Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized Golf for Women, Golf World and Golf World Business. The magazine started in 1950, and was sold to The New York Times Company in 1969. The Times company sold their magazine division to Condé Nast in 2001. The headquarters of Golf Digest is in Des Moines, Iowa.
"The World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses"
The 4 Hottest Designs On The 2017 100 Greatest Ranking: Whispering Pines - Whispering Pines Golf Club in Trinity, Texas, began in 1995 as a rudimentary nine-hole amenity to a summer youth retreat called Camp Olympia. Expanded to 18 holes in 2000, it was transformed...
Golf Digest produces a biennial ranking of the world's best golf courses. The top ten are as follows:
- Royal County Down Golf Club â€" Newcastle, Northern Ireland
- Augusta National Golf Club â€" Augusta, Georgia
- Pine Valley Golf Club â€" Pine Valley, New Jersey
- Cypress Point Club â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Royal Dornoch Golf Club â€" Dornoch, Scotland
- Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West Course) â€" Melbourne, Australia
- Shinnecock Hills Golf Club â€" Southampton, New York
- Old Course at St Andrews â€" St. Andrews, Scotland
- Muirfield â€" Gullane, Scotland
- Merion Golf Club (East Course) â€" Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Oakmont Country Club â€" Oakmont, Pennsylvania
"America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses"
Since 1965, Golf Digest has produced biennial rankings of "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses". The courses are voted on by a panel of several hundred golf experts. Although Pine Valley Golf Club has topped the list every year except 2001, when Pebble Beach Golf Links ranked first, it was again outranked on the 2009â€"10 list â€" this time by Augusta National Golf Club. The magazine also produces lists of the best new courses, the best golf resorts and the best courses in each U.S. state. Before the "Greatest" rankings were introduced in 1985, Golf Digest produced lists called at different times America's 100 Most Testing Courses and America's 100 Greatest Tests of Golf.
The top ten on the 2009â€"10 list are as follows:
- Augusta National Golf Club â€" Augusta, Georgia
- Pine Valley Golf Club â€" Pine Valley, New Jersey
- Shinnecock Hills Golf Club â€" Southampton, New York
- Cypress Point Club â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Oakmont Country Club â€" Oakmont, Pennsylvania
- Pebble Beach Golf Links â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Merion Golf Club (East Course) â€" Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) â€" Mamaroneck, New York
- Fishers Island Club â€" Fishers Island, New York
- Seminole Golf Club â€" Juno Beach, Florida
The top ten on the 2007â€"08 list, published in May 2007, was as follows:
- Pine Valley Golf Club â€" Pine Valley, New Jersey
- Shinnecock Hills Golf Club â€" Southampton, New York
- Augusta National Golf Club â€" Augusta, Georgia
- Cypress Point Club â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Oakmont Country Club â€" Oakmont, Pennsylvania
- Pebble Beach Golf Links â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Merion Golf Club (East Course) â€" Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) â€" Mamaroneck, New York
- Seminole Golf Club â€" Juno Beach, Florida
- Crystal Downs Country Club â€" Frankfort, Michigan
The top ten on the 2005â€"06 list, published in May 2005, was as follows:
- Pine Valley Golf Club â€" Pine Valley, New Jersey
- Augusta National Golf Club â€" Augusta, Georgia
- Shinnecock Hills Golf Club â€" Southampton, New York
- Cypress Point Club â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Oakmont Country Club â€" Oakmont, Pennsylvania
- Pebble Beach Golf Links â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Merion Golf Club â€" Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course) â€" Mamaroneck, New York
- National Golf Links of America â€" Southampton, New York
- Seminole Golf Club â€" Juno Beach, Florida
"America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses"
Alongside the "100 Greatest Courses" ranking, and using the same methodology, Golf Digest publishes a list of "America's 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses". In this context, "public" means a golf course that is open to play by the public, as opposed to a private clubâ€"not necessarily a course operated by a governmental entity.
The top ten on the 2007â€"08 list, also published in May 2007, was as follows:
- Pebble Beach Golf Links â€" Pebble Beach, California
- Pacific Dunes Golf Course â€" Bandon, Oregon
- Pinehurst No. 2 â€" Pinehurst, North Carolina
- The Straits Course, Whistling Straits â€" Haven, Wisconsin
- Bethpage Black Course â€" Farmingdale, New York
- Shadow Creek Golf Course â€" North Las Vegas, Nevada
- Bandon Dunes Golf Course â€" Bandon, Oregon
- The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island â€" Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Prince Golf Course â€" Princeville, HawaiÊ»i
- Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course â€" Arcadia, Michigan
Of these courses, the only one that is operated by a governmental entity is Bethpage Black.
In addition to its national rankings, Golf Digest also ranks courses at a state level. For example, in a 1998 survey of Connecticut Public Golf Courses, Golf Digest ranked Crestbrook Park Golf Course as one of Connecticut's top public golf courses.
"100 Best Golf Courses Outside the United States"
The magazine also compiles a list of the leading courses outside the United States. This is created using information from national golf associations, plus votes by the same panelists supplemented by some additional ones with international knowledge.
In 2007, the most represented countries were Scotland with fourteen courses in the top 100, Canada with ten, England with ten, Canada with nine, and Australia and Republic of Ireland with eight. The top 10 were:
- Royal County Down Golf Club â€" Newcastle, Northern Ireland
- Old Course at St Andrews â€" St. Andrews, Scotland
- Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Championship Course) â€" Dornoch, Scotland
- Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce Course) â€" Portrush, Northern Ireland
- Muirfield â€" Gullane, Scotland
- Royal Melbourne Golf Club (Composite Course) â€" Melbourne, Australia
- Ballybunion Golf Club (Old Course) â€" Ballybunion, Ireland
- Turnberry (Ailsa Course) â€" Ayrshire, Scotland
- Carnoustie Golf Links â€" Carnoustie, Scotland
- Cape Kidnappers Golf Course â€" Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand
In 2005, the most represented countries were Scotland and Canada with thirteen courses each in the top 100. The top 10 were:
- Old Course at St Andrews â€" St. Andrews, Scotland
- Royal Melbourne Golf Club â€" Melbourne, Australia
- Royal Portrush Golf Club â€" Portrush, Northern Ireland
- Royal County Down Golf Club â€" Newcastle, Northern Ireland
- Royal Dornoch Golf Club â€" Dornoch, Scotland
- Muirfield â€" Gullane, Scotland
- Ballybunion Golf Club â€" Ballybunion, Ireland
- New South Wales Golf Club â€" Sydney, Australia
- National Golf Club â€" Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada
- St. George's Golf and Country Club â€" Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Recognition
In 2009, Golf Digest was nominated for a National Magazine Awards by the American Society of Magazine Editors in the Magazine Section in recognition of the excellence of a regular section of a magazine based on voice, originality and unified presentation.
Controversy
In April 2014, Golf Digest was widely criticized when, after neglecting to picture a female golfer on their cover for six years, they chose to picture model Paulina Gretzky in a revealing outfit as their May 2014 cover. The move was "particularly frustrating" to LPGA golfers. LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan issued a statement echoing the concerns expressed by LPGA players. In the October 2014 edition, U.S. Women's Open winner Michelle Wie appeared on the cover.
In May 2016, the magazine again featured a female celebrity in the cover, Paige Spiranac, which was criticized by veteran golfer Juli Inkster.
See also
- Kingdom magazine
References
External links
- Official site
- Official site of Golf for Women magazine, a Golf Digest publication
- Official site of Golf World magazine, a Golf Digest publication
- Golf course rankings
- Composite of all U.S. courses ever ranked
- Official site for Golf Digest Golf Schools
