Earlier this season we posted our rankings of the Top 10 Golf Courses for several of the most popular golf destination states. Now it’s time to round out the year by providing our list of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the USA. If you’re looking for world-class golf, each of the courses on this list makes for a perfect getaway destination.
About Our Rankings
To generate our rankings, we used data from TheGrint, a golf handicap and stat tracking service that also allows golfers to rate the courses they play. Here are the pertinent details:
Ranking derived from over 200,000 golf course reviews from golfers just like you
Only reviews from the last 365 days are considered
A course must have a minimum of 30 reviews is required in order to qualify for ranking
Nearly every aspect of a golf course review is subjective and there’s always going to be a difference of opinion, so healthy (and hopefully polite) debate is to be expected.
To make this list a bit more interesting, we’ve provided an interactive map that allows you to sort and filter by course name, state, and rank. Feel free to click and zoom to your hear’s content. For any display, the largest dot will always show the highest ranked course on the map. Smaller dots, lower ranking. You get it.
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I can’t see any scenario that the Bull at Pinehurst is better than any of the Kohler courses. I play the Bull pretty often and yes, it’s a great track, and has some fantastic holes, but it’s not on the level of the River at Blackwolf, and not in discussion with the Straits.
Brickyard while nice shouldn’t be in front of Forest Dunes, Harbor Shores, Blackwolf Run, probably 2 dozen others, no way in a top 100 list. This is data mining off an app a small percentage of golfers use, pretty irrelevant but I guess fun.
Definitely agree with No 1. While Arcadia Bluffs is a 7 hour drive from me, it is worth it. If you haven’t been there, put it on your list of ‘must play’. Fortunately, I live 15 minutes away from Purgatory Golf Club, No 55. It is well worth the visit, very reasonable greens fees, and challenging.
I cannot believe that Ravenwood in Victor, NY made the list. While the fairways were very nice the greens were just horrible. Almost unplayable. Bumpy, inconsistent and just generally not well maintained. I played another course in the area, Wayne Hills Country Club in Lyons, NY. Those greens were spectacular although the fairways were not quite as nice. Among the best greens I have ever played. A great layout and a great bargain.
Any list that doesn’t include the Honor’s course in Chattanooga TN is incomplete, period. I worked for one of the Golf Course Equipment Companies and played several of the Courses listed and the sleeping elephant Augusta National not listed. The List is not fair as it is listed, it has to be broken down into Private, Semi-Private and Public courses. There were at least 11 courses listed that are very private, what good does it do someone in Texas to read about a course they couldn’t play if they did travel to Mass. or vice-versa. I understand my point is just my own and probably doesn’t represent many of the other golfers, but telling me how great a course is I can’t play without winning the lottery doesn’t add much to my knowledge base or bucket list.
Treviso Bay (#42) is a miserable course. I’m a low handicapper and it’s a near un playable execution with too little real estate and too many un manicured (or even cleared) areas. The lone redemptive quality is the paspalum grass, but even that can’t excuse the lack of landing area, and creativity (see #s 8 and 9.) In a 100 mile radius, the course is bettered by Talis Park (private), Old Corkscrew (public), Gateway (Private), Miromar Lakes (Private), Plantation (private), Fort Myers Country Club (Public) and Renaissance (private).
Only four for me but I’m very surprised by Caledonia’s #4 ranking. Fantastic course and no surprise at all that it’s a top 100 course but #4 is a bit much.
The three others I’ve played are Bethpage Black, Kiawah Island Ocean course, and True Blue. All better than Caledonia, imo, the first two considerably so.
Arcadia Bluffs is amazing. I’ve also played the Pinehurst Resort courses, Innesbrook Copperhead, Dubs Dread, and a few others. Cool list, thanks MyGolfSpy for putting it together.
Tony, how ’bout MyGolfSpy doing a list of the top 50 courses (none private) as voted on by MyGolfSpy members? Criteria should be course (of high importance), scenery, clubhouse, customer service, lodging and perhaps most important, bar/grill.
