Tag: Golfweek’s Best states 2024

The best public-access and private golf courses in Michigan, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in Michigan.

Looking to play the best golf courses in Michigan? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them 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 all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

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

Best public-access courses in Michigan

The Loop at Forest Dunes in Michigan (Courtesy of Forest Dunes/Evan Schiller)

1. Arcadia Bluffs (Bluffs)
Arcadia (T77m)

2. Marquette GC (Greywalls)
Marquette (T107m)

3. Forest Dunes (The Loop Red & Black)
Roscommon (T134m)

4. Forest Dunes (Weiskopf)
Roscommon (T196m)

5. Arcadia Bluffs (South)
Arcadia (m)

6. Belvedere
Charlevoix (T178c)

7. Boyne’s Bay Harbor (Links/Quarry)
Bay Harbor (m)

8. Eagle Eye
Bath (m)

T9. Island Resort and Casino (Sweetgrass)
Harris (m)

T9. Gull Lake View Resort (Stoatin Brae)
Augusta (m)

11. Pilgrim’s Run
Pierson (m)

T12. Sage Run
Bark River (m)

T12. Harbor Shores
Benton Harbor (m)

14. American Dunes
Grand Haven (m)

15. University of Michigan GC
Ann Arbor (c)

16. Boyne Highlands (Arthur Hills)
Harbor Springs (m)

T17. Tullymore Golf Resort (Tullymore)*
Stanwood (m)

T17. Hidden River Golf & Casting Club
Brutus (m)

19. Diamond Springs
Hamilton (m)

20. Pine Mountain Resort (Timber Stone)
Iron Mountain (m)

Best private courses in Michigan

Kingsley Club in Michigan (Courtesy of Kingsley Club/Laurence Lambrecht)

1. Crystal Downs
Frankfort (T13)

2. Oakland Hills (South)
Bloomfield Hills (22c)

3. Kingsley Club
Kingsley (T30m)

4. Dunes Club
New Buffalo (52m)

5. Franklin Hills
Franklin (80c)

6. Meadowbrook
Northville (T125)

T7. Lost Dunes
Bridgman (142m)

T7. Indianwood (Old)
Lake Orion (130c)

9. Orchard Lake CC
Orchard Lake (T144c)

10. Barton Hills
Ann Arbor (T149c)

11. Wuskowhan Player’s Club
West Olive (m)

12. Bloomfield Hills CC
Bloomfield Hills (c)

13. CC of Detroit
Grosse Pointe Farms (c)

14. Point O’Woods
Benton Harbor (c)

15. True North
Harbor Springs (m)

The best public-access and private golf courses in Wisconsin, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in Wisconsin.

Looking to play the best golf courses in Wisconsin? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them 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 all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

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

Best public-access courses in Wisconsin

Lido Sand Valley
The Lido at Sand Valley in Wisconsin (Courtesy of Sand Valley/Brandon Carter)

1. Kohler Whistling Straits (Straits)
Mosel (T8m)

2. Sand Valley (Lido)*
Nekoosa (32m)

3. Sand Valley (Mammoth Dunes)
Nekoosa (36m)

4. Sand Valley (Sand Valley)
Nekoosa (T37m)

5. Lawsonia (Links)
Green Lake (T66c)

6. Erin Hills
Erin (T60m)

7. Kohler Blackwolf Run (River)
Kohler (T143m)

8. Kohler Whistling Straits (Irish)
Mosel (m)

9. SentryWorld
Stevens Point (m)

10. Troy Burne
Hudson (m)

11. University Ridge
Madison (m)

12. Kohler Blackwolf Run (Meadow Valleys)
Kohler (m)

13. The Bull at Pinehurst Farms
Sheboygan Falls (m)

14. Wilderness Resort (Wild Rock)
Wisconsin Dells (m)

15. Club at Lac La Belle*
Oconomowoc (m)

Best private courses in Wisconsin

1. Milwaukee CC
Milwaukee (54)

2. Blue Mound
Wauwatosa (T114)

3. Green Bay CC*
Green Bay (m)

4. Pine Hills
Sheboygan (T186c)

5. Oneida
Green Bay (c)

The best public-access and private golf courses in California, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in California.

