Golf Digest: America's Top 100 Public Courses
#1 – Pebble Beach Golf Links – Monterey Peninsula, California
#2 – Pacific Dunes – Bandon, Oregon
#3 - Whistling Straits (Straits Course) – Kohler, Wisconsin
#4 – The Ocean Course - Kiawah Island, South Carolina
#5 - Shadow Creek - North Las Vegas, Nevada
#6 - Pinehurst No. 2 - Pinehurst, North Carolina
#7 – Bandon Dunes – Bandon, Oregon
#8 – Bethpage Black – Farmingdale, New York
#9 – Erin Hills Golf Course – Hartford, Wisconsin
#10 - Spyglass Hill – Monterey Peninsula, California
#11 – TPC Sawgrass - Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
#12 – Old Macdonald – Bandon, Oregon
#13 - Arcadia Bluffs - Arcadia, Michigan
#14 – Bandon Trails – Bandon, Oregon
#15 - Blackwolf Run (River Course) – Kohler, Wisconsin
#16 – Pasatiempo – Santa Cruz, California
#17 - The Pete Dye Course at French Lick - French Lick, Indiana
#18 - Sand Valley - Rome, WI
#19 - Streamsong Red - Streamsong, Florida
#20 - Karsten Creek - Stillwater, Oklahoma
#21 – Chambers Bay - University Place, Washington
#22 - Kapalua Plantation Course - Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii
#23 - Harbour Town Golf Links - Hilton Head, South Carolina
#24 - Streamsong Blue - Streamsong, Florida
#25 - Omni Homestead - Cascades - Hot Springs, Virginia
#26 - Mauna Kea - Waimea, Hawaii
#27 - Mammonth Dunes - Rome, Wisconsin
#28 - Forest Dunes - Roscommon, Michigan
#29 - Manele Golf Course - Lanai City, Hawaii
#30 - Highland Course at Primland - Meadows of Dan, Virginia
#31 - Giants Ridge - Quarry - Bibawik, Minnesota
#32 - Streamsong Black - Streamsong, Florida
#33 – Seaside Course at Sea Island - St Simons Island, Georgia
#34 - Greenbrier - Old White TPC - White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
#35 - Gamble Sands - Brewster, Washington
#36 - Torrey Pines - South - La Jolla, California
#37 - Pronghorn Golf Club (Nicklaus Course) – Bend, Oregon
#38 - Fallen Oak Golf Course - Saucier, Mississippi
#39 - The Broadmoor Golf Course - East - Colorado Springs, Colorado
#40 - May River Golf Course - Bluffton, South Carolina
#41 – The Prairie Club - Dunes - Valentine, Nebraska
#42 - Wilderness Club - Eureka, Montana
#43 - Whistling Straits (Irish Course) – Kohler, Wisconsin
#44 - Sentry World - Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#45 - The Loop - Black - Roscommon, Michigan
#46 - Cordevalle Golf Club - San Martin, California
#47 – The Loop - Red - Roscommon, Michigan
#48 - The Links at Spanish Bay - Pebble Beach, California
#49 - PGA West (TPC Stadium) - La Quinta, California
#50 - Paa Ko Ridge - Sandia Park, NM
#51 – Cog Hill No. 4 Dubsdread - Lemont, Illinois
#52 - Tobacco Road - Sanford, North Carolina
#53 - Wolf Creek Golf Club – Mesquite, Nevada
#54 – Marquette Golf Club - Greywalls - Marquette, Michigan
#55 - Crosswater Golf Club – Bend, Oregon
#56 - The Dunes Golf & Beach Club - Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
#57 - Blackwolf Run - Meadow Valleys - Kohler, Wisconsin
#58 - Lawsonia Links - Green Lake, Wisconsin
#59 - The Classic at Maddens - Brainerd, Minnesota
#60 - Old Waverly Golf Course - West Point, Mississippi
#61 - Tullymore Golf Course - Standwood, Michigan
#62 - Cascata - Boulder City, Nevada
$63 - Mossy Oak Golf Club - West Point, Mississippi
#64 - Pinehurst No. 8 - Pinehurst, North Carolina
#65 - Princeville Makai - Princeville, Hawaii
#66 - Nemacolin Woodlands Resort - Mystic Rock - Farmington, Pennsylvania
#67 – Golden Horseshoe Golf Club - Williamsburg, Virginia
#68 - Wildhorse Golf Club - Gothenburg, Nebraska
#69 - Troy Burne Golf Club - Hudson, Wisconsin
#70 - Atunyote Golf Club - Verona, New York
#71 - Tetherow Golf Club – Bend, Oregon
#72 - The Wilderness at Fortune Bay - Tower, Minnesota
#73 - Virtues Golf Club - Nashport, Ohio
#74 - Bulle Rock - Havre De Grace, Maryland
#75 - Trump National - Doral - Miami, Florida
#76 - Red Sky Golf Club - Fazio - Wolcott, Colorado
#77 - Caledonia Golf & Fish Club - Pawleys Island, South Carolina
#78 - Red Sky Golf Club - Norman - Wolcott, Colorado
#79 - Pine Needles - Southern Pines, North Carolina
#80 - Bay Harbor Golf Course - Links/Quarry - Bay Harbor, Michigan
#81 – Poppy Hills - Pebble Beach, California
#82 - World Woods - Pine Barrens - Brooksville, Florida
#83 - Pelican Hill - South - Newport Coast, California
#84 - Quintero Golf Club - Peoria, Arizona
#85 - Omni Barton - Fazio Canyons - Austin, Texas
#86 - Hualalai Golf Course - Kallua Kona, Hawaii
#87 - Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club - Ghost Creek - North Plains, Oregon
#88 - Prairie Club - Pines - Valentine, Nebraska
#89 - Belvedere Golf Club - Charlevoix, Michigan
#90 - TPC San Antonio - Oaks - San Antonio, Texas
#91 - Mid Pines - Southern Pines, North Carolina
#92 - Boyne Highlands - Heather - Harbor Springs, Michigan
#93 - Torrey Pines - North - La Jolla, California
#94 - Great Waters - Lake Oconee - Eatonton, Georgia
#95 -The Bear at Grand Traverse – Acme, Michigan
#96 - Pelican Hill - North - Newport Coast, California
#97 - Poipu Bay Golf Course - Koloa, Hawaii
#98 - Kaluhyat Golf Course - Verona, New York
#99 - The Donald Ross Course at French Lick - French Lick, IN
#100 - Innisbrook - Copperhead - Palm Harbor, Florida
This list represents the 2020 list from Golf Digest’s Top 100 Public Golf Courses. Current count is 99 out of 100. The finish line is a course away.
After hosting the US Open in 2015, Chambers Bay comes in at #21. It should be higher.
The Alcatraz hole at PGA West’s Stadium course.
Rounding out the top 10 is Spyglass Hill. Here is the skinny green on the 4th hole.
The Resort Course at Coeur d'Alene has the world's only floating island green
Along with Tobacco Road, Wolf Creek is easily one of the most fun golf courses in America that you can play.
Lawsonia Links in Wisconsin
The Prairie Club’s Dunes Course in Nebraska
The Straits course at Whistling Straits
There is a seriously strong golf bridge scene at The Classic in Minnesota.