
Golfweek's Best 2025: Top private golf courses in every state, ranked
Golfweek's Best 2025: Top private golf courses in every state, ranked
Where can you find the best private golf courses in each state? Welcome to Golfweek's Best 2025 list of top private layouts, as judged by our hundreds of raters.
The members of the ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings.
All the courses on this 2025 list are private and don't accept daily-fee or resort play. We also publish a list of each state's top public-access layouts. Keen eyes might notice there are only 49 states included on this list, because Alaska doesn't have any rated private clubs to include among the rankings.
KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek's Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S.
* indicates new or returning to the rankings
Alabama's best private golf courses
1. Wicker Point*
Alexander City (m)
2. Shoal Creek
Birmingham (T87m)
3. Country Club of Birmingham (West)
Birmingham (T114c)
4. Willow Point*
Alexander City (m)
5. The Ledges
Huntsville (m)
Arizona's best private golf courses
1. Estancia
Scottsdale (19m)
2. Desert Forest
Carefree (T73m)
3. Scottsdale National (The Other Course)
Scottsdale (m)
4. Forest Highlands (Canyon)
Flagstaff (T108m)
5. Whisper Rock (Upper)
Scottsdale (T122m)
6. Whisper Rock (Lower)
Scottsdale (m)
7. Desert Highlands
Scottsdale (T149m)
8. The Rim
Payson (T166m)
9. Stone Canyon
Oro Valley (T191m)
10. Mirabel
Scottsdale (m)
11. Silverleaf
Scottsdale (m)
12. Forest Highlands (Meadow)
Flagstaff (m)
T13. Troon Country Club
Scottsdale (m)
T13. Pine Canyon
Flagstaff (m)
15. Flagstaff Ranch
Flagstaff (m)
16. Paradise Valley
Paradise Valley (c)
17. Desert Mountain (Cochise)
Scottsdale (m)
18. The Gallery (North)
Marana (m)
19. Desert Mountain (Chiricahua)
Scottsdale (m)
20. Torreon (Cabin)
Show Low (m)
Arkansas' best private golf courses
1. Alotian Club
Roland (m)
2. The Blessings
Fayetteville (m)
3. Texarkana Country Club
Texarkana (c)
4. Chenal (Bear Den)*
Little Rock (m)
5. Chenal (Founders)
Little Rock (m)
California's best private golf courses
1. Cypress Point
Pebble Beach (1c)
2. Los Angeles Country Club (North)
Los Angeles (11c)
3. Riviera
Pacific Palisades (17c)
4. San Francisco Golf Club
San Francisco (T18c)
5. California Golf Club
South San Francisco (29c)
6. Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach (17m)
7. Valley Club of Montecito
Santa Barbara (T36c)
8. Olympic Club (Lake)
San Francisco (43c)
9. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach (T49c)
10. Martis Camp
Truckee (43m)
11. Bel-Air
Los Angeles (T59c)
12. The Madison Club
La Quinta (m)
13. The Quarry at La Quinta
La Quinta (T62m)
14. Meadow Club
Fairfax (T67c)
15. Lahontan
Truckee (m)
16. Mayacama
SantaRosa (99m)
17. Lake Merced
Daly City (T108c)
18. Wilshire
Los Angeles (T120c)
19. Santa Lucia Preserve
Carmel (T125m)
20. Stone Eagle
Palm Desert (T130m)
Colorado's best private golf courses
1. Ballyneal
Holyoke (5m)
2. Colorado Golf Club
Parker (35m)
3. Cherry Hills
Cherry Hills Village (T56c)
4. Cornerstone*
Montrose (m)
5. Castle Pines
Castle Rock (T68m)
6. Country Club of the Rockies
Edwards (m)
7. Maroon Creek
Aspen (m)
8. Glacier Club (Mountain)
Durango (m)
9. Frost Creek
Eagle (m)
10. Roaring Fork Club
Basalt (m)
Connecticut's best private golf courses
1. Yale Golf Course
New Haven (T67c)
2. Tamarack
Greenwich (T108c)
3. Stanwich Club
Greenwich (T108m)
4. Country Club of Fairfield
Fairfield (T117c)
5. Bull's Bridge
South Kent (m)
Delaware's best private golf courses
1. Bidermann
Wilmington (m)
2. Wilmington Country Club (South)
Wilmington (T191m)
3. Fieldstone
Greenville (m)
4. The Peninsula
Millsboro (m)
5. DuPont Country Club (DuPont)
Wilmington (c)
Florida's best private golf courses
1. Seminole
Juno Beach (12c)
2. Calusa Pines
Naples (T24m)
3. Panther National*
Palm Beach Gardens (29m)
4. Dye Course at White Oak
Yulee (67m)
5. Mountain Lake
Lake Wales (T72c)
T6. Belleair Country Club (West)
Belleair (T80c)
T6. Indian Creek
Miami Beach (c)
8. John's Island Club (West)
Vero Beach (80m)
T9. The Bear's Club
Jupiter (T89m)
T9. Jupiter Hills (Hills)
Tequesta (T89m)
11. Loblolly
Hobe Sound (95m)
12. McArthur
Hobe Sound (m)
13. Naples National
Naples (T103m)
14. Medalist
Hobe Sound (T119m)
15. Pablo Creek
Jacksonville (m)
16. Pine Tree
Boynton Beach (T125m)
T17. RedStick*
Vero Beach (m)
T17. High Ridge
Lantana (T132m)
19. Trump International West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach (T143m)
20. Coral Creek Club
Placida (T146m)
Georgia's best private golf courses
1. Augusta National
Augusta (3c)
2. Peachtree
Atlanta (T18c)
3. Ohoopee Match Club
Cobbtown (4m)
T4. Augusta Country Club
Augusta (T85c)
T4. East Lake
Atlanta (T85c)
6. Ocean Forest
Sea Island (T108m)
7. Cherokee Town & Country Club (North)
Dunwoody (T117c)
8. Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands)
Johns Creek (129m)
T9. Lookout Mountain Club
Lookout Mountain (T126c)
T9. Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee
Eatonton (T132m)
11. Atlanta Country Club
Marietta (T157m)
12. Frederica
St. Simons Island (T170m)
13. Ford Field & River Club
Richmond Hill (182m)
T14. The Farm
Rocky Face (m)
T14. Hawk's Ridge*
Ball Ground (T189m)
Hawaii's best private golf courses
1. Nanea
Kona (18m)
2. Kukio Golf & Beach Club*
Kailua-Kona (m)
3. Kohanaiki
Kailua-Kona (m)
4. Kukui'ula
Koloa (T170m)
5. Hokulia
Kailua-Kona (m)
Idaho's best private golf courses
1. Gozzer Ranch
Harrison (T37m)
2. Tributary
Driggs (T100m)
3. Whitetail
McCall (m)
