Long Island’s Bethpage State Park, venue for the 2025 Ryder Cup, is the home of no fewer than five 18-hole courses.

In order of difficulty (from friendliest to toughest) is the Yellow Course, the Green Course, the Blue Course, the Red Course and the most famous of all, the Black Course.

The layout has acquired an almost mythical reputation for its difficulty, and not just because it is true, as many pros who have struggled during the high-profile events it has hosted through the years would attest.

It’s also because, for decades, a stark “warning” sign has greeted players as they make their way to the first tee (albeit not for the 2025 Ryder Cup as it was temporarily removed to accomodate the grandstand).

It reads: “WARNING - The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers.”

The origins of the sign are unclear, with some believing it was first affixed to an iron railing beside the course in the 1960s, and others dating its appearance to the 1980s.

However, if the intention was to persuade recreational golfers to think twice before booking a round at Bethpage Black, it didn’t work.

In fact, it has likely only added to the layout’s allure, with golfers regularly prepared to queue overnight for the chance to test their skills on a course known for its brutal challenges, including plateaued greens, punishingly deep bunkers and penal rough.

The data backs up its reputation, too. The Slope Rating, which measures the relative playing difficulty of a course for non-scratch golfers compared to scratch golfers, is 155 - the maximum.

Along similar lines, Course Rating indicates the difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer under normal conditions, with Bethpage Black’s set at 78.

Standout holes include the par-5 fourth, with an uphill approach and huge bunkers. At the other end of the scale, the par-3 eighth features water directly in front of the green, while the putting surface starts out wide before narrowing the further back you land.

Big events the course has hosted include two editions of the US Open. In the first of those, the 2002 edition, winner Tiger Woods was the only player to finish under par.

Meanwhile, Nick Watney remains the only player to finish double-digits under par, at 10-under at the 2012 Barclays.

The course also hosted the 2009 US Open and the 2019 PGA Championship, while it's the venue for the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Unlike many top US courses, Bethpage Black is not limited to elite pros or the wealthy and influential members found at private courses. Rather, it, along with the other five layouts, is open to the public.

Compared to many other top public courses in the US, it's extraordinarily cheap. For example, the most a round at Bethpage Black will cost is $160 for out of state golfers on a weekend.

You can even play it for as little as $47 if you're a senior citizen or junior and reside in New York state.

Green fees for all five courses are listed below.

Bethpage Black Green Fees

Bethpage Black Location

Why Is Bethpage Black So Cheap?

The course is so cheap to play because it's a public course in Bethpage State Park, which is administered by the State of New York.

Green fees range between $47 and $160.

Erin Hills, located around 35 miles from Milwaukee in Wisconsin, is a relatively young course, having only opened in 2006, but it hasn’t taken it long to become established as one of the best in the US.

The course was built by a local developer and, over time, the ambition to bring the US Open to the venue grew. Just 11 years after it opened, that was realized when the Major was held at the course for the first time, when Brooks Koepka won the title.

However, that wasn’t the first big tournament to be held there, with test runs in the form of the 2008 US Women’s Amateur Public Links and 2011 US Amateur.

Five years after Koepka’s maiden Major triumph, it hosted the US Mid-Amateur, while in 2025, the US Women’s Open will come to the course for the first time, where the likes of Nelly Korda, Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Ko will tee it up in a star-studded field of 156.

But what is it about the course that has already attracted some of the game’s most famous events?

The course is a links-style layout, which, if you didn’t know better, might trick you into thinking you were in Ireland or Scotland rather than the US Midwest. Even though it is inland, there are several elements that certainly resemble the famous links courses of those countries, including wide, treeless fairways, fescue and natural rolling terrain.

When Koepka won the US Open at Erin Hills in 2017, he equaled the US Open’s lowest winning score of 16 under, leading some to suggest the course didn’t offer a test stern enough for a Major typically known for its brutal difficulty, but one of the reasons was that the wind was generally low that week. However, anyone wishing to play the course shouldn’t expect similarly calm conditions.

Whether benign weather tames the course or wind allows it to bear its teeth, it is open to the public. Reservations can be made online, with 2025 green fees ranging from $375 to $455, depending on the time of year you play. Meanwhile, it is $265 for active or retired military personnel, with the cost for juniors set at $195.

The base service fee for a caddie is $55 with a suggested gratuity of $75, while a forecaddie is $55 for a group with a suggested gratuity of $35. Golf clubs can be rented for $85 per player.

There are also options to stay at Erin Hills, with a night in it’s Irish country-inn style accommodation, The Lodge, costing between $250 and $1,360 depending on time of year and suite chosen. There are also cottages with costs ranging between $2,000 and $2,350.

Those staying overnight will be charged a $375 green fee with a $190 fee for a second round at the course.

Erin Hills Green Fees

Erin Hills Location

Kapalua Resort has two simply breathtaking layouts at its disposal - the premier of which is the Plantation Course - and it's the dream of many a golfer to tee it up there one day.

Framed by the Pacific ocean and many of Hawaii's other 137 recognized islands, Kapalua's location on the slopes of the West Maui Mountains offers up dramatic views from virtually every hole.

Measuring at a maximum of 7,596 yards, the site of the PGA Tour's season-opening event - The Sentry - can be reduced down to either 7,284, 6,701, 6,077 or 5,181 yards depending on your ability level. As a result, all amateurs can fulfil a bucket-list ambition and complete 18 holes there.

The Plantation Course was originally co-designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw - the same pair who breathed new life into Pinehurst No.2 - and opened in 1992, undergoing a significant restoration in 2019 following Xander Schauffele's success at The Sentry. Those alterations made for extremely low scoring the next time tour pros returned, and 2022 saw a bumper year in terms of broken records.

Cameron Smith knocked it around in just 258 shots (-34) on his way to winning to clinch the 72-hole record, while Jon Rahm (third round), Justin Thomas (third round), and Matt Jones (fourth round) all managed rounds of 12-under in the same year to secure the 18-hole low.

Speaking of breaking records, the Plantation Course has regularly been the site of the PGA Tour's longest-ever drives as a result of its steep and sloping 18th hole. In the third round of the 2002 Mercedes Championship at Kapalua, Tiger Woods’ drive was recorded at 498 yards. The 15 longest drives of that season were all recorded on that hole during that round, but all those drives were later excluded from the official records.

Of the 10 that have stood, four took place on the Plantation Course - including the longest official drive in PGA Tour history. In 2024, Max Homa smoked one a whopping 477 yards down the seventh during round three of The Sentry. Homa's record eclipsed Davis Love III's 20-year record by just one yard.

The season before, Ryan Brehm managed just 455 yards on the 18th hole which secured him eighth on the list of big hits. In the same year as Brehm, Luke List rocketed a drive 459 yards down the seventh to put himself sixth.

So, if you're looking to break your all-time record for longest drive down these wide fairways, then it might be worth considering a trip out to Hawaii. But, fair warning, a tee time at Kapalua's Plantation Course is not among the cheapest PGA Tour green fees you will find. Although, they are very easy to sort if you have the required funds.

You only have to visit the Kapalua Golf website and click on 'book a tee time' - much the same as you would at many other venues. From there, you can reserve your tee time anywhere between one and 90 days in advance. It must be noted, though, that reserving tee times from between 31-90 days in advance require golfers to pay what the resort calls an "upcharge fee" - standard rate plus 15%.

A standard tee time at any time of the week - aside from 'Sentry Season' (December 23 - January 10) when premium pricing is in effect - is currently $469 per person. Otherwise, tee times can be reserved from $539.35pp. The price does not change depending on the number of golfers per tee time, nor the time or day on which you play.

If you would like to stay at Kapalua Resort and take advantage of both the Plantation and Bay Courses, the Aloha package offers two rounds at the latter and one at the Plantation from $949 plus tax. Additional rounds at the Plantation Course can be booked from $429 plus tax on a different day, or from $249 plus tax on the same day, but that is space dependent and does not guarantee another full 18.

Kapalua Plantation Course Location

Kapalua Plantation Course: Key Stats

Florida has long been a 'go-to' destination for US and international golfers. The combination of year-round good weather and over 1,200 courses across the state - the majority of which are public access - is a compelling one. However, if there's a negative to golf in Florida it's the fact that the majority of layouts look and play the same.

Courses tend to be either wide open and lacking in visual stimulation, or heavily tree lined and a little claustrophobic. Fairways are usually over-watered with little or no run on offer. Amorphous, highly manicured bunkers line fairways and surround greens and present little in the way of a strategic challenge to escape them. Expansive water hazards (sometimes on both sides of the fairways and greens) intimidate and penalize golfers. Greens are vast but often have little in the way of interesting movement. Target golf at its 'finest'.

Oh, and nine times out of 10 you have no option but to ride in a cart if you want to play them.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule. Perhaps most notably Streamsong Resort in deepest central Florida about an hour south east of Tampa, where the three 18-hole courses, Blue, Red, Black and a short course called The Chain offer a sensational golfing experience that makes the most of a dramatic landscape that’s part natural, part man made.  

You can now add Cabot Citrus Farms to the list of Florida destinations that offer something refreshingly different.

Like Streamsong, Cabot Citrus Farms is off the beaten track. Located in an area known as the Nature Coast, it’s a 90-minute drive from Orlando and 60 minutes from Tampa. The nearest town is Brooksville (population approximately 10,000) and the local economy is founded on agriculture… hence the Citrus Farms name.

Strictly speaking, Cabot Citrus Farms isn’t ‘new’ as it occupies the site that was home to World Woods, which opened in 1994 at the height of the golf course boom that saw hundreds of new layouts spring up across America.

The vision was for it to be one of the best public access golf destinations in the US, and Japanese owner, Yukihisa Inoue, hired Tom Fazio - very much the man of the moment in the 90s - to lay out two distinct courses on the site: Pine Barrens, which took inspiration from Pine Valley, and Rolling Oaks, that sought to evoke echoes of Augusta National. 

Both courses were well received and Pine Barrens became a fixture in several of the well regarded US Top 100 courses lists. However, World Woods suffered in comparison to other parts of Florida as it was somewhat out on a limb with little in the way of other courses and accommodation options to allow it to become a destination in its own right.

Green fees were competitively priced to try to attract golfers to make the journey from Orlando or Tampa, but there just wasn’t the volume of business. As a result, the condition of the courses suffered as visitor income couldn’t keep pace with the expenditure required to upkeep such a big property. 

World Woods was effectively mothballed until the Cabot Group and its dynamic CEO and co-founder, Ben Cowan-Dewar, bought the courses and surrounding land in 2022.

Cowan-Dewar had apparently first visited way back in 1999 and liked what he saw. It was perhaps no great surprise that when World Woods became available to buy he stepped in and made the investment, seeing the opportunity to create another world-class golf destination to add to the Cabot Collection.

To golf course aficionados, the Cabot name has rapidly grown in stature since the group’s first course, Cabot Links in Nova Scotia, opened in 2011. Set on spectacular land overlooking the Gulf of St Lawrence, the course, designed by Rod Whitman, became an instant classic. A few years later a second course, Cabot Cliffs, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw opened, and both are now highly regarded and rank very highly in all the US and World Top 100 lists. 

Cowan-Dewar’s next development was on the Caribbean island of St Lucia, where once again he engaged Coore and Crenshaw to lay out the spectacular Point Hardy Golf Club, which Golf Monthly contributing editor, Fergus Bissett, was lucky enough to pay a visit to back in February 2023. He was both mightily impressed not only by the golf course but also Cowan-Dewar and his vision for creating exciting golf courses on spectacular plots of land. Point Hardy officially opened and it has already made its way onto the bucket lists of those in the know.

Following the template for jaw-dropping courses in stunning settings, Cabot Revelstoke in the Canadian Rockies is set to open in 2025. It’s another Rod Whitman design and from a glimpse at the website it looks like it’s going to be another Cabot classic.

In 2023, the Cabot Group also acquired Castle Stuart in the Scottish Highlands. Consistently ranked in the upper echelons of Golf Monthly’s Top 100 GB&I rankings, it is a superb modern links layout set on the Dornoch Firth. When it became part of the Cabot group, there was a name change and it’s now known as Cabot Highlands.

Work is due to start soon on a second course at Cabot Highlands with Tom Doak taking on design duties. There is arguably no more sought after course designer right now than Doak and his brief is to create something special to contrast with the existing Gil Hanse design. It’s fair to say that the Cabot Group is on somewhat of a roll right now. 

Anyway, back to Brooksville, Florida… 

Ahead my visit I had got myself suitably excited by looking at the Cabot Citrus Farms website and Instagram page. The Cabot Group really knows how to stir the souls of golf course enthusiasts with beautiful imagery, superb video and well written words. The best way I can describe Cabot's content is for golfers, by golfers. 

There are expansive plans for the whole development here and the site was a bustling hive of activity when I arrived with the first phase of 36 cottage-style properties and the clubhouse under construction. There’s a second phase planned which includes more cottages and some larger family homes and numerous upscale restaurants, bars and leisure facilities for those staying on site to enjoy. The pro shop was already open for business and has a brilliant array of apparel and accessories all featuring the very cool Cabot Citrus Farms branding. It took A LOT of willpower to not spend big in there!

The phase 1 properties sit in the center of an area that will become known as Cabot Citrus Farms Village with the golf courses surrounding them. At present, one of the 18-hole courses, ‘Karoo’ and the two short courses ‘The Squeeze’ and ‘The Wedge’ (more on these gems later) are open for preview play.

Karoo occupies the site of the former Pine Barrens layout and is named after the distinctive calling sound made by the Sandhill Cranes birds that stride around the fairways.

The course features some of the original holes from Pine Barrens, and retains some of the visual cues, too, but much has changed thanks to the inspirational design skills of Kyle Franz, who is best known for his work in the North Carolina area including restorations of three celebrated Donald Ross courses, Pines Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines. 

There are distinct similarities between Karoo and typical North Carolina courses, including wide open fairways and towering cathedral pines that are much more prominent after wide scale clearance of lower level trees that has had the dual benefit of opening up views and letting air circulate.

The bold Franz design is rugged in nature with many changes in elevation, double and even triple fairways, cleverly positioned bunkering and waste areas which lead the eye to interesting green complexes that feature lots of options for fun but challenging pin positions. Franz calls it 'Adventure Golf' as it truly lives up to that billing. Karoo is a great golfing experience that will bring a smile to your face and test your game. 

There are five different tee box options meaning the course can play as short as 4,223 yards (Royal Blue) right up to 7,562 yards (Black). On the day I visited, we played from the Tangerine tees. At 6,295 yards, it’s a perfect length for a wide range of golfers. Big hitters will be encouraged to make aggressive plays, but it’s not unduly intimidating for shorter hitters. 

One of the most enjoyable things about playing at Cabot Citrus Farms is the fact you have so many options off the tee (there are no forced carries here) and playing into greens. Unlike most Florida golf courses where ‘bomb and gouge’ approach rules, here drives run out and can take big bounces and breaks off mounds and slopes, bunkers are genuine strategic hazards, and golfers can play running shots into and around all of the greens rather than having to take the aerial route and try to stop the ball on a dime. In short, it’s a superbly varied and strategic test of golf.

Better players can take on more aggressive lines from the tee and if they succeed in missing the trouble, they will be rewarded with clearer lines into greens. For less talented golfers, there is always a safe option and while it might mean a less favorable approach to the green, there is normally always an area short of the putting surface to lay up into from where you have a chance of getting up and down. The course manages to achieve the hard par/easy bogey principle that is the hallmark of great golf course design. 

With no rough, only two water hazards and out of bounds set well back from the playing area on almost every hole, it’s almost impossible to lose a ball… although I did on the par-3 3rd hole, when I hit a big pull left that disappeared into the trees never to be seen again. 

One of the other highlights of Karoo is the fact that you pass a ‘halfway house’ no fewer than four times during the round, meaning you can pick up some refreshments and stop for a comfort break at regular points.

There is a great choice of food and drink to be had here - my personal favorites were the handcrafted hard seltzer by Florida based 3 Daughters Brewing Co and the gourmet hot dogs that you could top with a selection of tasty extras including crispy fried onions and spicy jalapeno peppers. 

There genuinely isn’t a weak hole on Karoo and I found it almost impossible to settle on a favorite, so I’ve selected what to me are the best par-3, 4 and 5 on the layout. Yardage quoted is from the Tangerine tees that I played from.

BEST PAR 3 - 7th HOLE, 167 YARDS

Playing slightly downhill, this brilliant one-shotter features just one bunker, some 60 yards short of the front of the green, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security, because the putting surface is surrounded by waste areas that come especially close to the back edge of the green making it easy to run into trouble, especially if it’s playing downwind. 

The real challenge here is negotiating the severe undulations of the green, most notably a deep ridge that runs through a section in the middle. Get on the wrong side of this and you will have to be a very skilful judge of speed and slope to get your approach putt close enough to the flag to make par. It’s not often in golf that you can have fun four-putting a green, but it’s very possible here! 

BEST PAR 4 - 15th HOLE, 282 yards

This brilliant risk-and-reward short par-4 has lots of options. You can play ‘safe’ up the left hand side where a fairly generous fairway is situated, although from here you’ll have to hit a short iron or wedge pitch over a mound that protects to the left hand side of a green with some more dramatic undulations. The brave play is to take aim directly at the green and try to fly it over a pond and sandy waste area, where if you come up short it’s easy to draw a tricky lie and you’ll be left with a fiddly distance to negotiate. I suspect in every fourball there will be as many bogeys and worse made as birdies at this hole. 

BEST PAR 5 - 14th HOLE, 511 yards

This excellent long hole plays uphill and doglegs from right to left. Big hitters must keep the ball to the right hand side to avoid a large mound at driving distance that is covered in scrub and bunker beside. Shorter hitters have a wide target to aim for and can open their shoulders.

Depending on how far you’ve driven the ball and the wind direction, the green might be in range but it will require a fairway wood or long iron to reach and you’ll need to skirt four treacherous bunkers on the left hand side of the putting surface. If you play the hole more conservatively as a three-shotter there are a collection of bunkers that need to be avoided and the best route is to keep up the right hand side. 

The Roost

The second course at Cabot Citrus Farms is currently being grassed in and is due to open for preview play in June 2024 - and it looks to be an absolute cracker. Designed by Mike Nuzzo and Kyle Franz with input from Ran Morrissett (the founder of the highly respected Golf Club Atlas website), The Roost is the new incarnation of the Rolling Oaks layout and although it sits adjacent to Karoo, it will have a very different feel with holes lined by a combination of rolling meadows featuring flowering dogwoods and native wildflowers, oak trees draped with the distinctive Spanish Moss and sandy, scrubby areas that are reminiscent of courses on the famous Australian sandbelt. The original Rolling Oaks layout took inspiration from Augusta and The Roost retains that with significant changes in elevation challenging the golfer on many holes. 

The Squeeze

This fun, 9-hole 'half-par' inspired layout should be a must-play for every visitor coming to play one or both of the 18-hole layouts. Holes range in length from 100 yards to 550 yards and there are chances for birdies at every single one of them. On my visit, our group managed to get round in under an hour and we had tons of fun shots and plenty of chances at making birdies. 

