WHERE YOU CAN RIP IT - 2008
Public Golf Course Rankings of the
Western Golf Alliance
© Copyright 2002-2009, Western Golf Alliance, LLC. All rights reserved
Western Washington
Quietly became best course in state
One of the absolute best golf tests anywhere
Can't-miss site on any Olympic peninsula outing
Best conditioned greens in state, great staff
Could be even higher if the fees were lower
Southern California
Definitive SoCal coastal golf experience
Recent remodel has retained original excellence
A Pete Dye classic, but too tough for most players
Great track has not received attention it deserves
Plush resort course in the San Diego area
11T. The Classic Club
11T. Eagle Glen Golf Club
Greater Portland
Best conditioned course in Pacific Northwest
The pre-Bandon face of Oregon coast golf
A little crowded, but fun, cheap, and fair
Underappreciated and lesser known resort course
Great course, great history, stupid-cheap fees
Other Oregon
Some say better than Pebble - who are we to argue
Crown jewel of the best full service resort in the NW
Adds an inland track to the Bandon experience
Where golf meets a Discovery Channel nature show
Great location, unique feel with the red bunkers
California Superior
Golf: Invented in Scotland, perfected at Pebble
Best course no one has ever heard of
Great course, great fees, only 1 hour from L.A.
Great "true muni" courses; maybe a little overrated
Excellent combination of location, price, golf
Sierra-Nevada
Definitely the best near the CA state capitol
The best place to tee it up in the Lake Tahoe area
Good location in the heart of the Tahoe action
With two good course, Antoci's vision is coming true
Public/private combo provides a country club feel
Eastern Washington
New destination resort has started on right foot
Solid course with 2-3 truly breathtaking holes
Classic 1930's course with 1970's prices
Still the best SE Washington location
Good course, ridiculously cheap greens fees
Greater Las Vegas
A unique and challenging golf experience
1T. Shadow Creek
How to build a course completely from scratch
3. Cascata
Truly, every hole is a breathtaking photo op
The Shadow Creek masterminds did it again
Second course at resort locals can actually afford
Arizona Unlimited
One of the best pure desert courses in the world
The 'destination' when you think of Scottsdale
Great services for groups and road trips
Our personal favorite for high desert golf
A great place to play a PGA Tour course
The Western Golf Alliance is thrilled to release our first ever
Where You Can Rip It™ golf course rankings! These are the
top PUBLIC courses in each of the WGA regions, as
determined by our membership. As a regional organization
without any course affiliations, the WGA is uniquely qualified
to provide this valuable service to other golfers.
Our members evaluated courses subjectively, and engaged in
open discussion about the inclusion and ranking of courses
in each region. Primarily, the evaluations are focused on the
following principles.
Quality of Golf: In a nut shell ... Is this a great course?
Members consider all aspects of the course, but are primarily
focused on a) overall golf experience, b) layout and design
qualities, c) course condition, and d) sensory perception.
Playability of Course: Is this course fun to play, even for
weekend warriors? Courses with true risk/reward challenges that punish bad shots are great, but courses with features that randomly penalize slight misses aren't fun for average players. We don't want easy courses, but we do consider playability when recommending courses to players of all abilities.
Value of Experience: As a public access player, do you get good bang for the buck? This factor considers greens fees, facilities, amenities, and service. Make no mistake, there are expensive courses that are worth every penny. However, in cases where courses are similar, overall value is a factor every amateur considers before playing a course.
For each region, we have ranked our top 11 courses, based on our first-hand knowledge of the courses through the 2007 golf season. (Note that our rankings go "up to 11," which is clearly better than '10.') The result is 100 courses for you to consider! We have also included brief comments on select courses in each region. 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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