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Best golf course in every state, according to golfers

What makes a great golf course? Is it the conditions? The architecture? The difficulty? In most cases, there's more than one specific answer. Whether playing 18 holes at your local municipal course or enjoying the day at a pristine country club, there are a few guidelines and factors to consider when ranking your links experience.

On the technical side, it's important to consider a course's variety—its obstacles (a well-placed bunker or water hazard), its distances (a diverse group of par-3s and par-5s), and its unique dimensions (doglegs and elevated tee boxes)—that can encourage numerous strategies and cater to a range of skill sets. But just as crucial to golf is the atmosphere and overall aesthetic. The best courses seamlessly incorporate their location into the terrain, blending their features with the local flora. Of course, none of it matters without proper daily maintenance, which ensures mowed fairways, repaired greens, and fertilized tee boxes. They're little details that make a big difference.

To help you find that next unforgettable golf experience, PrimePutt compiled a list of the best golf courses in every state using data from Tripadvisor, which builds its rankings from its users with a combination of metrics that includes a course's rating, reviews, and number of page views. As a result, a location with a 5 out of 5 overall rating might rank lower than one with a 4 out of 5. Data is as of April 2024.

Across the globe, some of the most renowned courses have embraced and balanced these attributes. There's the Old Course at St. Andrews—located in Scotland and considered "ground zero for all golf architecture" by Golf Digest. The course hosted the 150th Open Championship and continues to dazzle with its links-style layout. Or look to Jack Nicklaus' Punta Espada G.C. in the Dominican Republic, which takes full advantage of its breathtaking ocean vistas. Within the United States, there are still plenty of other premier venues to experience. The iconic Pebble Beach Golf Links—home to annual PGA Tour events—perimeters Carmel Bay along the Pacific Ocean, providing expansive views and sometimes treacherous wind for an added challenge. Those looking for thinner air might try the Entrada at Snow Canyon golf course, a red rock haven filled with ancient lava terrain, meandering streams, canyons, and sloping hills.

Read on to find your next golf destination.

Alabama: Goose Pond Colony Resort

- Rating: 4/5 (275 reviews)

- Address: 417 Ed Hembree Drive, Scottsboro, Alabama

Alaska: Valley of the Eagles Golf Links & Driving Range

- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)

- Address: 1.5 Haines Hwy, Haines, Alaska

Arizona: Troon North Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (450 reviews)

- Address: 10320 East Dynamite Blvd., Scottsdale, Arizona

Arkansas: Mountain Ranch Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)

- Address: 820 Lost Creek Pkwy, Fairfield Bay, Arkansas

California: Pebble Beach Golf Links

- Rating: 4.5/5 (830 reviews)

- Address: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, California

Colorado: Breckenridge Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)

- Address: 200 Clubhouse Drive, Breckenridge, Colorado

Connecticut: Richter Park Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (48 reviews)

- Address: 100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury, Connecticut

Delaware: Baywood Greens Golf Course

- Rating: 4/5 (90 reviews)

- Address: 32267 Clubhouse Way, Long Neck, Delaware

Florida: LaPlaya Golf Course

- Rating: 5/5 (190 reviews)

- Address: 333 Palm River Blvd., Naples, Florida

Georgia: East Lake Golf Club

- Rating: 5/5 (89 reviews)

- Address: 2575 Alston Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia

Hawaii: Manele Golf Course

- Rating: 5/5 (233 reviews)

- Address: 1 Manele Bay Road, Lanai City, Hawaii

Idaho: Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (201 reviews)

- Address: 900 South Floating Green Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Illinois: TPC Deere Run

- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)

- Address: 3100 Heather Knl, Silvis, Illinois

Indiana: Brickyard Crossing Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)

- Address: 4790 West 16th St., Indianapolis, Indiana

Iowa: The Preserve on Rathbun Lake

- Rating: 4.5/5 (18 reviews)

- Address: 12633 Resort Drive, Moravia, Iowa

Kansas: Firekeeper Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)

- Address: 12524 150th Road, Mayetta, Kansas

Kentucky: Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (60 reviews)

