Just about every major national golf publication does course rankings of one sort or another these days.

There are general course rankings — nationally, internationally and by state — as well as ones for modern courses, classic courses, residential courses, resort courses, “courses you can play”, military courses, casino courses, courses in Mexico and the Caribbean … The lists go on and on.

But it wasn’t always so.

It was Golf Digest that got things rolling in a big way on the course ranking front. Since 1966, the publication has compiled a biennial ranking of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”, which is the self-proclaimed “gold standard in the golf community.”

Golf Digest panelists play and evaluate courses based on seven criteria: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience.

With two years since its last rankings, Golf Digest last week published its 2019-20 edition of America’s 100 Greatest. And Colorado was well-represented, with two courses in the top 50 and three in the top 75.

Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J., checks in at No. 1 for the 14th time since 1985.

The rest of the top 10 are Augusta National in Augusta, Ga., home of the Masters (2), Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif. (3), Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y. (4), Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa. (5), Merion (East) in Ardmore, Pa. (6), Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. (7), National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. (8), Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (9) and Fishers Island in Fishers Island, N.Y. (10).

As for Colorado-based courses, Ballyneal (above) in Holyoke checked in at No. 46, Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock at No. 48, and Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village at No. 72. Here a short rundown on each:

46. Ballyneal in Holyoke — The minimalist Tom Doak design, which opened in 2006, has reached its highest point in the Golf Digest rankings, having been 50th two years ago. It’s been included among the America’s 100 Greatest since 2011.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Ballyneal: “If No. 9 Sand Hills Golf Club stands for the notion that there’s nothing more glorious than a round of golf beyond the range of cell phone reception, then Ballyneal (Tom Doak’s northeast Colorado answer to Nebraska’s Sand Hills) proves that isolated golf is even better when Spartan in nature. With no carts and with dry, tan fescue turf on fairways and greens, Ballyneal is even more austere than Sand Hills. It provides absolutely firm and fast conditions, and with many greens perched on hilltops, the effect of wind on putts must be considered. Other than No. 15 Friar’s Head, Ballyneal is the only course to have constantly risen in our rankings over the past 10 years.”

48. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock — Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1981, Castle Pines (left) hosted the PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006. The course has been ranked continuously in the America’s 100 Greatest since 1987, peaking at No. 28 in 2009-10. It was in the No. 42 slot two years ago. Jack Vickers, the club’s founder, passed away in September.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Castle Pines: “When Golf Digest began its annual Best New Course awards in 1983, the review panel selected Castle Pines as the Private Course winner, but Bill Davis, co-founder of Golf Digest and founding father of all its course rankings, didn’t care for the course and vetoed its inclusion. So no private course was honored that year. Davis soon recognized his error, and in 1987 — its first year of eligibility — Castle Pines joined America’s 100 Greatest and has remained there ever since. Club founder Jack Vickers, a Midwest oilman, had urged architect Jack Nicklaus to produce a mountain-venue design worthy of a major championship. Jack did, but when a championship never resulted, Vickers established his own, The International, which for many years was the only PGA Tour event played under a unique Stableford format. It’s a pity that The International is no longer on the Tour’s schedule.”

72. Cherry Hills in Cherry Hills Village — The William Flynn-designed course, which opened in 1922, has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, a U.S. Women’s Open, a U.S. Senior Open, two U.S. Amateurs, a BMW Championship and nine USGA championships overall. Cherry Hills (left) has been included almost continuously — aside from 1971-72 — in America’s 100 Greatest since its inception in 1966. Its highest ranking was 21st in 2003-04 and it was slotted at No. 73 two years ago.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Cherry Hills: “When Cherry Hills opened in the early 1920s, it was a ground-breaking design, with the nation’s first par-5 island green and closing back-to-back par-5s, although in championship play the 18th is played as a par-4. In the 1960 U.S. Open, winner Arnold Palmer popularized the idea of a drivable par 4 by going for the first green in every round. Curiously, when Palmer and partner Ed Seay remodeled Cherry Hills in 1976, they lengthened the first hole so no player could duplicate Arnie’s feat. Nearly 40 years later, modern equipment has once again made the first hole reachable from the tee.”

For the entire list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, CLICK HERE.

Meanwhile, another ranking was also recently published, with Golf Advisor listing its top 50 golf courses in the U.S., determined by ratings and reviews received by Golf Advisor in 2018.

One Colorado course made the grade, with Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash slotted in at No. 44.

Golf Advisor’s top course for the rankings was the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y.

For the complete Golf Advisor list, CLICK HERE.

The Colorado Golf Hall of Famer shared medalist honors this time around, at Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash. Moore, Susan Hartwell of Arvada and part-time Gunnison-area resident Marilyn Hardy each shot 8-over-par 80 to lead a field of 39 on Tuesday.

“I was surprised to see that 80 was medalist,” said Moore, who recently turned 53. “I was just hoping it would qualify. When I saw we were medalists, I said to Marilyn (a playing partner on Tuesday), ‘Oh my goodness, medalist at 80.’ Marilyn said, ‘Hey, we worked hard for that 80.’ We’ll take it.”

Moore, Hartwell and Hardy were three of 10 players who qualified on Tuesday for the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, which will be contested Sept. 9-14 at Waverley Country Club in Porland, Ore. (The medalists are pictured, from left: Moore, Hardy and Hartwell.)

Also advancing to the national championship from Pole Creek were:

Sue Davis of Aurora (81)
Kathy Malpass of Evergreen (81)
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin of Denver (82)
Rosemary McKeown of Las Cruces, N.M. (82)
Sandra Bickel of La Porte (82)
Kristine Franklin of Broomfield (82)
Lisa Lee of Longmont (83)

Malpass — like Moore, Hartwell and Hardy — also qualified in Colorado last year for the U.S. Senior Women’s Am. (In fact, Malpass has qualified for five consecutive years from Colorado sites.) Malpass and Moore advanced to the round of 64 of match play at the 2016 national championship, while Hardy made it to the round of 16, where she lost to Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, who advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time. Hardy was national quarterfinalist in this event in 2013.

