"I think it's fair to say that Shot Values and Resistance to Scoring were the likely categories that contributed to Augusta’s elevation.”

Golf Digest confirmed in a news release that the new Top 100 list will appear online April 6, listed the new entries on the list, confirmed rise of Augusta National to #1 and included this apology explanation from architecture editor Ron Whitten.

“Although the architectural changes at Augusta National have received criticism over the past few years, our panel consensus ranked it No. 1,” said Ron Whitten, Golf Digest Senior Editor of Architecture. “We evaluate seven different aspects of each course's design, and while it's hard to pinpoint individual reasons for a course’s ranking, I think it's fair to say that Shot Values and Resistance to Scoring were the likely categories that contributed to Augusta’s elevation.”

Those are probably the kindest words Ron or anyone else in his position could muster up to explain what happened.

Of course, since no one knows what Shot Values actually means and anyone...ANYONE...ANYONE can design a golf course that is Resistant to Scoring, hardly what I'd call a ringing endorsement for the new #1.

April Fool's Comes Early This Year: ANGC Vaults To No. 1 On Golf Digest's Top 100 List

Golf Digest appears to have been scooped by GolfClubAtlas.com's discussion group where the early posters are howling at Augusta National's ascension to the No. 1 spot in the biennial Top 100 ranking.

Why is this not Golf Digest's finest ranking moment? Well for starters I devoted a solid third of my Keynote slides at the Golf Digest Panelist Summit to the butchery of Augusta National. So you can see how influential I was to the 120 or so panelists who were an otherwise dream audience to address (I'm used to architects, members and superintendents who scowl and yawn...or do both at the same time).

As the GCA readers have pointed out, the rise of ANGC to the top spot is particularly odd considering that Golf Digest has so nobly tried to reorient their panelists toward the reward of leaner and more environmentally friendly course conditioning. Augusta National certainly does not fit their ideal in any way.

Architecturally it's a head scratcher because the course is a bit of a mess. If you put today's mangled 7th hole or 11th holes on any other course, a majority of panelists would write the place off immediately. Throw in the awkward injections to the 15th and the lack of diversity in teeing grounds that discriminates against golfers between the handicaps of 18 and 4 (small audience!), and it really is hard to imagine how anyone can call this the best course in the land. Then again the serious architecture students are still badly outnumbered on the panel, so I'm not sure why I would expect architectural details to matter.

Overall I'm struck by how the list is populated with so many courses I have no desire to play. Fun appears to be an elusive quality of courses on the Digest list.

Anyway, the 2007 list for reference. I'll spare you comments for the entire list...

1 Augusta National G.C. - The Christmas tree planting is so strategic and yet so aesthetically pleasing too.

9 Fishers Island Club - Great place and no irrigation system! Go figure.

11 Oak Hill C.C. (East) - They meant 311th right?

20 Medinah C.C. (No. 3) - Rev up the dozers, about time for the bi-annual redo isn't it?

31 Riviera C.C. - Up 30 spots. Never hurts having a panelist running the joint!

32 Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2) - Serves them right for sterilizing the scrub off the property.

42 Canyata G.C. - I'm sorry, where is this?

46 Rich Harvest Links - They must have taken the artificial turf tee out finally!

47 Los Angeles C.C. (North) - After Rich Harvest and in front of Kinloch. 

53 Garden City G.C. - Wait, this is fun...how can it be ranked so high?

63 Flint Hills National G.C. - I'm sorry, where is this?

68 Stone Canyon Club - Their ads do look great!

74 Shoreacres - Again, way too much fun and full of character for this list.

83 Eagle Point G.C. - I'm not sorry, where is this?

84 Sahalee C.C. (South/North) - They're hosting a Senior major! Lucky guys.

88 Somerset Hills C.C. - Almost off the list finally, you never belonged. Too brilliant!

94 Hudson National G.C. - This still exists?

Golf Digest Reveals Latest Best New Courses List

Ron Whitten reports on places with Dickensian names like Gozzer and Tobiano winning, along with Faz's Saucon Valley work capturing the best renovation, meaning it's nicely positioned for 2014's new category, best renovation of a best renovation.