The Wedge

Last but not least is The Wedge, an 11-hole, par-3 course that can be lit up at night, which means golfers can have an extra fix of golfing fun after daylight has disappeared. You’ll only need a couple of wedges and a putter (and maybe a beer or two) to get round this course with holes varying between 70 and 115 yards in length. The Wedge boasts many of the design features of the other three courses, with waste areas and sloping greens providing a fun examination of your short game.

Practice Facilities

The original World Woods featured a 360-degree driving range and extensive short game facilities and while the driving range layout has changed, there are still lots of options to hone your game at Cabot Citrus Farms.

The new double-ended driving range features Trackman technology meaning you can dial in your numbers and ball flight as you hit premium balls at a wide variety of perfectly presented targets that brings a real focus to your pre-round warm up or a session working on your game. 

There’s also an incredible putting green that covers almost two acres featuring huge slopes where you can get a feel for the type of challenges out on the main courses. For those who have been to St Andrews and enjoyed the unique challenge of The Himalayas, there’s a similar experience on offer here.

Nestled in center of the action - between the putting green, the 1st tee and 11th green of The Wedge and 10th the green of The Squeeze, is a grass area named 'The Porch' where firepits are surrounded by outdoor seating and there's a cool Airstream caravan serving food and drinks. It’s a great spot to close out a memorable day at Cabot Citrus Farms. 

How To Play Cabot Citrus Farms

Golfers can apply to play ‘preview rounds’ on the four courses via the club's website Cabot Citrus Farms at what are very competitive rates of between $30 and $170 depending on which course and month. Rates will increase when Cabot Citrus Farms officially opens in Autumn 2024 at which point rates will increase to reflect the full experience.

I, for one, can't wait to get back and see how the courses and community will unfold, but be assured Cabot Citrus Farms is here to stay and in time you can expect it to become a genuine rival to the likes of Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Streamsong. 

Every golfer dreams of playing the world's most iconic courses. The Old Course at St Andrews, Augusta National and Pebble Beach would be high on the list for most. The trio have all been made famous by hosting epic Major Championships across many decades won by the greats of the game... Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Co.

For the members of the Porsche Golf Circle, those dreams have become a reality in the last two years, with visits to St Andrews and Pebble Beach. In October 2022, Golf Monthly's contributing editor Fergus Bisset had the opportunity to join Porsche's golf community and play at 'The Home of Golf'. A year on and I found myself standing on the first tee at Pebble Beach.

Excited (and nervous) doesn't begin to come close to describing how I felt. The fact I hit a stone cold top off the first with my driver was unsurprising. That I walked off the tee with a smile on my face and laughing with my playing partners for the day - George from New Jersey and Jens and Mark from Germany - was equally predictable. Porsche Golf Circle events are about fun, friendship and experiences that will last a lifetime. 

Porsche Golf Circle

The Porsche Golf Circle community was founded in 2017 with the aim of bringing together people from all over the world who share a passion for golf and Porsche. It's open to everyone, with membership benefits including tips and tutorials from brand ambassador Paul Casey, accessed through a free app that can be downloaded for Apple and Google devices. Global membership stands at over 4,000. 

The Golf Circle builds on Porsche's relationship with the sport of golf that dates back to 1988 and the introduction of the Porsche Golf Cup where golfers from all over the world who are Porsche customers have the chance to play in national competitions, with winners qualifying for a World Final that has been staged at the stunning Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca since 2014. 

For the past eight years, the brand has also been the lead sponsor of the Porsche European Open played in Germany, won in 2019 by none other than...Paul Casey!

Day 1 - Hello California!

The famous Lodge at Pebble Beach was the base for the Porsche Golf Circle event and after checking in to my room (complete with a tantalising glimpse of the golf course and the Pacific Ocean beyond), it was time to head to the official welcome and cocktail reception in the card room.

As locations for a welcome event go, this was spectacular. We enjoyed a glass of champagne while overlooking the 18th hole before settling down for a wonderful three-course dinner. Casey was the guest of honor and he took the time to chat to everyone, sharing stories of both his stellar career as a professional golfer and his love of Porsche cars. He has quite a collection of both global tour wins and fast cars from Stuttgart, so the conversation flowed!

As I returned to my room, I looked at my watch and did a quick calculation on the time difference back to the UK and, a snooze on the plane aside, I worked out I’d been up for nearly 24 hours. That's what excitement and anticipation does to the body!

Day 2 - Hidden Delights

After breakfast in the gallery café that overlooks the first tee at Pebble Beach, it was time for the short journey to Spyglass Hill. 

This Robert Trent Jones Snr creation, which opened in 1966, has been made famous as one of the co-hosts of the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am event. With its stunning mix of holes that forge out to the ocean before heading inland to weave through the Del Monte Forest, Spyglass is a visual treat as well as being a very challenging golf course. 

I was teeing it up with Karen from Mexico and Mark from Germany and, after a warm up on the range under the watchful eye of Casey, it was time to head to the 1st - a sweeping downhill par 5 that eases you into the round.

On the 3rd tee, everybody got the chance to take part in a beat the pro competition against Paul, who was in great form, laughing and joking with everybody in between shots. However, like the true champion he is, he was able to get dialled in and focus on the job in hand when it was his shot - no more so than when it was our group's turn and he produced a world-class wedge shot that finished just two feet from the flag!

After the fun of the par 3, it was time to refocus and take on the brilliant par-4 4th. The hole is apparently Trent Jones Snr's favorite par 4 that he designed - it's not hard to see why.

With the Pacific Ocean to your left, you drive to a fairway that gives you a glimpse of a unique green that sits between two dunes and measures just 10 yards wide, but 55 yards deep and with a big step to a lower back level in the middle. The flag was positioned right at the front of the green, making the approach even harder.

After another stunning par 3 that plays back towards the ocean, the course turns inland and in doing so changes in character as it starts to play between the trees of the forest.

Many comparisons have been drawn to Augusta National, and they certainly stand up to scrutiny as holes weave their way between the towering trees and dramatic changes in elevation, whilst white sand bunkers sparkle at the sides of fairways and around greens.

Mark and I put in solid rounds (I managed to par all of the stunning par 3s en route to an 86), but Karen was the undoubted star of our group, playing some superb golf and underlining why she was a single figure index golfer. 

In the evening, we headed out to the Folktale Winery and Vineyards, some 20 minutes from Pebble Beach, where we got to try some of the amazing wines the vineyard produces before a wonderful four-course dinner with prizes given out to celebrate the achievements of the winners from Spyglass Hill. 

Day 3 - Taking The Racing Line

Saturday offered something totally different... a trip to to the WeatherTech Laguna Seca racetrack for the Porsche Rennsport Reunion, which is the largest gathering of Porsche race cars (over 300) and fans (more than 91,000 across four days)

The event had it all, from the unveiling of the new Porsche 911 GT3 R rennsport (of which only 77 will be made, each with price tag of a cool $1m), to a music concert and track races involving vintage Porsche racing cars and even tractors.

The event had a real community feel, with members of the Porsche Golf Circle meeting up with members of other Porsche Clubs, including the Pioneers Circle, a group of enthusiasts who are holders of Porsche NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The diversity of the Porsche community was really something to witness. 

The highlight of my day was undoubtedly a 'Hot Lap', sitting in a 911 GTS alongside Porsche factory driver, Matthieu Jamminet. It was actually two hot laps, which was a good job as the first one was frankly terrifying; I didn't know when, or how hard, Matthieu was going to brake around the twisting Laguna Seca track that includes the famous 'Corkscrew' turns, where the track drops down 60 feet in height in just 450 feet of track. 

On the second lap, I knew what to expect - like going from 148mph to 35mph to make one turn - and loved every second of it. Exhilarating doesn't come close to describing the experience. 

Before heading back to Pebble Beach, I visited the Porsche 'Sonderwunsch' exhibition. The word Sonderwunsch translates to 'special requests' and the programme allows owners to take personalisation to the next level. 

There were a host of cars on display that had been through the Sonderwunsch process,. Most notable of all was the 911 Sally Special, which was a collaboration between Porsche and movie makers Pixar to create a real life version of the iconic Sally Carerra, one of the stars of the famous animation film, Cars. It was an incredible work of design and, in 2022, the car was auctioned for $3.6m, with the money going to charity.  

Dinner that evening was at the Salt Wood Kitchen, a delightful restaurant tucked away in the Marina Dunes just north of Monterey. The food was superb - the grilled California Trout was my culinary highlight of the trip - and the chat was lively, as guests relived the excitement of the day at Rennsport Reunion and looked ahead to the round at Pebble Beach.

Day 4 - Creating Memories

And so the wait was over - it was time for the Porsche Golf Circle competitors to tee up at the world-famous Pebble Beach Golf Links. The weather was set fine with the morning marine layer burning off to reveal blue skies and just a gentle breeze. Perfect golfing conditions…

Nervous excitement was the order of the day on the first tee as the competitors prepared to take on the course that has hosted so many famous events and witnessed so many historic moments, including Tiger Woods' incredible record-setting, 15-shot victory at the 2000 US Open, the first of the American's three national championships. 

Pebble Beach is a fantastic test of golf, but one of the biggest challenges is to keep focused on playing your shots and not get too distracted by the amazing views, especially from the 4th tee onwards as the course breaks out of the trees and runs alongside Stillwater Cove. 

From the 4th through to the 10th, the holes tightly hug the coastline with fairways running down to the cliff edges and greens perched on glorious spots overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There can be no finer stretch of coastal golf in the world, and it was an incredible experience playing these holes. The fact I played these seven holes in just two over par made then even more special, but frankly you could be playing poorly and you’d still have a smile on your face.

Walking off the 10th green and up to the 11th tee - a beauty of a short par 4 - you begin a stretch of holes that are slightly inland, and although they are not as dramatic as those you have just played, they are highly strategic designs, rewarding tee shots that are hit to the correct side of fairways. We were fortunate to have caddies - as we did at Spyglass Hill - and their course knowledge was invaluable, especially on those all important lines off the tee and on the tricky greens where putts often broke in different directions than you expected them to!

As with all great courses, there’s a sting in the tail at Pebble - and the 17th and 18th are two of toughest challenges. The famous long par-3 17th - where Tom Watson chipped in for a biride to all but seal the 1982 US Open - demands a precise shot to evade a huge bunker that protects the majority of the front of the green and a necklace of smaller bunkers over the back of the putting surface. 

With the Pacific running alongside the entire length of the hole, the 18th is one of the most iconic, and dangerous, holes in golf. Any pulled or hooked tee shot will meet a watery grave and while this encourages you to play to the right, if your line is too conservative, your second shot will likely need to go over or round a tree that is annoyingly well placed. Even though you’ll be coming into the green with a short iron, there’s another tree and deep bunkers to contend with. Aim for the center of the green and commit to the shot! I had a pleasing par, par finish for another round in the mid 80s.

Before we headed off for a well earned drink, it was time for some pictures. Happy, smiling people with a backdrop of the ocean. Glorious stuff!

The final magic moment of the trip came with our farewell dinner and prize giving at Coastal Kitchen in Monterey, where we enjoyed a six-course tasting menu, toasted the winners, reminisced about the round and took lots of photographs.

Day 5 - Until Next Time…

As I headed up the famous Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco to get my flight back to London, I had the chance to reflect on what had been quite an amazing few days in California.

Not only did I get to play two of the world's greatest golf courses, and spend the day at the Rennsport Reunion event, but I made new connections with golfers from countries as far apart as Mexico and Germany and got to experience how the Porsche Golf Circle community interacts both in person and virtually through the app. 

Passions like golf (and amazing sports cars) really do have a way of bringing people together. You know that, I know that and Porsche most definitely knows that. 

Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina is known as The Cradle of American Golf, and when you consider how many courses it has, it's hardly a surprise.

The vast complex has no fewer than 10 18-hole courses, a nine-hole course and a putting green. The latest of the 18-hole courses, which was designed by Tom Doak, opened early in 2024 to enhance Pinehurst's reputation as a true golf mecca, and it's a must-visit at some point for many players of all abilities.

While visitors could easily be spoilt for choice given the options available, for the majority, one of the resort’s courses stands alone - Pinehurst No.2.

The course was designed by the legendary Donald Ross and opened in 1907, but it is now considered his masterpiece. Given other Ross designs include East Lake, Pine Needles, Oak Hill and Seminole, it needed to beat some stiff competition for that honor.

Ross was known for his meticulous attention to detail, and that is fully in evidence at Pinehurst No.2. In fact, he continued tinkering with it long after it opened, and he continued to make tweaks until he passed away in 1948.

The fact Ross kept making revisions suggests he knew he was onto something good with Pinehurst No.2. However, by the 1960s, its allure had begun to subside, with the fairway bunkers no longer a serious problem for most players, the greens more a chore than a challenge and a sameness to many of the holes.

Thankfully, that slide was halted in 2010, Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore were tasked with revitalizing the course. They didn't disappoint and reshaped the fairways and bunkers while removing the rough but adding sand and scrub to bring it closer to Ross’ original design.

One of the hallmarks of Ross's courses are its challenging green complexes typified by their "turtleback" domes, and they're on full display at Pinehurst No.2 The greens were inspired by Royal Dornoch in Scotland, where Ross once worked as a greens keeper, and are one of the bigger considerations for any player taking on the challenge.

Johnny Miller once described playing the greens as “like trying to hit a ball on top of a VW Beetle,” while they are also smaller than they look and need a lot of skill to negotiate. Approach shots need to be accurate, too, with shots that are short often rolling back off them.

Even in the present day, Pinehurst No.2's greens invoke similar wariness. In the build-up to the 2024 US Open, Wyndham Clark remarked: "The greens are extremely fast and penal. You hit it on the green, the hole is not done. I was just amazed how fast the greens are. Yeah, I mean, they are extremely fast. If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, they'd be borderline. They already are borderline."

There is some respite for players in the form of frequently wide fairways, but even then, strategy is a consideration more often than you'd think, with bunkers and deceptive undulations ready to test even the most accomplished player.

A look at the tournaments Pinehurst No.2 has hosted gives a clue to the task at hand. After all, as well as the 1936 PGA Championship, it was also the scene of three US Opens before the 2024 edition.

That won't be the last time Pinehurst No.2 hosts the tournament, either, with four more editions already confirmed for the coming decades.

The US Open is notorious for its generally grueling nature, so it's safe to say the USGA knows all about finding courses that lend themselves to that kind of a challenge, and that's surely the case with Pinehurst No.2.

Considering the course's rich history of hosting the most prestigious tournaments, memorable moments were inevitable, although one in particular is nowadays also synonymous with poignancy.

That’s because it was the scene of Payne Stewart's famous fist pump after he beat Phil Mickelson to the 1999 US Open title. Barely four months after that iconic moment, Stewart was no longer with us. He died at the age of 42 when a plane he was flying in, which was taking him to the Tour Championship in Texas, failed to pressurize and it later crashed. Fittingly, 50 or so yards from the 18th green is a statue of the Stewart in the pose of his first pump.

All those elements make Pinehurst No.2 one of the most beguiling courses around and a must-play for golfers at some point in their lives.

How To Play Pinehurst No.2

The good news is it’s not difficult to arrange a round at Pinehurst, as it’s open to the public and there are various packages to stay in one of the accommodation options at the resort.

For example, the Donald Ross Package includes the option of a two-night stay starting at $788, including three rounds.

Another potentially attractive option is the Bed & Breakfast Golf Package, which includes a one-night stay and one round of golf from $542. However, a premium applies to play Pinehurst No.2.

To play Pinehurst No.2 (and some other the resort's courses), you will need to be a guest, but anyone who is happy playing Pinehurst No.1, No.3, No.5, or nine-hole course The Cradle can call no less than a day in advance to book a tee time.

You can become a member of Pinehurst, too, with five options – Signature, Premier, Classic, Sports and Social. The Signature membership reportedly requires a $45,000 initiation fee and monthly dues of $620. For that, you will have access to all 10 courses at one of the most famous golf resorts on the planet.

How Many Courses Does Pinehurst Have?

Pinehurst Resort now has 10 19-hole courses, as well as nine-hole course The Cradle and an 18-hole putting course, Thistle Dhu.

Tom Doak designed the newest addition to the resort, Pinehurst No.10 - the first 18-hole course introduced there for almost three decades, which was built on a 900-acre piece of land bought by the resort in 2010.

That may not be the end of it, either. There are rumors that Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, who revitalized Pinehurst No.2 in 2010, will oversee an 11th 18-hole course at the resort in the future.

Pinehurst Resort Location

Baltusrol Golf Club In Springfield, New Jersey has hosted many famous occasions in the game’s history across its two courses, and it's one of the most revered in the US.

Its beginnings were decidedly humble, though. The club was established in 1895, and named after the man who farmed the land of its location - Baltus Roll. Originally, it had just a single nine-hole course designed by George Hunter.

That soon changed when it was expanded to 18 holes three years later, and it was the catalyst for some memorable tournaments coming to the club, including the 1901 US Women’s Amateur and US Open in 1903 and 1915.

Despite that early recognition, in 1918 the Old Course was flattened to make way for the Lower and Upper Courses on the recommendation of A.W. Tillinghast. Both opened four years later.

It’s hard to argue with that decision. The Upper Course hosted the US Open in 1936 and the US Women’s Open in 1985. However, the Lower Course has become even more revered, thanks partly to Robert Trent Jones’ lengthening of it ready for tournament play in 1948, a task that was repeated by his son, Rees Jones, in 1992.

Since that original work in the 1940s, the Lower Course has hosted the US Open four times, including in 1967, where Jack Nicklaus famously edged out Arnold Palmer to the title in an epic duel, and another Nicklaus win in 1980, his fourth and last title in the Major. The clubhouse also displays all four of Nicklaus’s scorecards from that tournament.

The course also memorably hosted the 2005 PGA Championship, where Phil Mickelson claimed the first of his two titles. It was the scene of the 2016 tournament, too, where Jimmy Walker beat Jason Day by a shot to clinch his sole Major to date.

The Lower Course has also hosted the US Women’s Open twice, in 1961 and 1985, while it hosts the second women's Major of 2023, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

In other words, this is a course fully immersed in the history of golf in the US. It’s not surprising the club has held so many top events, either. As well as offering a solid test of championship golf, it’s known for its outstanding beauty and rich history, and was even designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2014.

In 2018, Gil Hanse was tasked with making it even better, and set about the restoration of the Lower Course in an effort to bring back elements of Tillinghast's original design that included the removal of many of its trees. 

Fairway bunkers have also been added to the second and fifth holes, while greens have increased in size by around 20%. Some of the greenside bunkers have been moved, too, while the second and 17th holes see the return of formidable sand pits, containing not just sand, but also plants and grass.

As for the Tudor-style clubhouse, it was built in 1909 after the original - a converted farm house - burned down. It also has the distinction of being the first clubhouse to host a US president after William Howard Taft visited in 1912.

