The Best Golf Courses to Play in America: A Bucket-List Checklist

Major venues, public gems you can actually play, and private cathedrals.

This checklist covers 24 golf courses — also called public golf courses or bucket-list courses, grouped into 3 sections below, with location and details for every entry. Augusta National, home of the Masters, is the most famous — but it's strictly private. Among courses the public can play, Pebble Beach on California's Monterey Peninsula is the most iconic.

Some golf courses are worth crossing the country for — the ones you've watched on TV your whole life, and the public gems anyone can book. This is a bucket-list checklist of the best courses in America, split into major-championship venues, public courses everyone can play, and the private cathedrals that need an introduction, each with its location and the year it opened.

Major Championship Venues (current rota)

Course	Location	Opened
Augusta National Golf Club	Augusta, GA	1933
Pebble Beach Golf Links	Pebble Beach, CA	1919
Pinehurst No. 2	Pinehurst, NC	1907
Oakmont Country Club	Oakmont, PA	1903
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club	Southampton, NY	1891
Winged Foot Golf Club (West)	Mamaroneck, NY	1923
Bethpage State Park (Black)	Farmingdale, NY	1936
Torrey Pines (South)	La Jolla, CA	1957

Public Bucket-List Courses (everyone can play)

Course	Location	Opened
Pacific Dunes (Bandon Dunes Resort)	Bandon, OR	2001
Bandon Dunes	Bandon, OR	1999
Old Macdonald (Bandon)	Bandon, OR	2010
Streamsong Resort (Red)	Bowling Green, FL	2012
Whistling Straits	Sheboygan, WI	1998
Erin Hills	Erin, WI	2006
Sand Hills Golf Club	Mullen, NE	1995
Pinehurst No. 4	Pinehurst, NC	1919

Private Cathedrals (introductions required)

Course	Location	Opened
Cypress Point Club	Pebble Beach, CA	1928
Pine Valley Golf Club	Pine Valley, NJ	1918
National Golf Links of America	Southampton, NY	1911
Merion Golf Club (East)	Ardmore, PA	1912
Seminole Golf Club	Juno Beach, FL	1929
Los Angeles Country Club (North)	Los Angeles, CA	1921
Chicago Golf Club	Wheaton, IL	1894
Friar's Head	Baiting Hollow, NY	2002

Planning Tips

Book public bucket-list tee times early — Pebble Beach and Bethpage Black open their windows months out and fill fast. Walk if you can; the routing and elevation of a great design only make sense on foot. Play the correct tees — these courses are hard enough from the members' markers. Bring cash for the caddie at walking-caddie clubs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most famous golf courses in America?

The headline stops on this checklist are Augusta National Golf Club (Augusta, GA), Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach, CA) and Pinehurst No. 2 (Pinehurst, NC). In total it covers 24 golf courses, grouped into 3 sections so you can plan a trip around several at once rather than chasing them one at a time.

Can regular golfers play Augusta National?

No. Augusta National is private and access is by invitation from a member only. It's on this checklist as a venue to see (via the Masters) rather than one most golfers can tee up at.

What is the best public bucket-list course?

Pebble Beach Golf Links tops most lists — anyone can book a tee time (at a premium). Bethpage Black and Whistling Straits are other world-class courses open to the public, and Pinehurst No. 2 is open to guests of the Pinehurst Resort.

How much does it cost to play a bucket-list course?

It ranges widely — from municipal rates at some public tracks to several hundred dollars (or more) at marquee resort courses. Book directly through the course or resort for the best availability.

How do I keep track of the courses I've played?

A printable golf passport — a checklist of every course, a detail page for each, suggested golf-trip routes, and achievement badges — or the free Triptyka phone app for other passports.