Ten Courses to Play Before You Die

If you're expecting to see a nice juicy list of top golf courses or an Irish golf vacation itinerary, you're not going to get it. No, this is more of a rant than a recommendation and it started because of a ranking I saw recently... one that proclaimed it was a 'bucket list' of Ten Courses to Play Before You Die... if You're Lucky.
Why the rant? Because all 10 of the courses are in the USA. Fair enough, Golficity is an American website catering to, presumably, an American audience, but if that's the case then say Ten US Courses to Play...

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy lists like this immensely, and any golfer's Bucket List must include Augusta, Pebble Beach and Pine Valley, but the ultimate bucket list would have to include St Andrew's, surely. Chances are, Muirfield and Turnberry would be in with a shout too. For the sake of impartiality I shall not mention any Irish courses (cough, Royal County Down), but also on that list should be some international flavour... Royal Melbourne perhaps. I will add that, apart from RCD, I have not played any of these courses but look at just about any authoritative top ten list and it will include non-American venues.

And then there's the other thing... private clubs. In Ireland you can play anywhere. Any course will welcome you, given you book in advance, play on an appropriate day and fork out the necessary green fee. Not so in the US where six of the courses on Golficity's list are private clubs... meaning you haven't a hope in hell of playing there unless you know a member and wrangle an invitation. Being told by so many lists that these are the best courses in the world but - sorry mate - you're never going to play here drives me nuts. Why tell me if it's never going to happen. Never mind that I believe this takes away from the spirit of the game.

Anyway, rant over. I have nothing against Golficity's list - just the title.

You'll find the list here, from Golficity.