Category: Courses

Top 25 Private Golf Clubs-Michigan 2025

Crystal Downs: Alistair Mackenzie classic

Some of the best public golf in the country can be found in Michigan, including fantastic resorts like Forest Dunes, Arcadia Bluffs and Treetops–but nothing beats membership at a high-end golf club for the quintessential golf experience, and MI has a great many classic courses to choose from. Discover the best options with our guide to the Top 25 Private Clubs-Michigan 2025.

In addition to superb design, limited play at a top private club pretty much guarantees that course conditions will always be great, and you can also say goodbye to the 5-hour round.

25 private clubs in Michigan received a GolfDay rating of 90 or higher, and just over 75 were rated at 80 or better—so there’s a pretty good chance that the perfect club for you is not very far away.     

We’ve included our Top 25 below, or you can spin through all of the private courses in Michigan listed by GolfDay Rating. Clubs are listed on the basis of GolfDay Rating, and include a link to the club website, the year founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link to course description (where available) as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

The Michigan Top 25 include eight original Donald Ross designs, beginning with Oakland Hills (#1), as well as Detroit Golf Club (#8) and Muskegon Golf Club (#15).

Donald Ross: 8 designs in the Top 25

H.S. (Harry) Colt and C. H. (Charles) Alison, among the greats of classic golf course architecture, designed The Country Club of Detroit (#4) and Orchard Lake CC (#5). Harry Colt also did the original design at Bloomfield Hills CC (recently restored by Mike DeVries, who also crafted the wonderful layout at Kingsley Club–#6).

Dr. Alistair MacKenzie

In addition, Michigan is home to Crystal Downs Country Club (#2), an Alistair MacKenzie design that is perennially among the Golf Digest Top 100 courses in The U.S.

Tom Doak: Modern-day Classic at Lost Dunes

Tom Doak (Renassance Golf), a Michigan native who is widely regarded as one the great modern golf course architects, crafted Lost Dunes Golf Club (#3) in Bridgman. In addition, Tom recently completed High Point Golf Club in Williamsburg, which has opened to rave reviews. 

To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and select “where you are” or where you plan to be (by entering the city or zip code). You can also refine your search and save time by adding a description and the features you are looking for.   

Oakland Hills Country Club
  1. Oakland Hills Country Club/Bloomfield Hills
  • Founded: 1916
  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen-Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Rees Jones/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    South:      77.1 Rating/148 Slope
    North:      74.5 Rating/145 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Crystal Downs Country Club
  1. Crystal Downs Country Club/Frankfort
  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/143 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Lost Dunes Golf Club
  1. Lost Dunes Golf Club/Bridgeman
Country Club of Detroit
  1. Country Club of Detroit/Grosse Pointe Farms
  • Founded: 1897
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Nine-Hole Par 3
  • Course Architects: H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Arthur Hills/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva/Tom Doak/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/137 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.5
  • Location
Orchard Lake Country Club
  1. Orchard Lake Country Club/Orchard Lake
  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Wilfrid Reid/William Connellan/William Diddel/Arthur Hills/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0 Rating/135 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.0
  • Location
Kingsley Club
  1. Kingsley Club/Kingsley
Bloomfield Hills Country Club
  1. Bloomfield Hills Country Club/Bloomfield Hills
  • Founded: 1909
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: H. S. Colt/Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Mike DeVries/Frank Pont
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9 Rating/134 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.0
  • Location
Detroit Golf Club
  1. Detroit Golf Club/Detroit
  • Founded: 1899
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Arthur Hills/Tom Doak/Bruce Hepner/Tyler Rae
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    North:       73.8 Rating/131 Slope
    South:       69.4 Rating/126 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.6
  • Location
Meadowbrook Country Club
  1. Meadowbrook Country Club/Northville
  • Founded: 1916
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Willie Park, Jr./Harry Collis/Jack Daray/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Arthur Hills/Andy Staples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/142 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.5
  • Location
Indianwood Golf & Country Club
  1. Indianwood Golf & Country Club/Lake Orion
  • Founded: 1925
  • Holes: 36 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Six Hole Spieth Lower 40)
  • Course Architects: Wilfrid Reid/William Connellan/Arthur Hills/Bob Cupp/Jerry Pate
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.7 Rating/145 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.1
  • Location
Blythefield Country Club
  1. Blythefield Country Club/Belmont
  • Founded: 1928
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: William Langford/Theodore Moreau/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Chris Wilczynski
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/140 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.6
  • Location
Red Run Golf Club
  1. Red Run Golf Club/Royal Oak
  • Founded: 1914
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Willie Park, Jr./Emil Loeffler/John McGlynn/Clinton Robinson/Raymond Hearn/Bruce Hepner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0 Rating/140 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.2
  • Location
Muskegon Country Club
  1. Muskegon Country Club/Muskegon

       RedWater Golf

  • Founded: 1908
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/139 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.0
  • Location
TPC Michigan
  1. TPC Michigan/Dearborn

       Invited Club Management

Lochmoor Club
  1. Lochmoor Club/Grosse Pointe Woods
  • Founded: 1917
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Walter Travis/H. S. Colt/C. H. Alison/Larry Packard/Arthur Hills/Paul Albanese
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/133 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.8
  • Location
Barton Hills Country Club
  1. Barton Hills Country Club/Ann Arbor
Dearborn Country Club
  1. Dearborn Country Club/Dearborn
  • Founded: 1923
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Clinton Robinson/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.8 Rating/134 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location
Franklin Hills Country Club
  1. Franklin Hills Country Club/Franklin
  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes:
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Arthur Hills/Ron Prichard/Tyler Rae/Bruce Hepner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/133 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
  • Location
Western Golf & Country Club
  1. Western Golf & Country Club/Redford
  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Larry Packard/Arthur Hills/Bruce Matthews III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 rating/140 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
  • Location
St. Clair Golf Club
  1. St. Clair Golf Club/St. Clair
Cascade Hills Country Club
  1. Cascade Hills Country Club/Grand Rapids
  • Founded: 1921
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Regulation Course and Nine Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Jack Daray/David Gill/Larry Packard/Bruce Matthews/Jerry Matthews/Bruce Matthews III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/142 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.3
  • Location
Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club
  1. Warwick Hills Golf & Country Club/Grand Blanc
  • Founded: 1957
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: James Harrison/Ferdinand Garbin/Joe Lee/Chris Wilczynski
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.5 rating/136 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.3
  • Location
Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club
  1. Point O’ Woods Golf & Country Club/Benton Harbor
  • Founded: 1958
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Michael Benkusky
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.1 Rating/140 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.2
  • Location
Thousand Oaks Golf Club
  1. Thousand Oaks Golf Club/Grand Rapids

       RedWater Golf

The Dunes Club
  1. The Dunes Club/New Buffalo

       KemperSports

  • Founded: 1990
  • Holes: 9
  • Course Architect: Dick Nugent/Jim Urbina/George Waters
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 37.8 Rating/148 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.8
  • Location

The GolfDay private club 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), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest, as well as club longevity and prestige.

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Top 35 Municipal Courses-U.S. 2025

TPC Harding Park

More and more events on the PGA Tour schedule have been hosted at municipal venues in recent years, including four of the first fourteen events this year–The Farmers and The Genesis at Torrey Pines in California, The Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, and the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park.

The Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, NY (#1 on our top 35), has hosted the U.S. Open Championship twice (2002 and 2009), a PGA Championship (2019) and will be the site of the 2025 Ryder Cup in the Fall.  

Torrey Pines South Course (#3) was selected for the 2008 and 2021 U.S. Open, Chambers Bay (#5) in University Place, WA held the 2005 Open, and TPC Harding Park in San Francisco was the site of the 2020 PGA Championship.

So, we have compiled out list of the Top 35 Municipal Courses in the United States.

The Architects

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed 8 of our Top-35, 6 of which can be found along the RTJ Golf Trail in Alabama—including Cambrian Ridge (#7) and Grand National (#9). RTJ also designed the courses at Incline Village (#8) near Lake Taho in NV (renovated by Robert Trent Jones II) as well as the courses at Tanglewood Park (#19) in North Carolina.   

Jack Nicklaus weighed in with design at two of the Top-35 (#10–Bally’s in NY, and #27—Breckenridge in Colorado). Jack also did a complete re-design of North Palm Beach Country Club in 2006 (#20)

Jack Nicklaus

Donald Ross is also represented among the Top 35, with 2 North Carolina courses—Monroe Country Club (#31) and Mooresville Golf club (#34).

You can also click Top US Municipal Courses for the Top-200 (includes City and County owned courses, as well as State and National Park golf facilities)—shown by GolfDay Rating.

To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and enter the city where you plan to be.