The club is private, meaning playing it will not be easy as a non-member. Those who do wish to join will reportedly need around $150,000 in initiation fees, with annual dues of around $18,500, making it one of the most exclusive golf clubs in the country. Even if you have the budget, there’s no guarantee you’ll be accepted as a member though. That’s because those who join do so by invite only.

More realistic for most will be to play as a guest of a member, although for some lucky members of the media, another option before a big tournament is to tee it up as part of a media day.

Baltusrol Golf Club Location

The 2023 US Open will have even more intrigue than usual as it takes place at a venue hosting a Major for the first time.

Los Angeles Country Club was established way back in 1897. Still, despite that long history, and its North Course’s reputation as one of the best in California, it has remained largely closed off to the outside world, with its members keen to retain its exclusivity and privacy - entirely in keeping with its location close to the movie-star mansions of Beverly Hills.

That began to change in 2014 when the USGA opened discussions with the club on the chance of it hosting a future US Open. An agreement was reached a year later – it would host the tournament in 2023.

Two years after that historic announcement, the club hosted the Walker Cup featuring future stars of the game, including Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Will Zalatoris. 

There have been other memorable tournaments at the club, including the 1930 US Women’s Amateur Golf Championship and five editions of the Los Angeles Open (now the Genesis Invitational) between 1926 and 1940. However, aside from those, the club has remained largely closed to high-profile events.

A precursor to its eventual success was found early on in its history. It began as the nine-hole Windmill Links (which got its name after the clubhouse was built from the bottom of an abandoned windmill) on a far smaller site before its popularity determined a need for a new home just a year later. 

Another nine-hole was opened, this time called The Convent Links, for its location behind the convent near Rosedale Cemetery. Once again, though, its popularity ensured it was a short-lived home.

Finally, it moved to its current home – clubhouse and all, which was expanded – and reopened in 1911 as an 18-hole course, with another added later, leaving the North and South Course.

Both courses were redesigned between 1996 and 1997 from a plan developed by John Harbottle, but perhaps the catalyst for the change in approach from the club was a Gil Hanse redesign of the North Course in 2010. Hanse restored the course to something closer to the original George C Thomas design, with advice from Thomas’ biographer George Shackleton. It reopened in October of that year.

Given the club’s long love of privacy, details on the course are relatively sparse. However, the official website confirmed Hanse’s redesign didn’t lack attention to detail, with “archived photos, written documents and physical unearthing of land” all used to bring the North Course back to its original splendour.

Hanse was also at the helm for redesigning the South Course in 2015, in the spirit of Augusta National, with wide fairways and no rough. March 2015 also saw a 16-month-long renovation of its distinctive clubhouse, again to restore its original grandeur. It reopened in August 2016.

The North Course’s front and back nine are markedly different, with the front nine playing over a shallow canyon and the back nine a more spacious affair. Players can expect to find a visually stunning course with plenty of rugged bunkers, small valleys and water with beautifully groomed fairways and greens that are easy to misread.

The greens often have distinctive peninsulas and “wings,” which were part of Thomas’ original design and meant to offer players different ways to play the same hole. Meanwhile, the par 3 11th, which is one of several with stunning views of downtown Los Angeles, is the signature hole.

Experiencing a round at the course is not easy. The club’s reluctance to open its doors to big tournaments extends to non-members, too. Because of that, aside from those in the US Open field, only those willing to pay the reported $300,000 to $500,000 initiation fee (and annual dues of between $20,000 and $30,000), or guests of members, are likely to get the chance any time soon.

Los Angeles Country Club Location

Best Golf Courses In Las Vegas

Las Vegas is famous for many things, among them golf. It has been a regular venue for the PGA Tour ever since 1983. The Panasonic Las Vegas Pro Celebrity Classic debuted that season, and had the highest purse of any Tour event at $750,000 (the next largest at that time was the Tournament Players Championship at $700,000). Golfing history has been made here in other ways too, whether it is a FBI surveillance plane making an emergency landing on one of the courses, a deliberately false yardage, or a 20-year-old Tiger Woods winning for the first time on Tour. For these and other tales, and for all the key info on the best golf courses in Las Vegas read on.

Bali Hai Golf Club

• Designed by: Lee Schmidt & Brian Curley
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,002 Yards
• Green fee: Various packages
• Visit website

The course has 100,000 Balinese tropical plants growing on it – not that we have counted them – and the seven-acres of water features includes the water that encloses most of the par-3 15th green. Players may wish is was a true island green, as the landlocked part includes a restaurant terrace, giving players, at certain times, an audience that they may or may not wish depending on how they have tackled this hole.

Las Vegas Country Club

• Designed by: Ed Ault
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,215 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The 18th is a par-5 dogleg with the wide shallow green fronted by a lake and one of the legends of the history of the club is that a sprinkler head on the approach was purposefully marked with the wrong yardage, so members could win the hole, and bets, over their guests. Another is when an FBI surveillance plane made an emergency landing on the course, which was dramatized in the 1995 movie “Casino” and commemorated with a plane placed there (above).

Las Vegas Paiute Resort (The Wolf)

• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,604 Yards
• Green fee: $89-$259
• Visit website

Proudly boasting that it is the longest course in Nevada, it will be no surprise to you to learn that The Wolf is considered the hardest of the three courses at Paiute. There are five tee options, which means that the 15th hole (above), to a three-tiered island green, can be played from between 98 and 182 yards.

Shadow Creek

• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,560 Yards
• Green fee: $750-$1,000, MGM hotel guests only
• Visit website

If you think Augusta National is hard to get a game at, well Shadow Creek is not much easier. Access is extremely limited and, for starters, you have to be staying at a MGM property to qualify for the small number of tee times made available to the public. MGM bought this course from Steve Wynn, a Vegas hotel and real-estate magnate, who had built it, at a rumoured cost of dozens of millions of dollars, as a private place for him to invite his friends for a round. As one does.

The Summit Club

• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,022 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Rather than design a desert course, Fazio created a parkland layout, complete with man-made creeks, in desert surroundings. There are 19 holes here, as there is a par-3 19th built for those who need to settle a tied match or for a double-or-quits bet - as had been the original intention at Augusta National as well.

TPC Las Vegas

• Designed by: Bobby Weed & Raymond Floyd
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,016 Yards
• Green fee: $195-$300
• Visit website

The high elevation – between 2,000ft and 2,500 feet – of this layout can add an extra 10 yards to your drives. Even putts may go a tad further than you expect, too, so read them carefully – if in doubt, most putts here break away from the mountains. The course involves a series of forced carries to ribbons or peninsulas of grass fairways running through the unforgiving desert landscape – especially unforgiving if you ball tumbles into one of the arroyos, such as the one (above) on the inside of the gently doglegged 14th. These desert surroundings have given the par-3 2nd a waterless island green, one of several striking holes at TPC Las Vegas.

TPC Summerlin

• Designed by: Bobby Weed & Fuzzy Zoeller
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,243 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

This layout is notable for a strong trio of finishing holes all of which have water hugging the green. The course has long featured on the PGA Tour. It was one of the courses that hosted the five-round Las Vegas Invitational of 1996 which gave Tiger Woods his first PGA Tour victory, and it is currently sole host of the Shriners Children’s Open.

Wynn Golf Club

• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,722 Yards
• Green fee: $550
• Visit website
  

Tom Fazio built a 7,042-yard course here which opened in 2005, but this track was mothballed in 2017 as the owners had plans to build on the site. Two years later, Fazio was called back in to resurrect and redesign his course. He did so with his son, Logan, and the result was eight new holes and 10 refurbished ones.

TPC Scottsdale in Arizona is synonymous with one tournament, the PGA Tour’s WM Pheonix Open. Fundamentally, there is a very good reason for that, too, and not just because of the unique party atmosphere the event is famous for.

The course was built specifically with the tournament in mind. Designers Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish were tasked by the PGA Tour with designing a course fit for the tournament. They were more than up to the task. In 1986, the complex opened and, one year later, TPC Scottsdale became the WM Phoenix Open's permanent home.

Since then, the tournament has become one of the PGA Tour's biggest success stories. Nowadays, it is the most well-attended golf event in the world, with estimates of over 700,000 attending throughout the week.

No appraisal of TPC Scottsdale could be complete without mentioning the par-3 16th, which is the only fully enclosed hole on the PGA Tour, and has a capacity estimated to be between 16,000 and 20,000 capacity.

The Coliseum, as it is known, sets the tone for an atmosphere that rivals the Super Bowl taking place over the same weekend. That's largely thanks to its tight grandstand around the green, as huge crowds anticipate witnessing a hole-in-one – something 11 players have managed in the event at the 16th, including Tiger Woods in 1997, which inspired the stadium-style construction at the hole.

While the 16th steals most of the attention during tournaments, the 11th is the toughest - a par-4 that doglegs right and slopes left towards a pond. Another notable hole is the 15th, with water down the left leading to an island green reminiscent of the iconic 17th at TPC Sawgrass.

Overall, players can expect beautifully manicured fairways and subtly contoured greens throughout against the backdrop of the gorgeous McDowell Mountains.

TPC Scottsdale doesn't just offer the Stadium Course. It is also the home of the Champions Course, which was designed by Randy Heckenkemper. It is the more forgiving of the two courses and has a genuine desert feel, including a creek running through it.

Both courses are open to the public. Between February and May 2025, green fees range between $339 and $579 at the Stadium Course depending on the time of day you play. Rates for the Champions Course range between $139 and $249 over the same period.

Whether you're planning to play either course between those dates or at a different time of year, tee times can be booked here with slots and details of rates available three months in advance.

TPC Scottsdale Location

Best Golf Courses In South Carolina

The best golf courses in South Carolina include two of the finest public courses on the southeastern seaboard – The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort.

Both these tracks have hosted some of the best golfers in the world, Harbour Town for the annual Heritage Classic, now known as the RBC Heritage, on the PGA Tour, and Kiawah Island hosted the War On the Shore Ryder Cup of 1991 as well as two PGA Championships. But there are many other great golfing layouts in the Palmetto State, as we recount below.

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

• Location: Pawleys Island
• Designed by: Mike Strantz
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,526 yards
• Green fee: $109-$249
• Visit website

In the world of monster par 3s, the 9th at Caledonia Golf & Fish Club is a welcome change, running only 118 yards to the centre of a shallow green which lurks behind a sprawling bunker which defends the entire front of the green. Flamboyant bunkering is a feature of the often imaginative designs, with risk-and-reward golf options, holes which barrel through avenues of mature oak trees and — the clue's in the club name — a fair few water hazards sploshed about.

Congaree Golf Club

• Location: Ridgeland
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,655 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Congaree was founded by two philanthropic billionaires ‘to provide underserved and well-deserving high school students who aspire to play collegiate golf access to the highest level of athletic coaching and academic tools to enhance their opportunities for success.’ The course was carved through a forest, with large sandy areas, lakes and ponds added. In 20021 it hosted the PGA Tour for the Palmetto Championship at Congaree, a one-off event designed to replace that year’s Canadian Open, which had been cancelled due to Covid.

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club

• Location: Myrtle Beach
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,340 yards
• Green fee: Semi private, fees on application
• Visit website

Generally regarded as the best golf course in Myrtle Beach, it experiences Ocean breezes despite only one hole, the 9th, actually offering views of the sea. In the main the course is a combination of parkland, woodland and marshland. The later gives rise to the many of the water holes. The majority of the holes feature water, some extensively such as the 13th, a par 5 arcing around Lake Singleton where one poor soul infamously carded a 22.

Harbour Town Golf Links

• Location: Hilton Head Island
• Designed by: Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus as consultant
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,197 Yards
• Green fee: $195-$370
• Visit website
  

The best of the three courses at the Sea Pines Resort, Harbour Town Golf Links is relatively flat but very tight with tree line fairways, where overhanging branches can often catch the less-than-perfect shot, and the greens are small. The course saves the best to last, with the final six holes generally regarded as the finest half dozen of the 18.

Kiawah Island Club (Cassique)

• Location: Kiawah Island
• Designed by: Tom Watson
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,050 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

For his first design in North America, Tom Watson took inspiration from the British and Irish links courses he loves so much. For example, the 2nd hole is modelled on Turnberry’s 16th hole and the 5th hole was inspired by the same numbered hole at Lahinch.

Kiawiah Island Golf Resort (The Ocean Course)

• Location: Kiawah Island
• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,356 Yards
• Green fee: On application
• Visit website

Alice Dye persuaded her husband that it would be better if all holes got better sea views – 10 holes run along the shore – so the land was raised. The height of the land, and so the views, increased – but so did the effect of the wind. When it blows here, it can really blow – it can make an 8-club difference from one day to the next depending on how hard and from where the wind comes – and there is not a prevailing wind here. This is a tough course and easily one of the best public golf courses in the US.

Long Cove Club

• Location: Hilton Head Island
• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,094 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The layout, like many Pete Dye designs, favours placement over brute strength, but it is not as punishing as some of his layouts can be. Nor is the course as manufactured as some of his works can be, but instead lays more gently on the land – for which his wife Alice’s influence has been credited. The course is famed for its beauty and great variety of the hole designs which in turn require a wide range of shot shapes.

Palmetto Golf Club

• Location: Aiken
• Designed by: Herbert Leeds and others
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,695 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

This is the work of many architects. Herbert Leeds extended the original four-hole course of 1892 into a nine-hole one, and then, together with the club pro James Mackrell, into an 18-hole one which opened in 1895. Several members were investors in Augusta National, and when Alister Mackenzie had finished that work, he was asked to lengthen Palmetto. Wendell Miller of New York, who had built Augusta National’s course, carried out the work, some of which used the spare materials from Augusta. Since then, Rees Jones and Tom Doak have carried out work to the course, and Gil Hanse is currently employed as the club’s architect.

Florida’s Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, host venue for the PNC Championship, is considered one of the best courses in Orlando.

Located within the headwaters of the Everglades, and the Greg Norman-designed course makes full use of the area's natural beauty. Indeed, anyone playing the par-72 course will encounter wetlands, cypress heads, natural marshes ponds, pines and mature oaks.

Aside from the natural features, the course also has water, bunkers and beautifully groomed, subtly contoured greens. There are also several forced carries over ponds and natural areas, while sprawling sandy areas are not uncommon. Given its beauty, it is perhaps not surprising to note that the course, which opened in 2003, is a certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary course.

Norman designed the course to appeal to players of most abilities, and he succeeded in his aim. As well as the natural and man-made features, the course is known for its wide, gently rolling fairways, helping to enhance its reputation of providing a challenge to everyone, while remaining fair throughout.

As well as the course’s immaculate condition, other touches lend it the impression of a top private club. For example, an impressive Caddie Concierge program pairs each group with a professional attendant who will assist with tasks including course navigation, cleaning of golf clubs, course strategy advice, and golf ball location.

However, the good news is that the course is, in fact, open to the public and extremely straightforward to book. Interested parties only have to visit the resort's official website and click on 'reserve tee time' - much like many other public courses all over the world.

'Public Guest' tee times can be booked up to four months in advance, with green fees ranging between $299 and $375 per golfer - depending on the date and the time of day you begin.

That changes to between $269 and $345 for a resort guest. If you choose to stay at the resort's Ritz-Carlton Orlando hotel, prices start from $522 per room per night (July/August 2025).

In terms of the caddie services on offer, it is recommended that a walking caddie is tipped $100 per bag over 18 holes and a forecaddie who helps between 2-4 players is tipped $120 per group.

Best Golf Courses In North Carolina

The best golf courses in North Carolina are predominantly located in the Sandhills area, which is famous for the quality and quantity of its golf courses. But there are some fine layouts to be found elsewhere in the Tar Heel state as we explain.

Dormie Club

• Location: West End
• Designed by: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,883 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The fairways are wide, bordered by sandy waste areas, so the difficulty is on the tricky greens, with the 7th a reverse Redan green. On the uphill par-5 17th (above) golfers have to carry an enormous bunker, the designers’ tribute to Hell's Half Acre at Pine Valley, which runs across the fairway short of the elevated tiered green.

Forest Creek Golf Club (North)

• Location: Pinehurst
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,209 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Forest Creek has 37 holes, including the South course which opened in 1997, and the North, of 2005. There is also a short 37th hole to decide tied matches, if needed. The North is considered the superior of the layouts, both of which are the work of Tom Fazio. The North’s holes predominantly run through forest, but 15 (above) 16 and 17 play around and over a lake.

Mid Pines Inn and Golf Club

• Location: Southern Pines
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,723 Yards
• Green fee: $95-$235
• Visit website

The restoration by Kyle Franz in 2013 of Ross’ 1921-built course, has been widely lauded and has enabled the course to regain its previous lustre and reputation. This is not a course designed to beat up golfers, or to test the very best to the utmost, but one which will provide enjoyable and suitably testing rounds for club golfers, with a series of risk-reward options allowing golfers of all abilities to determine their own challenges.

Mountaintop Golf and Lake Club

• Location: Cashiers
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 7,127 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website
  

This course is a blast to play – as it was to create. Well several blasts, as part of the layout had to be dynamited through rocks. It is a beautiful tree-lined course, with many elevation changes – the opening two holes both drop 100ft from the tee are a good introduction to what you are about to experience – and several holes play over a gorge.

Old Town Club

• Location: Winston-Salem
• Designed by: Perry Maxwell
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,863 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Perry Maxwell’s design, which debuted in November 1939 is seen as one of the final creations of the Golden Age of Golf Architecture. Bill Coore, who, with Ben Crenshaw, was brought it to renovate the course in the 2010s, has declared that “much of Old Town's brilliance stems from its undulating terrain and routing. It has always served as the cornerstone for my early understanding of what extraordinary golf architecture was all about.” Greens and fairways are undulating, so expect some awkward stances and devilish putts.

Pinehurst No 2

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,588 Yards
• Green fee: Members and resort guests only
• Visit website

The renovation by Coore and Crenshaw in 2010 of Ross’ 1907 design reinstated some of the sandy character of the original. Out went rough, back came sandy waste areas, which also widened the fairways. The famous, or maybe infamous, turtle-back greens require deft placement of approach shots as they can have a habit of landing on the green and rolling off. This is a walking-only course.

Pinehurst No 4

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Gil Hanse
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,227 Yards
• Green fee: Members and resort guests only
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Pinehurst No 4 has gone through several reincarnations from Donald Ross original 1919 course, by Robert Trent Jones, Rees Jones and Tom Fazio. The current layout is is by Gil Hanse. He has sought to reinstate much of the original character of Ross’ vision, as has happened at No 2, with sandy waste areas, natural looking bunkers and several risk-reward holes, especially coming down the stretch.

Pinehurst No 8

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,099 Yards
• Green fee: Members and resort guests only
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Tom Fazio was commissioned to design this as Pinehurst’s 100th birthday present to itself, and for this reason, it is also known as The Centennial. It is over hillier ground than the other seven courses and includes wetlands, which gives rise to designs such as the version of a cape hole at 14 (above).

Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club

• Location: Southern Pines
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 5,877 Yards
• Green fee: $105-$265
• Visit website

The four-time host of the US Women’s Open, most recently in 2022, has generous fairways, but some demanding green complexes, such as on the par-3 13th (above), which require accurate approach play. Miss these fairways and you may well find yourself playing off, as well as at, pine needles.

