Signature Series 2006: The Top 36

We-Ko-Pa near Phoenix: No. 3 on our Non-Resort Top 36 list.

The goal was simple and clear, as it is every year: Define the Top 18 public-access courses in the West, as determined by FG staff and freelance contributors. We dug into the task with gusto, decades of combined golf travel experience and the knowledge that we are privileged to live in a part of America unmatched for its geographic and climatic diversity — and definitely unsurpassed for sheer wealth and richness of golf experiences. And to be honest, we approached the list with a bit of trepidation, too, because although golfers love rankings, no one system is perfect or absolute. Subjectivity is a big part of it; birdie is a birdie and a double bogey is a double bogey, but one person’s ultimate golf course may be another’s disappointment. We know that. We dug in anyway.

After, oh, 30 minutes or so of deliberation, it became brutally clear that keeping the list to 18 was impossible. So it grew to 36, and that still wasn’t right. Finally we broke our favorites into two camps, resort and non-resort, and went after it.

The criteria for each list are straightforward.

• An FG staffer or writer must have played the course.

• All courses must be available for public play, either on a resort stay or daily fee basis.

• Courses on the resort list must be affiliated with a hotel or lodging of some sort, whether or not it is contiguous to that property. The quality or rating of the lodging doesn’t figure into our ranking here; instead they figure heavily into the series of benchmarks we used in our main “A to Z” destination rankings, also in this issue. It’s all about golf here — hole-to-hole and overall design, memorability, playability, setting, conditioning, service, emotional engagement and that gestalt-like conclusion we call the Total Experience.

• Courses in the non-resort list are stand-alone entities, though many of them take part in stay-and-play packages offered by nearby hotel properties.

• We didn’t take greens fees into account. Rates here range from less than $30 to $500 for weekend high season, so we figure it’s up to you, dear reader, to find your dollars-and-cents (or sense) threshold and play twilight or off-season if you have to.

TOP RESORT COURSES

1. Pacific Dunes | Bandon, Ore.

It’s an ongoing debate among the FG staff and freelance crew: Which of the three outstanding Bandon Dunes Resort courses deserves top billing? Last year we kicked around this issue through three impassioned treatises by three different writers, but reached no certain consensus. And that impasse remains intact. But here’s the deal with Pacific Dunes, why it still holds the top spot: Yeah, it’s short by modern design standards, and sure, the back nine has four par 3s. But when the Southern Oregon Coast wind gets frisky — which is the case more days than not — Tom Doak’s Irish links-like masterpiece is as tough as they come. Figure in its visceral and visual power, with enough stunning sea-meets-sand-meets-heather wonder to impress even the most jaded traveler, and it’s no contest. For now.

www.bandondunesgolf.com | 800.742.0172

2. Spyglass Hill | Pebble Beach, Calif.

Spy above Pebble? Yep. Hole-to-hole it’s the best of the Pebble Beach Company’s estimable quartet. The first five holes alone remain Robert Trent Jones Sr.’s crowning achievement.

www.pebblebeach.com | 831.625.8563

3. Pebble Beach | Pebble Beach, Calif.

The setting, the history, the mystique, holes 4 through 10 and the world’s most famous finisher: Pebble will be a top-fiver forever.

www.pebblebeach.com | 831.622.8723

4. Bandon Trails | Bandon, Ore.

Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore went into the forest at Bandon Resort’s southern tip and routed an incredible mountain-like course.

www.bandondunesgolf.com | 800.742.0172

5. Cordevalle | San Martin, Calif.

You’ve got to stay at the exquisite boutique Rosewood resort to play this Trent Jones Jr. gem south of San Jose, but take the plunge. It’s unforgettable.

www.cordevalle.com | 408.695.4500

6. Bandon Dunes | Bandon, Ore.

Links purists prefer David McLay Kidd’ original, for good reason. Overall it’s the sternest test in the Bandon trio.

www.bandondunesgolf.com | 800.742.0172

7. Cascata | Boulder City, Nev.

Magic on a desert mountainside. Rees Jones knows how to wow the senses. And that waterfall!

www.cascatagolf.com | 702.294.2000

8. Shadow Creek | Las Vegas, Nev.

It’s a $500-a-pop Disneyland for golfers thanks to the genius of Tom Fazio and the deep pockets of Steve Wynn, and a pretty darned delicious test, too.