Austin, a past member of the USGA Executive Committee, has likewise competed in multiple U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs.

On Tuesday, Moore made her only birdie of the day on the final hole — from 18 feet — to share medalist honors.

“I struggled. I didn’t play my best,” said Moore, who was assisted in Tuesday’s round by husband/caddie Kent, a Colorado Golf Hall of Famer in his own right. “It was frustrating. But Kent helped me stay in it.”

Moore has now qualified for a whopping 23 USGA individual championships between the U.S. Women’s Amateur, U.S. Senior Women’s Am and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am. And in this case, she did so after an offseason in which she went about six months without playing due to a problematic back.

“Every USGA and national championship is very special,” said the five-time CWGA Stroke Play champion. “The USGA does great job. There are so many great players. It’s always a thrill.”

Hardy, who was paired with Moore, likewise had her husband caddie for her on Tuesday — noted swing instructor Jim Hardy. She didn’t make a birdie at Pole Creek, but parred her final six holes to tie for medalist honors.

In earning her second straight trip to the U.S. Senior Women’s Am, Hartwell made three birdies on Tuesday, including one on No. 17 where she bounced back after a double bogey on No. 16. Then she parred the 18th.

U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifying
At Par-72 Pole Creek GC in Tabernash
ADVANCE TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 
Janet Moore, Centennial, Colo. 41-39–80
Susan Hartwell, Arvada, Colo. 39-41–80
Marilyn Hardy, Magnolia, Texas 42-38–80
Sue Davis, Aurora, Colo. 42-39–81
Kathy Malpass, Evergreen, Colo. 42-39–81
Christie Austin, Denver, Colo. 40-42–82
Rosemary McKeown, Las Cruces, N.M. 42-40–82
Sandra Bickel, La Porte, Colo. 45-37–82
Kristine Franklin, Broomfield, Colo. 40-42–82
Lisa Lee, Longmont, Colo. 39-44–83
ALTERNATES (In Order)
Nancy Ziereis, Centennial, Colo. 42-41″”83
Kathy West, Tulsa, Okla. 44-40″”84
FAILED TO QUALIFY
Christine Hoffee, Albuquerque, N.M. 41-43–84
Christina Nelson, Fort Collins, Colo. 41-43–84
Jewell Malick, Heath, Texas 41-44–85
Leanna Rosenow, Arvada, Colo. 42-44–86
Julie Robichaux, Kingwood, Texas 43-43–86
Shawna Ianson, Boise, Idaho 41-45–86
Louise Lyle, Colorado Springs, Colo. 45-41–86
Katherine Moore-Lilly, Longboat Key, Fla. 39-48–87
Jennifer Hocking, Colorado Springs, Colo. 44-44–88
Elizabeth Kennedy, Grand Junction, Colo. 43-45–88
Deborah Hughes, Denver, Colo. 46-42–88
Beverly Hoffenberg, Littleton, Colo. 44-44–88
Meghan Christensen, Houston, Texas 44-45–89
Debra Woolf, Fort Worth, Texas 45-44–89
Georgia Hutchinson, Sun Valley, Idaho 41-52–93
Wendy Atkinson, Westminster, Colo. 43-50–93
Sandra Young, Monument, Colo. 49-45–94
Lisa Bolam, Windsor, Colo. 47-48–95
Kathleen Johnson, Broomfield, Colo. 46-51–97
Dee Baker, Florissant, Colo. 48-49–97
Catherine Stypula, Boulder, Colo. 51-46–97
Krista Morgan, Breckenridge, Colo. 47-51–98
Karen Hale, Castle Rock, Colo. 51-49–100
Jean Miller, Arvada, Colo. 50-52–102
Patricia O’Connor, Fort Collins, Colo. 50-53–103
Karen Honnessy, Eagle, Colo. 54-50–104
Christine Gingrich, Centennial, Colo. 48-58–106
Julia Roth, Driggs, Idaho WD
 

It’s by no means easy to earn a national berth, but in the case of Tuesday’s qualifying tournament at Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash, 39 competitors will vie for 10 spots in the U.S. Senior Women’s Am. That’s a 26 percent chance of advancing, all else being equal.

 Tuesday’s field features three players who both qualified in Colorado for the 2016 championship, then advanced to match play at the national tournament: Janet Moore of Centennial, Kathy Malpass of Evergreen and part-time Gunnison resident Marilyn Hardy. Hardy made it to the round of 16 at last year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Am, losing to Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton. Moore, another Hall of Famer, and Malpass fell in the round of 64 at the 2016 national event. Moore has been medalist in Colorado-based qualifying for this tournament the last two years.

Among the other entrants on Tuesday who qualified for last year’s Senior Women’s Am are Deb Hughes of Denver, Bev Hoffenberg of Littleton, Sue Hartwell of Arvada, Sandy Young of Monument and Katherine Moore-Lilly of Minneapolis. Hughes won the CWGA Senior Stroke Play last fall.

Also in the field is Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin, a past participant in the U.S. Senior Women’s Am.

As for Eaton, she’s exempt from qualifying this year by virtue of making it to the quarterfinals of last year’s national championship. That’s something she’s accomplished four times. Hardy is also a past quarterfinalist in the event, in 2013.

This year’s U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur is set for Sept. 9-14 at Waverley Country Club in Porland, Ore.

For Tuesday’s pairings at Pole Creek, CLICK HERE.