Best Golf Courses In America
If you’ve followed golf then you have heard of a bunch of these top U.S. golf courses before. Some we’ve played before because they are public (Pebble Beach) and some we can only dream about playing one day (Augusta National). Many of them have played host to past US Open tournaments and you’ve been able to watch the pros suffer through them on TV.
Choosing the best courses isn’t an exact science and is pretty subjective. We looked at three criteria for our rankings: Pedigree, popularity, and “Wow Factor” – (layout and views). Any way you slice it, it’s always nice to take a look at some of the best golf courses in the US and dream about what could be one hell of a golf vacation one day. There are a lot to pick from, we’ve narrowed it down to a Top 10 list of best golf courses.
10. Winged Foot Golf Club (West Course)
Host of the US Open 6 times including the 1974 “Massacre at Winged Foot” where Hale Irwin was the winner with a final score of +7 for the tournament. It has also hosted the PGA Championship and Women’s US Open as well.
Winged Foot is known for being horrifically difficult with golfers facing bowl-shaped greens and deep treacherous bunkers. It can inflict sheer misery for the best golfers in the world and for an average player can cause nightmares!
Course Information
Location: Mamaroneck, New York
Design: A.W. Tillinghast
Opened: 1923
Type: Private
Length: 7,426 yards
Slope: 141
Par: 72
PGA Events Hosted
US Open – 2006, 1984, 1974, 1959, 1929
PGA Championship – 1997
The storied 18th hole at Wingfoot gives you a great look at the stunning clubhouse architecture with your approach shot to the green.
9. Sand Hills Golf Club
Not a lot of history to speak of for a course built in 1994. Coore and Crenshaw barely had to move any earth to create the course, simply plopped down some teens and greens.
Amazing that a course so beautiful can be naturally created without the architects having to reshape the landscape to create it. An incredible looking venue!
Course Information
Location: Mullen, Nebraska
Design: Bill Coore, Ben Crenshaw
Opened: 1944
Type: Private
Length: 7,089 yards
Slope: Not Listed
Par: 71
PGA Events Hosted
None to date
Sand Hills is a true one of kind, as you can see the topography at this course can break even the best scratch golfer. The course in the middle of nowhere gives you total isolation from the real world and it is a beautiful feeling.
8. Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont Country Club has hosted the US Open more times than any other course in history, 9 so far. It is widely considered the oldest top ranked golf course in the United States.
A notably tough course with greens so fast that rumor has it that they are actually slowed down for the US Open. Unique course look with church pew bunkers, massive undulating greens with the fast speeds to factor in.
Course Information
Location: Plum, Pennsylvania
Design: Henry Fownes
Opened: 1903
Type: Private
Length: 7,254 yards
Slope: 142
Par: 71
PGA Events Hosted
US Open – 2016, 2007, 1994, 1983, 1973, 1962, 1953, 1935, 1927
PGA Championship – 1978, 1951, 1922
Oakmont has no trees and no water but as you can see the bunkers are deadly. There are over 200 bunkers and the greens at Oakmont might be the fastest in the world.
7. Merion Golf Club (East Course)
A short course at around 6500 yards and yet a tough course. In 2013 Justin Rose won the US Open with a score of +1…no one finished under par!
Merion has five US Opens to its name and has hosted the US Amateur golf tournaments many times.
Course Information
Location: Ardmore, Pennsylvania
Design: Hugh Irvine Wilson
Opened: 1912
Type: Private
Length: 6,846 yards
Slope: 149
Par: 70
PGA Events Hosted
US Open – 2013, 1981, 1971, 1950, 1934
This is one tricky golf course with twisting fairways and creeks running throughout the land. As you can see on Hole 11 pictured above, your approach shots must be surefire accurate.
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links
A regular stop on the PGA Tour with the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and the course is still respected enough to get an occasional US Open on the schedule too. Beautiful seaside views can be seen on almost every hole and it is open to the public making it a bucket list golf course for many amateur golf players. Would be the best on the west coast if it wasn’t for Cypress Point who you will find later in the list.
