Pebble Beach is the best public golf course in America, No. 1 on both Golf Digest’s and GOLF’s public rankings. Averaging the two lists, the rest of the top five are Pacific Dunes at Bandon, Pinehurst No. 2, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island and Bethpage Black. Among the best public golf courses in America, green fees run from about $59 at Lawsonia Links in Wisconsin to $1,250 at Shadow Creek.
“Public” is a generous word in golf rankings. Both lists include courses you can only play if you stay at the resort, and one you can only play if you’re staying at an MGM hotel in Las Vegas. So alongside every course’s ranking, this guide tells you the thing the rankings don’t: who can actually book it, how far ahead, whether you have to stay, whether you can walk, and what it costs in 2026. It’s built for a golfer deciding where to spend a day, a weekend or a once-in-a-lifetime week, and it covers every course in the combined top 30 plus the best of the rest, region by region.
How we built this. We lined up the two major public rankings, Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses (2025-26) and GOLF’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S. (2024-25), and averaged each course’s position in their top 50s into one consensus list. A course missing from one list’s top 50 scores 51 for that list, so a course has to be rated highly by both to finish near the top. GOLF’s list comes from its own site; Golf Digest’s page blocks automated requests, so we used a published reprint of its list and checked its top ten against Golf Digest’s own snippets. Green fees come from each course’s rate page or FAQ, checked in September 2026. Where the only figure is from a news report or third-party listing, we say “reported”. For the private clubs that top the overall rankings, see our comparison of every major national ranking. We haven’t played every course here; where a note leans on rankings and published data rather than our own scorecards, we say so.
At a glance
- Best public course in America: Pebble Beach Golf Links, No. 1 on both lists, $695 through March 2027
- Best public golf destination: Bandon Dunes, Oregon, with five courses in the consensus top 25 and day-guest rates from $180
- State with the most top-30 public courses: Wisconsin, with seven (Whistling Straits, the Lido, Erin Hills, Sand Valley, Blackwolf Run, Mammoth Dunes and Lawsonia Links)
- Best value in the top 10: Bethpage Black, $140 on weekdays for non-residents and $70 for New York residents
- Cheapest course on either top 50: Lawsonia Links, reported at about $59 on a weekday, walking
- Most expensive: Shadow Creek, a reported $1,250, for MGM hotel guests only
- Courses in the top 30 you can’t book without a stay: Pinehurst No. 2, No. 10 and No. 4, the Lido and Shadow Creek
- Walking-only courses in the top 10: Pacific Dunes, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits, the Lido and Bandon Trails
The best public golf courses in America: the consensus top 30
The table averages each course’s position on Golf Digest’s 2025-26 public list and GOLF’s 2024-25 list of courses you can play. “Access” is what a golfer who isn’t a member can expect: public means anyone can book; resort/public means anyone can book, with an earlier window or better rate for hotel guests; resort guests means you have to stay.
| # | Course | State | GD | GOLF | Access | Green fee (Sept 2026) | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pebble Beach | CA | 1 | 1 | Resort/public | $695 + cart or caddie | Carts or caddies |
| 2 | Pacific Dunes (Bandon) | OR | 2 | 3 | Resort/public | Day guest $180-$425 | Walking only |
| 3 | Pinehurst No. 2 | NC | 6 | 2 | Resort guests | Package + $250 premium | Walk with caddie |
| 4 | Kiawah Ocean Course | SC | 5 | 6 | Resort/public | About $480 resort guests (reported) | Walk any time |
| 5 | Bethpage Black | NY | 7 | 5 | Public (state park) | $140-$160; residents $70-$80 | Walking only |
| 6 | Whistling Straits | WI | 4 | 10 | Resort/public | Not published | Walking only |
| 7 | The Lido (Sand Valley) | WI | 12 | 4 | Resort guests | Not published | Walking; caddie required |
| 8 | TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) | FL | 8 | 8 | Resort/public | $550-$775 | $130 caddie to walk |
| 9 | Shadow Creek | NV | 3 | 14 | MGM hotel guests | $1,250 (reported) | Caddie with every group |
| 10 | Bandon Trails | OR | 11 | 7 | Resort/public | Day guest $180-$425 | Walking only |
| 11 | Bandon Dunes | OR | 9 | 9 | Resort/public | Day guest $180-$425 | Walking only |
| 12 | Pasatiempo | CA | 15 | 11 | Public | $465 walking; $515 riding | Walk or ride |
| 13 | Old Macdonald (Bandon) | OR | 14 | 13 | Resort/public | Day guest $180-$425 | Walking only |
| 14 | Erin Hills | WI | 10 | 21 | Public | $395-$495 | Walking only |
| 15 | Spyglass Hill | CA | 13 | 23 | Resort/public | $525 + $50 cart (reported, to March 2026) | Carts |
| 16 | Streamsong Red | FL | 20 | 17 | Resort/public | Day guest $200-$445 | Walking encouraged |
| 17 | Harbour Town | SC | 28 | 12 | Resort/public | About $378-$651 (2026, dynamic) | Forecaddie per group |
| 18 | Sand Valley | WI | 21 | 20 | Resort/public | About $295-$325 peak | Walking only |
