Part 3 of the series in The National about the best sports venues in the world. Broken out by continent.

In Monday’s editions: North America!

Interesting, how the voting went.

I will tell you who won: Augusta National. Even the Brits in the room know about “the course like no other” or whatever it is network TV gets all breathless about. And it won by a wide margin. Read about it here.

And the next seven?

Well, if you go the end of the story linked above, you will see Nos. 2-8.

But for a bigger look at No. 2, you can go here … and for No. 3, have a look here.

Those two weren’t posted yet. They are now. But I will tell you anyway.

No. 2 is the L.A. Coliseum (nice moody photo, too), which may have as much major history in it as any venue still standing (see ya, Boston Garden, and old Wembley and old Yankee Stadium) and is still used (so there goes the original Colosseum). Two Olympics (1932, 1984), the first Super Bowl (1967), a World Series (1959) and hundreds of Rams, Raiders, USC and UCLA football games, as well as lots of major soccer matches (the NASL Aztecs, the national team, various Mexico teams) … Name a place in the world that hasn’t been torn down and is still open that boasts that lineup.

No. 3 is Wrigley Field, basically the iconic American baseball park. Narrowly ahead of Fenway Park.

And places 4-through-8: Estadio Azteca, Indy, Churchill Downs, Fenway Park, Lambeau Field.

We actually looked hard for a Canadian venue. But the two most logical (Maple Leaf Garden and the Montreal Forum) are not really used for sports anymore, and after that …

Oh, and note: Old friend and former Gannett colleague Mike Lopresti did the stories for us. The fact that he has covered every Masters since 1981 made him a pretty logical source for that story.

He has been in the Coliseum and Wrigley a time or two, as well.