If you're looking for a lot of great public-access golf in one location, start with these 13 destinations that sport multiple highly ranked options.
Any public-access facility with a golf course ranked among the Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play in the United States is worthy of admiration. The list includes every type of public golf offerings from municipal courses to daily-fee layouts up to bucket-list destinations with some of the most expensive green fees in the world. They’re all fantastic, and this public-access list was created to acknowledge them.
Having two such courses among the top 100 at the same facility? That’s a lot of serious golf. Three or more? It’s rare, but not impossible. In this year’s Golfweek’s Best course rankings, there are 13 facilities that have at least two courses ranked among the top 100 public layouts in the country. Five of those facilities have three courses ranked among the top 100. One facility has four, and one golf hot spot has an amazing five such top-ranked layouts.
If you’re a well-traveled golf architecture nut (our kind of people), you’ve heard of all these courses. If you’re newer to the golf travel scene (Welcome!), a few of these might be popping up on your radar for the first time. But no matter your handicap level, no matter your travel experience, these layouts are open to us all.
Arcadia Bluffs
Location: Arcadia, Michigan
Bluffs Course: No. 32 on Golfweek’s Best list of Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in Michigan, No. 91 modern course in the United States. Designed by Warren Henderson and Rick Smith, opened in 1999.
South Course: Tied for No. 84 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 5 public-access course in Michigan. Designed by Dana Fry and Jason Straka, opened in 2018.
Forest Dunes
Location: Roscommon, Michigan
The Loop, Red & Black: No. 50 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in Michigan, tied for No. 143 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak, opened in 2016. (The Loop is a reversible course, playing as the Red in one direction and the Black in the opposite direction. Each course shares all 18 greens.)
Forest Dunes: Tied for No. 78 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 4 public-access course in Michigan. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, opened in 2002.
Pine Needles
Location: Southern Pines, North Carolina
Mid Pines: No. 52 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 4 public-access course in North Carolina, tied for No. 137 classic course in the United States. Designed by Donald Ross, opened in 1921, restored by Kyle Franz.
Pine Needles: No. 62 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 5 public-access course in North Carolina, Tied for No. 146 classic course in the United States. Designed by Donald Ross, opened in 1927, restored by John Fought and more recently by Kyle Franz.
Old Waverly
Location: West Point, Mississippi
Mossy Oak: Tied for No. 47 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Mississippi, tied for No. 132 modern course in the U.S. Designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, opened in 2016.
Old Waverly: Tied for No. 87 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in Mississippi, Designed by Bob Cupp and Jerry Pate, opened in 1988.
Prairie Club
Location: Valentine, Nebraska
Dunes Course: No. 42 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Nebraska, tied for No. 112 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Lehman and Chris Brands, opened in 2010.
Pines Course: Tied for No. 81 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 4 public-access course in Nebraska. Designed by Graham Marsh, opened in 2010.
Silvies Valley Ranch
Location: Seneca, Oregon
Hankins Course: No. 64 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 6 public-access course in Oregon, No. 184 modern course in the United States. Designed by Dan Hixson, opened in 2017.
Craddock Course: Tied for No. 87 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 9 public-access course in Oregon. Designed by Dan Hixson, opened in 2017. (Editor’s note: The Craddock and Hankins courses share a reversible layout, each with nine greens of their own and each with a shared nine greens.)
Big Cedar Lodge
Location: Hollister, Missouri
Ozarks National: Tied for No. 58 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in Missouri, tied for No. 170 modern course in the United States. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2018.
Buffalo Ridge: No. 69 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Missouri, No. 196 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Fazio, opened in 1999.
Payne’s Valley: Tied for No. 92 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in Missouri. Designed by Tiger Woods, opened in 2020.
Kohler, Wisconsin
Location: Kohler and Mosel, Wisconsin
Whistling Straits: Straits Course No. 4 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in Wisconsin, No. 6 modern course in the United States. Designed by Pete Dye, opened in 1998.
Blackwolf Run River Course: Tied for No. 52 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 8 public-access course in Wisconsin, tied for No. 149 modern course in the United States. Designed by Pete Dye, opened in 1988.
Whistling Straits Irish Course: Tied for No. 87 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 9 public-access course in Wisconsin. Designed by Pete Dye, opened in 2000.
Pebble Beach Resorts
Location: Pebble Beach California
Pebble Beach Golf Links: No. 1 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in California, No. 10 classic course in the United States. Designed by Douglas Grant and Jack Neville, opened in 1919.
Spyglass Hill: No. 13 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in California, tied for No. 27 modern course in the United States. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., opened in 1966.
Links at Spanish Bay: No. 65 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 7 public-access courses in California, tied for No. 185 modern course in the United States. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., Sandy Tatum and Tom Watson, opened in 1987.
Pinehurst Resort
Location: Pinehurst, North Carolina
Course No. 2: No. 3 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in North Carolina, No. 20 classic course in the United States. Designed by Donald Ross, opened in 1907, restored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.
No. 10: No. 23 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in North Carolina, No. 52 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak and Angela Moser, opened in 2024.
No. 4: Tied for No. 35 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in North Carolina, tied for No. 97 modern course in the United States. Designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner (on the site of a former course originally designed by Donald Ross and renovated several times), opened in 2018.
Streamsong
Location: Bowling Green, Florida
Red: No. 19 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Florida, No. 44 modern course in the United States. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2012.
Blue: No. 26 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in Florida, tied for No. 62 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak, opened in 2012.
Black: No. 31 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 4 public-access course in Florida, tied for No. 81 modern course in the United States. Designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, opened in 2017.
Sand Valley
Location: Nekoosa, Wisconsin
Lido: No. 12 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Wisconsin, No. 26 modern course in the United States. Originally designed by Charles Blair Macdonald (it’s a new course using an old design of an abandoned course on Long Island), brought back to life by Tom Doak and Brian Schneider, opened in 2023.
Sand Valley: Tied for No. 20 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, tied for No. 3 public-access course in Wisconsin, tied for No. 45 modern course in the United States. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2017.
Mammoth Dunes: Tied for No. 20 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, Tied for No. 3 public-access course in Wisconsin, tied for No. 45 modern course in the United States. Designed by David McLay Kidd, opened in 2018.
Sedge Valley: No. 25 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 5 public-access course in Wisconsin, No. 57 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak, opened in 2024.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Location: Bandon, Oregon
Pacific Dunes: No. 2 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 1 public-access course in Oregon, No. 3 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak, opened in 2001.
Bandon Trails: No. 5 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 2 public-access course in Oregon, No. 9 modern course in the United States. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2005.
Old Macdonald: No. 6 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 3 public-access course in Oregon, No. 10 modern course in the United States. Designed by Tom Doak and Jim Urbina, opened in 2010.
Bandon Dunes: No. 7 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 4 public-access course in Oregon, No. 12 modern course in the United States. Designed by David McLay Kidd, opened in 1999.
Sheep Ranch: No. 15 among Top 100 Best Courses You Can Play, No. 5 public-access course in Oregon, No. 31 modern course in the United States. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, opened in 2020.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Resorts with two or more public golf courses ranked in top 100
Category: General Sports