| 19 | Pinehurst No. 10 | NC | 30 | 15 | Resort guests | Package + $125 premium | Walking only |
| 20 | Streamsong Blue | FL | 26 | 19 | Resort/public | Day guest $200-$445 | Walking encouraged |
| 21 | Blackwolf Run (River) | WI | 17 | 29 | Resort/public | About $330-$440 peak (reported) | Forecaddie recommended |
| 22 | Gamble Sands | WA | 31 | 18 | Resort/public | $200-$295 | Cart included |
| 23 | Chambers Bay | WA | 19 | 31 | Public (county) | $149-$325 non-residents | Walking only |
| 24 | Sheep Ranch (Bandon) | OR | 27 | 24 | Resort/public | Day guest $180-$425 | Walking only |
| 25 | Mammoth Dunes (Sand Valley) | WI | 25 | 26 | Resort/public | About $295-$325 peak | Walking only |
| 26 | Kapalua (Plantation) | HI | 23 | 33 | Resort/public | $475; $445 resort guests | Cart |
| 27 | Pinehurst No. 4 | NC | 32 | 25 | Resort guests | Package; extra round about $395 (reported) | Walk with caddie |
| 28 | Prairie Club (Dunes) | NE | 36 | 28 | Resort/public | About $199.50 day play (reported) | Walking permitted |
| 29 | Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs) | MI | 16 | – | Public | About $100-$250 | Walking always allowed |
| 30 | Lawsonia Links | WI | – | 16 | Public | About $59-$90 walking (reported) | Walking allowed |
Sources: Golf Digest America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses (2025-26) and GOLF Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S. (2024-25), top 50s. “-” means outside that list’s top 50. Fees from each course’s rate page or FAQ in September 2026 unless marked reported; see each section for details.
Four things jump out once the two lists sit together. First, the top is settled: the same eight courses, Pebble, Pacific Dunes, Pinehurst No. 2, the Ocean Course, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits, TPC Sawgrass and Bandon Dunes, are in the top ten of both lists or close to it. Second, the destinations dominate. Five of the top 25 are at Bandon Dunes, three at Sand Valley and three at Pinehurst. Third, the Upper Midwest is the surprise: Wisconsin has seven of the top 30, more than California and Florida combined. Fourth, almost all the best public golf in America has been built since the late 1990s. Pebble Beach (1919), Pinehurst No. 2 (1907), Pasatiempo (1929), Bethpage Black (1936) and Lawsonia Links (1930) are the old guard; nearly everything else here is modern.
What is the best public golf course in America?
Pebble Beach Golf Links is the best public golf course in America: No. 1 on both Golf Digest’s 2025-26 public list and GOLF’s 2024-25 list of courses you can play. The green fee is $695 through March 2027, and non-guests can book only 24 hours ahead.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, Calif. · resort/public · Jack Neville and Douglas Grant (1919) · Par 72 · White tees 71.7/135 · Green fee $695 (April 2026 to March 2027); non-guests add $60 for a cart; caddie $175, forecaddie $62.50 (official, September 2026) · resort guests book up to 18 months ahead with a minimum stay; non-guests 24 hours ahead
Pebble Beach is the one public course that ranks alongside the great private clubs: it’s No. 9 on three of the four major national rankings of all courses, public and private. Its reputation rests on holes 4 to 10, along the cliffs above Carmel Bay, and on the 18th, a par 5 that curves around the bay with the Pacific on the left the whole way. It has hosted six U.S. Opens and will host another in 2027.
Getting on: the reliable route is a resort stay, which unlocks booking up to 18 months ahead. Non-guests can book only 24 hours in advance.
Verdict: worth it once, if you can afford it. With a caddie and tip, budget close to $1,000. Nothing else you can book matches holes 4 to 10.
The rest of the consensus top 10
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and Bandon Dunes
Bandon, Ore. · resort/public · Pacific Dunes: Tom Doak (2001), par 71, 6,633 yards, Green tees 70.8/135; Bandon Trails: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (2005); Bandon Dunes: David McLay Kidd (1999) · Green fee: resort guests $130 (January and December) to $375 (June to September); day guests $180 to $425; premium day-guest times up to $475 (official, September 2026) · day guests book 21 days ahead · walking only; caddie $125 plus tip
Bandon Dunes is the best public golf destination in America, and it has three courses in the consensus top 11 and five in the top 25. Pacific Dunes (No. 2), Tom Doak’s masterpiece, runs through towering sand dunes and along the bluffs above the Pacific, with par 3s perched on the cliffs. Bandon Trails (No. 10), by Coore and Crenshaw, starts in the dunes, climbs into a forest and returns to the dunes; many regulars think it’s the best of the five. Bandon Dunes (No. 11), the original course by David McLay Kidd, opened in 1999 and started the whole movement. There are no motorised carts on any course, and the caddies are among the best in the country.
Which tees: Bandon’s courses are played in the wind, so a 10-handicap should play about 6,300 yards, an 18 about 5,800 and a 25 the forward tees.
Verdict: the best public golf in America, and at $180 for a winter day guest, one of the best values. Plan three or four days; one round won’t be enough.
