Top 100 Clubhouse Special - The Cutting Room Floor - Zac Blair & David Margolis

This week we welcome John Caven to the Clubhouse. John is the General Manager at St Georges Golf & Country Club in Ontario, Canada. He previously worked at the exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club, and has a lot to say about life in the golf industry and what it takes to host professional events in the current climate. Previous Episode - Don't Miss Out! The previous episode features David Davis. David is a Partner at Top100golfcourses.com and Co-Founder of The Lockhart Travel Club. The 43rd person to finish playing the World Top 100 (November 2018). A true golf travel and golf course architecture enthusiast who has been a golf course panelist and international course rater for over 15 years. A father of 3 kids and a lifetime expat, originally from Oregon, having now lived overseas (in The Netherlands) for the better part of 30 years. What Are The Top 100 Clubhouse Podcasts About? Top 100 Clubhouse is the ultimate podcast for golf enthusiasts! Join us as we delve deep into the minds of fascinating individuals from every corner of the golfing world. From players to course designers, caddies to golf historians, we'll leave no stone unturned in our quest to share unique insights and experiences with the Top100 Community. Together we'll explore the stunning courses and breathtaking landscapes, enjoying the unforgettable stories that bring the game of golf to life. How Do I Listen To The Latest Top 100 Clubhouse Podcast? You can download and listen on the following links. Listen now, wherever you download your podcast! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcast  Podtail We Need Your Feedback? The Next Podcast Interview? Top 100 members can share their views on who should join the next Top 100 Clubhouse podcast show? If you have an idea who you would like to hear, why not drop our Top 100 Clubhouse host James Henderson an email on james@top100golfcourses.com Happy Listening!

USA Top 100 Golf Courses Update There has been a plethora of great golf open up in America in the past few years and the competition is so tough... You could probably do the Next Best USA Top 100 and still add more to the list. From 75 onwards, there are probably 75 more that could be included or swapped out. However, we've done the heavy lifting and produced what will be the first of a few updates in 2025. Additionally, there is a plethora of new courses opening in both traditional and non-traditional markets. Whatever the case, the rankings will be updated in 2025 when we get more eyes on new builds and freshly opened courses after renovations and restorations. The rankings will be updated in an 'always up to date format' which will be introduced during 2025. We will refine the rankings during 2025 when we look again at the World, and North America Rankings and wait for new course openings. One thing for certain is that there is a lot of new and high-end golf state-side at the moment. Listen to the Podcast Discussing the Top 100 USA Rankings Listen to it on Apple iTunes Top 100 USA Highlights New Entries include Ladera at 83, Sedge Valley at 98, and Medinah No. 3 at 99. Old Barnwell is the biggest riser - up 24 spots to 47th. Some big names fall down the ranking, including Tree Farm, Southern Hills, and The Country Club. Two of Tom Doak's designs at Streamsong Blue and Sebonack both fall from the Top 100. The other golf course which may well be just a small hiatus is Yale. We await the re-opening and probable re-entry to the USA Top 100 Ranking. The Top 25 is pretty steady with most well and truly staples not only in America but also in the World's Top 100.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas for fans of Top100golfcourses.com. It's been 3 long years since we last released a USA Top 100 ranking, but the wait is finally over! We're excited to unveil our new and improved rankings, which reflect the many changes that have taken place in the US golf scene since our last release. New minimalist design courses continue to be opened emphasizing width off the tee and placing a premium on playing to the right area to set up the best approach angle to the greens. Firm and fast playing surfaces encourage golfers to use the ground game, which is often the best option. There is also significant activity regarding new courses being built in warmer more southern climates where golf can be played year-round. North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida are leading the way. At Top100golfcourses.com, we're committed to providing the most trusted and reliable rankings in the industry. That's why we've invested heavily in our panel of experts, which includes some of the most well-traveled and architecturally engaged golfers in the country and the world. We have made a significant investment in expanding and improving our panels in every major golf country around the world. Our US panel is now three times larger than before, and we are proud to have eight members who have played the US Top 100 and several others who have played over 1,000 different golf courses. Significant movement in the new US ranking release, with 14 new entries, 50 courses dropping, 25 moving up, and only 11 holding their position. Among the newcomers to the US Top 100 Rankings is CapRock Ranch, a collaboration between Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. This stunning course debuted in last year’s Top 100 in the World rankings and offers the best of both worlds: spectacular caprock views and holes routed along the cliffs of a massive ravine, as well as inland holes that traverse the perfect dune landscape of the sand hills. The newly restored Lido Golf Club, a faithful recreation of the original course designed by Charles B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor, has made a stunning debut in our rankings, entering as a massive favorite among our panel. It's a big, bold, and challenging course, located in the sandy hills of Wisconsin at Sand Valley Resort. Michael Keiser Jr. brought in Tom Doak and Brian Schneider, along with amateur golf historian Peter Flory, to complete the restoration. Two new golf courses in South Carolina are spearheading the growth of a new major golf destination in the greater Augusta area. The Tree Farm, a long-time dream of PGA Tour pro Zac Blair, was the first on the scene. The Tree Farm has been lauded for its routing prowess, thanks to the work of none other than Tom Doak and Kye Goalby. Its neighbor, Old Barnwell, showcases the sublime work of two veteran architects in Brian Schneider and Blake Conant. These two gems are quickly gaining momentum and critical acclaim from golf lovers lucky enough to receive invites to visit them. With their stunning scenery and challenging layouts, they are poised to become two of the most sought-after golf destinations in the US. The last several years have seen many historic championship courses undergo major restorations, many of which have improved in the rankings as well. Among these are Los Angeles (North), Oak Hill (East), Oakland Hills (South), Congressional (Blue), Inverness, Scioto, Southern Hills, Baltusrol (Lower), and Olympic (Lake). What rises must fall, and so it is with golf courses. Some once-great courses have seen their popularity wane in recent years, due in part to the decline of penal golf course design. Pete Dye, a master of this style, has seen some of his best courses fall victim to this trend. Kiawah Island's Ocean Course, Whistling Straits' Straits Course, and TPC Sawgrass are all examples of courses that have seen their rankings drop in recent years. Other golf courses that have experienced significant ranking declines this year include Muirfield Village, Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald), the Streamsong courses, and Sebonack. So, without further ado, here is our 2023 USA Top 100 ranking: View the USA Top 100 Rankings Here