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The 49 best golf courses in the United States | GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World
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The 49 best golf courses in the United States | GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World

By: Jessica Marksbury
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November 4, 2023
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Three top golf courses in the U.S.

The U.S. is home to nearly half of the world's Top 100 courses.

Left to right: Getty (2), William Tyler Smith

GOLF’s latest ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the World was released this week, and while the top courses haven’t changed much over the last few years (Pine Valley, Cypress, St. Andrews), there was a significant infusion of fresh names, with eight newcomers appearing on the 2023-24 list.

For fans of golf architecture or simply stunning scenery, the list is a feast for the eyes. Nothing makes you feel motivated to book a golf trip like seeing so much beauty in one place.

The good news? If you happen to live in the United States, you already have a geographical advantage (at least in terms of proximity) to a sizable chunk of the list, which features courses that span 14 countries across the globe.

The venerable number of U.S. courses that made the cut is 49 — just under half, yes, but the American roster is strong, comprising 10 of the top 15 spots and 29 of the top 50.

While many of these awe-inspiring designs are private, there are plenty that are publicly accessible — including a healthy number right here in America. So if you’re ready to start planning a trip and ticking those bucket-list tee times off your list, start here, with the 49 best golf courses in the United States.

For more on each course, view our full ranking here.

The 49 best golf courses in the United States

1. Pine Valley (Pine Valley, N.J.)

2. Cypress Point (Pebble Beach, Calif.)

4. Shinnecock Hills (Southampton, N.Y.)

5. National Golf Links of America (Southampton, N.Y.)

national golf links of america
National Golf Links of America is one of a kind. William Tyler Smith

8. Oakmont (Oakmont, Pa.)

9. Augusta National (Augusta, Ga.)

11. Sand Hills (Mullen, Mich.)

13. Merion (East) (Ardmore, Pa.)

14. Pebble Beach (Pebble Beach, Calif.)

A view of Pebble Beach Golf Links.
Pebble Beach is a popular bucket-list course. Getty Images

15. Fishers Island (Fishers Island, N.Y.)

17. Chicago (Wheaton, Ill.)

19. Los Angeles (North) (Los Angeles, Calif.)

21. Pinehurst (No. 2) (Pinehurst, N.C.)

23. Friar’s Head (Riverhead, N.Y.)

friar's head
Long Island’s Friar’s Head. Channing Benjamin

26. Prairie Dunes (Hutchinson, Kansas)

27. Oakland Hills (South) (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.)

28. Riviera (Pacific Palisades, Calif.)

29. Winged Foot (West) (Mamaroneck, N.Y.)

32. Pacific Dunes (Bandon, Ore.)

The 148 yard, par 3, 11th hole on the Pacific Dunes Course
The 11th at Pacific Dunes. Getty Images

34. Crystal Downs (Frankfort, Mich.)

35. Seminole (Juno Beach, Fla.)

38. San Francisco (San Francisco, Calif.)

39. The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel) (Brookline, Mass.)

43. Somerset Hills (Bernardsville, N.J.)

A view of a green at Somerset Hills
A view of a green at Somerset Hills. Russell Kirk

44. Southern Hills (Tulsa, Okla.)

45. California Club of San Francisco (South San Francisco, Calif.)

47. Shoreacres (Lake Bluff, Ill.)

48. Garden City (Garden City, N.Y.)

50. Maidstone (East Hampton, N.Y.)

Maidstone
A stunning aerial of Maidstone. Patrick Koenig

51. Ballyneal (Holyoke, Colo.)

57. Camargo (Cincinnati, Ohio)

60. Bethpage (Black) (Farmingdale, N.Y.)

61. Inverness (Toledo, Ohio)

62. Kiawah Island (Ocean) (Kiawah Island, S.C.)

The 9th at Baltusrol
The 9th at Baltusrol. Evan Schiller

67. Baltusrol (Lower) (Springfield, N.J.)

68. The Lido (Rome, Wis.)

69. Oak Hill (East) (Rochester, N.Y.)

70. Sleepy Hollow (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.)

73. Rock Creek Cattle Company (Deer Lodge, Mont.)

Rock Creek Cattle Company
Montana’s mountainous delight, Rock Creek Cattle Company. LC Lambrecht

77. Myopia Hunt Club (South Hamilton, Mass.)

80. Winged Foot (East) (Mamaroneck, N.Y.)

81. Ohoopee Match Club (Cobbtown, Ga.)

82. Peachtree (Atlanta, Ga.)

84. Old Town Club (Winston Salem, N.C.)

The par-3 17th at Bandon Trails.
The par-3 17th at Bandon Trails. Getty Images

90. Bandon Trails (Bandon, Ore.)

91. Whistling Straits (Straits) (Sheboygan, Wis.)

94. Bandon Dunes (Bandon, Ore.)

98. Muirfield Village (Dublin, Ohio)

99. Yeaman’s Hall (Hanahan, S.C.)

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.

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