Whistling Straits is GOLF’s No. 49 course on its list of the Top 100 in the U.S. for 2020/2021.
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For the first time since GOLF published its inaugural list of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S. in 1983, Pete Dye is not among us. The course design icon passed away in January of this year.
Yet his influence is strongly felt among the Top 100.
He leaves behind a litany of great layouts (six in the Top 100, four of which are in the Top 50) as well as numerous protégés. Without trying to simplify a complex topic, Dye imparted some key truths to all architects: Be on-site, get dirt under your nails and make it happen yourself.
Dye, along with his wife, Alice, did as much to shape modern architecture as anyone.
Our Top 100 Courses in the U.S. broken down by architect
(With architect name, overall rank, course name, city, state, architect and year opened)
A.W. Tillinghast (12)
15. Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
1923
21. San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif.
1918
23. Somerset Hills
Bernardsville, N.J.
1918
30. Bethpage (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y.
1935
36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017
39. Quaker Ridge
Scarsdale, N.Y.
1926
46. Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
1923
69. Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J.
1922
74. Ridgewood (W/E)
Paramus, N.J.
1929
75. Baltimore (Five Farms East)
Baltimore
1926
84. Newport
Newport, R.I.
William F. Davis, 1899/A.W. Tillinghast, 1924
99. Baltusrol (Upper)
Springfield, N.J.
1922
Donald Ross (11)
11. Pinehurst (No. 2)
Pinehurst, N.C.
1907
20. Seminole
Juno Beach, Fla.
1929
33. Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017
35. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917/Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1950
40. Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020
57. Plainfield
Plainfield, N.J.
1916
64. Essex County
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass
1917
86. Glens Falls
Queensbury, N.Y.
1920
89. Aronimink
Newtown Square, Penn.
1928
90. Mountain Ridge
West Caldwell, N.J.
1929
92. Pinehurst (No. 4)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1919/Gil Hanse, 2017
Seth Raynor (8)
9. Fishers Island
Fishers Island, N.Y.
1926
14. Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923
24. Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, Ill.
1921
26. Camargo
Cincinnati
1926
36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017
47. Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C.
1925
62. The Creek
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1923
85. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Seth Raynor, 1924/Tom Fazio/Jackson Kahn, 2015
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw (7)
7. Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb.
1994
13. Friar’s Head
Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
2003
38. Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore.
2005
52. Old Sandwich
Plymouth, Mass.
2004
77. Streamsong (Red)
Streamsong, Fla.
2012
80. Sheep Ranch
Bandon, Ore.
2020
91. Sand Valley (Sand Valley)
Nekoosa, Wis.
2017
Alister Mackenzie (7)
2. Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, Calif.
1928
6. Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister Mackenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933
16. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932
27. California Club Of San Francisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007
55. Valley Club Of Montecito
Montecito, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929
59. Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz, Calif.
1929
93. Palmetto
Aiken, S.C.
H.C. Leeds, 1897/Alister Mackenzie, 1933
Tom Doak (6)
19. Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
2001
34. Ballyneal
Holyoke, Colo.
2006
48. Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, Mont.
2008
66. Old Macdonald
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak/Jim Urbina, 2010
95. Streamsong (Blue)
Streamsong, Fla.
2012
97. Sebonack
Southampton, N.Y.
Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak, 2006
Pete Dye (6)
31. Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
1991
42. The Golf Club
New Albany, Ohio
1967
45. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
1981
49. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis.
1998
73. Harbour Town
Hilton Head, S.C.
Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus, 1969
63. Honors Course
Ooltewah, Tenn.
1983
C.B. Macdonald (6)
4. National Golf Links Of America
Southampton, N.Y.
1911
14. Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923
36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017
56. Piping Rock
Locust Valley, N.Y.
1911
62. The Creek
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1923
78. St. Louis
St. Louis
C.B. Macdonald, 1914
Tom Fazio (5)
50. Wade Hampton
Cashiers, N.C.
1987
70. Gozzer Ranch
Harrison, Idaho
2007
72. Congaree
Ridgeland, S.C.
2017
81. Shadow Creek
Las Vegas
1990
85. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Seth Raynor, 1924/Tom Fazio/Jackson Kahn, 2015
Perry Maxwell (4)
16. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932
18. Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957
28. Southern Hills
Tulsa, Okla.
1936
41. Old Town
Winston-Salem, N.C.
1939
David McLay Kidd (4)
44. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
1999
61. Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash.
2014
94. Nanea
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
2003
96. Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)
Nekoosa, Wis.
2018
William Flynn (3)
3. Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Howard Toomey/William Flynn, 1931
58. Kittansett
Marion, Mass.
