Golf, unlike most sports, is played on unique playing fields that take golfers on wildly different journeys as they meander through 18 distinct holes. The best golf courses challenge golfers in intriguing ways while also evoking an emotional response from their pure beauty. These venues are celebrated cathedrals because of their brilliant design and the legendary moments they have witnessed. When a golfer plays one of the top golf courses, it's an experience that lasts a lifetime no matter how many of your favorite golf balls were lost that day. The excitement level is so high that golfers will be researching new golf bags and making sure they have fresh golf gloves before showing up to the course.
In this article, the ACTIVE Reviews Team has selected 20 of the most special golf courses. We have included the location, length of the course, its par, and what makes the course stand out from others.
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The Best Golf Courses - Our Top Picks
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- Pebble Beach Golf Links
- Pinehurst No. 2
- Pacific Dunes
- Cabot Cliffs, Inverness, Nova Scotia
- Bethpage Black Course
- Kiawah Island (Ocean)
- Augusta National
- Bandon Trails
- Bandon Dunes
- TPC Sawgrass (Stadium)
- Whistling Straits (Straits)
- Cabot Links
- Cypress Point
- Shadow Creek
- Spyglass Hill
- Arcadia Bluffs
- Torrey Pines
- Blackwolf Run
- Quail Hollow
- Merion Golf Club
Pebble Beach Golf Links
SPECS
- Location: Pebble Beach, California
- Length: 7,040 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Pebble Beach has likely inspired more art and photography than any other golf course in history. Bordering the Pacific Ocean, the iconic layout has several holes that inevitably rank high on a golfer's bucket list. The par-5 6th has golfers hit their second shots over a steep cliff, the short par-3 7th is a flip wedge with the water in the background, and the par-4 8th asks players to hit over a cliff to a small green surrounded by bunkers. The finishing par-5 18th wraps around the water and is one of the coolest tee shots you will find.
On top of that natural beauty, Pebble Beach is loaded with history. Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Tiger Woods have all won U.S. Opens on the layout. Woods won by 15 shots in 2000, marking what some believe is the most dominant major performance of all time. That is just an added reason why so many golfers flock to Pebble Beach every year. Most will only play it once, but it's a round a golfer will cherish forever.
Pinehurst No. 2
SPECS
- Location: Pinehurst, North Carolina
- Length: 7,588 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
While St. Andrews in Scotland is considered the home of golf, Pinehurst is called the home of American golf. The resort has nine 18-hole courses of varying styles, but the one every golfer knows is the Donald Ross-designed No. 2 course. There are particular holes that stand out on No. 2 because it is more known for its overarching personality that touches every shot you hit. The fairways are firm and there is no rough—just native sandy areas that give it a distinct look. The greens are notoriously difficult to hit because of their turtle-back shape that propels golf balls away in all directions. If you miss a green, it requires a clever recovery just to find the putting surface.
Pinehurst No. 2 is an anchor site for the U.S. Open, and it has been witness to a remarkable history. The course was the site of Payne Stewart's famous 1999 U.S. Open victory shortly before his sudden passing, and Michelle Wie captured her only major championship there in the 2014 U.S. Women's Open. Located in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst has a certain southern charm and feel that resonates with each chime of the church bells you can hear from the course. When you think of the soul of golf and what makes it great, No. 2 is top of mind.
Pacific Dunes
SPECS
- Location: Bandon, Oregon
- Length: 6,638 yards
- Par: 71
Why It Made the List
Designed by Tom Doak and opened for play in 2001, Pacific Dunes is like a mythical journey a golfer would create in an imaginary world. The course goes from being framed by shore pines to 60-foot sand dunes, the rippling fairways and organic bunkers appearing before you as if they were discovered rather than built. Reminiscent of being in Scotland or Ireland, Pacific Dunes is generous off the tee but can be incredibly punishing when the strong Oregon winds wreak havoc. Finding one of the cavernous bunkers is typically not the place to be, so the course puts a premium on strategy and thinking your way around the course.
Among the noteworthy courses at Bandon Dunes Resort, Pacific Dunes is consistently among the favorites for guests. It's a well-earned compliment.
Cabot Cliffs
SPECS
- Location: Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Length: 6,764 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
With every hole on the course offering a view of the Atlantic Ocean—and five of those holes playing adjacent to the beach—Cabot Cliffs has quickly become one of the most strikingly beautiful golf courses in the world. World-renowned architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw constructed the course, which opened to much fanfare in June 2016.
Aside from the beautiful views, the defining trait of the course is its surprising elevation changes and how each hole feels naturally carved into the surrounding landscape. Don't be shocked to play Cabot Cliffs on a rainy, windy day because there are a lot of them in this small pocket of Canada. The town name of Inverness is a call back to its Scottish roots, which is fitting given how the course feels much like the Scottish highlands.
Bethpage Black Course
SPECS
- Location: Bethpage, New York
- Length: 7,468 yards
- Par: 71
Why It Made the List
A public course that is the pride of Long Island, Bethpage Black is known as one of the most difficult layouts in the world. In fact, there is a famous sign behind the first tee warning golfers that the Black course is "extremely difficult" and only "highly skilled golfers" should play. Regardless, players of all calibers show up early in the morning to earn a tee time so they can take on the daunting course.
