Winged Foot Golf Club (East)

52. Winged Foot Golf Club (East)

A.W. Tillinghast (1923)/Gil Hanse (2012)

Winged Foot’s two-course complex is the product of A.W. Tillinghast’s fertile imagination. Every characteristic of the more famous West Course also exists on the Winged Foot East (which, incredibly, was used as a parking lot during recent U.S. Opens). A few years back, architect Gil Hanse re-established Tillinghast’s bunkering and reclaimed the original sizes and shapes of the greens, bringing “corner-pocket” hole locations back into play.

100 Greatest History: Ranked since 1985. Highest ranking: No. 24, 1993-1994. Previous ranking: No. 62

Panelist comments, Winged Foot Golf Club (East):

“Winged Foot East shares many of the traits that make the West course an unforgettable and unmistakably championship golf experience. Many of the green complexes are every bit as difficult as those that the West is known for. Compared to the West, I gave the East course better scores in terms of playability and design variety.”

“Some of the strongest par 3s in the country on this course, particularly the 17th. If you combine each one-shotter on the top courses in the country, you might put Winged Foot East in the top 10 of having the best par 3s around.”

“The course would be extremely memorable on its own right and I think becomes even more so in that it shares the property with one of the all-time great tracks.”

“The first three holes are simply outstanding, with a great rendition of a redan. And the final three holes are a tough test, including a killer par 4 to finish. Not quite the storied history as the iconic 18th on the Lower, but it’s also a great hole.”

“Pretty cool how Gil Hanse was able to recapture the exact specifications of the East’s greens to return them to their original using computer modeling. Tillinghast would be happy.”

100 GREATEST: CLICK TO VIEW OUR ENTIRE 100 GREATEST RANKING

LC Lambrecht

Hole No. 6