Top 100 Tim Took on Twelve New Top Courses - Ranked
1.Teeth of the Dog – Pete Dye – La Romana, DR
February is typically Minnesota’s coldest and harshest month (despite being the shortest), so spending time in the sun and being sprayed by the surf was ideal. The golf I played in the Dominican Republic tops my list of the best new Top 100 courses I played in 2024. Pete Dye loved his seaside creation so much that he chose to make it his resting place. The holes situated alongside the ocean offer breathtaking views and constant danger. Whether it be a par three or four, the waves crashing on the shoreline played a pivotal role as the major hazard. The inland holes had their own challenges with inland lakes, major hazards built from beach sand, and bulkheads made of railroad ties. The resort, Casa de Campo, is the height of luxury. It features 3 golf courses, great beach access, a spa, multiple dining options, and the most beautiful accommodations on the island.
2.Tot Hill Farm – Mike Strantz - Asheboro NC
Nearly lost to the elements, Tot Hill Farm made a major leap forward with a significant renovation project in 2023 that returned this course to the Top 100. The land was initially considered too harsh for a golf course, but under architect Mike Strantz, this cattle farm was transformed into a golf amusement park. Harsh doglegs, steep elevation changes, and blind shots galore – don’t expect too low a score on your first time around. The oddly and severely sloped greens, along with reachable par fives, make this course a fun challenge for players of all skill levels. Beware the common greenside collection areas, as they bear the scars of the players before you.
3.Interlachen Country Club – Donald Ross – Minneapolis, MN
This former icon of golf returns to its former glory with the assistance of Andrew Green. Tree removal and bunker restoration were high on the list of changes to the course. Raters agreed, as they came in droves between its media opening in September and the close of the season, propelling the course back into the Top 100 in the United States. The rolling hills of the property fit the fairways seamlessly, pushing the golf ball in different directions. True to Minnesota and its 10,000 lakes, the course incorporates water hazards on many of its holes. Its finishing hole could be transported back in time to when Bobby Jones won at the course to complete his Grand Slam.
4.Streamsong Black – Gil Hanse - Bowling Green FL
Wide, hard, fast, and sloped. This resort-style course, built into the sand hills of central Florida, is anything but a vacation. The fairways are easily accessible, and the greens are easy to hit, but with some of the largest greens in the Northern Hemisphere, getting the ball to the pin can prove difficult. Many greens have 5 to 7 tiers and must incorporate in-green sprinklers to water the entire structure. Hitting a fairway is not enough at Black; having an angle to the pin is the true challenge of the course. Take note of the pin location on the tee box in the punch bowl, as the approach is 100% blind. The resort also offers two other full courses, a par 3 course, and luxury accommodations.
5.Wild Horse – Dan Proctor and Dave Axland – Gothenburg, NE
Located in the unassuming town of 3,500 people, Wild Horse is a fast and firm thrill ride. Unlike Streamsong, the people of Gothenburg built Wild Horse to serve as their local municipal golf course. The hard-packed sand of the sand hills creates unique playing conditions that give the Midwest plains a Scottish links feel. The compact routing makes the course walkable for most, but the brutally hard and firm greens make approaches best suited for those who can fly and spin the ball. Wild Horse continues to climb the rankings, and it’s easy to see why.
6.The Broadmoor – Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones – Colorado Springs, CO
Host of the 2025 Senior Open, Broadmoor East is more than just a golf course; it holds a place in golf history. The nearly unchanged Donald Ross design (specific holes) sits below the remarkable and historic Broadmoor Hotel. With near-perfect conditioning, the fast and firm greens mixed with lush rough will be an imposing test to the Open players this year. Located on the side of a mountain, the greens are particularly unique, as putts will fall away from the peak regardless of what it may appear.