Quail Hollow Club

• Location: Charlotte
• Designed by: George Cobb, redesigns by Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,521 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The closing three holes are the most famous here, and known collectively as the Green Mile. The 16th is a 506-yard par 4 to a green by a lake’ the 223-yard par-3 17th (above) which is nothing much more than water and a deep peninsula green, and then 18 is a long par 4 with a stream running along the left side. A regular PGA Tour venue, most recently for the annual Wells Fargo Championship, Quail Hollow hosted the US PGA Championship in 2017 and will do so again in 2025.

Roaring Gap Club

• Location: Roaring Gap
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,455 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

A mountain-top course where the green on the 340-yard 17th (above) is perched out on a bluff a 1,000ft above the valley and offering views for miles across the Carolina foothills. The course is not demanding off the tee, with only two doglegs and precious few fairway bunkers, but makes up for it on the highly contoured raised greens.

Tobacco Road

• Location: Sanford
• Designed by: Mike Strantz
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,557 Yards
• Green fee: $99-$225
• Visit website

Mike Strantz has laid out a visually stunning course with bold, imaginative designs which, while paying homage to the Golden Age architects, provide huge variety and more than a dash of their own quirkiness. Sandy waste areas, dramatic elevation changes, greens teetering on the edge of land which falls away steeply to a sandy conclusion, blind shots, an L-shaped roller coaster green, a wide kidney-shaped green, clever optical illusions, greenside bunkers with not so much steps as staircases to enter and exit – all these contribute to hole designs you will feel you have not encountered anywhere else.

Best Golf Courses In Palm Springs

The best golf courses in Palm Springs are an intriguing collection which includes a desert course with water on all but four of its holes, and another where $70m was spent on its clubhouse alone. Palm Springs, around a hundred miles from Hollywood, became a favoured destination for Hollywood stars in the 1930s, attracted by its hot springs and weather – the weathermen have calculated it averages around 300 sunny days a year here. This weather combined with the spectacular landscape made it an appealing place to build golf courses and so now Palm Springs is a favoured destination for golfers.

Bighorn (Canyons)

• Location: Palm Desert
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,000 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit Website

This fairly flat desert layout through the mountains has water in play on six holes. The long par-3 17th is a typically attractive hole on the layout and also an intriguing adaption of a redan hole, whereby the green tilts towards the tee rather than away from it.

Bighorn (Mountains)

• Location: Palm Desert
• Designed by: Arthur Hills
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,907 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Water is in play on six of the final 10 holes of this stunningly beautiful and immaculately maintained desert track. The 18th hole (above) finishes underneath the 80,000 sq ft clubhouse which cost a reputed $70m to build and opened in 2017.

Classic Club

• Location: Palm Desert
• Designed by: Arnold Palmer
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,322 Yards
• Green Fee: Dynamic pricing
• Visit website

There are 30 acres of water hazards on this tough desert course with all but four holes having water on them. The par-5 9th and the long par-4 11th are both played to essentially island greens, and the 12th is a death-or-glory par 3 over water.

La Quinta Country Club

• Location: La Quinta
• Designed by: Lawrence Hughes
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,060 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit Website

Accuracy more than control of length is required on approach shots here, as the greens are typically long and thin, narrower at the front than back and flanked by bunkering on each side, but never in front. These greens are reached from fairways normally lined by trees or, occasionally, water hazards.

Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore Tournament Course)

• Location: Mission Hills
• Designed by: Desmond Muirhead
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,250 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

The 646-yard 18th (above) is played to an island green and from 1994 to 2022 the winner of the Chevron Championship, a Women’s Major, traditionally jumped into Poppies Pond, also known as Champions Lake, by the 18th green. Well all bar one winner – Pat Hurst did not do so in 1998 as she could not swim. She waded in up to her knees instead.

PGA West (Stadium)

• Location: La Quinta
• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,300 Yards
• Green Fee: Dynamic pricing
• Visit website

On the island green par-3 17th (above), Lee Trevino made a hole-in-one to win four-hole carry over skin worth $175,000 in the Skins Game of 1987, a recognised PGA Tour event. The par-5 16th has a greenside bunker 20ft deep. This is a highly penal course.

Quarry at La Quinta

• Location: La Quinta
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,083 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Building this course on a former mine and gravel pit involved moving over 1.2 million cubic yards of earth, planting more than 4,000 trees and 80,000 shrubs and cacti. Seven holes run along the quarry floor, the rest run along a desert plain or are weaved in among the mountains.

Tradition Golf Club

• Location: La Quinta
• Designed by: Arnold Palmer
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,889 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Typical hole designs here involve forced carries over beautifully planted out waste areas as well some huge white bunkers and, often, threatening water hazards, all towered over by mountains. The Y-shaped par-4 7th has two lakeside greens – turn left after the drive for one, right for the other. The par-4 17th (above) is played from a tee 200ft above the fairway.

Best Golf Courses In Orlando

The best golf courses in Orlando, in central Florida, include ones that many tour pros have decided to base themselves at, attracted by the year-round climate for playing and practising golf and the quality of the local golf offering. Orlando is one of the most visited cities in the world thanks in part to Walt Disney and Universal. 

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge (Champion & Challenger) 

• Location: Bay Hill
• Designed by: Dick Wilson; Arnold Palmer and Ed Seay
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,381 yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Arnold Palmer liked the course so much that he bought it in the mid-1970s and it became his winter home. He made some redesigns to the course, in particular bringing the greens closer to the lakesides. Those staying at the Bay Hill Club & Lodge can pay the course; otherwise its members only. There are three nine-hole layouts here with the Champion and Challenger nines those that the PGA Tour plays the Arnold Palmer Invitational on every year.

Falcon's Fire Golf Club

• Location: Kissimmee
• Designed by: Rees Jones
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,006 yards
• Green fee: $30-159
• Visit website

Water comes into play on half the holes, and holes 13 to 17 are curved around two lakes, with 16 having a lake on either side of its fairway. Thirteen will definitely be unlucky for some – it has water all along the inside of the rightward-curving fairway, and 18 bunkers lining the left side of the fairway.

Four Seasons Orlando

• Location: Lake Buena Vista
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,901 yards
• Green fee: $295
• Visit website

The typical hole on the Tranquilo course at Four Seasons Orlando runs alongside water and is bordered by huge ribbon bunkers. However it is only late on in the round that the water is played over, rather than beside, and even then there are bail-out options. Only one of the par 3s features water, the 18th.

Isleworth

• Location: Windermere
• Designed by: Arnold Palmer; Steve Smyers
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,544 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

This course opened in 1986 with an Arnold Palmer design. Then in 2004, Steve Smyers was called in to make some changes which toughened up the course, and he introduced a risk-reward element to some of the holes. The club is famed for its immaculate conditioning and the A list golfing figures who have lived there – and still do in many cases.

Lake Nona Golf and Country Club

• Location: Orlando
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,215 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The majority of the holes hug water, though often this is more of a decorative feature to catch the way-off-line shot than as a strategic challenge. This gated community is home to many Tour pros and hosted the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990 and has been used for US Open qualifying for both men and women.

Orange County National (Panther Lake)

• Location: Winter Garden
• Designed by: Phil Ritson, Isao Aoki and David Harman
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,261 yards
• Green fee: Dynamic pricing
• Visit website

The course was designed to provide variety to the holes. But common features to many holes are gently sloping fairways and approach shots to elevated, well-guarded, large and undulating greens. The course presents several risk-reward options, and quite a few holes require water to be flown over, either off tee or on the approach.

The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes Golf Club

• Location: Grande Lakes
• Designed by: Greg Norman
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,122 yards
• Green fee: From $305
• Visit website

Water features on 16 of the holes and sand is also a frequent companion to a round here both in the enthusiastic use of bunkering and in the sprawling sandy waste areas. There are some forced carries from the tee to find the typically well-manicured fairways.

Waldorf Astoria Orlando

• Location: Lake Buena Vista
• Designed by: Rees Jones
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,526 yards
• Green fee: Various packages
• Visit website

Rees Jones has sculpted a tribute to the Golden Age in his design of such holes as the 7th named Biarritz because, well you’ve probably got there before me, it has a Biarritz green. Water abounds on this layout. Early in the round it merely an accompaniment to the action, but mid round it is brought into the action the par-5 8th requires a drive over water, as does the par-3 13th (above) from three of the five tees, and 14 and 16 doglegs around water.

Best Golf Courses In Texas

Our round up of the best golf courses in Texas includes the first US course that Tiger Woods has designed. The prime influence on Tiger’s debut design is obvious, but he is hardly the only top tournament pro-turned-architect to have been influenced by his playing days when laying down a design. After all, what is perhaps the most talked about hole in Texas was designed by Greg Norman based on one had played on tour... 

Austin Country Club

• Location: Austin
• Designed by: Pete and Alice Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,062 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

The club was founded in 1899, but has moved twice, and has been at its present home since 1984. Since 2016 it has been the home of the WGC Match Play Championship. The forced carries, whether over canyons or water, help make this a dramatic and demanding layout.

Barton Creek Country Club (Fazio Canyons)

• Location: Austin
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,153 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Framed by red oaks and sycamores, the holes feature elevation changes and large sloping greens. Streams and canyons weave an attractive way throughout the landscape. The first four holes ease you into the round as they are probably the easiest on the course.

Bluejack National

• Location: Montgomery
• Designed by: Tiger Woods & Beau Welling
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,552 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Tiger Woods’ first course design in the US opened in 2016 and has a definite feel of Augusta about it. The winner of five Green Jackets has crafted a fresh design over the former site of the short-lived Blaketree National Golf Club with wide fairways, striking bunkers and no rough.

Colonial Country Club

• Location: Fort Worth
• Designed by: John Bredemus & Perry Maxwell
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 7,209 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Golf fanatic Marvin Leonard was convinced that the smoothest greens were sown with bentgrass not, as in Texas, of Bermudagrass. Constantly told that bentgrass would not grow well in Texas, and unable to persuade his own course to trial three bentrgass greens which he had offered to pay for, Mr Leonard built his own course in his hometown with bentgrass greens. Thus Colonial came into being. It opened in 1936. In 1941 the US Open came here. Point proved, Mr Leonard then sold the club to its members, at cost price.

Dallas National

• Location: Dallas
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,372 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

This track’s reputation has been built on the excellence of the Tom Fazio design making use of the elevation changes and ravines, the course conditioning and the views. That the club provides caddies is welcome as the greens can be tricky to read. Another feature of the design is in what it lacks – real estate, bunkering fronting the greens, water hazards.

TPC San Antonio (The Oaks)

• Location: San Antonio
• Designed by: Greg Norman with consultant Sergio Garcia
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,435 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

Copying the Riveria Country Club’s 6th hole, Norman designed the 16th hole (above) with a bunker in its middle. Host of the Texas Open, the predominantly flat layout is designed to provide the golfers with strategic options with only two forced carries. TPC San Antonio can be played by guests at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa.

Trinity Forest

• Location: Dallas
• Designed by: Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,450 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

The course was built on a landfill site with the aim of bringing Tour events to Texas and the design reflects this, with large spaces for galleries. It was laid out over open, undulating land – the forest in the name encircles the course – with, in words of Bill Coore, ‘natural ripples, humps and hollows’ which the architects utilised to incorporate aspects of early links courses, including blind holes and a double green which, at 35,000 sq ft and 110 yards across, the club boasts is the largest green in North America.

Whispering Pines

• Location: Trinity
• Designed by: Chet Williams
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,468 Yards
• Green Fee: Private
• Visit website

The final six holes, playing along and across Caney Creek and Lake Livingston, are the most talked about. They include back-to-back watery par 3s at 15 and 16, which are followed by the par-5 17th (above). The closing hole, a par 4 and stroke index 2, requires a carry over water from the tee, and then another carry over water to reach the green.

Best Golf Courses In San Diego

Torrey Pines is the star of the show in terms of the best golf courses in San Diego, albeit some will tell you that its location exceeds the quality of its design. It's South course has twice hosted the US Open, including one won memorably by an injured Tiger Woods. and both its South and North courses play host to the PGA Tour. But there are some other excellent golf courses in and around this city which lies on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California.

Aviara Golf Club

• Location: Carlsbad
• Designed by: Arnold Palmer
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,007
• Green fee: $215-$250
• Visit website

This course is famed for its beauty and conditioning. Water plays a big part in the design, especially on the par 3s, such as the 3rd hole (above) where two streams flow past the green on either flank and into a pond fronting the green.

Barona Creek Golf Club

• Location: Barona Valley
• Designed by: Todd Eckenrode
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,384
• Green fee: $80-$100
• Visit website

The fairways are wide, but placement of the drive is nevertheless important so as to give the best angle of attack from then on, such as on the par 5 opener where a grand oak spreads itself across the middle of the fairway 70 yards from the green. The routing can drop down to a 9-hole layout during times of drought. But whether playing as a 9- or 18-hole layout, the closing hole is a 472-yard par 4 into the prevailing wind with a waterfall down the left side.

Enagic Golf Club at EastLake

• Location: Chula Vista
• Designed by: Ted Robinson
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,107
• Green fee: $59-$125
• Visit website

Formerly known as EastLake Country Club, the course opened in 1991. With six lakes, three waterfalls, nearly 1,000 trees and views of Mount Miguel, it is known for its beauty. But the local climate can provide a challenge to course conditioning.

Maderas Golf Club

• Location: Poway
• Designed by: Johnny Miller & Robert Muir Graves
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,167
• Green fee: $215
• Visit website

This layout winds and clambers through rocky outcrops, mature woodland and meandering creeks. The 17th (above) is a beautiful descending par 3, and the 18th is 600 yards from the tips with a forced carry from the tee and a green which is 50 yards deep.

Mt Woodson Golf Club

• Location: Ramona
• Designed by: Brian Curley & Lee Schmidt
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 5,764
• Green fee: $52-77
• Visit website

A 450t long wooden bridge takes you from the 2nd green to the 3rd hole, a scenic and dramatically plummeting par 3, named The Ledges. If you are having a bad round, remember to drink in the panoramic view from the 17th tee on this target-style golf course. Even if you are having a good round, still do it.

Steele Canyon Golf Club (Canyon/Ranch)

• Location: Jamul
• Designed by: Gary Player
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,741
• Green fee: $89-$165
• Visit website

There are three nine-hole layouts here, with the best combination the Canyon and Ranch nines. There are some forced carries, such as the Canyon 4th and the Ranch 3rd hole (above) which both plummet from the tee to a rising fairway. The Canyon nine has two greens teetering on the edge of precipices in the par-3 7th where anything right of the green disappears, and anything short will live a charmed life it is to be seen again, and the 8th, where the green juts out towards, and towers over, a lake.

Torrey Pines (North)

• Location: La Jolla
• Designed by: William P Bell; Tom Weiskpof
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,259
• Green fee: $65-$278
• Visit website

This is not a course for those golfers who struggle with a hook – 12 holes have out of bounds on the left; none have it on the right. Generally held, and deliberately set, to be an easier test than its sister course, the South. The back nine is the more interesting half, particularly the acclaimed stretch from 14 to 16 – a descending long par 4; a downhill par 3, with perhaps the best view of all on the course; and then a sharply uphill par 4.

Torrey Pines (South)

• Location: La Jolla
• Designed by: William P Bell; Rees Jones
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,802
• Green fee: $65-$278
• Visit website

The South course is best known perhaps for being the municipal course that hosted the US Open of 2008 which was won by Tiger Woods on one leg, his 14th Major title. The US Open returned here in 2021, when the winner was Jon Rahm.

Covering 1,466 acres, Houston’s Memorial Park is one of the largest urban parks in the US. Beyond the bike and walking trails, the park is also home to a famous golf course.

Memorial Park Golf Course is considered one of the best municipal courses in Texas. It has humble origins. In 1912, the area it is built on was the site of a nine-hole course with sand greens. It remained that way until July 1936 when, following a complete redesign by John Bredemus, the course reopened as an 18-hole effort. Bredemus was delighted with his efforts and called it his “greatest golf course ever.”

It would be almost 60 years until its next big makeover when, in 1995, it received $7m for a renovation following a campaign to restore the course embarked on by a Houston Park board member. The result was a 600-acre site with a lighted driving range, putting greens and a new clubhouse.

The course has had another redesign in more recent years. The $13.5m project was carried out by Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design company in consultation with Brooks Koepka. Eight greens were moved while the par-5 eighth hole was lengthened. There are oak tree-lined fairways and contoured greens. Meanwhile, tees and fairways on the front nine were relocated so ravines could come into the equation. Additional water was added to the closing holes to present a challenging finish to anyone’s round - including on the course’s signature hole, the par-3 15th, where a stream guards the green.

The course began hosting the Houston Open 11 years after Bredemus' redesign, in 1947, while it also hosted the tournament in successive years between 1951 and 1963. Most recently, it was again the host of the tournament in 2020, an honour it still holds today. Over the years, legends of the game have played at Memorial Park Golf Course, including Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicholas. Meanwhile, some of the ashes of 1965 PGA championship winner Dave Marr were scattered over his favourite hole – the 14th - following his death in 1997.

A hugely popular public course, over 60,000 people use it every year. Green fees range between $10 and $38 for residents and $60 and $140 for non-residents. Cart fees are between 12 and $16. You can either book your round online or by phoning the course.

Oak Hill Country Club, located in a suburb of southeast Rochester, New York, is one of the most storied in the US.

The club was established in 1901 as an unassuming nine-hole course with a humble converted farmhouse for a clubhouse. So, how did it grow from those origins to one of the most iconic in the country, fit for the 2023 PGA Championship?

The first thing it needed to do was relocate. Twenty years after it emerged, the club had doubled in size, so the need to find a new location was becoming increasingly pressing. There was reluctance to do so from the membership, but, eventually, the club agreed to a land swap with the University of Rochester. That saw it move to a 355-acre plot, where it is housed today. 

There are two courses the club, the East and West course, and each was originally designed by Donald Ross. The East Course is the most famous of the two and has seen several redesigns through the years, most recently by Andrew Green in 2019. Green restored the course to something approaching Ross’ design leaving narrow fairways and plenty of elevation changes. Players will also encounter doglegs and a creek, which appears at various points.

The course’s signature hole is the par 5 13th, which plays uphill towards a bowled green. To the right is the famous Hill of Fame, marked by a flagpole and where greats of the game are honoured with trees.

Visitors are greeted by a mock Tudor clubhouse that’s steeped in history, including its Wall of Champions, which features plaques of every player who has won a championship there. On it are greats, including Lee Trevino for his 1968 US Open win and Jack Nicklaus for his win at the course in the 1980 PGA Championship.

Unsurprisingly, given its reputation and history, Oak Hill Country Club is private and you’ll need a referral from either three senior members or two senior members and a junior member to have a chance of joining.

There are various membership packages with the initiation fee based on the applicant's age. Initiation fees are reportedly between $78,000 and $100,000. In addition, annual dues reportedly range from $10,000 to $27,000.

Is Rory McIlroy A Member Of Oak Hill Country Club?

