Author: John Gilrain

Top 75 Private Golf Clubs-U.S. 2024

Monterey Penninsula Country Club, Pebble Beach CA

The top private golf clubs in the U.S. feature classic designs by the preeminent course architects in golf, including Alister MacKenzie, C. B. McDonald and Seth Raynor, A. W. Tillinghast, William Flynn, Donald Ross and Colt & Alison.

Also among the Top 75 are modern masterpieces by Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Gil Hanse and Tom Doak—all destined to grow in stature with the passing of time.

In addition to his fantastic original designs at Ballyneal and Sebonack (with Jack Nicklaus), Tom Doak has restored and updated seven of the Top 75, including Chicago Golf Club (No. 21), Shoreacres (No. 34) and Milwaukee Country Club (No. 32).

Ohoopee Match Club: Gil Hanse Masterpiece

Gil Hanse was retained by eleven of the Top 75 clubs to assure that their classic courses continue to provide a major championship test of golf, including Winged Foot (No. 1), Merion (No. 7), The Los Angeles Country Club (No. 16), and Southern Hills (No. 17). In addition, his original design at the Ohoopee Match Club in Georgia has opened to rave reviews.

Twenty-eight states include at least one member of the Top 75, but New York (10), California (7) and Pennsylvania (7) boast the largest number. Georgia, Illinois and Massachusetts follow closely at 5 each, Ohio with 4, and New Jersey and Colorado with 3 each.

Maidstone Country Club, East Hampton NY

Listed by GolfDay Rating, details include the year a club was founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link for course description/photos, as well as current national rankings by Golf Digest. The Club website is also provided, as well as a link to Google Maps for each location. 

Merion Golf Club, Ardmore PA

While we’ve included the Top 75 below, you can also find a more comprehensive list with GolfDay Top 500 Private Clubs, or click “clubs near me” to find the best golf clubs in your area—with GolfDay rating and the distance from your location.

The GolfDay private club rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who provided the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, as well as club longevity and prestige. 

If you are looking for great public golf, or planning a vacation, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.  

Winged Foot Golf Club

1. Winged Foot Golf Club/Mamaroneck, NY

  • Founded: 1923
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses–East/West)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Dick Wilson/George Fazio/Tom Fazio/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

East:  73.6/140

West: 76.4/140

Augusta National Golf Club

2. Augusta National Golf Club/Augusta, GA

  • Founded: 1933
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Par 3)                       
  • Course Architects: Bobby Jones/Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./George Cobb/John LaFoy/George Fazio/Joe Finger/Byron Nelson/Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: Not Rated (Par 72/7,555 Yards)
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (2)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Pine Valley Golf Club (Golf Digest golfdigest.com)

3. Pine Valley Golf Club/ Clementon, NJ

  • Founded: 1918
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: George Crump/H. S. Colt/Hugh Wilson/Alan Wilson/William Flynn/Perry Maxwell/Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.6/155
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (1)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Cypress Point Club

4. Cypress Point Club/Pebble Beach, CA

  • Founded: 1928
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.1/141
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (3)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

5. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club/Southampton, NY

  • Founded: 1891
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Howard Toomey/William Mitchell
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.4/140
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (4)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Oak Hill Country Club

6. Oak Hill Country Club/Rochester, NY

  • Founded: 1901
  • Holes: 36 (2-18-Hole Championship Courses—East/West)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/John R. Williams/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./George Fazio/Tom Fazio/Craig Schreiner/Andrew Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

East:   77.3/153

West:  73.3/136

Merion Golf Club

7. Merion Golf Club/Ardmore, PA

  • Founded: 1896
  • Holes: 36 (18-Hole Championship Course-East and 18-Hole Regulation Course-West)
  • Course Architects: Hugh Wilson/William Flynn/Howard Toomey/Perry Maxwell/Dick Wilson/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

East:  75.1/151

West: 69.9/126 

Baltusrol

8. Baltusrol/Springfield, NJ

  • Founded: 1922
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses—Lower/Upper)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees jones/
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

Upper: 75.9/151

Lower: 76.2/145

Oakmont Country Club (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich)

9. Oakmont Country Club/Oakmont, PA

  • Founded: 1904
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Henry Fownes/William Fownes/Emil Loeffler/Arthur Jack Snyder/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay/Ferdinand Garbin/Arthur Hills/Tom Marzolf
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.4/141
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (5)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Monterey Peninsula Country Club

10. Monterey Peninsula Country Club/Pebble Beach, CA

  • Founded: 1925  
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses–Shore/Dunes)
  • Course Architects: Seth Raynor/Charles Banks/Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Robert E. Baldock/Jack Neville/Robert Bruce Harris/Mike Strantz/Rees Jones/Tom Fazio/Tim Jackson/David Kahn
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Shore:  73.7/134

Dunes: 74.6/140

National Golf Links of America

11. National Golf Links of America/Southampton, NY

  • Founded: 1908
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: C. B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor/Perry Maxwell/Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.9/140
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (7)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Seminole Golf Club

12. Seminole Golf Club/Juno Beach, FL

  • Founded: 1929
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Dick Wilson/Ed Connor/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.4/144
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (10)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Oakland Hills Country Club

13. Oakland Hills Country Club/Bloomfield Hills, MI

  • Founded: 1916
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses–South/North)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

South: 77.1/148

North: 74.5/145

The Olympic Club

14. The Olympic Club/San Francisco, CA

  • Founded: 1860
  • Holes: 45 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses-Lake/Ocean and 9-Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/Max Behr/Sam Whiting/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Jack Flemming/John Flemming/Robert Muir Graves/Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Lake:   76.2/143

Ocean:74.3/133

Fishers Island Club

15. Fishers Island Club/Fishers Island, NY

  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Seth Raynor/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.8/144
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (9)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
The Los Angeles Country Club

16. The Los Angeles Country Club/Los Angeles, CA

  • Founded: 1897
  • Holes: 36 (18 Hole Championship Course-North and 18 Hole Regulation Course-South)
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William Herbert Fowler/William P. Bell/Robert Muir Graves/John Harbottle III/Gil Hanse/Geoff Shackelford
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

North: 75.7/143

South: 71.1/129

Southern Hills Country Club

17. Southern Hills Country Club/Tulsa, OK

  • Founded: 1936 
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Regulation Course-West)
  • Course Architects: Perry Maxwell/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./George Fazio/Tom Fazio/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Championship: 78.2/142
  • West:                36.4/139
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (Championship-28)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
The Country Club

18. The Country Club/Chestnut Hill. MA

  • Founded: 1882
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship-Clyde/Squirrel and 9-Hole Regulation Course-Primrose)
  • Course Architects: Willie Campbell/Donald Ross/William Flynn/Geoffrey Cornish/Bill Robinson/Rees Jones/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

Clyde/Squirrel: 75.4/150

Primrose:          35.5/135

The Riviera Country Club

19. The Riviera Country Club/Pacific Palisades, CA

  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William P. Bell/Ted Robinson, Sr./Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Tom Fazio/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.3/144
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (18)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Maidstone Golf Club

20. Maidstone Golf Club/East Hampton, NY

  • Founded: 1891
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course–West and 9-Hole Course—East)
  • Course Architects: William H. Tucker, Sr./Willie Park, Jr./John A. Park/C. Wheaton Vaughan/Seth Raynor/Perry Maxwell/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

West: 74.0/140

East:  33.3/114 

Chicago Golf Club

21. Chicago Golf Club/Wheaton, IL

  • Founded: 1895
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: C. B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.4/141
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (13)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Crystal Downs Country Club

22. Crystal Downs Country Club/Frankfort, MI

  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9/143
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (14)
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Muirfield Village Golf Club

23. Muirfield Village Golf Club/Dublin, OH

  • Founded: 1974
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Desmond Muirfield
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.4/155
  • Memorial Tournament
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (17)
  • GolfDay Rating: 99.6
  • Location
Friar’s Head