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, N.C. · resort guests and members only (two-night minimum) · Donald Ross (1907) · Par 72, 6,961 yards (blue) · Course rating and slope not published · Green fee: sold in stay-and-play packages with a $250 premium for No. 2 (official, September 2026) · caddie $85 optional; forecaddie $45
Pinehurst No. 2 is Donald Ross’s masterpiece and the most important public course in American golf history, host of four U.S. Opens since 1999, most recently in 2024. Its crowned greens repel anything slightly off line into sandy wire grass, which makes it one of the hardest courses in the world around the greens and one of the fairest from tee to green. It’s No. 2 on GOLF’s list and No. 6 on Golf Digest’s.
Verdict: worth it for anyone who cares about golf architecture. The two-night minimum makes it a trip, not a round, but Pinehurst’s other courses, including No. 10 and No. 4 below, make that trip worthwhile.
The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island, S.C. · resort/public · Pete and Alice Dye (1991) · Par 72, 7,385 yards · Gold tees 74.7/150 · Green fee not published; reported at about $480 for resort guests in 2026, with non-guests paying more · non-guests book up to 60 days ahead · walking allowed at any time; no caddie fee, but customary tips are about $120 for a caddie and $60 for a forecaddie
The Ocean Course hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and it’s the most exposed great course in America, with every hole in view of the Atlantic and in the wind. Its slope of 150 from the gold tees is close to the maximum.
Verdict: one of the two or three best rounds you can book in America. Walk it with a caddie in the morning, before the wind gets up, and play a set of tees forward.
Bethpage Black
Farmingdale, N.Y. · public (New York State Parks) · A.W. Tillinghast (1936) · Par 71, 7,468 yards · Green fee: New York residents $70 on weekdays and $80 at weekends; non-residents $140 and $160; plus a $5 booking fee (official 2026 price list) · residents book 7 days ahead and non-residents 5 days ahead, from 7 pm; one round per 28 days · walking only
Bethpage Black is the best-value great course in the country, a state-park course that has hosted two U.S. Opens (2002 and 2009), the 2019 PGA Championship and the 2025 Ryder Cup. It’s also genuinely hard. A sign by the first tee warns that it’s recommended only for highly skilled golfers.
Verdict: the best value in American golf for a New York resident, and a bargain for anyone else at $140. It’s not a course for a 25-handicap, and walking it is a serious day.
Whistling Straits (Straits Course)
Haven, Wis. · resort/public (Destination Kohler) · Pete Dye (1998) · Par 72, 7,790 yards · Blue tees 74.2/145 · Green fee not published; priced through the resort’s booking engine · walking only; caddie optional at $90 plus tip
Whistling Straits is Pete Dye’s Irish-style links along Lake Michigan, built from scratch on flat land, and host of three PGA Championships and the 2021 Ryder Cup. It’s No. 4 on Golf Digest’s list and No. 10 on GOLF’s. It’s walking only, which suits a course that looks and feels like Ballybunion.
Verdict: worth it for anyone who loves links golf. It’s long and very hard from the back; play forward and take a caddie. Combine it with Blackwolf Run, Erin Hills and Sand Valley for the best week of public golf in the Midwest.
The Lido (Sand Valley)
Nekoosa, Wis. · Sand Valley resort guests only, Sunday to Thursday · Tom Doak (2023) · Par 72, 6,990 yards · White tees 72.5/144 · Green fee not published · walking only; caddie required, $100 plus tip
The Lido is Tom Doak’s recreation of a legendary Long Island course, designed by Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor and lost in the 1940s, rebuilt from old photographs and plans in the sand barrens of central Wisconsin. GOLF’s panel ranks it No. 4 in the country among courses you can play; Golf Digest has it No. 12. It’s the most restricted course on the list after Shadow Creek.
Verdict: one of the best new courses in the world, and worth building a Sand Valley stay around. You’ll need to stay Sunday to Thursday and take a caddie.
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. · resort/public · Pete Dye (1980) · Par 72, 7,352 yards · Blue tees 73.9/148 · Green fee $550 (June to August) to $775 and up (September to May), cart, forecaddie and range balls included (official, September 2026) · 14 days ahead, or 12 months with qualifying lodging · walking means a $130 caddie upgrade
The Stadium Course is home of the Players Championship and its island-green 17th, and it’s No. 8 on both lists. It’s a strategic, water-filled Pete Dye course built for spectators, and the finish, the par-5 16th, the 17th and the lake-lined 18th, is as dramatic as any you can book.
Verdict: worth it once, ideally in summer at $550. The peak rate of $775 is hard to justify on the golf alone. See our guide to Florida’s best courses for the alternatives.
Shadow Creek
North Las Vegas, Nev. · MGM Resorts hotel guests only · Tom Fazio (1989) · Par 72, 7,560 yards · 73.2/138 (reported) · Green fee reported at $1,250 including a limousine transfer (April 2026); caddie extra · a caddie accompanies every group
Shadow Creek is No. 3 on Golf Digest’s list and No. 14 on GOLF’s, and it’s the biggest split between the two panels in the top ten. It’s an extraordinary piece of construction: a forest, streams and hills built on flat desert in North Las Vegas. It’s also the most expensive and exclusive round on the list.
Verdict: a spectacle, but not worth $1,250 of your own money on the golf alone. For the same money, you could play Pacific Dunes three times.
