The United States is home to thousands of golf courses, from smaller sites to vast acres of land with rolling hills. From Nanea Golf Course in Hawaii to Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina, golfers discover that various golf course architects like Alister MacKenzie, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw strategically plan every detail of a golf course to ensure it provides sufficient challenge, a beautiful aesthetic and a dynamic flow that keeps the game interesting. Maintenance crews work tirelessly to preserve the grounds across the 18 holes, taking care to cut the grass evenly and to the perfect height, while keeping the vibrant green color and removing debris.
While it’s certainly a competitive and focused sport, golf is also rooted in social interaction. Golf courses are often part of clubs with bars and restaurants, meeting and event venues and offer other activities like tennis and swimming. A high-end course is sure to make for a fun gathering and impress work colleagues while putting golf skills to the test.
Subscribe to Observer’s Lifestyle Newsletter
The Best Golf Courses to Visit in the U.S.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
1700 17 Mile Dr, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
Voted the best public golf course in America by Golf Digest since 2003, Pebble Beach Golf Links in California has stunning views alongside cliffs that loom over the Pacific Ocean. The golf course has hosted the U.S. Open six times and has been praised by professional golfers like Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller. Pebble Beach Golf Links challenges golfers with green sizes of around 3,500 feet, the smallest on the PGA Tour. For the ultimate golfing experience, stay on the property at The Lodge at Pebble Beach. Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach is owned by the same parent company as Pebble Beach Golf Links, and is also a highly rated course. Its landscaping is characterized by dunes and the Del Monte Forest with ocean views in the distance. Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Augusta National Golf Club
2604 Washington Rd, Augusta, GA 30904
Augusta National Golf Club is the home of The Master’s championship golf tournament in Georgia. Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts established the club in 1932 with the assistance of golf course architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie. Each of the 18 holes has its own story and is named after a plant, paying homage to the course’s past life as a plant nursery. The total par is 72 along the bright green grass, native Georgia trees and bodies of
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
57744 Round Lake Rd, Bandon, OR 97411
With multiple golf courses making top rankings in the USA, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon is a hot spot that gives visitors the opportunity to play on several championship courses in one place. The resort is heavily influenced by Scotland’s golf courses, which were the first in the world. Bandon Dunes was the first golf course on the property, and players enjoy picturesque views from its bluffs that tower over the Pacific Ocean. In 2001, the resort opened Pacific Dunes, a course imagined by architect Tom Doak with a natural design. Its fairways and bunkers feel like part of the existing landscape and overlook seaside dunes. Golf Digest ranks Pacific Dunes the highest among the golf courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Old Macdonald is named after a golf course architect and sprawls across rolling green hills. Bandon Trails has a varied landscape and was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The course sits on a sand dune and continues onto a meadow, through a forest and back to the dunes. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
The Ocean Course
1000 Ocean Course Dr, Kiawah Island, SC 29455
Kiawah Island is known as one of the best places in the country to play golf, and The Ocean Course is one of the top courses at the destination. Waves crash along the sandy shore that outlines the greens, which feature the largest number of oceanfront holes in the Northern Hemisphere. The golf course was designed by Pete Dye and offers serene views and the challenge of sea breezes. All of the PGA Tour’s main events have been played at The Ocean Course, such as the 1991 Ryder Cup and PGA Championship in 2021. The Ocean Course.
Monterey Peninsula Country Club
3000 Club Rd, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
Monterey Peninsula Country Club in Pebble Beach, California is set against a Pacific Ocean vista with fairways winding through cypress trees and tall local grasses. The club was founded in 1926 and the first golf course on-site was the Dunes Course. The Shore Golf Course opened next, and it was reimagined in 2004 by architect Mike Strantz. The private West Coast club offers a clubhouse and beach house to its members. Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
200 Tuckahoe Rd, Southampton, NY 11968
The Hamptons in New York are home to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, a prestigious course in Southampton that dates back to 1891. Shinnecock was the first incorporated golf club and a founding member of the USGA. The perfect greens have native Long Island grasses scattered throughout and surround the shingle-covered main clubhouse. Shinnecock has hosted the U.S. Open Championship several times and is set to hold the tournament on-site in 2026. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
National Golf Links of America
149 Sebonac Inlet Rd, Southampton, NY 11968
Also in The Hamptons is National Golf Links of America, a golf course dating back to 1908 founded with English and Scottish influence. The Southampton property has 18 holes across 253 acres and has vast greens with local foliage and views of a hilltop windmill. National has dynamic grounds along the
Pine Valley Golf Club
1 E Atlantic Ave, Pine Valley, NJ 08021
Pine Valley Golf Club lives up to its name with incredible pine forests throughout the property. The New Jersey course ranks highly in character and layout variety and has regularly been voted one of the best places to play golf in America by Golf Digest. The club was founded in 1912 and its golf course was ready for play in 1919. Sprawling over 200 acres, the golf course combines various architectural methods, with penal design taking the forefront. Each hole has unique characteristics, and players can visit the clubhouse or practice at the driving range. Pine Valley Golf Club.
