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Top 8 Exclusive Golf Courses
Par for the Course
by Assistant Curator
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Country Club ©iStockphoto
We all know that gaining access to the most exclusive golf and country clubs is impossible for those who are not part of the "right crowd". When money won't budge the door to play at such a club, knowing the right people can do the trick. Despite yearly dues which can surpass $300,000 per year, many clubs have endless waiting lists. Some restrict membership to include only those from families who have an established legacy with them. Furthermore, just knowing a member is not enough to get to play golf at many clubs. You must be personally invited by, and continuously accompanied by, a member to simply enter the gates. Others don't allow guests at all, accompanied or not: only members are allowed.
1) Chicago Golf Club is a prestigious private golf club in Wheaton, Illinois. The oldest 18-hole course in North America, it was one of the five founding members of The United States Golf Association. This course was originally designed by the talented Charles Blair Macdonald in 1989. Macdonald admired the Scottish style of playing the sport, and so made the course in Scottish manner, without trees.
This gives it a very different feel than most American courses. It was redesigned by the celebrated Seth Raynor in 1923, resulting in a classic links-style course on atypical golfing terrain, and beautiful wide open vistas. It goes with out saying that a game at this club is hard to come by, as it is open to members only, many of whom have long-standing ties with the club, and with the sport itself.
2) Southampton’s National Golf Links of America (NGA) is one of the handful of elite clubs located on Long Island. The club was laid out by the previously mentioned, C.B. Macdonald, and is designed with similar characteristics to the Chicago Golf Club. 365 sand bunkers perforate the terrain, and many blind shots and ponds add an edge to the game. If golf isn’t the only type of course you’re after, make sure to enjoy the club's fine dining. NGA is said to have the finest lunch American golf has to offer. It boasts being the first course to host the Walker Cup. Entry to this club is so selective, even PGA tour winners must be accompanied by a member.
3) At the eastern tip of Fishers Island, a small island in the Long Island Sound, lies Fisher Island Club, which features a world class golf course designed by noted golf architect Seth Raynor. The residents of the island are an elite few, who come from well-established, old money families, who reside in traditional, luxurious estates. Access to the club is by invite only, and one will find it hard to make it to the island at all without exclusive connections, as the only access is by plane or ferry, and local officials don’t appreciate casual tourists.
4) Southern New Jersey is home to the Pine Valley Club, founded in 1913 by a group of amateur golfers from Philadelphia. Since then, it has risen to what many consider the finest golf course in the world. It was designed by George Arthur Crump, who knew the land from hunting, and thusdesigned the course around the terrain's inherent idiosyncrasies.
These oddities are what make the course so difficult, and of course, so prestigious. No hole is laid out parallel to the next, no more than two consecutive holes play in the same direction, and players are not able to see any hole that they aren’t playing. Like many golf clubs, Pine Valley has historically prohibited women from playing or entering. However, women are now allowed to play during very restricted hours. This is one of the most elite clubs in the world: few even know who has played there and many pros have yet to see these links.
5) Augusta National, in Augusta, Georgia, is considered to be the most revered club on the PGA tour. A Dr. Alister MacKenzie creation, it is known for its immense botanical beauty. Each hole is named after a flower or tree with which it is associated. Its highly exclusive nature limits information from flowing freely about this club. Since it opened in 1933, membership has been strictly by invitation. There are no female members, although women can play as guests of members.
6) Bethesda Maryland boasts the private, all-male, Burning Tree Club. Also designed by Dr. Alister Mackenzie, it has been played by numerous presidents, foreign dignitaries, high-ranking executive officials, and military officers.
Membership in the club is highly exclusive, and not just based on gender. Also, the Burning Tree guest policy is virtually closed, making this another course that remains a mystery to the vast majority of the public. Those who have had the distinction of playing Burning Tree Club note the wide fairways, the dense forests bordering the course, and the pervasive classical ambiance.
7) Crystal Downs Country Club can be found in Frankfort, Michigan, features some of the longest tees in North America. Constructed in the late 1920's by Dr. Alister Mackenzie and Perry Maxwell, this legendary course incorporates stunning views of Lake Michigan and Crystal Lake.
Its natural features make for an unusually testing layout. This course features a rich history and complex greens that will challenge the most seasoned of golfers. This is another course with a no guest policy, and membership restricted to a select few.
8) The Seminole Golf Club, in Florida, stands as a testament to the outstanding talent of designer, Donald Ross. The genius of this course is its routing: the green occupies the flat territory between the dunes along the Atlantic, and a higher ridge of dunes to the West. Fourteen of the holes touch the lines of the dunes, and ponds in the middle test the skill of even the best golfers. This unique club is restricted to few members, like many of the other clubs listed, public information is limited to protect its elite status.
Now, before you polish up your nine iron and step into your cleats, remember how lucky you are to make your way into any of these clubs.
From the desk of the Curator of Gallery Atlantic, Inc.
This article is the property of Gallery Atlantic, Inc.
© 2008 - Gallery Atlantic, Inc. All rights reserved.