Why do Golf Digest and GOLF rank public courses differently?
Different panels weigh different things. Golf Digest’s 1,700-plus raters score conditioning and aesthetics alongside design, which helps a manicured showpiece like Shadow Creek (third). GOLF’s smaller expert panel leans toward architecture, putting the Lido fourth and Harbour Town 12th, both far above Golf Digest’s positions.
The disagreements are useful, because they tell you what kind of course you’re getting. Here are the biggest gaps between the two lists in the top 30:
| Course | Golf Digest | GOLF | What the gap suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Creek | 3 | 14 | Spectacle and conditioning over architecture |
| Harbour Town | 28 | 12 | A connoisseur’s course: short, strategic, subtle |
| The Lido | 12 | 4 | Architecture fans’ favourite |
| Pinehurst No. 10 | 30 | 15 | New, walking only, highly regarded by experts |
| Erin Hills | 10 | 21 | Big, dramatic championship course |
| Chambers Bay | 19 | 31 | Divisive links, loved by some, not others |
| Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs) | 16 | Outside top 50 | Scenery-led clifftop course |
| Lawsonia Links | Outside top 50 | 16 | A 1930 classic prized by architecture fans |
Golf Digest’s panel is large, with more than 1,700 raters, and scores six categories: shot options, challenge, layout variety, aesthetics, conditioning and character. GOLF uses a smaller panel of about 127 experts who’ve played hundreds of the world’s best courses. The practical lesson: if a course ranks much higher on GOLF’s list, expect subtle, strategic architecture; if it ranks higher on Golf Digest’s, expect drama, beauty and immaculate conditions.
Numbers 11 to 30
Pasatiempo Golf Club
Santa Cruz, Calif. · public · Alister MacKenzie (1929) · Par 71, 6,495 yards · White tees 70.7/138 · Green fee $465 walking and $515 riding (official; no year printed) · public tee times 7 days ahead, or up to 365 days for a $50 priority fee · caddies with 24 hours’ notice
Pasatiempo is Alister MacKenzie’s public masterpiece, restored to his original bunkering and greens, and the architect of Cypress Point and Augusta National lived beside its sixth fairway. It’s No. 11 on GOLF’s list and No. 15 on Golf Digest’s.
Verdict: the best architecture you can book in California after Pebble, at two-thirds of the price. See our guide to California’s best courses for more.
Old Macdonald and Sheep Ranch (Bandon)
Bandon, Ore. · resort/public · Old Macdonald: Tom Doak and Jim Urbina (2010); Sheep Ranch: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (2020) · Green fee: same as the other Bandon courses, day guests $180 to $425 (official, September 2026) · walking only
Old Macdonald (No. 13) is a tribute to Charles Blair Macdonald, with huge greens and template holes (copies of famous British holes, such as a Redan, a par 3 whose green angles away from front right to back left). Sheep Ranch (No. 24) is Coore and Crenshaw’s clifftop course, with nine greens along the ocean and no bunkers.
Verdict: both are worth a round on any Bandon trip. Old Macdonald is the most fun of the five for a high handicapper.
Erin Hills
Erin, Wis. · public · Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and Ron Whitten (2006) · Par 72, 7,772 yards · Green tees 73.5/135 · Green fee $395 in shoulder season to $495 from May 26 to September 27; replay $295 (official, September 2026) · walking only; caddie optional at $65
Erin Hills hosted the 2017 U.S. Open and is one of the biggest, most natural inland courses in America, with fescue, huge bunkers and no houses. It’s No. 10 on Golf Digest’s list and No. 21 on GOLF’s.
Verdict: worth it for a U.S. Open fan who wants a long walk in the country. The $295 replay makes a 36-hole day good value.
Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach, Calif. · resort/public · Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1966) · Par 72, 6,960 yards · Gold tees 73.3/140 (reported) · Green fee $525 plus $50 cart for non-guests (reported, rates to March 31, 2026; current rate not verified) · non-guests book 3 months ahead; resort guests 18 months
Spyglass starts with five holes in the sand dunes and then climbs into the Del Monte Forest. It’s harder than Pebble and, for many good golfers, the better course, and it’s bookable three months ahead.
Verdict: a better test than Pebble for roughly $120 less, and much easier to get a time. A 10-handicap will love it; a 25 may not.
Streamsong (Red, Blue and Black)
Bowling Green, Fla. · resort/public · Red: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw; Blue: Tom Doak; Black: Gil Hanse (2017) · Green fee: resort guests $150 (summer) to $395 (January to April 2027); day guests $200 to $445, plus $35 for a cart (official, September 2026) · day guests book 30 days ahead · walking encouraged; caddies about $100-$120
Streamsong has two courses in the consensus top 20, Red (No. 16) and Blue (No. 20), and Black at No. 34. Built on reclaimed phosphate-mine land, they’re the closest thing to Bandon in the East.
Verdict: the best-value destination on the East Coast, especially in summer at $200 a round.
