GOLF’s latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World includes many household names, from Augusta National and Pine Valley to Cypress Point and Pebble Beach. But among these icons lie lesser-known layouts with convincing designs and a rich history of their own. In this ongoing series we introduce you to them.
The 1970s, the decade that brought us disco, also brought a wave of prominent golf course redesigns. One of these was an overhaul of Inverness prior to the 1979 US Open, led by Tom Fazio and his uncle, George Fazio. To help defend the legendary Donald Ross design against the best players in the world, the Fazios added length, tightened courses and changed the routing, including the introduction of three new holes. Mission accomplished, at least in terms of robustness. However, the changes were polarizing. Critics found them at odds with Ross’s work, a blemish on a gem.
Over time, the rankings came to reflect that sentiment. Inverness debuted at number 54 on the GOLF list in 1985. By 2017, it had fallen to number 98.
Andrew Green enters. In 2018, Green, a relatively unknown architect at the time, completed a restoration with the aim of returning Inverness to its roots. As part of the project, Green reopened the courses, expanded the greens and edges and revitalized the cadence of Ross’ route, replacing three holes the Fazios had built with three of his own – each intended to channel Ross. The result is a course with more width off the tee, more opportunities for short grass around the greens and more strategic nuance.
You feel it everywhere. The 6th and 7th, both solid par-4s, are impressive tests of power and precision. The 4th, 10th and 18th holes in turn offer a variety of risk-reward decisions, tempting you to take bunkers, creeks or tricky descents and side hills for a shorter approach. It’s no surprise that many of the 2021 Solheim Cup matches were decided by how players handled these beautifully tailored challenges.
For a course with four US Opens, two PGA Championships and a Solheim Cup on its resume, Inverness hardly needed any validation. But Green’s restoration was a welcome refresher. The rankings reflect that sentiment too, with Inverness having returned to number 67. That feels good. The course is an exciting test for the members, but still remains a worthy championship step, just as Ross would certainly have wanted. And there’s another big one on the way. I’m excited to see Inverness back in the spotlight at the 2027 US Women’s Open.
Dave Greiner is a course evaluator for GOLF and GOLF.com.
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