Top U.S. Golf Courses by Region
Fundamentally, ranking golf courses is a subjective exercise. Better players often prefer more challenging layouts. Less skilled golfers might appreciate wider fairways with fewer forced carries.
That said, the validity of any individual review isn’t tied to whether that golfer has a degree in golf course architecture or a preference for certain types of grasses.
If you’re a golfer, your opinion matters.
To build our list of the best golf destinations, we turned to TheGrint and to real golfers just like you.
ABOUT THEGRINT’S RANKINGS
To generate our rankings, we leveraged data from TheGrint, a golf handicap and stat-tracking service that also allows golfers to rate the courses they play. Think of it as something similar to Yelp for golf courses.
Here are the pertinent details:
- Ranking derived from more than 300,000 golf course reviews from golfers just like you.
- Only reviews from the previous year (2020) are used.
- Only considered courses with a minimum of 50 reviews.
- Golfers considered course conditions and overall experience as ranking criteria.
Based on reader feedback, we took the data for all courses in the United States and broke it down by region. Over the next several weeks, we’ll work our way from the Pacific Coast Highway to the Eastern Seaboard.
BEST COURSES IN THE MIDWEST
Observations
- Wisconsin has six courses ranked in the top 10.
- The top five courses are all in Wisconsin.
- Resort/destination courses continue to rank highly across all regions.
TOP 10
10. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay | Wilderness (97.5)
10. Deacons Lodge Golf Course (97.5)
10. Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex | Kampen Course (97.5)
9. TPC at Deere Run (97.9)
8. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club | Arcadia Bluffs (98.3)
7. Whistling Straits Golf Course | Irish Course (98.3)
6. The Quarry at Giants Ridge | The Quarry (98.4)
5. Sand Valley Golf Resort | Sand Valley (98.6)
4. Sand Valley Golf Resort | Mammoth Dunes (98.6)
3. Whistling Straits Golf Course | Straits Course (99.1)
2. Erin Hills (99.4)
1. Blackwolf Run Golf Course | River (99.4)
Looking for more courses to check out? Here’s a list of the top 50 public courses in the United States, according to TheGrint.
Scott Kalina
3 years ago
Nothing in the Chicago area? The Glen Club, Mistwood, Cantigny and Stonewall Orchard are all outstanding. Yes, Dubsdread is over rated after the last renovation. And Ravisloe, the old Donald Ross course in the south suburbs is a personal favorite.