What makes a great golf course? Is it the conditions? The architecture? The difficulty? In most cases, there's more than one specific answer. Whether playing 18 holes at your local municipal course or enjoying the day at a pristine country club, there are a few guidelines and factors to consider when ranking your links experience.
On the technical side, it's important to consider a course's variety—its obstacles (a well-placed bunker or water hazard), its distances (a diverse group of par-3s and par-5s), and its unique dimensions (doglegs and elevated tee boxes)—that can encourage numerous strategies and cater to a range of skill sets. But just as crucial to golf is the atmosphere and overall aesthetic. The best courses seamlessly incorporate their location into the terrain, blending their features with the local flora. Of course, none of it matters without proper daily maintenance, which ensures mowed fairways, repaired greens, and fertilized tee boxes. They're little details that make a big difference.
To help you find that next unforgettable golf experience, PrimePutt compiled a list of the best golf courses in every state using data from Tripadvisor, which builds its rankings from its users with a combination of metrics that includes a course's rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a location with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of April 2024.
Across the globe, some of the most renowned courses have embraced and balanced these attributes. There's the Old Course at St. Andrews—located in Scotland and considered "ground zero for all golf architecture" by Golf Digest. The course hosted the 150th Open Championship and continues to dazzle with its links-style layout. Or look to Jack Nicklaus' Punta Espada G.C. in the Dominican Republic, which takes full advantage of its breathtaking ocean vistas. Within the United States, there are still plenty of other premier venues to experience. The iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links—home to annual PGA Tour events—perimeters Carmel Bay along the Pacific Ocean, providing expansive views and sometimes treacherous wind for an added challenge. Those looking for thinner air might try the Entrada at Snow Canyon golf course, a red rock haven filled with ancient lava terrain, meandering streams, canyons, and sloping hills.
Read on to find your next golf destination.
Alabama: Goose Pond Colony Resort
- Rating: 4/5 (275 reviews)
- Address: 417 Ed Hembree Drive, Scottsboro, Alabama
Alaska: Valley of the Eagles Golf Links & Driving Range
- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1.5 Haines Hwy, Haines, Alaska
Arizona: Troon North Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (450 reviews)
- Address: 10320 East Dynamite Blvd., Scottsdale, Arizona
Arkansas: Mountain Ranch Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 820 Lost Creek Pkwy, Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
California: Pebble Beach Golf Links
- Rating: 4.5/5 (830 reviews)
- Address: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, California
Colorado: Breckenridge Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Address: 200 Clubhouse Drive, Breckenridge, Colorado
Connecticut: Richter Park Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury, Connecticut
Delaware: Baywood Greens Golf Course
- Rating: 4/5 (90 reviews)
- Address: 32267 Clubhouse Way, Long Neck, Delaware
Florida: LaPlaya Golf Course
- Rating: 5/5 (190 reviews)
- Address: 333 Palm River Blvd., Naples, Florida
Georgia: East Lake Golf Club
- Rating: 5/5 (89 reviews)
- Address: 2575 Alston Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia
Hawaii: Manele Golf Course
- Rating: 5/5 (233 reviews)
- Address: 1 Manele Bay Road, Lanai City, Hawaii
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Idaho: Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (201 reviews)
- Address: 900 South Floating Green Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Illinois: TPC Deere Run
- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 3100 Heather Knl, Silvis, Illinois
Indiana: Brickyard Crossing Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 4790 West 16th St., Indianapolis, Indiana
Iowa: The Preserve on Rathbun Lake
- Rating: 4.5/5 (18 reviews)
- Address: 12633 Resort Drive, Moravia, Iowa
Kansas: Firekeeper Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 12524 150th Road, Mayetta, Kansas
Kentucky: Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 6371 State Park Road, Burkesville, Kentucky
Louisiana: Gray Plantation
- Rating: 4.5/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 6150 Graywood Parkway, Lake Charles, Louisiana
Maine: Samoset Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Address: 220 Warrenton St., Rockport, Maine
Maryland: Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links
- Rating: 5/5 (234 reviews)
- Address: 7000 Rum Point Lane, Berlin, Maryland
Massachusetts: Ocean Edge Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Address: 2907 Main St. Route 6A, Brewster, Massachusetts
Michigan: Boyne Highlands
- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)
- Address: 500 Highlands Drive, Harbor Springs, Michigan
Minnesota: Giants Ridge Recreation Area
- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 6325 Wynne Creek Drive, Biwabik, Minnesota
Mississippi: Fallen Oak Golf Course
- Rating: 5/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 24400 Highway 15, Saucier, Mississippi
Missouri: Golf at Top of the Rock
- Rating: 4.5/5 (305 reviews)
- Address: 150 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale, Missouri
Montana: Whitefish Lake Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)
- Address: Highway 93 North, Whitefish, Montana
Nebraska: The Prairie Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 88897 State Highway 97, Valentine, Nebraska
Nevada: Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort
- Rating: 4.5/5 (328 reviews)
- Address: 10325 Nu Wav Kaiv Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada
New Hampshire: Omni Mount Washington Resort Bretton Woods Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (106 reviews)
- Address: White Mountain Road, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
New Jersey: Crystal Springs Golf Club
- Rating: 3/5 (397 reviews)
- Address: 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, New Jersey
New Mexico: Paako Ridge Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (116 reviews)
- Address: 1 Club House Drive, Sandia Park, New Mexico
New York: Island Green Resort & Golf Club
- Rating: 5/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 3822 County Route 26, Greenville, New York
North Carolina: Tanglewood Park
- Rating: 4.5/5 (420 reviews)
- Address: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, North Carolina
North Dakota: Bully Pulpit Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)
- Address: 3731 Bible Camp Road, Medora, North Dakota
Ohio: Firestone Country Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Address: 452 East Warner Road, Akron, Ohio
Oklahoma: WinStar Golf Course & Academy
- Rating: 4/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 10813 Pro Shop Road, Thackerville, Oklahoma
Oregon: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
- Rating: 5/5 (251 reviews)
- Address: Round Lake Drive, Bandon, Oregon
Pennsylvania: Mystic Rock
- Rating: 4.5/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania
Rhode Island: Newport National Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 324 Mitchells Lane, Middletown, Rhode Island
South Carolina: Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (579 reviews)
- Address: 7 Trent Jones Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
South Dakota: The Golf Club at Red Rock
- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 6520 Birkdale Drive Rapid City, South Dakota
Tennessee: Shelby Park
- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: South 20th St. at Shelby Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee
Texas: Hermann Park
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,096 reviews)
- Address: 6201A Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas
Utah: Entrada at Snow Canyon Golf Course
- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Address: 2537 West Entrada Trl, St. George, Utah
Vermont: Mount Snow Resort
- Rating: 4/5 (561 reviews)
- Address: 39 Mount Snow Road, Dover, Vermont
Virginia: Golden Horseshoe Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (140 reviews)
- Address: 401 South England St., Williamsburg, Virginia
Washington: Chambers Bay
- Rating: 4.5/5 (189 reviews)
- Address: 6320 Grandview Drive West University, Place, Washington
West Virginia: Raven Golf Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, West Virginia
Wisconsin: Whistling Straits Golf Course - Straits and Irish
- Rating: 5/5 (253 reviews)
- Address: N8501 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Wyoming: Teton Pines Country Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 3450 Clubhouse Drive, Wilson, Wyoming
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