	Gladwyne, Pa.	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	6.90
110	Taconic GC	Williamstown, Mass.	Wayne Stiles and John van Kleek; p	6.88
111	Gulph Mills GC	King of Prussia, Pa.	Donald Ross; p	6.87
112	Palmetto Golf Club	Aiken, S.C.	Herbert Leeds and Alister MacKenzie; p	6.87
113	Beverly CC	Chicago, Ill.	Donald Ross; p	6.86
114	CC of Birmingham (West)	Birmingham, Ala.	Donald Ross; p	6.86
115	Mountain Ridge GC	West Caldwell, N.J.	Donald Ross; p	6.85
116	Essex County CC	West Orange, N.J.	Seth Raynor and Charles Banks; p	6.85
117	Lehigh CC	Allentown, Pa.	Howard Toomey and William Flynn; p	6.84
118	Dunes G&BC	Myrtle Beach, S.C.	Robert Trent Jones Sr.; r, p	6.83
119	CC of Rochester	Rochester, N.Y.	Donald Ross; p	6.83
120	Westchester CC (West)	Rye, N.Y.	Walter J. Travis; p	6.83
121	Saucon Valley CC (Old)	Bethlehem, Pa.	Herbert Strong; p	6.82
122	The Country Club	Pepper Pike, Ohio	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	6.82
123	Greenbrier (Old White TPC)	White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.	Charles Blair Macdonald, Seth Raynor and Lester George	6.82
124	Deepdale Golf Club	Manhasset, N.Y.	Dick Wilson; p	6.81
125	Meadow Club	Fairfax, Calif.	Alister MacKenzie and Robert Hunter; p	6.80
126	Waverley CC	Portland, Ore.	Chandler Egan; p	6.80
127	Pine Needles	Southern Pines, N.C.	Donald Ross and John Fought; r	6.80
128	Wilshire CC	Los Angeles	Norman Macbeth; p	6.80
129	Torrey Pines (South)	La Jolla, Calif.	William F.Bell; d	6.79
130	Hyannisport Club	Hyannis Port, Mass.	Alex Findlay and Donald Ross; p	6.78
131	Engineers Club	Roslyn, N.Y.	Herbert Strong; p	6.78
132	Huntingdon Valley CC,	Huntingdon Valley, Pa.	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	6.77
133	Vesper CC	Tyngsborough, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.77
134	Century GC	Purchase, N.Y.	Harry S. Colt and Charles H. Alison; p	6.77
135	Winchester CC	Winchester, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.77
136	Longmeadow CC	Longmeadow, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.77
137	Siwanoy	Bronxville, N.Y.	Donald Ross; p	6.74
138	Tamarack	Greenwich, Conn.	Charles Banks; p	6.73
139	Sunnehanna CC	Johnstown, Pa.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.73
140	Northland CC	Duluth, Minn.	Donald Ross; p	6.73
141	Southampton GC	Southampton, N.Y.	Seth Raynor; p	6.72
142	Oak Hill CC (West)	Pittsford, N.Y.	Donald Ross; p	6.72
143	Sands Point Golf Club	Sands Point, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast and Keith Foster; p	6.72
144	Meadowbrook CC	Northville, Mich.	Jack Darey, Willie Park Jr. and Andy Staples; p	6.71
145	Pittsburgh Field Club	Pittsburgh, Pa.	Alex Findlay; p	6.69
146	Rancho Santa Fe CC	Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.	Max Behr; p	6.68
147	Orchard Lake Country Club	Orchard Lake, Mich.	Charles H. Alison and  H.S. Colt; p	6.68
148	Blue Mound CC	Wauwatosa, Wis.	Seth Raynor; p	6.67
149	Oak Hills CC	San Antonio, Texas	A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.66
150	Timuquana GC	Jacksonville, Fla.	Donald Ross; p	6.66
Key	d: daily fee; * new	p: private	** returns to list	r: resort

No. 11 at Country Club of Charleston was once the site of Civil War cannon embankment. (USGA)

