Canyata Golf Club

A family-built course on rolling farmland outside Marshall, Illinois, designed by Michael Benkusky for Lohmann Golf Designs, with wide fairways, big greens and almost no traffic.

Canyata (pronounced can-yay-tuh) began as a plan for three holes on the Forsythe family farm in east-central Illinois: a par 3, a par 4 and a par 5. Michael Benkusky, then lead architect for Bob Lohmann's firm, persuaded owner Gerald Forsythe to go further. Nine holes were open by the end of 2001 and the full 18 by late 2004. Golf Digest named it the second-best new private course of 2005, and it first entered the magazine's top 100 in 2009.

The land is far more varied than the drive in suggests, with ravines, ponds and rolling ground in the middle of corn country. Benkusky chose wide fairways and large greens over a tight, tricked-up course. Some holes play like links holes and others like Carolina mountain golf. The early stretch gets the most praise, especially the par-3 3rd, where the green seems to push out into a pond below.

For most of its life Canyata was a private retreat used by the Forsythe family and invited guests, and it saw very few rounds. That made it one of the least-played courses on any national list. It is now operated by Icon Golf, and membership comes by invitation through that group. Its isolation is part of its reputation: perfect conditioning with almost nobody on the course.

Holes to know

3

Par 3

An intimidating par 3 where the green appears to jut out into a pond below, leaving no safe miss short.