Bethpage State Park, NY
  1. Bethpage State Park/Farmingdale, NY

      New York State Parks

  • Holes: 90 (5 Eighteen Hole Regulation Course: Black/Blue/Green/Red/Yellow)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Francis Duane/Devereux Emmet/Alfred Tull/Rees Jones/Desmond Muirhead
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Black:                                    77.5 Rating/155 Slope
    Blue:                                      72.3 Rating/130 Slope
    Green:                                   74.4 Rating/133 Slope
    Red:                                       74.4 Rating/133 Slope           
    Yellow:                                  69.6 Rating/120 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range and Putting Green.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 100.0
  • Location
Torrey Pines, CA
  1. Torrey Pines/San Diego, CA

      City of San Diego

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses: North/South)
  • Course Architects: William F. Bell/David Rainville/Stephen Halsey/Jack Daray, Jr./Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    North:                          75.8 Rating/134 Slope
    South:                          78.8 Rating/148 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions
  • GolfDay Rating: 100.0
  • Location
Gold Mountain Golf Club, WA
  1. Gold Mountain Golf Club/Bremerton, WA

      City of Bremerton

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses: Olypmic/Cascades)
  • Course Architects: Ken Tyson/John Harbottle III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Olympic:                                74.9  Rating/148 Slope
    Cascades:                              73.4 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 100.0
  • Location
TPC Harding Park, CA
  1. TPC Harding Park/San Francisco, CA

      City of San Francisco/PGA Tour Properties

  • Holes: Eighteen Hole Regulation Course (TPC) and Nine Hole Executive Course (Fleming)
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/Sam Whiting/Jack Flemming/Chris Gray
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Olympic:                                 74.9  Rating/148 Slope
    Cascades:                                73.4 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets and Toptracer Technology, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (Chipping Green and Bunker closed on Wednesdays).
  • Course Description-TPC
  • Course Description-Fleming 9
  • GolfDay Rating: 100.0
  • Location
Chambers Bay, WA
  1. Chambers Bay/University Place, WA

      Pierce County/KemperSports

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets (Grass April-October/Mats November-March, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 99.2
  • Location
TPC Scottsdale, AZ
  1. TPC Scottsdale/Scottsdale, AZ

      City of Scottsdale/PGA Properties

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses: Stadium/Champions)
  • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish/Phil Smith/Randy Heckenkemper
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Stadium:                                  74.7 Rating/142 Slope
    Champions:                            73.2 Rating/135 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.9
  • Location
Cambrian Ridge, AL
  1. Cambrian Ridge/Greenville, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/SunBelt Golf

  • Holes: 36 (3 Nine Hole Regulation Courses: Loblolly/Sherling/Canyon and Nine Hole Par 3 “Short Course”)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Loblolly:                                 37.0 Rating/142 Slope
    Sherling:                                 37/5 Rating/135 Slope
    Canyon:                                   37.3 Rating/152 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Descriptions
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.8
  • Location
Incline Village, NV
  1. Incline Village/Incline Village, NV

      Incline Village and Crystal Bay/General Improvement District

  • Holes: 36 (Eighteen Hole Regulation Course (Championship) and Eighteen Hole Executive Course (Mountain))
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Robert Muir Graves/Robert Trent Jones, Jr./Kyle Phillips
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Championship:                               73.6 Rating/144 Slope
    Mountain:                                            59.3 Rating/105 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • Course Description-Championship
  • Course Description-Mountain
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.2
  • Location
Grand National, AL
  1. Grand National/Opelika, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/SunBelt Golf

  • Holes: 54 (2 Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses (Links/Lake) and Eighteen Hole Par 3 Course (Short Course)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Links:                                      75.2 Rating/142 Slope
    Lake:                                       73.8 Rating/132 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 98.1
  • Location
Bally’s Golf Link at Ferry Point, NY
  1. Bally’s Golf Links at Ferry Point/Bronx, NY

      City of New York/Bally’s Corporations

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.1 Rating/141 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Michael Breed Golf Academy. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
  • Location
The Highlands of Elgin, IL
  1. The Highlands of Elgin/Elgin, IL

      City of Elgin

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Larry Packard/Dick Nugent/Ken Killian/Keith Foster/Arthur Schaupeter
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Michael Breed Golf Academy. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Video Tour
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.6
  • Location
Rockwind Golf Course, NM
  1. Rockwind Golf Course/Hobbs, NM

      City of Hobbs/Rockwind Community Links

  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen Hole Regulation Course and Nine Hole Par 3 Course (L’il Rock)
  • Course Architect: Andy Staples
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Links:                                      73.3 Rating/130 Slope
    Li’L Rock:                               25.9 Rating/72 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description-Eighteen Hole
  • Course Description/Scorecard- Li’l Rock
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.3
  • Location
Magnolia Grove, AL
  1. Magnolia Grove/Mobile, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/SunBelt Golf

  • Holes: 54 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses (Falls/Crossings) and Eighteen Hole Par 3 Course)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Falls:                                        74.6 Rating/130 Slope
    Crossings:                               73.7 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.1
  • Location
Capitol Hill, AL
  1. Capitol Hill/Prattville, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/SunBelt Golf

  • Holes: 54 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses (Falls/Crossings) and Eighteen Hole Par 3 Course)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Judge:                                      78.5 Rating/147 Slope
    Legislator:                               76.5 Rating/149 Slope
    Senator:                                   77.4 Rating/132 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.1
  • Location
Riverdale Golf Course, CO
  1. Riverdale Golf Courses/Brighton, CO

      Adams County

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses: Dunes/Knolls)
  • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Perry Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Dunes:                         73.0 Rating/136 Slope                       
    Knolls:                         70.9 Rating/125 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description-Dunes
  • Course Description-Knolls
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.2
  • Location
Ross Bridge, AL
  1. Ross Bridge/Hoover, AL

      Renaissance Birmingham/Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Roger Rulewich/Bobby Vaughn
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 78.4 Rating/147 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.1
  • Location
Laurell Hill Golf Club, VA
  1. Laurell Hill Golf Club/Lorton, VA

      Fairfax County Park Authority

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Bill Love/Matt Lohmann
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/146 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.1
  • Location
The Fort Golf Course, IN
  1. The Fort Golf Course/Indianapolis, IN

      Pete Dye Golf Trail/Indiana State Parks

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Pete Dye/Tim Liddy
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.0 Rating/143 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.7
  • Location
Tanglewood Park, NC
  1. Tanglewood Park/Clemmons, NC

      Forsyth County/Brown Management

  • Holes: 54 2 Eighteen Hole Courses (Championship/Reynolds) and Eighteen Hole Par 3 Course
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich/Allan MacCurrach/Robert Trent Jones, Jr./Richard Mandell
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Championship:                     74.5 Rating/139 Slope
    Reynolds:                                73.2 Rating/136 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.4
  • Location
Oxmoor Valley, FL
  1. Oxmoor Valley/Birmingham, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/Sunbelt Golf

  • Holes: 2 Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses: Ridge/Valley and Nine Hole Par 3 “The Back Yard”
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Ridge:                                     74.3 Rating/141 Slope           
    Valley:                                     75.6 Rating/147 Slope
    Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Mats-Monday through Friday/Grass Saturday-Sunday), Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Descriptions
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
  • Location
Bryan Park Golf Club, NC
  1. Bryan Park Golf Club/Browns Summit, NC

      City of Greensboro/Pinnacle Golf Management

  • Holes: 36 Holes (2 Eighteen Courses: Champions/Players Course)
  • Course Architects: Rees Jones/George Cobb/John LaFoy
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Champions:                           75.6 Rating/141 Slope           
    Players:                                    73.6 Rating/131 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers
  • Course Description-Champions
  • Course Description-Players
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.1
  • Location
Rustic Canyon Golf Course, CA
  1. Rustic Canyon Golf Course/Moorpark, CA

      Ventura County

Thunderhawk Golf Club, IL
  1. Thunderhawk Golf Club/Beach Park, IL

      Lake County Forest Preserve

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/143 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.0
  • Location
Silver Lakes, AL
  1. Silver Lakes/Glencoe, AL

      Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/Sunbelt Golf

  • Holes: 36 Holes (3 Nine Hole Regulation Courses: Backbreaker/Heartbreaker/Mindbreaker and Nine Par 3 Short Course)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Jr./Roger Rulewich
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Backbreaker:                           38.5/143 Slope
    Heartbreaker:                          38.2 Rating/140 Slope
    Mindbreaker:                           37.7 Rating/151 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.0
  • Location
Arrowhead Golf Club, IL
  1. Arrowhead Golf Club/Wheaton, IL

      Wheaton Park District

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses: East/West/South)
  • Course Architects: Stanley Pelchar/David Gill/Ken Killian/Greg Martin
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    East:                             37.0 Rating/130 Slope
    North:                          37.5 Rating/137 Slope
    South:                          37.0 Rating/141 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.9
  • Location
Breckenridge Golf Club, CO
  1. Breckenridge Golf Club/Breckenridge, CO

      Town of Breckenridge

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses: Beaver/Bear/Elk
  • Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Beaver:          36.9 Rating/155 Slope
    Bear:               37.0 Rating/147 Slope
    Elk:                  36.3 Rating/145 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.8
  • Location
Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club, WY
  1. Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club/Jackson, WY

      Grand Teton National Park

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Robert E. Baldock/Robert Trent Jones Sr./Robert Trent Jones Jr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.9 Rating/137 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Fairway Bunker (flight restricted balls), Wedge Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker. Range Balls included with Green Fees.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.8
  • Location
Memorial Park Golf Course, TX
  1. Memorial Park Golf Course/Houston, TX