Course Information
Location: Pebble Beach, California
Design: Jack Neville, Arnold Palmer
Opened: 1919
Type: Public
Length: 7,075 yards
Slope: 145
Par: 72
PGA Events Hosted
US Open – 2019, 2110, 2000, 1992, 1982, 1972
PGA Championship – 1997
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am – Yearly
There is not much left to say about Pebble Beach, it is quite simply one of the most stunningly scenic golf courses in the world. Hole 7 pictured above is not for the weak of heart.
5. National Golf Links Of America
A marvel of architecture with some holes recreating great holes from England and Scotland. This golf course is very exclusive and thus has never held a major tournament at their venue to date.
Course Information
Location: Southhampton, New York
Design: Charles Macdonald
Opened: 1911
Type: Private
Length: 6,873 yards
Slope: Unlisted
Par: 73
PGA Events Hosted
None to Date
Rumour has it a member suggested to Charles Macdonald that a windmill would be a cool addition to the course. Macdonald proceeded to buy the now iconic windmill located between the 2nd & 16th holes and sent the member the bill.
4. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
More of a links style course it stands out for players and fans of golf architecture. Has hosted the US Open 5 times including the nightmarish 2004 event that wondered if the USGA was trying to ruin US Open’s by making them impossible to play.
Course Information
Location: Southhampton, New York
Design: William Flynn
Opened: 1891
Type: Private
Length: 7,440 yards
Slope: 140
Par: 70
PGA Events Hosted
US Open – 2018, 2004, 1995, 1986, 1896
The clubhouse at Shinnecock which can be seen in dramatic effect from the 16th hole is inspired after the White House.
3. Cypress Point Club
This is one of the 8 stunning courses on the Monterey peninsula. Like Pebble Beach who is also on this list, Cypress Point is absolutely a breath-taking golf experience. The holes stretch along the Pacific Ocean and to say they are dramatic would be an understatement.
Anyone who plays this golf course walks away with a feeling like they never want to leave, it is a golfing experience like no other in America.
Course Information
Location: Pebble Beach, California
Design: Alister Mackenzie
Opened: 1928
Type: Private
Length: 6,524 yards
Slope: 136
Par: 72
PGA Events Hosted
AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am: Until 1991
The views are dramatic but the course is no pushover. Accuracy off the tee is a must at Cypress Point otherwise you will be swimming with the dolphins in the Pacific.
2. Augusta National Golf Club
If you don’t know it hosts a little annual golf tournament called The Masters, only the most famed tournament in all of golf. Not only is Augusta famous it is incredibly exclusive. They don’t disclose any information to the public including income, ticket sales and members.
The course was formerly a plant nursery so that’s why every hole is named after a tree or shrub. The most famous 3 holes in golf reside at Augusta, nicknamed “Amens Corner”, it is made up of hole 11, 12 and 13.
Course Information
Location: Augusta, Georgia
Design: Bobby Jones, Alister Mackenzie
Opened: 1933
Type: Private
Length: 7,768 yards
Slope: 137
Par: 72
PGA Events Hosted
The Masters – 1934 till today
Hole 12 at Augusta National is maybe the most famous par 3 in the world. It has created many a memorable golf moments including Jordan Spieth’s brutal collapse in 2016.
1. Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley is not only a stalwart at the top of Best Golf Courses in America but also the world. It is considered one of the top 3 most difficult courses i nthe world and many describe it as an adventure every time you play a round.
Every hole is unique, every hole is a challenge and every round will make you or break you. There are no rakes in the sand, there is no out of bounds and I kid you not the deep bunker on the 10th hole is named the “Devil’s Asshole”. George Crump visioned a course where when you were done playing every club in your bag was used. Pine Valley lives up to that design and is a masterpiece of a golf course.
Course Information
Location: Pine Valley, New Jersey
Design: George Crump
Opened: 1933
Type: Private
Length: 7,181 yards
Slope: 155
Par: 70
PGA Events Hosted
None to date, there simply is not enough room to be able to accommodate a major PGA event.
The bunkers at Pine Valley are cruel and intimidating. If you’re not having an accurate day at Pine Valley, pack up your bag and go home because there will be no escaping the damage to your scorecard.