Harbour Town Golf Links
Hilton Head Island, S.C. · resort/public (Sea Pines guests have priority) · Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus (1969) · Par 71, 7,131 yards · White tees 71.0/135 · Green fee: dynamic; sample 2026 dates reported at $378 to $651, including cart and range · one forecaddie per group
Harbour Town, home of the RBC Heritage, is short and tight by Tour standards, with small greens, overhanging oaks and a finish toward the lighthouse on Calibogue Sound. GOLF has it No. 12; Golf Digest No. 28. See our guide to South Carolina’s best courses for more.
Verdict: worth playing once for the design, but check several dates; the dynamic price varies by more than $250.
Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes and Sedge Valley
Nekoosa, Wis. · resort/public · Sand Valley: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (2017); Mammoth Dunes: David McLay Kidd (2018); Sedge Valley: Tom Doak (2024) · Green fee about $295 to $325 in peak season (June to October 2026) · resort guests book 45 days ahead in peak season; day-guest windows set by the resort · walking only; caddie $100 plus tip; pull carts $10
Sand Valley, Wisconsin’s answer to Bandon, has three courses in the consensus top 40: Sand Valley (No. 18), Mammoth Dunes (No. 25) and Sedge Valley (No. 36), plus the Lido (No. 7). Mammoth Dunes, with its enormous fairways, is the most forgiving course on this list for a high handicapper.
Verdict: the best public golf destination in the Midwest, and a natural second trip after Bandon.
Pinehurst No. 10 and No. 4
Pinehurst, N.C. · resort guests and members only (two-night minimum) · No. 10: Tom Doak (2024); No. 4: Gil Hanse (2018 redesign) · Green fee: sold in packages; No. 10 carries a $125 premium; extra rounds reported at about $450 (No. 10) and $395 (No. 4) · No. 10 walking only; caddie $85, forecaddie $45
Pinehurst No. 10 (No. 19), Tom Doak’s walking-only course on sandy land south of the village, has gone straight into both lists since it opened in 2024. No. 4 (No. 27), rebuilt by Gil Hanse, is the other course most visitors add to No. 2.
Verdict: No. 10 is reason enough to book a second night at Pinehurst.
Blackwolf Run (River Course)
Kohler, Wis. · resort/public (Destination Kohler; resort guests have priority) · Pete Dye (1988) · Green fee reported at roughly $330 to $440 in peak season (sources vary) · forecaddies recommended at $60 a player
The River Course, host of two U.S. Women’s Opens, winds along the Sheboygan River near Whistling Straits. It’s No. 17 on Golf Digest’s list and No. 29 on GOLF’s.
Verdict: a strong second round on a Kohler trip, with more trees and water than the Straits.
Gamble Sands
Brewster, Wash. · resort/public · David McLay Kidd (2014) · Green fee $295 from May to September (replay $195), $200 in April and October; cart included; Quicksands nine-hole course $75 (official, September 2026) · overnight guests can book any date in 2026-27; day guests 120 days ahead
Gamble Sands sits on a sandy plateau above the Columbia River in central Washington, with enormous fairways and greens designed to be fun for every level of golfer. It’s No. 18 on GOLF’s list.
Verdict: the most enjoyable course on this list for a high handicapper, and worth the drive.
Chambers Bay
University Place, Wash. · public (Pierce County) · Robert Trent Jones Jr. (2007) · Par 72, 7,158 yards · Sand tees 70.6/130 · Green fee: Pierce County residents $89-$129; non-residents $149-$325; advance bookings $300-$425 (official, September 2026) · book up to three months ahead, opening on the 1st · walking only; caddie $100
Chambers Bay is a county-owned links in a former sand and gravel quarry above Puget Sound, host of the 2015 U.S. Open. It’s walking only, and the walk is steep.
Verdict: one of the best-value major-championship rounds in the country, especially for a Pierce County resident.
Kapalua (Plantation Course)
Lahaina, Hawaii · resort/public · Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw (1991) · Par 73, 7,596 yards · Regular tees 72.8/134 · Green fee $475 standard and $445 for resort guests, cart included (2026 rates, official) · public 30 days ahead; resort guests 60
Kapalua’s Plantation Course, long-time home of the PGA Tour’s season opener, rolls across the hills of west Maui with huge fairways and ocean views. It’s No. 23 on Golf Digest’s list.
Verdict: worth it on a Maui holiday; the wind and elevation changes make it great fun.
The Prairie Club (Dunes), Arcadia Bluffs and Lawsonia Links
The Prairie Club Dunes Course: Valentine, Neb., resort/public, day play reported at about $199.50, packages from $559 (walking permitted) · Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs Course): Arcadia, Mich., public, about $100 off-season to $250 in summer, walking always allowed, caddies on request · Lawsonia Links: Green Lake, Wis., public, William Langford and Theodore Moreau (1930), reported at about $59 on weekdays and $90 at weekends walking, twilight $70
The last three in the consensus top 30 show how different the two panels are. The Prairie Club (No. 28) is a remote Sandhills resort in northern Nebraska that both lists rate. Arcadia Bluffs (No. 29), on bluffs above Lake Michigan, is No. 16 on Golf Digest’s list but outside GOLF’s top 50. Lawsonia Links (No. 30) is the opposite: No. 16 on GOLF’s list but outside Golf Digest’s top 50. A 1930 course by William Langford and Theodore Moreau with bold, raised greens, it’s the cheapest great course in America.