      City of Houston

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: John Bredemus/Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Baxter Spann/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/128 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Two Level Lighted Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.6
  • Location
Pinon Hills Golf Course, NM
  1. Pinon Hills Golf Course/Farmington, NM

      City of Farmington

Monroe Country Club, NC
  1. Monroe Country Club/Monroe, NC

      City of Monroe

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Tom Jackson/Richard Mandell/Tyler Rae
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.2 Rating/132 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
  • Location
The Wilderness, TX
  1. The Wilderness/Lake Johnson, TX

      City of Lake Jackson/KemperSports

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Jeffrey Brauer
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.9 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Fairway Bunker, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Layout
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
  • Location
Neshanic Valley Golf Course, NJ
  1. Neshanic Valley Golf Course/Brachburg, NJ

      Somerset County

  • Holes: 38 (3 Nine Hole Courses: Lake/Ridge/Meadow and Nine Hole Academy Course)
  • Course Architects: Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Lake:                                       37.1 Rating/129 Slope
    Ridge:                                     36.4 Rating/133 Slope
    Meadow:                                36.6 Rating/130 Slope
    Academy:                               30.2 Rating/94 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Expansive Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2) and Two Practice Holes.
  • Layout
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.9
  • Location
Mooresville, NC
  1. Mooresville/Mooresville, NC

      Town of Mooresville

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/J. Porter Gibson/Kris Spence
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/135 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.9
  • Location
Texas Star Golf Course, TX
  1. Texas Star Golf Course/Euless, TX

      City of Euless

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Keith Foster/Robert McNeil
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.8
  • Location

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.

 

 

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Top 40 Private Clubs—California 2025

Riviera Country Club, Pacific Palisades

The California landscape is amazingly diverse, from the rocky northern pacific coast of Monterey to the mountains of Lake Tahoe, the desert beauty of Palm Springs and the sandy beaches of Southern California—and also home to many of the greatest golf courses in the world.

We’ve included our Top 40 California Private Clubs below, or you can spin through all of the private courses in California listed by GolfDay Rating.

Clubs are listed on the basis of GolfDay Rating, and listings include a link to the club website, the year founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

Alistair Mackenzie

Our California Top 40 include four original Dr. Alistair Mackenzie designs, who became perhaps the most celebrated golf course architect in history when he collaborated with Bobby Jones to create Augusta National. Many believe, however, that his greatest work may be Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach—Number 1 in our Top 40.

In addition to Cypress Point, Dr. Mackenzie also did the original design at The Valley Club of Montecito in Santa Barbara (#11), Green Hills Country Club (#17) and Meadow Club (#27).

William “Willie” Watson

Although not quite as famous as Allister Mackenzie, William “Willie” Watson was another Scott who made his way to the western United States in the early 1900’s and created a great many wonderful layouts, four of which are among our Top 40–including both courses at the iconic Olympic Club in San Francisco (#4).

In addition to classic courses steeped in history, our Top 40 private clubs also include four modern designs by Tom Fazio, including The Quarry (#9) and The Madison Club (#12) in the desert at La Quinta, Martis Camp near Lake Tahoe (#10), and The Preserve (#15) in Carmel—about as different as can be from the standpoint of climate and topography. 

Tom Fazio

To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and select “where you are” or where you plan to be (by entering the city or zip code). You can also refine your search and save time by adding a description and the features you are looking for. 

Cypress Point Club
  1. Cypress Point Club/Pebble Beach
  • Founded: 1928
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.1 Rating/141 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
Monterey Peninsula Country Club
  1. Monterey Peninsula Country Club/Pebble Beach
  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • 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:
    Dunes: 74.6 Rating/140 Slope
    Fazio:   73.7 Rating/134 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
The Los Angeles Country Club
  1. The Los Angeles Country Club/Los Angeles
  • Founded: 1897
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • 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 Rating/143 Slope
    South:             71.9 Rating/129 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
The Olympic Club
  1. The Olympic Club/San Francisco
  • Founded: 1860
  • Holes: 45 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses: Lake/Ocean and Nine Hole Cliffs 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 Rating/143 Slope
    Ocean:               74.3 Rating/133 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
The Riviera Country Club
  1. The Riviera Country Club/Pacific Palisades
  • Founded: 1926
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William P. Bell/Ted Robinson, Sr./Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Tom Fazio/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.3 Rating/144 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 100
  • Location
San Francisco Golf Club
  1. San Francisco Golf Club/San Francisco
  • Founded: 1915
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/William P. Bell/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.6 Rating/133 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.9
  • Location
California Golf Club of San Francisco
  1. California Golf Club of San Francisco/South San Francisco
  • Founded: 1918
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Vernon Macan/Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Kyle Phillips/George Waters
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/139 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.0
  • Location
Lake Merced Golf Club
  1. Lake Merced Golf Club/Daly City
  • Founded: 1922
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Willie Lock/Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Robert Muir Graves/Rees Jones/Gil Hanse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/142 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 96.8
  • Location
The Quarry
  1. The Quarry/La Quinta
  • Founded: 1994
  • Holes: 28 (Eighteen Hole Course and Ten Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/136 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.3
  • Location
Martis Camp Golf Club
  1. Martis Camp Golf Club/Truckee
  • Founded: 2008
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.8 Rating/146 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.6
  • Location
The Valley Club of Montecito
  1. The Valley Club of Montecito/ Santa Barbara
  • Founded: 1929
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/William P. Bell/Tom Doak/Jim Urbina/Todd Eckenrode
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 8 Rating/133 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.2
  • Location
The Madison Club
  1. The Madison Club/ La Quinta
  • Founded: 2007
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.6 Rating/143 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.6
  • Location
Mayacama Golf Club
  1. Mayacama Golf Club/ Santa Rosa
  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/154 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
  • Location
Stanford Golf Course
  1. Stanford Golf Course/Stanford
  • Founded: 1930
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William P. Bell/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./John Harbottle III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/138 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
  • Location
The Preserve
  1. The Preserve Golf Club/Carmel
  • Founded: 2000
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/J. Michael Poellot/Sandy Tatum
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/142 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.2
  • Location
Bel-Air Country Club
  1. Bel-Air Country Club/Los Angeles
  • Founded: 1925
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: George Thomas/William P. Bell/Jack Neville/William H. Johnson/William F. Bell/Dick Wilson/George Fazio/Robert Trent Jones, Jr./Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Slope/138 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.7
  • Location
Green Hills Country Club
  1. Green Hills Country Club/Millbrae
  • Founded: 1930
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Chandler Egan/Robert Muir Graves/Gary Roger Baird/Todd Eckenrode/George Waters
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 70.7 Slope/138 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.2
  • Location
Stone Eagle Golf Club
  1. Stone Eagle Golf Club/Palm Desert
  • Founded: 2005
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/139 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.9
  • Location
Tradition Golf Club
  1. Tradition Golf Club/La Quinta
  • Founded: 1998
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen Hole Course and Nine Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay/Harrison Minchew
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 0 Rating/137 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.9
  • Location
The Reserve Golf Club
  1. The Reserve Club/Indian Wells
  • Founded: 1998
  • Holes: 21 (Eighteen Hole Course and 3 Hole Practice)
  • Course Architects: Tom Weiskopf/Jay Morrish
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5 Rating/138 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.5
  • Location
Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club
  1. Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club/Rancho Santa Fe
  • Founded: 1929
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Max Behr/Harry Rainville/David Rainville/Perry Dye/David McLay Kidd
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2 Rating/140 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.3
  • Location
Sherwood Country Club
  1. Sherwood Country Club/Thousand Oaks
  • Founded: 1989
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.4 Rating/144 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Hillcrest Country Club
  1. Hillcrest Country Club/Los Angeles
  • Founded: 1920
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/William P. Bell/William F. Bell/Robert Muir Graves/Kyle Phillips
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/133 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.7
  • Location
Mission Hills Country Club
  1. Mission Hills Country Club/Rancho Mirage
  • Founded: 1970
  • Holes: 54 (Three Eighteen-Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Arnold Palmer/Pete Dye/Desmond Muirhead
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    Palmer:                             72.7 Rating/132 Slope
    Dinah Shore:                    75.3 Rating/142 Slope
    Dye:                                  73.8 Rating/142 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.6
  • Location
Hacienda Golf Club
  1. Hacienda Golf Club/La Habra Heights
  • Founded: 1920
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/William P. Bell/George Von Elm/Ted Robinson, Sr./Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Peter Thomson/Michael Wolveridge/Ronald Fream/John Harbottle III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/137 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.6
  • Location
North Ridge Country Club
  1. North Ridge Country Club/Fair Oaks
  • Founded: 1952
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: William P. Bell/William F. Bell/Robert Muir Graves/Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.9 Rating/140 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.5
  • Location
Meadow Club
  1. Meadow Club/Fairfax
  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/Robert Muir Graves/Mike DeVries
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.8 Rating/136 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.5
  • Location
Berkeley Country Club
  1. Berkeley Country Club/El Cerrito
  • Founded: 1920
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Willie Watson/Robert Hunter/Forrest Richardson/Mark Fine
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.6 Rating/133 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.4
  • Location
Hideaway Golf Club
  1. Hideaway Golf Club/La Quinta
  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen-Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Clive Clark/Pete Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    Clark:              73.6 Rating/135 Slope
    Dye:                74.7 Rating/142 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.4
  • Location
La Jolla Country Club
  1. La Jolla Country Club/La Jolla
  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: William P. Bell/Arthur Jack Snyder/Ted Robinson, Sr./Rees Jones/Todd Eckenrode
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.5 Rating/135 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.4
  • Location
Shady Canyon Golf Club
  1. Shady Canyon Golf Club/Irvine
  • Founded: 2002
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/David Kahn/Tim Jackson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.8 Rating/144 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.2
  • Location
Menlo Country Club
  1. Menlo Country Club/Woodside
  • Founded: 1904
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Nicoll/William Herbert Fowler/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Robert Trent Jones, Jr./Kyle Phillips
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:2 Rating/137 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.1
  • Location
The Vintage Club
  1. The Vintage Club/Indian Wells
  • Founded: 1984
  • Holes: 36
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/Tim Jackson/David Kahn
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Desert:             72.0 Rating/134 Slope
    Mountain:        74.7 Rating/140 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.0
  • Location
Rolling Hills Country Club
  1. Rolling Hills Country Club/Rolling Hills Estates
  • Founded: 1965
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Ted Robinson/David McLay Kidd
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/135 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.0
  • Location
Virginia Country Club
  1. Virginia Country Club/Long Beach
  • Founded: 1909
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: William P. Bell/A.W. Tillinghast/Edward Dearie/Robert Muir Gaves/John Harbottle III/Todd Eckenrode
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.3 Rating/130 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.0
  • Location
Big Horn Golf Club
  1. Bighorn Golf Club
  • Founded: 1991
  • Holes: 36
  • Course Architects: Arthur Hills/Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Mountains:                  74.1 Rating/142 Slope
  • Canyons                      73.6 Rating/140 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.9
  • Location
Diablo Country Club
  1. Diablo Country Club/Diablo
  • Founded: 1914
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Neville/Willie Watson/Todd Eckenrode
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/135 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.9
  • Location
Silver Creek Valley Country Club
  1. Silver Creek Valley Country Club/San Jose
  • Founded: 1992
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Ted Robinson, Sr./Mike Strantz
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/139 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
  • Location
Claremont Country Club
  1. Claremont Country Club/Oakland
  • Founded: 1897
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jim Smith/Alister MacKenzie/Robert Hunter/J. Michael Poellot/Bradford Benz/Robert Muir Graves/George Waters/Jim Urbina
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 67.7 Rating/125 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location
Montecito Club
  1. Montecito Club/Santa Barbara
  • Founded: 1918
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Max Behr/Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.2 Rating/132 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location