24. Friar’s Head/Riverhead, NY

  • Founded: 2002
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/138
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (15)
  • GolfDay Rating: 99.4
  • Location
Medinah Country Club

25. Medinah Country Club/Medinah, IL

  • Founded: 1924
  • Holes: 54 (18-Hole Championship Course-#3 and 2-18 Hole Regulation Courses-#1 and # 2)
  • Course Architects: Tom Bendelow/Harry Collis/Larry Packard/Roger Packard/Dick Nugent/Ken Killian/Bob Lohmann/Tom Doak/Rees Jones/Mike Cocking/Geoff Ogilvy
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

#1: 73.3/136

#2: 70.6/126

#3: 78.3/152

Sand Hills Golf Club

26. Sand Hills Golf Club/Mullen, NE

  • Founded: 1994
  • Holes: 18 Hole Regulation Course
  • Course Architects: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: Not Rated (Par 71/7,089 Yards)
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (8)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.9
  • Location
Sleepy Hollow Country Club

27. Sleepy Hollow Country Club/Scarborough, NY

  • Founded: 1911
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course-Upper and 9-Hole Executive Course-Lower)
  • Course Architects: C. B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor/A. W. Tillinghast/Tom Winton/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees Jones/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

Upper: 74.6/141

Lower: 30.5/110

Cherry Hills Country Club

28. Cherry Hills Country Club/Cherry Hills Village, CO

  • Founded: 1922  
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Press Maxwell/Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5/145
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (68)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.4
  • Location
Sebonack Golf Club

29. Sebonack Golf Club/Southampton, NY

  • Founded: 2006
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.5/151
  • Photos
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (43)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.2           
  • Location
Congressional Country Club

30. Congressional Country Club/Bethesda, MD

  • Founded: 1924
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: Devereux Emmet/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Edmund Ault/Tom Clark/Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Blue: 78.0/140

Gold: 73.2/134

Inverness Club

31. Inverness Club/Toledo, OH

  • Founded: 1903
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/A. W. Tillinghast/Dick Wilson/Robert Bruce Harris/Arthur Hills/George Fazio/Tom Fazio/Andrew Green/Shawn Smith
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 78.4/151
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (58)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.1
  • Location
Milwaukee Country Club

32. Milwaukee Country Club/River Hills, WI

  • Founded: 1895
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0/132
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (86)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.0
  • Location
The Kittansett Club

33. The Kittansett Club/Marion, MA

  • Founded: 1923
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Frederick Hood/Stephen Kay/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0/144
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (89)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.0
  • Location
Shoreacres

34. Shoreacres/Lake Bluff, IL

  • Founded: 1919
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Seth Raynor/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9/140
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (55)
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.0
  • Location
San Francisco Golf Club

35. San Franciso Golf Club/San Francisco, CA

  • Founded: 1915
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/William P. Bell/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.6/133
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (33)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.9
  • Location
Philadelphia Cricket Club

36. Philadelphia Cricket Club/Flourtown, PA

  • Founded: 1854
  • Holes: 45 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses-Wissahickon/Militia Hill and 9-Hole course-St. Martins)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry/William H. Tucker, Sr./Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Wissahickon: 74.7/138

Militia Hill:     74.8/140

St. Martins:    33.2/119

Ballyneal Golf Club

37. Ballyneal Golf Club/Holyoke, CO

  • Founded: 2006
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: Not Rated (Par 72/7,127 Yards)
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (36)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.9
  • Location
Aronimink Golf Club

38. Aronimink Golf Club/Newtown Square, PA

  • Founded: 1896
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/A. W. Tillinghast/Dick Wilson/George Fazio/Tom Fazio/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5/138
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (95)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.9
  • Location
Prairie Dunes Country Club

39. Prairie Dunes Country Club/Hutchinson, KS

  • Founded: 1935
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Perry Maxwell/Press Maxwell/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Dave Axland/Phil Smith
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5/148
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 Courses (23)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
  • Location
Whispering Pines Golf Club

40. Whispering Pines Golf Club/Trinity, TX

  • Founded: 2000
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Par 3-Needler)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Chet Williams
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.0/150
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (51)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
  • Location
Peachtree Golf Club

41. Peachtree Golf Club/Atlanta, GA

  • Founded: 1948
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Bobby Jones/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Joe Finger/Bob Cupp
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.9/142
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 Courses (25)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
  • Location
The Honors Course

42. The Honors Course/Ooltewah, TN

  • Founded: 1983
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Pete Dye/P. B. Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 78.3/155
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (31)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.7
  • Location
Calusa Pines Golf Club

43. Calusa Pines Golf Club/Naples, FL

  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2/143
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (69)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.6
  • Location
Scioto Country Club

44. Scioto Country Club/Columbus, OH

  • Founded: 1916
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Marion Packard/Dick Wilson/Joe lee/Bob Cupp/Jack Nicklaus/Michael Hurdzan
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5/145        
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (60)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.6
  • Location
Garden City Golf Club

45. Garden City Golf Club/Garden City, NY

  • Founded: 1899
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Devereux Emmet/Walter Travis/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Tom Doak/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0/141
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (64)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.6
  • Location
Wade Hampton Golf Club

46. Wade Hampton Golf Club/Cashiers, NC

  • Founded: 1987
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/Tom Marzolf
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.7/146
  • Photos
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (32)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.4
  • Location
Newport Country Club

47. Newport Country Club/Newport, RI

  • Founded:  1893
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: William Davis/Donald Ross/A. W. Tillinghast/Orrin Smith/William Mitchell/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5/135
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (126)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.4
  • Location
Whisper Rock Golf Club

48. Whisper Rock Golf Club/Scottsdale, AZ

  • Founded: 2001  
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/Gary Stephenson/Phil Mickelson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Upper: 75.9/146

Lower: 75.6/149

The Alotian Club

49. The Alotian Club/Roland, AR

  • Founded: 2004
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.6/137
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (38)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.3
  • Location
California Golf Club of San Francisco

50. California Golf Club of San Francisco/South San Francisco, CA

  • Founded: 1918
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Vernon Macan/Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Kyle Phillips/George Waters
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/139
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (71)
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.0
  • Location
The Country Club of Birmingham

51. The Country Club of Birmingham/Birmingham, AL

  • Founded: 1898
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/George Cobb/John LaFoy/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Pete Dye/P. B. Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

West: 75.4/146

East:  73.1/132

Oak Tree National

52. Oak Tree National/Edmond, OK

  • Founded: 1975
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Tripp Davis
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 79.5/155
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (66)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.9           
  • Location
Olympia Fields Country Club

53. Olympia Fields Country Club/Olympia Fields, IL

  • Founded: 1915
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: Willie Park, Jr./Jack Daray/Larry Packard/Roger Packard/Mark Mungeam/Tom Bendelow/Steve Smyers/Andy Staples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

North: 76.6/150

South: 75.3/146 

Ohoopee Match Club

54. Ohoopee Match Club/Cobbtown, GA

  • Founded: 2018
  • Holes: 22 (18-Hole Championship Course with Additional holes for “Whisky” Routing)
  • Course Architects: Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: Not Rated by USGA (Par 72/7,396 Yards)
  • Photos
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (34)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.8
  • Location
Somerset Hills Country Club

55. Somerset Hills Country Club/Bernardsville, NJ

  • Founded: 1899
  • Holes: 18 Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Hal Purdy/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0/140
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (57)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.8           
  • Location
East Lake Golf Club

56. East Lake Golf Club/Atlanta, GA

  • Founded: 1904  
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Tom Bendelow/Donald Ross/George Cobb/Rees Jones/Andrew Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.2/144
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (150)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.8
  • Location
Baltimore Country Club

