The new 100 US-ranked golf courses include 11 new entrants, which we will present right here. Meet Ladera in Thermal, Calif.
CHANNING BENJAMIN
GOLF recently released its latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the US (2024-25), a list that includes 11 newcomers. Some of them you may know. Some you may not. Here, in our new spotlight, we will present these top 100 rookie gems.
Youth highlight: Ladera / Rank: 87th
LocationLocation: Thermal, Calif.
Kind of: Confidential
A year is open: 2023
The builder: Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner
What you need to know about Ladera
Nestled in the lower reaches of the Coachella Valley, this private club is nestled against the Santa Rosa Mountains and offers a peaceful setting for the game. Given that Jim Wagner and Gil Hanse manipulated every inch of this desert site, they were free to fix the roads as they saw fit. A few shots now require an attractive diagonal carry over the likes of barrancas, low greens and well-placed bunkers inside the doglegs. Standout holes include the 210-yard par-3 12th that features a Biarritz-style swale behind the green, and the drivable par-4 15th that plays to an angled green. The best of the group may be the 18th, with its large bedroom on the left working in perfect harmony with the sister bedroom on the right. This is strategic golf at its best.
What our viewers say
“Ladera joins the Top 100 as an angular design produced by Gil Hanse. Even if the fairways are generous, there is a certain amount of pressure to approach the greens. Photography is a must because of Hanse and Wagner’s subtle and thoughtful design in and around the area. Holes 10 and 15 are unique and original holes where birdies and double bogeys will come in equal numbers. “
“It’s impossible to play Ladera and not think about the inspiration Riviera must have given the Hanse/Wagner design team. My favorite hole is the blind shot to the double horizontal green on the long par-4 4th hole.”
“It’s an amazing feat of engineering, to take this flat lemon grove, dig out the big barrancas in the area and shape all that fill into significant elevation changes and fairways, and deliver 18 beautiful golf holes to the area. And they did it all within a year! An impressive madman. This is the best golf course in the Palm Springs area, top 10 in the state for sure and arguably the best desert course in the world. Bravo to Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner for creating a great day of golf for anyone lucky enough to play there. “
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