WHERE YOU CAN RIP IT - 2012
Public Golf Course Rankings of the Western Golf Alliance
Copyright 2002-2013, Western Golf Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved
Western Washington
1. Chambers Bay
10. Druids Glen
It's no secret that Western Washington is not a golfing hotbed. Nor is it any secret that the discussion of "best public course" begins and ends with one of the great "true municipal" courses in the U.S., Chambers ... (read the full regional review)
Southern California
When it comes to the public-access courses in Southern California, many of the "elite" courses are affiliated with the famous resorts either in the South Coast/San Diego or ... (read the full regional review)
Greater Portland
There is an interesting, almost unique characteristic about golf in the Portland, Oregon area. Most metropolitan areas have a reasonable number of "average" courses, with their "great" courses situated much ... (read the full regional review)
Other Oregon
Honestly, from the perspective of our "Other Oregon" golf course rankings, the Bandon Dunes Resort needs to stop building ... or else these rankings will JUST be their courses! That said, there is no denying that the ... (read the full regional review)
California Superior
5. Saddle Creek
Of course when you are talking about public and resort courses in central/coastal California, everyone knows the Pebble Beach courses are the gold standard. Even if this is a "destination" location and not a place players ... (read the full regional review)
Sierra Nevada
5. Coyote Moon
While our "Sierra Nevada Region" is huge, for golf purposes it really encompasses a 100 mile radius around Lake Tahoe. Ever since they opened, our local members in the area have been interested in how the resort ... (read the full regional review)
Greater Las Vegas
11. Bali Hai
At one point during the ranking discussions for "Region H", one of our members quipped, "are these the greater Las Vegas rankings, or the greater Mesquite rankings?" And truth be said ... the really superior golf in ... (read the full regional review)
Arizona Unlimited
At a glance it's easy to tell that our Arizona members - concentrated in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area - love We-Ko-Pa. The two courses there don't just stand out as a good tandem, but each one stands on its own as a great ... (read the full regional review)
The Western Golf Alliance is pleased to release our 2012 "Where You Can Rip It" golf course rankings!
In 2007, our organization began these rankings as a way of returning value to the great game of golf. We wanted to advance golf in a way that explicitly benefited the "average golfer" - the weekend golfer, playing at the local muni, striving to knock two more strokes off his or her handicap, only for the personal pride that would come with it. The idea is simple: Identify, publish, and publicize the 100 best PUBLIC ACCESS golf courses in the Western U.S. Again this year, our members followed an extensive process to evaluate courses subjectively, and engaged in open discussion about the inclusion and ranking of courses in each of our nine regions.
This is the third time we have published these biennial rankings. Tens of thousands of golfers now view these rankings annually. Our rankings have been discussed and debated by golf magazines, and our members have been solicited for comment about courses by those same publications. Specific course rankings have been used to promote golf events, referenced in local articles about high school and college tournaments, and even cited in documents used to establish real estate values. However, we don't do this for the publicity - we do it to serve the great game of golf, and to recognize superior golf courses. We strive to acknowledge greatness, and to ensure that the typical weekend golfer can find and experience the best public golf around. As a regional golf organization, we take these rankings very seriously. So 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
Late in 2010, we had some communication with a certain national magazine editor about whether or not they were going to include Palouse Ridge on their "top 100 public course" list. Their considered opinion: No, it just ... (read the full regional review)
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