4. Golf Club at Black Rock
Coeur d'Alene (m)
5. CDA National Reserve
Coeur d'Alene (T197m)
Illinois's best private golf courses
1. Chicago Golf Club
Wheaton (8c)
2. Shoreacres
Lake Bluff (22c)
3. Medinah Country Club (No. 3)
Medinah (T22m)
4. Old Elm
Highland Park (T49c)
5. Beverly
Chicago (T56c)
6. Butler National
Oak Brook (T50m)
7. Olympia Fields (North)
Olympia Fields (T78c)
8. Skokie
Glencoe (T91c)
9. Black Sheep
Sugar Grove (T108m)
10. Conway Farms
Lake Forest (T157m)
11. Olympia Fields (South)
Olympia Fields (T152c)
12. Bob O'Link
Highland Park (T161c)
13. Glen View Club
Golf (c)
14. Onwentsia Club
Lake Forest (T175c)
15. Rich Harvest Farms
Sugar Grove (m)
Indiana's best private golf courses
1. Victoria National
Newburgh (T53m)
2. Crooked Stick
Carmel (T76m)
3. Culver Academies
Culver (98c)
4. Sycamore Hills
Fort Wayne (m)
5. Club at Holliday Farms
Zionsville (m)
Iowa's best private golf courses
1. Davenport
Pleasant Valley (T67c)
2. Harvester
Rhodes (T84m)
3. Cedar Rapids Country Club
Cedar Rapids (94c)
4. Wakonda Club
Des Moines (c)
5. Des Moines Golf & Country Club (North)
West Des Moines (m)
Kansas's best private golf courses
1. Prairie Dunes
Hutchinson (13c)
2. Flint Hills National
Andover (T103m)
3. Wolf Creek
Olathe (T191m)
4. Hallbrook
Leawood (m)
5. Kansas City Country Club
Mission Hills (c)
Kentucky's best private golf courses
1. Valhalla
Louisville (T65m)
2. Idle Hour
Lexington (T163c)
3. Olde Stone
Bowling Green (m)
4. Hurstbourne
Louisville (m)
5. Audubon
Louisville (c)
Louisiana's best private golf courses
1. Squire Creek
Choudrant (m)
2. Country Club of Louisiana
Baton Rouge (m)
3. New Orleans Country Club
New Orleans (c)
4. Metairie Country Club
Metairie (c)
5. University Club
Baton Rouge (m)
Maine's best private golf courses
1. Portland Country Club
Falmouth (c)
2. Prouts Neck
Scarborough (c)
3. York Golf & Tennis Club
York (c)
4. Woodlands Club
Falmouth (m)
Maryland's best private golf courses
T1. Baltimore Country Club (East)
Timonium (T46c)
T1. Congressional (Blue)
Bethesda (T46c)
3. Burning Tree
Bethesda (113c)
4. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm
Potomac (118m)
5. Woodmont (North)
Rockville (c)
6. Caves Valley
Owings Mill (T132m)
7. Columbia
Chevy Chase (166c)
8. Chevy Chase Country Club
Chevy Chase (c)
9. Four Streams
Beallsville (m)
10. Congressional (Gold)
Bethesda (m)
Massachusetts' best private golf courses
1. The Country Club (Composite)
Brookline (T24c)
2. Myopia Hunt Club
Hamilton (T30c)
T3. Eastward Ho!
Chatham (T41c)
T3. Essex
Manchester-by-the-Sea (T41c)
5. Boston Golf Club
Hingham (T32m)
6. Old Sandwich Golf Club
Plymouth (36m)
7. Kittansett Club
Marion (51c)
8. Sankaty Head
Siasconset (90c)
9. Salem Country Club
Peabody (T91c)
10. Whitinsville Golf Club
Whitinsville (95c)
11. Worcester Country Club
Worcester (T117c)
12. Taconic
Williamstown (122c)
13. Winchester Country Club
Winchester (131c)
14. Nantucket Golf Club
Siasconset (T166m)
15. Hyannisport Club
Hyannis Port (T146c)
Michigan's best private golf courses
1. Crystal Downs
Frankfort (14c)
2. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills (23c)
3. Kingsley Club
Kingsley (T37m)
4. Dunes Club
New Buffalo (56m)
5. Franklin Hills
Franklin (T80c)
6. Lost Dunes
Bridgman (T139m)
7. Meadowbrook
Northville (T132c)
8. Orchard Lake Country Club
Orchard Lake (T135c)
9. Indianwood (Old)
Lake Orion (T140c)
10. Barton Hills
Ann Arbor (T146c)
11. Wuskowhan Player's Club
West Olive (m)
12. True North
Harbor Springs (m)
13. Bloomfield Hills Country Club
Bloomfield Hills (c)
T14. Point O'Woods
Benton Harbor (c)
T14. LochenHeath*
Williamsburg (m)
Minnesota's best private golf courses
1. Interlachen
Edina (66c)
2. Spring Hill
Wayzata (T53m)
3. Minikahda Club
Minneapolis (T78c)
4. Hazeltine National
Chaska (T84m)
5. White Bear Yacht Club
White Bear Lake (T88c)
6. Windsong Farm
Independence (T149m)
7. Somerset
Mendola Heights (c)
8. Northland
Duluth (T168c)
9. Minneapolis Golf Club
St. Louis Park (c)
10. Somerby Golf Club
Byron (m)
Mississippi's best private golf courses
1. Hattiesburg Country Club
Hattiesburg (c)
2. Annandale
Madison (m)
3. Reunion
Madison (m)
4. Laurel Country Club
Laurel (c)
5. Country Club of Jackson
Jackson (m)
Missouri's best private golf courses
1. St. Louis Country Club
St. Louis (T152c)
2. Bellerive
St. Louis (T116m)
3. Old Warson
Ladue (c)
4. Norwood Hills (West)
St. Louis (c)
5. Oakwood Country Club*
Kansas City (T185c)
Montana's best private golf courses
1. Rock Creek Cattle Company
Deer Lodge (16m)
2. The Stock Farm
Hamilton (m)
3. Yellowstone Club*
Big Sky (m)
4. Yellowstone Country Club
Billings (m)
5. Moonlight Basin (Reserve)
Big Sky (T122m)
Nebraska's best private golf courses
1. Sand Hills
Mullen (1m)
2. CapRock Ranch
Valentine (T13m)
3. GrayBull*
Maxwell (m)
4. Lost Rail
Gretna (94m)
5. Dismal River Club (Red)
Mullen (115m)
Nevada's best private golf courses
1. Clear Creek Tahoe
Carson City (m)
2. The Summit Club*
Las Vegas (m)
3. Southern Highlands
Las Vegas (T132m)
4. TPC Summerlin
Las Vegas (T197m)
5. Montreux
Reno (m)
New Hampshire's best private golf courses
1. Bald Peak Colony Club
Melvin Village (c)
2. Baker Hill
Newbury (m)
3. Manchester
Bedford (c)
4. Lake Sunapee
New London (c)
5. Nashua
Nashua (c)
New Jersey's best private golf courses
1. Pine Valley Golf Cub
Pine Valley (2c)
2. Somerset Hills
Bernardsville (21c)
3. Plainfield
Edison (T32c)
4. Baltusrol (Lower)
Springfield (T36c)
5. Hollywood
Deal (T52c)
6. Baltusrol (Upper)
Springfield (61c)
7. Ridgewood (Championship)
Paramus (T62c)
8. Galloway National