www.shadowcreek.com | 866.260.0069

9. The Links at Spanish Bay | Pebble Beach, Calif.

Designed by committee (including Tom Watson, Trent Jones Jr. and Sandy Tatum), its conditioning is always spot-on, and its mix of seaside and forested holes comprise a stirring, singular and challenging experience.

www.pebblebeach.com | 831.647.7495

10. Crosswater | Sunriver, Ore.

Bob Cupp’s stellar semi-private course, which winds along the Deschutes River south of Bend, is Sunriver Resort’s flagship track, good (and tough) enough to host a U.S. Open, and it would if it wasn’t so remote. Using the looming presence of Mount Bachelor to frame his relatively flat routing across savannah and wetlands and through stands of pine, Cupp kept his muse at a natural, friendly flow, though his reputation as a player’s architect shines through in his placement of bunkers and hazards, and the way his greens loom large and accessible on every hole, but only if the approach is from the proper spot. Call Crosswater a “thinking bomber’s” treat, and one we’d love to see Tiger tame someday.

www.crosswater.com | 541.593.3428

11. Coeur d’Alene | Coeur d’Alene, Idaho

A slew of 2005 upgrades made this “Augusta of the West” even more sublime.

www.cdaresort.com |

12. Circling Raven | Worley, Idaho

The Coeur d’Alene tribe’s pride and joy.

www.circlingraven.com | 800.523.2464

13. Princeville Prince | Princeville, Kauai

A 145 slope rating, lots of jungle and pure Hawaiian magic.

www.princeville.com | 800.826.5000

14. Mauna Kea | Kohala Coast, Hawaii

The lava-bedded Trent Jones tour de force that started Hawaii’s golf boom.

www.princeresortshawaii.com | 808.882.5400

15. Saddle Creek | Copperopolis, Calif.

Carter Morrish’s Sierra foothills marvel keeps getting better. Read our updated review in the February-March 2007 issue.

www.saddlecreek.com | 800.611.7722

16. Reflection Bay | Lake Las Vegas, Nev.

Jack Nicklaus at his desert-hugging best, with plenty of water and killer views.

www.lakelasvegasgolf.com | 877.698.4653

17. Aviara | Carlsbad, Calif.

Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay got all the details right at this immaculate classic; a painterly maintenance crew keep it fresh.

www.fourseasons.com|aviara | 760.603|6800

18. Barona Creek | Lakeside, Calif.

This Native American-owned course northeast of San Diego is instantly addictive, with no weak holes.

www.barona.com/golf | 619.387.7018

19. Whitehawk Ranch | Clio, Calif.

Architect Dick Bailey’s first-ever design is staggering in the way it naturally embraces the multi-hued alpine landscape — forest, wetlands and streambeds — of the Sierra’s Mohawk Valley.

www.golfwhitehawk.com | 800.332.4295

20. Troon North Monument Course | Scottsdale, Ariz.

Another of those touchstone courses for healthy argument among the FG team. Some think it should rank higher, some lower, but there’s no denying it’s on the top tier in the crowded Phoenix-Scottsdale resort course market, along with its sister Pinnacle Course. The Monument wins out for its rousing routing among saguaro cactus, boulders and native desertscape, its phenomenal conditioning (Troon Golf’s true calling card), and its strong shotmaking elements. We’re just beginning to get our full bearings in Arizona, so by this time next year, Troon North may well rise in the ranks.

www.troonnorthgolf.com | 480.585.7700

21. Primm Valley Lakes | Primm, Nev.

The better of two outstanding Tom Fazio tracks straddling the Nevada|California border, with a Shadow Creek-like sheen.

www.primmvalleyresorts.com | 800.386.7867

22. Torrey Pines South | La Jolla, Calif.

Watch for this seaside SoCal muni institution to toughen up as the 2008 U.S. Open nears.

www.torreypines.com | 800-TORREYPINES

23. Banff Springs | Banff, Alberta, Canada

The granddaddy of Canadian Rocky courses, by north-of-the-border master Stanley Thompson.

www.fairmont.com|banffsprings | 403.762.2211

24. Kapalua Plantation | Maui, Hawaii

Standard bearer for Valley Isle resort golf, and scene of those epic Tiger-Ernie battles.

www.kapalua.com | 877.527.2582

25. Loews Ventana Canyon | Tucson, Ariz.

Sonoran swinging just doesn’t get any more sublime or scenic.

www.loewshotels.com | 520.299.2020

26. Wynn Las Vegas | Las Vegas, Nev.

Its time on earth is reportedly short, so play it while it lasts.

