DISCOVER THE HIDDEN GEMS OF PUBLIC GOLF: 10 BEST COURSES PER STATE
Golf enthusiasts know that the sport is more than just a game; it’s a way of life. And while private country clubs may offer luxurious amenities and pristine courses, public golf courses have their own charm and appeal. In fact, some of the best golf courses in the country are open to the public, waiting to be discovered by avid golfers. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best public golf courses per state, so you can discover the hidden gems in your area.
From the rolling hills of California to the lush greens of Florida, we’ve scoured the country to bring you the top courses that offer challenging holes, stunning scenery, and affordable rates. So, whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner, get ready to tee off and explore the best public golf courses in your state.
DISCOVER THE HIDDEN GEMS OF PUBLIC GOLF: 10 BEST COURSES PER STATE
Golf is a sport that has been enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds for centuries. It is a game that requires skill, patience, and a love for the outdoors. While many people associate golf with country clubs and private courses, there are plenty of hidden gems in the world of public golf. In this article, we will explore the 10 best public golf courses in each state, giving you the opportunity to discover new courses and challenge yourself on the green. Alabama 1. Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa – Birmingham 2.Lakewood Golf Club – Point Clear 3. FarmLinks Golf Club – Sylacauga 4. Grand National Golf Course – Opelika 5. Kiva Dunes Golf Course – Gulf Shores 6. The Shoals Golf Club – Muscle Shoals 7. Lagoon Park Golf Course – Montgomery 8. Silver Lakes Golf Course – Glencoe 9. Goose Pond Colony Golf Course – Scottsboro 10. Highland Park Golf Course – Birmingham Alaska 1. Anchorage Golf Course – Anchorage 2. Moose Run Golf Course – Anchorage 3. Settlers Bay Golf Course – Wasilla 4. Palmer Golf Course – Palmer 5. Birch Ridge Golf Course – Soldotna 6.
Kenai Golf Course – Kenai 7. Eagleglen Golf Course – Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson 8. Black Diamond Golf Course – Healy 9. Valley of the Eagles Golf Links – Haines 10. North Star Golf Club – Fairbanks Arizona 1. Troon North Golf Club – Scottsdale 2. Grayhawk Golf Club – Scottsdale 3. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club – Fort McDowell 4. TPC Scottsdale – Scottsdale 5. The Boulders Resort & Spa – Carefree 6. Quintero Golf Club – Peoria 7. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club – Maricopa 8. Ventana Canyon Golf Club – Tucson 9. Arizona Biltmore Golf Club – Phoenix 10.
Dove Mountain Golf Club – Marana Arkansas 1. Hot Springs Country Club – Hot Springs 2. The Alotian Club – Roland 3. Pinnacle Country Club – Rogers 4. Chenal Country Club – Little Rock 5. Blessings Golf Club – Fayetteville 6. Big Creek Golf & Country Club – Mountain Home 7. The Greens at North Hills – Sherwood 8. Stonebridge Meadows Golf Club – Fayetteville 9. Red Apple Inn & Country Club – Heber Springs 10. The Links at Texarkana – Texarkana California 1. Pebble Beach Golf Links – Pebble Beach 2. Torrey Pines Golf Course – La Jolla 3.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course – Pebble Beach 4. The Links at Spanish Bay – Pebble Beach 5. Pasatiempo Golf Club – Santa Cruz 6. Pelican Hill Golf Club – Newport Beach 7. Rustic Canyon Golf Course – Moorpark 8. Poppy Hills Golf Course – Pebble Beach 9. The Olympic Club – San Francisco 10. Harding Park Golf Course – San Francisco Colorado 1. The Broadmoor Golf Club – Colorado Springs 2. Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club – Wolcott 3. The Ridge at Castle Pines North – Castle Rock 4. The Club at Ravenna – Littleton 5.
The Golf Club at Bear Dance – Larkspur 6. The Club at Cordillera – Edwards 7. The Sanctuary Golf Course – Sedalia 8. Redlands Mesa Golf Course – Grand Junction 9. The Club at Flying Horse – Colorado Springs 10. The Pinery Country Club – Parker Connecticut 1. TPC River Highlands – Cromwell 2. Lake of Isles Golf Club – North Stonington 3. Great River Golf Club – Milford 4. The Course at Yale – New Haven 5. Wintonbury Hills Golf Course – Bloomfield 6. Fox Hopyard Golf Club – East Haddam 7. Richter Park Golf Course – Danbury 8.
The Golf Club at Oxford Greens – Oxford 9. Lyman Orchards Golf Club – Middlefield 10. The Golf Club at Windham – North Windham Delaware 1. Bayside Resort Golf Club – Selbyville 2. The Peninsula Golf & Country Club – Millsboro 3. White Clay Creek Country Club – Wilmington 4. Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club – Ocean View 5. Heritage Shores Club – Bridgeville 6. Baywood Greens Golf Course – Long Neck 7. Deerfield Golf Club – Newark 8. Back Creek Golf Club – Middletown 9. Ed Oliver Golf Club – Wilmington 10.