57. Baltimore Country Club/Lutherville, MD

  • Founded: 1898
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Edmund Ault/Bob Cupp/Tom Kite/Keith Foster
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

East:    75.1/141

West:   73.2/132

Whitemarsh Valley Country Club

58. Whitemarsh Valley Country Club/Lafayette Hill, PA

  • Founded: 1908  
  • Holes: 27 (18-Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Regulation Course-High 9)
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William Flynn/Donald Ross/Tom Clark/Dan Schlegel/Andrew Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

Championship: 74.0/140

High Nine:        37.2/143

The International Club

59. The International Club/Bolton, MA

  • Founded: 1901  
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Championship Courses-Pines/Oaks)
  • Course Architects: Geoffrey Cornish/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Brian Silva/Tom Fazio/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Tripp Davis
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Pines: 81.7/155

Oaks: 74.4/142

The Concession Golf Club

60. The Concession Golf Club/Bradenton, FL

  • Founded: 2006
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen Hole Championship Course and 9-Hole Par 3-The Gimme)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Tony Jacklin
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.7/153
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (133)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.7
  • Location
Atlanta Athletic Club

61. Atlanta Athletic Club/Johns Creek, GA

  • Founded: 1967
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses-Highlands/Riverside)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees Jones/Tripp Davis
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Highlands: 77.4/152

Riverside:  74.9/141

Congaree Golf Club

62. Congaree Golf Club/Ridgeland, SC

  • Founded: 2017
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (42)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.6
  • Location
Castle Pines Golf Club

63. Castle Pines Golf Club/Castle Rock, CO

  • Founded: 1981
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Jay Morrish/Jim Lipe
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 78.1/148
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (46)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.6
  • Location
Rolling Green Golf Club

64. Rolling Green Golf Club/Springfield, PA

  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Howard Toomey/Ron Forse/Keith Rhebb/Riley Johns
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.1/144 
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest PA Top 40 (19)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.6
  • Location
Philadelphia Country Club

65. Philadelphia Country Club/Gladwyne, PA

  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes: 27 (3-9 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Howard Toomey/Perry Maxwell/Tom Fazio/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

Spring:         37.0/143

Mill:             37.7/146

Centennial:  34.8/126

Myopia Hunt Club

66. Myopia Hunt Club/South Hamilton, MA

  • Founded: 1894
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Herbert Leeds/Geoffrey Cornish/Philip Wogan/Brian Silva/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.7/138
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (50)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.6
  • Location
St. Louis Country Club

67. St. Louis Country Club/St. Louis, MO

  • Founded: 1892
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: C. B. Macdonald/Seth Raynor/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Brian Silva
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.7/137
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (128)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.5
  • Location
Huntingdon Valley Country Club

68. Huntingdon Valley Country Club/Huntingdon Valley, PA

  • Founded: 1897
  • Holes: 27 (3-9 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: William Flynn/Howard Toomey/Andrew Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Toomey:     37.2/139

Flynn:         37.7/137 

Centennial: 38.1/139

Camargo Club

69. Camargo Club/Cincinnati, OH

  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Seth Raynor/Robert von Hagge/Jack Kidwell/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.6/130
  • Seth Raynor
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (47)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.4
  • Location
Bob O’Link Golf Club

70. Bob O’Link Golf Club/Highland Park, IL

  • Founded: 1916
  • Holes: 18 -Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Larry Packard/Dick Nugent/Ken Killian/Rick Jacobson/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.3/139
  • Rankings: Golf Digest IL Top 30 (17)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.4
  • Location
Old Town Club

71. Old Town Club/Winston-Salem, NC

  • Founded: 1939
  • Holes: 18        
  • Course Architects: Perry Maxwell/Bob Cupp/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.4/138
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (54)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.4
  • Location
Kiawah Island Club

72. Kiawah Island Club/Kiawah Island, SC

  • Founded: 2000  
  • Holes: 36 (2-18 Hole Championship Courses)
  • Course Architects: Tom Watson/Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 

River:        76.1/155

Cassique:   75/154

Interlachen Country Club

73. Interlachen Country Club/Edina, MN

  • Founded: 1909
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/Willie Kidd/Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Donald Herfort/Gerald Pirkl/Donald Brauer/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2/137
  • History
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (84)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.3
  • Location
Old Sandwich Golf Club

74. Old Sandwich Golf Club/Plymouth, MA

  • Founded: 2005
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.7/146
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 100 (63)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.3
  • Location
Mountain Lake Country Club

75. Mountain Lake Country Club/Lake Wales, FL

  • Founded: 1915
  • Holes: 18-Hole Championship Course
  • Course Architects: Seth Raynor/William Diddel/Ron Prichard/Tyler Rae
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.1/136
  • Description
  • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 200 (193)
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.3
  • Location
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GolfDay Top 500 Private Clubs

January 2025

Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, NY

Top 500 Private Clubs

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LIV Golf: 2024 Power Rankings through Nashville

While all eyes have been on Jon Rham since he joined LIV for the 2024 season, Joaquin Niemann quietly remains atop the LIV Power Rankings through the first nine events. And although Rahm has finished among the top 10 in every LIV event he’s played, Bryson DeChambeau has bulled past him into the No. 2 slot with his powerhouse performance at the U.S. Open.

Not only has DeChambeau moved to the top of the LIV Power Rankings, his fantastic play at the 2024 major championships (U.S. Open win, runner-up at the PGA Championship and Masters T6), has also moved Bryson onto the list of the All-Time Top 100 Players.

Bryson (No. 90) joins a long list of LIV players already residing among the Top 100, starting with Phil at No. 9 and DJ at No. 29, Sergio (32), Lee Westwood (34), Rham (52), Koepka (57), Paul Casey and Hendrick Stenson (T64), Louis Oosthuizen (85), Charl Schwartzel (90), Bubba Watson (T99) and Cameron Smith (T99)

Should DeChambeau keep it rolling and win The Open Championship, he would vault all the way into the All-Time Top 75.

And if Jon Rahm were to kick it up a notch and win The Open, he would move into the All-Time Top 50.

Joaquin Niemann: Hanging in at #1

Young Joaquin Niemann will need to marshal all of his talent to keep the big guys at bay—and keep in mind that Brooks Koepka is also due for a big performance at a major.

One thing is for sure, the race is heating up and the next few weeks will be about as exciting as it can get.

LIV Power Ranking Update

Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships. There is one LIV event coming up before The Open Championship—Andalucia at The Real Club Valderrama (July 12-14).

Top 5

No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 83.0 Rating

Niemann has won two LIV events in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded 5-Top 10’s with an average finish of 10.0, second only to Jon Rahm.

Coming off a solid T3 at The Grove in Nashville, Joaquin will need to keep it going at Valderrama and have a good showing at Royal Troon if he hopes to hold off Rahm and a hard charging DeChambeau. 

No. 2 Bryson DeChambeau: 81.1 Rating

Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after a strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), finishing at No. 10 on the LIV Power rankings.

In 2024 DeChambeau has ramped it up further, mashing the pedal to the floor with a win at the U.S. Open, runner up at the PGA and a T6 at The Masters—not to mention 5 LIV top 10’s.

It’ll be a wild ride watching Bryson bomb it off the tee at Royal Troon.

No. 3 Jon Rahm: 78.5 Rating 

Jon Rahm: 8 top-10’s

Rahm has still not notched an LIV win, but he’s recorded a top 10 in all eight events he’s played. His amazing 5.5 average finish leads the league by a wide margin, but that first win has somehow eluded him—perhaps some home court vibes at Valderrama will push him over the top (and get him revved up for The Open as well).

No. 4 Tyrell Hatton: 73.1 Rating

Hatton wins in Nashville

Hatton recorded his first LIV win at Nashville last week, dominating the field at 19 under and a six-shot margin over runner-up Sam Horsfield. Tyrell has also posted 3-Top-10’s in the ’24 campaign and added a strong showing at The Masters (T9).