7.Blackwolf Run – Meadows – Pete Dye – Kohler, WI
Blackwolf is the dictionary definition of parkland golf. Mature trees, scenic water hazards, prairie land, and bunkers are found throughout the course. Unlike some of Pete Dye’s later designs, Meadows uses the natural land contours to dictate hole designs, limiting Stadium Golf. River is one of four Top 100 Public Courses on the resort’s combined property. In addition to Whistling Straits, Irish, River, and Meadows, the resort recently opened The Baths par-3 course. With incredible accommodations, a trip to The American Club and Whistling Straits/Kohler is a must for any golf enthusiast.
8.Barton Creek Canyons – Tom Fazio - Austin TX
This Tom Fazio design is one of four courses associated with Barton Creek Country Club in Austin, Texas, and one of three public courses. It offers the most scenic views of any of the courses and incorporates the rock cliffs and winding creeks of the foothills area outside of Austin. Narrow driving corridors make this course the most difficult on the property, and it was used as a professional test when the PGA Instructors Championship was played here a few years ago.
9.Bull at Pinehurst Farms – Jack Nicklaus – Sheboygan, WI
Often overlooked in the Sheboygan area in the shadows of Kohler’s properties, Bull at Pinehurst Farms is an excellent parkland, wooded course. With similar land movements to Blackwolf but wider fairways and cheaper tee times, Bull offers some refuge from the difficulties of the Pete Dye designs. This Nicklaus course is one of his most fair designs but does pose some challenges with water and prairie hazards intermixed with holes that traverse an endless forest of trees. A must-play for those staying in the Sheboygan area for more than a few days.
10.Bally’s at Ferry Point – Jack Nicklaus – Bronx, NY
The site of a former landfill, the former Donald Trump Ferry Point Golf Course is anything but a dump. The links-style golf course on the sound, located in the Bronx, is an escape from the hustle of Manhattan. With views into the city, the course reminds you that despite your isolation, the heartbeat of the U.S. economy is only miles away. To add interest to the land, Nicklaus built up the course with significant sand dunes and used inland water to distinguish holes. The hospitality, mixed with the unique views, wide fairways, and fun but strategic holes, makes Ferry Point the best public golf course in NYC.
11.Rustic Canyon – Gil Hanse – Moorpark, CA
Truly a course for the people, Rustic Canyon is a gem of a public course in a sea of elite private golf. The Gil Hanse design is very forgiving off the tee, and in the morning or late evening, when the wind is down, the course is very gettable. When the wind picks up, it rips through the canyon valley, adding an additional 3 clubs. Built into the valley of the canyon, the course’s bedrock of sand and crushed rock makes the fairways and greens incredibly firm. Firm conditions, mixed with well-manicured greens and shaved approaches, make the course play incredibly fast.
12.Trump Los Angeles – Pete Dye – Los Angeles, CA
Built into the hillside above the Pacific Ocean, the course initially moves away from the water before slowly stair-stepping its way back toward the ocean spray. Seventeen of the holes have views of the ocean as the course plays through large shrub bushes and canyon cutouts. Off the tee, accuracy is required, as holes pinch with the use of bunkers and hazards. The finishing hole is a 500-plus-yard par-4 with a heavily elevated tee box and a nearly blind tee shot, the ultimate crescendo to a difficult driving day.
Other Top 100s Played: Previously Played/Replay
Streamsong Red
Streamsong Blue
Caledonia Golf and Fish Club
True Blue
Whistling Straits
Lawsonia Links
White Bear Yacht Club
Other Courses of Note:
Corales
Mission Inn El Campeon
The Course at Lac La Belle
Barefoot Pete Dye
Scottsdale National
The Other Course
Swope Memorial
Wakonda Club
Des Moines Country Club
Fyre Lake
Osage National
Omaha Country Club
Raindance National
CommonGround
Hazeltine
Bear Dance
Cragun’s Lehman
Cragun’s White and Blue
Wild Rock
Trappers Turn
The Club at Golden Valley
Elkhorn Golf Course
Somerset Country Club
Knollwood Country Club
Finley Golf Course
Barton Creek
Fossil Trace
Elmwood Country Club
TPC Twin Cities
Beautiful courses!