I’ve played 12 of them. Shocked that the Bull at Pinehurst Farms is rated so highly. Great course, but wow. And Troy Burne at 99 was unexpectedly low for that course.
I agree with other posters who have said that the list is refreshing. It’s nice to see some different courses getting publicity and recognition. I didn’t count them up but I have played a number of the courses on this list. I was curious about the Bull finishing so high. A club pro friend of mine once commented that if he had to play there often he’d quit the game and take up skiing. I tend to agree with his assessment even though I had at least one very good round there. Having written that it’s always in great shape, has wonderful amenities and top quality customer service all attributes that Grint users seem to value.
I was excited to see Purgatory on the list, sad to not see Pine Barrens when Rolling Oaks was included as this goes contrary to other ratings that you will see of the World Woods duo – probably the best value on the list.
There were lots of curious choices, deletions and inclusions but the author was clear that the rankings are subjective and at the very least those doing the rankings here don’t have skin in the game that drives them to prefer certain courses over others based on past reputation or advertising dollars.
It would be nice to read the definition of Courses you can play because there are a couple of private courses on this list. Great job!
25. What I can’t understand is how Streamsong continues to be so highly regarded. I found it to be uninteresting, in the middle of nowhere, and way overpriced. Look at the objective criteria on the courses. I seem to recall the slope is a dismal 125.
I live in Chicago so for me most of these courses are “destination” courses. Of the hundreds of golf trips I have taken, Streamsong is one of the highest rated courses and yet is the only one to which I can definitively say I would never return. Of the notable courses I have played , if I’m doing a warm weather trip I would take Kapalua, Pinehurst, Scottsdale, Tuscon, Pebble Beach, or Shadow Creek over Streamsong. I would sooner play Arcadia Bluffs in January then return to Streamsong.
Brian LaBardi I live in the chi too, but the design of streamsong is awesome, for being in the middle of nowhere, they built two great courses. It’s different than typical golf in Florida and they use the land awesomely. Yes expensive but so is Erin hills in WI…
I’ve played 2. Though my personal top 10 courses I have played don’t appear on the list. Kind of weird but that is the nature of reviews I guess. Great list though MyGolf Spy!! thanks for compiling.
I know you are simply using data for your list and they are not your personal opinions….
But… wow….. sooooooo much wrong with that list. Having played at least 15 courses on the list, I don’t think any of them deserve to be on there other than Beth Page Black.
Too many private courses listed for a top 100 list. Firestone CC is very nice, but you have to know someone to get on. I wonder if the minimum of 30 reviewers for courses like this came from members only.
Pinehurst # 2 isn’t really a public course. It’s a resort course where you either have to stay and play (extremely expensive) or get on with a member. They do have a couple of days (not weeks) a year where they allow public tee times and it’s still (I believe) $275. I’ve never done one of the public days (always stayed) but I imagine based on the timing of them that it’s because they just punched.
I (like most people I know who have played both) personally prefer #8 to #2 anyway. My favorite Pinehurst resort course is #9 (used to be Pinehurst National [then National Golf Club after Pinehurst sued them]) before the resort finally bought it and raised the rates more than 50%.
Caledonia is AWESOME, as is the Ocean Course at Kiawah.
Nice list and there’s a lot of courses out there that should be on everyone’s wist list too. I’m a little confused with the ‘courses you can play’ however as the ones listed for MA are private. TPC Boston and The International are both private so unless you know a member you aren’t getting on there anytime soon (Pinehills is semi-private though). Also they really aren’t the best public courses in the State either. Good courses but there are certainly many others in MA that are better and actually accessible to the public. Good list just a little off the mark in my home state.
Bond
5 years ago
I live in Houston. Sucks to be me, I guess. Only one Top 100 course within 650 miles in any direction..
Only four within 1,000 miles in any direction.