At 32 years old, Hatton is in the prime of his career—and he’s been knocking on the door at The Open for a while now (2016–T5, 2019–T6, 2022–T11 and a T20 in 2023). Tyrell was born and still resides in Buckinghamshire, England, so The Open Championship is a prize he would dearly love to take. His game is very sharp right now, so look for Hatton among the leaders on the weekend at Troon this year.

No. 5 Dean Burmester: 66.0 Rating

T12 at PGA Championship

Dean got off to a fast start in the ’24 season with a T3 at Mayakoba, a T8 in Hong Kong, a win in Miami at Trump National Doral and another T3 at Adelade.

Following a solid tournament in Singapore (T14) and a terrific performance at The PGA with all four rounds under par and a T12 finish, Burmester was pretty mediocre in Houston and Nashville (T18 and T 25).

He still holds the 5th highest average finish in the league at 14.0, but Dean will need to step it up at Valderrama and The Open if he hopes to stay in touch with the leaders.

Notables

Brooks Koepka (No. 6/62.9 Rating)

4 T10’s at The Open

Brooks was showing signs of life before his dismal performance in Nashville (42) with a win in Singapore and 2-Top 10’s (Adelade and Houston). And although he hasn’t recorded a major Top 10 in 2024, he’s not been very far off (a poor third round knocked him out at the PGA and a tough second round cost him at the U.S. Open).

Koepka’s trademark at major’s has been his consistency and resilience—so three consecutive mediocre major championship finishes is a surprise.  

In his last 7 starts at The Open, Brooks recorded 4 Top 10 finishes (2015–T10, 2017–T6, 2019–T4, and a T6 in 2021).

Looks like Brooks is due.

Cameron Smith (No. 7/62.6 Rating)

Cam recorded his second runner-up of the year in Singapore after a T6 at The Masters, and had a strong finish in Nashville last week (T9). When Smith has a putter in his hands, anything can happen—and if the short stick heats up as it did in 2022, there’s a good chance he’ll be raising the Claret Jug again in July.

Carlos Ortiz (No. 9/58.8 Rating)

First win in Houston

After a slow start to the 2024 LIV season, Carlos posted a T4 in Hong Kong in April and climbed into the Top 10 with his first LIV win 3 weeks ago at the Golf Club of Houston and continued his strong pay with a T9 in Nashville.  

Phil (No. 43/30.1 Rating 

Lefty Shades

Phil hasn’t made the cut at The Open Championship since 2018, and it’s been over ten years since he fired that brilliant 66 in the final round at Muirfield to come from 5 back and win the 2013 Championship.

Mickelson has done nothing in the LIV events this year other than a T6 at Jeddah back in March, and he missed the cut at both the PGA and the U.S. Open. 

His last two starts at Houston (T37) and Nashville (T40) were disappointing to say the least, but as George Patton would say that is exactly why you should expect Phil to mount a major offensive at Troon a couple of weeks from now.

On the other hand, Phil may finally have run out of hat rabbits—but it’s always fun to watch him tee it up again a major championship.

Real Club Valderrama, Spain

2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Andacucia: Real Club Valderrama, Spain (July 12-14)

United Kingdom: JCB Golf and Country Club (July26-28)

Greenbrier: Old White-Greenbrier (August 16-18)

Chicago: Bolingbrook Golf Club (September 13-15)

Team Championship Dallas: Maridoe Golf Club (September 20-22)

Does watching Bryson have the golf juices flowing?

Find a great course with the GolfDay Search Engine.

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GolfDay Top 250 Golf Resorts

January 2025

Bandon Dunes Golf Course, OR

Top 250 Golf Resorts

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Myrtle Beach: Best of 2024

Barefoot Resort: Pete Dye Course

The summer is starting to roll, and it’s time to think about planning a golf trip. Myrtle Beach is the #1 golf destination in the U.S., offering more than eighty courses–along with great food, terrific nightlife, and gorgeous beaches for when you’re not on the course.

Many of the great modern architects are on display among the wide variety of courses in the Myrtle Beach area, including Tom Fazio (Barefoot Resort and TPC Myrtle Beach), Pete Dye (Barefoot and Prestwick), Rees Jones (Arcadian Shores), Tom Doak (Legends Resort) and Jack Nicklaus (Pawleys Plantation and Long Bay).

The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, perennially among the Golf Digest Top 100 public courses, was originally designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in 1948, with Rees Jones providing updates and renovations in 2003, 2013 and 2018.

And then there are the two masterpieces left to us by Mike Strantz at Caledonia and True Blue. We’ve included the Top 5 Golf Resorts and the Top 30 Public Courses in the Myrtle Beach area on the basis of GolfDay Rating, but a complete list of MB public courses is also available by visiting the GolfDay Course Search Page.

If you are looking for deals and packages, check out the Myrtle Beach Golf Trail and Hammock Coast Golf Trail.

The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest and Golfweek, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.

The resort rating also includes a factor for the variety of courses located at the property as well as the quality of accommodations and level of service.

If you have yet to mark Myrtle Beach from your bucket list, now is the time. And even if you’ve made the trip many times before, MB never disappoints—so start getting a plan in motion.

Myrtle Beach Course Map

Resorts (Top 5)

Barefoot Resort

1. Barefoot Resort & Golf/North Myrtle Beach, SC

  • Holes: 72 (4 Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Greg Norman/Tad Burnett/Davis Love III/Tom Fazio/Pete Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Norman:         74.2 Rating/141 Slope
  • Love:                74.9 Rating/141 Slope
  • Fazio:               73.4 Rating/144 Slope
  • Dye:                  76.0 Rating/143 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Lighted and Covered Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Dyer and Greg Norman Golf Academies.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Golf Academy
  • Accommodations
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 100.0
  • Location
Legends Resort

2. Legends Resort/Myrtle Beach, SC

  • Holes: 54 (3 Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Tom Doak/P.B. Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Parkland:        74.3 Rating/144 Slope
  • Moorland:       73.6 Rating/143 Slope
  • Heathland:     73.3 Rating/143 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Golf Academy
  • Accommodations
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.8
  • Location
Grande Dunes Resort Club

3. Grande Dunes Resort Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

     Marina Inn

Sea Trail Golf Club

4. Sea Trail Golf Club/Sunset Beach, NC

      Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

  • Holes: 54 (3 Eighteen Cole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Francis Duane/Arnold Palmer/Victoria Martz
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Jones:            73.2 Rating/138 Slope
  • Maples:          72.0 Rating/138 Slope
  • Byrd:               72.6 Rating/129 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 88.9
  • Location
Wachesaw East

5. Wachesaw East/Myrtle Beach, SC

    Myrtle Beach Golf Trail/Hammock Coast Golf Trail

Public Courses (Top 30)

The Dunes

1. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

Prestwick CC

2. Prestwick Country Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club

3. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club/Pawleys Island, SC

Hammock Coast Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Mike Strantz/Tyler Rae
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.4/144
  • Practice Facilities: Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Full Grass Driving Range available at True Blue Course. Range Balls included with Greens Fee).
  • Photos
  • Golf Academy
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.5
  • Location
True Blue

4. True Blue Golf Club/Pawleys Island, SC

Hammock Coast Golf Trail

Pawleys Plantation

5. Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club/Pawleys Island, SC

Hammock Coast Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Rick Jacobson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2/150
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets (Mats Monday-Wednesday/Grass Thursday-Sunday), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.3
  • Location
Wild Wing

6. Wild Wing Golf Course/Conway, SC

    Founders Group International

  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen Hole Regulation Course and Nine Hole Executive Course)
  • Course Architects: William Byrd/Jeffrey Brauer/Larry Nelson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.8/135
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Photos
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.2
  • Location
Tidewater Golf Club