The GolfDay private club 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), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest, as well as club longevity and prestige. 

 

 

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Top 25 Municipal Courses in Texas 2025

Moody Gardens, Galveston, TX

With the Texas Children’s Houston Open coming up later this month at Memorial Park, a fantastic municipal layout where Stephan Jaeger nipped Scottie by a shot in 2024, it seemed an appropriate moment to take a look at the best municipal golf in the state of Texas.

Texas offers 140 municipal venues, second only to Illinois (146), with 12 receiving a GolfDay rating above 90 (excellent–the most of any state), while 42 are rated at 80 or higher (very good). For this list, we have compiled the top 25 municipal courses in Texas.

Houston Native Joe Finger did the original design on 5 of our Top 25 (with long time associates Ken Dye and Baxter Spann) including No. 6 (Cedar Creek) and No. 12 Landa Park). 

Joe Finger

Texas native Jeff Brauer designed 2 of our Top-25 (No. 2–The Wilderness and No. 7–Tangle Ridge), while Steve Wolfard (The Colony, TX) in association with PGA Tour professional turned golf course architect D.A Weibring renovated 4 of the Top-25 (including Pecan Hollow and Grapevine GC).

Keith Foster, renowned for his work restoring and renovating Colonial Country Club designed Texas Star (No. 9), while PGA Tour veterans Peter Jacobsen and Jim Hardy, another Houston Native, teamed up to lay out Moody Gardens in Galveston (No. 5).

Tom Doak, who designed Pacific Dunes in Oregon (year after year a Golf Digest Top 100 course) did the renovation at Memorial Park, giving the course plenty of teeth to withstand PGA Tour competition.

You can also click Texas Municipal Courses for a comprehensive list of TX courses you can play.

To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and enter the city where you plan to be.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 4667_Memorial_Park_GC-1024x662.jpg
Memorial Park Golf Course
  1. Memorial Park Golf Course/Houston

City of Houston

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: John Bredemus/Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Baxter Spann/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/128 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Two Level Lighted Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.6
  • Location
The Wilderness
  1. The Wilderness/Lake Jackson

City of Lake Jackson/KemperSports

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jeffrey Brauer
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.9 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets and Fairway Bunker, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.5
  • Location
Texas Star Golf Course
  1. Texas Star Golf Course/Euless

City of Euless

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Keith Foster/Robert McNeil
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Course Description Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.8
  • Location
Tierra Verde Golf Club
  1. Tierra Verde Golf Club/Arlington

 City of Arlington

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Gary Panks
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/135 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description/Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.5
  • Location
Moody Gardens Golf Course
  1. Moody Gardens Golf Course/Galveston

City of Galveston

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Peter Jacobsen/Jim Hardy
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.1
  • Location
Cedar Creek Golf Course
  1. Cedar Creek Golf Course/San Antonio

 City of San Antonio/Alamo City Golf Trail

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Baxter Spann/Jeffrey Blume/Billy Ray Brown
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.5 Rating/136 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Tangle Ridge Golf Club
  1. Tangle Ridge Golf Club/Grand Prairie

 City of Grand Prairie

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Jeffrey Brauer
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.6 Rating/136 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.0
  • Location
The Max
  1. The Max/Laredo

 City of Laredo

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/ 134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.8
  • Location
Grey Rock Golf Club
  1. Grey Rock Golf Club/Austin

      City of Austin/Golf ATX

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jay Morrish/Roy Bechtol
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass Friday-Sunday/Mats Monday-Thursday), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.5
  • Location
Pecan Hollow Golf Corse
  1. Pecan Hollow Golf Course/Plano

        City of Plano

  • Holes: 23 (Eighteen Hole Regulation Course and Five Hole Lighted Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Billy Martindale/Don January/Jeffrey Brauer/Jim Colbert/D. A. Weibring/Steve Wolfard
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.4 Rating/141 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (3).
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
  • Location
Forest Creek Golf Club
  1. Forest Creek Golf Club/Round Rock

        City of Round Rock/Kemper Sports

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Richard Phelps/John Colligan
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.8 Rating/139 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Fairway Bunker, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Video Tour
  • Photos
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
  • Location
Landa Park Golf Course
  1. Landa Park Golf Course/New Braunfels

        City of New Braunfels

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Baxter Spann
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 70.5 Rating/129 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.3
  • Location
Mesquite Golf Club
  1. Mesquite Golf Club/Mesquite

        City of Mesquite

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Leon Howard/Garrett Gill/George Williams/Jeffrey Brauer
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.2 Rating/128 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass Saturday/Sunday, Mats on Weekdays), Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • Ladies/Senior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.7
  • Location
Indian Creek Golf Club
  1. Indian Creek Golf Club/Carrollton

        City of Carrollton

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses: Creek/Lakes)
  • Course Architects: Bradford Benz/Richard Phelps/Jeffrey Brauer
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Creek:                         75.5 Rating/141 Slope
    Lakes:                         74.0 Rating/132 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Descriptions
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.6
  • Location
Prairie Lakes Golf Course
  1. Prairie Lakes Golf Course/Grand Prairie

        City of Grand Prairie

  • Holes: 27 )3 Nine Hole Courses: Red/White/Blue)
  • Course Architects: Ralph Plummer/John Colligan
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Red:                            36.4 Rating/130 Slope
    White:                        35.0 Rating/122 Slope
    Blue:                           36.1 Rating/122 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 88.6
  • Location
Eagle Pointe Golf Club
  1. Eagle Pointe Golf Club/Mont Belvieu

         City of Mont Belvieu

Clay Kizer Golf Complex
  1. Clay Kizer Golf Complex/Austin

        Golf ATX/City of Austin

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Randy Russell
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Clay:                73.8 Rating/126 Slope
    Kizer:              72.4 Rating/124 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, 4 Hole Par 3 Course with Bunkers, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Description-Clay
  • Course Description-Kizer
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 88.1
  • Location
Cleburne Golf Links
  1. Cleburne Golf Links/Cleburne

        City of Cleburne

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Leon Howard/John Colligan
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7 Rating/128 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (2).
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 87.9
  • Location
Grapevine Golf Course
  1. Grapevine Golf Course/Grapevine

        City of Grapevine

  • Holes: 27 (3 Nine Hole Courses: Bluebonnet/Pecan/Mockingbird)
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Byron Nelson/Jeffrey Brauer/D. A. Weibring/Steve Wolfard
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Bluebonnet:                         36.8 Rating/127 Slope
    Pecan:                                     37.6 Rating/139 Slope
    Mockingbird:                      36.7 Rating/133 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Lighted Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens (2) with Bunker
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 87.9
  • Location
Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course
  1. Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course/Fredericksburg

