During the PGA Golf Championships, which took place August 4-10 in Louisville, Kentucky, the online magazine for the ultra-wealthy revealed its selection of the 10 most exclusive golf courses on the planet, which also happen to be some of the most breathtaking.
Four of the world's 10 most prestigious greens are located in the U.S., according to this selection. Cypress Point in California, with its 250 privileged members, was listed first, just ahead of New York's National Golf Links of America.
Next is the famous Augusta National course in Georgia, which counts Warren Buffet and Bill Gates among its restrictive set of 300 members. The course at the Los Angeles Country Club also made it into Billionaire.com's list.
Scotland made a strong showing with two of its most famous courses, Loch Lomond and Gleneagles, while England and Australia each had one club in the list.
The Golf de Morfontaine in France, designed in the 19th century, is listed as the most exclusive course in continental Europe. Japan is home to the only Asian course in the selection, Hirono, an extremely restrictive club designed by British golf course architect Charles Alison.
The world's 10 most exclusive golf courses according to Billionaire.com
- Cypress Point, California, USA
- National Golf Links of America, New York, USA
- Augusta National, Georgia, USA
- Golf de Morfontaine, Oise, France
- Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire, Scotland
- Los Angeles Country Club, California, USA
- Royal Melbourne (West), Melbourne, Australia
- Hirono, Hyogo, Japan
- Swinley Forest, Berkshire, England
- Gleneagles, Perthshire, Scotland
There are over 30,000 golf courses listed around the world. To find the 10 most exclusive, Billionaire.com looked at several criteria including reputation, the restrictiveness of membership, the presence of celebrity members, exceptional scenery, extraordinary history and impeccable course design.
The final list was compiled by a panel of experts in the field: Tenniel Chu, vice-chairman of Mission Hills Group (the company that owns the world's largest golf course); John Sabino, internationally renowned golf course critic and blogger; and Kay Hwa Tang, executive director of The Dalat at 1200 Country Club and Private Estate in Vietnam, which is known for its golf course.
