Golf Digest's Places to Play: The Results of the Latest Player Ratings of 5,000 Public and Resort Courses in t he USA, Canada, Mexico and the Islands (Fodor's) - Softcover

For the 1998 edition of its guide to the best golf facilities, Golf Digest asked its readers to rank every course they played in the previous year according to "overall golf experience, the value for the money, and the standard of service at the facility." The results, comprehensive enough to sate even the most information-hungry player, are collected in this thorough guide that is sure to be valued by duffers and pros alike. A quick peek at the opening section reveals rankings for "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses 1997-98" (Pine Valley Golf Club in New Jersey and Augusta National, home of the Masters tournament, come out on top), "The Five Star Courses," great-value and good-value facilities, and facilities offering great and good service. Dig a little deeper and you'll find listings for 5,000 courses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the islands--Abaco and Aruba to Tobago and the Turks and Caicos. Each listing includes the rating, from one to five stars, as well as such information as the course phone number and approximate directions, instructions for booking a tee time, number of holes on the course, whether golf carts are available and what the walking policy is, the length of the season, green fees, and whether metal spikes are allowed. Trivia buffs will enjoy learning when each course opened and who the architect was, in addition to the par, yardage, U.S. Golf Association course rating, and slope. All of this is complemented by comments from Golf Digest readers. The King's North Course at Myrtle Beach National Golf Club in South Carolina, for example, is described as one of the "top of the line public courses.... Most memorable hole: par 5 with island fairway.... Arnie [Palmer] did a fantastic job.... Course much tougher after redesign, some tricked up holes." With facts, figures, and the inside lowdown from players around the world, Golf Digest's Places to Play surely is "as essential to golf as your favorite putter."