In the process of researching my next post I came across the original list that Golf Magazine published in October 1979. In fact, it was not a "top 100" list but was the "50 Greatest Golf Courses in the World". It wasn't until 1982 that Golf Magazine expanded the list to 100 courses.
For the golf crazed, it gives us something more to do. I have long been looking for a reason to go to Italy to play golf and this list provides the incentive. The Pevero Golf Course in Sardinia was designed by Robert Trent Jones in 1967 and is on the original list. It rates a passing note in the original limited edition Confidential Guide to Golf Courses by Tom Doak and notes that it was funded with money from the Aga Khan. Sadly, like many courses that are new and initially hyped, but fade from the lists, Pevero is now a footnote among the world's greatest courses (a 1960s version of the idiot Trump courses).
The Pevero Golf Course in Sardinia
There are some shocking absences from the original list including Sunningdale (Old), National Golf Links of America, New South Wales and Royal Portrush. Asia and the Mediterranean also rate a lot high than they do today.
The 1979 list, which is organized by geography and is not numbered:
United States
Augusta National
Baltusrol (Lower), Springfield, NJ
Butler National, Oak Brook, IL
Champions Golf Course, Houston, TX
Cypress Point, CA
Firestone Country Club (South), Akron, OH
Harbourtown, GC, Hilton Head, SC
Medinah #3, Medinah, IL
Merion (East), Ardmore, PA
Muirfield Village, Dublin, OH
Oakland Hills (South), Birmingham, MI
Oakmont
Olympic Club, San Francisco, CA
Pebble Beach
Pinehurst #2
Pine Valley Golf Club, Clementon, NJ
Riviera Golf Club, Pacific Palisades, CA
Seminole Golf Club, North Palm Beach, FL
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, NY
Southern Hills CC, Tulsa, OK
Winged Foot (West), Mamaroneck, NY
Canada and Latin America
Club de Golf Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
El Rincon Golf Club, Bogota, Columbia
Glen Abbey Golf Club, Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Britain and Ireland
Ballybunion, GC, County Kerry, Ireland
Carnoustie Links, Dundee, Scotland
Muirfield, Scotland
Portmarnock Golf Club, Dublin Ireland
Royal Birkdale, Southport, England
Royal County Down, Newcastle, Northern Ireland
Royal St. George's, Sandwich, England
St. Andrews (Old Course), St. Andrews, Scotland
Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland
Turnberry (Ailsa), Turnberry, Scotland
Wentworth, Surrey, England
Mediterranean
Club de Golf Sotogrande (Old Course), Cadiz Spain
Pevero Golf Club, Sardinia, Italy
Real Club De Campo, Madrid, Spain
Royal Golf Rabat, Dar-es-Salam, Morocco
Pacific, Far East and South Africa
Bali Handara Golf Club, Bali, Indonesia
Hirono Golf Club, Kobe, Japan
Kasumigaseki (East), Tokyo, Japan
Kawana Golf Club (Fuji), Ito, Japan
Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban, South Africa
Royal Hong Kong Golf Club, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Royal Melbourne (Composite), Melbourne, Australia
Royal Selangor Golf Club (Old), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore Golf Club (Bukit), Singapore
Taiwan Golf & Country Club, Taipei, Taiwan
Wack Wack Golf & Country Club (East), Manila, Philippines
Royal Golf Rabat, Dar-es-Salam, Morocco
Related Posts To The Original Golf Magazine List of Greatest Courses
