Best golf courses: USA - Northeast

Stephen Kay & Ron Whitten

Current design by Donald Ross (1926); modifications by William Gordon (1950s), Dick Wilson, George Fazio and Robert Trent Jones Sr (1985), Ron Prichard (2003) and Gil Hanse (2017).

Original design by John Reid (1897); remodelled over the years by Willie Park Jr (1915), William S. Flynn (1925) and Tom Doak (1999).

Rees Jones

Dan Schlegel (of Ault, Clark & Associates).

A Jack Nicklaus Signature design.

Original 18-hole course (1895) replaced by two championship layouts, the Upper and Lower courses designed by Albert W. "Tillie" Tillinghast (1918). Lower course modifications by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1948) and his son Rees Jones (2005, 2014). Upper course modifications by Rees Jones (2008, 2014).

Eric Bergstol

Original layout by Spencer Oldham (1895), later reworked by Albert W. Tillinghast (1912) and Donald Ross (1923). Restoration project led by Ron Forse (2006).

Roger Rulewich & A. John Harvey

Original design by Albert W. Tillinghast; later modifications by Rees Jones (1998, 2008, 2015).

Original design by Albert W. Tillinghast, with significant modifications by Alfred Tull (1958).

Albert W. Tillinghast

Rees Jones

Larry Nelson

Mark A. Mungeam (of Cornish, Silva & Mungeam, Inc.) designed the North course (1998) and South course (2002).

Tom's Run designed by Bill Love and Ault Clark (1994). Chestnut Ridge designed by Jim Harris and his son-in-law Fred Garbin (1964).

William H. (Willie) Tucker

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Mark A. Mungeam (of Cornish, Silva & Mungeam, Inc.).

Rick Rickard

William R. Love

Charles Blair Macdonald, with construction overseen by Seth Raynor (1923); modifications by Gil Hanse & George Bahto (2011).

Roger Rulewich

Robert von Hagge

Roger Rulewich

Tom Bendelow (1897) and John Van Kleek (1935).

Red course designed by Devereux Emmet (1914). Robert Trent Jones Sr designed the White course (1950) and Blue course (1951).

Original design by Ernie Smith (1927). Course renovated and greens redesigned by Dr Michael J. Hurdzan (1998).

Seth Raynor & Charles Banks

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw

Tom Fazio

Original design by Devereux Emmet (1899); later modifications by Walter Travis (1913) and Tom Doak (2015).

Lindsay Ervin & Steve Klein

Donald Ross

Bobby Weed

Robert Trent Jones Sr, with later modifications by his son Rees Jones.

Craig Schreiner

Joe Finger

Dr Michael J. Hurdzan

George Fazio

Maurice McCarthy

Dr Michael J. Hurdzan and Dana Fry (of Hurdzan/Fry Design).

Brian Silva & Mark Mungeam

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw.

Mark Mungeam (of Cornish, Silva & Mungeam, Inc.).

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Tom Fazio

Current layout designed by William S. Flynn (1928).

P.B. Dye

Herbert Strong

Terry LaGree

Original design by Seymour Dunn (1909); renovated by Graham Cooke.

Original design by Alex Findlay (1910); redesigned by Dr Alister MacKenzie (1931).

Original 9-hole course designed by David L. Rees (1920); extended to 18 and original nine redesigned by John Van Kleek (1935). Modifications made by Frank Duane (1964).

Original design by Dick Wilson (1959); significant renovations by Arnold Palmer (2003).

Ray Hearn

Original design by Devereux Emmet (1909); upgrade and renovation by Bob Cupp (1998).

Original co-design by Tom Kite and Bob Cupp (2006); modifications by Tom Kite & Steve Wenzloff (2011).

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

Original layout by Willie Dunn; redesign by Willie Park Jr and his younger brother John "Jack" Park (1922); renovation by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2013).

East course: original front-nine designed by Donald Ross & Willard G. Wilkinson (1939); back-nine designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1987). West course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1987).

A Jack Nicklaus Signature design.

Hugh Irvine Wilson designed both Merion's East course (1912) and West course (1914).

Original design by English amateur golfer and course architect Capt H. Charles Tippet (1927); redesign by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1968); renovations by Robert's son Rees Jones (2002).

Charles Blair Macdonald, assisted by Seth Raynor.

Pete Dye

Original design by Willard Rockwell (1987); redesigned by Pete Dye (2016).

Hurdzan/Fry Design (Dr Michael J. Hurdzan & Dana Fry).

Donald Ross designed the East and West courses (1926), following the club's move to its current Pittsford site (1921). The East course was renovated by Robert Trent Jones Snr (1950s), George Fazio (1979), Tom Fazio (2010) and Andrew Green (2020).

