The best public golf courses in the United States of America

Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the few courses that feels both timeless and alive. Set high above the Pacific Ocean, it combines natural drama with strategic nuance in a way few layouts can replicate. Built in 1919 on California’s Monterey Peninsula by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant, the course was routed to place as many holes as possible along Carmel Bay, creating some of the most recognizable views in golf. The opening holes offer a gentle introduction, but the stretch from the sixth through the tenth along the cliffs defines the course. Narrow fairways, small greens, and shifting winds can quickly turn a promising round into a grind. Framed by crashing surf and windswept cypress, Pebble Beach has hosted six U.S. Opens and continues to deliver a test that blends beauty, history, and championship challenge.

Pacific Dunes at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a world-renowned links course designed by Tom Doak, set atop rugged Oregon coastline with dramatic Pacific Ocean views. The course, routed through vast sandy dunes and native grasses, blends natural beauty and architectural mastery, delivering strategic challenges and breathtaking holes that capture the unique essence of seaside golf.

Pinehurst No. 2 is a masterpiece designed by Donald Ross and restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. Famed for its challenging crowned greens and strategic layout, it has hosted more single golf championships than any course in America, including multiple U.S. Opens. The course presents a classic design with natural areas and no rough, demanding both precision and creativity from players.

Whistling Straits (Straits Course), designed by Pete Dye, is an iconic public links course on the shores of Lake Michigan, known for its rugged terrain, windswept fescue, and over 1,000 bunkers. The course hosts major tournaments including PGA Championships and the Ryder Cup, and is renowned for its challenging layout and stunning scenery.

Bandon Dunes, designed by David McLay Kidd, is the original anchor of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the Oregon coast. Opened in 1999, this true links course features wide landing areas, expansive undulating greens, and holes routed through rolling sand dunes with panoramic Pacific Ocean views. It is celebrated for its natural setting, strategic design, and classic Scottish-inspired golf.

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, designed by Pete and Alice Dye, is one of golf’s most awe-inspiring championship venues, stretching more than 7,800 yards along the windswept South Carolina coast. With ten holes hugging the Atlantic and views from every fairway, the course is a modern American links with raw, natural beauty and a punishing reputation. Host of multiple majors, including the Ryder Cup and PGA Championships, its exposed layout, rolling dunes, and relentless wind make every round a formidable test. Each hole is shaped by the untamed elements, providing not just a sporting challenge but a sensory experience unlike anywhere else in the U.S.

Bethpage Black is one of five courses at Bethpage State Park and is acclaimed for its demanding layout, challenging length, and championship pedigree. Designed by legendary architect A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1936, it hosts major events like the U.S. Open and PGA Championship. Known for its penal rough, iconic bunkering, and walking-only policy, it is revered as one of America’s greatest public courses.

The Lido at Sand Valley is a meticulously reconstructed homage to C.B. Macdonald's legendary long-lost course, designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2023. Set in the sandy dunes of central Wisconsin, it showcases world-class architecture with template holes, massive undulating greens, strategic bunkering, and a firm, fast links experience. It’s among the boldest golf recreations ever built.

Harbour Town Golf Links, crafted by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus as consultant, is a celebrated resort course hosting the PGA TOUR’s RBC Heritage. Opened in 1969, it emphasizes precision over power, offering challenging par threes and famous closing holes along Calibogue Sound in the scenic South Carolina Lowcountry.

Designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1980, TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course is renowned as one of the world’s premier tournament courses and host of THE PLAYERS Championship. The course features a strategic, balanced layout with challenging water hazards, doglegs, and Dye’s signature mounding, providing a pure test for golfers of all skill levels.

Bandon Trails at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2005 and leads golfers from rolling dunes through open meadows into dense coastal forest before looping back to finish in the dunes. Renowned for its strategic layout, stunning natural transitions, and walkable routing, Bandon Trails offers a distinct inland test among the celebrated coastal tracks.

Shadow Creek Golf Course, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1990, is a world-renowned oasis in the Nevada desert. Meticulously maintained, it features dramatic elevation changes, lush landscaping, and water features, offering an exclusive and unforgettable golf experience. Managed by MGM Resorts, its reputation, conditions, and privacy have made it a sought-after destination for celebrities and golf enthusiasts.

