Billy Fuller Golf Design 1694 Pine Ridge Drive Atlanta, GA 30324
Ph. 404-
Golfweek’s Best Municipal Courses
July 17. 2009
Of all of the terminology specific to golf, perhaps no term has changed in perception over the years as much as “muni.”
There was a time when “muni” almost invariably was preceded by the adjective “hardscrabble.” The term conjured images of hitting battered range balls off scruffy mats to a flat, dirt range with makeshift “greens” marked by rickety pins topped by tattered flags. Conditions got only marginally better when you reached the first tee.
No more. That quickly becomes apparent when scanning the 2009 list of Golfweek’s
Best Municipal Courses. The top three courses – Bethpage Black (2009), Chambers Bay
(2015) and Torrey Pines South (2008) – are U.S. Open venues. And many others, including
fifth-
In some cases, municipalities have spent tax dollars lavishly to build or upgrade
facilities such as Chambers Bay, Indian Wells Golf Resort and Harding Park, which
will host the Presidents Cup this fall. One can debate whether those outlays make
for good public policy, but they’ve resulted in courses that grade well not just
in the muni category, but fare well against more ballyhooed public-
Courses such as Piñon Hills in New Mexico, Thunderhawk in Illinois, George Wright Municipal in Massachusetts and Sand Creek Station in Kansas have for years been fixtures on the Golfweek’s Best lists of top courses in their respective states.
Suffice it to say, this isn’t the “muni” golf of our youths. And for that, we all can be thankful.