Oakmont was designed by its founder Henry Clay "H.C." Fownes. Over the years it has been tweaked by Fownes' son William Clay "W.C." Fownes Jr (1930s), as well as Robert Trent Jones Sr (1961), Arnold Palmer (1977), Fred Garbin (1982), Arthur Hills (1984) and Tom Fazio (2001).

Jim Blaukovitch

Hurdzan/Fry Design (Dr Michael J. Hurdzan & Dana Fry).

Rick Jacobson

John Van Kleek

Edmund B. "Ed" Ault

Bill Love

George Arthur Crump (Philadelphian hotelier and Pine Valley's founder) and Harry Colt. The extent of Colt's input is much debated, but would seem to have been significant in terms of the detailed design of each hole, not least the bunkering and green complexes. The feared par-3 5th and 10th holes are among several fully attributed to Colt.

Charles Blair Macdonald, with construction overseen by Seth Raynor (1911). Later modifications by Pete Dye (1987), Tom Doak (2010) and Bruce Hepner (2015).

Original course laid out in 1890. Current design by Donald Ross (1921); modifications by Marty O'Loughlin (1930) and Gil Hanse (2009).

Father/son team of Pete and Perry Dye.

Original design by Albert W. Tillinghast (1916); modifications by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1965) and his son Rees Jones (1991-93), and Gil Hanse (2011).

Don Nagode

Robin Nelson

Course designed by Albert W. Tillinghast (1929); modifications by Gil Hanse (2016).

Francis J. "Frank" Duane

Steve Smyers

Donald Ross

Roger Rulewich

Old course: original design by Herbert Strong (1921), with later renovations by Perry Maxwell (1943) and Tom Fazio (2008).
Grace course: designed by William & David Gordon (1957).
Weyhill course: designed by William & David Gordon (1968), with later revisions by Tom Fazio (2010).

Stephen Kay

Original design by Hugh Wilson & Donald Ross (1914); renovated by Bob Cupp (1998, 2006).

Original nine holes designed by William S. Flynn, with construction supervised by Howard C. Toomey (1927). Extension to 18-holes and updating of original nine by William Gordon (1957).

Jack Nicklaus & Tom Doak

Albert W. Tillinghast's first design.

Original 12-hole course design by Willie Davis (1891), extended to 18-holes by Willie Dunn Jr (1894). This layout substantially redesigned by Charles B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor (1901).

A second substantial redesign was required when the course moved to the north side of the clubhouse (1931). Retaining only five holes from the Macdonald/Raynor layout, the new course was designed by William S. Flynn, with construction supervised by Howard C. Toomey. Apart from the two nine-hole loops being swapped around and some lengthening, the layout has remained largely unchanged since 1931.

Ronald Fream & David Dale of Golfplan.

Robert W. (Bob) White

Original design by Charles Blair Macdonald, with construction overseen by Seth Raynor (1915); modifications by A.W. Tillinghast (1928) and Gil Hanse (2017).

Current course designed by Albert W. Tillinghast (1917); modified by Tom Doak (2018).

Original design by Seth Raynor (1925). Course modernised by William F. Mitchell (1967), and later reworked back to its original themes by Brian Silva (2010).

Devereux Emmet and Alfred H. Tull (1927)

Originally designed by Harry Tallmadge and Englishman William Henry (Willie) Tucker in 1896. Later improvements made by Morris Poucher (1920) and James Braid & John R. Stutt (1930). The course was substantially improved and several holes redesigned by Jack Nicklaus (1983).

Original design by Devereux Emmet (1917); restored by Gil Hanse (2011).

Charles K. Martin

Rees Jones

OLD COURSE: Tom Fazio and his nephew Tom Fazio II (aka Tommy Fazio). NEW COURSE: Tom Fazio II.

Tom Fazio

Tom Fazio

Robert Trent Jones II (lead designer Ty Butler).

Rick Smith

Edward M. (Ed) Beidel Jr.

Archie Struthers

Original design by Hurdzan/Fry Design (1997; lead designer Dana Fry); major renovation by Fry/Straka design (Dana Fry & Jason Straka) (2019/20).

Stephen Kay

Original design by Tom Bendelow with recent improvements by Stephen Kay (2002).

Ed Shearon

WEST course: designed by Walter Travis (1922); modifications by Tom Fazio (2015). SOUTH course: designed by Walter Travis (1922); modifications by Ken Dye (2000).

East and West courses designed by Albert W. Tillinghast (1923). West course modified by Rees Jones (2006); East course modified by Gil Hanse (2012).

Original layout at this location by club member Lawrence E. Van Etten (1905). Later substantial modifications by Donald Ross (1919), and A.W. Tillinghast (1931); modifications by Arthur Hills (1993); major renovation/restoration by Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2006).

Brian Ault (of Ault, Clark and Associates)