Our Top 100 Courses in the U.S. broken down by state

Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J., GOLF's No. 1 course on its list of the Top 100 in the U.S. for 2020/2021.

Laurence Lambrecht

Sixteen in New York. Twelve in California. Five in Oregon. Five in Florida. Right and left, and up and down, GOLF’s list of the Top 100 courses in the U.S. for 2020/2021 covers the country. 

In all, 30 states are represented. New York is first, with 16 courses in the Top 100. California is second, with 12, and New Jersey is third, with eight. 

The list’s top two courses bookend the continental U.S., too. The top-ranked course, Pine Valley, is in New Jersey, while the No. 2 course, Cypress Point, is in California. 

top 100 courses
It’s here! GOLF’s 2020-21 ranking of the Top 100 Courses in the U.S.
By: GOLF’s Course Ratings Panel & Ran Morrissett, Architecture Editor

Following New Jersey on the state list are Massachusetts (6), Florida (5), Ohio (5), Oregon (5), South Carolina (5), Wisconsin (5), North Carolina (4), Georgia (3), Michigan (3), Pennsylvania (3), Illinois (2), Colorado (2), Nebraska (2), Hawaii (1), Idaho (1), Kansas (1), Maryland (1), Minnesota (1), Missouri (1), Montana (1), Nevada (1), Oklahoma (1), Rhode Island (1), Tennessee (1), Texas (1), Washington (1) and West Virginia (1). 

Our Top 100 Courses in the U.S. broken down by state 

(With overall rank, course name, city, state, architect and year opened) 

New York (16)

3. Shinnecock Hills
Southampton, N.Y.
Toomey & Flynn, 1931

4. National Golf Links Of America
Southampton, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald, 1911

9. Fishers Island
Fishers Island, N.Y.
Seth Raynor, 1926

13. Friar’s Head
Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2003

15. Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923

25. Garden City
Garden City, N.Y.
Devereux Emmet, 1899/Walter Travis, 1906

29. Maidstone
East Hampton, N.Y.
John Park/Willie Park Jr., 1922

30. Bethpage (Black)
Farmingdale, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1935

36. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1913/A.W. Tillinghast, 1929/Gil Hanse, 2017

39. Quaker Ridge
Scarsdale, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1926

40. Oak Hill (East)
Pittsford, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1921/Andrew Green, 2020

46. Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1923

56. Piping Rock
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald, 1911

62. The Creek
Locust Valley, N.Y.
C.B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor, 1923

86. Glens Falls
Queensbury, N.Y.
Donald Ross, 1920

97. Sebonack
Southampton, N.Y.
Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak, 2006

California (12)

2. Cypress Point
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie, 1928

10. Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Jack Neville/Douglas Grant, 1919

12. Los Angeles (North)
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr., 1921

17. Riviera
Pacific Palisades, Calif.
George C. Thomas Jr./Billy Bell Sr., 1926

21. San Francisco
San Francisco, Calif.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918

27. California Club Of San Francisco
So. San Francisco, Calif.
A.V. Macan, 1926/Alister Mackenzie, 1928/Kyle Phillips, 2007

54. Olympic (Lake)
Daly City, Calif.
Sam Whiting, 1924

55. Valley Club Of Montecito
Montecito, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie/Robert Hunter, 1929

59. Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz, Calif.
Alister Mackenzie, 1929

67. Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Bob Baldock, 1962/Mike Strantz, 2004

68. Bel-Air
Los Angeles
George C. Thomas Jr./William F. Bell, 1926

85. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach, Calif.
Seth Raynor, 1924/Tom Fazio/Jackson Kahn, 2015

New Jersey (8)

1. Pine Valley
Pine Valley, N.J.
George Crump/H.S. Colt, 1918

23. Somerset Hills
Bernardsville, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1918

57. Plainfield
Plainfield, N.J.
Donald Ross, 1916

69. Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922

74. Ridgewood (W/E)
Paramus, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1929

83. Hollywood
Deal, N.J. 
Walter Travis, 1915

90. Mountain Ridge
West Caldwell, N.J.
Donald Ross, 1929

99. Baltusrol (Upper)
Springfield, N.J.
A.W. Tillinghast, 1922

Massachusetts (6)

22. The Country Club (Clyde/Squirrel)
Brookline, Mass.
TCC Members/Willie Campbell, 1899

43. Myopia Hunt Club
So. Hamilton, Mass.
H.C. Leeds, 1898

52. Old Sandwich
Plymouth, Mass.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2004

53. Eastward Ho!
Chatham, Mass.
Herbert Fowler, 1922

58. Kittansett
Marion, Mass.
William Flynn/Fred Hood, 1922

64. Essex County
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass
Donald Ross, 1917

Florida (5)

20. Seminole
Juno Beach, Fla.
Donald Ross, 1929

45. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Pete Dye, 1981

77. Streamsong (Red)
Streamsong, Fla.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2012

95. Streamsong (Blue)
Streamsong, Fla.
Tom Doak, 2012

98. Calusa Pines
Naples, Fla.
Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry, 2001

Ohio (5)