Rock Manor Golf Course – Wilmington Florida 1. TPC Sawgrass – Ponte Vedra Beach 2. Streamsong Resort – Bowling Green 3. PGA National Resort & Spa – Palm Beach Gardens 4. Innisbrook Resort & Golf Club – Palm Harbor 5. Bay Hill Club & Lodge – Orlando 6. World Woods Golf Club – Brooksville 7. Trump National Doral Miami – Miami 8. The Breakers Ocean Course – Palm Beach 9. Black Diamond Ranch – Lecanto 10. Hammock Beach Resort – Palm Coast Georgia 1. Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta 2. Sea Island Golf Club – St. Simons Island 3.
Reynolds Lake Oconee – Greensboro 4. East Lake Golf Club – Atlanta 5. The Club at Savannah Harbor – Savannah 6. The River Club – Suwanee 7. The Georgia Club – Statham 8. The Fields Golf Club – LaGrange 9. The Frog Golf Club – Villa Rica 10. Callaway Gardens – Pine Mountain Hawaii 1. Kapalua Golf – Maui 2. Mauna Kea Golf Course – Big Island 3. Princeville Makai Golf Club – Kauai 4. Wailea Golf Club – Maui 5. Ko Olina Golf Club – Oahu 6. Poipu Bay Golf Course – Kauai 7.
Hapuna Golf Course – Big Island 8. Manele Golf Course – Lanai 9. Kona Country Club – Big Island 10. Royal Kaanapali Golf Course – Maui Idaho 1. Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course – Coeur d’Alene 2. Circling Raven Golf Club – Worley 3. BanBury Golf Course – Eagle 4. Teton Springs Resort & Club – Victor 5. The Links Golf Course – Post Falls 6. The Club at Black Rock – Coeur d’Alene 7. Jug Mountain Ranch – McCall 8. The Idaho Club – Sandpoint 9. Pinecrest Golf Course – Idaho Falls 10.
Warm Springs Golf Course – Boise Illinois 1. Medinah Country Club – Medinah 2. Olympia Fields Country Club – Olympia Fields 3. Cog Hill Golf & Country Club – Lemont 4. The Glen Club – Glenview 5. Rich Harvest Farms – Sugar Grove 6. Cantigny Golf – Wheaton 7. TPC Deere Run – Silvis 8. The Highlands of Elgin – Elgin 9. WeaverRidge Golf Club – Peoria 10. Harborside International Golf Center – Chicago Indiana 1. The Pete Dye Course at French Lick – French Lick 2. Victoria National Golf Club – Newburgh 3.
The Fort Golf Course – Indianapolis 4. Otter Creek Golf Course – Columbus 5. Brickyard Crossing Golf Course – Indianapolis 6. Purgatory Golf Club – Noblesville 7. The Trophy Club – Lebanon 8. Chariot Run Golf Club – Laconia 9. Sultan’s Run Golf Club – Jasper 10. The Donald Ross Course at French Lick – French Lick Iowa 1. The Harvester Golf Club – Rhodes 2. Blue Top Ridge at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort – Riverside 3. Tournament Club of Iowa – Polk City 4. Amana Colonies Golf Club – Amana 5. Spirit Hollow Golf Course – Burlington 6.
The Preserve on Rathbun Lake – Moravia 7. The Ridge Golf Club – Sioux Center 8. The Falls at Grand Falls Casino & Golf Resort – Larchwood 9. The Meadows Golf Club – Dubuque 10. Bos Landen Golf Club – Pella Kansas 1. Prairie Dunes Country Club – Hutchinson 2. Flint Hills National Golf Club – Andover 3. Colbert Hills Golf Course – Manhattan 4. Firekeeper Golf Course – Mayetta 5. Sand Creek Station Golf Course – Newton 6. Buffalo Dunes Golf Course – Garden City 7. Ironhorse Golf Club – Leawood 8. Tallgrass Country Club – Wichita 9.
Shadow Glen Golf Club – Olathe 10. The Golf Club at Southwind – Garden City Kentucky 1. Valhalla Golf Club – Louisville 2. Keene Trace Golf Club – Nicholasville 3. Big Spring Country Club – Louisville 4. Cherry Blossom Golf Club – Georgetown 5. University Club of Kentucky – Lexington 6. Kearney Hill Golf Links – Lexington 7. Old Silo Golf Course – Mount Sterling 8. Boone’s Trace National Golf Club – Richmond 9. Bardstown Country Club – Bardstown 10. Hidden Cove Golf Course – Olive Hill Louisiana 1. TPC Louisiana – Avondale 2.
