The people's voice of reason
The people's voice of reason
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.
- Rating: 4/5 (275 reviews)
- Address: 417 Ed Hembree Drive, Scottsboro, Alabama
- Rating: 4.5/5 (34 reviews)
- Address: 1.5 Haines Hwy, Haines, Alaska
- Rating: 4.5/5 (450 reviews)
- Address: 10320 East Dynamite Blvd., Scottsdale, Arizona
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 820 Lost Creek Pkwy, Fairfield Bay, Arkansas
- Rating: 4.5/5 (830 reviews)
- Address: 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, California
- Rating: 4.5/5 (101 reviews)
- Address: 200 Clubhouse Drive, Breckenridge, Colorado
- Rating: 4.5/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 100 Aunt Hack Road, Danbury, Connecticut
- Rating: 4/5 (90 reviews)
- Address: 32267 Clubhouse Way, Long Neck, Delaware
- Rating: 5/5 (190 reviews)
- Address: 333 Palm River Blvd., Naples, Florida
- Rating: 5/5 (89 reviews)
- Address: 2575 Alston Drive SE, Atlanta, Georgia
- Rating: 5/5 (233 reviews)
- Address: 1 Manele Bay Road, Lanai City, Hawaii
- Rating: 4.5/5 (201 reviews)
- Address: 900 South Floating Green Drive, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
- Rating: 4.5/5 (55 reviews)
- Address: 3100 Heather Knl, Silvis, Illinois
- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Address: 4790 West 16th St., Indianapolis, Indiana
- Rating: 4.5/5 (18 reviews)
- Address: 12633 Resort Drive, Moravia, Iowa
- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 12524 150th Road, Mayetta, Kansas
- Rating: 4.5/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 6371 State Park Road, Burkesville, Kentucky
- Rating: 4.5/5 (19 reviews)
- Address: 6150 Graywood Parkway, Lake Charles, Louisiana
- Rating: 4.5/5 (133 reviews)
- Address: 220 Warrenton St., Rockport, Maine
- Rating: 5/5 (234 reviews)
- Address: 7000 Rum Point Lane, Berlin, Maryland
- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)
- Address: 2907 Main St. Route 6A, Brewster, Massachusetts
- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)
- Address: 500 Highlands Drive, Harbor Springs, Michigan
- Rating: 4.5/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 6325 Wynne Creek Drive, Biwabik, Minnesota
- Rating: 5/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 24400 Highway 15, Saucier, Mississippi
- Rating: 4.5/5 (305 reviews)
- Address: 150 Top of the Rock Road, Ridgedale, Missouri
- Rating: 4.5/5 (187 reviews)
- Address: Highway 93 North, Whitefish, Montana
- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Address: 88897 State Highway 97, Valentine, Nebraska
- Rating: 4.5/5 (328 reviews)
- Address: 10325 Nu Wav Kaiv Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada
- Rating: 4.5/5 (106 reviews)
- Address: White Mountain Road, Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
- Rating: 3/5 (397 reviews)
- Address: 1 Wild Turkey Way, Hamburg, New Jersey
- Rating: 4.5/5 (116 reviews)
- Address: 1 Club House Drive, Sandia Park, New Mexico
- Rating: 5/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 3822 County Route 26, Greenville, New York
- Rating: 4.5/5 (420 reviews)
- Address: 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, North Carolina
- Rating: 4.5/5 (107 reviews)
- Address: 3731 Bible Camp Road, Medora, North Dakota
- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Address: 452 East Warner Road, Akron, Ohio
- Rating: 4/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 10813 Pro Shop Road, Thackerville, Oklahoma
- Rating: 5/5 (251 reviews)
- Address: Round Lake Drive, Bandon, Oregon
- Rating: 4.5/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, Pennsylvania
- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 324 Mitchells Lane, Middletown, Rhode Island
- Rating: 4.5/5 (579 reviews)
- Address: 7 Trent Jones Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 6520 Birkdale Drive Rapid City, South Dakota
- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Address: South 20th St. at Shelby Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1,096 reviews)
- Address: 6201A Hermann Park Drive, Houston, Texas
- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Address: 2537 West Entrada Trl, St. George, Utah
- Rating: 4/5 (561 reviews)
- Address: 39 Mount Snow Road, Dover, Vermont
- Rating: 4.5/5 (140 reviews)
- Address: 401 South England St., Williamsburg, Virginia
- Rating: 4.5/5 (189 reviews)
- Address: 6320 Grandview Drive West University, Place, Washington
- Rating: 4.5/5 (25 reviews)
- Address: 10 Snowshoe Drive, Snowshoe, West Virginia
- Rating: 5/5 (253 reviews)
- Address: N8501 Lakeshore Road, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- 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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