Documenting one man's dream to play the great golf courses of North America
Documenting one man's dream to play the great golf courses of North America
Hi. I'm Shawn Bannon. Welcome to my page.
After my 45th birthday in March 2021, I had a crazy idea ... that by my 55th birthday, I'd like to have played all the golf courses on Golf Digest's ranking of the top 100 in America. That's a big dream for a guy who isn't rich and doesn't have a lot of rich friends or contacts at many of the private clubs on the list. I just recently joined a private club; that'll help. But ultra-exclusive clubs like Pine Valley? Augusta National? That's going to take some magic.
Then, because I'm a glutton for punishment (like most golfers), it occurred to me to dream even bigger. So, I added to my bucket list the courses on Golf Digest's list of top public courses, GOLF Magazine's Top 100 North American Courses list and Top 100 Courses You Can Play ranking of public courses across North America, and Golfweek's Top 100 US Public Courses, Golfweek's Top 100 Classic Courses, and Golfweek's Top 100 Modern Courses. There's some overlap between the lists, but based on the current rankings, that puts the total number of courses at 371. To date, I've played 92. I don't know how I'll make the connections necessary to access many of these courses. But I have to believe the effort it'll take ... meeting new people who share my love of the game and making new friends ... will be a big part of what makes this all worthwhile. And with less than 10 years to go until I turn 55, I've got a lot of work to do and a lot of fun ahead.
The List
It's an ambitious list. Insurmountable, some might say. But I say, "Dream big, be bold and swing hard."
Based on rankings as of June 2021:
1-Golf Digest Top 100 in America
2-Golf Digest Top 100 Public Courses
3-Golf Magazine Top 100 North American Courses
4-Golf Magazine Top 100 You Can Play
5-Golfweek Top 100 US Public Courses
6-Golfweek Top 100 Classic Courses
7-Golfweek Top 100 Modern Courses
(Courses I've played appear below in bold.)
Public Courses
Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs) - Arcadia, MI 1,2,3,5,7
Arcadia Bluffs (South) - Arcadia, MI 2*,4,5*
Atlantic City CC - Northfield, NJ 4,5 (Played 2021)
Atunyote Golf Club - Verona, NY 2† (Played 2021)
Bandon Dunes - Bandon, OR 1,2,3,4,5,7
Bandon Trails - Bandon, OR 1,2,3,4,5,7
Banff Springs - Banff, Alberta 4
Barona Creek - Lakeside, CA 4
Barton Creek - Fazio Canyons - Austin, TX 2†,5†
Bay Harbor Golf Course - Links/Quarry - Bay Harbor, MI 2
Bay Hill - Orlando, FL 4,5 (Played 1997)
Bayside - Brule, NE 5†
Bedford Springs Resort (Old Course) - Bedford, PA 4 (Played 2020)
Belvedere Golf Club - Charlevoix, MI 2†,4
Bethpage Black - Farmingdale, NY 1,2,3,4,5,6 (Played 2011)
Bethpage Red - Farmingdale, NY 4 (Played 2011)