      City of Fredericksville/Lady Bird RV Park

Cedar Crest Park Golf Course
  1. Cedar Crest Park Golf Course/Dallas

        City of Dallas

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/John Bredemus/D. A. Weibring
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.8 Rating/134 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 87.3
  • Location
Gus Wortham Park Golf Course
  1. Gus Wortham Park Golf Course/Houston

         City of Houston

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: John Maguire/John Bredemus/Ralph Plummer/Baxter Spann
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.2 Rating/126 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass Friday-Sunday/Mats Monday-Thursday) and Putting Green.
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 86.9
  • Location
Ross Rogers Golf Complex
  1. Ross Rogers Golf Complex/Amarillo

        City of Amarillo

  • Holes: 36 (2 Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses: Wild Horse/Mustang)
  • Course Architects: Leon Howard/Charles Howard/John Colligan/Trey Kemp/D. A. Weibring/Steve Wolfard
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Wild Horse:     73.5 Rating/130 Slope
    Mustang:         73.6 Rating/129 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass/Mats), Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 86.5
  • Location
San Saba River Golf Course
  1. San Saba River Golf Course/San Saba

        City of San Saba

Cottonwood Creek Golf Course
  1. Cottonwood Creek Golf Course/Waco

         City of Waco

  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen Hole Regulation Course and Nine Hole “Junior” Par 3 Course)
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Ken Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1 Rating/135 Slope
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 85.5
  • Location

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.

 

 

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Top 30 Private Golf Clubs-Texas 2025

Spanish Oaks

There are a whole lot of fantastic public golf courses in the state of Texas, but membership at a private club puts you at the top of the food chain for a quality golf experience. Limited play at private clubs pretty much guarantees that course conditions will be great, and you can also say goodbye to the 5-hour round.

Texas boasts 35 private clubs receiving a GolfDay rating of 90 or higher, among the most of any state in the country, and just under 100 clubs were rated at 80 or better—which means you shouldn’t have to look far to find a top echelon course to call home.    

We’ve included our Top 30 Private Golf Clubs Texas below, or you can spin through all of the private courses in Texas listed by GolfDay Rating. Clubs are listed on the basis of GolfDay Rating, and listings include a link to the club website, the year founded, course architect(s), current USGA course and slope ratings, a link to course description (where available) as well as a link to Google Maps for each location.

Jack Nicklaus

The Texas Top 30 include three original Jack Nicklaus designs, beginning with Whispering Pines (#1) and include the Traditions Club at Texas A&M (co-designed with Jack II), and the Nicklaus course at Carlton Woods.

Tom Fazio, perhaps the most celebrated architect of the past half century, designed five of our Top 30, including the Fazio course at Carlton Woods (#2), Dallas National (#8) and Escondido Golf & Lake Club (#22). Tom also renovated the Jackrabbit course at The Champions Golf Club in Houston (#2), originally laid out by George Fazio (Tom’s uncle and early mentor).

Bluejack National: Tiger Woods Design

Bluejack National by TGR Design, Tiger’s first course which opened to rave reviews back in 2016, is also among our Top 30 at #12.

Pete Dye (#9 Stonebridge Ranch) and Rees Jones (#27 Shadow Hawk) are also included, as well as the fantastic remodel of Tom Fazio’s original Vaquero Club design by Andrew Green. To view courses by location, use the GolfDay Search Engine and select “where you are” or where you plan to be (by entering the city or zip code). You can also refine your search and save time by adding a description and the features you are looking for.

Whispering Pines Golf Club
  1. Whispering Pines Golf Club/Trinity
  • Founded: 2000
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Nine Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Chet Williams
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.0 rating/150 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
  • Location
The Club at Carlton Woods
  1. The Club at Carlton Woods/The Woodlands
  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Nicklaus: 78.1 Rating/148 Slope
    Fazio:       75.7 Rating/143 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
  • Location
Champions Golf Club
  1. Champions Golf Club/Houston
  • Founded: 1957
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses
  • Course Architects: Ralph Plummer/George Fazio/Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Cypress Creek: 75.8 Rating/134 Slope
    Jackrabbit:        74.4 Rating/138 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
  • Location
Brook Hollow Golf Club
  1. Brook Hollow Golf Club/Dallas
  • Founded: 1920
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Perry Maxwell/Ralph Plummer/Jay Morrish/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.2 rating/139 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.2
  • Location
Dallas Athletic Club
  1. Dallas Athletic Club/Dallas
  • Founded: 1954
  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Ralph Plummer/Jack Nicklaus
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Blue: 73.8 Rating/140 Slope
    Gold: 75.0 Rating/143 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.7
  • Location
Colonial Country Club
  1. Colonial Country Club/Fort Worth
  • Founded: 1936
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Perry Maxwell/Keith Foster/Kevin Hargrave/Gil Hanse/Jim Wagner
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.5 Rating/137 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.6
  • Location
Shady Oaks Country Club
  1. Shady Oaks Country Club/Fort Worth
  • Founded: 1958
  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Nine Hole Par 3)
  • Course Architects: Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Lawrence Hughes/Ralph Plummer/Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw/Geoff Ogilvy/Mike Cocking/Ashley Mead
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.0 Rating/138 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.0
  • Location
Dallas National Golf Club
  1. Dallas National Golf Club/Dallas
  • Founded: 2002
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.2 Rating/147 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
  • Location
Stonebridge Ranch Country Club
  1. Stonebridge Ranch Country Club/McKinney
  • Founded: 1988
  • Holes: 45 (3 Nine-Hole Courses and Eighteen Hole Course)
  • Course Architects: Arthur Hills/John Colligan/Lanny Watkins/Kurt Bowman/Pete Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Chisolm/Hills:                 37.3 Rating/131 Slope                
    Cimmeron/Hills:            37.0 Rating/131 Slope
    Saddleback/Hills:         36.7 Rating/129 Slope
    Dye:                                     77.5 Rating/151 Slope                                
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.3
  • Location
Vaquero Club
  1. Vaquero Club/Westlake
  • Founded: 2001
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Fazio/Andrew Green
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 77.3 Rating/152 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.2
  • Location
University of Texas Golf Club
  1. University of Texas Golf Club/Austin
  • Founded: 2003
  • Holes: 24 (Eighteen-Hole Course and Six Hole Spieth Lower 40)
  • Course Architects: Roy Bechtol/Randy Russell
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.6 Rating/145 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.2
  • Location
Bluejack National
  1. Bluejack National/Montgomery
  • Founded: 2016
  • Holes: 28 (18 Championship Course and 10 Hole Par 3 “The Playgrounds”)
  • Course Architect: Tiger Woods
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.8 Rating/135 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.1
  • Location
Traditions Club at Texas A&M
  1. Traditions Club at Texas A&M/Bryan
  • Founded: 2004
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Jack Nicklaus/Jack Nicklaus II
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.6 Rating/152 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.9
  • Location
River Oaks
  1. River Oaks Country Club/Houston
  • Founded: 1924
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Ralph Plummer/Joe Finger/Rees Jones/Tom Fazio/Logan Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.9 Rating/137 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.6
  • Location
Northwood Club
  1. Northwood Club/Dallas
  • Founded: 1950
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: William Diddel/Ralph Plummer/Marvin Ferguson/Jay Morrish/Tripp Davis
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.6 Rating/138 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.6
  • Location
Royal Oaks Country Club
  1. Royal Oaks Country Club, Dallas
  • Founded: 1969
  • Holes:18
  • Course Architects: Don January/Billy Martindale/Arthur Davis/Jay Morrish/D.A. Weibring/Steve Wolfard
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.0 Rating/138 Slope
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.4
  • Location
Big Easy Ranch
  1. Big Easy Ranch
  • Founded: 2016
  • Holes: 27
  • Course Architect: Chet Williams
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    The Covey:    76.1 Rating/147 Slope
    The Antler:    29.6 Rating/107 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Austin Country Club
  1. Austin Country Club
  • Founded: 2015
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Pete Dye
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.7 Rating/150 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.2
  • Location
Lakewood Country Club
  1. Lakewood Country Club
  • Founded: 1912
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Bendelow/Ralph Plummer/Leon Howard/Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.3 Rating/137 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 92.0
  • Location
TPC Craig Ranch
  1. TPC Craig Ranch
  • Founded: 2004
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Weiskopf
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.7 Rating/147 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.7
  • Location
Oak Hills Country Club
  1. Oak Hills Country Club
  • Founded: 1922
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: A.W. Tillinghast/Joe Finer/Ron Kirby/Jay Morrish/Tripp Davis
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3 Rating/142 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.2
  • Location
Escondido Golf & Lake Club
  1. Escondido Golf & Lake Club
  • Founded: 2006
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.9 Rating/143 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.0
  • Location
River Crest Country Club
  1. River Crest Country Club
  • Founded: 1911
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Tom Bendelow/A.W. Tillinghast/John Colligan
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.1 Rating/137 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
  • Location
Spanish Oaks Golf Club
  1. Spanish Oaks Golf Club
  • Founded: 2002
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Bobby Weed
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.5 Rating/150 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.7
  • Location
Midland Country Club
  1. Midland Country Club
  • Founded: 1927
  • Holes: 27
  • Course Architects: Ralph Plummer/Edmund Ault/Tom Clark/Steve Wolfard/D.A. Weibring
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 76.1 Rating/131 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location
Shadow Hawk Golf Club
  1. Shadow Hawk Golf Club
  • Founded: 1999
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Rees Jones
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 75.6 Rating/139 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location
Driftwood Golf & Ranch Club
  1. Driftwood Golf and Ranch Club
  • Founded: 2020
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Tom Fazio
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 78.3 Rating/143 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.6
  • Location
Las Colinas Country Club
  1. Las Colinas Country Club
  • Founded: 1963
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Jim Lipe
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.4 Rating/138 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.5
  • Location
Gleneagles Country Club
  1. Gleneagles Country Club
  • Founded: 1986
  • Holes: 36
  • Course Architects: Robert Von Hagge/Bruce Devlin/Damien Pascuzzo/Steve Pate
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Kings:         74.7 Rating/143 Slope
    Queens:     74.6 Rating/141 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
  • Location
The Clubs at Kingswood
  1. The Clubs at Kingwood
  • Founded: 1974
  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Joe Finger/Ken Dye/Baxter Spann/Bruce Litell/Byron Nelson
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:
    Kingswood-Island:    75.1 Rating/143 Slope
    Kingswood-Forest:    74.9 Rating/142 Slope
    Kingswood-Lake:       73.6 Rating/134 Slope
    Kingswood-Marsh:    73.1 Rating/134 Slope
    Deerwood:                    75.1 Rating/132 Slope
  • Description
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.3
  • Location