7. Tidewater Golf Club/North Myrtle Beach, SC

       Kemper Sports

River Hills Golf & Country Club

8. River Hills Golf & Country Club/Little River, SC

       Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Jackson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.2 Rating/147 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.9
  • Location
The Pearl

9. The Pearl Golf Links/Calabash, NC

Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Dan Maples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • East:           36.2 Rating/135 Slope
  • West:          37.0 Rating/141 Slope
  • North         35.9 Rating/127 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.3
  • Location
Thistle Golf Club

10. Thistle Golf Club/Sunset Beach, NC

Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses)
  • Course Architect: Tim Cate
  • USGA Course/Slope Ratings
  • Cameron:   37.0/142
  • MacKay:      37.4/140
  • Stewart:      36.6/140
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions/Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.9
  • Location
TPC Myrtle Beach

11. TPC Myrtle Beach/Myrtle Beach, SC

Hammock Coast Golf Trail/Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/146 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Dustin Johnson Golf School.
  • Course Description
  • Golf Academy
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.7
  • Location
Arcadian Shores

12. Arcadian Shores Golf Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/138 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.5
  • Location
Brunswick Golf Club

13. Brunswick Golf Club/Calabash, NC

       Heritage Golf Group

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Willard Byrd/Clyde Johnston
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Magnolia:       36.4 Rating/133 Slope
  • Dogwood:      36.8 Rating/137 Slope
  • Azalea:            36.7 Rating/131 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions/Video Tour
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.3
  • Location
Tradition Golf Club

14. Tradition Golf Club/Pawleys Island, SC

       Hammock Coast Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Ron Garl
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5 Rating/147 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers.
  • Photos
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.8
  • Location
Pine Lakes Country Club

15. Pine Lakes Country Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

       Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Robert White/Craig Schreiner/Rick Robbins
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.5 Rating/135 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Putting and Chipping Greens (Myrtlewood Driving Range is available for Warm-up–2 miles away).
  • Photos/Video Tour
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.1
  • Location
Sandpiper Bay

16. Sandpiper Bay Golf & Country Club/Sunset Beach, NC

Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses)
  • Course Architect: Dan Maples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Sand:     35.1 Rating/128 Slope
  • Piper:    36.1 Rating/125 Slope
  • Bay:       36.5 Rating/141 Slope           
  • Practice Facilities: Three Level Grass Driving Range with Target, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.0
  • Location
Heritage Club

17. Heritage Club/Pawleys Island, SC

      Hammock Coast Golf Trail/Legends Golf

Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links

18. Glen Dornoch Waterway Golf Links/Little River, SC

       Myrtle Beach Golf Trail/The Glens Golf Group

Man O’ War Golf Club

19. Man O’ War Golf Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

       Mystical Golf/DG Golf Management

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Dan Maples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.2 Rating/141 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Bunker, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Photos
  • Video Tour
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.1
  • Location
World Tour Golf Links

20. World Tour Golf Links/Myrtle Beach, SC

      Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Mel Graham/Craig Schreiner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.8 Rating/132 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • Photos
  • Video Tour
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
  • Location
Lockwood Folly Country Club

21. Lockwood Folly Country Club/Holden Beach, NC

       Myrtle Beach Golf Trail

Long Bay

22. Long Bay Club/Longs, SC

       Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Craig Schreiner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.4 Rating/146
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.5
  • Location
River Club

23. River Club/Pawleys Island, SC

       Hammock Coast Golf Trail/Founders Club International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Jackson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.5 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Warm Up Bays with Net, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • Golf Packages
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
  • Location
Oak Island Golf Club

24. Oak Island Golf Club/Caswell Beach, NC

Eagle Nest Golf Club

25. Eagle Nest Golf Club/Little River, SC

Myrtlewood Golf Club

26. Myrtlewood Golf Club/Myrtle Beach, SC

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Edmund Ault/Tom Clark/Arthur Hills
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Palmetto:    73.6 Rating/137 Slope
  • Pinehills:     72.1 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.5
  • Location
Founders Club at Pawleys Island

27. Founders Club at Pawleys Island/Pawleys Island, SC

       Hammock Coast Golf Trail/Founders Group International

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Gene Hamm/Thomas Walker
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.5 Rating/148 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Warm Up Bays with Net, Expansive Putting and Chipping Green with Bunkers.
  • Course Description
  • Specials
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.2
  • Location
Carolina National

28. Carolina National Golf Club/Bolivia, NC

      GeartLife Golf

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Gene Bates/Fred Couples/Kipp Schulties
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
  • Egret:          37.6 Rating/145 Slope
  • Heron:        37.6 Rating/147 Slope
  • North          37.0 Rating/144 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Bunker, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.1
  • Location
Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club

29. Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club/Conway, SC

       Myrtle Beach Golf Trail/The Glens Group

Blackmoor Golf Club

30. Blackmoor Golf Club/Murrells Inlet, SC

       Myrtle Beach Golf Trail/Hammock Coast Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Gary Player
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.0 Rating/133 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Green with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • Layout
  • GolfDay Rating: 88.7
  • Location
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Top 20 Public Courses-Georgia 2024

Sea Island Resort: Home of the RSM Classic

Golfers all over the world are intimately familiar with The Masters and the beauty of Augusta National Golf Club, but Georgia is also home to some of the finest golf resorts and public courses you will find anywhere in the USA.

From Savannah and St. Simons Island along the Atlantic coast, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north, Georgia’s geography, natural beauty, and climate combine to create the perfect golfer’s paradise.

For an unforgettable golf get-away, Reynolds Lake Oconee (located about midway between Atlanta and Augusta), offers 99 incredible holes with designs by Jack Nicklaus (Great Waters), Tom Fazio (The National), Rees Jones (Oconee) and Bob Cupp (The Landing and Preserve).

If you are looking for the perfect combination of golf and beach, Sea Island has everything you can ask for. Davis Love III, along with brother Mark, have renovated and restored classic original designs by Colt & Alison, Walter Travis and Robert Trent Jones, Sr. to create two fantastic courses (Plantation and Retreat), and Tom Fazo added icing to the cake with his wonderful Seaside 18-hole layout (home to the PGA Tour RSM Classic held each year in November).

Top Georgia public venues also include a Donald Ross design (No. 4–Forest Hills), the University of Georgia Golf Course (No. 3, an RTJ original with Davis Love renovations) as well as Echelon (No. 5) and McLemore (No. 6)—two terrific Rees Jones layouts.

And when it comes time to start planning your next golf road trip, take a good look at the 23 great tracks along the Georgia Golf Trail.

The GolfDay Rating is based on a variety of criteria, including the stature of the architect(s) who did the original design(s), updates that have been done on the course(s), USGA Course and Slope Ratings, the quality and diversity of practice facilities, general course conditioning and current reviews.

Select Top 20 Georgia Public Courses for a map view of locations (click a flag for course name and details).

