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8 / GOLF 02 . 10 . 2016

My first Ryder Cup was inAmerica — Oakland Hills, in Detroit,in 2004. Thirty minutes before I was dueto tee off, the magnitude of the eventsuddenly hit me. By the time I got onthe tee, I was practically shaking. It wasloud, it was boisterous — that’s whatyou get from a Ryder Cup in the States.It’s an insight into the nation’s wider

attitude to the game. Here, sport is verymuch a social thing. You combine itwith seeing friends, maybe having a fewdrinks. That said, America takes its golfseriously, and the courses reflect that —they’re stunning, and usually extremelywell maintained.For many, you have to be a member,

or know a member, to play, even at mylevel. But there are plenty of great publiccourses where you can just turn up. Hereare five of my favourites.

BETHPAGE STATE PARK, NEW YORKWe play such hard courses, week in,week out, so I really enjoy playing publicones, and the Black course here isdefinitely one of the best. It’s a monster

As the Ryder Cup reaches its climax,Team Europe veteran Luke Donald pickshis top five American courses

GoneclubbingLukeDonaldin action.From top,Seminole;LukeplayingAugusta;a bust atSeminole;andCypressPoint

Swingstates

very exclusive, alwaysranked in the top fivein America. There areholes in the sanddunes, holes in thepines — you feel likeyou’re playing threeor four courses whenyou’re on it. Theviews, with all thosePacific rollers, arespectacular, and the16th is particularlydramatic: a 231yd par 3 that goes straightover to an island green. It’s got tradition,too — it opened in 1928.HOW TO PLAY IT Cypress Point is a private

course, but neighbouring PebbleBeach Golf Links offers muchthe same experience, withplenty of eye-catchingoceanfront holes. For astay-and-play package, visitmontereypeninsulagolf.com.

COG HILL, ILLINOISI went to college in Chicago, and

still spend time there every summer, soI know the area well. They’re really intotheir golf and have a huge amount ofcourses, including Medinah, which hostedthat amazing Ryder Cup in 2012, knownas “the miracle” because of our comeback.Cog Hill is one of my favourites. Thereare four courses here, with No 4 theflagship. It’s known as “Dubsdread” —“dubs” is American slang for a poorgolfer. It’s a parkland course redesignedby the golf architect Rees Jones, whichmeans sectioned-off greens with lots ofdeep bunkers. You’d better be good out ofthe sand, as this course is a card-killer.HOW TO PLAY IT Rounds start at £77;coghillgolf.com. For packages, visitgolfbreaks.com/xclusive-collection.

in terms of length — which youdon’t expect from a public course— and very scenic, carving its waythrough hills and valleys. Thereare five courses in total (Black, Red,Blue, Green and Yellow), so it’s a bigopen space, yet you’re just an houroutside New York City. The Black is

famous — it has twice hosted the USOpen — so people queue up to play, evensleeping in their cars to ensure they get atee time. A bit like Wimbledon.HOW TO PLAY IT Rounds start at £60;nysparks.com. For tailor-madepackages, including accommodationand flights, see yourgolftravel.com.

SEMINOLE, FLORIDAThis is widely considered oneof the big four golf courses inAmerica. Much of it sits belowsea level, which is kind of anodd fact. It’s built on a coralreef, I believe. It’s mostlyabout the greens. Tee to green,it’s quite simple, but the greenshave a lot of run-off — they’re kindof like upturned bowls — and it’soften quite windy, which makes itdifficult to hit and hold them. For me,a memorable course is when youremember every hole after playing it justonce, due to individual characteristics.That’s certainly a feature of Seminole.HOW TO PLAY IT Guests playing here mustbe accompanied by a member. TryGolfbreaks.com’s Xclusive Collection,which specialises in bespoke packagesfor difficult-to-access courses(golfbreaks.com/xclusive-collection).

CYPRESS POINT, CALIFORNIAIf I were to choose a course that offeredsomething different, this would be it.On the West Coast, at Pebble Beach, it’s

AUGUSTA, GEORGIAThe Masters is one of my favouritetournaments. I’ve played it 11 times.Augusta is certainly one of the mostfamous courses in the world. It is sucha great design, and what makes itparticularly special is the severity of thegreens. It’s a much hillier course thanpeople realise on television. It’s the firstmajor of the year, everyone is excitedand there’s just a different vibe about theplace. There are also all the traditions,such as the par-3 tournament on theWednesday and the Green Jacket for thewinner. It’s green, it’s pristine and theTV doesn’t lie — it really is that pretty.HOW TO PLAY IT Simple. Qualify for theMasters, or drink in the same pub asIan Woosnam, Nick Faldo or anotherformer winner who can sign you in for around. Failing that, the closest you’ll getis as a spectator. Yourgolftravel.com hasmulti-day packages, including flightsand rounds on nearby courses.

l Luke Donald talked to Duncan Craig.The first Luke Donald-designed course,which he worked on in collaborationwith IMG, has opened in Da Nang,Vietnam. Ba Na Hills has rounds from£60pp and offers floodlit play until 9pm;banahillsgolf.com

Stacy Revere, Marvin E Newman, Harry How/Getty