Looking to play the best golf courses in California? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them 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 all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

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

Best public-access courses in California

Rustic Canyon Tommy Naccarato IMG_2922
Rustic Canyon in California (Courtesy of Rustic Canyon/Tommy Naccarato)

1. Pebble Beach Resorts (Pebble Beach Golf Links)
Pebble Beach (10c)
Book your tee time at Pebble Beach today

2. Pasatiempo
Santa Cruz (36c)
Book your tee time at Pasatiempo today

3. Pebble Beach Resorts (Spyglass Hill)
Pebble Beach (T24m)
Book your tee time at Spyglass Hill today

4. Torrey Pines (South)
San Diego (T116c)
Book your tee time at Torrey Pines today

5. Rustic Canyon
Moorpark (T147m)

6. Yocha Dehe at Cache Creek Casino
Brooks (m)

T7. Pebble Beach Resorts (Links at Spanish Bay)
Pebble Beach (m)
Book your tee time at Spanish Bay today

T7. CordeValle
San Martin (m)

T7. Rams Hill
Borrego Springs (m)

10. PGA West (Stadium)
La Quinta (m)
Book your tee time at PGA West today

11. Torrey Pines (North)
San Diego (m)
Book your tee time at Torrey Pines today

12. Poppy Hills
Pebble Beach (m)
Book your tee time at Poppy Hills today

13. Pelican Hill (Ocean South)
Newport Coast (m)

14. Pelican Hill (Ocean North)
Newport Coast (m)

15. Bayonet
Seaside (c)
Book your tee time at Bayonet today

16. Quail Lodge and Golf Club
Carmel (m)

17. Classic Club
Palm Desert (m)
Book your tee time at Classic Club today

18. Trump National Los Angeles
Rancho Palos Verdes (m)

19. PGA West (Nicklaus)
La Quinta (m)
Book your tee time at PGA West today

T20. TPC Harding Park
San Francisco (c)

T20. Maderas*
Poway (m)

22. Fairmont Grand Del Mar (The Grand)
San Diego (m)

T23. Fantasy Springs (Eagle Falls)
Indio (m)

T23. Soule Park
Ojai (m)

25. Oak Quarry
Riverside (m)

26. Desert Willow (Firecliff)
Palm Desert (m)

27. Park Hyatt Aviara*
Carlsbad (m)
Book your round at Park Hyatt Aviara today

28. La Purisma*
Lompoc (m)

29. Shadow Ridge*
Palm Desert (m)

30. Silverado Resort & Spa (North)*
Napa Valley (c)

Best private courses in California

Lake Merced
Lake Merced Golf Club in California (Jason Lusk/Golfweek)

1. Cypress Point
Pebble Beach (1c)

2. Los Angeles CC (North)
Los Angeles (11c)

3. San Francisco GC
San Francisco (16c)

4. Riviera CC
Pacific Palisades (17c)

5. California GC
South San Francisco (T27c)

6. Monterey Peninsula (Shore)
Pebble Beach (T19m)

7. Valley Club of Montecito
Santa Barbara (38c)

8. Olympic Club (Lake)
San Francisco (T43c)

9. Monterey Peninsula (Dunes)
Pebble Beach (T49c)

10. Bel-Air
Los Angeles (T57c)

11. Martis Camp
Truckee (43m)

12. Meadow Club
Fairfax (T71c)

13. The Quarry at La Quinta
La Quinta (m)

14. Mayacama
Santa Rosa (T92m)

15. Lahontan
Truckee (m)

16. The Tradition

 La Quinta (105m)

17. Santa Lucia Preserve
Carmel (T111m)

18. Lake Merced*
Daly City (119c)

19. Wilshire
Los Angeles (T120c)

T20. Stone Eagle
Palm Desert (T147m)

T20. The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe*
Rancho Santa Fe (m)

The best public-access and private golf courses in Florida, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in Florida.