Rory McIlroy is a member of Oak Hill Country Club, thanks largely to his wife Erica Stoll's connection to the area. Stoll is a Rochester native and McIlroy has declared the city "feels like almost like a second home."

Rory and Erica married in Ireland in April 2017 and McIlroy has since has a connection with Rochester and Oak Hill Country Club.

On his appearance at the club for the 2023 PGA Championship, McIlroy said: "I'm looking forward to it. I think Andrew Green's done a really good job. I think the renovation has hopefully restored the East Course back to its former glory, I would say. I'm just hoping for a good weather week. I think that's what everyone's hoping for up there in May.

"But excited to go back to Oak Hill. From the last time I was there or we were all there my connection to Rochester's got a lot stronger. So I'm excited to go and play a Major championship in what feels like almost like a second home to me."

How Many Majors Has Oak Hill Hosted?

Overall, the club hosted six Majors before the 2023 PGA Championship. As well as the tournaments won by Trevino and Nicklaus, it also hosted the US Open in 1956 and 1989 and the PGA Championship in 2003 and 2013. Away from Majors, it was also the location for the 1995 Ryder Cup, where Team Europe stunned the US to win by 14.5 to 13.5 points. 

Below is a list of the Majors it has hosted, up to and including 2023.

• 1956 - US Open
• 1968 - US Open
• 1980 - PGA Championship
• 1989 - US Open
• 2003 - PGA Championship
• 2013 - PGA Championship
• 2023 - PGA Championship

Oak Hill Country Club Location

If you're on the lookout for variety to truly test your ability, El Camaleon at Mayakoba resort in Mexico has an abundance. Located 35 minutes from Cancun airport, the Greg Norman-designed course has three distinct landscapes, each as spectacular and challenging as the other. 

There is tropical jungle to navigate, dense mangroves and long stretches of oceanfront sand through holes with limestone canals over its 7,039 yards, making it one of the more varied courses you're likely to find. You may have guessed, but that is how it got its name - The Chameleon. 

Norman's courses are typified by their "least disturbance" philosophy, which identifies the most desirable and attractive natural features on the terrain and then finds a way to incorporate them into the routing, and El Camaleon is no different. As well as the stunning natural landscapes used through the course, Norman even included a cenote, an ancient underground cavern common to the Mayan region, in the fairway of the first hole. 

The course, which is certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Sanctuary, has several standout holes. Two par 3 holes, the fourth and 15th, benefit from spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. Between them, another par 3, the 10th, has a green resembling a figure eight, which is guarded by bunkers and has limestone cliffs to the right. Meanwhile, perhaps the most diverse hole is the 13th, which begins in the jungle and ends in the mangroves.

The course opened in 2006 and it wasn't long before the PGA Tour took notice. It began hosting one of its tournaments, the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun, in 2007. Now named the World Wide Technology Championship, the tournament has had some big-name winners including Victor Hovland, who won in 2021 and Graeme McDowell, who won in 2015 when it was named the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. It left the PGA Tour to become the first of the LIV Golf League schedule for its 2023 season. 

If you'd like to follow in the footsteps of the professionals and experience a round at El Camaleon, the good news is that it is open to the public. There are four resort hotels to choose between - the Andaz, Banyan Tree, Fairmont and Rosewood. Hotel rates vary depending on which one you choose, the type of accommodation you select and the time of year you travel. There is more information and the option to book on the Mayakoba official website,

For anyone staying at the resort, green fees are $199 to play at twilight and $259 to play at other times. Meanwhile, it's $129 for juniors,. 

Best Golf Courses In Michigan

Some of the best golf courses in Michigan have taken inspiration from golf's history, whereas some others have added an engagingly quirky modern twist to the game’s landscape. The Wolverine State’s spectacular terrain of dense natural forests, heather-lined highlands and Great Lakes shorelines has been deployed by some top golf architects to craft some impressive, imaginative layouts.

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club (Bluffs)

• Location: Arcadia
• Designed by: Warren Henderson and Rick Smith
• Par: 73
• Yardage: 7,300 Yards
• Green fee: $75-$230
• Visit website

This coastline layout has been crafted to resemble the landscape of a traditional links course  and offers views of Lake Michigan from its windswept, wide fairways dotted with their sod-walled bunkers en route to some huge greens. The course runs along more that 3,000ft of coastline and the elevation change from the highest to lowest point on the layout is 200ft.

Bay Harbor Golf Club (Links/Quarry)

• Location: Bay Harbor
• Designed by: Arthur Hills
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,845 Yards
• Green fee: $250-$440
• Visit website

There are three nine-hole courses here, of which the best combination is Links and Quarry. Links runs along the shoreline of Lake Michigan, and Quarry is routed through a shale quarry, and includes 40ft gorges, stone cliffs, natural ponds and a waterfall.

Crystal Downs Country Club

• Location: Frankfort
• Designed by: Alister Mackenzie
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,518 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website
  

This course was designed by Alister Mackenzie, but laid out by his assistant Perry Maxwell, who stayed on site. It is said that Maxwell added to his boss’s designs, enhancing the quirkiness of this course. The fairways tumble along like a storm-tossed Ocean surface and the steep green gradients reflect an age when putting surfaces were slower. Great, memorable, imaginative, and often tricky, holes abound. Designs flamboyantly exploit the hilly terrain, such as the uphill par-3 9th to a green sliced across a steep hillside, where anything struck left of target tumbles away, and anything played conservatively off to the right risks being captured by a bunker which looms over the putting surface. The 13th green is kidney – or maybe even boomerang-shaped, although one reviewer has claimed the green itself is a dogleg.

Forest Dunes Golf Club (Forest Dunes)

• Location: Roscommon
• Designed by: Tom Weiskopf
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,116 Yards
• Green fee: $115-$185
• Visit website

The front nine is threaded through corridors flanked by red and jack pines, some of them centuries old, and then the back nine runs takes to open meadowland and sandy wastelands. But common features to both nines are found in the bunkers, water hazards and undulating greens. The strong closing trio of holes kicks off with a long par 3 requiring a carry over dunes.

Forest Dunes (The Loop – Black)

• Location: Roscommon
• Designed by: Tom Doak
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,704 Yards
• Green fee: $115-$185
• Visit website

Tom Doak has laid out a ‘reversible’ golf course called The Loop which has 18 greens that are approached from different directions. Golfers take on The Loop in a clockwise rotation one day, which is the Black routing, and the next day golfers are presented with the Red routing which runs counter-clockwise. Although the course opened in 2016, it was designed and built to ape the earliest courses. Little earth was moved during the construction, and there are no formal tee boxes, only teeing areas, nor are there water hazards or buggies on the course.

Lochenheath Golf Club

• Location: Traverse City
• Designed by: Steve Smyers
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,280 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The name is a pun on two Scottish words ‘loch’ for lake, and ‘heath’ for moorland. The notion was craft a course in homage to a Scottish links on a former cherry orchard on bluff overlooking East Grand Traverse Bay. But the result, although appealing, is more American than Scottish in style.

Lost Dunes Golf Club

• Location: Bridgman
• Designed by: Tom Doak
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,905 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Lost Dunes was created from an old sand quarry – which has left it with two deep lakes and well as several expansive sandy waste areas – and is encased by forested sand dunes on three sides. The course features wide fairways and severely undulating greens and some forced carries. A downside to the location is the interstate highway which slices through the layout.

Marquette Golf Club (Greywalls)

• Location: Marquette
• Designed by: Mike DeVries
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,828 Yards
• Green fee: $105-$180
• Visit website

A course created over dramatic but difficult terrain – 40,000 cubic yards of soil was shifted, and 3,000 cubic yards of rock blasted. The layout weaves and tumbles its way through wetlands, dodging rocky outcrops and skirting wetlands with dramatic elevation changes and views of Lake Superior as you make you way round. “The routing for the course was very difficult,” explains DeVries, “in that I had to find good golf holes that fit together and produced a good rhythm and flow to the course and not just one ‘wonder-hole’ after another, with rock everywhere and views of Lake Superior.”

Oakland Hills Country Club (South)

• Location: Bloomfield Hills
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 7,395 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit Website

The club was founded in 1916 and in 1918 Walter Hagen was appointed the club’s first pro at ‘$300 per month plus any profits from the sale of golf equipment’. The long, bunker-strewn parkland South course, nicknamed ‘The Monster’, has hosted the US Open six times, the US PGA Championship three times and the 2004 Ryder Cup.

Point O’Woods Golf & Country Club

• Location: Benton Harbor
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones Sr
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,075 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The typical green here is long and thin, often with a narrow entrance and flanked by large bunkers. The fairways tend to be long and thin and edged with bunkers, and also sometimes ponds. The most dramatic hole is the long par-3 9th with a long thin bunker-fringed angled green high above a lake over which the tee shot is played.

There are no fewer than four championship courses at Trump National Doral in Florida – Blue Monster, Golden Palm, Red Tiger and Silver Fox.

However, the Blue Monster is its most iconic. Established in 1962, the Dick Wilson-designed course hosted the PGA Tour’s Doral Open from that year until 2006. It then hosted the WGC-Cadillac Championship between 2007 and 2016 before the tournament moved to Mexico City. 

Like other Donald Trump-owned courses, following the controversial figure's win in the 2016 US presidential election, Trump National Doral found itself without a top-level Tour. However, earlier in 2022, it was confirmed as the host for the 2022 LIV Golf season finale, the Team Championship.

In 2014, the course was given a significant makeover courtesy of Gil Hanse, who re-sculpted every hole to offer a hugely challenging course with deep bunkers, long fairways, extensive rough, water and undulating greens. Meanwhile, arguably the best is saved for last, a par-4 with trees and bunkers on the right and a lake on the left. The water also stretches out in front of the green. 

One of the most beautiful holes on the course is the 227-yard par-3 fourth that has water to the right on the way towards an elevated half-moon-shaped green. Another par=3, the ninth, has water on both sides of the fairway which you can easily roll back into if your ball falls short of the green. Meanwhile, the 10th has the toughest tee shot of the course, with an intimidatingly large amount of water throughout the left hand side and bunkers to the right.

While the Blue Monster is undoubtedly the star of the show at the renowned golf resort, its three other championship courses have all hosted important events too. For example, the Golden Palm hosted the PGA Tour’s Qualifying tournament in 1999. Also, the Red Tiger was the venue for The Office Depot on the LPGA Tour in 2000.

Trump National Doral is open to the public and you can choose to play on any of the four championship courses with green fees ranging between $150 and approximately $500 with bookings available online.

There is also the option of staying at the Miami resort and hotel in Doral with a Championship Golf Package with rates starting at $509 per night. The deal includes one round on either the Golden Palm, Red Tiger, or Silver Fox course. Alternatively, there is option of upgrading to the Blue Monster course. For anyone wishing to become a member, the initiation fee is reportedly $50,000.

Best Golf Courses In Colorado

Colorado is the eighth largest state of the United States and includes the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau and the Great Plains. Its diverse and spectacular landscape has given rise to some equally diverse and spectacular golf courses. Here we give you the all the key info on the best golf courses in Colorado.

Ballyneal Golf And Hunt Club

• Location: Hoyloke
• Designed by: Tom Doak
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,147 yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

This course has no dedicated tee boxes as it copies the early courses where players just teed the ball somewhere near the previous green. The inland course has been laid out among sand dunes and, in the words of its designer Tom Doak, “the player who can control the flight of his ball and who has the imagination to use the force of the wind and the contours of the ground to stop his ball where he wants to – in Scottish terms, the player who knows how to play real golf – will usually prevail.”

The Broadmoor Golf Club (East)

• Location: Colorado Springs
• Designed by: Donald Ross; Robert Trent Jones
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,355 Yards
• Green fee: $165-$295
• Visit website

Jack Nicklaus won the first of his two US Amateurs here in 1959. Annika Sorenstam's first Major title, the US Women's Open of 1995, was secured over the East course’s wide, tree-lined fairways and large sloping greens. These putting surfaces are tricky to read so, if in doubt, remember they break normally away from the mountainside.

Castle Pines Golf Club

• Location: Castle Rock
• Designed by: Jack Nicklaus
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,701 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Boulder-filled creeks and waterfalls help to make this a most beautiful course. A prime example is the 11th, a par 3 which descends 66ft from the tee to a green defended in front by creek and on its flanks by bunkering. Another is the par-4 12th (above) – the par 4s are another strength of this course – where the creek runs the along the left of the fairway, hidden by trees until bursting into glorious view near the green.

Cherry Hills Country Club

• Location: Cherry Hills Village
• Designed by: William S. Flynn
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,314 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

The club was founded in 1922, and hosted its first US Open in 1938. It has also held the PGA Championship, US Women’s Open and the US Senior Open. The high altitude helps you to boom your drives, and in 1960 Arnold Palmer drove the 355-yard 1st hole en route to his only US Open win. Keen golfer President Eisenhower was a member here and the par-5 18th (above) is named in his honour.

Colorado Golf Club

• Location: Parker
• Designed by: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,604 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Colorado Golf Club was only three years old when it hosted the Senior PGA Championship. Five years later the club hosted the Solheim Cup. The opening two holes provide wonderful contrasts – and a 500-yard difference in lengths. The 1st tumbles leisurely down a gentle hillside, with wide open vistas; the 2nd is an uphill par 3 funnelled through trees to a wickedly sloping green, the smallest on the course, with a bunker guarding each of the four sides of the putting surface.

Country Club of the Rockies

• Location: Edwards
• Designed by: Jack Nicklaus
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,337 Yards
• Green fee: Private
• Visit website

Four holes on this layout, which opened in 1985, run along and across the Eagle River and water features on 11 holes. At 7,200ft above sea level, the length of the course is diminished as a challenge, instead, on this open layout, it is the sloping greens that prove the main defence. In the mid 1990s these were modified as it was felt they were just too tough. President Gerald Ford was a long-time member here.

Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio)

• Location: Wolcott
• Designed by: Tom Fazio
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,116 Yards
• Green fee: Stay & Play packages available
• Visit website

The Fazio course enjoys similar mountainside vistas as the Norman but it is less steep and shorter in its routing than its younger sibling. Indeed it is has less slope in all senses – from the tips the Norman course has a slope rating of 147; Fazio 141. During construction 23,000 native plants were moved into nurseries and then re-planted on the course.

Red Sky Golf Club (Norman)

• Location: Wolcott
• Designed by: Greg Norman
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,580 Yards
• Green fee: Stay & Play packages available
• Visit website

Laid through the mountains, the elevation changes – the difference in height of the 3rd green and 14th tee is 400ft – makes for some interesting holes and indeed par allocations. The 8th is stroke index one and a par 5 of 575 yards, The following hole is a 549-yard par 4, stroke index 7.

TPC Colorado

• Location: Berthoud
• Designed by: Arthur Schaupeter
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,433 Yards
• Green fee: $175-$255
• Visit website

The course can be extended to 7,991 yards when the pros visit, however the variety of tee options mean it can also shrink to 4,157 yards if needed. The pros play the 13th hole, called Longer Still, at 773 yards. Off the Black tees it is a mere 722 yards.

Best Golf Courses In Wisconsin

The Badger State has more than 500 golf courses, including the world famous Whistling Straits, which has hosted the Ryder Cup, the US Open and three PGA Championships. One of the advantages of golf in this state is that most of the top courses are available for the public to play, unlike many states where the best tracks are often hidden away at private members clubs. This makes Wisconsin an attractive destination for the travelling golfer. But where should he or she head? Read on for the lowdown on the best golf courses in Wisconsin.

Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys)

• Location: Kohler
• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,250 Yards
• Green fee: $85-$250
• Visit Website

When the US Women’s Open was held at Blackwolf Run in 2012 the composite course used the back nine from Meadow Valleys. This comes to a close with the par-4 18th which has two greens: one for those playing the red tees, one side of the Sheboygan River and another green for the rest (above) on the far side of the river.

Blackwolf Run (River)

• Location: Kohler
• Designed by: Pete Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,404 Yards
• Green fee: $150-$360
• Visit website

Any doubt as to how this course got its name will be dispelled on the opening hole, a par 5 which has the Sheboygan River running along its full length. The river and the mature trees give the course an elegant, relaxed look. Being able to carry the ball over hazards with accuracy is a skill much utilised here, as 14 holes have either a gorge or water on them. One of the rare exceptions is the par-4 15th, The Sand Pit (above), which requires two large bunkers to be evaded off the tee, and then a huge greenside bunker to be cleared to reach the putting surface.

Erin Hills

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry & Ron Whitten
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,731 Yards
• Green fee: $270-$330
• Visit website

The Shamrock club logo gives a clue that this is modelled on an old-style Irish links course. But what primarily dictated the creation was the landscape itself, formed by mile-thick glaciers retreating, which left a rumpled landscape reminiscent of linksland over which the architects have gently laid a course with minimal earth moving by utilising the existing contours, mounds and humps.

Sand Valley (Sand Valley)

• Location: Nekoosa
• Designed by: Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,938 Yards
• Green fee: $175-$235
• Visit website

The clue is in the name. The course has been built in amongst sand dunes and with large expanses of exposed sand. But the aim was to craft not a faux links course, but one looking like the famous English heathland golf courses. The back nine, which is longer that the front by 500 yards, opens and closes with strong par 5s.

Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)

• Location: Nekoosa
• Designed by: David McLay Kidd
• Par: 73
• Yardage: 6,988 Yards
• Green fee: $175-$235
• Visit website
  

The course takes its name from the large hillsides of exposed sand. Other standout features are the wide fairways which seem almost impossible to miss and huge greens. So expect your Greens In Regulation stats to be good; but also be prepared for putts of up to 150ft.

Sentryworld

• Location: Stevens Point
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones Jr., Bruce Charlton, and Jay Blasi
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,145 Yards
• Green fee: $300
• Visit website

Host of the 2023 US Senior Open, this mainly flat parkland layout has water on two-thirds of its holes. Added beauty comes on the par-3 16th where 30,000 flowers give bold block patterns of colour. Built in 1982, the course was remodelled by its original architect, Robert Trent Jones II, in 2014.

Troy Burne Golf Club

• Location: Hudson
• Designed by: Tom Lehman, Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 6,978 Yards
• Green fee: $69-$96
• Visit website

One million cubic yards of earth were moved to create this course. The front nine is more open, with mounded areas and bunkers defining the holes, whereas the back nine is slightly more constrained with the presence of pines, birch, oak, and maple trees. There are 120 bunkers on the layout, half of them greenside, and the four man-made lakes provide water hazards on eight of the holes.

University Ridge

• Location: Fitchburg
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones II
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,286 Yards
• Green fee: $40-$95
• Visit website

The ridge in question was formed where the Wisconsin Glacier stopped. The course is home to the University of Wisconsin golf teams. The front nine’s open holes run through prairie and marshland, and then the back nine starts with half a dozen holes cut through woodland. There are five par 3s and five par 5s, and only at the 14th and 15th do you play a hole with the same par as the previous one.

Whistling Straits (Irish)

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Pete and Alice Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,201 Yards
• Green fee: $85-$250
• Visit website

Inland from the Straits course, this layout, although less demanding than the Straits, shares many similar characteristics. However it is more protected from the wind and has only about half the number of bunkers. However this still leaves a lot of bunkering, as evidenced on the par-3 6th with its island green surrounded by sand.

