Nation's best modern, classic and state-by-state course rankings among items featured

ORLANDO, Fla., (March 11, 2010) - Golfweek magazine, the publication preferred by serious golfers, has just released its highly anticipated 2010 Best Courses issue, which is devoted to honoring the nation's greatest layouts. The March 12 issue features Golfweek's Best Classic and Modern Courses lists ¬- marking the fourteenth year the magazine has ranked golf courses from each era - as well as a state-by-state listing of the country's best public-access courses.

Sand Hills Golf Club (Mullen, Neb.), Pacific Dunes (Bandon, Ore.) and the Straits Course at Whistling Straits (Mosel, Wis.) continue to lead the Modern list, remaining unchanged from last year. This year's Classic list, however, saw Pine Valley Golf Club (Pine Valley, N.J.) edging out Cypress Point Club (Pebble Beach, Calif.) for the top spot, while Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (Southampton, N.Y.) held onto its No. 3 ranking.

"This year, we note the considerable presence of high-quality courses that are accessible to everyday golfers, whether as resorts or daily-fee layouts," said Bradley S. Klein, national director of Golfweek's Best Courses rating program. "All told, eight of the top 100 Classic courses are public access, including three U.S. Open sites: Pebble Beach (No. 8), Pinehurst No. 2 (No. 15) and Bethpage State Park (Black-No. 19). On the Modern list, there are 30 public access layouts, led by Pacific Dunes (No. 2), Whistling Straits (No. 3) and Bandon Dunes (No. 4). That's very strong evidence that public golf in the U.S. enjoys a strong architectural identity."

In addition to these popular standouts, the 2010 Modern list features five new layouts, making it the smallest rookie class in the ranking's 14-year history. And on the Classic list, Palmetto Club (Aiken, S.C.) represents the only newcomer, breaking onto the list at No. 97.

The Golfweek's Best Courses program annually identifies the best courses from two distinctly different eras: pre- and post-1960. The exclusive system acknowledges that prior to 1960 - the year that separates Classic from Modern - most course designers relied on native contours for course features. After 1960, as the game became more popular, designers began to utilize high-tech engineering and advanced mechanical means to transform the landscape to suit their design.

Visit Top100.Golfweek.com/GolfweeksBest to view the complete list of Golfweek's Best Courses.