Big Cedar Lodge (Buffalo Ridge) - Hollister, MO 5
Big Cedar Lodge (Ozarks National) - Hollister, MO 2*,4,5
Black Desert Resort - Ivins, UT 7*
Black Diamond Ranch (Quarry) - Lecanto, FL 2*,5† (Played 2024)
Black Jack's Crossing - Lajitas, TX 5
Black Mesa - Espanola, NM 4
Blackhawk - Spruce Grove, Alberta 4
Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys) - Kohler, WI 2 (Played 2010)
Blackwolf Run (River Course) - Kohler, WI 1†,2,4,5 (Played 2010)
Black Desert Resort - Ivins, UT 7*
Boyne Highlands - Heather - Harbor Springs, MI 2†
Bulle Rock - Havre De Grace, MD 2 (Played 2021)
Cabot Cliffs - Inverness, Nova Scotia 4
Cabot Links - Inverness, Nova Scotia 4
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club - Pawleys Island, SC 2,4,5 (Played 2021)
Cape Arundel - Kennebunkport, ME 4
Cape Breton (Highlands Links) - Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia 4
Casa De Campo (Teeth of the Dog) - Dominican Republic 4
Cascata - Boulder City, NV 2,5
Chambers Bay - University Place, WA 2,4,5,7
Chileno Bay - Rancho El Tule, Cabo San Lucas, BCS 4
Cog Hill No. 4 Dubsdread - Lemont, IL 2,4,5
Cordevalle Golf Club - San Martin, CA 2,5
Cove Club at Cabo del Sol - Cabo San Lucas, BCS 4
Crosswater Golf Club - Bend, OR 2,5
Eagle Eye - Bath, MI 5*
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course - Stateline, NV 2*
Erin Hills Golf Course - Hartford, WI 1,2,4,5,7 (Played 2010)
Fallen Oak Golf Course - Saucier, MS 2,5,7
Firestone (South) - Akron, OH 2*,4,5* (Played 2010)
Forest Dunes (The Loop: Black) - Roscommon, MI 2,4,5
Forest Dunes (The Loop: Red) - Roscommon, MI 2,4,5
Forest Dunes (Weiskopf) - Roscommon, MI 2.4.5
Four Seasons, Punta Mita (Pacifico) - Nayarit 4
Gamble Sands - Brewster, WA 2.3.4.5,7
George Wright - Boston, MA 4
Giants Ridge - Quarry - Bibawik, MN 2,4,5
Golden Horseshoe Golf Club (Gold) - Williamsburg, VA 2,5 (Played 2021)
Golf Club at Dove Mountain (Saguaro/Tortolita) - Marana, AZ 5†
Greenbrier - Old White TPC - White Sulphur Springs, WV 2,4,5
Grizzly Ranch - Portola, CA 2*
Harbour Town Golf Links - Hilton Head, SC 2,3,4,7
Hawktree - Bismark, ND 4,5*
Hideout Golf Course - Monticello, UT 5*
Highland Course at Primland - Meadows of Dan, VA 2,5,7 (Played 2021)
Hualalai Golf Course - Kallua Kona, HI 2†
Innisbrook - Copperhead - Palm Harbor, FL 2† (Played 2022)
Jaspar Park Lodge - Jasper, Alberta 4
Kaluhyat Golf Course - Verona, NY 2† (Played 2021)
Kapalua Plantation Course - Kapalua, Maui, HI 2,4,5,7
Karsten Creek - Stillwater, OK 2,4,5,7
Keswick Hall and GC (Full Cry) - Charlottesville, VA 5 (Played 2022)
Kingsmill Resort (River) - Williamsburg, VA 2* (Played 2022)
La Quinta Resort (Mountain) - La Quinta, CA 4
Landmand - Homer, NE 7*
Lawsonia Links - Green Lake, WI 2,3,4,5,6
Leatherstocking - Cooperstown, NY 5*
Links at Cuscowilla - Eatonton, GA 7†