Galloway Township (m)
9. Bayonne Golf Club
Bayonne (79m)
10. Mountain Ridge
West Caldwell (101c)
11. Essex County Country Club
West Orange (T106c)
12. Hidden Creek
Egg Harbor Township (T146m)
13. Trump National Bedminster (New)*
Bedminster (m)
14. Trump National Bedminster (Old)
Bedminster (T166m)
15. Due Process Stable
Colt's Neck (m)
New Mexico's best private golf courses
1. Las Campanas (Sunset)
Santa Fe (m)
2. Rainmakers
Alto (m)
3. Las Campanas (Sunrise)
Santa Fe (m)
4. Alto Golf Estates (Outlaw)*
Alto (m)
5. Canyon Club at Four Hills
Albuquerque (m)
New York's best private golf courses
1. Shinnecock Hills
Southampton (4c)
2. National Golf Links of America
Southampton (5c)
3. Fishers Island Club
Fishers Island (9c)
4. Friar's Head
Baiting Hollow (2m)
5. Winged Foot (West)
Mamaroneck (16c)
6. Maidstone Club
East Hampton (T24c)
7. Sebonack
Southampton (11m)
8. Garden City Golf Club
Garden City (27c)
9. Sleepy Hollow
Scarborough (T30c)
10. Winged Foot (East)
Mamaroneck (T32c)
11. Oak Hill (East)
Rochester (35c)
12. Piping Rock
Locust Valley (38c)
13. Quaker Ridge
Scarsdale (40c)
14. Creek Club
Locust Valley (T59c)
15. St. George's
Setauket (T67c)
16. Glens Falls
Queensbury (T72c)
17. Country Club of Buffalo
Williamsville (T74c)
18. Fenway
Scarsdale (77c)
19. Hudson National
Croton-on-Hudson (T76m)
20. Atlantic Golf Club
Bridgehampton (m)
North Carolina's best private golf courses
1. Old Town Club
Winston-Salem (15c)
2. Wade Hampton Club
Cashiers (T7m)
T3. Quail Hollow Club
Charlotte (T58m)
T3. Diamond Creek
Banner Elk (T58m)
5. Mountaintop
Cashiers (T73m)
6. Roaring Gap Club
Roaring Gap (T80c)
7. Grandfather (Championship)
Linville (T81m)
8. Eagle Point
Wilmington (86m)
9. Charlotte Country Club
Charlotte (T99c)
10. Biltmore Forest
Asheville (116c)
11. Linville Ridge
Linville (m)
12. Champion Hills
Hendersonville (T157m)
13. Dormie Club
West End (T170m)
14. Cape Fear
Wilmington (T152c)
15. Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood)
Pinehurst (T191m)
North Dakota's best private golf courses
1. Fargo Country Club
Fargo (c)
2. Oxbow Country Club
Oxbow (m)
3. Apple Creek
Bismarck (c)
4. Grand Forks Country Club
Grand Forks (m)
Ohio's best private golf courses
1. Muirfield Village
Dublin (T7m)
2. Camargo Club
Indian Hill (28c)
3. The Golf Club
New Albany (T20)
4. Inverness Club
Toledo (48c)
5. Scioto
Columbus (T54c)
6. Moraine
Dayton (T67c)
7. Brookside
Canton (84c)
8. Canterbury
Beachwood (87c)
9. The Country Club
Pepper Pike (T96c)
10. NCR Country Club (South)
Kettering (T99c)
11. Kirtland
Willoughby (T104c)
12. Double Eagle
Galena (106m)
13. Pepper Pike Club
Pepper Pike (c)
14. Sand Ridge
Chardon (m)
15. Westbrook*
Mansfield (c)
Oklahoma's best private golf courses
1. Southern Hills
Tulsa (T32c)
2. Oak Tree National
Edmond (61m)
3. The Patriot
Owasso (121m)
4. Oaks*
Tulsa (c)
5. Twin Hills
Oklahoma City (c)
Oregon's best private golf courses
1. Eugene Country Club
Eugene (T112m)
2. Waverley
Portland (130c)
3. Pronghorn (Fazio)
Bend (T143m)
4. Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow)
North Plains (m)
5. Columbia Edgewater
Portland (c)
6. Awbrey Glen*
Bend (m)
7. Bend Golf Club
Bend (c)
8. Astoria
Warrenton (c)
9. Portland Golf Club
Portland (c)
10. Illahe Hill
Salem (m)
Pennsylvania's best private golf courses
1. Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont (6c)
2. Merion (East)
Ardmore (7c)
3. Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon)
Flourtown (45c)
4. Fox Chapel
Pittsburgh (64c)
5. Aronimink
Newtown Square (65c)
6. Lancaster Country Club
Lancaster (76c)
7. Laurel Valley
Ligonier (T80c)
8. Country Club of Scranton
Clarks Summit (T96c)
9. Gulph Mills
King of Prussia (T106c)
10. Stonewall (Old)
Elverson (T125m)
11. Rolling Green
Springfield (125c)
12. Huntingdon Valley
Huntingdon Valley (T132c)
13. Saucon Valley (Old)
Bethlehem (T135c)
14. Applebrook
Malvern (T149m)
T15. Kahkwa Club
Erie (c)
T15. Pittsburgh Field Club
Pittsburgh (T137c)
17. Manufacturers
Fort Washington (T140c)
18. Sunnehanna*
Johnstown (144c)
19. Saucon Valley (Weyhill)
Bethlehem (T176m)
20. Longue Vue
Verona (145c)
Rhode Island's best private golf courses
1. Newport Country Club
Newport (58c)
2. Wannamoisett
Rumford (T62c)
3. Shelter Harbor
Westerly (T71m)
4. Misquamicut
Westerly (T88c)
5. Sakonnet
Little Compton (c)
South Carolina's best private golf courses
1. Old Barnwell*
Aiken (T24m)
2. Yeaman's Hall
Charleston (44c)
3. Congaree
Ridgeland (T27m)
4. Tree Farm*
Batesburg (T40m)
5. Cherokee Plantation
Yemassee (m)
6. Sage Valley
Graniteville (T58m)
7. Long Cove
Hilton Head Island (T71m)
8. Secession
Gibbes Island (m)
9. Palmetto
Aiken (T104c)
10. Colleton River (Pete Dye)
Bluffton (T112m)
11. Kiawah Island Club (Cassique)
Kiawah Island (T149m)
12. Spring Island (Old Tabby Links)
Okatie (T157m)
T13. Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer)
Greenville (m)
T13. Cliffs at Mountain Park
Travelers Rest (T163m)
15. Kiawah Island Club (River Course)
Kiawah Island (T179m)
South Dakota's best private golf courses
1. Sutton Bay
Agar (70m)
2. Minnehaha
Sioux Falls (c)
3. Dakota Dunes Country Club
Dakota Dunes (m)
4. The Country Club of Sioux Falls*
Sioux Falls (c)
Tennessee's best private golf courses
1. Honors Course
Ooltewah (T22m)
2. Holston Hills
Knoxville (112c)
3. Golf Club of Tennessee
Kingston Springs (T116m)
4. Spring Creek Ranch
Collierville (m)
5. Black Creek
Chattanooga (m)
Texas' best private golf courses
1. Whispering Pines
Trinity (T37m)
2. Dallas National
Dallas (48m)
3. TXO (formerly Wolf Point Ranch)
Port Lavaca (m)
