The Top 10 Public Golf Courses in the United States
All Square 5min read •
5 Sep
There is a reason golfers from around the world dream of teeing it up on America’s greatest public courses. The United States is home to some of the most spectacular golfing landscapes on earth, from dramatic seaside cliffs and windswept dunes to historic pine forests and sun-drenched fairways. What makes these venues even more remarkable is their accessibility: unlike the exclusive sanctuaries of private clubs, these courses invite every golfer to walk the same fairways that have challenged legends and hosted the game’s most iconic moments. Playing them is more than a round of golf — it is a brush with history, design brilliance, and natural wonder, all rolled into eighteen unforgettable holes.
Pebble Beach Golf Links – California
Pebble Beach is perhaps the most celebrated public golf course in the world. Hugging the rugged coastline of the Monterey Peninsula, it combines natural drama with a history of hosting major championships, most notably the U.S. Open. Its sequence of oceanfront holes, particularly the seventh and the eighteenth, have become a part of golf folklore. Every golfer who plays here not only experiences one of the most scenic landscapes in sport but also follows in the footsteps of legends.
Spyglass Hill – California
Also located within the Pebble Beach resort, Spyglass Hill offers a striking contrast to its famous neighbour. The opening holes run through dunes that overlook the Pacific, but soon the course turns inland, weaving through dense pine forest. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., it is known for its difficulty, demanding accuracy off the tee and touch around fast, sloping greens. It may be overshadowed by Pebble Beach, but many argue that Spyglass provides the sterner test.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island – South Carolina
The Ocean Course is a coastal masterpiece that epitomises both beauty and brutality. Designed by Pete Dye, it is renowned for its exposure to the elements, where Atlantic winds can make a calm day turn treacherous in an instant. Host of the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships, the course blends stunning ocean views with one of the most formidable challenges in golf. Every round here feels like an adventure, dictated as much by the weather as by the golfer’s skill.
Pinehurst No. 2 – North Carolina
Pinehurst No. 2 is a course of subtle genius. Originally crafted by Donald Ross, its crowned greens and strategic layout have tested golfers for more than a century. Restored in recent years by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the course returned to Ross’s vision of sandy waste areas and natural contours. It has hosted multiple U.S. Opens and will continue to do so, standing as a living monument to classic American golf design.
TPC Sawgrass – Stadium Course, Florida
Few holes in golf are as recognisable as the island green at the seventeenth on TPC Sawgrass. Pete Dye’s Stadium Course is designed for both players and spectators, with its bold hazards and amphitheater-style routing. As host of The Players Championship, it is where the strongest field in golf gathers every spring. For amateurs, it provides a thrilling opportunity to attempt the same shots that often decide the outcome of one of the sport’s most dramatic tournaments.
Streamsong Red – Florida
Streamsong Red is a modern marvel, built on the site of a former phosphate mine in central Florida. Designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw took advantage of the sandy terrain to craft a course that feels at once ancient and innovative. Sweeping dunes, wide fairways, and imaginative green complexes make it one of the most striking new courses in America. It is proof that world-class golf can thrive in unexpected places far from traditional coastal or forested settings.
Whistling Straits – Wisconsin
Perched on the shores of Lake Michigan, Whistling Straits could easily be mistaken for an Irish links course. Pete Dye sculpted this masterpiece with rugged bunkering, windswept fescue, and dramatic elevation changes. It has staged multiple PGA Championships and hosted the Ryder Cup in 2021, further cementing its reputation as one of the toughest and most visually captivating courses in the country.
Torrey Pines – California
Torrey Pines, located in La Jolla, is a rare blend of accessibility and prestige. Operated as a municipal facility, it allows local residents and visitors to play the same course where Tiger Woods famously won the 2008 U.S. Open in heroic fashion. Perched above the Pacific, the South Course offers panoramic views and championship-caliber golf, while the North Course provides a slightly friendlier, yet equally scenic, challenge.
Pacific Dunes – Oregon
Part of the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Pacific Dunes is widely considered the finest modern links course in America. Designed by Tom Doak, it defies conventional routing, using the natural contours of the Oregon coast to create holes that feel as though they were discovered rather than built. With its rugged cliffs, rolling dunes, and ever-changing wind, Pacific Dunes delivers a raw, elemental golfing experience that rivals the great links of Scotland and Ireland.
Bethpage Black – New York
On Long Island lies Bethpage Black, a course with a reputation as fierce as the warning sign posted at its first tee. This public facility has hosted multiple U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship, making it one of the few municipal courses to stand on golf’s biggest stages. Known for its length, narrow fairways, and thick rough, it is a brute even for the world’s best players. For everyday golfers, simply surviving eighteen holes here feels like a badge of honour.
Why These Courses Matter
Together, these ten courses tell the story of American golf in all its diversity and grandeur. From the storied cliffs of Pebble Beach to the rugged links of Pacific Dunes, from the subtleties of Pinehurst to the brute force of Bethpage Black, they showcase every style and every test imaginable. They are united by one defining characteristic: they are open to the public. This accessibility transforms them from mere venues into pilgrimages, offering every golfer — whether seasoned competitor or weekend enthusiast — the chance to experience the same fairways where champions are made. In playing them, golfers don’t just chase a ball across turf; they step into the heart of the game itself, connecting with its history, its landscapes, and its enduring spirit.