Links of North Dakota - Ray, ND 5
Manele Golf Course - Lanai, HI 2,4,5,7
Marquette Golf Club - Greywalls - Marquette, MI 2,4,5,7†
Mauna Kea - Walmea, HI 2,4,5
Memorial Park - Houston, TX 4
Mid Ocean Club - Tucker's Town, St. George's Parish 4
Mid Pines - Southern Pines, NC 2,4,5 (Played 2022)
Mossy Oak Golf Club - West Point, MS 2,4,5
Muskoka Bay - Gravenhurst, ON 4
Mystic Creek - El Dorado, AR 5
Nemacolin Woodlands - Mystic Rock - Farmington, PA 2 (Played 2005)
Oak Quarry - Riverside, CA 4
Old Macdonald - Bandon, OR 1,2,3,4,5,7
Old Waverly Golf Course - West Point, MS 2,4,5†
Omni Homestead - Cascades - Hot Springs, VA 2,4,5,6*
Paa Ko Ridge - Sandia Park, NM 2,5
Pacific Dunes - Bandon, OR 1,2,3,4,5,7
Palmetto Bluff (May River) - Bluffton, SC 2,4,5
Pasatiempo - Santa Cruz, CA 2,3,4,5,6
Pebble Beach Golf Links - Monterey, CA 1,2,3,4,5,6 (Played 2002)
Pelican Hill - North - Newport Coast, CA 2†
Pelican Hill - South - Newport Coast, CA 2†
Pfau Course at Indiana University - Bloomington, IN 2*,4
PGA West (TPC Stadium) - La Quinta, CA 2,4
Pine Needles - Southern Pines, NC 2,4,5 (Played 2022)
Pinehurst No. 2 - Pinehurst, NC 1,2,3,4,5,6 (Played 2004)
Pinehurst No. 4 - Pinehurst, NC 2*,3,4,5,7
Pinehurst No. 8 - Pinehurst, NC 2 (Played 2023)
Poipu Bay Golf Course - Koloa, HI 2†
Poppy Hills - Pebble Beach, CA 2 (Played 2002)
Prairie Club - Dunes - Valentine, NE 2,3,4,5,7*
Prairie Club - Pines - Valentine, NE 2,5
Princeville Makai - Princeville, HI 2,5
Pronghorn Golf Club - Nicklaus Course - Bend, OR 2,5
Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club - Ghost Creek - North Plains, OR 2†,5
Punta Espada - Dominican Republic 4 (Played 2012)
Puntacana (Corales) - Dominican Republic 4
Pursell Farms (FarmLinks) - Sylacauga, AL 5
Quintero Golf Club - Peoria, AZ 2,5
Rams Hill - Borrego Springs, CA 2*,4,5
Rawls Course at Texas Tech - Lubbock, TX 5*
Red Sky Golf Club - Fazio - Wolcott, CO 2,5
Red Sky Golf Club - Norman - Wolcott, CO 2
Redlands Mesa - Grand Junction, CO 5*
Reynolds Lake Oconee (Great Waters) - Greensboro, GA 2,4,5
Royal Blue at Baha Mar - Nassau 4
Royal New Kent - Providence Forge, VA 5† (Played 2010)
RTJ Golf Trail at Grand National (Links) - Opelika, AL 4
Rustic Canyon - Moorpark, CA 4,5
Salish Cliffs - Shelton, WA 5
Sand Hollow (Championship) - Hurricane, UT 4,5
Sand Valley (Lido) - Rome, WI 7*
Sand Valley (Mammonth Dunes) - Rome, WI 2,3†,4,5,7
Sand Valley (Sand Valley) - Rome, WI 2,3,4,5,7
Seaside Course at Sea Island - St. Simons Iskand, GA 2,4,5,7
Sentry World - Stevens Point, WI 2,5
Shadow Creek - Las Vegas, NV 1,2,3,4,5,7
Sheep Ranch - Bandon, OR 2*,3,4,5,7
Silvies Valley Ranch (Craddock) - Seneca, OR 4,5
Silvies Valley Ranch (Hankins) - Seneca, OR 4,5
Spring Creek Golf Club - Zion Crossroads, VA 2* (Played 2022)
Spyglass Hill - Monterey, CA 1,2,4,5,7 (Played 2002)
Stoatin Brae - Augusta, MI 4
