With a decade of data to analyze, now's the perfect time to celebrate the courses that have dominated Golfers' Choice Top 50 rankings over the years.
A lot has happened since Golfers' Choice first launched in 2014. Hundreds of golf courses were closing every year before a pandemic golf boom flipped the industry on its head.
Some past Golfers' Choice Top 50 honorees have closed - RIP, the Palmer Course at La Cantera - or have changed names (Ohio's Longaberger Golf Club is now called Virtues Golf Club). Others have gone entirely private, making them ineligible for this story and future rankings. The most noteworthy example would be the Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club, which was a staple of the Top 50 from 2017-2022 before closing its doors to the public last year.
Many of bucket-list golf's biggest names have graced the Top 50 over the years, too. Tobacco Road, TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course and Harbour Town Golf Links have all qualified three times. Pebble Beach Golf Links and Pasatiempo have each made it twice, as have both courses at TPC Sawgrass.
But the staying power of these 11 golf courses and facilities is what's most impressive. Each one of them has qualified for the Top 50 at least five times, and some of them have had multiple courses qualify, the ultimate stamp of approval of how that particular facility is run, from conditioning to pace of play to service and more. Here are the best of the best from the first decade of the Golfers' Choice Top 50.
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Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort
Top 50 selections: Sun Mountain 2022 #36, 2021 #19, 2018 #20, 2016 #34, 2015 #4; Snow Mountain 2021 #5, 2020 #5, 2018 #8, 2016 #35, 2015 #23; Wolf Creek 2021 #25, 2020 #7, 2019 #34, 2017 #34, 2015 #11, 2014 #16.
Comment: When it comes to the Golfers' Choice Top 50, nobody can compete with Las Vegas Paiute. All three of its courses have qualified for the Top 50 at least five times apiece. That's mind-blowing. I won my legendary sequin green jacket at Pauite, so I can vouch for its seamless operation. It's a golf factory like Bandon Dunes, and I mean that in a good way. There's carts and courses everywhere, but it all works. Its site on the outskirts of the Las Vegas Strip can get windy, so be prepared to come battle Pete Dye architecture whichever course you play.Las Vegas, NevadaResortWhich of these Golfers' Choice Top 50 stalwarts is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below.
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Yocha Dehe Golf ClubBrooks, CaliforniaPublic
Top 50 selections: 2022 #31, 2021 #48, 2020 #1, 2019 #3, 2018 #7, 2017 #8, 2016 #12, 2015 #1.
Comment: I was actually kind of bummed to see Yocha Dehe's run of eight consecutive years in the Top 50 come to an end this year. If it were closer to San Francisco, I have no doubt it would be even more popular than places like Half Moon Bay or TPC Harding Park. Tucked away in a valley next to a vineyard, it gives off the quintessential California vibe. -
Royal Hylands Golf Club
![Royal Hylands GC: Aerial view]()
Top 50 selections: 2021 #30, 2020 #50, 2019 #23, 2018 #31, 2016 #24, 2015 #12, 2014 #15.
Comment: A seven-time Top-50 qualifier from 2014-2021, Royal Hylands proved to be a sort of 'little engine that could.' It doesn't have the longest course and it wasn't designed by a well-known architect, but everybody who shows up leaves satisfied. GolfPass reviewer 'DrOldSchool' sums it up better than I could in his 2023 review: "Hylands has the friendliest staff you'll find at any course anywhere. But they also take great pride in having a wonderful, fun course. Parkland style with some really tough holes at the outset, and some really tough greens on the back. As golf continues to get more and more expensive this course is an incredible value. I recommend to anyone in Indiana, and if you are traveling on I-70 between Indianapolis and Dayton." -
Indian Wells Golf ResortIndian Wells, CaliforniaResort
Top 50 selections: Celebrity 2022 #28, 2021 #27, 2018 #27; Players 2020 #27, 2019 #30, 2017 #27, 2014 #10.
Comment: Like Pinehills, the two courses at Indian Wells have appeared in the Top 50 a combined seven times with the Players Course holding a slight edge. With four neighboring hotels to choose from and some nice dining in an extravagant clubhouse, Indian Wells Golf Resort is one of the real anchors of the Coachella Valley. After dark, Shots in the Night keeps the golf party going.Indian Wells, CaliforniaResort -
Pinehills Golf ClubPlymouth, MassachusettsSemi-Private
Top 50 selections: Nicklaus 2022 #48, 2020 #4, 2019 #6, 2018 #12; Jones 2024 #31, 2021 #20, 2020 #6.
Comment: The two courses at Pinehills have made the Top 50 seven times between them. The Nicklaus Course holds the lead, but with the Jones Course qualifying this year, it is closing the gap. You can't go wrong playing either one. The whole experience is outstanding. Pinehills sits at the gateway to Cape Cod, so it's ideally located for New Englanders going on or returning from vacation.Plymouth, MassachusettsSemi-Private -
Rams Hill Golf Club
Top 50 selections: 2020 #34, 2019 #7, 2018 #13, 2017 #4, 2016 #1, 2015 #13.
Comment: I like to believe that Golfers' Choice introduced Rams Hill to the world. It had a strong six-year run in our Top 50 from 2015-2020, cresting at No. 1 in 2016, just two years after it was completely redesigned and brought back to life from a multi-year closure. It's now a high-end round that's a day trip into the desert for most SoCal golfers. -
Annbriar Golf Course
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Farmlinks at Pursell Farms
Top 50 selections: 2024 #43, 2020 #37, 2019 #4, 2016 #7, 2015 #7.
Comment: FarmLinks, a top five-time Top 50 selection, had a strong run from 2015-17, finishing in the top 7 each year. Golfers love its immaculate conditions and a drop-shot par 3 that's as dramatic as any in the Southeast, if not America. -
Quintero Golf Club
Top 50 selections: 2020 #47, 2019 #21, 2018 #40, 2017 #26, 2016 #8.
Comment: Quintero by Rees Jones is also a five-time national top 50 qualifier. Like Chariot Run, it takes some effort to find. That's definitely part of its charm as the desert and mountains are the only backdrop you'll see from start to finish.