Whistling Straits (Straits)

• Location: Haven
• Designed by: Pete and Alice Dye
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,790 Yards
• Green fee: $225-$500
• Visit website

This is as a dramatic a location as you could hope for. Well so long as you do not suffer from ammophobia, as there are estimated to be a thousand bunkers on this course, a hundred of which are on the 8th hole. But the most infamous bunker is on the 18th hole, one which confused Dustin Johnson and cost him him a play-off place in the PGA Championship of 2010. The majority of the holes are played dead into the wind or dead downwind. The Straits is a walking only course.

Tom Fazio designed Congaree with a view to making full use of its natural surroundings. Considering it’s located in an 18th century estate surrounded by lakes and longleaf pine forests, its easy to see why.

The most prominent feature of the course is undoubtedly its sand, though. Because of this, the course resembles a links, with huge bunkers and natural sandy waste areas drawing comparisons with the famous Sandbelt courses of the Melbourne region in Australia. 

Congaree plays firm and fast, too, meaning players need to be mindful of apparently solid tee shots running off towards the sand traps, while the course is also relatively flat, with only around 30 feet separating its lowest and highest points. That's not all - there are also strategically placed oaks and doglegs to consider, making Congaree a course offering huge variety and challenge. 

Holes to look out for include the par 3 fifth, with a pond in front of the green, while the par 5 eighth has an elevated green guarded by a yawning area of sand. Meanwhile, the 18th demands players navigate an approach over both water and sand to its narrow green. Even the teeing areas are unusual at Congaree, with discs on the tee boxes denoting the distance in yards from there to the hole, rather than markers. 

Considering Congaree's glowing reputation as a one-of-a-kind course, its incredible how new it is, with the course only opening in 2018. It didn't take long for the PGA Tour to take notice and, three years later, it hosted the Palmetto Championship. However, while that was a one-off tournament, Congaree was again selected as a PGA Tour venue for the 2022 CJ Cup after the tournament had been held in Las Vegas for the previous two years.

The impressive course isn't the only unique element of Congaree. It was also set up as the world’s first philanthropic club, aimed at offering educational and vocational opportunities to youngsters worldwide via the game. But what exactly does it entail? Well, rather than members, there are around 250 ambassadors of Congaree, who help promote the club and its mission. Meanwhile, the Congaree Global Golf Initiative allows young underprivileged players to receive top-quality coaching and education each summer. 

The club technically does still have one member – entrepreneur Dan Friedkin. The businessman held the status with fellow co-founder Bob McNair. However, McNair passed away shortly after the club opened, leaving Friedkin as the sole member.

The club is private, and, anyone wishing to become an ambassador can only do so by referral. Meanwhile, there is no initiation fee, with those accepted instead encouraged to provide a contribution to the Congaree Foundation and become involved in assisting the latest intake of young players to the initiative. Perhaps because of this, some ambassadors have included professional players, including Tom Watson, Nick Price and Mark O'Meara. 

The students Congaree invites to its summer camp are given expert tuition from the Congaree Global Golf Initiative team, including PGA professionals. So, unless you can become an ambassador or join the team, perhaps the best opportunities to experience the course are afforded to the talented youngsters given the chance of a lifetime each summer.

Against the backdrop of New York City on the east of Jersey City is Liberty National, one of the most expensive courses ever built.

The course was established in 2006, with Robert E Cupp and 1992 US Open winner Tom Kite entrusted with the design. Since then, the par 72 course has hosted the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust several times, while it was also the venue for the 2017 Presidents Cup, where Steve Stricker helped his US team retain the trophy, beating the International team 19-11.

The course came about thanks to a meeting between businessman Rusty Bayliss and Kite. Bayliss showed Kite images of the land he’d like him to transform – a run-down area that required years of dredging before work on the course could begin. 

It was worth the effort. The immaculate parkland course features plenty of bunkers around greens and some on fairways. Water is also a consideration, including on the fifth, where it runs all the way down the left-hand side. Meanwhile, at 250 yards, the 11th seems long, but there’s a downhill tee shot onto an elevated green. The 12th features a split fairway onto another elevated green, while the following hole includes a carry over water. The closing two holes features a two-tiered green on the par 4 17th while the 18th features fairway bunkers with a sloping green, guaranteeing a stern challenge to the last.

If the course is impressive, its views are equally as breathtaking, with players treated to stunning panoramas of the iconic Manhattan skyline from every hole, including the Statue of Liberty. 

Given its pristine condition, incredible location and $250m cost to build, it’s not surprising that the club is private. However, what may come as a shock is just how exclusive it is. Initiation fees are reportedly between $450,000 and $500,00 plus annual dues. Famous members include former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, actor Mark Wahlberg, singer Justin Timberlake and six-time Major winner Phil Mickelson.

Members are allowed to bring up to seven guests (limited to two a day) while guests can play six times in a calendar year. Guest fees are between $235 and $600, cart fees are $45, while caddie fees are between $45 and $90. There is also the option to play as part of a corporate day.

You can even arrive in style via a 46-foot custom catamaran that carries people across the Hudson River from Manhattan to its private boat dock next to the state-of-the-art clubhouse.

On the west coast of the US overlooking the Pacific and close to the Californian city of San Diego is Torrey Pines.

After opening in 1957, Torrey Pines now has such a stellar reputation that it is up there with some of the best public courses in the US. The land had been used for other notable reasons before it became a golf course, though.

In 1941 the site was known as Camp Callan - an anti-aircraft artillery replacement training centre that housed 15,000 people. After World War Two, the land was sold back to the city of San Diego and later became a grand prix racecourse. Finally, after hosting its final race in 1956, Torrey Pines opened a year later.

There are, in fact, two courses at the site – the North Course and South Course. Each was designed by William F Bell. However, Rees Jones redesigned each significantly as part of a five-year program that began in 1999. He added more length to the South Course and moved four of the greens, before making more tweaks in 2019.

As for the shorter North Course, it was redesigned by the late Tom Weiskopf in 2016, which included enlarging the greens.

Of the two, the South Course is considered the more difficult, and it is that which has hosted two US Opens – in 2008 where Tiger Woods famously beat Rocco Mediate in an 18-hole playoff, and 2021, where Jon Rahm picked up his maiden Major victory.

Meanwhile, both courses host the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open over the first two rounds, before attention turns solely to the South Course for the final two rounds.

Both the North Course and South Course benefit from beautiful cliff-top views over the Pacific. Plus, the rare tree after which Torrey Pines takes its name is present on both - and it is also featured in the design of the Farmers Insurance Open trophy.

Each course is also long and narrow, with difficult rough. Generally, the terrain is gentle, but don't be fooled and think it's easy to play - there are also deep bunkers and small greens, meaning accuracy with approach shots is crucial. 

The South Course's par-5 18th is responsible for some memorable finishes to tournaments in recent years. As well as being the scene where Woods finally saw off the challenge of Mediate in 2008, it's where Rahm holed an eagle on the 72nd hole of the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open to be crowned champion, and where the Spaniard finished with a birdie to clinch his US Open win four years later.

While the courses were already highly regarded, those famous US Opens have helped make Torrey Pines one of the most sought after venues in America. And, as a bonus, it remains home to one of the cheapest PGA Tour green fees.

It's relatively easy to arrange a round at either course, too, although the fees can stack up so make sure you factor the additional costs in to your trip. And, given Torrey Pines is a municipal facility, locals receive preference at the two courses in terms of a tee time. They can book between eight and 90 days in advance while non-residents are only able to book a tee time up to four days before their desired date.

Should you want to try and lock up a tee time, you can do so with a $50 non-refundable booking & service fee (per golfer) for non-residents and a $32 version for residents of San Diego.

In addition, resident or not, each player will be required to pay a $49 San Diego golf reservations service fee. Golf carts are $45 each while rental clubs cost $75.

As far as the price of the green fee goes, prices range between $148 and $306 to play the South Course, depending on the time of day and and the time of week you play, with weekdays and twilight hours offering the cheapest fees. Meanwhile, green fees for the North Course are between $88 and $185. 

San Diego residents enjoy significant discounts, however, with South Course green fees between $43 and $88. The North Course is even cheaper, with prices between $31 and $64.

Another method of ensuring you tick off the bucket-list course is by booking to stay at either the Lodge at Torrey Pines or the Hilton Torrey Pines. Both have a number of priority tee times for guests and offer different golf-themed packages for purchase. But if you were not looking to stay over, a handful of walk-up tee times remain available throughout the first hour or so of every day on a first-come, first-served basis.

TORREY PINES GREEN FEES

TORREY PINES LOCATION

TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas takes full advantage of its rugged Nevada Desert terrain to combine a stern test of any player with breathtaking scenery.

The course was designed by Bobby Weed in consultation with Fuzzy Zoeller and opened in 1991. Nowadays, it's the regular host of the PGA Tour’s Shriners Children’s Open. Formerly known as the Las Vegas Invitational, it was that tournament held at the same course where Tiger Woods won his first PGA Tour event in 1996. 

Woods' maiden win isn't the only piece of history attributed to the course, though, the 17th is the scene of another PGA Tour first. In 2010, Jonathan Byrd was embroiled in a three-man playoff in the Shriners Children’s Open. After the first three playoff holes finished tied, he hit the first walk-off ace in the Tour’s history to win the trophy. A plaque at the hole commemorates the unforgettable moment.

Creeks and canyons are commonplace against the rugged backdrop of the surrounding desert. Meanwhile, the course has some challenging elevation changes, and players are tested further by the tricky green undulations. While tackling those, players are frequently treated to views of either mountains or the famous Sin City skyline. They would be wise not to let the stunning surroundings distract them though. That’s because water and bunkers are also prevalent while that unforgiving desert terrain lies just beyond the fairways.

The closing holes are memorable, too. The par 4 15th has a green that’s elevated and has dramatic undulations, while the 16th has a lake protecting the front of the green with bunkers waiting to swallow any shot that goes beyond it. After the par 3 17th, which inevitably evokes memories of Byrd's playoff feat, the round finishes with a testing 18th that features a canyon to the left and water guarding the green.

The course is private, and there are reportedly initiation fees of between $25,000 and $50,000 to become a member. Anyone wishing to join has no fewer than 11 options to choose from, with details of each available on request via the official TPC website. Members also have access to TPC Las Vegas and other TPC golf courses around the country. Another option is to play as a guest of a member.

In southwest Oregon to the north of the city of Bandon and overlooking the Pacific is Bandon Dunes, a relatively new golf resort with no fewer than seven courses.

However, despite only being established in 1999, its original course is widely regarded as one of the best public courses in the US, and has achieved global recognition.

That first course, Bandon Dunes, was designed by David McLay Kidd, who had been given the job by the land owner, Mike Keiser.

He certainly went about his work meticulously, spending up to 18 hours a day studying the terrain to produce the finest links course possible.

Keiser had been inspired to create a course with the feel of Scotland, having visited Dornoch, and the result didn't disappoint, with comparisons to Carnoustie soon forthcoming, with its fescue fairways, huge sand dunes and awe-inspiring sea views.

Keiser wasn’t done there, though, and just two years later opened the resort’s second course, Pacific Dunes, to further acclaim.

The course was designed by Tom Doak, and he crafted a layout with undulating fairways and holes traversing its many dunes. The 13th, in particular, is incredible, while spectacular ocean views to the left and a dune sitting to the right of the green.

The third course, Bandon Trails, opened in 2005 and is the resort’s outlier. That's because it isn’t built beside the ocean, but is more inland. It was designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore.

The course takes you through meadows and forest before finishing on some imposing and spectacular dunes.

The fourth course, Old MacDonald, opened five years later and is inspired by legendary designer Charles Blair MacDonald.

The design of the course, again overseen by Doak, has huge greens and challenging bunkers.

The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw-designed Bandon Preserve opened in 2012 and is a 13-hole par 3. Eight years later, Sheep Ranch, also designed by Coore and Crenshaw, opened and features challenging shots over water and cliffs.

In 2024 came the seventh and latest Bandon Dunes course, Shorty's, a 19-hole par-3 course designed by Rod Whitman, Dave Axland and Keith Cutten.

Despite the resort's relative youth, it has already hosted several prestigious events, including the 2006 Curtis Cup, 2020 US Amateur and 2025 US Women's Amateur.

Several of the resort's layouts have been utilized for those tournaments, too, including Bandon Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old MacDonald and Pacific Dunes.

Meanwhile, many more big USGA events are in the pipeline, including the 2028 Walker Cup, and the US Amateur and the US Women's Amateur in 2032 and 2041.

All seven layouts are open to the public, and green fees range between $120 and $370 for resort guests and Oregon residents for the main five courses, depending on the season.

For day guests, the green fees range between $170 and $420.

If you decide to play a second round on the same day, it's around half price.

Rounds at the two short courses each range between $60 and $125 depending on the season.

Bandon Dunes Green Fees

Bandon Dunes Location

Quail Hollow in Charlotte is one of the most famous courses in the US as well one of the best in the Carolinas. 

It has also hosted some big events, including the 2017 PGA Championship and the 2022 Presidents Cup. It's a regular on the PGA Tour, too, as the permanent home of the Truist Championship, although that wasn't the case in 2025, when the tournament headed north to Pennsylvania's Philadelphia Cricket Club. There was a very good reason for that, though, with the course being prepared to host the PGA Championship for the second time the following week.

The parkland course was designed in 1961 by George Cobb, and it has undergone several improvements since, notably in 1986, when Arnold Palmer made changes to several holes. In 1997, Tom Fazio was then tasked with a redesign, while he was also the man entrusted with the modification of several holes in 2016.

So, what can players expect at the course? Well, it's known for its rolling terrain and undulating greens. Standout holes include the dogleg left 14th, which features a lake on the left-hand side and a long, narrow tiered green.

The 17th is another hole where water features prominently. There, players hitting over the water towards the green need to be mindful of a bunker guarding it. Meanwhile, even if you land on the green, too far to the left could leave your ball rolling into the water that stands just six feet off the putting area. The hole is also one of three closing holes making up the infamous Green Mile, known as one of the most challenging finishes on the PGA Tour.

Away from the course, another prominent feature of Quail Hollow is its grand Southern-style clubhouse, replete with oak floors and an opulent ballroom.

Unlike some PGA Championship venues, Quail Hollow is both private and exclusive, with only around 350 members. If you want to join that number, the only way you can is to receive a recommendation from a current member. It's not cheap either, with initiation fees reportedly around $100,000 with monthly dues of $800.

Quail Hollow Location

Established in 1904, the iconic East Lake Golf Club is Atlanta’s oldest course and renowned as the home course of the legendary Bobby Jones.

The course has hosted many prestigious tournaments over the years, including the 1963 Ryder Cup and 2001 US Amateur. However, in 1998 it hosted the Tour Championship for the first time, and has since established itself as the tournament’s permanent home, having held it every year since 2004.

The course is situated among rolling hills, belying its urban surroundings, and it’s the city that forms an integral part of the East Lake’s ongoing importance to the area. After the original course opened in 1908, designer Donald Ross stepped in to renovate it five years later. The Scot designed a second course on the site that opened in 1930, but it was on his original course where the USA thrashed Great Britain and Ireland to win the 1963 Ryder Cup.

That was as good as it got for the course for some time, as the urban area surrounding it fell into decline. After the second course was developed for housing in the 1970s, the area’s fortunes – and the original course - suffered further. Finally, property developer Tom Cousins stepped in to breathe life into the course and surrounding area. 

In 1994, Ross’s original design was used as the blueprint to redesign the course – a task entrusted to Rees Jones. Today, as well as being a top-quality course, East Lake continues to help revitalise a previously troubled area largely thanks to the East Lake Community Foundation, which benefits from all the profits the club makes.  

As for the course itself, players can expect immaculate, tree-lined fairways and greens on gently rolling hills. There are large bunkers both on the fairways and guarding greens, while water is also a consideration, including on the signature sixth, a par-3 167-yard effort requiring a tee shot downhill to a green with water to the left, right and in front. If that’s not difficult enough, there’s also a bunker at the front left of the green to give players of any ability plenty to think about.

In general, players should prepare themselves for a fairly relentless experience, with long holes, wind considerations and the water and bunkers to consider almost from start to finish.

The course is private, so deep pockets or knowing a member are required to play it. In 2018, it was reported that initiation fees were $125,000, with a further $200,000 donation to the East Lake Community Foundation the suggestion. Contact details are on the club’s official website.

Wilmington Country Club is a picturesque golf club located in the stunning Delaware Valley. 

There are two courses, with the longer and more well-known 7,534-yard South Course designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. As a result, it features many of his trademark bunkers throughout – and not just near the greens. Others are found on fairways, giving players plenty to think about off the tee as well as with approach shots.

Golf has been played on the site since 1901 when Wilmington Country Club was established with a nine-hole course. That all changed in the 1950s, when Jones Sr. designed the first of two 18-hole courses on the site, the South Course. That opened in 1959, with the North Course, designed by Dick Wilson, coming the following year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given its long history, Wilmington has hosted some of the game’s legends, including Arnold Palmer in a 1963 exhibition tournament. Three years later, both Palmer and Jack Nicklaus graced the course for another exhibition. Nevertheless, 2022 marks the club’s first year hosting a PGA Tour event, with the BMW Championship.

Following the 2020 announcement it would do so, the South Course received a makeover from Andrew Green, including a lengthening of the course and the repositioning of the 14th green, making the hole 60 yards longer. Other holes of note include the 585-yard third, with its water-fronted green and bunkers guarding it to the right, left and at the back. Later on, the 18th leaves players facing a dogleg-left and an uphill approach shot with bunkers at the bend.

The course is private, so playing as a member or a guest of a member are the best ways to experience the challenging and beautiful parkland course. Initiation fees and monthly dues are unreported, but anyone wishing to become a member can fill out a form on the club’s official website. If you do, you’ll be following in the footsteps of US president Joe Biden, who became a member of the club in 2014 and played it for the first time in his White House tenure in April 2021.

In Shelby County, Tennessee, is TPC Southwind, a Ron Prichard-designed par-70, 7,243-yard course in consultation with Hubert Green and Fuzzy Zoeller.

The course had been best known as the host venue for the FedEx St. Jude Classic between 1989 until 2019. From 2022, the course hosts the first FedEx Cup playoff tournament, the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

TPC Southwind is known for its water and many bunkers, making it challenging but fair. One of the more memorable holes is the 11th, which bears similarities with the famous island green at TPC Sawgrass. Other holes that challenge any level of player are the 14th, whose narrow, undulating green is guarded by water to the right. Meanwhile, there is something to think about right to the last, with the 18th featuring a brutal near 90° dogleg left and protected by water to the left of the fairway.

Despite its challenging reputation, low scores are not unheard of at TPC Southwind. Indeed, the course record of 61 has been achieved three times. Jay Delsing was the first to set the record in 1993, while Bob Estes matched the feat eight years later. Amateur Braden Thornberry also hit a 61 in a local event in 2012.