What makes it so difficult? Bethpage Black is long, has gnarly rough, and is unforgiving around the greens. There is controversy over whether A.W. Tillinghast or Joseph Burbeck led the design of the course, but a stern test was created either way. There is also substantial history on the grounds given that Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka have both won major championships there.
Kiawah Island (Ocean)
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SPECS
- Location: Kiawah Island, South Carolina
- Length: 7,820 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Built specifically for the famous 1991 Ryder Cup dubbed the "War by the Shore," the Ocean course at Kiawah Island is both feared and admired as one of the most treacherous golf courses ever built. Sitting alongside the Atlantic Ocean, Pete Dye's gorgeous layout is subject to heavy winds that play a prominent factor in strategy. About half of the holes run in one direction while the other half play in the exact opposite direction, so it's possible to have a day full of side wind or a day where downwind and into the wind holes are split evenly.
While it's likely not the place where a personal best score will be reached, the Ocean course is a thing of beauty that features bright sand dunes, the sound of ocean waves, and a long list of scary shots. Golfers dream of hitting the green on the par-3 17th, an infamous hole that requires a precise approach over water. Those who are successful can imagine they are Rory McIlroy or Phil Mickelson, two legendary major champions at the course.
Augusta National
SPECS
- Location: Augusta, Georgia
- Length: 7,445 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Arguably the most famous golf course of all time, Augusta National is an exclusive private club that hosts the Masters Tournament each April. Designed by Alister MacKenzie and the amateur legend Bobby Jones, Augusta National features stunningly manicured grass, dramatic elevation changes, and lightning-fast greens known for their severe slopes. The back nine has several instantly recognizable holes, including numbers 11, 12, and 13. This stretch is called Amen Corner, a term coined by the writer Herbert Warren Wind. Both of the back nine par-5s—numbers 13 and 15—are known as two of the greatest risk-reward holes ever built. They will give up many eagles and birdies to the best players in the world, but disaster can also lurk around the corner at any moment.
Most golfers never step foot on the course, let alone get to play it. Augusta National remains a dream to most, sitting at the top of nearly every golfer's bucket list.
Bandon Trails
SPECS
- Location: Bandon, Oregon
- Length: 6,788 yards
- Par: 71
Why It Made the List
Having opened for play in 2005, Bandon Trails lives up to its name by taking golfers on a wild journey. The course starts in the dunes with beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, but then you are taken inland through meadowland and then into a heavily forested section before emerging back to the dunes. In that way, Bandon Trails has multiple personalities.
The defining hole is the short par-4 14th that places golfers on an elevated tee and asks them to hit a fairway more than 100 feet below them. Strategy comes into play as the safe shot leaves the toughest approach into the green. As with the rest of the course, the choices available make it a wonderful adventure.
Bandon Dunes
SPECS
- Location: Bandon, Oregon
- Length: 6,732 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
The Bandon Dunes Resort opened with the original Bandon Dunes course in 1999. Designed by Scotsman David McLay Kidd, the course weaves through massive dunes and runs along a high perch near the ocean. Wind, and often rain, are usually present and play a big role in the overall experience. It's defined as a thinker's course where strategy and smart decisions are the keys. Firm turf, massive slopes, and gaping bunkers are the defining features. At any moment, you will feel like you are in Scotland or Ireland.
TPC Sawgrass Stadium
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SPECS
- Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Length: 7,215 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Host to the Players Championship each March, the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass is a Pete Dye masterpiece constructed on Florida swampland that was once valued at just $1. The public course is relatively short and narrow, using the power of optical illusions to give the appearance of hazards being more in play than they actually are. Few golf courses can match the drama TPC Sawgrass provides down the stretch. The par-5 16th is reachable in two shots, the par-3 17th is an island green surrounded by water, and the par-4 18th features water all the way down the left side of the hole. Golfers can't help but think about this trio of holes throughout the round.
In addition to the drama of the round, TPC Sawgrass is known for its ample history. Most of the game's greats have been crowned champions on the course, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy.
Whistling Straits (Straits)
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SPECS
- Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Length: 7,790 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
It's been said that playing golf at Whistling Straits is akin to playing golf on the moon. Bordering Lake Michigan, Whistling Straits has more than 1,000 bunkers that surround uniquely shaped holes. Two of the most intriguing of those holes are the last two. The par-3 17th features a sharp drop-off left of the green leading to shots having to be played from well below the putting surface. The par-4 18th hole is named "Dyeabolical"—an ode to designer Pete Dye—for a reason. The second shot requires a heroic approach over a large hazard to a green with three distinct sections.
Whistling Straits is consistently ranked one of the top public courses in the U.S., and its profile has only risen in recent years after the course hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup. There are few courses in the Midwest that can match its brawn and quirk.
