2009 Golfweek’s Best New Courses

Courtesy Rock Creek Cattle Co.

Nos. 2 and 3 at Rock Creek Cattle Co. in Deer Lodge, Mont.

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2009 Golfweek's Best New Courses

Take a look at a selection of Golfweek's Best New Courses.

Rank. - Course Name - Avg. rating
Location - Opened
Architect

1. Rock Creek Cattle Co. 8.28
Deer Lodge, Mont. 2008
Tom Doak

2. Palouse Ridge GC 7.22
Pullman, Wash. 2008
John Harbottle

3. Rainmakers GC 6.90
Ruidoso, N.M. 2008
Robert Trent Jones Jr.

4. Sugarloaf Mountain Golf and Town Club 6.86
Minneola, Fla. 2008
Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw

5. Wine Valley GC 6.65
Walla Walla, Wash. 2009
Dan Hixson

6. Tetherow 6.65
Bend, Ore. 2008
David McLay Kidd

7. Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort 6.63
French Lick, Ind. 2009
Pete Dye

8. Creighton Farms 6.50
Aldie, Va. 2008
Jack Nicklaus

9. Timilick Tahoe 6.47
Truckee, Calif. 2008
John Harbottle, Johnny Miller

10. Coyote Springs (Chase Course) 6.43
Coyote Springs, Nev. 2008
Jack Nicklaus

11. Ritz-Carlton GC at Dove Mountain (Saguaro and Tortolita) 6.43
Marana, Ariz. 2009
Jack Nicklaus

12. TPC Potomac 6.36
Potomac, Md. 2009
Jim Hardy, Steve Wenzloff

13. Trump National GC (New Course) 6.21
Bedminster, N.J. 2008
Tommy Fazio

14. The Wilderness Club of Montana 6.20
Eureka, Mont. 2009
Nick Faldo

15. The Club at 12 Oaks 6.13
Holly Springs, N.C. 2008
Michael Nicklaus

16. Cliffs at Keowee Springs 6.13
Six Mile, S.C. 2008
Tom Fazio

17. Innsbrook GC 6.06
Merry Hill, N.C. 2008
Arnold Palmer

18. Sand Hollow GC (Championship Course) 6.00
Hurricane, Utah 2008
John Fought

19. Bella Collina 6.00
Montverde, Fla. 2008
Steve Smyers, Nick Faldo

20. Jack Frost National GC 6.00
Blakeslee, Pa. 2009
Mark Brown, Terry LaGree

21. TPC San Francisco Bay at Stonebrae East 5.97
Bay Hills, Calif. 2008
David McLay Kidd

22. The Idaho Club 5.92
Sandpoint, Idaho 2008
Jack Nicklaus

23. Lake Presidential GC 5.90
Upper Marlboro, Md. 2008
Chris Cole, Jeff Potts

24. Journey at Pechanga 5.85
Temecula, Calif. 2008
Steve Forrest, Arthur Hills

25. The Outlaw GC 5.83
Ruidoso, N.M. 2008
John LaFoy

26. Sweetgrass GC 5.75
Harris, Mich. 2008
Paul Albanese

27. Encanterra Trilogy GC 5.69
Queen Creek, Ariz. 2008
Tom Lehman

28. The Deltona Club 5.67
Deltona, Fla. 2008
Bobby Weed

29. Wild Rock GC 5.67
Wisconsin Dells, Wis. 2008
Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan

30. The Golf Club of Kansas 5.58
Lenexa, Kan. 2008
Tom Jackson

31. Yocha Dehe GC 5.50
Brooks, Calif. 2008
Brad Bell

32. Jay Peak 5.50
Warren, Vt. 2008
Graham Cooke

33. Payne Stewart GC 5.50
Branson, Mo. 2009
Bobby Clampett

34. TPC Treviso Bay 5.50
Naples, Fla. 2008
Arthur Hills

35. Fairvue Plantation (Foxlands Course) 5.50
Gallatin, Tenn. 2008
Bill Bergin

36. Eagle Falls GC 5.43
Indio, Calif. 2008
Clive Clark

37. Pound Ridge GC 5.38
Pound Ridge, N.Y. 2008
Pete Dye, Perry Dye

38. Plantation G&CC 5.25
Fort Myers, Fla. 2008
Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan

39. Little Mountain GC 5.21
Concord, Ohio 2008
Dana Fry, Michael Hurdzan

40. Black Bull GC 5.13
Bozeman, Mont. 2008
Tom Weiskopf

HOW WE DID IT: Golfweek defines new courses as those having opened in the past two calendar years (2008-2009).
This is done to give the Golfweek’s Best panel of raters time to visit courses, thereby making the ratings statistically valid.