Streamsong Black - Streamsong, FL 2,4,5,7 (Played 2023)
Streamsong Blue - Streamsong, FL 2,3,4,5,7 (Played 2023)
Streamsong Red - Streamsong, FL 2,3,4,5,7 (Played 2023)
Sweetens Cove - South Pittsburg, TN 5,7
Taconic - Williamstown, MA 4
Talking Stick (O'odham North) - Scottsdale, AZ 4
Tetherow Golf Club - Bend, OR 2
The Bear at Grand Traverse - Acme, MI 2† (Played 2024)
The Broadmoor Golf Course - East - Colorado Springs, CO 2,4
The Bull at Pinehurst Farms - Sheboygan Falls, WI 2*
The Classic at Maddens - Brainerd, MN 2
The Donald Ross Course at French Lick - French Lick, IN 2†,4
The Dunes Golf & Beach Club - Myrtle Beach, SC 2,4,5 (Played 2021)
The Links at Spanish Bay - Pebble Beach, CA 2,5 (Played 2002)
The McLemore Club - Rising Fawn, GA 2*
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island - Kiawah Island, SC 1,2,3,4,5,7 (Played 1997)
The Park West Palm - West Palm Beach, FL 7*
The Pete Dye Course at French Lick - French Lick, IN 2,5
The Wilderness at Fortune Bay - Tower, MN 2,5
Tobacco Road - Sanford, NC 2,4,5 (Played 1999)
Torrey Pines - North - La Jolla, CA 2†,5†
Torrey Pines - South - La Jolla, CA 2,4,5
TPC Colorado - Berthoud, CO 2*
TPC San Antonio - Oaks - San Antonio, TX 2†
TPC Sawgrass - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 1,2,3,4,5,7 (Played 2009)
TPC Scottsdale - Scottsdale, AZ 5*
Troy Burne Golf Club - Hudson, WI 2†
Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point - Bronx, NY 4,5 (Played 2021)
Trump National - Doral - Miami, FL 2,4,5
Tullymore Golf Course - Standwod, MI 2†
Twin Dolphin - Cabo San Lucas, BCS 4
University Ridge - Madison, WI 5†
Virtues Golf Club - Nashport, OH 2 (Played 2005)
Warren Course at Notre Dame - Notre Dame, IN 4
We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro) - Fort McDowell, AZ 4,5
Whistling Straits (Irish Course) - Kohler, WI 2,5 (Played 2010)
Whistling Straits (Straits Course) - Kohler, WI 1,2,3,4,5,7 (Played 2010)
Wickenburg Ranch - Wickenburg, AZ 5*
Wild Horse - Gothenburg, NE 2,4,5
Wilderness Club - Eureka, MT 2,4
Wine Valley - Walla Walla, WA 4,5,7†
Wolf Creek Golf Club - Mesquite, NV 2,5†
World Woods - Pine Barrens - Brooksville, FL 2,5
Yale Golf Course - New Haven, CT 2*,6
Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Casino - Brooks, CA 5
† - Denotes legacy courses that were ranked among the top 100 since I began this effort but have since fallen out of the top 100 for a given publication
* - Denotes courses that have been added to the top 100 rankings for a given publication since I began this journey in spring 2021
Private Courses
Aronimink Golf Club - Newtown Square, PA 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
Augusta Country Club - Augusta, GA 6
Augusta National Golf Club - Augusta, GA 1,3,6
Austin Golf Club - Spicewood, TX 7†
Ballyneal Golf Club - Holyoke, CO 1,3,7