Broadmoor Golf Club’s East Course, designed by Donald Ross and later enhanced by Robert Trent Jones Sr., is a legendary parkland layout nestled in the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain. Renowned for its wide, tree-lined fairways, expansive greens, and challenging routing, the East Course has hosted multiple major championships and is widely regarded among America’s premier resort courses.

Tobacco Road Golf Club, designed by the late Mike Strantz, is a visually dramatic and uniquely challenging course built on a former sand quarry in the Sandhills of North Carolina. Opened in 1998, it features bold bunkering, elevation shifts, and wide fairways that demand risk-reward shotmaking. Recognized as one of the country’s most adventurous public courses, it offers scenic and strategic golf in an unforgettable setting.

Erin Hills is a championship, links-style golf course set across more than 650 acres of glacial terrain northwest of Milwaukee. Designed by Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry, and Ron Whitten, it has hosted the 2017 U.S. Open and several USGA championships. The rolling fescue fairways and firm, undulating greens provide a demanding yet beautiful test for golfers.

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (Bluffs) is a dramatic public coastal course designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith, set atop windswept bluffs above Lake Michigan. Open since 1999, the Bluffs Course is modeled after seaside Irish links, with wide fairways, natural fescue rough, and massive undulating greens, offering stunning vistas and a memorable challenge.

Pasatiempo Golf Club, designed by Alister MacKenzie in 1929, is a world-renowned parkland course overlooking Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz, California. Famed for its classic architectural features, rolling terrain, and rich history, it offers a challenging yet beautiful round with greens that rival the best in the world. The club hosts collegiate and amateur events and is beloved for its authentic MacKenzie restoration.

Blackwolf Run's River Course in Kohler, Wisconsin, was masterfully designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1990. It is acclaimed for its demanding layout, striking beauty, and the way it follows the Sheboygan River over dramatic terrain. The course is renowned for precision shotmaking, undulating greens, and relentless strategic challenge, offering a world-class test in tournament condition.

Streamsong Black, designed by acclaimed architect Gil Hanse, opened in 2017 and features a dramatic, modern layout with massive greens, bold contours, and panoramic views of central Florida’s unique terrain. The course offers strategic options and a firm, fast playing experience, consistently ranked among the top 30 resort courses in the US.

The Pete Dye Course at French Lick is a dramatic championship design set atop southern Indiana’s highest point. Opened in 2009 and crafted by the legendary Pete Dye, the course stretches over 8,100 yards with rugged terrain, bold bunkering, and panoramic 40-mile views. The layout is lauded for its strategic challenge, memorable routing, and postcard-worthy vistas.

The Kapalua Plantation Course is a world-renowned Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains. As host of the PGA TOUR’s Sentry Tournament of Champions, it features dramatic ocean views, rolling elevation changes, wide fairways, and vast undulating greens. The course is both a championship test and a memorable Hawaiian golfing experience.

Spyglass Hill Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1966, offers a dramatic contrast between ocean-side dunes and the lush Del Monte Forest. Recognized for hosting the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and USGA events, its layout is both beautiful and demanding, providing a memorable challenge for serious golfers, with sweeping coastal views and tree-lined inland holes.

Sheep Ranch at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is a dramatic oceanside links course designed by Coore & Crenshaw, debuting in 2020. With nine greens perched atop oceanfront cliffs and no sand bunkers, it offers breathtaking Pacific views throughout, firm and rolling fairways, and a minimalist approach. It's renowned for pure golf and the resort's walk-only tradition.

Gamble Sands is an acclaimed links-style public golf course in Brewster, Washington, designed by David McLay Kidd. Opened in 2014, it features firm, fast fine fescue terrain, wide-open fairways, large greens, and sweeping views over the Columbia River valley. Regularly ranked in the Top 100 public courses in the U.S., it offers an authentic links experience in a high-desert setting.

Cascata Golf Club, designed by renowned architect Rees Jones, offers an elite desert golf experience just 30 minutes from Las Vegas. The course winds through dramatic foothills with panoramic mountain views, lush fairways, lakes, and streams. Recognized nationally for its stunning setting and impeccable service, Cascata is a popular destination for both golfers and events.