The GolfDay private club 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), the variety of courses located at the property, USGA Course and Slope Ratings, current local and national rankings by Golf Digest, as well as club longevity and prestige.

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Classic Courses: Donald Ross–Top 35 Public 2024

Bedford Springs Resort, PA

Donald Ross was by far the most prolific of the classic golf course architectural masters, having designed or remodeled more than 300 courses in the United States that are still open for play.

Many of the most famous courses designed by Ross are private, including Oak Hill, Seminole, and Oakland Hills, but there are 100 Donald Ross courses that are open to the public–starting with Pinehurst #2.

Pinehurst #2, Pinehurst Resort NC

Pinehurst #2, site of the 2024 U.S. Open, is perhaps the most famous Donald Ross design, having previously hosted the Open in 2014, 2005 and 1999 as well as the 2014 Women’s Open, 1936 PGA Championship and the 1951 Ryder Cup.

Donald Ross

Donald Ross also designed courses 1 and 3 at Pinehurst Resort, and a great many of his classic course designs were conceived in his home adjacent to #2, Dornoch Cottage, where Ross lived from 1925 until his death in 1948.

Dornoch Cottage, Pinehurst Resort

Ross left us with a wealth of wonderful golf courses, and we are fortunate indeed that so many are available for everyone to enjoy. We have selected our Top 35, but you can also spin through a comprehensive list of all public Donald Ross courses.

Since Donald Ross made his home in North Carolina, it is not a surprise that 11 of the Top 35 public Ross courses are located in NC. Florida is second with 4, followed by Ohio and New Hampshire with three each.  

It is also notable that 11 of our Top 35 are Municipal courses, with Monroe Country Club (No. 10) and Mooresville Golf Club (No. 11) leading the list.

In addition to Pinehurst, premier golf resort locations with Donald Ross courses include French Lick in Indiana, Pine Needles (also in NC), and The Broadmoor in Colorado.

Should you wish to delve deeper into the life and work of this remarkable man, The Donald Ross Society is a fantastic resource.

And if you’re just looking for great public golf where you are or where you’re going, the GolfDay Search Engine makes it easy to find the best courses and a better bang for your buck.

Pinehurst Resort, NC
  1. Pinehurst Resort/Pinehurst, NC (Resort)
  • Holes: 180 (10-Eighteen Hole Regulation Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Walter Travis/Richard Tufts/Tom Fazio/Tom Marzolf/Ellis Maples/George Fazio/Rees Jones/Jack Nicklaus/Tom Doak
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating

#1:  69.1/123

#2:  77.9/149

#3:  66.1/123

#4:  74.9/138

#5:  73.1/135

#6:  74.5/140

#7:  75.6/142

#8:  73.9/139

#9:  74.8/143

#10 74.1/142         

French Lick Resort, IN

2. French Lick Resort/French Lick, IN (Resort)

  • Holes: 45 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses and Nine Hole Regulation Course)
  • Course Architects: Tom Bendelow/Hal Purdy/Pete Dye/Donald Ross/Dandy Alves/Allan MacCurrach
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating

Dye:                       80.5/151

Ross:                     75.7/149

Valley Links:       35.4/121

Pine Needles, NC

3. Pine Needles/Southern Pines, NC (Resort)

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/John Fought/Kyle Franz
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Pine Needles:       74.7/141

Mid Pines:              72.9/138

The Broadmoor, CO

4. The Broadmoor/Colorado Springs, CO (Resort)

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses/Mountain Course Closed for Renovation)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones, Sr./Jack Nicklaus/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

East:           73.8/141

West:          73.0/138

Bedford Springs Resort, PA

5. Bedford Springs Resort/Bedford, PA (Resort)

       Omni Hotels & Resorts

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Spencer Oldham/Donald Ross/A. W. Tillinghast/Ron Forse
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.7/140
  • Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers. Range Balls included with Greens Fee.
  • Course Description
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 97.1
  • Location
The Homestead, VA

6. The Homestead/Hot Springs, VA (Resort)

      Omni Hotels & Resorts

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/William Flynn/Tom Clark/Bill Love
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating

Cascades:            72.9/135

Old Course:         69.6/128

  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker (at both Cascades and Old Course).
The Lancaster Golf Club, SC

7. Lancaster Golf Club/Lancaster, SC (Public)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Russell Breeden/Clyde Johnston
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.7/137
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Video Tour
  • GolfDay Rating: 95.5
  • Location
Southern Pines Golf Club, NC

8. Southern Pines Golf Club/Southern Pines, NC (Public)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/William Mitchell/John LaFoy/Kyle Franz
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.0/135
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Restoration
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.9
  • Location
Forest Hills Golf Club, GA

9. Forest Hills Golf Club/Augusta, GA (Public)

  • 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: 94.2
  • Location
Monroe Country Club, NC

10. Monroe Country Club/Monroe, NC (Muni)   

        City of Monroe

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Tom Jackson/Richard Mandell/Tyler Rae
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.6/133
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 94.2
  • Location
Mooresville Golf Club, NC

11. Mooresville Golf Club/Mooresville, NC (Muni)

      Town of Mooresville

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architect: Donald Ross/J. Porter Gibson/Kris Spence
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.0/135
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers.
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.9
  • Location
Denison Golf Club at Granville , OH

12. Denison Golf Club at Granville/Granville University, OH (Public)

        Denison University

Fort Mill Golf Club, SC

13. Fort Mill Golf Club/Fort Mill, SC (Public)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/George Cobb/Clyde Johnston
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.9/136
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Video Tour
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.3
  • Location
Delaware Golf Club, OH

14. Delaware Golf Club/Delaware, OH (Public)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Michael Hurdzan/Fuzzy Zoeller
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.3/135
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens.
  • Course Description
  • Photos
  • GolfDay Rating: 93.1
  • Location
Seaview Hotel & Golf Club, NJ

15. Seaview Hotel & Golf Club/Galloway Township, NJ (Resort)  

        Dolce Hotels

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/A. W. Tillinghast/William Flynn/Howard Toomey/William F. Gordon/David W. Gordon/Alyn Janis/Bob Cupp
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating

Bay:                       69.8/125

Pines:                    72.4/123

Ravisloe Country Club, IL

16. Ravisloe Country Club/Homewood, IL (Public)

New Smyrna Golf Club, FL

17. New Smyrna Golf Club/New Smyrna Beach, FL (Muni)

        City of New Smyrna

Shennecossett Golf Club, CT

18. Shennecossett Golf Club/Groton, CT (Muni)

       City of Groton

The Waynesville Inn & Golf Club, NC

19. The Waynesville Inn & Golf Club/Waynesville, NC (Resort)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Tom Jackson/Bobby Weed
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 71.5/139
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, “Wedge Park” Short Course, Lighted Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
  • Course Description
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.4
  • Location
Mill Creek Golf Course, OH

20. Mill Creek Golf Course/Boardman, OH (Muni)

        Mill Creek MetroParks

  • Holes: 36 (2-Eighteen Hole Courses)
  • Course Architect: Donald Ross
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

North:  71.2/123

South:  71.7/126

Pinecrest Golf Club, FL

21. Pinecrest Golf Club/Avon Park, FL (Public)

George Wright Golf Course, MA

22. George Wright Golf Course/Hyde Park, MA (Muni)

Biltmore Golf Course, FL

23. Biltmore Golf Course/Coral Gables, FL (Resort)

        The Biltmore Hotel

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/William Langford/Mark Mahannah/Brian Silva
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3/132
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Grass Thursday-Sunday/Mats Monday-Wednesday) with Targets, Putting Greens (3) and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Jim McLean Golf Academy.
  • Course Description
  • Accommodations
  • GolfDay Rating: 91.1
  • Location
Jeffersonville Golf Club, PA

