KEEP WARM THIS WINTER with a Mistwood Golf Dome stocking cap. The dome is open for practice, lessons, club fittings and Toptracer competitions, and is home to McWethy’s Sports Bar. So book your hitting bay at Mistwoodgolfdome.com or call the dome at (630)-739-7600. MGD is located on Rt. 53-Bolingbrook. Open daily until 10 Pm
THE GOG BLOG by RORY SPEARS, Director of Content and Creation for Golfers on Golf. Follow Rory on Twitter @GogBlogGuy and connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.
On the tee at the holes at Pine Valley Golf Club, in Pine Valley NJ.
The year 2022 came with some great golf course experiences. So as I settle into 2023, I’m hope next year goes as well as 2022 did.
The Top 10 are as follows.
No. 1 Pine Valley Golf Club. After playing here for the first time, it’s not hard to see why the club has been No.1 on Top 100 lists of various publications for years. Everything about Pine Valley on and off the golf course is nothing but first rate. I can only hope that golfers who love the game get a chance to play here some day.
Great Waters Golf Club at Reynolds Lake Oconee, Greensboro GA.
2. GREAT WATERS designed and now renovated by golfs all-time greatest golfer Jack Nicklaus.
One of Six courses at Reynolds Lake-Oconee it’s easy to say “Jack is back”.
His renovation is nothing short of outstanding. During an interview with me at the 2019 U.S. Senior Open Nicklaus said over 1,000 trees were removed to open up the sight lines. So that is exactly what happened. Nicklaus won his 19th major, with the redesign of Great Waters.
The 18th hole at Wilmington Country Club in Delaware, home to the 2022 BMW Championship.
3. Wilmington Country Club.
Wilmington Country Club might be Delaware’s finest club, but one thing it was for sure, was in the top 3 rounds for the year.
The club played home to the 2022 BMW Championship, and didn’t disappoint championship week.
My day on the course saw mostly overcast weather, a confused re-routing of the course that would be used tournament week. But clouds, rain and a zig-zag routing of holes couldn’t stop this day from being one of the best all year.
Southern Pines Golf Club is open once again.
No.4 Southern Pines Golf Club.
Then their were three. Ross Resorts in Southern Pines NC that previously had two Donald Ross courses, now has three.
In a great move by resort owner Kelly Miller, Ross resorts added the Southern Pines Golf Club to it’s roster at the resort.
But better yet, is that Miller turned architect Kyle Franz loose on a redo-that Ross himself would be proud of. I played the course on a 53 degree cloudy day-didn’t matter. Because this course is good, it’s great to play anytime you can.
Oconee Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee.
5. Oconee Course at Reynolds L-O.
The second round at Reynolds was almost as good as the first on Great Waters.
My entire outing cancelled that day. But I choose to go it alone, and in spite of getting soaked on a few holes. I am glad I did.
Rees Jones did an outstanding job here, but doesn’t get the credit because the course has not hosted an “Open” yet. But this course is a must if you visit Lake Oconee, rain or shine it’s an outstanding play created by the “Open Doctor”.
The par-3 Drumlin Course is a really fun part of Erin Hills.
6. Erin Hills-Erin Wisconsin.
ERIN HILLS just gets better every year, and this year as it tuned up to host the USGA Mid-Amateur in September.
The course is a long walk, but a good walk not spoiled.
In 2025 the course will host yet another USGA Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open.
Let’s just hope it turns out as good as the Men’s Open did in 2017.
Erin Hills continues to add cottages, and other things off the course that makes any trip there very enjoyable. The golf is really good as well.
The General at Eagle Ridge in Galena IL.
No.7 The General at Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena.
The General celebrated it’s 25th birthday this year, with an outing in the fall. So that was really a fun event.
But the look is new if you have not been there in a few years. So to start with the nine’s have been flipped. Which creates a more scenic and dramatic ending.
But some of the old tee boxes have been discovered and are being brought back into play. Some heavy tree area’s off the tee boxes are being cleaned out. #EagleRidgeGolfDontTakeUSforGranted The General is charging forward again.
Lawsonia-Links Course gets better and older every year.
No. 8 Lawsonia Links. Green Lake Wisconsin.
Lawsonia is one the best tracks in Wisconsin, even though it gets over shadowed by some other courses.
I was there for the (William) Langford Shield Outing in the fall and the course was in mint condition.
Lawsonia is one of the great old-time classic courses, but it’s one that the general public can play. Fun day-fun golf course. The Woodland Course next to it, looks good too #Hitlist2023.
The Pine Barrens Course at World-Woods in Brooksville Florida. WW is now Cabot Citrus Farms.
No. 9 Pine Barrens-Brooksville Florida.
Pine Barrens was still in great shape, even though it was closing for 18 months shortly after partner Len Ziehm and I pulled out of the front gates.
The Tom Fazio design is currently being redone by Karl Franz, and will reopen in December of 2023, as part of the new Cabot Citrus Farms.
Pine Barrens was created to be the public option of Pine Valley. Now having played both. Pine Barrens wasn’t far off. But it will be a real treat when the course reopens in 12 months to play it once more.
Austin Greaser wins the 2022 Western Amateur at Exmoor.
No.10
Exmoor Country Club Club in Highland Park.
The Western Golf Association (WGA) did an outstanding job in the selection of Exmoor for it’s 2022 Western Amateur.
I played the course at the media day with superintendent Tim Kelly, who had the course in outstanding condition. Exmoor was the best conditioned course I played this year. But it would be great to play courses in that great of shape all the time.
SO THAT’S THE TOP 10, and there were plenty of others that were really good too. But I will return with the hit list for 2023 tomorrow. RS