Verdict: Lawsonia is the bargain of the whole list, at about $59 on a weekday. Arcadia Bluffs is worth it for the views.
Where the best public golf is: the destinations
The best public golf in America is concentrated in a handful of places, and knowing them is the quickest way to plan.
| Destination | Courses in the consensus top 40 | Access | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandon Dunes, Oregon | 5 (Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Bandon Dunes, Old Macdonald, Sheep Ranch) | Day guests or resort guests | Walking only |
| Sand Valley, Wisconsin | 4 (the Lido, Sand Valley, Mammoth Dunes, Sedge Valley) | Resort guests; the Lido guest-only | Walking only |
| Pinehurst, North Carolina | 3 (No. 2, No. 10, No. 4) | Resort guests only | No. 10 walking only |
| Streamsong, Florida | 3 (Red, Blue, Black) | Day guests or resort guests | Walking encouraged |
| Kohler, Wisconsin | 2 (Whistling Straits, Blackwolf Run River) | Resort/public | Straits walking only |
| Pebble Beach, California | 2 (Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill) | Resort/public | Carts or caddies |
The best public golf courses by region
Beyond the top 30, both lists include dozens of excellent courses. Here are the best of the rest, by region, with their 2026 fees.
The Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. Beyond Bethpage Black, the highlight is the Course at Yale in New Haven, a 1926 Charles Blair Macdonald and Seth Raynor design that reopened to the public in April 2026 (No. 38 on Golf Digest’s list; non-affiliates book 10 days ahead, reported at up to about $350). In Virginia, Primland’s Highland Course (No. 29 on Golf Digest’s list) costs $175 to $325 depending on the season, and the Omni Homestead’s Cascades Course is about $100 for resort guests and a reported $152 and up for everyone else. The Greenbrier’s Old White in West Virginia costs $175 to $550 for guests and $205 to $665 for non-guests.
The Southeast. North Carolina’s Sandhills are the best-value golf region in the country. Mid Pines costs $265 to $285 in peak season and $115 to $125 in winter, Southern Pines $225 to $245 in peak and $105 to $115 in winter, and Pine Needles is open to the public 30 days ahead. Tobacco Road near Sanford, Mike Strantz’s wild 1998 design, uses dynamic pricing with a cart or push cart included. Further south, Sea Island’s Seaside Course in Georgia is open only to guests and members and closed for restoration until October 18, 2026, when it reopens at $425. Fallen Oak in Mississippi is reserved for Beau Rivage guests, at a reported $200. In Florida, Cabot Citrus Farms’ Karoo course and The Park in West Palm Beach both make GOLF’s list; see our Florida guide for their details.
The Midwest. Beyond Wisconsin’s big names, Forest Dunes in Michigan charges $185 to $215 in peak season, Belvedere in Charlevoix $150 walking in peak season, and SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, $375 for a day guest, all-inclusive. French Lick’s Pete Dye Course in Indiana costs $450 to $500, including a cart, plus a mandatory $50 forecaddie. In Nebraska, Landmand (No. 24 on Golf Digest’s list), a Rob Collins and Tad King design from 2022, costs $160 with a cart, and Wild Horse in Gothenburg is one of the great bargains in golf at $68 on weekdays and $85 at weekends. In Missouri, Ozarks National at Big Cedar Lodge books 30 days out for the public.
The West. In California, Torrey Pines South costs non-residents $258 to $322 and San Diego residents $73 to $90, and Rustic Canyon in Moorpark, No. 45 on GOLF’s list, is $65 to $90. In Oregon, Juniper Preserve’s Fazio course near Bend is limited to members and resort guests. In Utah, Black Desert charges non-guests $325 to $450 including a forecaddie and food. In Colorado, the Broadmoor’s East Course is open only to hotel guests and members’ guests, at $232 to $361. And in Texas, PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch East, the Gil Hanse course that will host the 2027 PGA Championship, is walking only with a mandatory caddie, with fees reported at about $277 to $330. See our Arizona guide for the desert.
Hawaii. Beyond Kapalua, Manele on Lanai is for Four Seasons guests only, at a reported $550, and Mauna Kea on the Big Island, one of the first great resort courses in the islands, is open to the public, with hotel guests paying a reported $245 in the morning.
We cover the full top 100 you can play, the best public course in every state, and the best courses state by state in separate guides.
Which top public courses require a resort stay?
Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4 and No. 10 require at least two nights at Pinehurst; the Lido is for Sand Valley guests only, Sunday to Thursday; Shadow Creek is for MGM hotel guests; and Manele, the Broadmoor’s East Course, Sea Island’s Seaside and Fallen Oak are also guest-only.
Everything else on this page sells tee times to non-guests, although several give hotel guests an earlier window or a better rate. At Pebble Beach, a non-guest can book only 24 hours ahead, while a resort guest can book 18 months out. At TPC Sawgrass, non-guests get 14 days against 12 months with qualifying lodging. At Kiawah and Harbour Town, resort guests get priority and lower rates. And at Bandon, Streamsong and Sand Valley, resort guests pay less than day guests.
