Seminole Golf Club is an ultra-exclusive private club in Juno Beach, Florida, that was designed by the legendary architect Donald Ross.
It opened in 1929 and is regarded as one of the finest courses in the United States of America.
But just how good a golf course is it? Would it be a top 10 golf course in Great Britain and Ireland? Is it better than the Old Course? And, how does it compare to legendary courses like Muirfield?
Speaking on the NCG Top 100s Podcast, hosts Tom Irwin and Dan Murphy shared their thoughts as to where the Sunshine State course would rank if it were to be placed on British or Irish shores.
“Based on our criteria, it would score very highly on architecture,” Irwin claimed. “I would score it 38 out of 40 points for architecture.
“In terms of conditioning, it was mint. For challenge and playability, it is off the scale because it’s your classic easy to break 80, hard to break 70 place for a scratch golfer.
“It’s not trying to make a mug out of you. You’re not going to lose your golf ball off the tee, bogeys are easy to come by, pars and birdies are harder to come by.”
Irwin believes that finding that balance between being an inviting golf course to play and one that surrenders itself easily can often be one of the hallmarks of great links courses in Britain and Ireland.
“It has some gettable par five holes, so I think it is ticking loads of boxes on challenge and playability as anyone can play there,” he added.
“It has to score this highly on architecture because there is just so much subtlety to it. I’m not sure where routing fits into our criteria, but it is such a good walk. I prefer to play there more than Sunningdale.”
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“Muirfield is the best comparison. It’s that kind of golf course where it is better for knowing.
“It has phenomenal routing. Everything is out there in front of you and it is not trying to trick you.”
“Just for context, Sunningdale Old ranks number eight in our GB&I, so what Tom is saying is that Seminole is a top 10 golf course,” Murphy replied.
“Tom has positioned Seminole somewhere between North Berwick and the Old Course, how about that?” Murphy said, suggesting Irwin had effectively placed Seminole in the company of two of Scotland’s most iconic layouts.
Listen to the NCG Top 100s Podcast
- NOW READ: Beyond the ocean holes, can Pebble Beach really claim to be a world-class venue?
- NOW READ: Aberdovey: An enchanting Welsh links set in Snowdonia
- NOW READ: Edgbaston: A Colt classic in the most picturesque of settings
NOW HAVE YOUR SAY
Have you played Seminole golf course before? If so, where would you rank it in relation to our GB&I rankings list? Do you think it is better than Sunningdale, North Berwick or the Old Course? Let us know by leaving a comment or a post on X!
