The Inside Swing
Expert-curated golf course rankings, in-depth reviews, and destination guides for the discerning golfer.
Featured Courses
In-depth profiles of America's finest
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, North Carolina · Donald Ross
The crown jewel of American golf, Pinehurst No. 2 is Donald Ross's masterpiece and has hosted more single championships than any course in America — including U.S. Opens, PGA Championships, and Ryder Cups. The restored wiregrass-and-sand landscape and legendary turtle-back greens define the Pinehurst experience.
Los Angeles Country Club - North
Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. / Gil Hanse
Host of the 2023 U.S. Open, Los Angeles Country Club is one of America's most exclusive and highly ranked courses. The Gil Hanse restoration brought this George C. Thomas Jr. gem back to its original strategic brilliance, set incongruously amid Beverly Hills and Century City.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
New York, New York · William Flynn
One of the five founding member clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock Hills is among the most revered courses on the planet. The windswept links-inspired layout on the eastern end of Long Island has hosted five U.S. Opens and embodies the essence of American championship golf.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort - Pacific Dunes
Portland, Oregon · Tom Doak
Widely ranked as the #1 public course in America, Pacific Dunes is Tom Doak's links masterpiece perched on the bluffs above the Pacific Ocean at Bandon Dunes Resort. The routing — which hugs the cliff edge for multiple holes — recalls the great seaside links of Scotland and Ireland, but in an utterly wild Oregon setting.
Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley, New Jersey · George Crump & H.S. Colt
Widely considered the number-one golf course in the world, Pine Valley is a masterwork of penal design set in the New Jersey Pine Barrens just outside Philadelphia. Every hole is an isolated island of manicured turf surrounded by sand, scrub, and forest, creating golf's ultimate strategic and visual challenge.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, California · Jack Neville & Douglas Grant
Arguably the most famous golf course in America, Pebble Beach has hosted six U.S. Opens along the cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula. The iconic oceanfront holes from 4 through 10 and the dramatic finishing stretch at 17 and 18 deliver golf at its most spectacular and storied.
Rankings
Expert-curated lists updated for 2026
Popular Golf Destinations
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Golf Travel Guides
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The Sandhills of North Carolina are hallowed ground in American golf, home to more than 40 courses including the legendary Pinehurst Resort ...
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Orlando is a year-round golf destination with over 170 courses in the greater metro area, anchored by iconic resort properties and PGA Tour ...
Read guide →Austin & Texas Hill Country
Austin combines a vibrant live-music scene and legendary BBQ culture with surprisingly excellent golf on dramatic Hill Country terrain — cre...
Read guide →Southern California Golf
Southern California delivers year-round golf under Pacific blue skies, from ocean-cliff courses in San Diego to canyon layouts in Los Angele...
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