As anyone who really knows me will tell you, if you want to catch my interest, just start talking about golf. I learned the game from my father who was a club pro, greenskeeper, and an excellent player in his own right. In the 1970's he was head pro at Reading C.C. in Pennsylvania. I played golf in high school and in college on the Bucknell Bison golf team. In graduate school I was a member for 5 years at the Metacomet CC in East Providence, RI, which sadly now has closed. Upon moving to Atlanta, I joined East Lake Golf Club and was a member for 17 years. My highlight there was winning the Bobby Jones Memorial (match play) Championship in 1996. Currently, I'm a member at Indian Hills CC in Marietta. I was runner-up in the Club Championship there in 2012 and Men's Golf Association Champion in 2023.

It's never an easy thing, but I decided to generate a list of my 50 favorite courses that I have played. I'm making this ranking with the premise that if someone was to ask me to play one round tomorrow, where would I want to go. Of course, this is influenced by timing and frequency -- Courses that I've played more recently but maybe not so frequently seem to be more highly ranked. For some of these courses, past personal circumstances (and how I played there) lead to my feelings as well. Anyhow, here goes.

  1. Chambers Bay - Tacoma, WA
  2. Tobacco Road - Sanford, NC
  3. Arcadia Bluffs (North) - Arcadia, MI
  4. The Old Course - St. Andrews, Scotland
  5. The Ocean Course - Kiawah Island, SC
  6. Harbour Town - Hilton Head, SC
  7. Lancaster - Lancaster, PA
  8. Mammoth Dunes - Nekoosa, WI
  9. Hershey (West) - Hershey, PA
  10. Kingsbarns - St. Andrews, Scotland
  11. Ocean Course at Hokuala, formerly Kauai Lagoons (Kiele) - Lihue, HI
  12. Wannamoisett - Pawtucket, RI
  13. Princeville (Prince) - Princeville, HI
  14. Kapalua (Planatation) - Kapalua, HI
  15. Mauna Kea - Waimea, HI
  16. Pinehurst #2 - Pinehurst, NC
  17. Newport - Newport, RI
  18. Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz, CA
  19. Black Mesa - Espanola, NM
  20. Saucon Valley (Grace) - Bethlehem, PA
  21. Rhode Island CC - Barrington, RI
  22. Caledonia - Pawley's Island, SC
  23. True Blue - Pawley's Island, SC
  24. Royal Porthcawl - Porthcawl, Wales
  25. Dunes Golf & Beach Club - N. Myrtle Beach, SC
  26. Lawsonia Links - Green Lake, WI
  27. East Lake - Atlanta, GA
  28. Pumpkin Ridge (Ghost Creek) - Cornelius, OR
  29. Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters) - Greensboro, GA
  30. The Links at Spanish Bay - Monterey, CA
  31. TPC at Snoqualmie - Snoqualmie, WA
  32. Gold Mountain (Olympic) - Bremerton, WA
  33. Forest Dunes - Roscommon, MI
  34. Tot Hill Farm - Asheboro, NC
  35. Streamsong (Black) - Bowling Green, FL
  36. Kittansett - Marion, MA
  37. The Cliffs at Keowee Vineyards - Sunset, SC
  38. Winged Foot (West) - Mamaroneck, NY
  39. Atlanta CC - Marietta, GA
  40. Golden Horseshoe (Gold) - Williamsburg, VA
  41. Pennard - Pennard, Wales
  42. Paa-Ko Ridge - Sandia Park, NM
  43. Charlotte CC - Charlotte, NC
  44. Tidewater - N. Myrtle Beach, SC
  45. Sand Valley - Nekoosa, WI
  46. Streamsong (Red) - Bowling Green, FL
  47. Mauna Lani (South) - Waimea, HI
  48. Links at Lighthouse Sound - Ocean City, MD
  49. The Kingsley Club - Kingsley, MI
  50. Sahalee - Sammamish, WA
                       
Tee shot on the 3rd hole at Chambers Bay. Actually, this is a
photo-op re-swing moments after I made an ace there in August 2008.

 
 

Runner-up in Indian Hills CC club championship in 2012.

And of course that has to be accompanied by the top 10 (U.S. courses) that I haven't yet played, but would love to play sometime. So if anyone wants to invite me...

  1. Augusta National - Augusta, GA
  2. Pebble Beach - Pebble Beach, CA
  3. Pine Valley - Pine Valley, NJ
  4. Cypress Point - Pebble Beach, CA
  5. National Golf Links of America - Southampton, NY
  6. Fisher's Island - Fisher's Island, NY
  7. Whistling Straits - Haven, WI
  8. Seminole - Juno Beach, FL
  9. The Country Club - Brookline, MA
  10. TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) - Ponte Vedra, FL
                       
My friend from the Bucknell golf team, Bill Francis, and I
on the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course in St. Andrews in July 2013.