Best Public Golf Courses in America 2026

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."

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.

Erin, Wisconsin · Dr. Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry & Ron Whitten (2006) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,823 yards

Host of the 2017 U.S. Open, Erin Hills is a walking-only course routed through glacial kettle terrain with dramatic 100-foot elevation changes and fescue-covered ridgelines. The massive 7,823-yard layout through open meadows and native grasses delivers a links-like experience in the Wisconsin countryside.

Morell, Prince Edward Island · Thomas McBroom (1994) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,903 yards

Consistently ranked as Canada's finest public golf course, the Links at Crowbush Cove is Thomas McBroom's masterpiece on PEI's Gulf of St. Lawrence shoreline. The layout plays along dramatic sand dunes, through windswept marram grass, and along the redcliff coastline in a true links tradition. McBroom captured the natural terrain with minimal manipulation, creating a course that feels inevitable — as if golf has been played here for centuries. Crow Bush Cove is the destination that defines golf tourism in Atlantic Canada.

Scottsdale, Arizona · Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2006) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,225 yards

Built on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land, We-Ko-Pa's Saguaro Course is a Coore & Crenshaw gem set against the Four Peaks and Red Mountain. The minimalist design celebrates the raw beauty of the Sonoran Desert with wide playing corridors and creative green complexes.

Phoenix, Arizona · Rees Jones (2000) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,232 yards

Set in a remote canyon northwest of Phoenix, Quintero is one of Arizona's hidden gems. The Rees Jones design navigates through rugged desert canyons with several jaw-dropping holes that emerge from the landscape.

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.

University Place, Washington · Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2007) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,585 yards

Host of the 2015 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay is a links-style municipal course built on a former gravel quarry along Puget Sound. The fescue-covered layout features dramatic elevation changes, panoramic water views, and firm-and-fast conditions rare in the Pacific Northwest.

Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia · Stanley Thompson (1939) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,592 yards

Stanley Thompson's mountain links masterpiece in Cape Breton Highlands National Park is one of the most extraordinary golf experiences in North America. Commissioned by the Canadian government for the National Parks system, Highland Links plays along the Atlantic Ocean and through forested highlands with the Clyburn River in an 18-hole journey of dramatic variety. Thompson declared this his favorite design, and many golf historians agree it belongs alongside Banff Springs as his finest work. As a Parks Canada facility, it remains accessible at extraordinary public pricing.

Scottsdale, Arizona · Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish (1990) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,070 yards

Set against Pinnacle Peak in North Scottsdale, Troon North's Monument Course is the definitive desert golf experience. The layout weaves through massive granite boulders, towering saguaros, and native desert washes.

Phoenix, Arizona · Brian Curley & Lee Schmidt (2002) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,546 yards

A links-style desert course south of Phoenix, Southern Dunes features dramatic dune formations, wide fairways, and a windswept feel that's unique in the Valley of the Sun. Consistently ranked among Arizona's top public courses.

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina · Mike Strantz (1998) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,126 yards

The bold, dramatic sibling of neighboring Caledonia, True Blue is another Mike Strantz creation that plays through marshland and maritime forest. Massive waste bunkers, forced carries, and wildly creative green complexes make every hole an adventure.

Whistler, British Columbia · Jack Nicklaus (1995) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,908 yards

Designed by Jack Nicklaus along the shores of Green Lake in Whistler, Nicklaus North is one of the most celebrated resort courses in Canada. The layout weaves through boreal forest and meadows with dramatic mountain backdrops and several holes playing directly along the lake. Consistently ranked among Canada's top public courses, it pairs world-class mountain scenery with Nicklaus's strategic design intelligence.

Kananaskis, Alberta · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1983) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,102 yards

Commissioned by the Government of Alberta and designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. for the 1988 G8 Summit at Kananaskis, the Mount Lorette Course is a world-class public layout set in the heart of the Rockies. Jones routed the 7,102-yard championship layout along the Kananaskis River with the Kananaskis Range providing a constant backdrop. The course hosted the Presidents Cup qualifier and offers one of the best public golf values in Canada.

Houston, Texas · Tom Doak (renovation) (1936) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,412 yards

Completely reimagined by Tom Doak in 2019, Memorial Park is a world-class municipal course and current host of the Houston Open. The renovation transformed this Depression-era layout into one of America's finest public courses.

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.

Inverness, Nova Scotia · Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw (2015) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,829 yards

Widely regarded as one of the greatest golf courses ever built, Cabot Cliffs by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw sits on the dramatic cliffs of Cape Breton's Ceilidh Trail overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Consistently ranked in the top 5 courses in the world, the layout uses 280 feet of elevation change, genuine clifftop drama, and some of the most spectacular holes ever conceived to create a golf experience without peer in North America. Cabot Cliffs is a bucket-list destination that belongs in the same conversation as Pebble Beach, Cypress Point, and Royal County Down.

Las Vegas, Nevada · Tom Fazio (1989) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,560 yards

The most exclusive and expensive resort course in Las Vegas, Shadow Creek is a Tom Fazio creation built in the desert for Steve Wynn at a rumored cost of $60 million. The lush, parkland-style layout — complete with transplanted trees, creeks, and waterfalls — feels impossibly out of place in the Mojave Desert and is universally ranked as the best course in Nevada.