Ranked: GOLF’s Top 20 Courses In America

GOLF Magazine is nan starring manufacture publication arsenic nan eventual destination for everything golf. Each year, nan publication reveals its Top 100 Golf Courses successful nan World, and this year, nan Top 20 successful America are what I americium focusing on. According to GOLF, “Historically, an mean of 54 U.S. courses make nan list. This year, that number dips to 49. Still, nan champion of American play remains difficult to beat, holding down 10 of nan list’s apical 15 spots and 29 of nan apical 50.”

GOLF’s 119-person sheet and its Architecture Editor Ran Morrissett compiled nan exhaustive list, and he explained really nan apical courses stay steadfast. “Of nan Top 20 American courses successful nan 2023 world rank, location was very small activity from nan 2021 world rank. Indeed, nan apical six didn’t budge a azygous spot. Essentially, a wide statement seems to person been formed that these elite courses are nan cleanable blend of strategy, people presentation, and aesthetics. Most awesome is nan diverseness recovered wrong them, from nan cliffs of California to nan prairie successful America’s heartland to immoderate of our parkland gems, it is so America nan Beautiful.”

Pine Valley Golf Club (New Jersey)

*Number 1 people successful nan world and successful America.

The ultra-exclusive Pine Valley Golf Club is known arsenic 1 of nan astir difficult successful nan world. The New Jersey nine only allowed men arsenic members until 2021; previously, women were only allowed connected Sunday afternoons. The committee of board reaches retired to imaginable members for nan backstage nine and is closed to application.

Cypress Point (California)

*Number 2 people successful nan world and successful America

With only a fewer 100 members, galore of whom are salient governmental figures, this is 1 of nan world’s astir desired clubs. The stunning location is simply a awesome trading constituent arsenic players play on nan Pacific Ocean. Fees are wished by yearly moving costs, which are divided up betwixt nan members sloppy of really often you usage nan club.

Shinnecock Hills (New York)

*Number 4 people successful nan world

Shinnecock has hosted nan US Open aggregate times. The only measurement you tin play astatine Southampton, New York’s Shinnecock Hills, is if a personnel accompanies you, and bully luck getting a tee time, which tin beryllium months successful advance. The greenish interest is $350 per round, and you must prosecute a caddy since stepping is mandatory.

National Golf Links of America (New York)

*Number 5 people successful nan world

A celebrated nine for Wall Street tycoons, nan invitation-only nine is located connected 285 acres of shoreline on Southampton, New York’s Peconic Bay. Developed by famed designer Charles Blair Macdonald, this people is known arsenic 1 of nan astir cleanable courses successful nan world. Initiation is $150,000 positive $10,000 dues, and guests tin only play pinch members.

Oakmont (Pennsylvania)

*Number 8 people successful nan world

Oakmont Country Club is 1 of nan oldest play clubs successful nan state and has hosted much mixed USGA and PGA championships than immoderate different people successful nan U.S. Established successful 1903; its play people is regarded arsenic nan oldest top-ranked play people successful nan United States.

Augusta National (Georgia)

*Number 9 people successful nan world

Known for being an exclusively antheral club, Augusta yet opened its doors to women, including erstwhile Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, erstwhile banking magnate Darla Moore, and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty. With only 300 members, including Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, Augusta National is location to nan Master's tourney and was designed by champion golfer Bobby Jones and Dr. Alister MacKenzie. Initiation fees scope from $250,000 to $500,000.

Sand Hills Golf Club (Nebraska)

*Number 11 people successful nan world

Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw created nan astir earthy play people successful America pinch a stunning isolated people design. Impressive bunkers and generous fairways are nan allure here. The ultra-exclusive people is known to person less than 200 members.

Merion Golf Club / East (Pennsylvania)

*Number 13 people successful nan world

Merion Golf Club is simply a masterpiece successful design. The “white face” bunkers person raised lips connected nan backmost broadside to look to beryllium staring astatine nan golfer. Wicker baskets besides switch nan flags connected nan greens. Initiation fees commencement astatine $70,000 pinch $6,000 yearly dues and up, and you tin only use by personnel referral.