The Country Club of Louisiana – Baton Rouge 3. Squire Creek Country Club – Choudrant 4. The Bluffs on Thompson Creek – St. Francisville 5. Gray Plantation Golf Course – Lake Charles 6. The Wetlands Golf Course – Lafayette 7. Oakbourne Country Club – Lafayette 8. Contraband Bayou Golf Club – Lake Charles 9. Carter Plantation – Springfield 10. The Island Golf Course – Plaquemine Maine 1. Belgrade Lakes Golf Club – Belgrade Lakes 2. Sunday River Golf Club – Newry 3. Samoset Resort Golf Course – Rockport 4. Sugarloaf Golf Club – Carrabassett Valley 5.
Boothbay Harbor Country Club – Boothbay Harbor 6. Cape Arundel Golf Club – Kennebunkport 7. Kebo Valley Golf Club – Bar Harbor 8. The Ledges Golf Club – York 9. Penobscot Valley Country Club – Orono 10. Nonesuch River Golf Club – Scarborough Maryland 1. Congressional Country Club – Bethesda 2. Caves Valley Golf Club – Owings Mills 3. Bulle Rock Golf Course – Havre de Grace 4. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm – Potomac 5. Woodmont Country Club – Rockville 6. Whiskey Creek Golf Club – Ijamsville 7. Worthington Manor Golf Club – Urbana 8.
Queenstown Harbor Golf Course – Queenstown 9. Blue Mash Golf Course – Laytonsville 10. Rocky Gap Casino Resort – Flintstone Massachusetts 1. TPC Boston – Norton 2. The Country Club – Brookline 3. Old Sandwich Golf Club – Plymouth 4. The Kittansett Club – Marion 5. The International Golf Club – Bolton 6. The Golf Club at Turner Hill – Ipswich 7. Red Tail Golf Club – Devens 8. The Ranch Golf Club – Southwick 9. Pinehills Golf Club – Plymouth 10. Shaker Hills Country Club – Harvard Michigan 1. Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club – Arcadia 2.
Forest Dunes Golf Club – Roscommon 3. Tullymore Golf Resort – Stanwood 4. Bay Harbor Golf Club – Bay Harbor 5. The Heather at Boyne Highlands – Harbor Springs 6. The Bear at Grand Traverse Resort – Acme 7. The Jewel Golf Course – Mackinac Island 8. Black Lake Golf Club – Onaway 9. The Mines Golf Course – Grand Rapids 10. The Loon Golf Resort – Gaylord Minnesota 1. Hazeltine National Golf Club – Chaska 2. The Quarry at Giants Ridge – Biwabik 3. The Wilderness at Fortune Bay – Tower 4.
The Classic at Madden’s on Gull Lake – Brainerd 5. The Legend at Giants Ridge – Biwabik 6. The Jewel Golf Club – Lake City 7. The Pines at Grand View Lodge – Nisswa 8. The Preserve at Grand View Lodge – Pequot Lakes 9. The Meadows at Mystic Lake – Prior Lake 10. The Wilds Golf Club – Prior Lake Mississippi 1. Fallen Oak Golf Club – Saucier 2. Dancing Rabbit Golf Club – Philadelphia 3. Grand Bear Golf Course – Saucier 4. Shell Landing Golf Club – Gautier 5. The Preserve Golf Club – Vancleave 6.
The Bridges Golf Club – Bay St. Louis 7. Diamondhead Country Club – Diamondhead 8. Whispering Pines Golf Course – Hurley 9. Clear Creek Golf Club – Vicksburg 10. Sunkist Country Club – Biloxi Missouri 1. Bellerive Country Club – St. Louis 2. Old Kinderhook Golf Course – Camdenton 3. Buffalo Ridge Springs Golf Course – Hollister 4. Payne Stewart Golf Club – Branson 5. The Club at Porto Cima – Sunrise Beach 6. The National Golf Club of Kansas City – Parkville 7. The Golf Club at Creekmoor – Raymore 8. Shoal Creek Golf Course – Kansas City 9.
The Club at Old Hawthorne – Columbia 10. The Club at Porto Cima – Sunrise Beach Montana 1. The Reserve at Moonlight Basin – Big Sky 2. Old Works Golf Course – Anaconda 3. The Ranch Club – Missoula 4. The Wilderness Club – Eureka 5. Northern Pines Golf Club – Kalispell 6. The Links at Bighorn – Bigfork 7. The Stock Farm Club – Hamilton 8. Eagle Bend Golf Club – Bigfork 9. Meadow Lake Golf Course – Columbia Falls 10. The Powder Horn Golf Club – Sheridan Nebraska 1. Sand Hills Golf Club – Mullen 2.