Baltimore Country Club at Five Farms (East) - Baltimore, MD 3,6 (Played 2021)
Baltusrol Golf Club (Lower) - Springfield, NJ 1,3,6
Baltusrol Golf Club (Upper) - Springfield, NJ 1,3†,6
Bayonne Golf Club - Bayonne, NJ 7
Bel-Air Country Club - Los Angeles, CA 3,6
Belleair Country Club (West) - Belleair, FL 6* (Played 2024)
Beverly Country Club - Chicago, IL 6*
Black Sheep - Sugar Grove, IL 7 (Played 2024)
Bluejack National - Montgomery, TX 7
Boot Ranch - Fredericksburg, TX 7†
Boston Golf Club - Hingham, MA 1,7 (Played 2023)
Brookside - Canton, OH 3*,6 (Played 2023)
Butler National Golf Club - Oakbrook, IL 1,7 (Played 2024)
California Golf Club of San Francisco - South San Francisco, CA 1*,3,6
Calusa Pines Golf Club - Naples, FL 1,3,7 (Played 2022)
Camargo Club - Indian Hill, OH 1,3,6 (Played 2023)
Canterbury - Beachwood, OH 6
Canyata Golf Club - Marshall, IL 1
Cape Cod National - Brewster, MA 5†
CapRock Ranch - Valentine, NE 3*
Castle Pines Golf Course - Castle Rock, CO 1,7
Cedar Rapids Country Club - Cedar Rapids, IA 6
Charlotte Country Club - Charlotte, NC 6
Cherry Hills Country Club - Cherry Hills Village, CO 1,3,6
Chicago Golf Club - Wheaton, IL 1,3,6
Clear Creak Tahoe - Carson City, NV 7†
Colleton River (Dye) - Bluffton, SC 7†
Colonial Country Club - Ft. Worth, TX 6†
Colorado Golf Club - Parker, CO 7
Congaree Golf Club - Ridgeland, SC 1,3,7 (Played 2023)
Congressional Country Club (Blue) - Bethesda, MD 1,3*,6 (Played 2022)
Country Club of Buffalo - Williamsville, NY 6 (Played 2024)
Country Club of Fairfield - Fairfield, CT 6†
Country Club of Scranton - Clarks Summit, PA 6 (Played 2024)
Crooked Stick - Carmel, IN 7
Crystal Downs Country Club - Frankfort, MI 1,3,6 (Played 2024)
Culver Academies Golf Club - Culver, IN 6
Cypress Point - Pebble Beach, CA 1,3,6
Dallas National Golf Club - Dallas, TX 1,7
Davenport - Pleasant Valley, IA 3*,6
Desert Forest - Carefree, AZ 7
Diamond Creek Golf Club - Banner Elk, NC 1,7
Dismal River Club (Red) - Mullen, NE 7
Double Eagle Club - Galena, OH 1†,7 (Played 2023)
Dunes Club - New Buffalo, MI 7
Dye Course at White Oak - Yulee, FL 7*
Eagle Point - Wilmington, NC 7*
East Lake - Atlanta, GA 6
Eastward Ho! - Chatham, MA 3,6
Ekwanok - Manchester, VT 6*
Essex County Club - Manchester, MA 1,3,6
Eugene Country Club - Eugene, OR 7†
Fenway Golf Club - Scarsdale, NY 6
Fishers Island Club - Fishers Island, NY 1,3,6 (Played 2024)
Flint Hills National - Andover, KS 7*
Friar's Head Golf Club - Baiting Hollow, NY 1,3,7 (Played 2022)
Forest Highlands Golf Club (Canyon) - Flagstaff, AZ 7†
Fox Chapel Golf Club - Pittsburgh, PA 6 (Played 2023)
Franklin Hills - Franklin, MI 6
Galloway National - Galloway Township, NJ 7
Garden City Golf Club - Garden City, NY 1,3,6
Glens Falls Country Club - Queensbury, NY 3,6
Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club - Harrison, ID 1,3,7