www.wynnlasvegas.com | 877.321-WYNN

27. Entrada at Snow Canyon | St. George, Utah

To our mind, this lava-laced jewel is Johnny Miller’s best effort.

www.golfentrada.com | 435.986.2200

28. Bear Mountain | Victoria, British Columbia

Nicklaus’ first Vancouver Island effort, with an incredible par-3 “19th hole” — in the middle of the back nine.

www.bearmountain.com | 888.533.2327

29. Running Y | Klamath Falls, Ore.

Arnie and Ed have never been better; the first five holes along Klamath Lake are unforgettable.

www.runningy.com | 888.850.0261

30. Red Hawk Lakes | Sparks, Nev.

He had helped his father design venerable LakeRidge 20 years earlier, but this fun and sneaky-tough effort snaking through wetlands northeast of Reno marked Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s first solo Northern Nevada effort when it opened in 1997. Now nearing its 10th anniversary, the Lakes just improves with age as trees mature, landscaping grows in and the greens deepen into some of the area’s best — despite a big disease scare a couple summers ago. Superintendent Ron Gribble has brought them back up to speed in record time. Though this is a residential course, the scale of fairway to driveway, roof and porch is expertly reined in, and it will reportedly stay that way when the front nine is re-routed to include three new holes and expand the practice area sometime in the future.

www.resortatredhawk.com | 775.626.6000

31. Bailey Creek | Lake Almanor, Calif.

One of the most fun and engaging mountain courses you’ll ever play, rolling through big Douglas firs and Jeffrey pines in the northern Sierra.

www.baileycreek.com | 866.959.7829

32. Stevinson Ranch | Stevinson, Calif.

Bay Area golfers have been raving about this middle-of-nowhere, Central Valley John Harbottle product for a decade.

www.stevinsonranch.com | 877.752.9276

33. Mauna Lani South | Kohala Coast, Hawaii

A couple of epic Pacfic-side par 3s make this one a must.

www.maunalani.com | 808.885.6655

34. Port Ludlow (Tide and Timber Nines) | Port Ludlow, Wash.

The first two nines at this surprising course on Puget Sound’s west shore are as good as forest golf gets.

www.portludlowresort.com | 800.455|0272

35. Half Moon Bay Old Course | Half Moon Bay, Calif.

A new and even prettier 18th gives this track the nod over its Ocean sibling.

www.halfmoonbaygolf.com | 650.726.1800

36. Marriott Shadow Ridge | Palm Desert, Calif.

Nick Faldo makes all the right moves in his first West Coast design.

www.golfshadowridge.com | 760.674.2700

 

TOP NON-RESORT COURSES

1. Trump National Los Angeles | Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.

When FG followed Donald Trump around the nascent new holes of his most expensive golf project to date back in July 2004 — a once-in-a-lifetime tour into the mind of a guy who clearly loves golf as much as he loves money, and respects it more — we could see the seeds of something special, especially when we considered what Trump had to work with: A half-baked Pete Dye design, then known as Ocean Trails, that had been ravaged by money problems and an unexpected mishap in which the 18th hole literally fell into the Pacific and three other holes were all but wiped out. After consulting with Tom Fazio, who had laid out Trump’s award-winning private tracks in New York and New Jersey, Trump took over full-time design duties himself at Palos Verdes, clearing out landing areas, redesigning almost every green and spending tens of millions to rebuilt the 18th, which is now one of the toughest par 4s anywhere, playing 500 yards from the volcano-like back tee. Several FG contributors quarrel with this ranking — they just can’t get past those “blasphemous” manmade waterfalls at 1 and 17 — but in the final analysis, Trump National earns its No. 1 status with Pacific views from every hole, a never-boring routing on a challenging site, a rousing collection of long and short par 4s and exemplary service from stem to stern.

www.trumpnational.com | 310.303.3240

2. Edgewood Tahoe | Stateline, Nev.

The celebrities love it every July and the rest of us marvel at its unsurpassed setting on Lake Tahoe’s south shore, with a stunning final stretch along the beach.

www.edgewood-tahoe.com | 775.588.3566

3. We-Ko-Pa | Fort McDowell, Ariz.

The new Crenshaw-Coore Saguaro 18 will give it some fierce competition now that it’s open, but the original Cholla course is a desert Southwest delicacty.

www.wekopa.com | 480.836.9000

4. Wolf Creek | Mesquite, Nev.

This isn’t just desert golf. It’s nearly golf on the moon. Unique, sometimes goofy, eminently fun.

