Geoff Ogilvy on his favorite designs (and what makes them great)

There are few current or former pros who boast the same combination of on-course success and design chops as Geoff Ogilvy.

Ogilvy won eight times on the PGA Tour, including the 2006 U.S. Open, and is now a member of OCM golf course architects (along with Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead). He’s also about to captain the 2026 International Presidents Cup team at Medinah No. 3, a course OCM recently renovated.

Ogilvy, 48, was the guest on this week’s episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast and discussed that recent reno, this year’s Presidents Cup and his love of golf course architecture. One question he was asked focused on his favorite courses from a design perspective.

“Royal Melbourne [in Australia] is great,” he said. “It’s pretty doable for the average player. But it’s really hard for [pros], especially when the pins are tough. … If you miss it in the wrong spot, it’s a bit like the Masters, you just magnify your error. Every time you make an error you just have more trouble trying to get back on track. Royal Melbourne does that in a really subtle way and it catches up with you.”

Ogilvy said that while he loves Pine Valley in New Jersey — which has long been GOLF’s top-ranked course in the world — he says it’s too difficult for most golfers but probably the best course in the world for great players.

He’s also a big fan of the Old Course in St. Andrews.

“I think [the Old Course] gets better every time you go around and you sort of learn something more,” he said. “It’s shaped by nature and the way people played the game rather than shaped by a person. You can play it conservatively all day and you’ll hit 16-17 greens in regulation — no one can hit 17 in two — but you’ll hit most greens in regulation. But you’ll have 50-footers all day, so then you’ll get braver and braver and you’ll start taking on the bunkers and out of bounds and then you’ll start making birdies and think this place is pretty simple, but then you’ll get burned and hit into the bunker and make a triple and then you go back to being conservative again. You seem to go in these cycles. The higher the quality your shot, that’s how much easier your next shot is. That place does it better than anywhere.”

To listen to the entire podcast with Ogilvy, click here, or watch on YouTube below.

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