As the owner of the world’s most extensive library of golf course photography, I consider it my duty to create ridiculous lists like this one. I have done this once on Instagram and once on Twitter, but I felt that it was necessary to solidify my selections here. Please enjoy my favorite golf courses that that start with each letter of the alphabet. 3 courses for each letter was my goal. However, some letters simply cannot be restricted to just 3 favorites.
The Letter A
To give you an idea of how hard this is, I have played 53 golf courses that start with the letter A. Courses like Ardglass and Atlantic Athletic Club are getting left off of the table. Naturally, I was compelled to go with the most popular golf club in the world to start off our list. A recent entry with the new Apogee course in Florida and the fantastically scenic Arrowhead Golf Club n Denver.
The Letter B
There are a lot of hot shots entering the competition for the letter B. I went with some of the lesser applauded options here. Butler Pitch and Putt tickles my golf fancy with the Austin skyline in the background. Very few people reading this will have played Black Mesa in New Mexico, which is a shame. Baltusrol is impossible to ignore. The Lower course wins my preference here, but not by much.
The Letter C
You can’t ignore the captain of all seas for the letter C. Cypress Point is probably the leader of the entire alphabet. The C class rounds out with the Classic Club, one of the best options for public golf in Palm Springs. There are a number of french courses that are built on top of old Chateaus and Chateau de Augerville is my favorite with an island green directing in front of the chateau.
The Letter D
We head international to find the letter D. Dumbarnie Links is a spectacular and a relatively new addition to the St Andrews area in Scotland. Dubai HIlls provides amazing views of the spectacular Dubai skyline. To round out the trio, we head back to New York city to find the ultra exclusive Deepdale Golf Club.
The Letter E
We have 2 usual suspects with the letter E. Essex County Club is one of Donald Ross’ finest and Erin Hills is always a beautiful addition to any list. The real gem here is Eagle Springs which is just 30 minutes away from Erin Hills. The 2nd hole is a 134 yard par 3 that sits atop a large cylindrical mound. The “Volcano” hole is one of several great holes at Eagle Springs that most golfers don’t know about.
The Letter F
I had to pull four favorites for the letter F. Fox Chapel is one of my all time favorite Raynor courses and Friar’s Head is nearly impossible to leave off of any list. With the rocky outcroppings and undulating terrain, Fontainebleau is one the very best in France. Farm Neck Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard rounds out our fantastic F group.
The Letter G
I am always surprised how few golfers know about Green Hills in San Francisco. It’s not exactly hiding, as you can see the airport from the golf course. This Alister Mackenzie design is great fun. Goat Hill Park is a pillar in the golf community. When it comes to community and embodying the spirit of the game, nobody does a better job than John Ashworth and Goat Hill Park. We also have one of the best values in pulbic golf at George Wright Golf Club in Boston.
The Letter H
Hot Diggity Dog, the alphabet series finds four stunners at the letter H. Hillside Country Club is one of the most under appreciated private clubs in Los Angeles. Hualalai is one of the big island’s best. Not a lot of folks visit Haig Point as it requires a ferry from Charleston to reach Daufuskie Island. It is a much longer journey from South Carolina to reach Hanoi Shores in Vietnam.
The Letter I
The I’s have it. Inverness is going to lead the way when it comes to the letter I. In 2024, Andrew Green renovated the classic design elevating it to one of my favorites in the jam packed golf state of Ohio. The exclusive Indian Creek in Miami and Incline Village in Tahoe round out this trio of I’s.
The Letter J
Some Florida jams here with the letter J. Tom Fazio’s Jupiter Hills and Gil Hanse’s Jonathan’s Landing are both in the Palm Beach area and are some of the area’s finest. We head across the pond and over to Ireland in order to find the glorious Jameson Links in Ireland.
The Letter K
The sun in Sweden takes forever to set in the summer and for my photography shoot at Kytaja Golf Club, I had about two hours of perfect light to capture one of the country’s finest golf courses. Kingsley Club in Michigan is and Killspindie in Scotland are some of my all time favorite golf experiences. Its hard to ignore the island scenerey that Kukio brings to the letter K.
The Letter L
I feel strongly about each course here on the letter L. We start off with one of the best new golf courses in America at Landmand Golf Club. Leatherstocking in New York is one of the coolest public courses in New York and Lake Merced is a fantastic renovation from Gil Hanse in the San Francisco area.
The Letter M
The letter M totally dominates top tier golf courses like no other letter in the alphabet. I had to put 6 courses in there to feel right about things. The freshly renovated Medinah No 3 leads the way. Minneapolis and Mauna Kea come in hot. Myopia and Mayacama come in even hotter. Then we finish up with the best 36 hole facility in the country at Monterey Peninsula Country Club.
