Tom Doak's Top 25

Back in December 2009, I started a little topic on GolfClubAtlas called "Whip It Out: Post your Top 25 Courses Played." Little did I know it would go on to become one of the most prolific threads on the site this side of a Merion debate, with over 19,000 views.

Late last night, famed architect Tom Doak became the latest to whip it out. His list of top courses is viewed as the holy grail of course rankings, especially considering his seminal The Confidential Guide to Golf Courses a) only grouped courses on a 10-point scale and b) was published over 13 years ago, thus missing all of the great courses built during this new golden age of architecture. Where modern gems would score on the Doak Scale is a subject of much speculation and debate on the site.

Doak's late-night post may bring the GCA servers to a screeching halt. Just in case, here is Doak's Top 25, followed by list of 25 more 'favorites', in alphabetical order:

Top 25
1. The Old Course at St. Andrews
2. Royal Melbourne (West)
3. Sand Hills
4. Pine Valley
5. National Golf Links of America
6. Cypress Point
7. Crystal Downs
8. Shinnecock Hills
9. Royal Dornoch
10. Merion (East)
11. Pacific Dunes
12. Ballybunion (Old)
13. Muirfield
14. Pinehurst (No. 2)
15. Royal County Down
16. Barnbougle Dunes
17. Kingston Heath
18. Ballyneal
19. Pebble Beach
20. Augusta National
21. Seminole
22. Prairie Dunes
23. Rock Creek
24. Riviera
25. North Berwick (West)

Note: Doak has seen but hasn't played Oakmont, therefore it wasn't eligible for the list.

25 More 'Favorites'
Brora
Cape Kidnappers
Casa de Campo (Teeth of the Dog)
Cruden Bay
Cuscowilla
Garden City
The Golf Club
Lahinch
Long Cove
Pennard
Prestwick
Royal West Norfolk
Royal Worlington & Newmarket
Rye
St. Andrews Beach
St. Enodoc
St. George's (Toronto)
St. George's Hill
The Sheep Ranch
Stone Eagle
Swinley Forest
Walton Heath (Old)
White Bear Yacht Club
Whitinsville
Woking
Woodhall Spa