10
White Horse • Kingston
Only seven courses have appeared in every top-10 list we’ve published since 2013 — the aforementioned “Big Six” and White Horse. The latter’s run is perhaps the most impressive, given that White Horse has only once placed higher than ninth — with so many good courses (Port Ludlow, Desert Canyon, Apple Tree, Rope Rider, Bear Mountain Ranch, Washington National, etc.) snapping at its heels year after year, it’s not easy to consistently hang on to that top-10 spot.
How does White Horse do it? By appealing to a broad range of voters. White Horse ranked fourth among female voters — one element that makes it a natural fit for the annual LPGA Legends Tour Suquamish Clearwater Cup — and seventh among experts, a credit to a Cynthia Dye McGarey design that requires golfers to think their way through each hole, and a John Harbottle redesign that softened the course’s toughest edges.
One other major factor influencing White Horse’s ranking — especially compared to those courses just below it? A peak rate of $65 that is the lowest of any course in the top-10.