24. Jeffersonville Golf Club/Jeffersonville, PA (Muni)

        West Norton Township

Chautauqua Golf Club, NY

25. Chautauqua Golf Club/Chautauqua, NY (Public)

  • Holes: 36: (2-Eighteen Hole Courses: Lake/Hill
  • Course Architects: Seymour Dunn/Donald Ross/Xenophon Hassenplug/Chris Wilczynski
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Lake (Ross): 71.2/123

Hill:              71.7/125

Grove Park Golf Course, NC

26. Grove Park Golf Course/Ashville, NC (Resort)

        Omni Hotels & Resorts

Crotched Mountain Golf Club, NH

27. Crotched Mountain Golf Club/Francestown, NH (Public)

  • Holes: 18
  • Course Architects: Donald Ross/Dick Tremblay/Mark Gagne/Lyman Doane II
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 70.3/132
  • Practice Facilities: Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Green.
  • Photos
  • Indoor Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 90.0
  • Location
Poland Spring Resort, ME

28. Poland Spring Resort/Poland, ME (Resort)

Mount Washington Resort, NH

29. Mount Washington Resort/Bretton Woods, NH (Resort)

        Omni Hotels & Resorts

  • Holes: 27 (Eighteen- and Nine-Hole Courses)
  • Course Architects: Arthur Fenn/Alex Findlay/Donald Ross/Geoffrey Cornish/Brian Silva/Ross Forbes
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating:

Mount Washington: 73.7/135

Mount Pleasant: 34.7/116

Kingswood Golf Club, NH

30. Kingswood Golf Club/Wolfeboro, NH (Public)

Sagamore Golf Course, NY

31. Sagamore Golf Course/Bolton Landing, NY (Resort)

        Sagamore Resort   

Fort Myers Country Club, FL

32. Fort Myers Country Club/Fort Myers, FL (Muni)

        City of Fort Myers

Triggs Memorial Golf Course, RI

33. Triggs Memorial Golf Course/Providence, RI (Muni)

        City of Providence

Belmont Golf Course, VA

34. Belmont Golf Course/Henrico, VA (Muni)

        Henrico County Recreation & Parks

  • Holes: 18 (Twelve Hole Regulation Course/Belmont and Six Hole Executive Course/Little Bell)
  • Course Architects: A. W. Tillinghast/Donald Ross/David W. Gordon/Edmund Ault/Davis Love III
  • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 65.5/121
  • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Target Greens, Wedge Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers (3) and Eighteen Hole Putting Course (The Ringer).
  • Course Description
  • Junior Golf
  • GolfDay Rating: 89.3
  • Location
Wilmington Golf Course, NC

35. Wilmington Golf Course/Wilmington, NC (Muni)

        City of Wilmington

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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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Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

When you start thinking about your next golf get-away, give serious consideration to one of the many great golf trails that have sprung up throughout the U.S. Golf trails offer the opportunity to play a wide variety of courses, while at the same time enjoying the diverse scenery and local cuisine in various regions of the country. Trail packages offer group discounts on greens fees, accommodations and dining—or you can plan your own journey along the trail. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama offers many of finest courses you will find anywhere in the country, and wonderful weather is pretty much guaranteed throughout the year.

Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail

The RTJ Golf Trail includes eleven locations and twenty-six courses, from the southern-most point of the Appalachian mountain chain in northern Alabama to the tranquil waters of the gulf coast, each offering first-rate golf and gorgeous scenery. In addition to the great courses, eight of the locations offer wonderful accommodations including the Marriott Grand Hotel at Lakewood Golf Club in Point Clear on the gulf, and the Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort in Birmingham. All of the courses on the trail are either Robert Trent Jones, Sr. original designs (in collaboration with Roger Rulewich), or courses that were remodeled and updated by RTJ, with the exception of Ross Bridge that was designed by Roger Rulewich and Bobby Vaughn after Jones passed away in 2000.

The Courses

  • Cambrian Ridge/Greenville, AL 36037
    • Holes 36
    • 3 nine-hole courses (Loblolly/Sherling/Canyon) and 9-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Loblolly:         37.0/142
    • Sherling:         37.5/147
    • Canyon:           37.3/152
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 10 public courses-Alabama.
    • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express & Suites
    • GolfDay Rating: 98.8
  • Capitol Hill/Prattville, AL 36066
    • Holes 54
    • 3 eighteen-hole courses (Judge/Legislator/Senator)
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Judge:                       78.5/147
    • Legislator:               76.9/149
    • Senator:                   77.4/132
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 10 Courses-Alabama, Golfweek Top 10 Public Courses-Alabama
    • Accommodations: Holiday Inn Express & Suites
    • GolfDay Rating: 96.5
  • Grand National/Opelika, AL 36801
    • Holes 54
    • 2 eighteen-hole courses (Links/Lake) and eighteen-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Links:     75.2/142
    • Lake:      73.9/132
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping
    • Greens with Bunker
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 resorts-U.S., Golf Digest Top 10 courses-
    • Alabama, Golfweek Top 10 public courses-Alabama
    • Accommodations: Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa
    • GolfDay Rating: 98.1
  • Hampton Cove/Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763
    • Holes 54
    • 2 eighteen-hole courses(Highlands/River) and eighteen-hole executive course
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Highlands:    76.2/143
    • River:               76.6/143
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with
    • Bunker
    • Accommodations: Hampton Inn & Suites
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.0
  • The Lakewood Club/Point Clear, AL 36564
    • Holes 36
    • 2 eighteen-hole courses (Azalea/Dogwood)
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Azalea:             74.4/131
    • Dogwood:      73.7/136
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping
    • Greens with Bunkers (2). Range Balls included with Greens Fee (Callaway
    • Chrome Soft Balls Provided for short-game practice)
    • Accommodations: Marriott Grand Hotel Resort & Spa
    • GolfDay Rating: 91.8
  • Highland Oaks/Dothan, AL 36305
    • Holes 36
    • 3 nine-hole courses (Highlands/Magnolia/Marshwood) and 9-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Highlands:     37.9/149
    • Magnolia:       37.1/139
    • Marshwood:  37.6/138
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens with
    • Bunkers (2)
    • Accommodations: Hampton Inn
    • GolfDay Rating: 93.5
  • Magnolia Grove/Mobile, AL 36618
    • Holes 54
    • 2 eighteen-hole courses (Falls/Crossings) and eighteen-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Falls:                  74.6/130
    • Crossings:        73.7/139
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • Oxmoor Valley/Birmingham, AL 35211
    • Holes 54
    • 2 eighteen-hole courses (Ridge/Valley) and eighteen-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Ridge:             74.3/141
    • Valley:            74.9/146
    • Practice Facilities: Driving Range (Mats-Monday through Friday/Grass Saturday-Sunday), Putting and Chipping Greens
  • Silver Lakes/Glencoe, AL 35905
    • Holes 36
    • 3 nine-hole courses (Backbreaker/Heartbreaker/Mindbreaker) and eighteen-hole par 3
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Backbreaker:     38.5/143
    • Heartbreaker:    38.2/140
    • Mindbreaker:     37.7/151
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
  • The Shoals/Muscle Shoals, AL 35661
    • Holes 36
    • 2 Eighteen Hole Courses: (Fighting Joe/Schoolmaster)
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating
    • Fighting Joe:         78.6/146
    • Schoolmaster:      77.6/148
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker
    • Rankings: Golf Digest Top 10 courses-Alabama

Trail History

Established in 1992, The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail is the largest golf course project in history, with eleven locations, 26 courses, and 468 holes of golf. Stretching almost 400 miles from the gulf coast to Muscle Shoals in the northwest corner of Alabama.

The concept for the RTJ Golf Trail sprung from the vision of David G. Bronner, head of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which manages the pension funds for Alabama state employees. Bronner’s goal was to provide the residents of Alabama with world class golf facilities, strengthen the economy of the state and diversify the assets of the pension fund.

The RTJ Golf Trail has achieved all of these, and provided every golfer in the country an unforgettable opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Alabama and the genius of Robert Trent Jones. To date, more than 13 million golfers have visited the trail—an experience you definitely should include in your bucket list.

The Architects

Robert Trent Jones is one of the most celebrated golf course architects in history. His original designs include Spyglass Hill, Bellerive Country Club, Firestone Country Club and Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Robert Trent Jones Society

RTJ also updated and remodeled many of the great courses in the country, including Congressional, Oak Hill, The Olympic Club, and Baltusrol Golf Club. He also collaborated with Bobby Jones to design both the 11th and 16th holes at Augusta National, and President Eisenhower asked RTJ to design a putting green for the White House.

Roger Rulewich received a degree in civil engineering from Yale University in 1958, and began working for Robert Trent Jones in 1961. Together they designed hundreds of great courses, including the Apple Rock course at Horseshoe Bay Resort in Texas, which was awarded best new resort course by Golf Digest in 1986. Since the passing of RTJ in 2000, Roger Rulewich established himself as one of the finest course architects of his generation, with notable designs that include Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg, NJ and Grande Dunes Golf Course in South Carolina.