The Prairie Club – Valentine 3. Wild Horse Golf Club – Gothenburg 4. Dismal River Club – Mullen 5. Quarry Oaks Golf Club – Ashland 6. Indian Creek Golf Course – Elkhorn 7. Awarii Dunes Golf Club – Axtell 8. Firethorn Golf Club – Lincoln 9. The Club at Indian Creek – Elkhorn 10. The Knolls Golf Course – Lincoln Nevada 1. Shadow Creek Golf Course – Las Vegas 2. Wolf Creek Golf Club – Mesquite 3. Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course – Stateline 4. Cascata Golf Course – Boulder City 5. Reflection Bay Golf Club – Henderson 6.
The Golf Club at Southshore – Henderson 7. The Club at Sunrise – Las Vegas 8. Red Hawk Golf and Resort – Sparks 9. The Golf Club at Genoa Lakes – Genoa 10. Incline Village Championship Golf Course – Incline Village New Hampshire 1. Portsmouth Country Club – Greenland 2. Lake Winnipesaukee Golf Club – New Durham 3. The Golf Club of New England – Stratham 4. Hanover Country Club – Hanover 5. Owl’s Nest Resort & Golf Club – Campton 6. Atkinson Resort & Country Club – Atkinson 7. Wentworth by the Sea Country Club – Rye 8.
The Oaks Golf Links – Somersworth 9. Sky Meadow Country Club – Nashua 10. Bretwood Golf Course – Keene New Jersey 1. Baltusrol Golf Club – Springfield 2. Pine Valley Golf Club – Pine Valley 3. Liberty National Golf Club – Jersey City 4. Bayonne Golf Club – Bayonne 5. Trump National Golf Club – Bedminster 6. Ridgewood Country Club – Paramus 7. Plainfield Country Club – Edison 8. Somerset Hills Country Club – Bernardsville 9. Neshanic Valley Golf Course – Neshanic Station 10. Ballyowen Golf Club – Hamburg New Mexico 1. Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club – Sandia Park 2.
Black Mesa Golf Club – La Mesilla 3. Twin Warriors Golf Club – Santa Ana Pueblo 4. The Club at Las Campanas – Santa Fe 5. Sandia Golf Club – Albuquerque 6. Piñon Hills Golf Course – Farmington 7. Towa Golf Club – Santa Fe 8. The Links at Sierra Blanca – Ruidoso 9. The Canyon Club at Four Hills – Albuquerque 10. The University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course – Albuquerque New York 1. Bethpage Black Course – Farmingdale 2. Winged Foot Golf Club – Mamaroneck 3. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club – Southampton 4.
Oak Hill Country Club – Rochester 5. National Golf Links of America – Southampton 6. Maidstone Club – East Hampton 7. Fishers Island Club – Fishers Island 8. The Sagamore Resort Golf Course – Bolton Landing 9. Turning Stone Resort & Casino – Verona 10. Leatherstocking Golf Course – Cooperstown North Carolina 1. Pinehurst Resort – Pinehurst 2. Quail Hollow Club – Charlotte 3. Grandfather Golf and Country Club – Linville 4. The Country Club of North Carolina – Pinehurst 5. Wade Hampton Golf Club – Cashiers 6. The Omni Grove Park Inn Golf Course – Asheville 7.
The Cliffs at Walnut Cove – Arden 8. The Club at Longview – Waxhaw 9. The Reserve Golf Club – Pawleys Island 10. The Currituck Club – Corolla North Dakota 1. Hawktree Golf Club – Bismarck 2. Bully Pulpit Golf Course – Medora 3. The Links of North Dakota – Ray 4. Fargo Country Club – Fargo 5. Minot Country Club – Minot 6. Riverwood Golf Course – Bismarck 7. King’s Walk Golf Course – Grand Forks 8. Prairie West Golf Course – Mandan 9. Tom O’Leary Golf Course – Bismarck 10. Rose Creek Golf Course – Fargo Ohio 1.
Muirfield Village Golf Club – Dublin 2. Firestone Country Club – Akron
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Interesting facts about Discover the Hidden Gems of Public Golf: 10 Best Courses Per State
- Golf originated in Scotland during the 15th century and was originally played with a stick and pebble.
- The first golf club in America was founded in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1786.
- The Masters Tournament, one of the most prestigious events on the professional golf circuit, has been held annually at Augusta National Golf Club since 1934.
- Tiger Woods is widely considered one of the greatest golfers of all time; he has won 82 PGA Tour events and 15 major championships over his career.
- Country clubs were originally exclusive social clubs for wealthy individuals to gather and participate in leisure activities such as golfing or tennis playing.
- Many country clubs have strict dress codes that require members to wear collared shirts or other formal attire while on club grounds or participating in activities like dining at restaurants within their facilities
