23 Riviera California, USA George Thomas, 1926 The $250,000 construction cost was unheard of at the time, but this allowed George Thomas to create a magnificent design where golfers are constantly faced with strategic choices – typified by the famous short par four tenth hole. Muirfield Village Ohio, USA Jack Nicklaus, Desmond Muirhead, 1974 The Memorial Tournament has been played here yearly since 1976, and the course design is modified on a regular basis to keep pace with the elite game. “Jack Nicklaus’s Muirfield Village surprised the heck out of me – every hole a very good hole and every hole very playable,” says Stephen Kay. Gleneagles (King’s) Perthshire, Scotland James Braid, 1919 “The King’s Course at Gleneagles is the one choice where I’ve let my heart rule my head. There is nothing that can beat a summer’s evening here, whether it be the views, the light, the quality of the turf or the variety of the design,” says Ross McMurray of European Golf Design. Portmarnock County Dublin, Ireland William Pickeman, 1894 The club’s original secretary William Pickeman laid out the links at Portmarnock, with the help of professional Mungo Park, on land leased from the famous Jameson distiller family. The course sits naturally in gentle dunes and is a true and fair test of shotmaking. 44-36 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #43 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #39 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #38 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #37 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #36 Photo: Frank Pont ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #40 Photo: Jim Manderville Photo: Kevin Murray ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #38 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #37 ARCHITECTS’ CHOICE #36 Photo: Gary Lisbon
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