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Reynolds Lake Oconee

1. Reynolds Lake Oconee/Greensboro

     Ritz-Carlton/Georgia Golf Trail    

  • Holes: 99 (4 Eighteen Hole Courses (Great Waters/Oconee/Landing/Preserve) and Twenty-seven Hole Course-National)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Tom Fazio/Rees Jones/Bob Cupp/Fuzzy Zoeller/Hubert Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Great Waters:         75.7/143

Oconee:                    75.2/141

Landing:                   74.5/138

Preserve:                  72.2/133

National:

Bluff    37.0/143

Cove  37.4/143

Ridge 37.2/143

Sea Island Resort

2. Sea Island Resort/Sea Island

    Georgia Golf Trail  

  • Holes: 54 (3 Eighteen Hole Courses: Plantation/Seaside/Retreat)
  • Course Architects: Walter Travis/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Dick Wilson/Joe Lee/Rocky Roquemore/Tom Fazio/Davis Love III/Mark Love/Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Plantation:  74.0/129

Seaside:       73.8/138

Retreat:        73.9/133

University of Georgia Golf Course

3. University of Georgia Golf Course/Athens

     University of Georgia

Forest Hills Golf Club

4. Forest Hills Golf Club/Augusta

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay/Harrison Minchew
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6/141
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Fairway Bunker, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.5
  • Location
Echelon Golf Club

5. Echelon Golf Club/Alpharetta

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Rees Jones/Steve Weisser
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.2/149
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2). Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Resort Rating: 95.8
  • Location
McLemore

6. McLemore/Rising Fawn

     Scenic Land Company

Crosswinds Golf Club

7. Crosswinds Golf Club/Savannah

Cherokee Run Golf Club

8. Cherokee Run Golf Club/Conyers

     City of Conyers

Sky Valley Country Club

9. Sky Valley Country Club/Sky Valley

    Georgia Golf Trail

Kinderlou Forest Golf Club

10. Kinderlou Forest Golf Club/Valdosta

Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course

11. Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course/Elberton

     Richard B. Russell State Park/Georgia Golf Trail

Woodmont Golf & Country Club

12. Woodmont Golf & Country Club/Canton     

Achasta Golf Course

13. Achasta Golf Course/Dahlonega

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2/141
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.4
  • Location
Chattahoochee Golf Club

14. Chattahoochee Golf Club/Gainesville

       City of Gainesville

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Denis Griffiths/Kevin Hargrave/Bill Bergin
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0/131
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.3
  • Location
Harbor Club

15. Harbor Club/Greensboro

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2/138
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.8
  • Location
The Club at Osprey Cove

16. The Club at Osprey Cove/St. Marys

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Mark McCumber/Michael Beebe
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.7/134
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Old Toccoa Farm

17. Old Toccoa Farm/Mineral Bluff

Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa

18. Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa/Young Harris

       Georgia Golf Trail

King & Prince Golf Course

19. King & Prince Golf Course/St. Simons Island

Ashton Hills Golf Club

20. Ashton Hills Golf Club/Covington

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2024 PGA Championship: Showdown at Valhalla

Scottie Scheffler: Amazing 2024 Season
 

Seem’s like we were just watching Scottie Scheffler slip the green jacket over his shoulders, and suddenly the PGA Championship is upon us. The eve of a major championship is always alive with anticipation and excitement, but the ‘24 PGA has the protentional for all-time greatness.

This may be the most highly talented field ever assembled for a golf championship, when you consider Tiger’s 15 majors, Phil with 6, Brooks Koepka at 5, Rory at 4, and Jordan Spieth with 3—a total of 33 major championships between them.

For perspective, the 1963 PGA Championship included Ben Hogan with 9 majors, Sam Snead and Arnie with 7 each, while Gary Player had won 3 majors at that point and Jack 2 (the ’63 PGA was Jack’s third major)—28 total majors.

In addition, the 2024 PGA includes future Hall of Famers Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler–each with 2 major championships.

Tiger and Phil (21 Majors Between Them)

And although the odds are pretty long that Tiger or Phil will be among the leaders on Sunday, it won’t be for lack of will—and watching them battle once again to turn back the hands of time will make for memorable viewing (and hopefully they will both be teeing it up on the weekend).

The big show without doubt, however, will be Scottie Scheffler–and if anybody can take him down.

Scottie’s Run

With victories at The Masters and The Players, and 9 Top-10’s without missing a cut in his first 10 starts, Scheffler is off to the hottest start on the PGA Tour since 1960 (including Tiger in 2000 and Jack in 1963).

On top of that, Scottie’s momentum has reached a crescendo coming into the PGA, with 4 wins and a runner-up in his last 5 starts. Keep in mind as well that this wave has been gathering strength for quite a while, with 26 Top-10’s in his last 33 starts going back to last year (and with no missed cuts)—so anybody who steps up to take him on better be ready to absorb some heavy blows.

Brooks Koepka: Looking for Sixth Major

The Top Contenders

  • Koepka: Defending champion Brooks Koepka is coming off a Top-10 and a win in his last two LIV events, and looks like he is primed and ready in pursuit of his sixth major. Koepka lives for major championships, so don’t expect him to take a dive.
  • McIlroy: It’s been ten years since Rory won his last major championship, but it was The PGA and it was at Valhalla. And although Rory was the invisible man in his first 8 starts of 2024, he’s posted a win in each of his last 2 (including a heavyweight performance at Quail Hollow last week). If McIlroy is making a few putts, even Scheffler will need his best to hold him off.
Rory: Back to Back at Valhalla?
  • Rahm: Jon Rahm put up the highest career cut and Top-10 percentages on the PGA Tour outside of Tiger and Jack, and has finished in the top ten of every LIV event he’s played. At 29 years old, Rahm is just now coming into his prime—look for him to rebound from the lackluster Masters performance and put some heat on Scheffler as he goes for major number 3.

  • Schauffele: Xander is having a heck of a 2024 season with 8 Top-10’s in 12 starts, and he hasn’t missed a cut in two years—but somehow that first major championship has eluded him. Always a great ball striker, Schauffele has made vast improvement from the tee (currently 6th in Total Driving) and stands at No. 2 behind Scheffler in scoring average. It’s just a matter of time before he breaks through at a major, and remember that Phil didn’t win his first until he was 33.
Ludvig Aberg: PGA Tour Phenom

Notables

Twenty-four-year-old Ludwig Aberg is going to be a major force on the PGA Tour for another decade and more, currently standing at No. 3 on the Tour Power Rankings with 5 Top-10’s in 10 starts, including a runner-up at The Masters. He bombs it from the tee and sticks his irons like Miller, but the putter has been holding him back—if the short stick heats up look for Ludwig toward the top of the leaderboard late on Sunday.

Joaquin Niemann is the young star on the LIV circuit, and he’ll be flying under the radar with Koepka and Rahm grabbing most of the attention—but he has 2 wins and leads the LIV Power Rankings by a pretty wide margin. Niemann has major championship ability and a golf swing that’s easy on the eyes—watch for him this weekend.

Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville KY

Valhalla Golf Club

A Jack Nicklaus masterpiece, Valhalla will present a stiff test for the PGA Championship with a USGA Course Rating of 77.5 and a Slope of 154. 2024 will be the fourth time that Valhalla has hosted the PGA (1996, 2000, 2014). 

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LIV Golf: 2024 Power Rankings and PGA Preview

There will be sixteen LIV players teeing it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship next week, led by the reigning champion—Brooks Koepka.

If Koepka can go back-to-back at the PGA, it will be his sixth major championship, matching Lee Trevino, Nick Faldo and Phil. His chances looked a bit dim only a few weeks ago after the no-show at Augusta and mediocre start to the ’24 LIV season, but then Brooks notched a T9 down under at Adelaide and a 2-shot win over Cam Smith in Singapore.

Koepka is plenty long, and he can hit an iron with anybody, but what separates him from the field at major championships is the putter from 10 feet and in, where steel nerve under stifling pressure is a requirement. Brooks wasn’t making many putts at Augusta, but the short stick started heating up in Singapore—so it’s a pretty good bet he won’t relinquish his title without a fight next week.

Getting off the canvas

Rahm v Scheffler II

A 74 in the first round at Augusta led to an early K/O for Rahm when Scheffler came out smoking with a 66, sending him to the canvas—and he never got up.   

Don’t look for that to happen again. In the seven LIV events Rahm has played this year, he’s recorded four Top 5’s and 3 Top 10’s. Before moving to LIV, Jon notched 9 PGA Tour wins along with his 2 major championships (’21 U.S. Open and ’23 Masters).

Rahm’s cut percentage (90.2) and Top 10 percentage (50.2) is second only to Tiger (90.4/54.3) among active players, and his next major Top 10 will move him into the Top 50 players of all-time—and he’s still only 28 years old.