Trail Guide

Trail Map

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The Hammock Coast Golf Trail
South Carolina

Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Island SC

Hammock Coast Golf Trail

When you start to ponder the next golf get-away, Myrtle Beach is a destination that should immediately come to mind—and if you haven’t had a chance to get down there yet, now is the time to start getting a plan together. With more than 80 golf courses to choose from within an hour’s drive, great food, and fantastic beaches for when you want to cool out, MB is truly a golfer’s paradise.

And while you consider your options, take a good look at the Hammock Coast Golf Trail running along the coast just a touch south of Myrtle Beach. South Carolina offers many of the finest public courses in the country, and the Hammock Coast Trail includes many of the best.  

In addition to Jack’s great track at Pawley’s Plantation Golf & Country Club (recently updated) and TPC Myrtle Beach (a fantastic Tom Fazio layout), the Hammock Coast Trail also includes two amazing courses laid out by Mike Strantz—Caledonia Golf & Fish Club and True Blue Plantation.

Although Mike Strantz passed away tragically at only fifty years of age, he left us with some of the greatest courses in the world (including Tobacco Road in Sanford, NC and Royal Kent in Providence Forge, VA).  

In 2000 Strantz was named one of the “Top 10 Greatest Architects of All Time” by Golfweek Magazine and his work has been heralded by many respected golf publications, including Golf Course Architecture.

All of the courses on the Hammock Coast Trail are terrific, so you won’t go wrong if you add this group to your list—and you’re pretty much guaranteed a trip to remember.     

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.

Searching for courses that offer particular features? Click the GolfDay Search Engine to narrow it down.

Want to see all of the public courses in South Carolina listed by GolfDay Rating? Click S.C. Public Courses.   

The Courses

Blackmoor Golf Club
https://www.mbn.com/
Caledonia Golf & Fish Club
    • 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 and Steve Dresser Golf Academy available at True Blue Course).
    • Course Description
    • Photos
    • Rankings: Golfweek Top 200 Resorts, Golfweek S.C. Top 15-Public, Golf Digest S.C. Top 45
    • GolfDay Rating: 98.5
    • Location
Founders Club at Pawleys Island
Litchfield Golf & Country Club
    • Holes 18
    • Architect: William Byrd
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5/136
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range, Putting and Chipping Greens.
    • Photos
    • GolfDay Rating: 80.8
    • Location
Pawleys Plantation Golf & Country Club
River Club
    • Holes 18
    • Architect: Tom Jackson
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.5/139
    • Practice Facilities: Warm Up Bays with Net, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
    • Photos
    • GolfDay Rating: 90.4
    • Location
TPC Myrtle Beach
https://www.mbn.com/
    • Holes 18
    • Architect: Tom Fazio
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.3/154
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Dustin Johnson Golf School.
    • Course Description
    • Golf School
    • Rankings: Golfweek S.C. Top 15-Public, Golf Digest S, C. Top 45
    • GolfDay Rating: 95.4
    • Location
Tradition Golf Club
    • Holes 18
    • Architect: Ron Garl
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 73.5/147
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunkers.
    • Photos
    • Video Tour
    • GolfDay Rating: 92.8
    • Location
True Blue Golf Club
    • Holes 18
    • Architects: Mike Strantz/Tyler Rae
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 74.1/143
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker and Steve Dresser Golf Academy.
    • Rankings: Golfweek S.C. Top 15-Public, Golf Digest S, C. Top 45
    • Course Description
    • Photos
    • Golf Academy
    • GolfDay Rating: 97.8
    • Location
Wachesaw Plantation East
https://www.playgolfmyrtlebeach.com/
Wedgefield Country Club
Willbrook Plantation
    • Holes 18
    • Architect: Dan Maples
    • USGA Course/Slope Rating: 72.8/140
    • Practice Facilities: Grass Driving Range with Targets, Putting and Chipping Greens with Bunker.
    • Photos
    • Video Tour
    • GolfDay Rating: 88.4
    • Location

Hammock Coast Golf Trail:

Golf Packages

Accommodations

Trail Map

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LPGA Tour: The 2023 Cognizant Founders Cup

Minjee Lee: 2022 Founders Cup Champion

The Cognizant Founders Cup

The Ladies are returning to northern New Jersey in May! Once the LPGA Tour rounds out a swing to the west coast for the JM Eagle Championship in Los Angeles (April 27-30 at Wilshire Country Club) and the Hanwha Crown International team competition in San Francisco (May 4-7 at Harding Park), the Tour heads east, returning to northern New Jersey for the 2023 Cognizant Founders Cup which will be held at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, from Thursday, May 11 through Sunday May 14.

Minjee Lee, currently ranked No. 6 in the world, held off Lexi Thomson (No. 7), to claim the championship in 2022, and she will be coming back this year to defend her title. Her outstanding play at the ’22 Founders Cup carried through to her second major championship at the 2022 Women’s U.S. Open and then a runner-up at the Women’s PGA.    

Jin Young Ko

Jin Young Ko, the 2019 and 2021 Champion, will be looking for her third Founders Cup title—and her game has been extremely sharp thus far in 2023. In the five tournaments she has played this year, Jin Young has recorded four Top 10’s including a win at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March.  

The Field

The Founders Cup field will include all top ten in the Women’s World Golf Rankings, including Nelly Korda (No. 1 in the World), Lydia Ko (No. 2),Jin Young Ko (No. 3), Lilia Vu (No. 4) and Atthaya Thitikul (No. 5).

Fan favorite and 2022 runner-up Lexi Thompson (No. 7 in the world) will once again be in the field, as well as past Founders Cup champions Stacy Lewis (2013), Kim Sei Young (2016) and Anna Nordqvist (2017). You will also see 5-time major champion and member of the LPGA Hall of Fame, Laura Davies.

Atthaya Thitikul, Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson

With a field comprised of the most talented lady golfers in the world, this year’s event promises superb golf and the perfect setting to enjoy it.

The History

The LPGA Founders Cup was established in 2011 to celebrate the history of ladies’ professional golf and the thirteen trail blazing women who founded the Tour in 1950. The inaugural event was the Tampa Women’s Open held at Palma Ceia Country Club in Tampa, FL, won by Polly Riley, a distinguished amateur player who won more than 100 tournaments in her career. Babe Zaharias, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and among the greatest athletes in the history of sport, won 8 of the 15 events that were held that first year (including all three major championships). Patty Berg would go on to record 60 wins and 15 major championships, while Louise Suggs won 61 times with 11 major championships.  

Babe Zaharias, Patty Berg and Louise Suggs

In the 60’s and 70’s, renowned players including Mickey Wright (82 wins/13 Majors), Kathy Whitworth (88 wins/6 majors) and Betsy Rawls (55 wins/8 majors) continued to pave the way for the current LPGA stars. With grace, charm, and a beautiful swing, Nancy Lopez (48 wins/3 majors) carried the torch through the 80’s until Annika burst on the scene (72 wins/10 majors), raising the bar yet again while setting the stage for the magnificent players we see today.

Past Founders Cup champions include Karrie Webb (a two-time winner), Stacy Lewis, Anna Nordqvist and Inbee Park.

Upper Montclair Country Club

Founded in 1901 and located in Clifton, NJ, UMCC has hosted tournaments for the PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, and The Champions Tour. The course was originally designed by A. W. Tillinghast, with major re-design and renovations by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. in the 1950’s.

Upper Montclair Country Club, Clifton NJ

The PGA Tour came to Upper Montclair in the 60’s with The Thunderbird Classic, followed by the Dow Jones Classic in 1970—with Arnold Palmer and Gene Littler included among the champions.

In the late 70’s and 80‘s, Upper Montclair hosted the LPGA Coca-Cola and Chrysler Plymouth Classics, with legendary names like Nancy Lopez and Pat Bradley etched on the championship trophies. From 1993 through 2002, UMCC hosted the Champions Tour with the Cadillac NFL Classic, and winners include Hall-of Famers Lee Trevino (twice) and Raymond Floyd.

The LPGA came back to Upper Montclair from 2007-2009 with the Sybase Classic, won twice by one of the most talented and popular players in LPGA Tour history—Lorena Ochoa.

Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley and Lorena Ochoa

Upper Montclair Country Club offers 3 nine-hole courses (West, East and South), and the Founders Cup will be played on the West and South courses. From the Championship tees, the course rating is 73.5 with a Slope of 140.   

What to Expect

In addition to great golf, the ladies on the LPGA Tour go out of their way to make you feel welcome. There are times at PGA Tour and Champions Tour events when it can feel as though you are intruding, an irritating distraction. No so at an LPGA Tour event, where you’ll find a warmth and friendliness that can feel more like a family outing than a golf tournament. And when you watch the ladies produce masterful shots with more than just brute power, your game will benefit greatly as well.

Getting There (177 Hepburn Road, Clifton NJ 07012)

Located 13 miles west of midtown Manhattan, Upper Montclair Country Club is one of the most accessible courses in the New York Metro area. If you are traveling from south/central NJ, Westchester/southern Connecticut, or central Long Island, UMCC is within an hour’s drive.

Parking and Directions

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