Cabot Links
SPECS
- Location: Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Length: 6,854 yards
- Par: 70
Why It Made the List
Noted as the first authentic links course in Canada, Cabot Links is spread out between the village of Inverness and the Atlantic Ocean. There is ample space off the tee and approaching the green, but strategically placed bunkers are ready to vacuum misplaced shots. Like courses in the UK, Cabot Links is best played in the wind where different types of shots can be hit.
Cypress Point
SPECS
- Location: Pebble Beach, California
- Length: 6,510 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
There is a mythology to Cypress Point, an exclusive private course that uses the most remarkable jagged coastline available on the Monterey Peninsula. The Alister MacKenzie masterpiece is one of the most difficult invitations in golf, but the fortunate few who play it will have the experience of a lifetime.
The course starts in the Del Monte Forest before heading to the rocky coast for the back nine. The par-3 16th is a true stunner as the 230-yard tee shot requires a carry over the Pacific to a green hanging perilously next to the water's edge. While the course isn't seen on TV very often, it will be hosting the 2025 Walker Cup on television for all to see.
Shadow Creek
SPECS
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Length: 7,560 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
A green oasis in the desert, Shadow Creek is a fantasy land of a course designed by Tom Fazio. With vibrant colors that make the course feel more like a video game than real life, the layout is a parkland style that features far more trees than normally expected for a desert course.
Shadow Creek was built in 1989 and has long been one of the most expensive tee times available. In recent times, it has hosted the 2018 made-for-TV match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The PGA Tour and LPGA have also held events at the club.
Spyglass Hill
SPECS
- Location: Pebble Beach, California
- Length: 7,026 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
The first five holes of Spyglass Hill make for one of the finest introductions to a golf course that you will ever see. Heading out along the Pacific Ocean, the par-3 3rd and par-4 4th are show-stoppers that are worth the price of admission. Spyglass Hill then changes course and guides golfers through the Del Monte Forest where tree-lined holes and galloping deer can be found. The two par-3s on the back nine, numbers 12 and 15, are downhill approaches with picturesque ponds fronting the green.
Spyglass Hill is a staple of any trip to play the many courses on and around the Monterey Peninsula. While not as famous as Pebble Beach or Cypress Point, Spyglass Hill is often labeled the underrated favorite of the group.
Arcadia Bluffs
SPECS
- Location: Arcadia, Michigan
- Length: 7,300 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Built on the natural bluffs above the Lake Michigan shore, Arcadia Bluffs is a public facility that consistently ranks among the top in its class. With dramatic elevation changes and firm turf, the layout offers plenty of variety and is challenging yet playable for all skill levels. While the course is ultra-forgiving off the tee, everything else is tough—and windy conditions only make it tougher. Arcadia Bluffs is a necessary stop on any golf trip to Michigan.
Torrey Pines
SPECS
- Location: La Jolla, California
- Length: 7,802 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Host of the 2021 U.S. Open, the South course at Torrey Pines is known for its cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean. Hang gliders circle in the sky while golfers play on the William Bell-designed golf course below. The public layout is defined by its narrow fairways, deep bunkers, heavy rough, and the many Torrey pines that line the fairways.
The course has seen some of the more incredible moments in recent golf history with Tiger Woods winning the 2008 U.S. Open and Jon Rahm winning the 2021 U.S. Open at the course. Local residents can access the course for reduced rates and it's one of the most reasonably priced tee times for tourists looking to cross it off their list.
Blackwolf Run
SPECS
- Location: Kohler, Wisconsin
- Length: 7,404 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Blackwolf Run is a core part of any Wisconsin golf trip, especially since it is close by to Whistling Straits. Once voted the best new public course for 1998, the River course at Blackwolf Run meanders its way through the Sheboygan River while providing an entertaining Pete Dye-designed test. In contrast to Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run is quintessential Midwest golf and is particularly beautiful in the fall. The course hosted the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women's Open, so there is also plenty of history with the pros visiting.
Quail Hollow
SPECS
- Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Length: 7,618 yards
- Par: 72
Why It Made the List
Quail Hollow recently hosted the 2022 Presidents Cup, and there is a good reason why. The private George Cobb design has several interesting holes on the back nine, including the drivable par-4 14th, the daunting par-3 17th with water down the left side, and the par-4 18th that has a creek running down the entire left side of the hole. Numbers 16, 17, and 18 are referred to as the "Green Mile" because of how difficult they are.
The long course is known for being suited to great drivers of the ball. Thick Bermuda rough gobbles up wayward shots, so the driver is the most important club in the bag. It's part of the reason why Quail Hollow is so respected as a championship golf course.
Merion Golf Club
SPECS
- Location: Ardmore, Pennsylvania
- Length: 6,946 yards
- Par: 70
Why It Made the List
The epitome of a classic northeastern golf course, Merion sits only about 10 miles from downtown Philadelphia. With narrow fairways, thick rough, small greens, and iconic wicker baskets sitting atop flagsticks, Merion is quintessential major championship golf. There have been many great moments on the course, including Ben Hogan's famous one-iron approach into the final hole on his way to winning the 1950 U.S. Open.
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