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These States Have the Best Golf Courses
By Ryan Adams, PGA
Published on
Whistling Straits is a top spot in one of the best states for golf, Wisconsin.
Golfers love a good debate. Best player ever. Best destination. Club you couldn't go without. The list goes on and on about the topics we love to discuss.
One of those on the list is most certainly this: Which state has the best golf courses? It's a slightly nuanced question; this isn't which state has the single best spot but, instead, a bounty of spots that makes it stand out as the best in the union.
So, we asked the online golf community:
Here's a brief primer on each state's top spots, along with the comments from golfers as to why these six states are the best.
South Carolina
No. 12 at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
Between Kiawah Island, Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach and even inland, South Carolina has quite an offering of variety. The Ocean Course, which will host the PGA Championship again in 2031, is the perennial top dog on most lists, and Kiawah Island has a host of other courses golfers can play before tackling Pete Dye's seaside gem. Alongside Kiawah, Harbour Town and Palmetto Dunes on Hilton Head Island are not far behind. In Myrtle, the Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and Tidewater are the highlights among a ton of resort options. Charleston and inland South Carolina also have their share of amazing spots, which makes the state a real powerhouse from border to border when it comes to golf.
Michigan
This might surprise readers given Michigan's northern location but when it's golf season in the Mitten State, the courses are hard to beat. There's a fantastic array of public golf across the state, especially northern Michigan, which stands strong during the long days of summer with options like the BOYNE family of courses, Arcadia Bluffs, Belvedere, Forest Dunes and Graywalls. There's also options like the University of Michigan Golf Course designed by Alister MacKenzie that's one of the top college & university layouts, and PGA Championship venue Oakland Hills near Detroit. Hear it from those who have been there:
"Michigan is pretty solid!!!"
— Michael Rey, on Facebook
"There's nothing like golf in northern Michigan"
— Jason Smith, on Facebook
"If I took the top 50 state by state, Michigan would be very strong."
— Rick Wiker, on Facebook
North Carolina
Yes, another state with the name Carolina has made the list, and for good reason. North Carolina is home to the revered Pinehurst Resort and its 10 courses, including the famous No. 2. And right down the street is equally good Sandhills golf in Mid-Pines, Pine Needles and Southern Pines. Not too far from that is the eclectic Tobacco Road and Dormie Club. A push towards the coast brings us to popular spots around Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte like Duke University Golf Club and 2025 PGA Championship venue Quail Hollow. But golfers seem to really love the Sandhills:
"North Carolina in general and the Pinehurst area specifically! Moderate temperatures here all year. Golf courses seldom close due to weather conditions!"
— Mary Joy, on Facebook
"North Carolina #Pinehurst"
— golferchick.28, on Instagram
"North Carolina. They got like 50 courses just in the Pinehurst area"
— Kyle Mahaffey, on Facebook
California
A lot of states have a wealth of variety when it comes to golf courses, but none may top that of California, which boasts an equal amount of Top 100 spots that border the ocean, use the rolling topography and are Golden Age gems. The easiest way to understand how the Golden Bear State is No. 2 on golfers' list is by taking a trip from north to south. Start with the Northern California classics around San Francisco down to the Monterey Peninsula where Pebble Beach and Cypress Point reign supreme. Keep going into SoCal and the variety just keeps expanding. Los Angeles mirrors San Francisco in Golden Age beauties like Rivieria and LACC, and San Diego has perhaps the best muni (our next state may have something to say) in the country with Torrey Pines.
Check it out what golfers had to say:
"Three top courses in CA-Pebble Beach, Riviera and Torrey Pines."
— Marilyn E. Jess, on Facebook
"California doesn't take a back-seat to anyone. Torrey Pines, Spyglass, Pebble, Cypress Point, Olympic, Bel-Air, to say nothing of the desert tracks."
— Greg Longphee, on Facebook
"California. No contest."
— kimballsounds on Instagram
New York
Bethpage Black warning sign.
The Empire State was tied with California as the second most popular answer by golfers and for good reason. Its golf has an old soul, as a lot of the oldest and most famous courses in the country, but they're not all private. The battle for best muni we were talking about in California's section with Torrey Pines? Yeah, Bethpage Black would like a word. It's an A.W. Tillinghast haymaker that's arguably the toughest course in the country but also stunning in scale and beauty. Did we mention its hosting the Ryder Cup? Bethpage only is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to golf. Long Island also has Shinnecock Hills, National Golf Links of America, Fishers Island and more. And then you go outside of New York City and there's iconic Winged Foot. Upstate has an equal share of goodness, with Oak Hill, which hosted the 2023 PGA Championship, the big favorite for top spot.
Take it from golfers:
"No brainer….New York."
— Robert Fraioli, on Facebook
"We do."
— New York State Golf Association, on Facebook
"NY, not close. Shinnecock, Winged Foot, National, Fishers Island, Bethpage, Oak Hill, Friar's Head, Sleepy Hollow among many more."
— Alexander Simpson, on Facebook
"NY without a doubt."
— krash, on X
"The metropolitan NY,NJ & Long Island is very hard to beat."
— dsten3, on Instagram
Wisconsin
The finishing hole at Sand Valley. (Brandon Carter)
We've made it to golfers' favorite state with the best golf courses: Wisconsin. Yes, Wisconsin, where it's cold and snowy half the year but where the plethora of golf available to play and quality of courses is like no other state. Resorts and destinations like Whistling Straits, Sand Valley, Erin Hills and SentryWorld lead the pack as favorites with their award-winning courses and amenities. Yet there's also hidden (or maybe not so much anymore) gems like Lac La Belle, Lawsonia and the old-school private tracks like Blue Mound and Milwaukee C.C. Wisconsin's golf scene has seriously taken off in the last decade, and golfers can see it firsthand:
"Wisconsin!!!!!!!! Without a doubt!"
— Johnny Kov, on X
"I gotta give the nod to Wisconsin here"
— Dennis, on X
"Wisconsin!!!! 🔥🔥🔥"
— Vibez Golf, on Instagram
