To the list of life’s great certainties – death, taxes, my block under pressure – we can add this: Valley of the Pines ranking position.
Since 1985, when GOLF first counted the votes for him Top 100 courses in the worldthe famous club of New Jersey has firmly held the place no. 1. The votes, in fact, have been somewhat lopsided, with the closest contenders not particularly close. This Wednesday, when GOLF releases its newest rankings, it will take a shock on the scale of YE Yang over Tiger Woods for Pine Valley to be replaced.
Enter Jim Wagner, our latest guest Destination golf podcast. If you follow course design, you know the name. Wagner is Gil Hanse’s longtime design partner. He is a deeply thoughtful shaper and architect whose work, with Hanse, ranges from original courses like Ohoopee Match Club and Castle Stuart to restorations at Los Angeles Country Club, Fishers Island, Sleepy Hollow and beyond. And with a Top 100 to fall, his perspective on what makes a world-class course couldn’t be more timely.
So what does such a guy think is the best course in the world?
Not Pine Valley.
Wagner admits the place is exceptional, but if you pegged him for a vote, he’d likely lean toward Merion. Part of what’s fascinating about Merion is how much was accomplished in such a compact plot. And it’s the natural bridge to another course he has a lot of respect for: Kingston Heath in Australia, built on relatively flat terrain and a small site that required a completely different kind of creativity.
In the podcast, Wagner talks about how the drive to Kingston Heath reflects a special imagination, unlike that needed to conjure up compelling golf from the dramatic landforms that underpin Pine Valley. The constraints were different, he says, and so was the skill required to make the course sing.
This is just an example of where the conversation goes. In the full conversation, Wagner ranges widely, touching on everything from the Grateful Dead to the importance of thinking in three dimensions when you’re outlining golf holes. It also offers honest choices on other big-name courses. Spoiler alert: he’s not exactly positive on Bethpage Black as it stands.
You can listen to the full episode below, and you can hear more from Wagner in Pine Valley in the video above.