4. Brook Hollow
Dallas (c)
5. Bluejack National
Montgomery (T87m)
6. Austin Golf Club
Spicewood (T103m)
7. Spanish Oaks
Bee Cave (T119m)
8. Colonial
Fort Worth (T126c)
T9. Austin Country Club
Austin (T139m)
T9. Boot Ranch
Fredericksburg (T139m)
11. Trinity Forest
Dallas (T149m)
12. Escondido
Horseshoe Bay (T170m)
13. Club at Carlton Woods (Fazio Championship)
The Woodlands (m)
14. Maridoe Golf Club*
Carrollton (m)
15. Oak Hills
San Antonio (T183c)
Utah's best private golf courses
1. Victory Ranch
Kamas (m)
2. Glenwild
Park City (m)
3. Promontory (Painted Valley)
Park City (m)
4. The Country Club
Salt Lake City (c)
5. Entrada at Snow Canyon
St. George (m)
Vermont's best private golf courses
1. Ekwanok
Manchester (T91c)
2. Country Club of Vermont
Waterbury Center (m)
3. Burlington Country Club
Burlington (c)
4. Rutland Country Club
Rutland (c)
5. Vermont National
South Burlington (m)
Virginia's best private golf courses
1. Kinloch
Manakin-Sabot (T32m)
2. Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
Lake Manassas (47m)
3. Olde Farm
Bristol (T92m)
4. Trump National Washington D.C. (Championship)
Potomac Falls (m)
5. Bayville
Virginia Beach (m)
6. River Bend
Great Falls (m)
7. Country Club of Virginia (James River)
Richmond (c)
8. Governor's Land at Two Rivers
Williamsburg (m)
9. Ballyhack*
Roanoke (m)
10. Cutalong
Mineral (m)
Washington's best private golf courses
1. Aldarra
Sammamish (T163m)
2. Sahalee (South/North)
Sammamish (T185m)
3. Seattle Golf Club
Seattle (c)
4. Suncadia (Tumble Creek)
Roslyn (m)
5. Tacoma Golf & Country Club
Lakeland (c)
West Virginia's best private golf courses
1. Pikewood National
Morgantown (T20m)
2. Pete Dye Golf Club
Bridgeport (64m)
3. Greenbrier Sporting Club (Snead)
White Sulphur Springs (m)
4. Williams
Weirton (c)
5. Wheeling Country Club
Wheeling (c)
Wisconsin's best private golf courses
1. Milwaukee Country Club
Milwaukee (T54c)
2. Blue Mound
Wauwatosa (T108c)
3. Pine Hills
Sheboygan (T180c)
4. Oneida
Green Bay (c)
5. Green Bay Country Club
Green Bay (m)
Wyoming's best private golf courses
1. Shooting Star
Teton Village (T50m)
2. Snake River Sporting Club
Jackson (m)
3. Devils Tower
Hulett (m)
4. Three Creek Ranch
Jackson (Modern)

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- USA Today
Golfweek's Best 2025: Top private golf courses in every state, ranked
Golfweek's Best 2025: Top private golf courses in every state, ranked Where can you find the best private golf courses in each state? Welcome to Golfweek's Best 2025 list of top private layouts, as judged by our hundreds of raters. The members of the ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them based on 10 criteria on a points basis of 1 through 10. They also file a single, overall rating on each course. Those overall ratings are averaged to produce these rankings. All the courses on this 2025 list are private and don't accept daily-fee or resort play. We also publish a list of each state's top public-access layouts. Keen eyes might notice there are only 49 states included on this list, because Alaska doesn't have any rated private clubs to include among the rankings. KEY: (m) modern, built in 1960 or after; (c) classic, built before 1960. For courses with a number preceding the (m) or (c), that is where the course ranks on Golfweek's Best lists for top 200 modern and classic courses in the U.S. * indicates new or returning to the rankings Alabama's best private golf courses 1. Wicker Point* Alexander City (m) 2. Shoal Creek Birmingham (T87m) 3. Country Club of Birmingham (West) Birmingham (T114c) 4. Willow Point* Alexander City (m) 5. The Ledges Huntsville (m) Arizona's best private golf courses 1. Estancia Scottsdale (19m) 2. Desert Forest Carefree (T73m) 3. Scottsdale National (The Other Course) Scottsdale (m) 4. Forest Highlands (Canyon) Flagstaff (T108m) 5. Whisper Rock (Upper) Scottsdale (T122m) 6. Whisper Rock (Lower) Scottsdale (m) 7. Desert Highlands Scottsdale (T149m) 8. The Rim Payson (T166m) 9. Stone Canyon Oro Valley (T191m) 10. Mirabel Scottsdale (m) 11. Silverleaf Scottsdale (m) 12. Forest Highlands (Meadow) Flagstaff (m) T13. Troon Country Club Scottsdale (m) T13. Pine Canyon Flagstaff (m) 15. Flagstaff Ranch Flagstaff (m) 16. Paradise Valley Paradise Valley (c) 17. Desert Mountain (Cochise) Scottsdale (m) 18. The Gallery (North) Marana (m) 19. Desert Mountain (Chiricahua) Scottsdale (m) 20. Torreon (Cabin) Show Low (m) Arkansas' best private golf courses 1. Alotian Club Roland (m) 2. The Blessings Fayetteville (m) 3. Texarkana Country Club Texarkana (c) 4. Chenal (Bear Den)* Little Rock (m) 5. Chenal (Founders) Little Rock (m) California's best private golf courses 1. Cypress Point Pebble Beach (1c) 2. Los Angeles Country Club (North) Los Angeles (11c) 3. Riviera Pacific Palisades (17c) 4. San Francisco Golf Club San Francisco (T18c) 5. California Golf Club South San Francisco (29c) 6. Monterey Peninsula (Shore) Pebble Beach (17m) 7. Valley Club of Montecito Santa Barbara (T36c) 8. Olympic Club (Lake) San Francisco (43c) 9. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes) Pebble Beach (T49c) 10. Martis Camp Truckee (43m) 11. Bel-Air Los Angeles (T59c) 12. The Madison Club La Quinta (m) 13. The Quarry at La Quinta La Quinta (T62m) 14. Meadow Club Fairfax (T67c) 15. Lahontan Truckee (m) 16. Mayacama SantaRosa (99m) 17. Lake Merced Daly City (T108c) 18. Wilshire Los Angeles (T120c) 19. Santa Lucia Preserve Carmel (T125m) 20. Stone Eagle Palm Desert (T130m) Colorado's best private golf courses 1. Ballyneal Holyoke (5m) 2. Colorado Golf Club Parker (35m) 3. Cherry Hills Cherry Hills Village (T56c) 4. Cornerstone* Montrose (m) 5. Castle Pines Castle Rock (T68m) 6. Country Club of the Rockies Edwards (m) 7. Maroon Creek Aspen (m) 8. Glacier Club (Mountain) Durango (m) 9. Frost Creek Eagle (m) 10. Roaring Fork Club Basalt (m) Connecticut's best private golf courses 1. Yale Golf Course New Haven (T67c) 2. Tamarack Greenwich (T108c) 3. Stanwich Club Greenwich (T108m) 4. Country Club of Fairfield Fairfield (T117c) 5. Bull's Bridge South Kent (m) Delaware's best private golf courses 1. Bidermann Wilmington (m) 2. Wilmington Country Club (South) Wilmington (T191m) 3. Fieldstone Greenville (m) 4. The Peninsula Millsboro (m) 5. DuPont Country Club (DuPont) Wilmington (c) Florida's best private golf courses 1. Seminole Juno Beach (12c) 2. Calusa Pines Naples (T24m) 3. Panther National* Palm Beach Gardens (29m) 4. Dye Course at White Oak Yulee (67m) 5. Mountain Lake Lake Wales (T72c) T6. Belleair Country Club (West) Belleair (T80c) T6. Indian Creek Miami Beach (c) 8. John's Island Club (West) Vero Beach (80m) T9. The Bear's Club Jupiter (T89m) T9. Jupiter Hills (Hills) Tequesta (T89m) 11. Loblolly Hobe Sound (95m) 12. McArthur Hobe Sound (m) 13. Naples National Naples (T103m) 14. Medalist Hobe Sound (T119m) 15. Pablo Creek Jacksonville (m) 16. Pine Tree Boynton Beach (T125m) T17. RedStick* Vero Beach (m) T17. High Ridge Lantana (T132m) 19. Trump International West Palm Beach West Palm Beach (T143m) 20. Coral Creek Club Placida (T146m) Georgia's best private golf courses 1. Augusta National Augusta (3c) 2. Peachtree Atlanta (T18c) 3. Ohoopee Match Club Cobbtown (4m) T4. Augusta Country Club Augusta (T85c) T4. East Lake Atlanta (T85c) 6. Ocean Forest Sea Island (T108m) 7. Cherokee Town & Country Club (North) Dunwoody (T117c) 8. Atlanta Athletic Club (Highlands) Johns Creek (129m) T9. Lookout Mountain Club Lookout Mountain (T126c) T9. Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee Eatonton (T132m) 11. Atlanta Country Club Marietta (T157m) 12. Frederica St. Simons Island (T170m) 13. Ford Field & River Club Richmond Hill (182m) T14. The Farm Rocky Face (m) T14. Hawk's Ridge* Ball Ground (T189m) Hawaii's best private golf courses 1. Nanea Kona (18m) 2. Kukio Golf & Beach Club* Kailua-Kona (m) 3. Kohanaiki Kailua-Kona (m) 4. Kukui'ula Koloa (T170m) 5. Hokulia Kailua-Kona (m) Idaho's best private golf courses 1. Gozzer Ranch Harrison (T37m) 2. Tributary Driggs (T100m) 3. Whitetail McCall (m) 4. Golf Club at Black Rock Coeur d'Alene (m) 5. CDA National Reserve Coeur d'Alene (T197m) Illinois's best private golf courses 1. Chicago Golf Club Wheaton (8c) 2. Shoreacres Lake Bluff (22c) 3. Medinah Country Club (No. 3) Medinah (T22m) 4. Old Elm Highland Park (T49c) 5. Beverly Chicago (T56c) 6. Butler National Oak Brook (T50m) 7. Olympia Fields (North) Olympia Fields (T78c) 8. Skokie Glencoe (T91c) 9. Black Sheep Sugar Grove (T108m) 10. Conway Farms Lake Forest (T157m) 11. Olympia Fields (South) Olympia Fields (T152c) 12. Bob O'Link Highland Park (T161c) 13. Glen View Club Golf (c) 14. Onwentsia Club Lake Forest (T175c) 15. Rich Harvest Farms Sugar Grove (m) Indiana's best private golf courses 1. Victoria National Newburgh (T53m) 2. Crooked Stick Carmel (T76m) 3. Culver Academies Culver (98c) 4. Sycamore Hills Fort Wayne (m) 5. Club at Holliday Farms Zionsville (m) Iowa's best private golf courses 1. Davenport Pleasant Valley (T67c) 2. Harvester Rhodes (T84m) 3. Cedar Rapids Country Club Cedar Rapids (94c) 4. Wakonda Club Des Moines (c) 5. Des Moines Golf & Country Club (North) West Des Moines (m) Kansas's best private golf courses 1. Prairie Dunes Hutchinson (13c) 2. Flint Hills National Andover (T103m) 3. Wolf Creek Olathe (T191m) 4. Hallbrook Leawood (m) 5. Kansas City Country Club Mission Hills (c) Kentucky's best private golf courses 1. Valhalla Louisville (T65m) 2. Idle Hour Lexington (T163c) 3. Olde Stone Bowling Green (m) 4. Hurstbourne Louisville (m) 5. Audubon Louisville (c) Louisiana's best private golf courses 1. Squire Creek Choudrant (m) 2. Country Club of Louisiana Baton Rouge (m) 3. New Orleans Country Club New Orleans (c) 4. Metairie Country Club Metairie (c) 5. University Club Baton Rouge (m) Maine's best private golf courses 1. Portland Country Club Falmouth (c) 2. Prouts Neck Scarborough (c) 3. York Golf & Tennis Club York (c) 4. Woodlands Club Falmouth (m) Maryland's best private golf courses T1. Baltimore Country Club (East) Timonium (T46c) T1. Congressional (Blue) Bethesda (T46c) 3. Burning Tree Bethesda (113c) 4. TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm Potomac (118m) 5. Woodmont (North) Rockville (c) 6. Caves Valley Owings Mill (T132m) 7. Columbia Chevy Chase (166c) 8. Chevy Chase Country Club Chevy Chase (c) 9. Four Streams Beallsville (m) 10. Congressional (Gold) Bethesda (m) Massachusetts' best private golf courses 1. The Country Club (Composite) Brookline (T24c) 2. Myopia Hunt Club Hamilton (T30c) T3. Eastward Ho! Chatham (T41c) T3. Essex Manchester-by-the-Sea (T41c) 5. Boston Golf Club Hingham (T32m) 6. Old Sandwich Golf Club Plymouth (36m) 7. Kittansett Club Marion (51c) 8. Sankaty Head Siasconset (90c) 9. Salem Country Club Peabody (T91c) 10. Whitinsville Golf Club Whitinsville (95c) 11. Worcester Country Club Worcester (T117c) 12. Taconic Williamstown (122c) 13. Winchester Country Club Winchester (131c) 14. Nantucket Golf Club Siasconset (T166m) 15. Hyannisport Club Hyannis Port (T146c) Michigan's best private golf courses 1. Crystal Downs Frankfort (14c) 2. Oakland Hills (South) Bloomfield Hills (23c) 3. Kingsley Club Kingsley (T37m) 4. Dunes Club New Buffalo (56m) 5. Franklin Hills Franklin (T80c) 6. Lost Dunes Bridgman (T139m) 7. Meadowbrook Northville (T132c) 8. Orchard Lake Country Club Orchard Lake (T135c) 9. Indianwood (Old) Lake Orion (T140c) 10. Barton Hills Ann Arbor (T146c) 11. Wuskowhan Player's Club West Olive (m) 12. True North Harbor Springs (m) 13. Bloomfield Hills Country Club Bloomfield Hills (c) T14. Point O'Woods Benton Harbor (c) T14. LochenHeath* Williamsburg (m) Minnesota's best private golf courses 1. Interlachen Edina (66c) 2. Spring Hill Wayzata (T53m) 3. Minikahda Club Minneapolis (T78c) 4. Hazeltine National Chaska (T84m) 5. White Bear Yacht Club White Bear Lake (T88c) 6. Windsong Farm Independence (T149m) 7. Somerset Mendola Heights (c) 8. Northland Duluth (T168c) 9. Minneapolis Golf Club St. Louis Park (c) 10. Somerby Golf Club Byron (m) Mississippi's best private golf courses 1. Hattiesburg Country Club Hattiesburg (c) 2. Annandale Madison (m) 3. Reunion Madison (m) 4. Laurel Country Club Laurel (c) 5. Country Club of Jackson Jackson (m) Missouri's best private golf courses 1. St. Louis Country Club St. Louis (T152c) 2. Bellerive St. Louis (T116m) 3. Old Warson Ladue (c) 4. Norwood Hills (West) St. Louis (c) 5. Oakwood Country Club* Kansas City (T185c) Montana's best private golf courses 1. Rock Creek Cattle Company Deer Lodge (16m) 2. The Stock Farm Hamilton (m) 3. Yellowstone Club* Big Sky (m) 4. Yellowstone Country Club Billings (m) 5. Moonlight Basin (Reserve) Big Sky (T122m) Nebraska's best private golf courses 1. Sand Hills Mullen (1m) 2. CapRock Ranch Valentine (T13m) 3. GrayBull* Maxwell (m) 4. Lost Rail Gretna (94m) 5. Dismal River Club (Red) Mullen (115m) Nevada's best private golf courses 1. Clear Creek Tahoe Carson City (m) 2. The Summit Club* Las Vegas (m) 3. Southern Highlands Las Vegas (T132m) 4. TPC Summerlin Las Vegas (T197m) 5. Montreux Reno (m) New Hampshire's best private golf courses 1. Bald Peak Colony Club Melvin Village (c) 2. Baker Hill Newbury (m) 3. Manchester Bedford (c) 4. Lake Sunapee New London (c) 5. Nashua Nashua (c) New Jersey's best private golf courses 1. Pine Valley Golf Cub Pine Valley (2c) 2. Somerset Hills Bernardsville (21c) 3. Plainfield Edison (T32c) 4. Baltusrol (Lower) Springfield (T36c) 5. Hollywood Deal (T52c) 6. Baltusrol (Upper) Springfield (61c) 7. Ridgewood (Championship) Paramus (T62c) 8. Galloway National Galloway Township (m) 9. Bayonne Golf Club Bayonne (79m) 10. Mountain Ridge West Caldwell (101c) 11. Essex County Country Club West Orange (T106c) 12. Hidden Creek Egg Harbor Township (T146m) 13. Trump National Bedminster (New)* Bedminster (m) 14. Trump National Bedminster (Old) Bedminster (T166m) 15. Due Process Stable Colt's Neck (m) New Mexico's best private golf courses 1. Las Campanas (Sunset) Santa Fe (m) 2. Rainmakers Alto (m) 3. Las Campanas (Sunrise) Santa Fe (m) 4. Alto Golf Estates (Outlaw)* Alto (m) 5. Canyon Club at Four Hills Albuquerque (m) New York's best private golf courses 1. Shinnecock Hills Southampton (4c) 2. National Golf Links of America Southampton (5c) 3. Fishers Island Club Fishers Island (9c) 4. Friar's Head Baiting Hollow (2m) 5. Winged Foot (West) Mamaroneck (16c) 6. Maidstone Club East Hampton (T24c) 7. Sebonack Southampton (11m) 8. Garden City Golf Club Garden City (27c) 9. Sleepy Hollow Scarborough (T30c) 10. Winged Foot (East) Mamaroneck (T32c) 11. Oak Hill (East) Rochester (35c) 12. Piping Rock Locust Valley (38c) 13. Quaker Ridge Scarsdale (40c) 14. Creek Club Locust Valley (T59c) 15. St. George's Setauket (T67c) 16. Glens Falls Queensbury (T72c) 17. Country Club of Buffalo Williamsville (T74c) 18. Fenway Scarsdale (77c) 19. Hudson National Croton-on-Hudson (T76m) 20. Atlantic Golf Club Bridgehampton (m) North Carolina's best private golf courses 1. Old Town Club Winston-Salem (15c) 2. Wade Hampton Club Cashiers (T7m) T3. Quail Hollow Club Charlotte (T58m) T3. Diamond Creek Banner Elk (T58m) 5. Mountaintop Cashiers (T73m) 6. Roaring Gap Club Roaring Gap (T80c) 7. Grandfather (Championship) Linville (T81m) 8. Eagle Point Wilmington (86m) 9. Charlotte Country Club Charlotte (T99c) 10. Biltmore Forest Asheville (116c) 11. Linville Ridge Linville (m) 12. Champion Hills Hendersonville (T157m) 13. Dormie Club West End (T170m) 14. Cape Fear Wilmington (T152c) 15. Country Club of North Carolina (Dogwood) Pinehurst (T191m) North Dakota's best private golf courses 1. Fargo Country Club Fargo (c) 2. Oxbow Country Club Oxbow (m) 3. Apple Creek Bismarck (c) 4. Grand Forks Country Club Grand Forks (m) Ohio's best private golf courses 1. Muirfield Village Dublin (T7m) 2. Camargo Club Indian Hill (28c) 3. The Golf Club New Albany (T20) 4. Inverness Club Toledo (48c) 5. Scioto Columbus (T54c) 6. Moraine Dayton (T67c) 7. Brookside Canton (84c) 8. Canterbury Beachwood (87c) 9. The Country Club Pepper Pike (T96c) 10. NCR Country Club (South) Kettering (T99c) 11. Kirtland Willoughby (T104c) 12. Double Eagle Galena (106m) 13. Pepper Pike Club Pepper Pike (c) 14. Sand Ridge Chardon (m) 15. Westbrook* Mansfield (c) Oklahoma's best private golf courses 1. Southern Hills Tulsa (T32c) 2. Oak Tree National Edmond (61m) 3. The Patriot Owasso (121m) 4. Oaks* Tulsa (c) 5. Twin Hills Oklahoma City (c) Oregon's best private golf courses 1. Eugene Country Club Eugene (T112m) 2. Waverley Portland (130c) 3. Pronghorn (Fazio) Bend (T143m) 4. Pumpkin Ridge (Witch Hollow) North Plains (m) 5. Columbia Edgewater