Mammoth Dunes at Sand Valley, designed by David McLay Kidd in 2018, sprawls across ancient sand barrens in central Wisconsin. The course is defined by wide fairways, enormous greens, dramatic elevation changes, and a playful design that rewards bold decision-making. Its vast scale and natural setting provide a uniquely memorable and enjoyable golf experience for players of all levels.

The Prairie Club (Dunes) is a 2010 Tom Lehman and Chris Brands design, set in Nebraska’s vast Sandhills south of Valentine. Frequently ranked among America's top modern public courses, it offers immense fairways, sandy blowouts, and dramatic prairie vistas. The wind and rolling elevation changes challenge strategy and shot-making, evoking a genuine links feel in the heartland.

PGA National's Champion Course is an iconic Florida layout, originally designed by Tom and George Fazio in 1981 and extensively redesigned by Jack Nicklaus. Host of the PGA TOUR’s Cognizant Classic and past majors, it features The Bear Trap, one of golf’s most notorious stretches. With a reputation for penal rough, strategic water hazards, and lightning-fast Bermuda greens, the course consistently challenges even elite players.

Wolf Creek Golf Club, designed by Dennis Rider and opened in 2000, is famed for its spectacular desert canyons, dramatic elevation changes, and breathtaking vistas. Frequently ranked among the most visually striking courses in the USA, it challenges all skill levels with bold shot values and immaculate playing surfaces while delivering a memorable golf experience set against Mesquite's iconic red rock landscape.

Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course is a celebrated resort course on the shores of Lake Tahoe designed by George Fazio in 1968 and refined by Tom Fazio. Blending mountain and lake scenery, it offers a challenging-yet-fair championship layout recognized for hosting the American Century Championship and previously U.S. Senior Open. Four sets of tees accommodate all skill levels.

Perched on dramatic cliffs above Hulopoe Bay, Manele Golf Course at Four Seasons Resort Lanai was designed by Jack Nicklaus. The course weaves across lava outcrops, with Pacific Ocean views from every hole. Three holes play along cliffs, and every round features the lush beauty, strategic routing, and luxury service that has made it one of Hawaii’s top resort courses.

Streamsong Red is a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design set amidst Central Florida's wild former phosphate mining landscape. With towering dunes, native grasses, and rolling terrain, it's a strategic, visually dramatic course that feels more like the Midwest than Florida. Frequently ranked among America's best public layouts, it delivers a pure, natural, and memorable golf experience.

Mauna Kea Golf Course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. in 1964 and renovated by Robert Trent Jones Jr., is a renowned Hawaiian resort course set along the Kohala Coast. Carved from black lava fields, its dramatic holes overlook the Pacific and are lined with Platinum Paspalum turf. The course is esteemed for challenging bunkers, stunning ocean vistas, and an iconic over-the-water par 3.

Pinehurst No. 4, part of the historic Pinehurst Resort, was originally designed by Donald Ross and dramatically renovated by Gil Hanse in 2018. The layout features dramatic elevation changes, extensive sandy waste areas, and native wiregrass, echoing the Carolina Sandhills terrain. No. 4 has hosted USGA championships and is praised for its striking visuals and challenging yet playable design.

The Princeville Makai Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that opened in 1971 and was renovated in 2009. Stretching over 7,200 yards with six sets of tees, this par-72 course features Seashore Paspalum turf, winds around lakes and native woodlands, and offers dramatic coastal and mountain views. Known for immaculate conditioning and its Aloha spirit.

Sand Valley, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is a modern public course set on 1,700 acres of rolling sand dunes in central Wisconsin. Opened in 2017, it delivers firm, fast fescue surfaces and dramatic, exposed dunes, bringing true links golf to the Midwest. Recognized for architectural merit and walkability, it offers a distinct and memorable golf experience.

The Highland Course at Primland, designed by Donald Steel and opened in 2006, is an acclaimed mountain layout in Virginia with dramatic elevation changes, panoramic Blue Ridge vistas, expansive bentgrass greens, and a strategic, natural routing. It is consistently ranked the top public course in Virginia and offers a luxurious resort experience with world-class amenities.

