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Best golf trip destinations in America

Where to take a golf trip, ranked on the great public courses within an easy drive and on what the trip lists and reader votes say. Built from 9 sources. Last checked October 22, 2026.

How we score · All 49 destinations

USA TODAY 10Best · GOLF.com · GolfPass · Golf Digest · LINKS Magazine · Golfbreaks (travel company) · GOLF · Golfweek · US Census Bureau

  1. 1

    5 ranked public courses nearby

    Monterey Peninsula, CA

    5 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Pebble Beach Golf Links and Pasatiempo Golf Club. Named on 2 trip lists: Golf Digest, Golfbreaks (travel company).

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles5
    • Good public courses in all8
    • Trip lists2
    • Best knownPebble Beach Golf Links, Pasatiempo Golf Club, Spyglass Hill Golf Course
    100/100
  2. 2

    5 ranked public courses nearby

    Bandon, OR

    5 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes. Named on 1 trip list: GolfPass.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles5
    • Good public courses in all5
    • Trip lists1
    • Best knownPacific Dunes, Bandon Dunes, Bandon Trails
    95/100
  3. 3

    9 ranked public courses nearby

    Pinehurst, NC

    9 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Pinehurst No. 2 and Pinehurst No. 10. Named on 4 trip lists: GOLF.com, Golf Digest, GolfPass, USA TODAY 10Best.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles9
    • Good public courses in all13
    • Trip lists4
    • Best knownPinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst No. 10, Pinehurst No. 4
    94/100
  4. 4

    5 ranked public courses nearby

    Tampa, FL

    5 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Streamsong Resort: Red and Streamsong Resort: Blue. Named on 2 trip lists: GOLF.com, Golf Digest.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles5
    • Good public courses in all7
    • Trip lists2
    • Best knownStreamsong Resort: Red, Streamsong Resort: Blue, Streamsong Resort: Black
    89/100
  5. 5

    2 ranked public courses nearby

    Scottsdale, AZ

    2 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Saguaro and Quintero Golf Club. Named on 3 trip lists: GOLF.com, GolfPass, Golfbreaks (travel company).

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles2
    • Good public courses in all24
    • Trip lists3
    • Best knownWe-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Saguaro, Quintero Golf Club
    88/100
  6. 6

    5 ranked public courses nearby

    Central Wisconsin, WI

    5 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Sand Valley: The Lido and Sand Valley Golf Resort: Sand Valley. Named on 1 trip list: GolfPass.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles5
    • Good public courses in all5
    • Trip lists1
    • Best knownSand Valley: The Lido, Sand Valley Golf Resort: Sand Valley, Sand Valley Golf Resort: Mammoth Dunes
    87/100
  7. 7

    5 ranked public courses nearby

    Kohler, WI

    5 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Whistling Straits: Straits Course and Erin Hills Golf Course. Named on 1 trip list: Golf Digest.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles5
    • Good public courses in all7
    • Trip lists1
    • Best knownWhistling Straits: Straits Course, Erin Hills Golf Course, Blackwolf Run: River
    83/100
  8. 8

    2 ranked public courses nearby

    Kiawah Island, SC

    2 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course and Harbour Town Golf Links. Named on 1 trip list: Golfbreaks (travel company).

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles2
    • Good public courses in all8
    • Trip lists1
    • Best knownKiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course, Harbour Town Golf Links
    82/100
  9. 9

    3 ranked public courses nearby

    St. George, UT

    3 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Black Desert Resort and Sand Hollow Resort: Championship Course. Named on 2 trip lists: Golf Digest, USA TODAY 10Best.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles3
    • Good public courses in all8
    • Trip lists2
    • Best knownBlack Desert Resort, Sand Hollow Resort: Championship Course, Wolf Creek Golf Club
    81/100
  10. 10

    1 ranked public courses nearby

    Upper Peninsula, MI

    1 nationally ranked public courses within 50 miles, led by Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club. Named on 4 trip lists: GOLF.com, Golf Digest, LINKS Magazine, USA TODAY 10Best.

    • Ranked public courses within 50 miles1
    • Good public courses in all1
    • Trip lists4
    • Best knownGreywalls at Marquette Golf Club
    80/100

All 49 destinations

#StateRanked public coursesGood public coursesTrip listsBest knownScore
1Monterey Peninsula, CA582Pebble Beach Golf Links100
2Bandon, OR551Pacific Dunes95
3Pinehurst, NC9134Pinehurst No. 294
4Tampa, FL572Streamsong Resort: Red89
5Scottsdale, AZ2243We-Ko-Pa Golf Club: Saguaro88
6Central Wisconsin, WI551Sand Valley: The Lido87
7Kohler, WI571Whistling Straits: Straits Course83
8Kiawah Island, SC281Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course82
9St. George, UT382Black Desert Resort81
10Upper Peninsula, MI114Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club80
11Las Vegas, NV3102Shadow Creek78
12Northern Michigan, MI692Forest Dunes (The Loop Red & Black)75
13Myrtle Beach, SC2126The Dunes Golf & Beach Club71
14Bend, OR442Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve (Fazio Course)70
15Hilton Head Island, SC392Kiawah Island Golf Resort: The Ocean Course70
16Seattle-Tacoma, WA142Chambers Bay69
17Jacksonville, FL121TPC Sawgrass: Stadium67
18San Diego, CA371Torrey Pines Golf Course: South65
19Coastal Mississippi, MS161Fallen Oak64
20Dallas-Fort Worth, TX271PGA Frisco: Fields Ranch East64
21French Lick, IN342French Lick Resort: Pete Dye Course63
22Chicago, IL1111Cog Hill Golf & Country Club: Dubsdread (Course #4)62
23Williamsburg, VA132Golden Horseshoe Golf Club: Gold Course60
24Golden Isles, GA121Sea Island: Seaside60
25West Point, MS111Mossy Oak Golf Club56
26Verona, NY141The Otesaga's Leatherstocking Golf Course56
27Chattanooga, TN121Sweetens Cove55
28Denver, CO04255
29Cabot Citrus Farms, FL261Cabot Citrus Farms: Karoo55
30Vail Valley, CO221Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Fazio Course54
31Austin, TX05153
32Kansas City, MO/KS05153
33Maryland's Eastern Shore, MD05153
34Ocean City, MD05153
35Lake of the Ozarks, MO01153
36San Antonio, TX131TPC San Antonio (Oaks)53
37Twin Cities, MN04152
38Asheville, NC121High Hampton Resort: High Hampton52
39Palm Springs, CA371PGA West: Stadium Course51
40El Dorado, AR111Mystic Creek Golf Club50
41Tucson, AZ04249
42Birmingham, AL02148
43Naples, FL01146
44Jackson Hole, WY01146
45Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, AL03145
46Orlando, FL132Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge: Challenger/Champion45
47Lake Tahoe, CA/NV122Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course44
48Miami, FL141Trump National Doral: Blue Monster41
49Augusta, GA00140

How we score

Every destination named on a trip list or reader vote since 2024 is in the running. Most of its score (60 percent) comes from the courses: every course the public can play within 50 miles of the destination's centre that appears on the national rankings from Golf Digest, GOLF and Golfweek, counted the same way as our state ratings, plus Golfweek's best public courses in each state at a small weight. The rest (40 percent) is what the trip lists and reader votes say, scored like our equipment lists. Scores run from 40 to 100.

Distances use the Census Bureau's coordinates for each town. A whole state or a golf trail across a state can't be measured from one spot, so those entries are left out.

Nobody pays to be on this list, and we don't use affiliate links.

What we left out

Sources

State outlines: US Census Bureau boundaries, via us-atlas.

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