The Letter N
We start the letter N with another clear favorite to win the entire alphabet at National Golf Links of America. North Berwick might be my favorite place to play golf in Scotland and Nanea is definitely my favorite golf course in Hawaii. This power trio might be the strongest 3 courses in the entire alphabet. Just unreal strength and variety from the letter N.
The Letter O
Oh yeah, the letter O brings some hotness with the Olympic Club’s Lake Course leading the way. Old Barnwell might just be the most creative design in the past 25 years and Oak Hill is a classic design from New York. The highlight here is the master class of routing that is Old Town Club. Be sure to check out my full course profile of Old Town Club.
The Letter P
We start the letter P with my Alma Mater, Indiana University. At the Pfau Course, Steve Smyers has turned an old dump into one of collegiate America’s finest and most golf courses. Oh yeah, and a little course called Pine Valley. This is by far the best golf course in America and it’s not really close. Pinehurst No 2 and the Pete Dye Course at French Lick hold down the middle spots on an extremely robust letter P. Pebble Beach and Prestwick pull up the rear. Damn, letter P might have a chance at taking it all home.
The Letter Q
The letter Q might be difficult for some folks to cover but there is some quality here. Quaker Ridge takes home the obvious honors as one of New York’s finest designs. The Quechee Club in Vermont was one of my favorite visits from RGV Tour 1.0 and Quintero is one of Scottsdales finest public places to play golf.
The Letter R
Royal County Down is often in the conversation when it comes to the world’s very best golf course. It certainly has the chops to make the letter R here on the Alphabet series. Rockaway Hunt Club is one of my favorite sleeper spots on Long Island and everyone knows about Riviera. The real magic lies out there in Montana at the Rock Creek Cattle Company. Montana might not have a lot of golf, but the courses that I have played have all been inspirational.
The Letter S
We run into another candidate for the strongest letter with the spectacular S series. The Donald Ross masterpiece, Seminole leads us off. The Home of Golf jumps into the conversation with the Old Course at St Andrews. Somerset Hills adds some Tillinghast depth to the S Portfolio. In a continued show of strength, Stone Eagle is the very best golf course in the golf dense Palm Springs area. Shoreacres adds to the S situation with the very best golf course in the Chicago area. Finally, Sand Hills adds the finishing touch as the very best golf course built in the last 75 years. Woah yeah, the letter S is sweet.
The Letter T
We have a couple of under the radar gems here at the letter T as Tobiano kicks things off in Canada. The Tryall Club in Jamaica is the finest in the country and Tralee is the finest back nine in all of Ireland. We head back to the United States to enjoy Trinity Forest in the great state of Texas.
The Letter U
The letter is surprisingly rare and would be almost out of reach without the University of Texas and University of Michigan golf courses. You can actually see the Big House down there on the bottom left. Sadly, they use the Alister Mackenzie golf course as a parking lot for football games. I had to go over to Sweden to find a 3rd U at the fantastically good Ullna Golf.
The Letter V
I love these Vees. Vineyard Golf Club on Martha’s Vineyard is a hot spot for Barack Obama and I played behind hime during my visit. Victoria Golf Club over by Vancouver is a quirkly little spot that reminds me of both Merion and Pebble Beach. Valley Club of Montecito is always going to be a favorite for those lucky enough to play it and Victoria National is one of the finest in my home state of Indiana.
The Letter W
Our final heavy hitter comes with the letter W. Wailua starts off with one of my all time favorite Hawaii photographs. Wade Hampton in the mountains of North Carolina and Waterville on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean add some firepower. My personal favorite LA club at Wilshire comes in hot and Whistling Straits is my favorite golf course in Wisconsin. Wykagyl Country Club wraps up the W’s with an under the radar New York favorite.
The Letter X
I have not played a golf course that starts with the letter X. However, I do have a friend named Xan. Xan got married back in 2015 and had a bachelor party at Edgewood in South Lake Tahoe. During that bachelor party he hosted a golf tournament called the Xanvitational… and yes, I won that golf tournament.
The Letter Y
Its hard to one up a golf course that actually flies a flag with the letter Y on it. However, Yeamans Hall has the pedigree to pull it off. Either way, Y has two golden age heavy hitters. We finish up at the other end of the spectrum with Yocha Dehe, a Northern California player’s favorite managed by Troon.
The Letter Z
The most disappointing part about the alphabet series is that it always ends on a low note. I have yet to play a golf course that starts with the letter Z. I have done some research and fortunately, there are 17 golf courses that start with the letter Z in America. I will not let this injustice carry on much longer.