Grandfather Golf & Country Club - Linville, NC 7
Harvester - Rhodes, IA 7
Hazeltine National - Chaska, MN 7
Hidden Creek Golf Club - Egg Harbor Township, NJ 7†
Hollywood Golf Club - Deal, NJ 3,6
Holston Hills Country Club - Knoxville, TN 6†
Hudson National Golf Club - Croton-on-Hudson, NY 1,7 (Played 2022)
Interlachen Country Club - Edina, MN 1,6
Inverness Club - Toledo, OH 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
John's Island Club (West) - Vero Beach, FL 7
Jupiter Hills Club - Tequesta, FL 7
Kingsley Club - Kingsley, MI 3,7 (Played 2024)
Kinloch Golf Club - Manakin-Sabot, VA 1,7 (Played 2022)
Kirtland Country Club - Willoughby, OH 6 (Played 2023)
Kittansett Club - Marion, MA 1,3,6 (Played 2024)
Lancaster Country Club - Lancaster, PA 6
Laurel Valley Golf Club - Ligonier, PA 6 (Played 2013)
Linville Golf Club - Linville, NC 5† (Played 2024)
Loblolly - Hobe Sound, FL 7*
Long Cove - Hilton Head Island, SC 7
Los Angeles Country Club (North) - Los Angeles, CA 1,3,6
Maidstone Club - East Hampton, NY 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
Martis Camp - Truckee, CA 7
Mayacama - Santa Rosa, CA 7
McArthur - Hobe Sound, FL 7†
Meadow Club - Fairfax, CA 6*
Medalist - Hobe Sound, FL 7†
Medinah Country Club (No. 3) - Medinah, IL 1,6
Merion Golf Club (East) - Ardmore, PA 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
Milwaukee Country Club - River Hills, WI 1,3,6
Minikahda Club - Minneapolis, MN 6
Misquamicut - Westerly, RI 6
Monroe Golf Club - Rochester, NY 6† (Played 2024)
Monterey Penninsula Country Club (Dunes) - Pebble Beach, CA 1,3,6
Monterey Penninsula Country Club (Shore) - Pebble Beach, CA 1,3,7
Moraine Country Club - Kettering, OH 3,6 (Played 2022)
Mountain Lake - Lake Wales, FL 6
Mountain Ridge Country Club - West Caldwell, NJ 3†
Mountaintop - Cashiers, NC 7
Muirfield Village Golf Club - Dublin, OH 1,3,7 (Played 2023)
Myopia Hunt Club - South Hamilton, MA 1,3,6
Naples National - Naples, FL 7*
Nanea Golf Club - Kailua-Kona, HI 1*,3
National Golf Links of America - Southampton, NY 1,3,6
NCR (South) - Kettering, Ohio 6*†
Newport Country Club - Newport, RI 3,6
Oak Hill Country Club (East) - Rochester, NY 1,3,6 (Played 2011)
Oak Tree National - Edmond, OK 1,7
Oakland Hills Country Club (South) - Bloomfield Hills, MI 1,3,6
Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, PA 1,3,6 (Played 1999)
Ohoopee Match Club - Cobbtown, GA 1*,3,7
Ocean Forest - Sea Island, GA 7*
Old Elm Club - Highland Park, IL 6
Old Sandwich Golf Club - Plymouth, MA 1,3,7
Old Town Club - Winston-Salem, NC 1,3,6 (Played 2023)
Olde Farm - Bristol, VA 7
Olympia Fields Country Club - Olympia Fields, IL 1,6
Palmetto Golf Club - Aiken, SC 3
Patriot Golf Club - Owasso, OK 7†
Peachtree Golf Club - Atlanta, GA 1,3,6
Pete Dye Golf Club - Bridgeport, WV 1,7 (Played 2021)
Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon) - Flourtown, PA 6
Pikewood National Golf Club - Morgantown, WV 1,3,7
Pine Valley Golf Club - Pine Valley, NJ 1,3,6
Piping Rock Club - Locust Valley, NY 1*,3,6 (Played 2023)
Plainfield Country Club - Edison, NJ 1,3,6 (Played 2023)
Prairie Dunes Country Club - Hutchinson, KS 1,3,6 (Played 2021)
Quail Hollow Club - Charlotte, NC 1†,7
Quaker Ridge Golf Club - Scarsdale, NY 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
Rich Harvest Farms - Sugar Grove, IL 1†
Ridgewood (Championship) - Paramus, NJ 3,6 (Played 2023)
Riviera Country Club - Pacific Palisades, CA 1,3,6
Roaring Gap Club - Roaring Gap, NC 6
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club - Lake Manassas, VA 7
Rock Creek Cattle Co. - Deer Lodge, MT 1,3,7
Sage Valley - Graniteville, SC 7*
Salem Country Club - Peabody, MA 6
San Francisco Golf Club - San Francisco, CA 1,3,6
Sand Hills Golf Club - Mullen, NE 1,3,7
Sankaty Head - Siasconset, MA 6
Scioto Country Club - Columbus, OH 1,3*,6 (Played 2023)
Sebonack Golf Club - Southampton, NY 1,3†,7 (Played 2023)
Secession - Gibes Island, SC 7
Seminole Golf Club - Juno Beach, FL 1,3,6
Shelter Harbor - Westerly, RI 7 (Played 2024)
Shinnecock Hills, Golf Club - Southampton, NY 1,3,6
Shoal Creek - Birmingham, AL 7
Shoreacres - Lake Bluff, IL 1,3,6
Shooting Star Golf Club - Teton Village, WY 1*,7
Skokie Golf Club - Glencoe, IL 6
Sleepy Hollow Country Club - Briarcliff Manor, NY 1,3,6 (Played 2022)
Somerset Hills Country Club - Bernardsville, NJ 1,3,6
Southern Hills Country Club - Tulsa, OK 1,3,6
Spring Hill Golf Club - Wayzata, MN 1,7
Stanwich Club, The - Greenwich, CT 7†
St. George's Golf and Country Club - Setauket, NY 6† (Played 2024)
St. Louis Country Club - St. Louis, MO 3,6
Sutton Bay - Agar, SD 7
The Alotian Club - Roland, AR 1
The Bear's Club - Jupiter, FL 7*
The Country Club - Brookline, MA 1,3,6
The Country Club - Pepper Pike, OH 6*
The Creek - Locust Valley, NY 3,6
The Estancia Club - Scottsdale, AZ 1,7
The Golf Club - New Albany, OH 1,3,7 (Played 2021)
The Honors Course - Ooltewah, TN 1,3,7
The Olympic Club - San Francisco, CA 1,3,6
The Quarry at La Quinta - La Quinta, CA 1
The Tributary - Driggs, ID 7
The Valley Club of Montecito - Montecito, CA 1,3,6
Tradition Golf Club - La Quinta, CA 7†
Valhalla Golf Club - Louisville, KY 1,7 (Played 2023)
Victoria National Golf Club - Newburgh, IN 1,7
Wade Hampton Golf Club - Cashiers, NC 1,3,7
Wannamoisett - Rumford, RI 6 (Played 2024)
Whispering Pines Golf Club - Trinity, TX 1,7
White Bear Yacht Club - White Bear Lake, MN 3,6
Whitinsville Golf Club - Whitinsville, MA 6
Winged Foot Golf Club (East) - Mamaroneck, NY 1,3,6
Winged Foot Golf Club (West) - Mamaroneck, NY 1,3,6
Wolf Point Golf Course - La Hood, TX 3†
Yeamans Hill Club - Charleston, SC 1†,3,6 (Played 2023)