Prichard designed the course with both playability and strategy in mind. However, as well as offering a tough but fair challenge to golfers of any ability, it is also known for its stunning beauty that takes full advantage of the Memphis countryside. To that end, it has won numerous environmental awards and is also certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System by Audubon International.

The course is private, so the easiest way to experience it is to either become a member or play as a guest. There are three standard membership levels: Regular Golf Membership Young Professional Golf Membership and Non-Resident Membership. Anyone interested in joining is invited to fill out a form on the official TPC website, where a course tour can also be scheduled. 

Initiation fees are reportedly between $7,500 and $30,000. However, there is one way to sign up for free – as a FedEx employee via the FedEx Affinity Partner Membership. Members at TPC Southwind also have access to the TPC Passport concierge program, which entitles the holder to play at all TPC courses.

Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina, was established in 1925, with the Donald Ross course opening the year after. 

The course consisted of bentgrass greens until a 10-month restoration project in 2007 saw the introduction of Champion Bermuda greens and rolling fairways. The year after, the effort - and $3m cost - was rewarded when the course began hosting the Wyndham Championship, an honour it has held ever since.

In fact, the course’s association with the tournament goes back considerably further. The tournament began in 1938 as the Greater Greensboro Open, and Sedgefield Country Club was one of the original host courses, along with Starmount Forest Country Club. After a 31-year spell where the tournament was held at Forest Oaks Country Club, it returned to Sedgefield in 2008.

The greens are typical of Ross’ designs, being small and undulating. Despite that, the Wyndham Championship regularly produces low scores, with 20 under and lower not uncommon. The par-71 course is known for its contoured fairways and wooded landscape, and it will suit the strategist as players attempt to avoid the bunkers on the fairways and find a rare flat stance from their tee shots. Once on the green, more challenges arise with tricky undulations commonplace. Overall, the course offers a difficult but fair test for players of any level and is regarded as one of Ross’ finest creations.

The private course has three membership options: full golf, young executive golf and junior full golf. If you are interested in membership, initiation fees were reported to be between $12,500 and $15,000 in 2021, according to the Sedgefield Country Club newsletter, Sedgefield Times. 

TPC Twin Cities, in Blaine, Minnesota, is a par-72 course designed by Arnold Palmer that opened in 2000. Originally, the course had hosted the Champions Tour's 3M Championship, but it has held the PGA Tour's 3M Open since its inception in 2019.

Rolling fairways are a feature throughout a course built on a former sod farm in consultation with local hero, former World No.1 Tom Lehman. Mature oak, pine and spruce trees abound, while there are no fewer than 27 bodies of water. One of the most recognisable features of the course, though, is the seventh hole's beach bunker - one of 60 bunkers throughout. Meanwhile, elevated greens are also common on a course widely regarded for its layout and incorporation of the easy-on-the-eye terrain.

After a gentle par 4 to ease players into their round, the second hole, another par 4, may provide a rude awakening to anyone assuming the benign opener would set the tone for their round. Water and bunkers guard the green leaving little margin for error. Other holes to look out for include the seventh with that beach bunker and water to the left, and the ninth which features a green with a tricky carry over water.  Further on, the 10th is possibly the most difficult on the course, thanks mainly to the shallow green on a diagonal. The course finishes with a monster 596-yard par 5 with a pond to conclude a course that will challenge any level of player.

TPC Twin Cities is private course with a range of membership options, including family, corporate, social and non-resident. Members are entitled to numerous benefits, including member-guest tournaments. Of course, this also means that, short of being a member, you can also play the course as a guest of someone who is. 

Initiation fees reportedly range between $10,000 and $30,000, with monthly dues between $300 and $600. Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to inquire via a form on the official TPC website. 

Pumpkin Ridge in Portland, Oregon has hosted several prominent tournaments since opening in 1992, including the 1996 US Amateur, where Tiger Woods won his third consecutive title before turning pro.

It was also the host venue of the 1997 US Women’s Open, and held the LPGA Tour’s Safeway Classic between 2009 and 2012. However, it’s as the host of the second LIV Golf Invitational Series event that it’s really shot to prominence.

The club has two courses, Witch Hollow and Ghost Creek, and the Saudi-backed Series makes use of both, with six from the former and 12 from the latter. As for what the courses offer, both were designed by Bob Cup, and boast undulating tree-lined fairways and smooth greens in the shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Ash, fir and maple trees are prominent throughout, while there are also plenty of lakes, ponds and streams to give players plenty to think about.

If you’d like to experience Pumpkin Ridge, Ghost Creek is the easiest of the two courses to arrange a round on as it's open to the public. Tee times can be booked via the club’s website, with green fees ranging between $116 and $150 for two players. Another option is to purchase a Pumpkin Pass, which entitles holders to one free round and additional rounds between $35 and $90 depending on the times of day or year you play.

It’s considerably more difficult to play the private Witch Hollow. Initiation fees are reportedly between around $25,000 and $42,000. However, the club website states there are “a variety of affordable membership options," and anyone who does become a member is also entitled to play at Ghost Creek.

Located in Cromwell, Connecticut, just outside state capital Hartford is the long-standing host of the Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands. 

The par 70 6841-yard course, which opened in 1928, was given a complete redesign by Pete Dye in 1982, before being renovated again just seven years later by Bobby Weed. In between those years, it began hosting the Travelers Championship, in 1984 – a position it still holds today. One of the most memorable tournaments at the course came in 2016, when Jim Furyk broke the record for the lowest score in PGA Tour history with his astounding 58.

As for the course, players will find picturesque rolling fairways lined with mature sycamore, oak, maple and eastern white pine trees. The course’s easy-on-the eye aesthetic is further enhanced by an abundance of lakes and ponds. 

One of those lakes dominates the tough four-hole finishing stretch. The par 4, 296-yard 15th is regarded as one of the most exciting on the PGA Tour, with sand on the right and water on the left. An eagle is quite possible, but equally, risk-taking players can come unstuck and make a bogey – or worse. The gorgeous 171-yard par 3 16th includes a forced carry over the lake. Make that, and players face a narrow, sloping green. 

The finishing two holes are challenging pars 4s. The 433-yard 17th is often a pivotal hole, featuring a fairway bunker to the left and an even more intimidating stretch of the lake to the right. Finally, the 444-yard 18th offers a realistic birdie opportunity if the approach shot avoids the two bunkers guarding the green.

Initiation fees for 2022 are undisclosed, but the course’s 2019 brochure offered a range of packages starting at $10,000 and rising to $25,000. Monthly dues were between $498 and $766. Members were also entitled to bring guests. Once accepted, members can enjoy facilities including the recently renovated clubhouse, a practice facility including a large putting green, a pool and tennis courts.

There is at least one other way to play the course, but it entails becoming a member of Connecticut Bar Association, an organisation for lawyers and the legal profession in the state. Members can play as an unaccompanied guest of the organisation on specific days for an annual fee of $250 minus green and cart fees. Family members and guests can play too.

Perhaps the next best thing to playing TPC River Highlands is to live in one of the houses that famously line the course. That offers lucky residents the chance to get a free view of some of the world's best players each year during the Travelers Championship, often just yards away from the action.

The Country Club in Massachusetts, which is affectionately known as Brookline, is the host venue for the 2022 US Open and one of the most storied courses in the game's history. As well as being one of the oldest clubs in the US, it is one of the five charter clubs that established the United States Golf Association.

The club has a long lineage with the US Open, too. It first hosted the event in 1913 and did so again in 1963 and 1988, when Curtis Strange beat Nick Faldo in a playoff. It was also the scene of a memorable comeback in the 1999 Ryder Cup that saw the US beat Europe, including a famous monster putt from Justin Leonard. But, arguably, the first US Open held at the course had at least as much drama, when 20-year-old amateur and former caddie Francis Ouimet walked across the street from his home to beat firm favourites Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in an 18-hole playoff.

There are 27 holes over the Main Course and the Primrose Course. In previous Majors, three and a half holes from the latter had replaced three holes in the former back nine, but that is different in 2022, with the Main Course’s fourth hole making way for the par-3 12th (which will play as the 11th in the tournament), a devilish 131-yard hole whose green is guarded by four bunkers and a brook.

Thanks to Gil Hanse’s redesign, anyone fortunate enough to play the course can expect a parkland effort with natural rock outcroppings and plenty of long holes and thick, lush rough across its 7,312-yard layout interspersed with demanding shorter holes. Small greens are prevalent, while an extensive tree-removal program ensures the course plays firm and fast but still retains its famous blind spots. 

Meanwhile, the back nine features a five-hole stretch either side of the 11th that is nothing short of gruelling, with a 513-yard uphill par-4 at the 10th featuring rock outcroppings on the right, then the left. Holes of 478, 490, 625 and 515 yards follow immediately after the par-3 11th. 

The hole that has proved pivotal in several huge tournaments is the 17th. The 373-yard dogleg left was the scene of high drama in that 1913 shock, as Ouimet birdied there in the final round to force the playoff. He repeated the feat in that decider at the 17th to propel him to victory. History repeated itself at the 1963 US Open, when Julius Boros birdied the 17th to force a three-way-tie with Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer. He then birdied it again in the playoff on his way to victory. The 17th was also the scene of that incredible 40-foot putt from Leonard that helped the US to Ryder Cup victory in 1999.

Brookline is one of the most private courses in the US, and while it has 1,300 members, becoming one of them is no easy feat. Indeed, even American football superstar Tom Brady faced a two-year wait before finally being accepted in 2017. At the time, the Boston Globe, while reporting on Brady’s acceptance, stated: “TCC applicants typically must be sponsored by two current club members and provide the admissions committee with testimonials from seven other people with whom the applicant has a personal relationship. Applicants also must attend a cocktail reception at the club with members of the admissions committee.”

At least Brady eventually got in. According to former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick in his book, A Reason To Believe, he and his wife had their application rejected after he took office in 2007. Given its exclusivity, it's perhaps not surprising that initiation fees are undisclosed.

Muirfield Village has been inextricably linked with one man since it opened almost half a century ago - Jack Nicklaus.

Nicklaus was just 34 and inexperienced when he bought up the land in greater Columbus, Ohio and designed "Jack's Place," yet it still opened to wide acclaim in May 1974. It was so popular, in fact, that just two years later it hosted its first Memorial Tournament, an honour it has held on to ever since.

Nicklaus, who spent much of his early life in the area, designed Muirfield Village with length in mind. Indeed, it began as a par 72 6,969-yard effort, which, for the era, was sizeable. Nicklaus has made tweaks to the course ever since, and it’s now even longer, at 7,533 yards. As the years have progressed, he has continued to make other adjustments to the course, including adding bunkers and rerouting a stream on the 18th.

The course, which has a statue of Nicklaus at the entrance to the clubhouse, underwent its most recent renovation in 2020, which was again overseen by the American, when each green complex was redone and bunkers were made larger and deeper. At the time, Nicklaus declared it the “final bite of the apple,” which strongly implied that it would be the last significant renovation the Golden Bear would administer to the course.

Well-groomed, wide fairways and bunker-guarded greens abound, with approach shots requiring precision. Meanwhile, the final three holes, including the dogleg right par 4 18th, represent once of the most challenging finishes on the PGA Tour. The immaculate nature of the course is such that it has drawn favourable comparisons with its primary inspiration, the home of The Masters, Augusta National.  

The name comes from another course close to Nicklaus’ heart – the Scottish venue where he won the 1966 Open Championship. In a nod to that, Muirfield Village’s crest used to include the Claret Jug, albeit depicted backwards as a gesture of respect to the R&A.

Muirfield Village, which also has the distinction of being the only course in the world to host the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup and the Solheim Cup, is a private club, meaning experiencing it for yourself will not be that easy. Membership initiation fees are reportedly upwards of $100,000 with monthly dues over $400. There are different categories of memberships, ranging from Corporate Golf and Full Golf membership, which offers unlimited use of the course, and Social Clubhouse membership, which includes limited course availability.

Anyone interested in becoming a member is advised to schedule a tour of the club by emailing or phoning its Membership and Communications Director. If you can’t afford the fees, knowing a member offers another potential route to sampling the course as their guest.  

Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is synonymous with one event – the Charles Schwab Challenge. It’s hosted the tournament since 1946, making it the longest-running on the PGA Tour held at the same venue. 

The club was established in 1936 and the course was designed by renowned architects John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell. Indeed, the latter’s influence is evident in the undulating greens and use of existing topography. Tree-lined fairways, small greens and doglegs are the order of the day, placing emphasis on all aspects of a player’s game on a course that’s generally accepted as one of the toughest on the PGA Tour.

The doglegs, which are a familiar theme of another Maxwell-designed course, Southern Hills, are particularly troublesome on a three-hole stretch nicknamed the Horrible Horseshoe. The par-4 third features a 483-yard dogleg left with a sharp turn that demands accuracy with the tee shot. Bunkers on the left force many tee shots towards the rough on the right. Meanwhile, if your drive heads left and the ball avoids a bunker, there’s every chance it’ll be blocked by trees. 

The fourth is a 247-yard par-3 with an elevated green. Incredibly, it's so difficult that the hole has yet to see an ace in the history of the Charles Schwab Challenge. If the first two holes of the Horrible Horseshoe sound difficult, the fifth that completes it is positively brutal. The 481-yard par-4 has a dogleg right with a river on the right and a ditch on the opposite side. More tests follow, including the 13th with its unique triangular green. The 170-yard par-3 plays over water, and wind is also a factor, with shots as likely to find the narrow green as the lake. 

The course, which also held the 1941 US Open, will receive a $20m facelift after the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge. While it will retain its sense of history and familiarity, there will be nods to the future with a new irrigation system, tees, bunkers, and green complexes in a project carried out by Gil Hanse.

Whether you want to play a round at Colonial before or after the improvements are made, it isn't that easy to arrange. Like other Texan courses on the PGA Tour, TPC Craig Ranch and Austin Country Club, Colonial is a private course, so its amenities are restricted to members and guests. To become a member, you’ll need to find an initiation fee reportedly in the region of $80,000. On top of that, there are monthly dues of around $470 a month, while there are further fees for any member who invites a guest to play. Anyone interested in becoming a member is asked to email the club’s Assistant General Manager for details.

Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is one of the most exclusive courses in the US – it’s also one of the most private.

The course has hosted some of the sport’s most prestigious tournaments, including three US Opens, and four PGA Championships. It was the scene of the 2007 PGA Championship, where Tiger Woods was at his imperious best as he secured his fourth title in a display that included a tie for the record single-round score in a Major with his second round of 63. Southern Hills is also the host venue for the 2022 PGA Championship after Trump National was stripped of the honour.

Designer Perry Maxwell initially laid out the par-71 course. However, it was renovated by Keith Foster in 1999. Most recently, Gil Hanse redesigned the course in 2018, which is known for its many bending holes, with bunkers guarding most of the greens. Hanse set about restoring Maxwell's vision of a course that used the topography to create undulated greens and contoured fairways to showcase the course. He and his team trimmed the trees, which had become too prominent and, restored slopes to the fairways, which won the approval of legendary Oklahoma head pro Jerry Cozby.

Holes to look out for include the par-4 2nd, which is particularly demanding with a 225-yard carry over the bunkers. However, that’s not all – there’s also a creek that runs parallel to the fairway. Further on, the fourth has a severe back-to-front sloping green, making putting tricky. The 7th has also features the winding creek to the right of the fairway. Meanwhile, though the par-3 11th is the shortest on the course at just 173 yards, the small green is guarded by four bunkers. Elsewhere, the 456-yard 12th slopes right-to-left, leaving the chance of balls heading to the the stream.

As a player’s round draws to a close, the par-4 17th can leave tee shots either in the trees or a creek, while the two-level elevated green can make for uneasy putting. Finally, the par-4 18th is a dogleg right with a severely sloping green from back to front, almost guaranteeing a challenging finish for even the best players. Indeed, only two winners of Majors hosted at Southern Hills have made par at the closing hole, including Woods in that 2007 tournament.

For anyone with a soft spot for quirky moments in history, the 15th is notable as the hole where, in the final round of the 1977 US Open, leader Hubert Green played on despite earlier receiving a death threat where he was informed gunmen would shoot him at the hole. He made par at the 15th and went on to win the tournament.

Southern Hills is both picturesque and challenging, but experiencing a round on it for yourself is easier said than done. Initiation fees aren’t disclosed, but, reportedly, they fall anywhere between $30,000 and $130,000 plus annual dues. Even if you can afford it, the waiting list is said to be lengthy, making this one course where patience as well as deep pockets are required to play regularly. Another option is to play as a guest of a member.

Perhaps the most realistic way of playing Southern Hills is to participate in the annual First Tee of Tulsa Charitable Golf Tournament, which is played as part of an initiative to provide free programming to thousands of children. There are contact details on how to play Southern Hills Country Club’s official website for prospective players and sponsors.

TPC Craig Ranch, located in Dallas suburb McKinney, was designed by 1973 Open Champion Tom Weiskopf and opened in 2004. 

After hosting the Nationwide Tour Championship in 2008 and the 2012 Web.com Tour Championship, 2021 saw TPC Craig Ranch's PGA Tour debut as the venue for the AT&T Byron Nelson. Lush fairways on rolling hills beside mature woods are the order of the day. Meanwhile, Rowlett Creek criss-crosses the course and is a feature on no fewer than 14 of its holes. If players stray from the fairway, they're likely to hit substantial rough. 

The par-72, 7,438-yard course is regarded as one of the toughest in Texas and sure to challenge any player. However, if you're a big hitter, it is more likely to work in your favour. That's because the course has seven par 4s over 450 yards, including the 12th, which requires a second shot over the creek. There are also three par 5s over 500 yards, including the 18th.

Anyone playing the course will not only face a challenging round, but a very beautiful one too. TPC Craig Ranch is certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System by Audubon International - a scheme that helps golf courses protect the environment and preserve the game's heritage. In other words, it's a fitting environment for the PGA Tour, but how easy is it to play?

Like another Texan PGA Tour course, Austin Country Club, TPC Craig Ranch is a private course, meaning your best chance of playing it is to become a member or play as a guest. There are several membership options – charter, patron, social and corporate. 

Anyone interested in becoming a member is invited to fill out a form on the course’s official website. Meanwhile, membership fees are undisclosed, but they reportedly range between approximately $25,000 and $50,000, with monthly dues of around $1,025.

Located less than 20 miles from US capital Washington DC, TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm opened in 1986 to mixed reactions, with its design particularly criticised for its flooding and drainage issues. The problems persisted until 2008, when the course and clubhouse underwent a $32m renovation – and the results were outstanding.

The redesign was a collaborative effort involving Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Fred Funk and Davis Love III, and the acclaim the course received on its 2009 reopening was almost immediate. Fred Couples remarked: “They redesigned it to make it better. I think the back nine is incredible. Really, really a great golf course.” Following another extensive renovation in 2015, Justin Thomas said the course is fit for a US Open. 