In addition to his two wins, Rahm’s major championship record includes a runner-up, 5 Top-5’s and 4 Top-10’s. And like Koepka, Jon saves his best for the toughest tracks and the biggest stage—so this time he’ll come out swinging for sure.

Neimann Looks to break through

Cam Smith, Bryson DeChambeau and Joaquin Niemann

While Cam will look to deliver magic with the wand, Bryson will be launching bombs into the stratosphere. If Smith drives it in the fairway, the short stick will keep him among the leaders—and then anything can happen (as it did at the ’22 Open Championship).

DeChambeau had the driver under control at Augusta, but his putter let him down—and unfortunately following up with a T26 and a T27 could not have done much for his confidence. Still, with all that power you can’t count Bryson out.

Joaquin Niemann has been showcasing his talent at every LIV event this year, and its high time he stands up to take his place among the elite players in the world. With the way he hits it tee to green, you have to believe he’ll break through soon—but will Valhalla be his first?

Valhalla: 2024 PGA Championship

PGA Championship Field

  • Brooks Koepka
  • Jon Rahm
  • Cameron Smith
  • Joaquin Niemann
  • Bryson DeChambeau
  • Dustin Johnson
  • Tyrell Hatton
  • Phil Mickelson
  • Patrick Reed
  • Talor Gooch
  • Dean Burmester
  • Adrian Meronk
  • David Puig
  • Lucas Herbert
  • Martin Kaymer
  • Andy Ogletree

LIV Power Ranking Update

Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner ups, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships (LIV Player Rankings).

Joaquin Niemann continues to hold the top spot in the Power rankings with a pair of wins, 2 Top-5’s and 2 Top-10’s. Jon Rahm is close behind with 4 Top-5’s and 3 Top-10’s.  

Major championship performance moves the needle in a big way, and Rahm would jump to the top with a win at Valhalla–unless Niemann records a Top 10.

Top 5

No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 80.1 Rating

Niemann added a couple more Top 10’s with a T3 at Adelaide and a T7 in Singapore, and also improved his average finish to 7.9, edging closer to Rahm’s league lead of 5.9—and well ahead of the rest of the field.

No. 2 Jon Rahm: 74.1 Rating 

Although remaining winless, Rahm keeps churning out the Top 10’s, adding a T3 and a T10 while continuing to lead the league in average finish at 5.9—so you have to believe that first LIV win is right around the corner.  

No. 3 Dean Burmester: 65.1 Rating Burmester maintained his No. 3 position with a T3 and a T14, and also punched his ticket to the PGA Championship.

Abraham Ancer: Moves into The Top 5

No. 4 Abraham Ancer: 62.1 Rating

Since his win in Hong Kong, Ancer has posted 3 consecutive Top 10’s (T9’s at Miami and Adelaide with a T10 in Singapore), while improving his Average Finish to 12.9. Abraham will also be among the LIV contingent looking to make some noise this week.   

No. 5 Tyrell Hatton: 61.7 Rating Tyrell held his position among the Top 5 with a T14 and a T5 following the solid performance at The Masters.  Hatton is loaded with talent, so don’t be stunned if he’s hanging around the leaderboard again at Valhalla.

Dustin: Looks to get back on track

Notables

Cameron Smith (No. 6/61.3 Rating)

After a solid showing at The Masters, Smith posted a T14 at Adelaide and a runner up to Koepka in Singapore—and as long as that putter doesn’t break, expect to see him lurking on the leaderboard come Sunday next week.

Brooks Koepka (No. 8/59.0 Rating)

With a T9 and a win in Singapore (his fourth since joining LIV), Brooks jumped from the middle of the pack to the Top 10—and he’s tuned and ready to defend at Valhalla.

Dustin Johnson (No. 10/57.4) Johnson started the season right on track with a T5 in Mayakoba followed by a win in Vegas, but then the train left the rails as he finished outside the top twenty in each of the following four events—while also missing the cut at The Masters. Hopefully his T7 at Singapore last week means that Dustin is back in the groove and ready to put some heat on Scheffler next week.

Phil: Going for 102 major cuts

Phil (No. 40/28.9 Rating 

Come on Phil, 38th at Adelaide and a T22 in Singapore? Really?? One of these days you’re going to reach into the hat and there won’t be any more rabbits.

This will be his 102nd major cut if he can pull it off, tying him with Gary Player for number 2 all-time behind Jack—let’s hope there’s one more bunny hiding in there…

Trump National Doral, Miami FL

2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Houston Golf Club of Houston (June 7-9)

Nashville The Grove (June 21-23)

Andalucia Valderrama, Spain (July 12-14)

United Kingdom JCB Golf and Country Club (July 26-28)

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PGA Tour 2024: Scheffler’s Historic Run

Scottie Scheffler: Masters Champion

The buzz surrounding Scottie Scheffler’s fantastic season keeps getting louder every time he tees it up—but where does the ultra-hot start to his ’24 season stack up against some of the greatest seasons of all-time?

Through his first 10 starts, Scottie has recorded 4 wins, including The Players and The Masters, with 9 Top-10 finishes. After taking a look through the record books, Scheffler’s opening run in the ’24 season ranks at the very top since 1960—with only Tiger (of course) putting up a comparable record through the first 10 starts of the year in his monumental 2000 season.

Tiger: The Greatest Year

Tiger 2000

With 9 victories including 3 Major championship wins and a T5 at The Masters, the 2000 season was undoubtedly the greatest of Tiger’s amazing career. His first 10 starts that year couldn’t match what he did in the second half of the season (winning all three majors), but it was fantastic just the same with 9 Top-10’s including 4 wins and 4 runner-up finishes.

Although Tiger recorded the same number of wins with 3 more runner-up finishes and a slightly better average finish, he was 2nd in The Players and 5th at The Masters (Scheffler won both), so you have to give Scottie the nod by an eyelash.

Jack 1963

Although Nicklaus never had a “monster” year like Tiger in 2000, he had a ton of great ones to choose from—so we picked 1963 out of the hat. Jack finished the year with 5 wins, including The Masters and The PGA Championship along with 17 Top-10’s.

Jack Nicklaus

In his first 10 starts of ’63, Jack recorded 9 Top-10’s with 3 wins including The Masters, but Scheffler also won at Augusta and notched one more win—and it happened to be The Players, so once again it’s Scottie by a whisker.

Arnie 1961

Arnie had a tremendous year in ’61, making the cut in 25 of his 26 starts with 21 Top-10’s and 7 wins, including the Open Championship. He also recorded a runner-up at The Masters and a T5 at the PGA—while constantly having to look over his shoulder at Jack.

Arnie

It’s tough to have a great year without getting off to fast start, and Arnie did just that in ’61 with 9 Top-10 finishes in his first 10 starts including 3 wins. Unfortunately, Palmer missed the cut in the first tournament of the year at the LA Open, and then came heartbreak at the Masters when he made double on 18 to lose by a shot to Gary Player—so Arnie comes up just shy of Scottie’s run as well.

Johnny Miller

Johnny Miller

Perhaps the greatest iron player of all-time, Miller had his best year in 1972. Johnny made the cut in 20 of 22 starts with 13 Top-10’s and recorded 8 wins that year, and started the season sizzling hot with 3 consecutive wins (Crosby Pro-Am/Pebble Beach, The Phoenix Open and The Tucson Open).

Through his first 10 events, Johnny recorded 6 Top-10’s with 4 wins—a fantastic start to the season. As great as Johnny was at the start of ’72, it pales in comparison to what Scottie has done in 2024—and provides some perspective on just how good Scheffler has been this year.