Courses Targeted for Play in 2024**
Canterbury - Beachwood, OH 6
Cape Cod National - Brewster, MA 5†
Charlotte Country Club - Charlotte, NC 6
Diamond Creek Golf Club - Banner Elk, NC 1,7
Eastward Ho! - Chatham, MA 3,6
Essex County Club - Manchester, MA 1,3,6
Forest Dunes (The Loop: Black) - Roscommon, MI 2,4,5
Forest Dunes (The Loop: Red) - Roscommon, MI 2,4,5
Forest Dunes (Weiskopf) - Roscommon, MI 2.4.5
Grandfather Golf & Country Club - Linville, NC 7
Greenbrier - Old White TPC - White Sulphur Springs, WV 2,4,5
Hidden Creek Golf Club - Egg Harbor Township, NJ 7†
Hollywood Golf Club - Deal, NJ 3,6
Lancaster Country Club - Lancaster, PA 6
Leatherstocking - Cooperstown, NY 5*
Myopia Hunt Club - South Hamilton, MA 1,3,6
National Golf Links of America - Southampton, NY 1,3,6
NCR (South) - Dayton, Ohio 6*†
Oakland Hills Country Club (South) - Bloomfield Hills, MI 1,3,6
Old Sandwich Golf Club - Plymouth, MA 1,3,7
Omni Homestead - Cascades - Hot Springs, VA 2,4,5,6*
Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon) - Flourtown, PA 6
Pinehurst No. 4 - Pinehurst, NC 2*,3,4,5,7
Quail Hollow Club - Charlotte, NC 1†,7
Stoatin Brae - Augusta, MI 4
The Creek - Locust Valley, NY 3,6
**More to come.
The Journey (So Far)
Updates on my efforts to chase the list, along with thoughts on my experiences in and around this great game.July 20, 2023 · golf,public,Florida,Florida Golf,HanseI recently posted about my visit this spring to play the Red course at Streamsong Resort in...July 13, 2023 · Florida,public,top 100,Coore and Crenshaw,Florida GolfThrough the years, I've been all over the state of Florida. I've vacationed from St. Augustine to...May 29, 2023 · Florida,Golf,Public,Alligator,PalmerThe people I meet along the way were always going to be the most meaningful part of the journey I...April 28, 2023 · North Carolina,Pinehurst,Top 100,Public,ResortIt was a long, restless winter without golf. I played my last golf of 2022 in early November with...April 1, 2023 · Pennsylvania,Aronimink,Donald Ross,Top 100,PhiladelphiaSince I set out to try to play the top-ranked golf courses in North America nearly two years ago,...February 22, 2023 · golf,public,Virginia,Top 100Following my round at Keswick Hall, I made the short, 20-minute, drive east on I-64 to Zion...More PostsAbout Me
Christian (the love-thy-neighbor kind, not the judgmental kind). Husband. Father. Friend to Jack Nicklaus (OK; that might be a little bit of a stretch, but look how happy he was to be taking that picture with us). Golf nut. Superman nerd. Political junkie. Professional speechwriter and PR consultant.
Like you, I'm a lot of things. And life has taken me in some directions I never would have imagined. Growing up, I never would have thought I'd even play golf, let alone have opportunities to tee it up at some of the greatest courses in the world. We were not well-to-do. We were not connected. And even today, I don't have many rich friends.But my parents taught my brothers and I to dream big. So I have. And I've been more blessed than I deserve. Blessed to meet a wonderful woman and convince her to marry me. Blessed to raise an incredible son. Blessed to earn admission to a great school (Carnegie Mellon University), to scratch out a way to pay for it, and to be the first in my family to graduate college. Blessed to work in a field I really enjoy and to meet amazing people from all walks of life.So, the idea of asking for more ... of trying to play not only the great public courses of North America but of networking and asking for access to those elite private clubs my father and certainly his father never would have dreamed of even visiting ... may be greedy of me. Or maybe it's not. It may be a fool's errand -- the impossible dream. But what kind of life do we live if we don't chase impossible dreams? What do we teach our children if we believe such things are beyond our reach?I dream of playing the great golf courses of North America. I hope that through the kindness and generosity of folks out there who are members or otherwise have access to these great clubs that, over time, I'll be able to do it. If not, it still will have been a journey worth traveling and a dream worth chasing.Let's play a round!
Are you a member of one of the great golf clubs in North America?
Want to invite me to play at your club or simply to tee it up together on a great public course near you?Send me a note. Let's connect. And let's make some golfing memories together.
Shawn Bannon © 2021