Pete Dye, who died Thursday at the age of 94, designed more than 250 courses around the world, many of which have hosted major championships and PGA Tour events.
Known for making tough courses that would challenge – even infuriate – the best players in the game, Dye left a lasting impression on course architecture. While perhaps most famous for his island green at No. 17 at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, his contributions to golf go way beyond that pond.
More: Pete Dye dies at 94 | Reaction | Photos
Following are the top 10 Dye courses in the Golfweek’s Best rankings for 2019, as compiled by our hundreds of raters. Nine are in the United States, and one is in the Dominican Republic. Each course was judged by 10 criteria before being assigned a total score between one and 10 by each rater, then those scores were averaged to compile the rankings below.
1. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Where: Mosel, Wisconsin
Year opened: 1997 (resort)
Average rating: 8.28
Golfweek’s Best: No. 7 Modern Courses in the U.S.
2. The Golf Club
Where: New Albany, Ohio
Year built: 1967 (private)
Average rating: 7.86
Golfweek’s Best: No. 12 Modern Courses in the U.S.
3. Kiawah Island Golf Resort (Ocean)
Where: Kiawah Island, South Carolina
Year built: 1991 (resort)
Average rating: 7.85
Golfweek’s Best: No. 13 Modern Courses in the U.S.
4. Pete Dye GC
Where: Bridgeport, West Virginia
Year built: 1994 (private)
Average rating: 7.78
Golfweek’s Best: No. 16 Modern Courses in the U.S.
5. Honors Course
Where: Ooltewah, Tennessee
Year built: 1983 (private)
Average rating: 7.75
Golfweek’s Best: No. 19 Modern Courses in the U.S.
6. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Where: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Year built: 1981 (resort)
Average rating: 7.74
Golfweek’s Best: No. 22 Modern Courses in the U.S.
7. Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
Where: La Romana, Dominican Republic
Year built: 1971 (resort)
Average rating: 7.54
Golfweek’s Best: No. 3 in the Caribbean and Mexico
8. Oak Tree National
Where: Edmond, Oklahoma
Year built: 1975 (private)
Average rating: 7.45
Golfweek’s Best: No. 41 Modern Courses in the U.S.
9. Sea Pines (Harbour Town GL)
Where: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Year built: 1970 (resort)
Average rating: 7.35
Golfweek’s Best: No. 54 Modern Courses in the U.S.
10. Long Cove
Where: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Year built: 1982 (private)
Average rating: 7.14
Golfweek’s Best: No. 77 Modern Courses in the U.S.
