Best Golf Courses in America

Golf is a sport steeped in tradition and history, and nowhere is this more evident than in the United States, home to some of the world’s most renowned Best Golf Courses.

These courses are not just venues for the game; they are landmarks that embody the spirit of golf, combining breathtaking landscapes with challenging designs.

Pine Valley Golf Club

Pine Valley Golf Club, located in New Jersey, is often hailed as the quintessential American Best Golf Courses.

Its distinctive character is a product of the sandy pine barrens of southwest Jersey, creating a landscape that is both challenging and visually stunning.

Founded by George Crump, Pine Valley’s design benefitted from the input of several legendary architects, including H.S. Colt, A.W. Tillinghast, George C.

Thomas Jr., and Walter Travis. Hugh Wilson and his brother Alan completed the initial design, while William Flynn and Perry Maxwell made subsequent revisions.

Pine Valley is renowned for blending the three schools of golf design—penal, heroic, and strategic—often within a single hole.

Recent efforts to remove trees in select areas have revealed stunning views of the sandy landscape, and Tom Fazio’s bunker reconstruction has added intricate and ornate features to the course.

Pine Valley remains a paragon of Best Golf Courses design, challenging players while offering an unparalleled aesthetic experience.

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Cypress Point Club

Cypress Point Club, situated on the Monterey Peninsula in California, is a masterpiece of natural beauty and design.

Designed by Alister MacKenzie, Cypress Point is celebrated for its ability to offer multiple ways to play each hole, a testament to MacKenzie’s philosophy of strategic variety.

The course’s dramatic seaside cliffs and forested areas create a breathtaking backdrop for a round of golf.

In recent years, Cypress Point has undergone faithful restoration efforts led by course superintendent Jeff Markow, who has meticulously restored MacKenzie’s original bunkers.

This work has preserved the course’s classic architecture while ensuring it remains a formidable challenge for modern golfers.

Cypress Point’s combination of natural beauty and strategic complexity makes it a standout in the world of golf.

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Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, is often regarded as the earliest links course in America.

Originally remodeled by C.B. Macdonald and later redesigned by William S. Flynn in the early 1930s, Shinnecock Hills has maintained its architectural integrity for nearly half a century.

The course’s layout has been refined by the removal of many trees that once framed its fairways, enhancing its links-like character.

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw made subtle yet significant changes in 2012, including green expansions and new mowing patterns, in preparation for the 2018 U.S. Open.

The result was a course that tested the world’s best golfers, with Brooks Koepka emerging victorious.

Shinnecock Hills is set to host the U.S. Open again in 2026, promising another challenging and historic tournament.

Merion Golf Club: East

Merion Golf Club’s East Course, located in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, is renowned for its ability to challenge even the most skilled golfers despite its relatively tight acreage.

The course’s design, which includes twisting fairways bordered by creeks, rough, and out-of-bounds stakes, demands precision and strategy.

Its greens, edged by bunkers that stare back menacingly, are particularly challenging.

The 2013 U.S. Open, held at Merion East, demonstrated the course’s toughness as big hitters struggled to conquer its clever design.

Justin Rose’s victory with a 72-hole total of one-over-par highlighted Merion’s ability to test the best.

With extensive renovations by Gil Hanse, the East Course will be even more polished for the 2030 U.S. Open, ensuring its place among America’s premier Best Golf Courses.

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National Golf Links of America

Located in Southampton, New York, the National Golf Links of America is a tribute to the great golf holes of Britain. Designed by C.B.

Macdonald, who incorporated his favorite features from classic British courses, National Golf Links offers a true links experience.

The course’s design, executed by Seth Raynor, is noted for its strategic brilliance, with Macdonald’s versions often surpassing the originals in strategic value.

The course contains a marvelous collection of holes, including two Redan greens, which are considered some of the finest examples of strategic golf design.

National Golf Links has influenced countless architects and remains a benchmark for excellence in Best Golf Courses design.