- Address: 6371 State Park Road, Burkesville, Kentucky

Louisiana: Gray Plantation

- Rating: 4.5/5 (19 reviews)

- Address: 6150 Graywood Parkway, Lake Charles, Louisiana

Maine: Samoset Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)

- Address: 220 Warrenton St., Rockport, Maine

Maryland: Rum Pointe Seaside Golf Links

- Rating: 5/5 (234 reviews)

- Address: 7000 Rum Point Lane, Berlin, Maryland

Massachusetts: Ocean Edge Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)

- Address: 2907 Main St. Route 6A, Brewster, Massachusetts

Michigan: Boyne Highlands

- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)

- Address: 500 Highlands Drive, Harbor Springs, Michigan

Minnesota: Giants Ridge Recreation Area

- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)

- Address: 6325 Wynne Creek Drive, Biwabik, Minnesota

Mississippi: Fallen Oak Golf Course

- Rating: 5/5 (44 reviews)

- Address: 24400 Highway 15, Saucier, Mississippi

Missouri: Golf at Top of the Rock

- Rating: 4.5/5 (305 reviews)

- Address: 150 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale, Missouri

Montana: Whitefish Lake Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)

- Address: Highway 93 North, Whitefish, Montana

Nebraska: The Prairie Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)

- Address: 88897 State Highway 97, Valentine, Nebraska

Nevada: Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort

- Rating: 4.5/5 (328 reviews)

- Address: 10325 Nu Wav Kaiv Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada

New Hampshire: Omni Mount Washington Resort Bretton Woods Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (106 reviews)

- Address: White Mountain Road, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire

New Jersey: Crystal Springs Golf Club

- Rating: 3/5 (397 reviews)

- Address: 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, New Jersey

New Mexico: Paako Ridge Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (116 reviews)

- Address: 1 Club House Drive, Sandia Park, New Mexico

New York: Island Green Resort & Golf Club

- Rating: 5/5 (59 reviews)

- Address: 3822 County Route 26, Greenville, New York

North Carolina: Tanglewood Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (420 reviews)

- Address: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, North Carolina

North Dakota: Bully Pulpit Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)

- Address: 3731 Bible Camp Road, Medora, North Dakota

Ohio: Firestone Country Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)

- Address: 452 East Warner Road, Akron, Ohio

Oklahoma: WinStar Golf Course & Academy

- Rating: 4/5 (45 reviews)

- Address: 10813 Pro Shop Road, Thackerville, Oklahoma

Oregon: Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

- Rating: 5/5 (251 reviews)

- Address: Round Lake Drive, Bandon, Oregon

Pennsylvania: Mystic Rock

- Rating: 4.5/5 (71 reviews)

- Address: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania

Rhode Island: Newport National Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)

- Address: 324 Mitchells Lane, Middletown, Rhode Island

South Carolina: Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (579 reviews)

- Address: 7 Trent Jones Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

South Dakota: The Golf Club at Red Rock

- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)

- Address: 6520 Birkdale Drive Rapid City, South Dakota

Tennessee: Shelby Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)

- Address: South 20th St. at Shelby Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee

Texas: Hermann Park

- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,096 reviews)

- Address: 6201A Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas

Utah: Entrada at Snow Canyon Golf Course

- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)

- Address: 2537 West Entrada Trl, St. George, Utah

Vermont: Mount Snow Resort

- Rating: 4/5 (561 reviews)

- Address: 39 Mount Snow Road, Dover, Vermont

Virginia: Golden Horseshoe Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (140 reviews)

- Address: 401 South England St., Williamsburg, Virginia

Washington: Chambers Bay

- Rating: 4.5/5 (189 reviews)

- Address: 6320 Grandview Drive West University, Place, Washington

West Virginia: Raven Golf Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)

- Address: 10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, West Virginia

Wisconsin: Whistling Straits Golf Course - Straits and Irish

- Rating: 5/5 (253 reviews)

- Address: N8501 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin

Wyoming: Teton Pines Country Club

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)

- Address: 3450 Clubhouse Drive, Wilson, Wyoming

Data reporting by Karim Noorani. Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

 

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