Top 200 Classic Courses: 151-200

Rank	Course	Location	Architect(s)	Rating
151	Manufacturers G&CC	Fort Washington, Pa.	Howard C. Toomey and William S. Flynn; p	6.64
152	Barton Hills CC	Ann Arbor, Mich.	Donald Ross; p	6.64
153	Linville GC	Linville, N.C.	Donald Ross; r	6.64
154	Atlantic City CC	Northfield, N.J.	William S.Flynn and Tom Doak; r, p	6.64
155	Wee Burn	Darien, Conn.	Devereux Emmet; p	6.63
156	CC of Florida	Village of Golf, Fla.	Robert Bruce Harris; p	6.63
157	Glens Falls CC	Queensbury, N.Y.	Donald Ross; p	6.63
158	Round Hill  GC	Greenwich, Conn.	Walter J. Travis; p	6.63
159	Davenport CC	Pleasant Valley, Iowa	Harry S. Colt and Charles H. Alison; p	6.63
160	Olympia Fields CC (South)	Olympia Fields, Ill.	Tom Bendelow and Steve Smyers; p	6.62
161	Omaha CC	Omaha, Neb.	Perry Maxwell; p	6.61
162	Sedgefield CC	Greensboro, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	6.61
163	Firestone CC (South)	Akron, Ohio	W.H. Way and Robert Trent Jones Sr.; p	6.61
164	Brae Burn CC	West Newton, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.60
165	Point O’Woods	Benton Harbor, Mich.	Robert Trent Jones Sr.; p	6.58
166	Worcester CC	Worcester, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.57
167	Cherokee Town & CC (North Course)	Dunwoody, Ga.	Willard Byrd, David Gill and Tom Fazio; p	6.57
168	Broadmoor CC (East Course)	Colorado Springs, Colo.	Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr.; r	6.55
169	Knickerbocker CC	Tenafly, N.J.	Donald Ross; p	6.54
170	Lookout Mountain GC	Lookout Mountain, Ga.	Seth Raynor and Charles Banks; p	6.53
171	Lakeside GC	Burbank, Calif.	Max Behr; p	6.53
172	Hope Valley CC	Durham, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	6.52
173	Sunningdale CC	Scarsdale, N.Y.	Seth Raynor, A.W. Tillinghast, Walter J. Travis and Mike DeVries; p	6.51
174	Rhode Island CC	Barrington, R.I.	Donald Ross; p	6.51
175	Biltmore Forest CC	Asheville, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	6.50
176	CC of Charleston	Charleston, S.C.	Seth Raynor; p	6.50
177	Medinah No. 1	Medinah, Ill.	Tom Bendelow and Tom Doak; p	6.50
178	Westhampton CC	Westhampton Beach, N.Y.	Seth Raynor; p	6.50
179	The Country Club	Salt Lake City, Utah	Harold Lamb; p	6.49
180	Brooklawn	Bridgeport, Conn.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.48
181	Cape Fear CC	Wilmington, N.C.	Donald Ross; p	6.47
182	Charles River CC	Newton Centre, Mass.	Donald Ross; p	6.47
183	Chattanooga G&CC	Chattanooga, Tenn.	Donald Ross; p	6.46
184	Flossmoor CC	Flossmoor, Ill.	H.J. Tweedie and Ray Hearn; p	6.46
185	Lake Merced G&CC	Daly City, Calif.	Robert Muir Graves, Rees Jones, William Locke and Alister MacKenzie; p	6.45
186	Minneapolis GC	Minneapolis, Minn.	Willie Park Jr. and Donald Ross; p	6.44
187	Shuttle Meadow CC	Kensington, Conn.	Willie Park Jr.; p	6.44
188	Metropolis CC	White Plains, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.44
189	San Diego CC	Chula Vista, Calif.	William P. Bell; p	6.44
190	Hackensack GC	Oradell, N.J.	Charles Banks; p	6.44
191	Kansas City Country Club	Mission Hills, Kan.	A.W. Tillinghast; p	6.40
192	Paramount CC	New City, N.Y.	A.W. Tillinghast and Jim Urbina; p	6.40
193	Allegheny CC	Sewickly, Pa.	Tom Bendelow; p	6.39
194	CC of Waterbury	Waterbury, Conn.;	Donald Ross; p	6.38
195	Forsgate CC (Banks Course)	Monroe Township, N.J.	Charles Banks; p	6.38
196	CC of Detroit	Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.	Charles H. Alison, H.S. Colt and Robert Trent Jones; p	6.38
197	Idle Hour CC	Lexington, Ky.	Donald Ross; p	6.37
198	Leatherstocking	Cooperstown, N.Y.	Devereux Emmet; d	6.36
199	Morris County GC	Morristown, N.J.	Tom Bendelow and Seth Raynor; p	6.36
200	Chevy Chase CC	Chevy Chase, M.D.	Donald Ross; p	6.35
Key	d: daily fee; * new	p: private	** returns to list	r: resort