As a player, Tom Weiskopf won just one major championship while several of his contemporaries—Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Johnny Miller among others—were racking up multiples. It doesn’t take away from the fact that his 16 PGA Tour wins leave him among the best players of his generation, but, right or wrong, the Ohio native gets left out of most conversations about the all-time greats.
Coincidentally, there are some who characterize Weiskopf’s distinguished career as a golf course designer in a similar fashion. But even more so than as a player, it is unfair to discount his overall body of work. Weiskopf, who died Aug. 20 at age 79 from pancreatic cancer, was a prolific designer and earned numerous “Best Of” awards in Golf Digest’s rankings during his 40 years in the business. He and his design partner Jay Morrish were also the first Americans to design a golf course in Scotland, and Loch Lomond remains one of the best in the world, ranking 56th on our most recent World 100 Greatest list and sitting 10th in our Best of Scotland ranking. Troon Country Club—named our Best New Private course in 1986, and Shadow Glen (more below) earned Best New Private in 1989, edging out one of their own collaborations, Forest Highlands Golf Club.
Maybe Weiskopf’s design résumé doesn’t quite stack up with that of the Pete Dyes or Robert Trent Jones Jrs., or Tom Fazios. Most any architect, however, would gladly sign up for what Weiskopf achieved. He got some of the most beautiful sites in the US, working in the mountains of Colorado or Montana, and beautiful desertscapes in Arizona. Weiskopf’s designs were invigorating and fun—often featuring a reachable par 4 to offer up a test that even an average player could sometimes ace.
Given he wasn’t always given the credit he was due, here’s a look at some of the best Weiskopf courses, and you can see for yourself just how talented he was.
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