William Flynn/Fred Hood, 1922
100. Cherry Hills
Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
1923
Gil Hanse (3)
32. Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, Ga.
2018
36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017
92. Pinehurst (No. 4)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1919/Gil Hanse, 2017
Jack Nicklaus (3)
51. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974
73. Harbour Town
Hilton Head, S.C.
Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus, 1969
97. Sebonack
Southampton, N.Y.
Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak, 2006
George C. Thomas Jr. (3)
12. Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles
1921
17. Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1926
68. Bel-Air
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr./William F. Bell, 1926
H.S. Colt (2)
1. Pine Valley
Pine Valley, N.J.
George Crump/H.S. Colt, 1918
71. Milwaukee
River Hills, Wis.
H.S. Colt/C.H. Alison, 1929
Andrew Green (2)
33. Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017
40. Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020
Bobby Jones (2)
6. Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister Mackenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933
37. Peachtree
Atlanta
Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947
Robert Trent Jones Sr. (2)
35. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917/Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1950
37. Peachtree
Atlanta
Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947
H.C. Leeds (2)
43. Myopia Hunt Club
So. Hamilton, Mass.
1898
93. Palmetto
Aiken, S.C.
H.C. Leeds, 1897/Alister Mackenzie, 1933
Walter Travis (2)
25. Garden City
Garden City, N.Y.
Devereux Emmet, 1899/Walter Travis, 1906
83. Hollywood
Deal, N.J.
1915
C.H. Alison (1)
71. Milwaukee
River Hills, Wis.
H.S. Colt/C.H. Alison, 1929
Bob Baldock (1)
67. Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Bob Baldock, 1962/Mike Strantz, 2004
Billy Bell Sr. (1)
17. Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1926
William F. Bell (1)
68. Bel-Air
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr./William F. Bell, 1926
Alex Campbell (1)
65. Moraine
Kettering, Ohio
1930
Willie Campbell (1)
22. The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
Brookline, Mass.
TCC Members/Willie Campbell, 1899
George Crump (1)
1. Pine Valley
Pine Valley, N.J.
George Crump/H.S. Colt, 1918
William F. Davis (1)
84. Newport
Newport, R.I.
William F. Davis, 1899/A.W. Tillinghast, 1924
Mike Devries (1)
79. Kingsley
Kingsley, Mich.
2001
Devereux Emmet (1)
25. Garden City
Garden City, N.Y.
Devereux Emmet, 1899/Walter Travis, 1906
Herbert Fowler (1)
53. Eastward Ho!
Chatham, Mass.
1922
Henry Fownes (1)
5. Oakmont
Oakmont, Penn.
1903
Dana Fry (1)
98. Calusa Pines
Naples, Fla.
Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry, 2001
J. Robert Gwynne/John Raese (1)
60. Pikewood National
Morgantown, W.V.
2009
Fred Hood (1)
58. Kittansett
Marion, Mass.
William Flynn/Fred Hood, 1922
Robert Hunter (1)
55. Valley Club Of Montecito
Montecito, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929
Michael Hurdzan (1)
98. Calusa Pines
Naples, Fla.
Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry, 2001
Jackson Kahn (1)
85. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Seth Raynor, 1924/Tom Fazio/Jackson Kahn, 2015
Bill Langford/Ted Moreau (1)
87 (Tie). Lawsonia (Links)
Green Lake, Wis.
Bill Langford/Ted Moreau, 1930
Tom Lehman/Chris Brands (1)
82. Prairie Club (Dunes)
Valentine, Neb.
2010
A.V. Macan (1)
27. California Club Of Sanfrancisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007
Press Maxell (1)
18. Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957
Desmond Muirhead (1)
51. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974
Jack Neville/Douglas Grant (1)
10. Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, Calif.
1919
Mike Nuzzo (1)
87 (Tie). Wolf Point
La Hood, Texas
2008
John Park/Willie Park Jr. (1)
29. Maidstone
East Hampton, N.Y.
1922
Kyle Phillips (1)
27. California Club Of Sanfrancisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007
Mike Strantz (1)
67. Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Bob Baldock, 1962/Mike Strantz, 2004
Howard Toomey (1)
3. Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Howard Toomey/William Flynn, 1931
Jim Urbina (1)
66. Old Macdonald
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak/Jim Urbina, 2010
William Watson (1)
76. White Bear Yacht Club
White Bear Lake, Minn.
1915
Sam Whiting (1)
54. Olympic (Lake)
Daly City, Calif.
1924
Hugh Wilson (1)
8. Merion (East)
Ardmore, Penn.
1912