Walking-only courses and caddies
Many of the best public courses in America don’t allow carts at all, and that’s part of the point. Walking-only courses in or near the consensus top 30 include every Bandon course, every Sand Valley course, Whistling Straits, Erin Hills, Chambers Bay, Bethpage Black and Pinehurst No. 10, and PGA Frisco’s Fields Ranch East requires a caddie for every player.
Caddie fees we found range from $65 at Erin Hills and $85 at Pinehurst to $100 at Chambers Bay and Sand Valley, $125 at Bandon Dunes and $175 at Pebble Beach, plus a tip. At the Ocean Course, the caddie fee is waived, but customary tips are about $120. We cover walking-only courses, courses with caddie programmes and courses that welcome dogs in separate guides.
How much does it cost to play the best public courses?
From about $60 to $1,250. Lawsonia Links, No. 16 on GOLF’s list, is reported at about $59 on a weekday walking; Bethpage Black is $140 for visitors; Bandon’s day-guest rate runs $180 to $425; Pebble Beach is $695; and Shadow Creek is a reported $1,250.
Here is what the consensus top 30 cost, grouped by price, in September 2026:
| Price band | Courses |
|---|---|
| Under $150 | Lawsonia Links (about $59-$90, reported), Bethpage Black ($70-$160), Chambers Bay (residents $89-$129), Arcadia Bluffs (from about $100) |
| $150-$300 | Prairie Club Dunes (about $199.50, reported), Gamble Sands ($200-$295), Streamsong ($200-$445 day guests), Sand Valley and Mammoth Dunes (about $295-$325), Bandon (day guests from $180), Chambers Bay (non-residents $149-$325) |
| $300-$500 | Erin Hills ($395-$495), Pasatiempo ($465-$515), Kapalua ($445-$475), Blackwolf Run River (about $330-$440, reported), Harbour Town (from about $378), Kiawah Ocean Course (about $480 for resort guests, reported), Bandon (summer day guests $425) |
| $500-$800 | Spyglass Hill ($525 + $50 cart, reported), TPC Sawgrass ($550-$775), Harbour Town (peak dates up to $651), Pebble Beach ($695) |
| Package only | Pinehurst No. 2 (+$250), No. 10 (+$125), No. 4; the Lido |
| Over $1,000 | Shadow Creek ($1,250, reported) |
Three money rules apply across the list. First, go in the off-season: Bandon drops from $425 to $180 for a day guest, Streamsong from $445 to $200 and TPC Sawgrass from $775 to $550. Second, use resident rates where they exist: Bethpage Black is half price for New Yorkers, and Chambers Bay and Torrey Pines have large local discounts. Third, budget for the caddie. At Bandon, Pebble and Kiawah, it’s optional but part of the experience, and with a tip it adds $150 to $250.
How do you book a tee time at a top public course?
Check three things: how far ahead the public window opens, whether a stay unlocks an earlier one, and whether the course sells times online. Gamble Sands opens 120 days out for day guests, SentryWorld 90, Bandon 21 and Pebble Beach only 24 hours for non-guests.
A simple plan:
- Pick the course that matters most and build the trip around it.
- Check whether you need to stay. Pinehurst, the Lido and Shadow Creek require it; Pebble, Sawgrass and Kiawah reward it with earlier windows.
- Book the stay first where it’s required or rewarded. For Pebble Beach, that means up to 18 months ahead.
- Set a reminder for public windows. Bethpage Black opens at 7 pm; Chambers Bay opens on the 1st of the month; Pasatiempo opens seven days ahead unless you pay $50 for a year.
- Compare dates at dynamic-priced courses. Harbour Town and Kiawah can vary by hundreds of dollars.
- Book caddies when you book the tee time. At Bandon, Kiawah, Pebble and Pinehurst, they go early.
- Check for closures. Sea Island’s Seaside reopens on October 18, 2026, and many courses aerate in spring and autumn.
We cover how to book a tee time step by step in a separate guide.
How to choose which public course to play
Start with the kind of golf you want, then work down to price and access.
- For the once-in-a-lifetime round: Pebble Beach.
- For the best golf trip: Bandon Dunes, then Sand Valley and Pinehurst.
- For the best value: Lawsonia Links, Bethpage Black and Wild Horse.
- For architecture: Pinehurst No. 2, Pasatiempo, the Lido and Lawsonia.
- For Tour and major history: TPC Sawgrass, Bethpage Black, the Ocean Course, Whistling Straits and Harbour Town.
- For a 25-handicap: Mammoth Dunes, Gamble Sands and Old Macdonald, where the fairways are wide and the fun is high.
- For walking: Bandon, Sand Valley, Chambers Bay and Erin Hills.
For the best municipal courses in the country, the best public courses under $100, U.S. Open courses you can play, PGA Tour courses you can play, every TPC course open to the public and the best resort courses in the country, see our separate guides. And for the courses that make golfers’ bucket lists, with the true cost of each, see our guide to the bucket-list courses and what they really cost.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best public golf course in America?
Pebble Beach Golf Links in California is No. 1 on both Golf Digest’s 2025-26 public list and GOLF’s 2024-25 list of courses you can play. The green fee is $695 through March 2027, and resort guests can book up to 18 months ahead.
What is the best public golf course in America that isn’t a resort?
