Back in 2007, there was a popular movie called The Bucket List. It starred Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. The film was a story of two men who meet in the hospital after both receiving bad news. So, they decided to write a list of fun things to do before they “kick the bucket.” After that movie came out the idea and term bucket list exploded.
While the idea of a formal creation of a bucket list of things to do in one’s lifetime has somewhat waned over the years. It’s actually still a popular topic. Just type the term bucket list in your search engine and it will quickly spit out hundred of millions of results. Personally, I’ve never created a general bucket list. I’ve also never planned or been strategic when it comes to setting formal golf destination goals. I’ve always been more of an opportunistic golfer playing mostly local but taking any opportunities to play while traveling also.
Recently, I’ve been on a short hiatus from golf but am eager to get back on the course. I’ve also decided to be more deliberate in my planing of golf outings. There are places I want to see and courses I want to play. There are some in the United States and there are some abroad. These are all courses I’ve talked to golf buddies about before but I had no goal, no plan or no list. Well, that’s changing right now. I’m creating my bucket list of golf courses I want to play. It’s a list of something to look forward to and something to pursue.
First question I immediately had was how long of a list should I make. For me, I wanted to have some exclusivity to make the list special. I figured I would go with ten courses. Yes, ten felt right. I also figured if I ran through these, I could always create a new list later. So, here is my golf course bucket list in no particular order.
Golf Course Bucket List
Located in Northern Scotland, Royal Dornoch dates golf on the grounds back to 1616. The course was designed by Old Tom Morris in 1886. Tom Watson has called it the most fun he has ever had on a golf course.
Kingsbarns Golf Links is located on the east coast of Scotland a mere 6 miles from the town of Saint Andrews. The land itself has a rich history but Kingsbarns is called a new links course. It was designed in 2000. The course embraces the sea with every single hole playing alongside the sea, over the sea or providing spectacular sea views.
This is the site of the famous duel in the sun between Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in Scotland. The course hosted four Open Championships. It is set alongside the glorious Ayrshire coast with Arran Ailsa Craig as a stunning backdrop.
Pebble Beach Golf Links is called America’s greatest public golf course. It has hosted the greatest golf championships in the states including men’s and women’s U.S. Opens. It’s a course with a rich history and world class scenery at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
Pinehurst Number 2 is called Donald Ross’ masterpiece. It was designed in 1907. The iconic course winds through the sand hills of North Carolina with each hole framed by tall pines. The green complexes are infamous with Johnny Miller once saying that “trying to hit the greens here is like trying to land a golf ball on a VW bug.”
Pacific Dunes is located on the Oregon Coast at the famed Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The course plays from pines into spectacular sand dunes. They say that the course feels like it wasn’t so much designed but merely discovered.
The Straits at Whistling Straits
The Straits course has hosted major championships and the 43rd Ryder Cup. The course was designed by Pete Dye and sits on the Lake Michigan shoreline. The course is windswept and rugged.
Wolf Creek is located in Mesquite, Nevada outside of Las Vegas. The course is described as stripped emerald green fairways that meander among the desert canyons.
Founded in 1892, Lahinch Golf Club sits on the western coast of Ireland in County Claire. The course has a special pedigree having the distinction of having both Old Tom Morris and also Dr. Alister MacKenzie as part of its design history. Add to that the charm of the Irish people and you have a course that is like none other.
Ballybunion is a links course located on the northwest coast of Ireland. With its high dunes, Ballybunion exudes a majestic feel. The course is a true links seaside course virtually treeless with a lack of man made influence on the land. It’s said to be wild, but fair.
When it comes to bucket lists, the best way to actually accomplish a bucket list of items is to start planning. It is also said that it’s important to start sharing your list with others. Here’s my bucket list of golf courses. Share your list of your courses that you have on your bucket list or courses you plan on playing.