Imagine teeing off on Pebble Beach’s iconic Monterey Peninsula fairways, wandering the dunes of Pacific Dunes in Oregon, and savoring the testing layout at Bethpage Black—all without joining a private club. That’s the power of America's public golf scene: access, challenge, and scenery tied into one epic national journey.
Make the Ultimate Bucket List: Play the Top 100 Public Courses in the U.S.
Imagine teeing off on Pebble Beach’s iconic Monterey Peninsula fairways, wandering the dunes of Pacific Dunes in Oregon, and savoring the testing layout at Bethpage Black—all without joining a private club. That’s the power of America's public golf scene: access, challenge, and scenery tied into one epic national journey.
Why This Should Be Your Bucket List
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Elite golf without membership fees: Golf Digest's 100 Greatest Public Courses includes stunning strategic layouts accessible to the public.
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A tour of golf architecture and geography: From seaside links to desert sandscapes, this list spans Pebble Beach, Shinnecock Hills, Whistling Straits, Pacific Dunes—and more .
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A living legacy: New entries like Payne’s Valley and Caledonia keep the list fresh, and timeless venues like Sand Valley and Sheep Ranch still feature prominently.
Must-Play Highlights (Top 20 Sneak Peek)
Here are a few standout stops from that sacred 100—check them off one by one:
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Pebble Beach Golf Links (CA) – The legendary #1 in Golf Digest’s list. Masterful design, breathtaking views.
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Pacific Dunes (OR) – A wild beachfront course that ranks #2.
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Whistling Straits – Straits Course (WI) – Rugged, windswept and host of multiple majors.
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Bethpage Black (NY) – Public course turned U.S. Open venue, famous for being both brutal and egalitarian.
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Sand Valley – The Lido (WI) – One of nine newcomers to the 100; Lido debuted at #12.
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Erin Hills (WI) – Listed at #10.
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Shadow Creek (NV) – #3, a surprising design gem near Las Vegas .
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Pinehurst No. 2 (NC) – Ross classic, revered by pros and ranked top 6 public.
And that’s just a teaser. Hit the full list via Golf Digest’s site.
The Alcatraz hole at PGA West’s Stadium course.
Building Your Bucket‑Built Golf Road Trip
1. Plan regionally
Group courses by region (e.g., Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Northeast) to maximize travel ease. For example, combine Pacific Dunes, Old Macdonald, Bandon Trails, and Pacific Links around Bandon, OR.
2. Balance prestige with practicality
Major venues like Torrey Pines or Pebble Beach carry steep green fees. Mix in hidden gems like Kiva Dunes or Sand Valley, often under $200, for a balanced experience .
3. Track your progress
Consider a personalized bucket-list board—Push Pin Travel Maps sells gorgeous “Top 100 Public Courses” trackers, so you can visually pin which courses you've played.
Beyond the Scorecard
You're not just chasing numbers—this journey is about the experience:
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Standing on a windswept cliff at Pebble Beach.
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Navigating the challenge of Bethpage Black with like-minded weekend golfers.
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Discovering the creative twists at newer layouts like the Lido and Payne’s Valley.
Each round is a chapter: history, landscape, competition.
Start Your Quest Now
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Check out the full Golf Digest Top 100 Public Courses .
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Pick a visual tracker to make your bucket list tangible.
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Share your journey on Back 9—your story could inspire a whole wave of golf pilgrims.
Final Thoughts
There’s no greater golf pilgrimage than playing America’s top 100 public courses. It’s a blend of history, beauty, challenge, and adventure—all without needing a country club membership. Whether you're ticking off legendary names or discovering new architectural marvels, each round shapes not just your game, but your story.
Let the chase begin—your ultimate public‑course bucket list awaits.
Golf Digest's ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses provides a biennial snapshot into the state of affairs of public and resort golf course architecture. It also, increasingly, offers a peek into the wider world of golf development. High-end golf course construction—new courses and major remodels of existing clubs—has exploded the last six years in both quantity and quality. The top private clubs have resources not fathomable in the pre-covid era to spend on often elaborate renovations of their courses, and developers keep pushing the limits of where and how exotic they can construct new members-only outposts.
The rampant—and rapid—luxuriation of golf has migrated to public and resort golf. Green fees at many of the most highly ranked courses in our America's 100 Greatest Public now charge green fees between $500 and $1,000, and it can be a challenge to find options with rates less than $200. The downside of golf’s surging demand is this market’s reaction.
The ranking, however, based on tens of thousands of evaluations submitted by our traveling course-ranking panelists, is a reflection of the architectural merits of each course, not their affordability. And by that measure the level of excellence continues to be impressive: 33 of the courses ranked here also appear on America’s 100 and Second 100 Greatest Courses.
Would we like to see more affordable courses in ranking? Of course. But the other upside is that public options continue to grow, especially at resorts. Nine new courses debut on our list, highlighted by The Lido at Sand Valley rocketing in at No. 12 (The Lido has a private membership but offers select tee times to resort guests), Landmand, a standalone course in Nebraska from Rob Collins and Tad King ranked No. 24, and the new Pinehurst #10 design from Tom Doak (ranked 30th).
New courses are on the way at other America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses standouts like Streamsong in Florida, Forest Dunes in Michigan and Gamble Sands in Washington State. We’ll see how they fare in 2027—and what they cost—but for those who want to indulge in spectacular golf that anyone can play (some would fairly say splurge), times have never been better.