There's also a photo slide show of the winners.

Crime Doesn't Pay: Abramoff Bumped From Golf Digest List Of Most Esteemed Political Hacks

Here's the sad explanation, along with the list of our nation's best golfing lobbyists, lobbyists and other assorted hooligans keeping Congressional afloat. Lord knows it's not the architecture.

Enjoy Golfweek's Best New Courses While You Can

At the pace we're on, there won't be enough new courses in the coming years to do these awards issues. Well, that won't stop them from trying. Maybe they'll go with "where are they now" issues trying to figure out what they were thinking in selecting some of these gems!

You have two options. There is the online version of the print edition with all of Brad Klein's musings, or the online photo slideshow backed by some of the finest copyright-free Muzak you'll ever want to not hear.

Golf World Readers Choice Awards Confirm That Alabamans Have Internet Access

At least based on the posting of the top 50 public courses of readers, I think it's safe to assume someone in Alabama did a lot of clicking at GolfDigest.com, as two Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail charmers top the list of reader favorites.

Here's the intro to the Golf World spread, with the private and resort listings still to come.

Golf World Jumps Into Rankings Game...

But it's probably not what you think...a reader's choice ranking. No stinking panels, and politics. Instead, it's all about you!

(Which reminds me, because you are wonderful, don't forget to vote for your favorite public golf course in southern California, more specifically, the one in Moorpark not designed by Peter Jacobsen.)

Golf Digest Conditioning Score To Focus On Fast And Firm

This is from the May Golf Digest:

To do our part, at the urging of some members of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, Golf Digest has redefined the Conditioning category used in our various course rankings.

The old definition asked panelists, "How would you rate the playing quality of tees, fairways and greens when you last played the course?" The new definition reads, "How fast, firm and rolling were the fairways, and how firm yet receptive were the greens on the date you played the course?"

Uh, what if the course has kikuyu fairways?

Seriously, this is a nice step. Lop off Resistance to Scoring and you might start seeing some of those dogs flopping off the list of America's Best Courses.

Golf Digest Provides Best Reason Yet To Get Rid Of All The Lobbyists...

...yhey and the people who employ them are taking up valuable space on the latest edition of my favorite ranking, the Washington Top 200.

Golfweek's Classical and Modern Rankings

I really have little to say about the latest Golfweek ranking. The same things I like from last year are there and the same bizarre choices by the panel remain.

Golfweek.com does not yet have the new lists up, nor even Gil Hanse's guest commentary which the print edition promised would be online.

You can view the issue here in the online digital edition format, or check out the lists and bantor at GolfClubAtlas here and here.

And I'm pleased to note Rustic Canyon remains on the Modern list at No. 99, moving up only a notch despite improved conditioning that had reportedly caused it to slip down the list.

More Best New's For 2007

Golf.com features Golf Magazine's annual top 10 best new courses that you can play, and even starts listing green fee instead of greens fee. A major victory for golfing linguinistas!

Travel and Leisure posts their international top 10 with several different courses, but they both seem to agree on Chambers Bay. 

Bohannan: Golf Digest Neglecting The Desert's Many Mediocre Courses

Larry Bohannan wonders why the Golf Digest's list of top 100 courses in America only includes one Palm Springs area course, The Quarry at La Quinta.

And certainly it's easy to understand the competition for the top 100 list considering there are about 16,000 golf courses in the country, according to the National Golf Foundation. That means one in every 160 golf courses makes the list. Even a prolific golf mecca like the Coachella Valley can't boast 160 golf courses, so statistically, maybe the desert only deserves one course on the list.

I like that argument. Sure beats pointing out that about 90 of them are Ted Robinson masterpieces.

But with such famous courses as the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills, the Stadium Course at PGA West, the Canyons Course at Bighorn and lesser-known but strong courses like Tradition and Classic Club, it still seems strange that only the Quarry makes the magazine's top 100.

Britney Spears is famous too, but that doesn't make her a great singer.