Portland (c) 6. Awbrey Glen* Bend (m) 7. Bend Golf Club Bend (c) 8. Astoria Warrenton (c) 9. Portland Golf Club Portland (c) 10. Illahe Hill Salem (m) Pennsylvania's best private golf courses 1. Oakmont Country Club Oakmont (6c) 2. Merion (East) Ardmore (7c) 3. Philadelphia Cricket Club (Wissahickon) Flourtown (45c) 4. Fox Chapel Pittsburgh (64c) 5. Aronimink Newtown Square (65c) 6. Lancaster Country Club Lancaster (76c) 7. Laurel Valley Ligonier (T80c) 8. Country Club of Scranton Clarks Summit (T96c) 9. Gulph Mills King of Prussia (T106c) 10. Stonewall (Old) Elverson (T125m) 11. Rolling Green Springfield (125c) 12. Huntingdon Valley Huntingdon Valley (T132c) 13. Saucon Valley (Old) Bethlehem (T135c) 14. Applebrook Malvern (T149m) T15. Kahkwa Club Erie (c) T15. Pittsburgh Field Club Pittsburgh (T137c) 17. Manufacturers Fort Washington (T140c) 18. Sunnehanna* Johnstown (144c) 19. Saucon Valley (Weyhill) Bethlehem (T176m) 20. Longue Vue Verona (145c) Rhode Island's best private golf courses 1. Newport Country Club Newport (58c) 2. Wannamoisett Rumford (T62c) 3. Shelter Harbor Westerly (T71m) 4. Misquamicut Westerly (T88c) 5. Sakonnet Little Compton (c) South Carolina's best private golf courses 1. Old Barnwell* Aiken (T24m) 2. Yeaman's Hall Charleston (44c) 3. Congaree Ridgeland (T27m) 4. Tree Farm* Batesburg (T40m) 5. Cherokee Plantation Yemassee (m) 6. Sage Valley Graniteville (T58m) 7. Long Cove Hilton Head Island (T71m) 8. Secession Gibbes Island (m) 9. Palmetto Aiken (T104c) 10. Colleton River (Pete Dye) Bluffton (T112m) 11. Kiawah Island Club (Cassique) Kiawah Island (T149m) 12. Spring Island (Old Tabby Links) Okatie (T157m) T13. Greenville Country Club (Chanticleer) Greenville (m) T13. Cliffs at Mountain Park Travelers Rest (T163m) 15. Kiawah Island Club (River Course) Kiawah Island (T179m) South Dakota's best private golf courses 1. Sutton Bay Agar (70m) 2. Minnehaha Sioux Falls (c) 3. Dakota Dunes Country Club Dakota Dunes (m) 4. The Country Club of Sioux Falls* Sioux Falls (c) Tennessee's best private golf courses 1. Honors Course Ooltewah (T22m) 2. Holston Hills Knoxville (112c) 3. Golf Club of Tennessee Kingston Springs (T116m) 4. Spring Creek Ranch Collierville (m) 5. Black Creek Chattanooga (m) Texas' best private golf courses 1. Whispering Pines Trinity (T37m) 2. Dallas National Dallas (48m) 3. TXO (formerly Wolf Point Ranch) Port Lavaca (m) 4. Brook Hollow Dallas (c) 5. Bluejack National Montgomery (T87m) 6. Austin Golf Club Spicewood (T103m) 7. Spanish Oaks Bee Cave (T119m) 8. Colonial Fort Worth (T126c) T9. Austin Country Club Austin (T139m) T9. Boot Ranch Fredericksburg (T139m) 11. Trinity Forest Dallas (T149m) 12. Escondido Horseshoe Bay (T170m) 13. Club at Carlton Woods (Fazio Championship) The Woodlands (m) 14. Maridoe Golf Club* Carrollton (m) 15. Oak Hills San Antonio (T183c) Utah's best private golf courses 1. Victory Ranch Kamas (m) 2. Glenwild Park City (m) 3. Promontory (Painted Valley) Park City (m) 4. The Country Club Salt Lake City (c) 5. Entrada at Snow Canyon St. George (m) Vermont's best private golf courses 1. Ekwanok Manchester (T91c) 2. Country Club of Vermont Waterbury Center (m) 3. Burlington Country Club Burlington (c) 4. Rutland Country Club Rutland (c) 5. Vermont National South Burlington (m) Virginia's best private golf courses 1. Kinloch Manakin-Sabot (T32m) 2. Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Lake Manassas (47m) 3. Olde Farm Bristol (T92m) 4. Trump National Washington D.C. (Championship) Potomac Falls (m) 5. Bayville Virginia Beach (m) 6. River Bend Great Falls (m) 7. Country Club of Virginia (James River) Richmond (c) 8. Governor's Land at Two Rivers Williamsburg (m) 9. Ballyhack* Roanoke (m) 10. Cutalong Mineral (m) Washington's best private golf courses 1. Aldarra Sammamish (T163m) 2. Sahalee (South/North) Sammamish (T185m) 3. Seattle Golf Club Seattle (c) 4. Suncadia (Tumble Creek) Roslyn (m) 5. Tacoma Golf & Country Club Lakeland (c) West Virginia's best private golf courses 1. Pikewood National Morgantown (T20m) 2. Pete Dye Golf Club Bridgeport (64m) 3. Greenbrier Sporting Club (Snead) White Sulphur Springs (m) 4. Williams Weirton (c) 5. Wheeling Country Club Wheeling (c) Wisconsin's best private golf courses 1. Milwaukee Country Club Milwaukee (T54c) 2. Blue Mound Wauwatosa (T108c) 3. Pine Hills Sheboygan (T180c) 4. Oneida Green Bay (c) 5. Green Bay Country Club Green Bay (m) Wyoming's best private golf courses 1. Shooting Star Teton Village (T50m) 2. Snake River Sporting Club Jackson (m) 3. Devils Tower Hulett (m) 4. Three Creek Ranch Jackson (Modern)


USA Today
20-05-2025
- USA Today
Popular Arizona resort to renovate the greens and more on one of its highly ranked courses
