I keep a wooden rack on my wall. Fifty golf balls. One from each of my favorite courses.
Top right is number one. You read right to left across each row, then down. Bottom left is number fifty — the next one off if something better comes along.
Right now, Royal Liverpool holds the top spot. It's a special place. Links golf the way it's meant to be played. It will be hard to knock off.
How It Works
Every time I play a new course that deserves a spot, I make a decision. Where does it belong?
If I think it's the 27th best course I've ever played, I slot the ball in at 27. Everything from 27 down shifts one position. Number 50 falls off the rack entirely.
It's simple. It's honest. And it forces a real opinion.
There's no "they're all great in different ways" hedging here. The wall demands a ranking. You either earn a spot or you don't. And if you're on there, you have a number.
What Makes a Course Rank
I don't have a formula. It's instinct built on experience. But a few things tend to matter:
- Memorability. Can I close my eyes and walk through the holes? Do specific shots still live in my head?
- Strategy. Does the course ask questions? Are there choices on every tee, or just one obvious play?
- Conditioning. This matters less than you'd think, but neglect is hard to ignore.
- Setting. Where you are when you're playing. The walk between holes. What you see.
- How it made me feel. This is the thing you can't quantify. Some courses just hit different.
Price doesn't factor in. Exclusivity doesn't factor in. Only the golf.
What's Coming
I'm going to write about these courses. Not reviews in the traditional sense — more like memories and observations. What I remember. What stood out. What I'd do differently next time.
One course at a time. Working through the wall.
Some will be famous. Some will be places you've never heard of. A muni in Louisville holds a spot because I grew up there and the bones are good. A resort course in Bermuda is on there because one round in the wind changed how I think about course management.
The wall doesn't care about prestige. It only cares about what stuck.
The Current Top 10
As of today:
- 1. Royal Liverpool — Hoylake, England
- 2. Formby Golf Club — England
- 3. Royal Lytham & St Annes — England
- 4. Pinehurst No. 2 — Pinehurst, NC
- 5-6. TBD — Reserved for Pebble & Spyglass
- 7. Kiawah Ocean Course — Kiawah Island, SC
- 8. Valhalla — Louisville, KY
- 9. Mid Ocean Club — Bermuda
- 10. Cape Arundel — Kennebunkport, ME
This will change. The wall always changes. That's the point.