Giants Ridge (The Quarry) in Biwabik, Minnesota, designed by Jeff Brauer, is regularly rated as the best public course in Minnesota. Set on a reclaimed mining site, it offers dramatic elevation changes, visually stunning holes, and championship-level play. Known for its firm, fast greens and strategic design, the Quarry attracts golfers seeking scenery, challenge, and top-tier conditions.

Bandon Preserve is a 13-hole par-3 course at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw in 2012. Set atop sand dunes with ocean views, the course features imaginative short holes and fast, fescue greens. All net proceeds benefit local conservation and community projects through the Bandon Dunes Charitable Foundation.

Streamsong Blue, designed by Tom Doak, is a visually striking, strategically challenging 18-hole course set amid reclaimed mining land, with dramatic sand dunes, rolling fairways, and contoured greens. The course channels a links-inspired experience unique in Florida and is considered one of the premier golf destinations in the USA, acclaimed for its playability and architectural intrigue.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, the Monument Course at Troon North is a standout desert layout in Scottsdale, known for its dramatic granite boulders and High Sonoran vistas. Immersive holes wind through ravines and foothills beneath Pinnacle Peak, offering top-tier conditions and one of Arizona’s most celebrated golf experiences.

The Loop - Black at Forest Dunes Golf Club is a Tom Doak design and one of the world's only fully reversible 18-hole courses. Featuring a clockwise routing, it offers a walking-focused, links-inspired experience in northern Michigan. The course is renowned for strategic options, minimalist design, and fun, firm playing conditions, attracting aficionados seeking something truly unique.

Seaside Course is a historic links-style layout on the Atlantic coast, originally designed by Charles Alison in 1929 and later reimagined by Tom Fazio. Renowned for ocean views, undulating greens, and strategic bunkering, Seaside blends natural dune landscape with a modern tournament venue. It is a regular host of the PGA TOUR’s RSM Classic and ranks among America’s top courses.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, designed by Mike Strantz and opened in 1994, is a celebrated par-70 public course set on a historic rice plantation in South Carolina's Lowcountry. Renowned for its natural beauty, strategic design, and live oak-lined entrance, it’s consistently ranked among America’s Top 100 public courses. The layout offers variety, challenge, and visual drama throughout.

The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, designed by Scott Miller, is renowned for its world-famous floating green. Set on Lake Coeur d'Alene's shore in the Idaho Rockies, this par-71 course delivers manicured bentgrass fairways, breathtaking lake views from every hole, and luxury forecaddie service—offering a seamless blend of scenic beauty, unique challenges, and premium resort amenities.

Karsten Creek Golf Club, designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1994, stands as the prestigious home of Oklahoma State University’s golf teams. The course winds through oaks and around Lake Louise, stretching over 7,400 yards with bentgrass greens and zoysia fairways. Consistently rated among the most respected collegiate courses, it challenges with its undulating terrain and championship-caliber conditioning.

The Broadmoor Golf Club West Course, set in the Cheyenne Mountain foothills, features rolling fairways, multi-level greens, and challenging hazards. Originally designed by Donald Ross and enhanced by Robert Trent Jones Sr., this 18-hole layout offers dramatic elevation changes and tree-lined doglegs in a picturesque mountain setting at 6,800 feet elevation.

SentryWorld, designed by legendary architect Robert Trent Jones Jr., is Wisconsin’s first true destination golf course. Debuting in 1982 and renovated in 2014, this 18-hole parkland layout is renowned for pristine conditioning and the iconic Flower Hole. The course delivers a strategic and enjoyable challenge for all skill levels and routinely appears in top public course rankings.

Dubsdread (Course No. 4) at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club is a renowned public championship layout designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, renovated by Rees Jones. It is recognized nationally for hosting major professional events, demanding shot-making with tight fairways, deep bunkers, and large undulating Bentgrass greens. The course's challenging and strategic design has earned it continuous acclaim since opening.

Ozarks National Golf Course, designed by legendary architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, offers an 18-hole, par-71 layout set atop the scenic Missouri Ozarks. The course is renowned for its dramatic views, natural terrain, and challenging design, featuring rapid elevation changes, pristine bentgrass greens, and zoysia fairways. It highlights native habitats and a signature 400-foot wooden bridge, offering a true world-class golf experience.