Press Release

For Immediate Release November 14, 2019

Western Golf Alliance roles out latest edition of its public golf course rankings

"Where You Can Rip It" 2020 honors 100 public-access western golf courses

BOTHELL, Washington. Today, the Western Golf Alliance published its biennial ranking of golf courses. Designated as the "Where You Can Rip It" rankings, this effort identifies the best public access golf courses in the western United States.

While in several regions the courses remained similar compared to prior rankings, there was a theme associated with major closures and rehabilitation efforts at several premier courses. Courses that were closed for extended periods - and thus saw their rankings impacted - include Kapalua Plantation and Desert Willow Firecliff. Meanwhile, courses that completed prior rehabilitation efforts and reaped the benefits in the rankings include Florence Golf Links, Torrey Pines North, and Chambers Bay.

"Again this year, our members assess hundreds of courses during thousands of rounds played throughout North America," said Brian Gray, WGA president. "Our mission is to support and promote public-access golf, and these rankings are our way to share our wisdom with the rest of the golf community."

Since the WGA plays and supports public golf, there are times the Rip It rankings may appear to overvalue public or municipal courses. However, this is intentional, as these courses often represent significant value at surprisingly similar quality to more famous-name courses. Some of the more interesting examples in the 2020 rankings include ranking Pacific Grove above Spanish Bay, Maderas ahead of PGA West TPC Stadium, and multiple courses in Mesquite NV above Shadow Creek.

"We are everyday golfers playing everyday courses, and want to recognize the best examples of public golf in the western US," said Mark Taylor, chairman of the course ranking task force. "We are proud of our effort and our results, and make no apologies to any of the famous locations," continued Taylor.

In the past, the "Where You Can Rip It" golf course rankings have been quoted by The Golf Channel, and referenced on numerous industry websites including Worldgolf.com, Golfchannel.com, and Golf.com. The 2018 rankings we viewed by almost one hundred thousand golfers during the past 24 months, and have been quoted in at least two dozen online sources. In the past, realtors have used the rankings to promote the quality of homes on or near ranked courses, and at least one golf course cited the rankings in documents used to establish the financial value of their business.

"We are very confident that our rankings provide great insight that golfers will appreciate when deciding where to play" concluded Gray. "As part of our mission to promote the great game of golf, we hope this public service is well received by all."

The WGA updates the Where You Can Rip It rankings biennially. The 2020 rankings are available at this web site.

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About the Western Golf Alliance: The Western Golf Alliance is the premier golf organization in the United States. The WGA exists to further the greatness of this grand sport of golf through the improvement of golf play by its members, the promotion of golf rules, etiquette, and tradition, and the ability to gather together from time to time for golf events and tournaments. The regional organization spans five western states, and is organized into nine geographic regions. Further information is available at http://www.westerngolf.org/.

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