Best Golf Destinations for May

Pinehurst, North Carolina · Donald Ross (1907) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,588 yards

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.

Portland, Oregon · Tom Doak (2001) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,633 yards

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.

Pebble Beach, California · Jack Neville & Douglas Grant (1919) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,828 yards

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.

Kiawah Island, South Carolina · Pete Dye (1991) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,356 yards

Host of the 1991 "War by the Shore" Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, Kiawah's Ocean Course is Pete Dye's windswept masterpiece. Built with every hole offering views of the Atlantic Ocean, it is the most challenging and exposed seaside course in the United States.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Mike Strantz (1994) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 6,526 yards

Widely regarded as the crown jewel of Myrtle Beach golf, Caledonia is a Mike Strantz masterpiece routed through a former rice plantation along the Waccamaw River. The avenue of live oaks leading to the antebellum-style clubhouse sets the tone for one of America's most beautiful golf experiences.

Hilton Head, South Carolina · Pete Dye & Jack Nicklaus (1969) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,099 yards

Home of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town is one of the most iconic courses in America. Pete Dye's tight, tree-lined layout demands precision over power, and the lighthouse finish at the 18th green on Calibogue Sound is one of golf's most recognizable images.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina · Pete Dye & Jack Nicklaus (1969) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,099 yards

Home of the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour, Harbour Town is a Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus collaboration at Sea Pines Resort. The tight, strategic layout along Calibogue Sound features Dye's signature railroad-tie bulkheads, small greens, and the iconic lighthouse behind the 18th green.

Portland, Oregon · David McLay Kidd (1999) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,732 yards

The course that started it all — David McLay Kidd's original Bandon Dunes layout put Oregon on the world golf map. The links-style design on the rugged southern Oregon coast features tumbling dune terrain, gorse-lined fairways, and multiple oceanfront holes that define bucket-list golf.

Portland, Oregon · Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2020) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,734 yards

The newest addition to Bandon Dunes, Sheep Ranch is a Coore & Crenshaw design with the most dramatic ocean exposure of any course at the resort. Nearly every hole offers Pacific Ocean views, and many play directly along the cliff edge. The wide, strategic layout with minimal rough evokes the spirit of early links golf.

New York, New York · A.W. Tillinghast (1936) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,468 yards

The most famous public course in America, Bethpage Black is a brute of a Tillinghast design that has hosted two U.S. Opens and a PGA Championship. The first tee famously warns: "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers."

Pinehurst, North Carolina · Gil Hanse (2018) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,361 yards

Completely rebuilt by Gil Hanse in 2018, Pinehurst No. 4 has earned rave reviews as the best "other" course at the resort. The design features bold contours, sandy waste areas, and a strategic quality that some say rivals No. 2 for pure fun.

Pinehurst, North Carolina · Donald Ross (1928) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,015 yards

Host of three U.S. Women's Opens and the 2022 U.S. Open, Pine Needles is a Donald Ross masterwork that winds through longleaf pines. The walkable layout features Ross's signature crowned greens and strategic bunkering.

Portland, Oregon · Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2005) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,765 yards

The Coore & Crenshaw entry at Bandon Dunes routes through coastal forest, open meadow, and dune land — offering the most varied terrain of any course at the resort. While it lacks the ocean views of Pacific Dunes, many consider it the most strategically interesting layout at Bandon.

Portland, Oregon · Tom Doak & Jim Urbina (2010) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,942 yards

A tribute to the template holes of Charles Blair Macdonald, Old Macdonald is Tom Doak's second design at Bandon. The wide, strategic layout features massive greens, deep pot bunkers, and expansive ocean views — recreating Macdonald's timeless hole concepts in a Pacific Northwest setting.

Bend, Oregon · Jack Nicklaus (2004) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,379 yards

A Jack Nicklaus Signature design at Pronghorn Resort in the high desert east of the Cascades, this course offers panoramic views of Broken Top, the Three Sisters, and Mount Bachelor. The championship layout traverses juniper-studded lava terrain with pristine conditioning at 3,400 feet elevation.

San Diego, California · William F. Bell / Rees Jones (1957) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,698 yards

Perched on the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, Torrey Pines South is one of America's most famous municipal courses and host of the Farmers Insurance Open. Tiger Woods' legendary 2008 U.S. Open victory here cemented its place in golf history.

San Francisco, California · Alister MacKenzie (1929) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 6,476 yards

Alister MacKenzie's personal favorite among his designs (he built a home on the 6th fairway), Pasatiempo in Santa Cruz is a bucket-list course for architecture aficionados. The rolling layout features MacKenzie's trademark contoured greens, strategic bunkering, and a dramatic barranca crossing.

Palm Springs, California · Pete Dye (1986) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,300 yards

One of Pete Dye's most famous and fearsome designs, PGA West Stadium was built as the ultimate spectator-friendly desert course. The infamous island-green 17th, deep pot bunkers, and relentless challenge made it a PGA Tour venue and one of the toughest resort courses in the world.

Pebble Beach, California · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1966) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,960 yards

Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s Spyglass Hill begins with five stunning oceanfront holes through the sand dunes before ascending into the Del Monte Forest pines. Often considered the toughest test on the Monterey Peninsula, it combines coastal and forest golf in a single round.

San Martin, California · Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2000) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,360 yards

Host of the 2016 U.S. Women's Open at the Rosewood CordeValle resort, this RTJ Jr. design occupies a stunning valley floor in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Jose. The championship layout features dramatic elevation changes, native oak corridors, and impeccable conditioning that earned it top resort accolades.