21 Whistling Straits (Straits) Wisconsin, USA Pete Dye, 1999 Sculpted along two miles of Lake Michigan coastline, the distinctive bunker-riddled Straits course became globally recognised after its starring role in the 2004 PGA Championship, which it hosted just five years after opening. Bethpage (Black) New York, USA AW Tillinghast, 1936 The first publicly-owned course to host a US Open, the Black is severely bunkered and extremely long. Tillinghast designed three of the five courses at Bethpage State Park, and Rees Jones’s firm conducted a thorough renovation of the Black in advance of the 2002 US Open. Valderrama Cadiz, Spain Robert Trent Jones, 1985 The highest placed course from continental Europe in our Top 100, Valderrama is the legacy of Jaime Ortiz-Patino, the industrialist who in 1985 bought the Las Aves club and worked with Robert Trent Jones to transform it into Valderrama. Its famous cork oak trees frequently dictate playing strategy. 50-45 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #47 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #47 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #46 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #45 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #48 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #45 Photo: Gary Lisbon Photo: Club de Golf Valderrama
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