Course Lists Do-It-Yourself

When it comes to those magazine golf course lists, its all about the wording and the adjectives.

Best. Greatest. Hardest. Favorite.

For me, the courses that belong at the top of the lists depend on the wording of the category.

That is to say the best course in America isnt necessarily the greatest or the hardest or my favorite.

And I want to know if you agree.

The best golf course in America, to me, is Shinnecock Hills. (The Long Island breezes blow every which way).

The greatest golf course in America to me is Augusta National. (History combined with conditioning and great green complexes).

The hardest golf course in America, to me, is Oakmont. (The big bad wolf of American golf says David Fay).

My favorite golf course in America is Shoreacres. (North of Chicago, it is a members course par excellence).

The most overrated golf course in America is The National Golf Links of America. (Heresy, you say. Terrific track, I say. But still overrated).

The most underrated golf course in America is the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. (Sorry Seminole. But Pete Dyes work here is Floridas finest).

Now I want feedback from you the readers on this. Send me an E-mail at [e-mail].

Feel free to choose your own category or categories and then the course that best fits that category, in your opinion. Choose your own adjectives: Prettiest, ugliest, worst, most overpriced..your call. The beauty of this poll is that there are no wrong answers. Its all subjective. (Warning: I might be amused by coarse language, especially if you are creative about it, but I wont re-print it).

If you feel compelled to say something about the course or courses you have chosen to be at the top of your category or categories, please limit your description to 10 words or less. We want to keep this thing wieldy (the opposite of unwieldy). At a future date I will run another column publishing the best of the best of your answers.

I will also post the results for what I believe to be the four key categories: best, hardest, favorite, greatest.

Meanwhile here are a few more of my own course categories and the tracks that are at the top of those categories.

Course Id Most Like To Play And Havent Yet: Pine Valley. (LA North is a close second).

Best Golf Course South Of The Equator: Royal Melbourne (Dr. MacKenzie, I presume).

Best Course at Pinehurst: No. 7 (Rees Jones hit a home run here).

Prettiest Course: Cypress Point. (The water in the breaking waves is unnaturally blue).

Favorite Irish Course: Royal Portrush. (So much competition in this category).

Favorite Scottish Course: The Old Course at St. Andrews. (Nothing in golf like standing on that first tee.)

Funkiest Golf Course: Tobacco Road (In North Carolina. Go play it. Youll see.)

Coolest Golf Course: Merion. (Obviously this one depends on your definition of cool).

Course Ill Change Planes More Than Once To Get To: Pacific Dunes (You CAN get there from here).

Course With Best Drool Factor: Muirfield Village (Those cross cut fairways always look so good on TV).

[Notice Im following the 10-word rule]

Best Miniature Golf Course: Novelty Golf (36 holes in Chicago).

Best College Course: Human Sexuality (Stanford University).

Ooops, back to golf

Best College GOLF Course: Yale University (As Buddy Holly said: Well, boola-boola).

OK, people, knock yourselves out. Knock me out. Send me your categories and your No. 1 picks in those categories. Please, just one pick per category.

Of course, I know you will.