WHERE YOU CAN RIP IT - 2010
Public Golf Course Rankings of the Western Golf Alliance
Copyright 2002-2010, Western Golf Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved
Western Washington
Region E Member Summary: In 2007, we ranked Chambers Bay #8 purely on reputation since none of our members had played it. Now that almost all of us have played it, Chambers Bay is a landslide #1 … finally Washington has that “wow factor” world class course! (And Chambers Bay will only get better as the greens mature.) However, back in 2007, two other courses also opened, and both are outstanding (and cheaper) – the WSGA Home Course, and White Horse. It’s interesting to note that only ONE course – Redmond Ridge – is within a 30 mile drive of downtown Seattle … everything else is south, north, or on the Olympic Peninsula.
Southern California
11T. Talega Golf Club
Region A Member Summary: The SoCal members know this is the center of the golf universe. This region is primarily about two locales – the South Coast and Cochela Valley. Most members live near the coast … note Torrey Pines South #1, Pelican Hill, Trump (the place for corporate entertaining!), and Aviara in the top 5, and Barona Creek as new to the 2010 rankings. For desert golf, SilverRock remains the member favorite – its interplay with the rock mountains is unique compared to other desert tracks (‘The Stadium’ is just too tough). Meanwhile, our “best new” nod goes to a place that’s actually “in between” – the Journey at Pechanga.
Greater Portland
Region C Member Summary: Without a lot of changes in the Portland golf scene over the past 24 months, the Greater Portland rankings appear more or less like we just rearranged the deck chairs. The difference between the Portland region and some of the others is that most of the local courses are just that – local municipal and true public courses – and not resort destination courses (a la the Bandon or Bend courses). For a one sentence summary of Portland area golf: When Portland golfers want something great, we play Pumpkin Ridge; when we want something good, cheap and nearby, we play Heron Lakes; for something in between, it’s The Reserve Vineyards.
Other Oregon
Region D Member Summary: Since we played the 2008 Open at Bandon Dunes, we knew members would have a new appreciation for Oregon golf! Clearly the Bandon courses are high on the list (and we can’t really pick between BD and PD), and nearby Bandon Crossings made our list this year, too. However, the most significant change was Juniper Golf Course moving up to 5th, barely edging nearby Tetherow Golf Club. Given that the courses above it are famous, nationally ranked resort destinations, this means Juniper has emerged as the favorite “non-resort” or “true muni” course (it is owned by the city of Redmond) in the region.
California Superior
Region B Member Summary: Even for locals who never play the courses, our members throughout California know that the Pebble/Spyglass combo (and other great courses in the Monterey Peninsula area like Pasatiempo and Spanish Bay) are the alpha dogs of this region. However, depending on where they live, the preferred courses to personally play are La Purisima, Rustic Canyon, and Harding Park (when you can get a tee time). Additionally, our "NorCal" members like the resort locations of Half Moon Bay and CordeValle as those once-in-a-while locations that work well for best ball tournaments and outings, or entertaining other WGA members visiting from out of town.
Sierra-Nevada
Region G Member Summary: We’ve noticed that most of the regions rank their ‘destination’ resorts high, then include several local favorites. However, in the Sierra Nevada Region, we do it differently … our rankings are comprised of almost all resort destinations, but our #1 course is our local Sacramento favorite, DarkHorse. DarkHorse has a great variety of holes with also a variety of scenery, not to mention a wonderful staff … it is THE place to play near the state capitol. Of course, we encourage everyone to play the great resorts in Reno, Stateline, and Truckee, especially the "destination" courses like Edgewood Tahoe.
Greater Las Vegas
6. Cascata
7. Shadow Creek
11. Bali Hai
Region H Member Summary: Las Vegas members have simply decided we aren’t going to rank places based on reputation, but on our personal preferences and experience. While some members have played – and recognize the excellence of – Shadow Creek, Cascata, and Wynn, they have been downgraded this year as they are simply unaffordable and virtually inaccessible. Wolf Creek in Mesquite remains the great, playable world-class course, and Paiute Resort is clearly our favorite golf resort. And with the closure of Lake Las Vegas, our list now has room for other great local courses like Aliante and Angel Park.
Arizona Unlimited
Region I Member Summary: The Phoenix/Scottsdale area is littered with world class golf resorts, but our favorite to actually play is We-Ko-Pa ... it is the least ‘resort-like’ and has a fun casino. Our members are torn on the rerouting at Troon North – we downgraded their courses somewhat this year since the jury is still out and many of our local members just didn't get to try out the new layout yet. Outside of Phoenix/Scottsdale, our members love Arizona National as the absolute best course in the Tucson area (with a great staff that caters to groups and outings), and Sedona Resort as the best course in the Northern Arizona/Flagstaff area.
The Western Golf Alliance is pleased to release our 2010 Where You Can Rip It golf course rankings! These are the top PUBLIC ACCESS courses in the Western U.S, as determined by our membership. As a regional organization without any course affiliations, the Western Golf Alliance is uniquely qualified to provide this valuable service to other golfers. Again this year, our members evaluated courses subjectively, and engaged in open discussion about the inclusion and ranking of courses in each region. After we published our first rankings in 2008, we received both praise and inquiries regarding the quality of our decisions and our method for achieving the rankings, and this year we have published procedures.
After innumerable rounds of golf producing 270 nominees, the result is one of the most comprehensive and complete rankings of the top 100 west cost public-access golf courses anywhere. Next time you're looking for a great public golf experience, consider the advice of the Western Golf Alliance ... and Keep It Long and Straight!!
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Eastern Washington
Region F Member Summary: While other areas of the country are closing golf courses, several new courses have opened in Eastern Washington, with more under development. For example, the addition of Wine Valley to the good line-up of Columbia Point, Canyon Lakes, and Sun Willows makes the Tri Cities/Walla Walla area a relative golf hotbed (especially for groups thinking of a golf-and-wine-tasting road trip). However, Palouse Ridge grabbed most of the attention and made several national “best new” lists. According to our "Cougar faithful" members, this new course on the Wazzu campus is worthy of the PR and debuts at #1 in the region.
Added note from the WGA Competition Committee: You can bet these Greater Las Vegas rankings will influence our course selection for the 2010 Western Golf Alliance Open!
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