Bethpage Black, a New York state park course, is the highest-ranked course with no resort attached, No. 5 on GOLF’s list and No. 7 on Golf Digest’s. It costs $140 on weekdays for non-residents and $70 for New York residents, and it’s walking only.
Which state has the best public golf?
By the consensus top 30, Wisconsin, with seven courses: Whistling Straits, the Lido, Erin Hills, Sand Valley, Blackwolf Run, Mammoth Dunes and Lawsonia Links. Oregon has five, all at Bandon Dunes.
What is the cheapest top-ranked public course?
Lawsonia Links in Green Lake, Wisconsin, No. 16 on GOLF’s list, is reported at about $59 on a weekday walking. Wild Horse in Nebraska, No. 44 on GOLF’s list, costs $68 on weekdays.
Can anyone play Bandon Dunes?
Yes. Bandon Dunes sells tee times to day guests up to 21 days ahead, at $180 in winter to $425 in summer, with premium times up to $475. Resort guests pay less, from $130 to $375, and can book earlier. Every course is walking only.
Do you have to stay at Pinehurst to play No. 2?
Yes. Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4 and No. 10 are open only to resort guests and members, with a two-night minimum stay. No. 2 carries a $250 premium on a stay-and-play package, and No. 10 a $125 premium.
Is Shadow Creek a public course?
Only in a limited sense. It’s on both public lists, but it’s open only to guests of MGM’s Las Vegas hotels, at a reported $1,250 including a limousine transfer. It’s the most expensive and exclusive round on either list.
What is the difference between Golf Digest’s and GOLF’s public rankings?
Golf Digest uses a panel of more than 1,700 raters scoring six criteria, including conditioning and aesthetics. GOLF uses about 127 expert panelists. Golf Digest ranks Shadow Creek third; GOLF puts it 14th and ranks the Lido fourth and Harbour Town 12th.
How far ahead can you book the best public courses?
It varies widely: Pebble Beach 24 hours for non-guests (18 months for resort guests), Bandon 21 days for day guests, Chambers Bay up to three months, SentryWorld 90 days and Gamble Sands 120 days. Bethpage Black opens five to seven days ahead at 7 pm.
Our verdict
The best public golf courses in America are better, and more accessible, than they’ve ever been. Almost everything in the consensus top 30 was built or restored in the last 30 years, and most of it can be booked by anyone with a credit card and a flexible diary. The exceptions, Pinehurst, the Lido and Shadow Creek, require a stay, and one of them isn’t worth it.
If you can play one course, make it Pebble Beach. If you can take one trip, make it Bandon Dunes, and walk every round. If you want the best value in championship golf, play Bethpage Black. And if you want the hidden gem of the lists, a 1930 course that costs less than a pair of golf shoes, go to Lawsonia Links.
Sources
- America’s 100 Greatest Public Golf Courses, 2025-26, Golf Digest
- Top 100 Courses You Can Play in the U.S., 2024-25, GOLF; state-by-state breakdown at golf.com
- America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, 2025-26, Golf Digest (panel and criteria)
- Rates and FAQs, Pebble Beach Resorts
- Green fees, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
- FAQs, Pinehurst Resort
- Ocean Course FAQ, Kiawah Island Golf Resort
- Bethpage State Park, New York State Parks
- Golf rates and policies, Destination Kohler
- FAQ, Sand Valley
- FAQ, TPC Sawgrass
- How much does it cost to play Shadow Creek?, The Golf News Net, April 2, 2026
- Rates, Pasatiempo Golf Club
- Rates and fees, Erin Hills
- Golf fees, Streamsong Resort
- Harbour Town Golf Links, Sea Pines Resort
- Rates, Gamble Sands
- Chambers Bay, Pierce County
- Plantation Course, Kapalua Golf
- Dunes Course, The Prairie Club
- Arcadia Bluffs
- Lawsonia
- FAQs, The Course at Yale
- Golf, Primland
- Courses, Mid Pines; Courses, Southern Pines; Courses, Pine Needles
- Course rates, Tobacco Road
- Seaside, Sea Island
- Greens fee rates, Forest Dunes; Green fees, Belvedere
- Tee times and rates, SentryWorld
- Golf, French Lick Resort
- FAQ, Landmand; Course rates, Wild Horse
- Ozarks National, Big Cedar Lodge
- Torrey Pines Golf Course rates effective January 1, 2026, City of San Diego; Fees, Rustic Canyon
- Golf, Black Desert Resort; Golf rates and customs, The Broadmoor
- FAQs, Omni PGA Frisco
Image credits
| Image | Photographer | Licence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chambers Bay above Puget Sound (featured image) | Atomic Taco from Seattle, WA, USA | CC BY-SA 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Pebble Beach Golf Links, 18th green | WilliamFMeyer | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Push carts and starter’s clock at Bandon Dunes | Visitor7 | CC BY-SA 3.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| The fourth hole, Pinehurst No. 2 (postcard) | State Archives of North Carolina | no known restrictions | Wikimedia Commons |
| Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, 18th green | N75746 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Bethpage Black warning sign | E S Lee | CC BY 2.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Streamsong Black, 5th hole | Baybay1901 | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |
| Chambers Bay, 14th hole | Rbirman | CC BY-SA 4.0 | Wikimedia Commons |