For the moment, TPC Potomac is best-known as the venue for the PGA Tour’s Wells Fargo Championship, and the players are greeted by a punishing par-70 effort sure to challenge players of any ability. The course has just two par-5s – but they’re both beasts. The second hole is the longest of the two, at 619 yards, and has a deep bunker on the left of the green. Further on, the 10th is a dogleg left requiring a tee shot to the right of the fairway to present an angle towards the green. Meanwhile, its green has thick rough to the left, giving anyone plenty to think about.

In general, the holes offer little room for error, and the relatively hilly terrain means you’ll rarely get a flat lie. The greens are contoured, too, and play particularly firm in the spring, when the tournament is held. All this means that while the course may look benign enough with its lush mid-Atlantic scenery, pristine wooded terrain, streams and creeks, it’s anything but.

TPC Potomac is a private course, meaning your best chance of playing it is to become a member. There are several options: individual and family memberships, a young professional membership and corporate membership.

Interested parties are invited to fill out an inquiry form on the TPC website to arrange a private tour. Initiation fees are reportedly around $35,000, with annual dues over $4,000. You can also play as a guest of a member.

Renowned course architect Pete Dye designed TPC Louisiana near Avondale in consultation with PGA Tour professionals Steve Elkington and Kelly Gibson, and it quickly developed a stellar reputation following its 2004 opening.

The course stretches over 250 acres of wetlands by the Mississippi River Delta. As such, its landscape is not dissimilar to a nature reserve.

Players will find bunkers and water throughout, along with mature oak and cypress trees. However, arguably the course’s most memorable hole is saved until last. The par-5 18th is dominated by water along the entire right-hand side. It’s also the course’s longest hole, meaning an accurate tee shot is essential for a solid finish to your round.

TPC Louisiana is the current host of the PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans - the only team tournament on the Tour's schedule. The course first hosted the event a year after it opened, and would have most likely had an unbroken run until today, but for Hurricane Katrina, meaning in 2006, it was held at English Turn Golf and Country Club before the tournament returned to the venue the year after.

As well as being a regular home of a big PGA Tour event, TPC Louisiana is also open to the public. Green fees for between one and four players start at $89 for Louisiana residents and $129 for non-residents, with players able to book tee times online through the TPC website.

You can also become a member, with several options available, including individual, family, annual, and a weekday annual pass program. A full annual membership costs $4,500 per year plus tax, while a weekday annual pass costs $2,850 per year plus tax. There’s also a NOLA card, strictly for Louisiana residents, costing $329 per year plus tax, and an additional $74 per round.

TPC Louisiana Green Fees

TPC Louisiana Location

Harbour Town, which hosts the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage, is often considered designer Peter Dye's crowning glory.

That's some claim when Dye was also responsible for the iconic TPC Sawgrass, which is the permanent home of the PGA Tour's flagship event The Players Championship. However, there is indeed much to admire about the course, particularly for those who rely on guile.

Harbour Town is one of the most loved courses on the PGA Tour and is considered one of the best golf courses in the Carolinas. Its famous 18th hole makes it one of the most recognizable on the circuit, too. But can you play it?

The simple answer is "yes," but not between May 5th and November 10th 2025, as the course is closing for a resotration.

Of the best ways to experience a round there is by booking a stay at Sea Pines Resort. There are several packages, including the Villa Golf package and the Inn Golf package.

The Villa Golf package includes a three-night stay with rounds at Harbour Town and the resort’s other courses, Heron Point and Atlantic Dunes, with replay rates of $75. The Inn Golf package includes a stay at the four-star The Inn & Club with a round on each course over four days. Those interested are asked to call to make a booking.

You can also play a round without staying at the resort. Once the course reopens in November, green fees for Harbour Town will range between around $450 and $518 until the end of the year.

Sea Pines property owners and their guests can also take advantage of golf packages, with options for 20 rounds a year, costing $2,936, 40 rounds, which costs $5,419 and 60 rounds for $7,466.

Another way to play any of the resort’s courses is to become a member. However, with initiation fees reportedly between $25,000 and $50,000, and annual dues between $10,000 and $15,000, that will be out of reach for most.

So, what can players expect of that course? Well, it's a par-71 7,191-yard layout with narrow fairways and overhanging trees, including oaks and pines. That means it requires strategic tee shots and lay-ups to, while plenty of water, bunkers and small greens further reduce the margin for error.

Two of the most challenging holes are saved for last, thanks to the wind that frequently blows in from the Calibogue Sound channel. On the 18th, shots can even be played off the sand on the channel's banks at low tide. The final hole is guarded by the sound on the left, while ahead is the famous red-and-white striped lighthouse as players approach the green.

It's a hit with pros too, including first round leader of the 2025 RBC Heritage, Justin Thomas, who said: "I love it. I wish we played more places like it. I think more architects should design places like this. It kind of stands of test of time, I think. Especially if we continue to get weather like this and if these fairways get firm, the greens are already getting firm, it's going to be everything we want by the end of the week.

"I just think it's a really, really cool place that requires you to think on every single shot you're hitting, and you can't get lazy."

Overall, the course is both challenging and picturesque, making it one of the most memorable on the PGA Tour.

Harbour Town Green Fees

Harbour Town Location

Augusta National Golf Club is of the most exclusive and best-known golf clubs in the world, and the host to the only Major played at the same course every year - The Masters.

To play the iconic course is on every golfer's bucket list, but - realistically - we all know that the likelihood of a game there is near-impossible.

However, saying that, there are still several ways to play Augusta National. It's not completely out of the question, but it's not exactly easy either...

How To Play Augusta National

QUALIFY FOR THE MASTERS

No, take this seriously, it may end up as your best bet. You don’t have to turn professional - the British Amateur Champion gets an automatic invitation along with a number of other amateur golfers.

The US Amateur Championship winner and runner-up earn invites, as do the Asia-Pacific and Latin America Amateur Champions. An invite also goes out to the US Mid-Amateur Champion.

Become a member

In theory, this is relatively straightforward if you're someone with a lot of money. However, the club does not accept membership applications, as membership is by invitation only to powerful figures within the business world.

Play Augusta Country Club instead

Okay, it's not 'The' Augusta, but you can still casually announce that you have ‘played golf at Augusta’. Just don’t get drawn into detail on your round.

However, you can talk about how you tackled Rae’s Creek as it runs across the front of the 12th green at Augusta National and the 8th green at Augusta Country Club.

Join Augusta Country Club

When members of Augusta National need a fourth to make up a fourball, they have been known to phone Augusta CC, which neighbours their property, to see if one of their members is free to pop over. And you're hardly going to say no if that call comes through, are you?

Get a press pass

A limited number of tee spots for media are available for the day after the Masters, awarded by ballot. But when we say a few, we mean it. Golf Monthly staffers Neil Tappin, Joel Tadman, Tom Clarke, David Taylor and Dan Parker have all managed to play via this route through the years - but they are the lucky ones.

Hundreds of journalists attend The Masters each year - possibly as many as 500 to 600 - while only 20 or 30 people are drawn out to play on the Monday after everything has wrapped up. Still, you've got to be in it to win it.

Work there as a caddie

This is a part-time job - Augusta National is closed between May and October due to the extremely hot Georgian summers.

But caddies are reportedly allowed to actually play one round per year as well as having the honor of walking the fairways as many times as they are required.

Work as a volunteer at the Masters

It is almost as hard to become a volunteer at the Masters as it is to become a member at Augusta, as vacancies rarely occur and there is a long waiting list for these jobs.

Volunteers reportedly can play the course in May as part of the club's 'appreciation day'.

Know a member

Be invited to a game by one of the 300 members of Augusta National and you'll get to drive down Magnolia Lane and play the course. Know a member? You're in luck!

Work for Augusta National

In a similar vein to the volunteering category, full-time employees are said to be allowed one round a year on the course. We wouldn't mind betting that number could increase by one or two if things are particularly quiet, though...

Play in the Augusta National Women's Amateur

The ANWA takes place the week before The Masters, with competitors getting a practice round and one competition round at Augusta National.

The field is made up of some of the world's best female amateurs and has been in operation since 2019. Spaniard, Carla Bernat Escudar is the reigning champion.

Attend a local university

College golf students from the local Augusta/Georgia/South Carolina area are known to play the course occasionally in tournaments and on special invites.

The Georgia universities have produced some of the game's very best over the years, many of whom have played ANGC during their formative golfing days.

Know a Masters competitor

Players invited into The Masters field each year are allowed trips to Augusta National to play the course - and what's more, they're allowed to bring guests.

You almost sympathize with the players who are trying to choose which people to ask along. I said 'almost.'

Can I play Augusta Country Club?

To get to play Augusta Country Club may be slightly easier than at Augusta National, but not by a lot.

The two courses are neighbours. Indeed areas of what used to be part of the course at Augusta Country Club is now land owned and used by Augusta National instead as some of the lengthening of Augusta National over the years has involved Augusta National buying plots of land off its next-fairway neighbour.

The courses also share Rae’s Creek. This creek, named after John Rae, an Irish landowner who settled in the area, originally ran for over 10 miles and flowed into the Savannah River. At Augusta National the creek flows across in front of the 12th green and at Augusta Country Club it runs across the front of the 8th green.

They also share members. It is said – and we stress ‘said’ as Augusta National does not let on who are its members – that every Augusta local who is a member of Augusta National – and there are not many, an estimated two to three dozen – is also a member of Augusta Country Club.

So be careful if you happen to meet a member of Augusta National locally and he says ‘we must have a game at my club’, it’s best to check to which club he is referring. Augusta Country Club is a fine course with a distinctive feel of Augusta National to it, as have several golf courses in Georgia but, well, its isn’t Augusta National is it. It isn’t the home of The Masters.

Augusta Country Club is a private club which predates Augusta National. At private clubs members can invite guests to play. The good news on this front is that Augusta National has only about 300 members, whereas Augusta Country Club had about 1,300. That means you are more likely, statistically, to get to know a member of the latter than the former.

The other thing that makes Augusta Country Club more accessible is that the club does permit limited reciprocal privileges to other private club members upon prior formal written introduction.

TPC San Antonio comprises two courses at the city’s JW Marriott Resort. The courses opened in 2010, and each has quickly built an impressive reputation.

The Canyons course hosted the Champions Tour’s AT&T Championship between 2011 and 2015, but it’s The Oaks course that enjoys the highest profile thanks to its annual hosting of the Valero Texas Open.

The par 72 course was designed by Greg Norman with assistance from Sergio Garcia and is considered one of the most difficult on the PGA Tour. One of the reasons it’s so challenging is its abundance of expansive and cavernous bunkers, typically near the greens. Indeed, in one case, there’s a bunker in the middle of the green. The par 3 16th is the troublesome hole in question, with a deliberate nod to Riviera Country Club’s sixth, which has a similar green-based trap. Even if you compensate for the possibility of finding the bunker on your tee shot, you need to be careful that your ball doesn't finish up in one of the enormous bunkers on either side of the green. 

Water penalty areas are prevalent throughout the course, too, while the fairways are either tree-lined and narrow or wide and open. Adding to the difficulty, the wind is a constant consideration, whether you’re playing into the prevailing wind on the downhill holes or downwind on the uphill holes. If you make it to the greens with your scorecard intact, be prepared to bring your best putting game on the course’s many rolling greens.

Both courses are semi-private, so your options for playing them are limited. However, one way is to become a TPC Network Club Member. You’ll reportedly need to find an initiation fee of between $25,000 and $50,000, though, with annual dues of up to $5,000.

The simplest way to play either course is to book a stay-and-play package with the JW Marriott resort. Options include the Lone Star package, offering a one-night stay and a round at either course from $380 per person and the Golf & Spa package, for a two-night stay, a round at either course and a spa credit from $568 per person. You can also opt for the Texas Tees package, offering two nights and two rounds of golf on either course from $711 per person and the Bigger In Texas package, offering a three-night stay and two rounds on either course from $848 per person.

The TPC website invites anyone interested to fill out an online request form to receive a precise quote within five days.

The Best Golf Courses In Georgia

The best golf courses in Georgia keep some pretty impressive company. For in this state is Augusta National, one of the most famous and revered courses on the planet. The club was co-founded by Bobby Jones, one of the greatest amateur golfers of all time, perhaps indeed the greatest. He was born, and lived, in Atlanta, Georgia, and his influence and that of Augusta National is written across the golfing landscape of this state.

Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands)

• Location: Johns Creek
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones and Joe Finger
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,613 yards
• Green fee: Private

Bobby Jones was a member of Atlanta Athletic Club, dating from when the course was at a different site. The present Highlands course comprises nine holes designed by Robert Trent Jones – who had designed 27 holes on the property – and nine holes added by Joe Finger, in 1971. Bobby Jones, just before he died in 1971, wrote to the USGA asking that the US Open be held at his home club. It was – and Jerry Pate hit a 5-iron to 3 feet on the final green (above) to win that 1976 US Open. The course has subsequently held the USPGA three times, the US Amateur and the Women’s PGA.

Augusta National

• Location: Augusta
• Designed by: Alister MacKenzie
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,510 yards
• Green fee: Private

One of the most famous golf course in the world, and home of The Masters, the only Major played on the same course every year. Amongst many other things, it is noted for its flora, the slickness of its undulating greens, the absence of rough and its beauty and its exclusivity.

Cuscowilla

• Location: Eatonton
• Designed by: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,719 yards
• Green fee: Private

A beautiful track on the shores of Lake Oconee with much charm and variety to the holes. The opening and closing sections are through woodland, but the majority of the course is laid out over open land. There are only two par 5s, but the second one, the 14th is a 614-yard double dogleg uphill. Few courses can have a much range in hole distances as this layout, for its 11th hole is only 125 yards at is utmost, to a putting surface protected by bunkers both left and right with the lake waiting to drown a sliced tee shot.

East Lake

• Location: Atlanta
• Designed by: Donald Ross
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 6,886 yards
• Green fee: Private

When this course was part of Atlanta Athletic Club it was Bobby Jones’ home course and memorabilia from Jones’ time is on display in the clubhouse. The nines have subsequently been reversed, so that the round no longer finishes on a long par 3 to a two-tiered green, but on a par 5 (above). The 15th is played to one of the earliest island green designs. The course hosted the 1963 Ryder Cup and is the home of the Tour Championship, the final tournament in the Playoffs for the FedEx Cup.

Hawks Ridge

• Location: Atlanta
• Designed by: Bob Cupp
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,215 yards
• Green fee: Private

The routing offers risk/reward golf set among towering pine trees, played across a landscape with many changes in elevation, several water hazards and speckled with large white sand bunkers. The closing hole (above) has divided opinion – it is a par 5 with water all along the left flank of a fairway with many undulations and bunkers heading towards a peninsular green. The course is unashamedly modelled in parts on Augusta National. “It’s Augusta National with hardwood trees – so somewhere between Muirfield Village, Pumpkin Ridge and Augusta National,” its designer. Bob Cupp, described it as.

Lookout Mountain

• Location: Lookout Mountain
• Designed by: Seth Raynor; Brian Silva
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 6,613 yards
• Green fee: Private

Seth Raynor did the original design, however he died before the course was built. The Great Depression further hindered its construction and adherence to his design. But in 1997 Brian Silva was asked to renovate the course in accordance with Raynor’s vision and drawings. Raynor was a template architect, seeking to design replicas of famous hole designs. So the 4th at Lookout Mountain, for example, is a Biarritz hole; the 10th is a Cape hole and the 13th is to a Redan green. Although geographically in Georgia, the club is a member of the Tennessee Golf Association, and has hosted the Tennessee State Amateur and Tennessee PGA Championships.

McLemore

• Location: Lookout Mountain
• Designed by: Rees Jones and Bill Bergin
• Par: 71
• Yardage: 7,005 yards
• Green fee: Stay-and-play packages

Good and beautiful holes abound here atop Lookout Mountain, 2,000 feet above sea level, but the one which will live longest in the memory is the 435-yard 18th (above). Hook off the tee and miss the 40-yard wide fairway and you will have hit probably the longest drive of your career as the ball bounces away down the mountainside to McLemore Cove 500ft below.

Peachtree

• Location: Atlanta
• Designed by: Robert Trent Jones and Bobby Jones
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,414 yards
• Green fee: Private

Bobby Jones, who lived in Atlanta, wanted to create a course locally equal to the one he had founded at Augusta National. Many will say he succeeded. The rolling terrain, the pine and dogwood trees, the azaleas, the bunkering and the conditioning all have strong echoes of Augusta National. Step onto the 4th (above) and it will certainly ring a bell, a Golden Bell to be more precise.

Reynolds Lake Oconee (Great Waters)

• Location: Greensboro
• Designed by: Jack Nicklaus
• Par: 72
• Yardage: 7,436 yards
• Green fee: $280-$330 resort guests

The front nine weaves through a wooded area before the layout opens out with the final eight holes either flanking the lake or having clear views of it. The course underwent an extensive restoration in 2019 to fashion a modernised, rebuilt and reconditioned version of the 1992 original Nicklaus Signature course.

Sea Island (Seaside)

• Location: St Simon’s Island
• Designed by: Harry Colt & Charles Allison: Tom Fazio
• Par: 70
• Yardage: 7,005 yards
• Green fee: Packages available to resort guests

Colt and Allison designed the Seaside Nine in 1929, Joe Lee the Marshland Nine in 1974 and Tom Fazio melded the two together – and also changed parts of the design, particularly on the Marshland Nine – to create the current layout. Many holes have forced carries off the tee, but it has been called a second shot course due to the small greens with large run-off areas. A quirky feature is the red wicker baskets, rather than flags, on the pins in the holes.

Founded in 1899, Austin Country Club is one of the most exclusive golf clubs in Texas. Not surprisingly, then, securing a round there isn’t easy. 

In fact, even having the money won’t necessarily secure your membership as it’s an invite-only affair. Even then, there’s a stringent vetting process to ensure the prospective member is “in good standing”. Anyone wishing to become a member is simply advised to contact a member of the club for information. 

Given its privacy, it’s not surprising that precise membership fees are hard to come by. Nevertheless, the initiation fee is reportedly in the region of $100,000. There are also suggestions that, as well as plenty of money and “good standing,” patience is an imperative, too – the waiting list is reportedly around 17 years. The official website does reference the dress code required of “spouses, juniors and guests” on the course, suggesting that knowing or being related to a member may be enough to secure you a one-off round - probably the likeliest route you’ll find to teeing it up at the course any time soon.

If you do secure a round, you’ll be playing at Austin Country Club's third venue in its long history, a Pete Dye-designed course that was opened in 1984. The course was renovated in 2015, and has hosted the WGC-Match Play since 2016, where players face challenging terrain including ravines and several holes playing downhill. Like another Dye course, TPC Sawgrass, Austin Country Club also has one of the most challenging 17th holes on the PGA Tour. With a ravine and trees to the left, a shallow green with two bunkers and often deceptive wind conditions, this par 3 can often leaving many tee shots missing the green.

While the terrain is challenging, the setting is downright beautiful. Located by the banks of the Colorado River, the course has the iconic Pennybacker Bridge as a backdrop and offers stunning views of nearby Lake Austin, making it one of the most attractive settings of any course on the Tour. So, it may be difficult securing a round, but those who do so are in for a treat.