Golf course rankings are a dime a dozen. Sure, they provide great debate fodder, but most lists are riddled with past-their-prime warhorses or courses with better PR firms than shot values.

Here’s an order of merit, though, that really intrigues us:Golf World’s ranking of the PGA Tour host sites as judged by the men who make a living playing them. The magazine got 81 pros to participate in the anonymous survey, the first to go this in-depth on America’s most famous tracks.

The results are at times predictable, at times surprising, and provide great insight into how the world’s best grade a golf course.

Not much drama at the top, as Augusta National (the Masters) ranked No. 1. Next up was Harbour Town Golf Links (RBC Heritage), followed by Riviera CC(Northern Trust Open), Pebble Beach (AT&T National Pro-Am) and Colonial CC (Crowne Plaza Invitational).

Notice a theme? Yep, Tour pros like their courses old and classic.

The TeeTimes.net database features a pair of current PGA venues: No. 28 TPC Scottsdale (Waste Management Phoenix Open), and No. 32 TPC Blue Monster at Doral (WGC Cadillac Championship). Regardless of how you score, it’s always a blast playing in the footsteps of golf’s greatest.

Check out the entire list, including a slide show of the top 10.

If a round on a Tour-caliber course isn’t in the offing this week, no worries. TeeTimes.net has you covered with huge discounts at fantastic golf facilities across the globe. As always, you’re invited to peruse this week’s spotlight courses, featured below.

Until next week, hit ’em long and straight.

Featured Course:UpscaleShingle Creek GC  Orlando, Fla. From $135 This is no cookie-cutter Central Florida golf course. Shingle Creek owes its natural ambiance to its position at the headwaters of the Everglades. The intricate, interesting design is man-made, of course, with David Harman doing the honors. His creation blends scenery and challenge into one of Orlando’s must-play stops. Featured Course:Mid-rangeBlack Mountain G&CC  Henderson, Nev. From $65 Situated 25 minutes from the Vegas Strip, Black Mountain is close enough for convenience, far enough to provide a respite from all the neon and noise. The setting takes center stage, but Black Mountain’s 27 stellar holes more than hold their own. Each nine offers a unique set of challenges, so the short trek is well rewarded.

Featured Course: Mid-rangeColdwater GC  Avondale, Ariz. From $50 There’s no better place for the golfer on a budget, according to the local papers, and Coldwater indeed makes a great case. Just 10 minutes west of downtown Phoenix, it’s a fun, fetching test with mountain framing and room for all types of golfers. Bombers can take on the Deep End tees (6,758 yards) while others swim in shallower waters. Featured Course:ValueSkylinks at Long Beach   Long Beach, Calif. From $20 What’s a beach without sand? Skylinks added 70 bunkers in 2004 to accentuate the course’s linksy flavor. Cal Olsen’s design is a longtime local favorite, from low handicappers who trudge to the 6,909-yard back tees, or juniors who march along the learning curve at 5,376 yards.