Vijay Singh: 9 wins at 41

Vijay Singh

Vijay Singh played his first year on the PGA Tour at 30 years old, and had his greatest season in 2004 at the age of 41. In 29 starts, Vijay recorded 18 Top-10’s with 9 wins including The PGA Championship at Sahalee, while missing the cut just once.

In the first 10 starts of ’04 Vijay was terrific, making the cut in 9 of 10 events with 5 Top-10’s including a win, a runner-up and a T6 at The Masters—but still not close to the numbers Scheffler has put up.

The Road Ahead

No doubt Scottie takes it one round at a time, one tournament at a time, and that’s good–because if he looks hard at what it will take to match Tiger for the rest of the year, it may bring on a panic attack.  

Scheffler will need to win 4 more times, including 2 additional majors, without missing a cut —while recording 8 more Top-10’s and throw in a T5 at the fourth major to boot.

With the way Scheffler is hitting the ball right now, and the confidence he exudes with every shot, it certainly brings back images of Tiger at the height of his powers—but can Scottie keep it up?

We’ll have to watch and see.

Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville KY

Upcoming Events

This week the Tour is in New Orleans for the Zurich Classic (April 25-28), and then heads to  Dallas for the CJ CUP Byron Nelson (May 2-5) at TPC Craig Ranch.

Next up is the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, NC (May 9-12) along with the inaugural playing of the Myrtle Beach Classic at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club (May 9-12) , followed by the second major of the year—The PGA Championship (May 16-19) at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY.

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LIV Golf: Masters Wrap-up and 2024 Power Rankings

Bryson DeChambeau: Finds His Footing at Augusta

Thirteen LIV players teed it up at Augusta last week for The Masters, eight made the cut, and 3 finished in the Top 10. Bryson DeChambeau and Cameron Smith both finished at 2 under (T6) while Tyrell Hatton came in at even par (T9).

The big story at the 2024 Masters was the weather, where extremely high winds wreaked havoc with scoring as only eight players finished under par (as compared with twenty-five players under par in 23’). After storming out of the gate with an opening round 65, Bryson followed up with three mediocre rounds of 73-75-73—mainly because the continual buffeting by the wind eventually turned his putter into a block of ice.

Cam Smith: T6 at The Masters

Cam Smith was steady throughout, recording rounds of 71-72-72-71, anchored by the short stick. While not the pure magic seen at his 2022 Open Championship victory, his putter and short game held up well in all that wind—securing him another major T10.

LIV Power Ranking Update

Players are rated and ranked on the basis of events played, average finish, wins, runner up, Top-5 and Top-10 finishes–as well as performance at the major championships (LIV Player Rankings).

Joaquin Niemann: #1 in the Power Rankings

While fifty-five players have participated in one or more tournaments this season, we’ve included only the top fifty. While most would expect Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith or Dustin Johnson to be occupying the top spot, instead you will see a 25-year-old Joaquin Niemann standing atop the mountain. There are two LIV events coming up before the PGA Championship in mid-May, however–Adelaide at La Grange Golf Club in Australia (April 26-28) and Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club (May 3-5), so there’s opportunity for someone to make a big move.

Top 5

No. 1 Joaquin Niemann: 72.0 Rating

Niemann has won two of the five LIV events played in 2024 (Mayakoba and Jeddah), and also recorded a T4 in Hong Kong and a T9 in Miami with an average finish among the Top 10 (9.0–second only to Jon Rahm.)

While he didn’t have his best at Augusta, Joaquin still finished in the Top 25 at +4 (tied with Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantley.) He’ll have his work cut out for him to hold off Jon Rahm for the top spot in the LIV rankings all year, but keep a close eye on Joaquin at the PGA next month—he can hit it with anybody.

Jon Rahm: 5 top-10’s

No. 2 Jon Rahm: 67.4 Rating 

Although Rahm has not yet won a LIV event, he finished among the Top 10 every time he teed it up (3, 4, 5 and 2-8’s). His average finish of 5.6 is also the League’s best by a wide margin, so it’s just a matter of time before the door bursts open. While the much-anticipated showdown with Scottie Scheffler at Augusta didn’t materialize, you can be sure that the 23’ Masters champ will make his presence felt at Valhalla for the PGA Championship.

No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: 62.8 Rating

Bryson moved steadily up the board last year after his strong showing at the 23’ PGA Championship (T4), and finished the year at No. 10 with 5 LIV Top-10’s. In 5 events this year, DeChambeau has recorded a T4 (Jeddah) and 3 Top-10’s (Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Miami). With his T6 at The Masters, Bryson is chomping at the heals of Niemann and Rahm—it would be a big surprise if he were not among the leaders again on Sunday at the PGA.

Dean Burmester: Winner in Miami

No. 4 Dean Burmester: 58.8 Rating

Who? Not a household name to American golf fans, South African Dean Burmester played his entire career on the Sunshine and European Golf Tours accumulating 14 wins before joining LIV for the 23’ season (where he picked up 3 Top-10’s). With a win in Miami at Trump National Doral, a T3 at Mayakoba and T8 in Hong Kong, Dean is making himself known in a big way. His average finish of 13.2 places him 7th through the first five events, ahead of Dustin Johnson (15.6), Cam Smith (16.5), and Brooks Koepka (20.4).

No. 5 Tyrell Hatton: 56.0 Rating

Hatton recorded a Top-10 in his first LIV event at Mayakoba, but dropped steadily in his next 3 starts until a T4 in Miami propelled him upward to his strong showing at the Masters (T9). He’s a superlative ball-striker and there’s something piratical about Tyrell–look for him to hoist his Jolly Roger among the leaders at the PGA in a couple weeks (unless his temper sends him off the plank).

Tyrell Hatton: T9 at The Masters

Notables

Cameron Smith (No. 10/52.5 Rating)

After finishing #1 in the 2023 LIV Power rankings, Cam was wallowing in the middle of the pack until a runner-up in Hong Kong and a T6 at The Masters shot him up to the 10th position.

Perhaps the first major of the year got his blood flowing.

Brooks Koepka (No. 19/42.6 Rating)

Outside of a T5 in the first LIV event of the year at Mayakoba, Brooks has been sleep-walking through the 2024 season—and his performance at Augusta (+9/T45) did nothing to indicate he was ready to emerge from his slumber.

As everybody knows, Brooks puts the bulk of his focus and energy into the majors, particularly the PGA Championship and U.S. Open. Hopefully The Masters will serve as a blaring wake-up call and he’ll arrive at Valhalla tuned up and ready to defend his title.

Brooks Koepka: Reigning PGA Champion

Phil (No. 43/37.2 Rating 

At 53 years old, Phil can still play–there’s no doubt about it. Last year he did nothing in the LIV events leading up to The Masters, and magically recorded a runner up finish. Once again in 24’ he’s done virtually nothing in the LIV tournaments, yet makes the cut at Augusta by a comfortable margin —and finishes ahead of both Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka.

Phil Mickelson: 101 Major Cuts

What’s up with that? Perhaps Phil should put his foot on the gas in the upcoming LIV events at Adelaide and Singapore to sharpen his game and then see if he can add another PGA Championship to his major trophy case.  The 2024 Masters was the one hundred and first major championship cut he’s made in his career, one behind Gary Player (who is second only to Jack).

Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta GA

Masters Summary

Bryson DeChambeauT6
Cameron SmithT6
Tyrell HattonT9
Patrick ReedT12
Joaquin NiemanT22
Phil MickelsonT43
Jon RahmT45
Brooks KoepkaT45
Dustin JohnsonMC
Sergio GarciaMC
Bubba WatsonMC
Charl SchwartzelMC
Adrian MeronkMC
Trump National Doral, Miami FL

2024 Upcoming LIV Schedule

Adelaide The Grange Golf Club, Australia (April 26-28)

Singapore Sentosa Golf Club (May 3-5)

Houston Golf Club of Houston (June 7-9)

Nashville The Grove (June 21-23)

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