Pebble Beach Golf Course (California)

*Number 14 people successful nan world

Pebble Beach Golf Course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant successful 1919. Jack Nicklaus made a fewer alterations, including rebuilding nan 4th, 5th, and 7th greens, and designed a replacement for nan 5th hole, which is now located on nan cliff supra nan beach. With stunning coastal beauty, nan fairways are located straight connected nan bluffs overlooking nan majestic Pacific Ocean and are among nan astir difficult to play successful nan world.

Fishers Island Club (New York)

*Number 15 people successful nan world

Accessible by ferry aliases air, this exclusive retreat offers rambling fairways and spectacular views of nan Atlantic Ocean. Members person entree to 5 tennis courts, a backstage water beachfront, and a Beach Club pinch a snack bar.

Chicago Golf Club (Illinois)

*Number 17 people successful nan world

One of nan 5 founding members of nan United States Golf Association successful 1894, Chicago Golf was nan tract of nan nation’s first 18-hole course. This is simply a axenic play acquisition without each of nan frills of scenery design. The rank is mini and exclusive here.

Los Angeles Country Club / North (California)

*Number 19 people successful nan world

Built connected nan astir premium existent property successful Beverly Hills, nan ultra-exclusive nine includes a rank roster of nan oldest families successful America. The celebrated North people was developed successful 1921. Despite being adjacent to nan Playboy Mansion, nan nine reportedly has a strict no-celebrity argumentation and famously turned down Hugh Hefner and Bing Crosby, who lived connected nan 14th fairway. The state nine erstwhile had a no-Jewish personnel argumentation until 1977, and nary African-Americans were allowed for years.

Pinehurst / No. 2 (North Carolina)

The astir historical title people successful America, pinch nationalist access, features gangly longleaf pines successful nan Carolina Sandhills and holes pinch famed inverted-saucer greens and short grass. The Bucket List Course 2 is simply a situation to astir pro golfers.

Friars Head (New York)

This Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw-designed people is besides Phil Mickelson’s favourite modern course. Dunes lined pinch trees, freely meadows, and bluff-top h2o views make this a must-play people for aficionados, but only if you cognize a member.

Prairie Dunes Country Club (Kansas)

Located successful nan mediate of Kansas, this walkable people utilizes earthy dunes arsenic locations for melodramatic greenish and tee sites. The world-renowned Perry Maxwell-designed play people is described arsenic a “links-style people pinch rolling hills reminiscent of nan seaside courses of Scotland.” The initiation costs astir $10,000, and yearly dues are a fewer 1000 dollars.

Oakland Hills Country Club / South (Michigan)

The parkland layout of this Donald Ross-designed people is heavy bunkered pinch holes lined pinch trees. A complete renewal of nan South Course took spot successful 2021 by removing trees and expanding nan size of greens to make play much accessible for nan members. The nine will big 2 U.S. Opens successful 2034 and 2051.

Riviera Country Club (California)

Built successful a constrictive canyon, designers George Thomas and Billy Bell turned bunker sand-angled greens into stunning designs. The famed 6th spread features a bunker successful nan mediate of nan green. Riviera has had galore celebrated members, including Humphrey Bogart, Dean Martin, Gregory Peck, Walt Disney, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford. Guests must play nan people pinch a member, and location is simply a strict dress code. The nine would big nan 131st U.S. Open successful 2031

Winged Foot Golf Club / West (New York)

Winged Foot has 2 play courses located connected a mostly level scenery pinch trees lining each hole. To make it much challenging, each greenish tract was raised and surrounded pinch bunkers. Players locomotion nan people pinch a caddy carrying their clubs, arsenic is nan tradition. Among nan highlights is nan stunning historical chromatic clubhouse pinch a slate tile built successful 1929. The nine besides offers 1 of nan finest locker rooms pinch nan champion showers of astir play clubs. Initiation fees commencement astatine $200,000.

Pacific Dunes (Oregon)

This Tom Doak-designed distant masterpiece seems much astatine location successful Ireland than successful nan US. With its stunning bunkers, ample earthy dunes, creatively contoured greens, and breathtaking views of nan Pacific. The 100,000-sf putting people called The Punchbowl is an amusement parkland of its own.

Crystal Downs Country Club (Michigan)

Because of its distant location, Crystal Downs offers a operation of unpredictable winds disconnected Lake Michigan, treacherous heavy roughs, stunning undulating terrain, and challenging contoured greens. The hilly people tin beryllium reliable to walk, and caddies are available. The clubhouse views are astonishing of nan full beforehand 9 backed by Crystal Lake.