Popular Arizona resort to renovate the greens and more on one of its highly ranked courses The Boulders Resort & Spa Scottsdale in Arizona has undertaken a renovation to its North Course with a main focus on the layout's greens. Plans are for the North Course to reopen this fall. The North Course ties for No. 15 on Golfweek's Best ranking of public-access courses in Arizona. The Boulders also operates its South Course, which is No. 17 on that list. The North was designed by Jay Morrish and opened in 1985. The greens on the North will be restored to their original sizes and shapes. They will then be resurfaced with TifEagle Bermuda grass, a resilient turf that should consume less water and does not require the course to be overseeded for each winter's busy season. All the tees on the North also will be leveled and resurfaced, as will the tees on par 4s and par 5s on the South Course. It all follows extensive bunker renovations and other enhancements to both courses three years ago, including resurfacing the greens on the South Course. Arthur Schaupeter, vice president of Casa Verde Golf, will oversee the North project. Casa Verde Golf is a Troon company, with Troon being the largest golf management company operating more than 575 18-hole equivalent courses around the globe. Troon also manages the agronomy and golf operations for the Boulders. 'The net result to the North Course refinement project will be more pin locations and playability enhancements to what is already an iconic course,' Schaupeter said in a media release announcing the project. 'Arizona courses that have recently converted to TifEagle greens include Stone Canyon, Superstition Mountain, TPC Scottsdale, Silverleaf and Terravita golf courses.'


USA Today
19-05-2025
- USA Today
This Michigan golf course feels like a time warp back to Jurassic era
This Michigan golf course feels like a time warp back to Jurassic era It looks like no terrain you have ever seen before on a golf course — like you've been transported into an Ansel Adams landscape portrait. That's the grounds of Greywalls at Marquette Golf Club in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with Lake Superior shimmering in the distance. The aptly named Greywalls was sculpted out of breathtaking, tumbling land featuring granite walls and outcrops scattered throughout the fairways and greens — it feels straight out of the Jurassic era. It makes for a gnarly one-of-a-kind ride through the wilderness, with stunning views and elevation changes, never-seen-before fairway impediments and numerous holes that would qualify as the signature on most courses. More: Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play 2024: Top 100 U.S. public-access layouts, ranked Greywalls was created by Saginaw native Mike DeVries — who, a few years earlier, completed the acclaimed private Kingsley Club in Grand Traverse County — after Marquette Golf Club saw its original 1929 course, The Heritage, being overrun. DeVries, who earned his Masters in landscape architecture in 1994 from Michigan, has created well-regarded courses in west Michigan, including Pierson's Pilgrim's Run, Grand Rapids' The Mines and Hamilton's Diamond Springs. Greywalls, opened in 2005, continually ranks inside the top 50 public-access courses in America, as judged by Golfweek: It was No. 40 nationally in 2024, and No. 2 in Michigan. How DeVries had the vision to carve out Greywalls from a rugged forest is jaw-dropping, both to the architectural expert and the untrained eye. Right away, you know you're in for something different. The par-5 first hole tees from a high point to boldly sloping turf with rock outcroppings on each side. The par-4 second fairway has severe peaks and valleys as it winds and tumbles to a green site sticking out of the forest. The par-4 fourth features a giant mound of fairway on the left with a small patch of moss and fescue on top of another jutting rock that drops off to a valley of fairway on the right. The green is protected on the left by a giant overgrown rock wall standing a few stories high. The sixth might be the best of them all: a rare uphill par-3. But, boy, is it intimidating, hitting over a rock outcropping with a green sitting on a plateau surrounded by more rock. I'm surely one of thousands to bang it off the rock face guarding the right side of the green. And the par-4 seventh? Don't even get me started on that extreme roller coaster of a fairway with random jagged rocks splattered across it. Just making it through the hole with the same ball you teed off with — and without a sprained ankle — is an accomplishment. The par-4 11th makes you feel like you're on the only golf hole in the world, beautifully framed by bunkers crisscrossing the fairway from every angle with the dense forest behind the green. \Virtually every hole offers something unique, including tightly mown areas around the fast greens, which allow imaginative ways to get the ball rolling toward the cup. It's a design feature not seen enough at most courses. The journey ends on the downhill par-5 18th with a tee shot down a chute framed by more rock outcroppings, with Lake Superior beckoning beyond the horizon. Greywalls has earned even more positive publicity over the past few years from two leaders of new-age golf media platforms. The website Fried Egg Golf spotlighted the course and featured a short video on No. 7 among its "Great Golf Holes" series. "Mike DeVries created one of the most memorable holes in golf simply by letting the jaw-dropping terrain be the star," Fried Egg founder Andy Johnson says in the clip. No Laying Up played its final match of its "Tourist Sauce (Michigan)" series in 2021, showcasing the entire course intertwined with commentary from DeVries. Greywalls is the type of experience where, after you finish the round, you have to take a seat to talk through and digest the nigh-indescribable nature of what you just witnessed. And though you might need a day to recover, you want to get out and play it again to see what kind of breaks you might get the second time around. It is a course every golfer from below the Mackinac Bridge should try to play at least once, and more than worth the half-day drive from southeast Michigan. Marlowe Alter is an assistant sports editor at the Detroit Free Press and a spraying golf aficionado. You can reach him by email: malter@