At some stage, every golfer has probably imagined playing the perfect round to win The US Masters or The Ryder Cup – listening to the crowd cheer as you sink the perfect putt on the 18th hole to lift the trophy. While for many of us, this may be an impossible dream, you can still play where the professionals play – on their favorite championship golf courses, no less.
To help you realize this dream, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the five best public golf courses in the US. Here, you can experience the joy of playing on these world-famous golf courses and, for a moment, turn these aspirations into reality.
Unanimously voted as one of the best public golf courses in the US by Golf Digest every year and host to six previous US Opens, a round of golf at historic Pebble Beach Golf Links must be the pinnacle golfing experience. Set along the rugged coastline of Pebble Beach, California, who could resist the challenge of this amazing golf course as you traverse the dramatic cliffside vistas overlooking the Pacific Ocean?
Home to one of the most famous putting greens in the world (and the reason for many a lost golf ball) is the jaw-dropping Par 3, 7th hole. Despite the lush fairways and rolling greens, the Pebble Beach Golf Links course provides a challenging round of golf – even for the Pros – however, it’s a fantastic way to rank your score and compare it to the golfing greats of the past.
Get the best night’s sleep before you tee off at the incredible Pebble Beach Golf Links by booking your stay at the relaxing Best Western Carmel’s Town House Lodge in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California.
Heading north along the coast on our tour of the best public golf courses in the US, we arrive at the organic Bandon Dunes Golf Course in the sandy coastal dunes just outside the city of Brandon, Oregon. With six distinct links courses spread across the seaside sand dunes, Bandon Dunes golf course offers golfers challenging fairways designed to be played harmoniously within the region’s natural environment.
Teeing off at Bandon Dunes provides a masterclass on handling daunting fairways and tricky greens while compensating you with fabulous views atop the numerous high bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Once you’ve made the greens, you’ll need your trusty putter to sink your golf balls here, but one thing is for sure: you’ll love the experience.
Arrange a trip to Bandon, Oregon, to play all six courses at Bandon Dunes and stay at the brilliant Best Western Inn at Face Rock so you’re fresh for your tee times each day.
Our next golf course is nestled in the heart of Las Vegas and a genuine oasis in the desert as we head to Desert Pines Golf Club on our shortlist of the best public golf courses in the US. Flanked with plush pine tree-lined fairways, the remarkable award-winning Desert Pines Golf Club’s championship course offers golfers the chance to try to navigate its exciting water and sand trap features.
Before you challenge this 18-hole course at Desert Pines Golf Club, be sure to grab your driver and head for the five-star practice range onsite. Once you have got your eye in, you can tee off onto the immaculately groomed, intricate fairways and manicured greens fashioned after those at Augusta National Golf Club, providing a stiff challenge, even for the seasoned putters among you.
Take in all the sights and sounds of Vegas before playing the perfect round at the Desert Pines Golf Club, and ensure you get a great night’s rest every night by booking your stay at the excellent STRAT Hotel, Casino & Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For passionate golfing enthusiasts, our next recommendation in our showcase of the best public golf courses in the US will heighten your enthusiasm to want to complete a round at The Pete Dye Course at French Lick. Designed and created by Hall of Fame architect Pete Dye, this championship golf course has a variety of challenges to test you and your golfing buddies on your visit.
Blessed with a spectacular elevation with 40-mile panoramic vistas over the scenic Indiana plains below, the views alone make The Pete Dye Course at French Lick unmissable. However, its tricky 8,100-yard course features several phenomenal ‘volcano’ bunkers and three artificial lakes you’ll need to traverse to register a below-par round.
Take up the challenge of the impressive Pete Dye Course and take the chance to rest up by staying at the inviting Best Western Plus French Lick in French Lick, Indiana.
Where better to complete our shortlist of the best public golf courses in the US than the award-winning Tournament Players Club (TPC) at Sawgrass Golf Course in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. The TPC Sawgrass has two championship golf courses, both designed by our friend and master architect, Pete Dye.
Meticulously maintained, TPC Sawgrass offers the ultimate golfing experience and is famous for hosting The Players Championship since it relocated there in 1981. Here, you and your friends can play at this unrivaled golfing venue and compare scores against golfing legends and previous winners, including Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and Fred Couples. However, the highlight of a round of golf at TPC Sawgrass is the iconic 17th hole, recognized for its daunting tee shot over the water to land on what is famously known as the ‘Island Green.’
Re-enact the great scenes from The Players Championship of years gone by before enjoying a beachside stay at the striking Best Western Oceanfront in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.