Alistair MacKenzie designed eight golf courses in Sacramento, Calif. but his 18-hole layout at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex is his only 18-hole course in the area that is public. MacKenzie's designs like Augusta National and Cypress Point rank among the world's best, and it's good northern California golfers can sample his work, Ted Johnson writes.
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The 27 holes designed by Ted Robinson at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort and Spa near Palm Springs, Calif. continue to flourish in the shade. The grounds maintain their relevance with an unapologetic wealth of shot-making opportunities, resort-style conviviality and scoring aplomb. This is the essence of a confidence-builder and a reminder that golf is meant to be an enjoyable activity.
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Royal American Links calls itself "central Ohio's best-kept secret," and it lives up to its name. The path to Royal American is as rural as central Ohio gets and, while the links theme is a bit misleading (it's more of a target golf course thanks to plenty of water), the variety of the par 4s makes the day enjoyable, Jason Scott Deegan writes.
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When New Albany Links opened in 1999, Golf Digest named it one of the top new golf courses in the country in its "affordable" category in 2001. Golfstyles Ohio ranked it among the top 100 courses in the state in 2007. New Albany Links strives for firm and fast conditions in season. With sloping greens, it can be a handful in the summer or when the wind is up.
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The Ridge Golf Course can torment the first-time visitor. As it plays up and down oak-laden hillsides before descending into flat wetlands for the final three holes, the initial round can generate plenty of frustration. You might want to give this layout a few turns before making final judgments. To be sure, The Ridge isn't easy. And architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. did his best to add to the challenge.
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