Top 10 American Golf Courses

Private and Public Courses

1. Pine Valley G.C., Pine Valley, N.J.
Par 70, Course Record: 64, year opened: 1918
Architects: George Crump & H.S. Colt

2. Augusta National G.C., Augusta, Ga.
Par 72, Course Record: 63, year opened: 1932
Architects: Alister Mackenzie & Bobby Jones

3. Shinnecock Hills G.C., Southampton, N.Y.
Par 70, Course Record: 65, established 1931
Architect: William Flynn

4. Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Par 72, Course Record: 64, year opened: 1928
Architects: Alister Mackenzie & Robert Hunter

5. Oakmont C.C., Oakmont, Pa.
Par 71, Course record: 63, year opened: 1903
Architect: Henry Fownes

6. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Par 72, Course record: 62, year opened: 1919
Architect: Jack Neville & Douglas Grant

7. Merion Golf Club (East), Ardmore, Pa.
Par 70, Course record: 64, 1911
Architect: Hugh Wilson

8. Winged Foot G.C. (West), Mamaroneck, N.Y.
Par 72, Course record: 66, 1923
Architect: A.W. Tillinghast

9. National Golf Links of America, Southampton, N.Y.
Par 73, established 1904
Architect: C.B. Macdonald

10. Seminole G.C., Juno Beach, Fla.
Par 73, year opened: 1929
Architect: Donald Ross

America's 10 Greatest Public Courses

Traditionally, golf courses were public by definition, as most of the early golf courses, like the Old Course at St. Andrews, run across town land and no greens fee was charged untill the end of the nineteenth century.

Today, most of America's top ten courses are private, meaning that they are not accessible to the average golfer (unless you are introduced by someone).

That's why a ranking of America's 10 best AND open-to-all courses is more meaninful to us. The top 10 below is based on a Golf Digest golf course ranking that takes into account not just architectural superiority but also accessibility.

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach http://www.pebblebeach.com

2. Pinehurst Resort & C.C. (No. 2), Pinehurst, N.C. http://www.pinehurst.com

3. Pacific Dunes, Bandon, Ore.
http://www.bandondunesgolf.com

4. Shadow Creek, North Las Vegas, Nev.
http://www.shadowcreek.com

5. Whistling Straits G.C. (Straits), Haven, Wis. http://www.whistlingstraits.com

6. Bethpage State Park G. CSE. (Black), Farmingdale, N.Y. http://www.nysparks.state.ny.us

7. Bandon Dunes, Bandon, Ore.
http://www.bandondunesgolf.com

8. The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, S.C. http://www.kiawahgolf.com

9. Spyglass Hill G. CSE., Pebble Beach http://www.pebblebeach.com

10. Arcadia Bluffs G.C. Arcadia, Mich. http://www.arcadiabluffs.com

The 500 World's Greatest Golf Holes
by George Peper (Editor),
Editors of Golf Magazine,
The Editors of GOLF Magazine
The most scenic, the most challenging, the most strategic, best ocean, best mountain, best links, best Ross, best Tillinghast, the holes that have produced historic moments, and a lot more.
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