www.golfwolfcreek.com | 866.252.4653

5. Coyote Moon | Truckee, Calif.

Sierra golf in its purest form, with no structures or out-of-place quirks to obscure a rapturous round.

www.coyotemoongolf.com | 530.587.0886

6. Royal Links | Las Vegas, Nev.

This choice always raises eyebrows, but we love its in-your-face, perfectly fabricated brillance — and we’ll be sorry to see it go.

www.waltersgolf.com | 888.427.6678

7. Big Sky | Pemberton, British Columbia

Bob Cupp heads north of the border to work more nature-nurturing magic in a gorgeous valley ringed by 3,000-foot peaks.

www.bigskygolf.com | 800.668.7000

8. Paiute (Wolf) | Las Vegas, Nev.

The best of Paiute’s three stellar tracks, and Pete Dye’s top desert design overall.

www.lvpaiutegolf.com | 800.711.8287

9. Sandpines | Florence, Ore.

Reese Jones draws on heathland and linksland influences to bring the Oregon coast into a different kind of golf focus.

www.sandpines.com | 800.917.GOLF

10. Rancho San Marcos | Santa Barbara, Calif.

Leaping and looping through a lush river valley just inland from the Pacific, this Robert Trent Jones Jr. design has that settled-in feeling of an early 20th century classic and a well-honed connection to its settings ranch-and-mission roots. One nine stays mostly on flat ground, taking full advantage of old-growth oaks and skirting the banks of the Santa Ynez River; the other nine ranges into rocky hills and across flora-chocked ravines, with several greens perfectly framed by the surrounding mountains. A 19th century stagecoach trail kisses a couple of fairways, but the course’s conditioning and service model is very much rooted in the 21st century — making a trip to Rancho San Marcos a singular SoCal soiree.

www.rsm1804.com | 877.RSM.1804

11. Genoa Lakes (Lakes Course) | Genoa, Nev.

Peter Jacobsen and John Harbottle hit immediate critical paydirt when this course — part links, part parkland, part desert, all-out golf ecstasy — opened at the foot of the Carson Range in the early 1990s.

www.genoalakes.com | 866.795.2709

12. Old Greenwood | Truckee, Calif.

Jack Nicklaus echoes his Tour-worthy work at the private Montrêux in nearby Reno with a muscular, magical tour through forest and mountain-meadow sage.

www.oldgreenwood.com | 530.550.7010

13. Desert Willow Firecliff | Palm Desert, Calif.

A note-perfect desert muni that looks and plays like a high-end daily fee course, right down to its scissor-cut fairways and lovely landscaping.

www.desertwillow.com | 800.320.3323

14. Sandpiper | Santa Barbara, Calif.

Seaside golf in the honeymoon capital of Southern Cal? Gotta love it.

www.sandpipergolf.com | 805.968.1541

15. Oak Quarry | Riverside, Calif.

A miracle of a design in an abandoned quarry minutes from downtown Riverside. No. 14, a par 3 sliced out of the side of a mountain, is along worth the price of admission.

www.oakquarry.com | 951.685.1440

16. PGA West Stadium | La Quinta, Calif.

We call it Sawgrass West, complete with island green at the 17th hole — and it’s even tougher than its Florida cousin.

www.pgawest.com

17. The Course at Wente Vineyards | Livermore, Calif.

Greg Norman goes to exquisite heights — then back down to a fairway-meets-vineyard closing stretch — to create the golf equivalent of a great cabernet, deep of character and thrilling to the palate.

www.wentegolf.com | 925.456.2475

18. Pasatiempo | Santa Cruz, Calif.

Alister Mackenzie designed some of his best par 3s here. He lived on the front nine in later life. But it’s the quirky back nine, and diabolical greens throughout, that key this course’s charm.

www.pasatiempo.com | 831.459.9155

19. Monarch Dunes | Nipomo, Calif.

Damian Pascuzzo gives the Central Coast the final link in its golf destination chain.

www.monarchdunes.com | 805.343.9459

20. Olympic View | Victoria, BC

Yes, the waterfall on No. 17 is manmade but you’ll swear it’s natural. The rest of the course? Fantastic, thanks to a can’t-miss setting on a mountainside at the southern tip of Vancouver Island. The first hole offers a view of the Olympic Mountains in Washington State, beyond the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the fun just ratchets up from there. A dozen lakes, tumbling fairways, stately stands of old-growth trees and some of Canada’s best weather conspire to make this one of Canadian architect Bill Robinson’s finest forays. Match it with nearby Bear Mountain for a delightful duo.

