Golf Digest published the 2017-2018 edition of its America's Greatest Golf Courses last week, a list that typically includes a variety of high-profile Long Island clubs and one particularly noteworthy public course, and this year's ranking is no exception.
Bethpage Black, among the minority of public courses on the list, turned up in the top 40, jumping a few spots from #43 in 2015-2016 to #38. The Black Course unseated Southampton's Sebonack Golf Club, which dropped from #38 to #41.
At the top of the leaderboard, Pine Valley and Augusta National did their biennial dance for the gold and silver, with Pine Valley — the century-old New Jersey classic — claiming the #1 spot this time around. Shinnecock Hills is Long Island's highest representative at #4, with National Golf Links and Fishers Island trailing close behind at #8 and #11, respectively. Following later are Friar's Head (#19), Sebonack (#41), Garden City (#46), Maidstone (#72) and The Creek (#136).
Golf Digest panelists rate courses in seven categories: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience. For more on the rating process, or to see the list in its entirety, visit Golf Digest's website.