Merion Golf Club

Golf Course Reviews

In March of 2013 I got the crazy idea that I wanted to play all of the Top 100 Courses Public Courses in the country.

It only took about another month when I realized that, while that was great, what I really wanted to do is play the actual Top 100 Courses in the country.

So I decided to do both.

run a business that allows me to work whenever and wherever I want, so it would be a waste not to play as much golf as possible right?

That said, one thing that sets me apart from other people trying to accomplish this list is that I’m young – I’m only 28.  I started with zero connections in the golf industry and zero connections at any private courses. That said, these days I think pretty much anyone or anything is within reach and if you’re able to provide mutual value to someone else, good things can happen.

Golf Magazine Top 100 in the World Progress (2020-2021) – 52/100

  • #3 – St Andrews (Old) – St. Andrews, Scotland
  • #5 – National Golf Links of America – Southampton, NY
  • #7 – Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West) – Melbourne, Australia
  • #10- Royal Dornoch – Dornoch, Scotland
  • #11 – Pebble Beach Golf Links – Monterey Peninsula, California
  • #15 – Merion Golf Club (East) – Ardmore, Pennysylvania
  • #16 – Pinehurst #2 – Pinehurst, North Carolina
  • #17 – Turnberry (Ailsa Course) – Ayrshire, Scotland
  • #18 – Fishers Island Club – Fishers Island, NY
  • #20 – Los Angeles CC (North) – Los Angeles, CA
  • #22 – Kingston Heath – Melbourne, Australia
  • #23 – Winged Foot (West) – Mamaroneck, NY
  • #24 – Pacific Dunes – Bandon, Oregon
  • #28 – Riviera CC – Los Angeles, CA
  • #30- San Francisco GC – San Francisco, CA
  • #31 – Prairie Dunes Country Club – Hutchinson, KS
  • #32 – Carnoustie Golf Links (Championship Course) – Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
  • #35 – Barnbougle Dunes Golf Course – Tasmania, Australia
  • #37 – North Berwick Golf Club – North Berwick, Scotland
  • #38 – The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel) – Brookline. Massachussetts
  • #42 – Somerset Hills CC – Bernardsville, NJ
  • #45 – New South Wales Golf Club – Sydney, Australia
  • #47 – Garden City Golf Club – Garden City, New York
  • #48 – Portmarnock GC – Dublin, Ireland
  • #50 – California Golf Club of San Francisco – San Francisco, CA
  • #51  – Royal Troon Golf Club – Ayrshire, Scotland
  • #52 – Camargo Club – Cincinatti, OH
  • #53 – Bethpage State Park (Black Course) – Farmingdale, New York
  • #57 – Ballyneal Golf & Hunt – Holyoke, CO
  • #62 – Winged Foot (East) – Mamaroneck, NY
  • #63 – Cruden Bay – Aberdeenshire, Scotland
  • #64 – Maidstone Club – East Hampton, New York
  • #66 – Castle Stuart – Inverness, Scotland
  • #68 – TPC Sawgrass – Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
  • #69 – Whistling Straits (Straits) – Kohler, Wisconsin
  • #70 – Diamante (Dunes) – Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
  • #71 – Kingsbarns Golf Links – St. Andrews, Scotland
  • #72 – Oakland Hills (South) – Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
  • #74 – Quaker Ridge GC – Scarsdale, NY
  • #76 – Sleepy Hollow CC – Briarcliff Manor, NY
  • #79 – Olympic (Lake) – San Francisco, California
  • #80 – Bandon Dunes – Bandon, Oregon
  • #83 – The Course at Yale – New Haven, CT
  • #87 – Bandon Trails – Bandon, Oregon
  • #89 – Barnbougle Lost Farm – Tasmania, Australia
  • #91 – Peachtree Golf Club – Atlanta, GA
  • #92 – Myopia Hunt Club – Boston,  MA
  • #93 – Machrihanish GC – Campbeltown, Scotland
  • #96 – Royal Melbourne (East) – Melbourne, Australia
  • #100 – Trump International Golf Links – Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Golf Digest Top 100 Public Progress (2017-2018) (39/100):

Related: Whistling vs. Pebble vs. Pacific: What is the Best Public Course in America?

Golf Digest Top 100 Progress (2019-2020) (45/100)

Here are the golf courses I’ve played on the 2019-2020 Golf Digest Top 100 List:

Other Golf Course Reviews

California Golf Courses

Idaho Golf Courses

Georgia Golf Courses

Full Review: Best Golf Courses in Georgia – Everything You Need to Know

Hawaii Golf Courses

Illinois Golf Courses

Kentucky Golf Courses

Massachusetts Golf Courses

Full Recap: Best Golf Courses in Massachusetts 

Michigan Golf Courses

Nevada Golf Courses

New Jersey Golf Courses

New York Golf Courses

Full Recap: All of the Best Courses in New York

North Carolina Golf Courses

Full Recap: Best places to golf in North Carolina

Ohio Golf Courses

Oregon Golf Courses

Full Review: Best Golf Courses in Oregon – Everything You Need to Know

Pennsylvania Golf Courses

South Carolina Golf Courses

Wisconsin Golf Courses

International Golf Courses

Scotland Golf Courses

All of Our Best in State Round-Ups


There are 11 comments

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  1. Marc Lerner

    Sean, nice to check out your site. I played with you at Royal Troon (which ate my lunch). I did much better at Prestwick and Turnberry. You mentioned you might have some of the photos of the day that I might access. Let me know, or if they are posted. All the best in your efforts! Go USA for Sunday at the Ryder Cup. Marc

  2. Zeb Welborn

    Sean,

    Looks like you’ve played a great list of golf courses. I’m jealous. Would be curious to know what you do that gives you the chance to play all these great golf courses. Whatever it is . . . I want in.

    Zeb

  3. Jordan

    Great plan playing top 100. I’ve played several also. I’m a member at Victoria National in Indiana. I think it’s #47. Be glad to get you on if your in the area. Also a few others closeby that are on the public top 100

  4. Ivan

    Great site, Sean! Enjoyed every minute browsing through it. Love your goals and the way you deliver information. Nice photography! Keep’em coming!

  5. David

    Hi Sean. I love the site. I’ve got a slightly less structured plan to play some of the best courses around and my be able to help. I’ve set up up a website which will track the progress although I’ve got plenty to write up. I managed to get Shinnecock, NGLA Friar’s Head and a couple of others on your side of the pond in last week. When you’re in Scotland next let me know and maybe we can knock a couple of the top ones off together?

  6. Go&Golf

    Hi Sean, great progress on the top 100, we’ve a few friends from our site trying something similar albeit more localised top 100’s (e.g. Scotland top 100) and not a global list. Interesting to see how this develops going forward.


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