www.golfbc.com | 800.446.5322

21. Harding Park | San Francisco, Calif.

The PGA Tour’s multimillion dollar facelift puts this old school landmark back on a par with that private joint across the street.

www.harding-park.com | 415.664.4690

22. Poppy Hills | Pebble Beach, Calif.

Trent Jones Jr. doesn’t quite match the old man’s Spyglass, but he gives it a great shot.

www.poppyhillsgolf.com | 851.622.8239

23. Moorpark Country Club | Moorpark, Calif.

Another playful and sometimes perilous Jacobsen gem, this time with Jim Hardy in the hills near Ventura.

www.moorparkcountryclub.com | 805.532.2834

24. Black Gold | Yorba Linda, Calif.

Arthur Hills’ canyon-climbing wonder serves up rich views of Orange County and, on clear day, Catalina.

www.blackgoldgolf.com | 714.961.0060

25. Diablo Grande Legends | Patterson, Calif.

The Bear and the Squire’s only collaboration stirs the soul in the golden and green hills just west of I-5.

www.diablogrande.com | 209.892|4663

26. Bali Hai | Las Vegas, Nev.

Give Billy Walters credit for shoehorning a bit of Bali among the billboards, boulevards and big jets of Vegas.

www.waltersgolf.com | 888.427.6678

27. Sierra Star | Mammoth Lakes, Calif.

At nearly 8,000 feet in elevation, it’s the Golden State’s highest course, and one of its prettiest.

www.mammothmountain.com . 800.MAMMOTH

28. Maderas Country Club | San Diego, Calif.

Rivals Torrey for toughness, with incomparable conditioning and those brutal beautiful Johnny Miller greens.

www.maderasgolf.com | 858.451.8100

29. StoneTree | Novato, Calif.

Like three courses in one, all of them conversation pieces, at the gateway to Wine Country.

www.stonetreegolf.com | 415.209.6090

30. DarkHorse | Auburn, Calif.

Despite a couple of rough bouts with the elements — hot summers and big rains can wreak havoc in the scrub oak-meets-pine strata of the northern Sierra foothills northeast of Sacramento — DarkHorse stays in the running thanks to an impeccable routing through two temperate zones, a finishing hole that echoes No. 13 at Augusta National (not that we’ve played that hole in person), and a surprising, never-by-the-numbers quality that keeps the mind engaged and the ego guessing. Architect Keith Foster, who also designed the equally interesting D’Andrea Golf Club near Reno, doesn’t fight the topography; rather he accentuates it with sometimes unorthodox leaps of faith — the uphill par 4 second, for instance. When it’s in great shape, DarkHorse is hard to beat in a very crowded Sacto-area market.

www.darkhorsegolf.com | 530.269.7900

31. Roddy Ranch | Antioch, Calif.

Cowboy-turned-rancher-turned-golf entrepreneur Jack Roddy has never given up on his careening, crafty course at the foot of Mt. Diablo, and thank God for that.

www.roddyranch.com | 925.978.4653

32. Aspen Lakes | Sisters, Ore.

The red sand bunkers would be gimmicky anywhere else, but here in the volcanic shadow of the Cascades’ Three Sisters west of Bend, they work perfectly.

www.aspenlakes.com | 541.549.4653

33. Bodega Harbour | Bodega Bay, Calif.

One of Trent Jones Jr.’s true unsung winners, especially a back nine that cascades to the bay and hits its peak at No. 16 a short par 4 in earshot of the crashing surf.

www.bodegaharbourgolf.com | 866.90.LINKS

34. Coronado Municipal | San Diego, Calif.

The locals gobble up a lot of tee times, so plan ahead and pay the extra scratch to secure a spot on this glimmering sliver of sunlit fun.

www.golfcoronado.com | 619.435.3121

35. Cypress Ridge | Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Peter Jacobsen’s hat trick on FG’s list gave the Central Coast a different breed of golf course, with several standout risk-reward holes.

www.cypressridge.com | 888.781.GOLF

36. Haggin Oaks Mackenzie Course | Sacramento, Calif.

Its history is positively Pebble-like, its design pedigree is pure Mackenzie, it’s just off the main drag and any Joe can tee it up for less than 40 bucks. Sweet!

www.hagginoaks.com | 916.481.4653