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Sand Hills Golf Club

Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska, is a testament to the philosophy that the Best Golf Courses are discovered rather than designed.

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw identified naturally occurring fairways and greens within the rolling sand hills, creating a course that feels as though it has always been there.

By moving only 4,000 cubic yards of earth and allowing the winds to shape the bunkers, they achieved a timeless design.

The club’s officials have recently found a method to prevent winter winds from reshaping the bunkers, using a product that creates a crust on the sand’s surface.

This innovation ensures that Sand Hills retains its natural beauty and challenging layout, making it one of the most natural and revered Best Golf Courses in America.

Fishers Island Club

Fishers Island Club, located off the coast of Connecticut, is often regarded as the consummate design of architect Seth Raynor.

Raynor’s steeply banked bunkers and geometric greens harmonize perfectly with the linear panoramas of the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound.

The course features Raynor’s signature design elements, including two Redan greens, making it a showcase of his architectural genius.

Fishers Island’s unique combination of challenging design and stunning coastal views makes it a favorite among those who have the opportunity to play it.

Its isolated location adds to its allure, offering a serene and private golfing experience.

Winged Foot Golf Club: West Course

Winged Foot Golf Club’s West Course, located in Mamaroneck, New York, has undergone significant transformations over the years.

Once characterized by narrow fairways lined with Norway Spruce, the course is now more open and playable.

Architect Gil Hanse has restored the original green contours designed by A.W. Tillinghast, creating some of the finest putting surfaces in golf.

The course’s greens, resembling giant mushrooms with curled and slumped edges, present a formidable challenge.

Winged Foot West was famously tamed by Bryson DeChambeau during his six-shot victory in the 2020 U.S. Open, where he was the only competitor to finish under par.

This course remains a test of precision and skill, offering a true championship experience.

The Country Club: The Main Best Golf Courses

The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest and most prestigious Best Golf Courses in America.

Its Main Course has hosted several historic events, including the 1963 and 1988 U.S. Opens.

The course’s layout, which uses holes from the club’s third Primrose nine, is a composite design that ranks among the top courses in the world.

Gil Hanse performed significant restorations prior to the 2013 U.S. Amateur, enhancing the course’s historical features while preparing it for modern play.

The USGA’s configuration for the 2022 U.S. Open included the tiny par-3 11th hole, used for the first time since the 1913 Open.

This blend of history and innovation ensures that The Country Club remains a premier golfing destination.

Oakland Hills Country Club: South

Oakland Hills Country Club’s South Course, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has a storied history dating back to its design by Donald Ross in 1918.

Ross considered the course outdated for the 1951 U.S. Open, but he passed away before he could remodel it.

Robert Trent Jones took on the task, creating a course that Ben Hogan famously called a “monster” after his victory in the 1951 U.S. Open.

In 2019, the South Course closed for a significant renovation by Gil Hanse, who aimed to restore its original Ross design while removing Jones’s influences.

The renovations included expanding greens, removing trees to showcase the rolling landscape, and shifting bunkers to their original locations.

The course reopened in 2021, and despite a fire that destroyed the clubhouse, the USGA announced that Oakland Hills would host the 2034 and 2051 U.S. Opens.

My Thoughts

The Best Golf Courses in America are more than just venues for the game; they are living testaments to the artistry and vision of some of the Best Golf Courses architects.

From the sandy pine barrens of Pine Valley to the dramatic cliffs of Cypress Point, these courses offer a blend of natural beauty and strategic complexity that challenges and delights golfers of all skill levels.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or an enthusiastic amateur, playing on these courses is a unique experience that embodies the spirit of golf.

These courses have hosted some of the most significant tournaments in the history of the sport, and their designs continue to influence the development of new courses worldwide.

As the game of golf evolves, these iconic courses will remain benchmarks of excellence, preserving the traditions and challenges that make golf a beloved sport.