{"id":6957,"date":"2024-10-16T07:14:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-16T11:14:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golfday.us\/blog\/?p=6957"},"modified":"2025-06-26T08:29:48","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T12:29:48","slug":"toughest-courses-u-s-resorts-top-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golfday.us\/blog\/toughest-courses-u-s-resorts-top-30\/","title":{"rendered":"Toughest Courses: U.S. Resorts Top 30"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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French Lick Resort; Dye Course, IN<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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If you are a scratch golfer determined to challenge your game on the toughest courses open to public play, perhaps the best place to start is at a resort\u2014and we have assembled the toughest 30 resort courses in the country based on USGA<\/mark><\/a> course rating from the tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not surprisingly, Pete Dye<\/mark><\/a> crafted seven of them\u2014including #1 (Dye Course at French Lick), #2 (Harbour Town with Jack Nicklaus at Sea Pines), and #3 (The Ocean Course at Kiawah).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nicklaus<\/mark><\/a>, renowned for designing a stiff test of golf, laid out 4 of the 30\u2014The Reserve at Moonlight Basin (#5), The Bear Course at Grand Traverse (#25), Great Waters at Reynolds Lake Oconee (#28) as well as collaborating with Pete Dye at Harbour Town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Robert Trent Jones, Sr<\/mark><\/a>. designs are among the thirty (Judge at Capitol Hill on the RTJ Golf Trail<\/mark><\/a>–#6 and Mauna Kea in Hawaii–#15) while Rees Jones<\/mark><\/a> contributed a pair (Blue Top Ridge–#13 and the North Course at Lake of Isles–#21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Masters of difficulty: Pete Dye and Rees Jones<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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While these difficult resort tracks are spread throughout 22 states, Wisconsin boasts the greatest number with 4 (Straits course at Whistling Straits, River course at Blackwolf Run, Erin Hills, and Wild Rock at The Wilderness Resort). And by the way, these big boys are all part of the fantastic collection of courses to be found on Wisconsin Golf Trail<\/mark><\/a> as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it\u2019s time to start planning a golf trip, take a look at the GolfDay Top 250 Resorts<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>; and for finding a great golf course where you are or where you\u2019re going, the GolfDay Search Engine<\/mark><\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>makes it easy to get a better bang for your buck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The<\/strong> Dye Course, French Lick Resort IN<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

1.<\/strong> Dye Course<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

French Lick Resort<\/mark><\/strong><\/a>\/<\/strong>French Lick, IN  <\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pete Dye Golf Trail<\/p>\n\n\n\n