26. Camargo
Cincinnati
Seth Raynor, 1926

33. Inverness
Toledo, Ohio
Donald Ross, 1919/Andrew Green, 2017

42. The Golf Club
New Albany, Ohio
Pete Dye, 1967

51. Muirfield Village
Dublin, Ohio
Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirhead, 1974

65. Moraine
Kettering, Ohio
Alex Campbell, 1930

Oregon (5)

19. Pacific Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak, 2001

38. Bandon Trails
Bandon, Ore.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2005

44. Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore.
David McLay Kidd, 1999

66. Old Macdonald
Bandon, Ore.
Tom Doak/Jim Urbina, 2010

80. Sheep Ranch
Bandon, Ore.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2020

South Carolina (5)

31. Kiawah Island (Ocean)
Kiawah Island, S.C.
Pete Dye, 1991

47. Yeamans Hall
Hanahan, S.C.
Seth Raynor, 1925

72. Congaree
Ridgeland, S.C.
Tom Fazio, 2017

73. Harbour Town
Hilton Head, S.C.
Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus, 1969

93. Palmetto
Aiken, S.C.
H.C. Leeds, 1897/Alister Mackenzie, 1933

Wisconsin (5)

49. Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wis.
Pete Dye, 1998

71. Milwaukee
River Hills, Wis.
H.S. Colt/C.H. Alison, 1929

87 (Tie). Lawsonia (Links)
Green Lake, Wis.
Bill Langford/Ted Moreau, 1930

91. Sand Valley (Sand Valley)
Nekoosa, Wis.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 2017

96. Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)
Nekoosa, Wis.
David McLay Kidd, 2018

North Carolina (4)

11. Pinehurst (No. 2)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1907

41. Old Town
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Perry Maxwell, 1939

50. Wade Hampton
Cashiers, N.C.
Tom Fazio, 1987

92. Pinehurst (No. 4)
Pinehurst, N.C.
Donald Ross, 1919/Gil Hanse, 2017

Georgia (3)

6. Augusta National
Augusta, Ga.
Alister Mackenzie/Bobby Jones, 1933

32. Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown, Ga.
Gil Hanse, 2018

37. Peachtree
Atlanta
Robert Trent Jones Sr./Bobby Jones, 1947

Michigan (3)

16. Crystal Downs
Frankfort, Mich.
Alister Mackenzie/Perry Maxwell, 1932

35. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Donald Ross, 1917/Robert Trent Jones Sr., 1950

79. Kingsley
Kingsley, Mich.
Mike Devries, 2001

Pennsylvania (3)

5. Oakmont
Oakmont, Penn.
Henry Fownes, 1903

8. Merion (East)
Ardmore, Penn.
Hugh Wilson, 1912

89. Aronimink
Newton Square, Penn.
Donald Ross, 1928

Illinois (2)

14. Chicago
Wheaton, Ill.
C.B. Macdonald, 1895/Seth Raynor, 1923

24. Shoreacres
Lake Bluff, Ill.
Seth Raynor, 1921

Colorado (2)

34. Ballyneal
Holyoke, Colo.
Tom Doak, 2006

100. Cherry Hills
Cherry Hills Village, Colo.
William Flynn, 1923

Nebraska (2)

7. Sand Hills
Mullen, Neb.
Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw, 1994

82. Prairie Club (Dunes)
Valentine, Neb.
Tom Lehman/Chris Brands, 2010

Hawaii (1)

94. Nanea
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
David McLay Kidd, 2003

Idaho (1)

70. Gozzer Ranch
Harrison, Idaho
Tom Fazio, 2007

Kansas (1)

18. Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson, Kan.
Perry Maxwell, 1937/Press Maxwell, 1957

Maryland (1)

75. Baltimore (Five Farms East)
Baltimore
A.W. Tillinghast, 1926

Minnesota (1)

76. White Bear Yacht Club
White Bear Lake, Minn.
William Watson, 1915

Missouri (1)

78. St. Louis
St. Louis
C.B. Macdonald, 1914

Montana (1)

48. Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge, Mont.
Tom Doak, 2008

Nevada (1)

81. Shadow Creek
Las Vegas
Tom Fazio, 1990

Oklahoma (1)

28. Southern Hills
Tulsa, Okla.
Perry Maxwell, 1936

Rhode Island (1)

84. Newport
Newport, R.I.
William F. Davis, 1899/A.W. Tillinghast, 1924

Tennessee (1)

63. Honors Course
Ooltewah, Tenn.
Pete Dye, 1983

Texas (1)

87 (Tie). Wolf Point
La Hood, Texas
Mike Nuzzo, 2008

Washington (1)

61. Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash.
David McLay Kidd, 2014

West Virginia (1)

60. Pikewood National
Morgantown, W.V.
J. Robert Gwynne/John Raese, 2009

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