Houston Critics Favorite Golf Courses in the World

Ratings for top courses in the world are based upon enjoyability, views, condition and design. Extra
points are added for sightings of bears on the course.

Trey's Selections

1. Princeville - Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii - Prince Course - www.princeville.com. If you can picture
a golf course in heaven, this is it. This is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. masterpiece. The course design
is superb and the views are outstanding. The course takes you up towards the mountain and down to
the sea. The signature hole has a waterfall, but my favorite has a 200 yard drop from tee to fairway.
It is also impossible to get a bad lie anywhere on the course.

2. Chateau Whistler - Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - www.chateauwhistlerresort.com. This
is a breathtaking course. Every hole has a view of the Mountains and the unique purple flowers. Be
careful, there are bears and mountain lions on the course. Our tee off on one hole was delayed while
a black bear went across the tee box. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. used the terrain to perfection.

3. Princeville - Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii - Makai Course - www.princeville.com. Another Robert
Trent Jones, Jr. course. Can he design a course or what? He was quoted about this course saying
"In all the world, I never expect to find a more spectacularly beautiful place to build a golf course
than Princeville, overlooking Hanalei Bay." This course is not as pretty or as manicured as the
Prince course, but it still boasts a unique design and tremendous views.

4. Kapalua - Maui, Hawaii - Plantation Course - www.kapaluamaui.com. I have only played this one
of the three Kapalua courses. Ben Crenshaw did a fine job working with the terrain on this course.
The views are outstanding and the design is geeat.

5. Hapuna, Hawaii - This Arnold Palmer design is a great example of using the natural terrain while
making few changes. Arnold takes you up the mountain and back down to the sea with an ocean view
on almost every hole. This course is environmentally friendly, and features many natural habitats
for animals.

6. Furry Creek, British Columbia, Canada - www.furrycreek.com - This is one of the most unique
designs I have played. There are some extremely short holes that require pinpoint accuracy. I never
thought that I would fear a hole that I used a five iron on the tee and then a wedge to the green. The
views are spectacular as the course is cut out of a mountain right on the ocean. The signature hole
takes you right over the bay. Plus, you have to love a course that has the following on their
scorecard, "If bears are seen, do not approach. Report sighting to marshall immediately."

7. Banff Springs, Alberta, Canada - www.banffspringsgolf.com - The course design is fairly basic,
but the natural beauty of the area is tremendous. You have views of the magnificent Banff Springs
Hotel from the course, and you are certain to run into some moose or elk. The course is
surprisingly flat for the area.

8. Horseshoe Bay, Marble Falls, Texas, Apple Rock Course - www.horseshoebaytexas.com - This
has always been my favorite course in Texas. This is Robert Trent Jones, Jr.'s signature resort in
Texas. The course is rolling and features many unique holes. It has always been in superb shape
and the greens rolled true every time I have played it. I always find it hard to believe that I am in
Texas when I play this course.

9. Whistler Golf Club, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada - This Arnold Palmer design was so
enjoyable that I played it twice while I was there. It is not as grand a course as is the Chateau
Whistler, but it features a great design amidst a picturesque setting. I really am a sucker for
Arnold Palmer designs. He makes a course playable and uses the natural settings to perfection.

10. Las Vegas Paiute Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada - Nu-Waiv Kaiv Course - www.lvpaiutegolf.com - I
had to add a Las Vegas course to my list because they are so unique. Pete Dye did a fine job with the
design. It blows me away that a course can be so green and manicured in the desert. This course
has a nice layout and is very enjoyable to play.

Mark's Selections

1. Pukalani Country Club, Maui, Hawaii - Spectacular course for the money, if you play twilight.
The fairways are arranged along the slopes of an inactive volcano. There is one Par 3 hole where
you launch a ball over a cliff and it falls 500 feet down to the green below, making divot repair a
chore, as you can imagine...9/10 stars.

2. The Golf Courses at Incline Village - Championship Course, Lake Tahoe, Nevada - This course is
a Robert Trent Jones Design, and is one of the most naturally beautiful coureses I have ever seen,
much less played on. The regular rate is around $110, and we played the twilight rate of $60.00. If
you're like me, and you can't seem to part with $200 to play at Edgewood, then this should be your
second choice in Tahoe. If you arrive 2 hours early, be sure to visit the old Bonanza set at the
Ponderosa Ranch Theme Park...8.5/10 stars.

3. Painted Desert, Las Vegas, Nevada - Bentgrass greens as smooth as a baby's bottom, and
bermuda fairways that always yield a great lie. The greenest course I have seen to date...7.5/10
stars.

4. Stallion Mountain Country Club, Las Vegas, Nevada - 27 well-kept holes of golf, just 6 miles
from the Strip and close enough to the mountains to have a nice view. Although the course is private,
they have a deal with most of the large Vegas hotels on the Strip to allow guests to play. It has hosted
a few PGA events in recent years, and has an outstanding staff.

5. Brigantine Golf Club, Atlantic City, New Jersey - A challenging course that is well-designed and
easy on the wallet...6/10 stars.

6. Genoa Lakes, Lake Tahoe, California - It has the look and feel of a rural course, but the greens
are in great shape, and the views of the mountains and valleys are breathtaking...6/10 stars.

7. Lake Tahoe Golf Course, Lake Tahoe, California - While this is just a municipal course, and is
certainly on a lower rung of the ladder than most of the courses around Lake Tahoe, its location at
the base of the mountains and surrounded by trees makes it much more enjoyable than the municipal
courses I am used to playing in Houston.