While the economy has turned the eyes of the golf world, well, on the world outside of the United States, Nicklaus Design continues to remind everyone that there is great golf right here at home. Nicklaus led all designers and design firms with five courses in Golfweek’s 2009 ranking of the 40 “Best New Courses” in the U.S.
Jack Nicklaus had three of his four make the top 11, led by Creighton Farms, the exclusive residential golf community located in the rolling hills of Virginia’s prestigious Loudoun County and situated just 30 miles west of Washington, D.C. The centerpiece of this spectacular gated community owned by Southworth Development, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course was not only recognized by Golfweek, but was named one of the “Best New Courses” by Golf Digest and Travel + Leisure Golf—one of only two private courses in the world to be recognized by all three publications in 2008.
Another course to sweep the best-new rankings of almost every major golf publication was The Chase at the PGA Golf Club Coyote Springs, located just north of Las Vegas. The Chase was No. 10 in Golfweek’s ranking, while also being recognized by Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine, LINKS Magazine and Travel + Leisure Golf. In addition, Coyote Springs was lauded in the recent GolfWorld Readers’ Choice Awards with honors in six different categories (top 5 in five of those), including No. 1 in the U.S. for “Course Conditions” and “Speed of Play.”
Ranking just behind Coyote Springs at No. 11 in Golfweek were the Saguaro and Tortolita courses at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain near Tucson, Ariz., and site of the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play.
The Club at 12 Oaks, a Nicklaus Design course in Holly Springs, N.C., five minutes outside Raleigh, came in at No. 15 on Golfweek’s list. Rounding out the Nicklaus entries at No. 22 was The Idaho Club, nestled among picturesque mountains along the shores of Lake Pend Oreille—Idaho’s largest and deepest lake—and just minutes from the quaint Western town of Sandpoint, recently rated as one of the “Top Ten small towns in the Western U.S.” by Sunset Magazine.
Golfweek defines new courses as those having opened in the past two calendar years (2008-09).
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