GOLF ADVISOR TO DEBUTS 2020 ‘GOLFERS’ CHOICE’ LISTS, REVEALING BEST COURSES CHOSEN BY RECREATIONAL GOLFERS IN 10 CATEGORIES
2020 Lists Highlighted by Top 50 Courses Overall in the U.S.
Additional Lists Rank Courses by State, Most Improved, Pace of Play, Value, Course Conditions, Staff Friendliness, and More
ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2019) – GOLF Advisor announces its annual lists of the best golf courses in the United States with a new name – Golfers’ Choice. The website’s most-popular and most-anticipated lists are determined by recreational golfers who shared their reviews throughout the year with the online destination for traveling golfers.
Formerly known as “Best of”, the new Golfers’ Choice lists recognize top courses in 10 categories, highlighted by the “Top 50” overall and including two new categories: “College Courses,” and “Short Courses.” Other popular categories returning include:
- Most Improved
- Value
- Layout
- Staff Friendliness
- Pace of Play
- Course Conditions
- Off-Course Amenities
- By State
Additionally, GOLF Advisor this year is releasing the Editors’ Choice: 2019 Travel Awards, which has been compiled by the website’s staff of editorial experts who recall the most noteworthy places and moments from their many journeys. The Editors’ Choice list has been specially curated for GOLFPASS and is available to members only.
Unlike golf course rankings published by industry insiders who have access to golf courses the public may never have the opportunity to play, GOLF Advisor’s Golfers’ Choice lists are totally consumer driven – by recreational golfers, for recreational golfers. Ages, handicaps and budgets of golfers using the website run the gamut, so the nearly 1 million reviews GOLF Advisor has accumulated showcase the golf course characteristics that are the most important to avid golfers across the country.
What makes Golfers’ Choice lists unique and interesting are the potential for volatility year-to-year due to changes in consumer tastes. These swings can depend on a variety of factors – anything from course conditioning to new pricing. This year’s “Top 50” list includes six new courses within the top 10 that were not included last year, and 37 new courses that were not included on 2019’s overall list.
“Our community of golfers engaged like never before in 2019, reviewing a record number of courses and making this Top 50 our most competitive yet,” said Brandon Tucker, GOLF Advisor managing editor. “These lists showcase the public-access golf facilities that are over-delivering to their golfers, whether on a bucket list or just providing hometown convenience. They’ve gone above and beyond to make a day at the golf course special, which is certainly getting noticed by our community of reviewers who come from and play golf all over the world.”
More than 3,300 golf courses received the minimum 10 reviews in 2019 to qualify for consideration and all Golfers’ Choice lists are based on more than 150,000 user-generated reviews received throughout the year.
Below is GOLF Advisor’s Golfers’ Choice list of “Top 50” golf courses in the U.S. for 2020. Lists from additional categories can be found on GOLF Advisor. An asterisk signifies the 17 courses which have never previously appeared on the list:
- Red Course at Streamsong Resort – Fort Meade, Fla.
- Old Course at Bedford Springs* – Bedford, Pa.
- Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Casino Resort- Brooks, Calif.
- FarmLinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms- Sylacauga, Ala.
- Chariot Run Golf Club – Laconia, Ind.
- Nicklaus Course at Pinehills Golf Club – Plymouth, Mass.
- Rams Hill Golf Club – Borrego Springs, Calif.
- Aviara Golf Club – Carlsbad, Calif.
- Grey Hawk Golf Club* – Lagrange, Ohio
- Eagle Eye Golf Club – Bath, Mich.
- Atunyote at Turning Stone Resort* – Verona, N.Y.
- Emerald Course at Wailea Golf Club* – Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
- Gold Course at Golden Horseshoe Golf Club* – Williamsburg, Va.
- Gunter’s Landing – Guntersville, Ala.
- Stonelick Hills Golf Course – Batavia, Ohio
- Pebble Beach Golf Links at Pebble Beach Resorts – Pebble Beach, Calif.
- South Course at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club* – Aloha, Ore.
- Baywood Greens – Long Neck, Del.
- Pilgrims Run Golf Club – Pierson, Mich.
- Crosswater Club at Sunriver Resort* – Sunriver, Ore.
- Quintero Golf Club – Peoria, Ariz.
- Atlantic City Country Club – Northfield, N.J.
- Royal Hylands Golf Club – Knightstown, Ind.
- Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club – Wickenburg, Ariz.
- Greystone Golf Club – Dickson, Tenn.
- Kiva Dunes – Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Koasati Pines at Coushatta* – Kinder, La.
- Annbriar Golf Course – Waterloo, Ill.
- Cateechee* – Hartwell, Ga.
- Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort – Indian Wells, Calif.
- The Medalist Golf Club* – Marshall, Mich.
- Wild Rock Golf Club – Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
- The Brute at Grand Geneva Resort – Lake Geneva, Wis.
- The Wolf Course at Las Vegas Paiute – Las Vegas, Nev.
- Kelly Plantation Golf Club – Destin, Fla.
- Blue Ridge Trail Golf Club* – Mountain Top, Pa.
- Elephant Rocks at Williams* – Williams, Ariz.
- Aldeen Golf Club – Rockford, Ill.
- Dale Hollow Lake Golf Course* – Burkesville, Ky.
- Wilderness Golf Course – Lake Jackson, Texas
- Royal Manchester Golf Links – Mount Wolf, Pa.
- Oakcreek Country Club – Sedona, Ariz.
- Commander Course at Lakewood National* – Lakewood Ranch, Fla.
- Heron Glen Golf Course – Ringoes, N.J.
- Cantigny Golf* – Wheaton, Ill.
- The Resort Course at La Cantera* – San Antonio, Texas
- Pine Barrens at World Woods Golf Club – Brooksville, Fla.
- King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort – St. Simons Island, Ga.
- TPC Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nev.
- Mid Pines Inn & Club* – Southern Pines, N.C.
About GOLF Advisor
GOLF Advisor is the ultimate digital destination for traveling golfers, who love to play, travel and learn more about how the sport can be experienced around the world. Featuring nearly 1 million reviews of 14,000-plus golf courses, GOLF Advisor serves as a one-stop, customized experience for golfers of all levels to find honest recommendations from their peers – and to offer feedback of their own – about any golf course they play, anywhere, anytime. The GOLF Advisor portfolio also includes a GOLF Channel travel series, GOLF Advisor Round Trip and GOLF Advisor Getaways, premium travel experiences at world-class resorts and clubs. Special GOLF Advisor perks and benefits, including travel assistance, insider travel information and credit at a selection of top resorts, are available through any GOLFPASS membership. A veteran staff of award-winning writers provides complementary, expert editorial content about golf travel, architecture and history. GOLF Advisor also is home to the popular Golfers’ Choice lists generated each year from authentic golfer reviews.
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Media Contact:
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Golf Channel Communications
Dan.Higgins@GolfChannel.com
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