Thirty-six Nicklaus Design courses spread across 22 states were ranked in Golf Magazine’s new list of Best Public Courses by State, published in July 2012. Two courses were given the top spot in their respective states: Ross Creek Landing in Clifton, Tenn., and The Greenbrier Course at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Twelve of the 36 Nicklaus Design courses to be recognized were in the top five, and nine others were ranked within the top 10 for their state. Overall, almost half of the public Nicklaus Design courses in the U.S. placed.
Nicklaus Design is widely regarded as the world’s leading golf course design firm. With courses in 39 states and 36 countries, Nicklaus Design has been a leader in golf course architecture since Jack Nicklaus designed his first golf course in 1969 alongside Pete Dye (Harbour Town, in Hilton Head, S.C., which ranked second-in-state). Each of the 371 Nicklaus Design courses around the world is classified as daily fee, resort, semi-private, or private. Only 78 of the courses in the United States were eligible for the rankings.
Golf Magazine released the “Best Courses by State” list as part of its biennial “Top 100 Courses You Can Play”. Below is a full list of Nicklaus Design courses that ranked in the list.
Arizona
12. Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (Saguaro/Tortolita), Marana
23. La Paloma (Ridge/Canyon), Tucson
28. G.C. at Estrella, Goodyear
California
19. Old Greenwood, Truckee
Colorado
9. Breckenridge (Beaver/Bear),Breckenridge
14. Cougar Canyon, Trinidad
Delaware
2. Bayside, Selbyville
Florida
4. Hammock Beach Resort (Ocean), Palm Coast
7. PGA National (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens
12. Grand Cypress (New), Orlando
16. Old Corkscrew, Estero
29. North Palm Beach C.C., North Palm Beach
Georgia
3. Reynolds Plantation (Great Waters), Greensboro
14. Bear’s Best Atlanta, Suwanee
Hawaii
4. The Challenge at Manele, Lana’i
6. Four Seasons Hualalai (Nicklaus), Big Island
7. Kauai Lagoons, Kauai
Maryland
9. Rocky Gap, Cumberland
Massachusetts
7. Pinehills (Nicklaus), Plymouth
Michigan
8. Harbor Shores, Benton Harbor
Mississippi
3. Grand Bear, Saucier
Montana
2. Old Works, Anaconda
New York
18. Timber Banks, Baldwinsville
20. Mansion Ridge, Mansion Ridge, Monroe
Nevada
5. Coyote Springs (Chase), Coyote Springs
11. Bear’s Best Las Vegas, Las Vegas
Oregon
5. The Club at Pronghorn (Nicklaus), Bend
Pennsylvania
14. Great Bear, East Stroudsburg
South Carolina
2. Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island
5. May River at Palmetto Bluff, Bluffton
18. Daufuskie Island (Melrose), Daufuskie Island
20. Pawleys Plantation, Pawleys Island
Virginia
6. Bay Creek (Nicklaus), Cape Charles
West Virginia
1. The Greenbrier (Greenbrier), White Sulphur Springs
Wisconsin
8. The Bull, Sheboygan Falls