Looking to play the best golf courses in Florida? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them 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 all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

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

Best public-access courses in Florida

Hammock Beach
The Ocean Course at Hammock Beach Golf Resort & Spa (Courtesy of Hammock Beach)

1. TPC Sawgrass (Players Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach (22m)
Book your round at TPC Sawgrass today

2. Streamsong (Red)
Bowling Green (T37m)

3. Streamsong (Blue)
Bowling Green (T53m)

4. Streamsong (Black)
Bowling Green (T67m)

5. The Park West Palm*
West Palm Beach (T71m)

6. Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Orlando (m)
Book your round at Bay Hill today

7. PGA National Resort (Champion)
Palm Beach Gardens (m)
Book your round at PGA National today

8. Trump National Doral Miami (Blue Monster)
Miami (m)
Book your round at Trump National Doral today

9. Innisbrook (Copperhead)
Palm Harbor (m)
Book your round at Innisbrook today

10. Camp Creek
Watersound (m)

11. Hammock Beach Resort (Ocean)
Palm Coast (m)

12. Hammock Beach Resort (Conservatory)
Palm Coast (m)

13. TPC Sawgrass (Dye’s Valley)
Ponte Vedra Beach (m)
Book your round at TPC Sawgrass today

14. Southern Dunes
Haines City (m)
Book your round at Southern Dunes today

T15. Sandestin (Burnt Pine)
Miramar Beach (m)

T15. JW Marriott Miami Turnberry (Soffer)
Aventura (m)
Book your round at JW Marriot Turnberry today

17. PGA Golf Club (Dye)
Port St. Lucie (m)

18. PGA Golf Club (Wanamaker)
Port St. Lucie (m)

19. Juliette Falls
Dunnellon (m)

20. Crandon Park
Key Biscayne (m)

21. JW Marriott Marco Island (Hammock Bay)
Naples (m)

22. Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (Ocean)
Ponte Vedra Beach (c)

23. Orange County National (Panther Lake)
Winter Garden (m)
Book your round at Orange County National today

T24. Gasparilla Inn & Club
Boca Grande (c)

T24. Trump National Doral Miami (Golden Palm)
Miami (m)
Book your round at Trump National Doral today

26. Riverwood*
Port Charlotte (m)

T27. World Golf Village (King & Bear)
St. Augustine (m)
Book your round at World Golf Village today

T27. Orange County National (Crooked Cat)
Winter Garden (m)
Book your round at Orange County National today

29. Celebration GC*
Celebration (m)
Book your round at Celebration today

T30. PGA Golf Club (Ryder)*
Port St. Lucie (m)

T30. Evermore Grand Cypress (Links, formerly the New)*
Orlando (m)

Best private courses in Florida

Coral Creek Club in Florida (Courtesy of Coral Creek Club)

1. Seminole
Juno Beach (12c)

2. Calusa Pines
Naples (23m)

3. Mountain Lake
Lake Wales (T68c)

T4. Indian Creek
Miami Beach (c)

T4. Belleair CC (West)*
Belleair (T77c)

6. Dye Course at White Oak*
Yulee (T67m)

T7. John’s Island Club (West)
Vero Beach (T77m)

T7. The Bear’s Club
Jupiter (T83m)

9. Jupiter Hills Club (Hills)
Tequesta (91m)

10. Loblolly
Hobe Sound (96m)

11. Naples National
Naples (T97m)

12. Medalist
Hobe Sound (106m)

13. McArthur
Hobe Sound (T111m)

14. High Ridge
Lantana (T118m)

15. Pablo Creek
Jacksonville (m)

16. Pine Tree
Boynton Beach (T132m)

17. Coral Creek Club
Placida (T143m)

18. Trump International West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach (T147m)

19. Concession
Bradenton (T154m)

20. Old Memorial
Tampa (T171m)

The best public-access and private golf courses in Arizona, ranked

Our hundreds of raters weigh in on the best public-access and private courses in Arizona.

Looking to play the best golf courses in Arizona? Welcome to our annual Golfweek’s Best ranking of public-access and private courses.

Following are the rankings for both types of courses, as judged by our nationwide network of raters. The hundreds of members of our course-ratings panel continually evaluate courses and rate them 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 all our Golfweek’s Best course rankings.

The courses on the first list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or by staying at an affiliated hotel. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

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

Best public-access courses in Arizona

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
Ak-Chin Southern Dunes in Arizona (Courtesy of Ak-Chin Southern Dunes/Allan Henry)

1. We-Ko-Pa (Saguaro)
Fort McDowell (m)
Book your round at We-Ko-Pa today

2. Quintero Golf Club
Peoria (m)

3. Wickenburg Ranch (Big Wick)
Wickenburg (m)

4. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at TPC Scottsdale today

5. Golf Club at Dove Mountain (Saguaro/Tortolita)
Marana (m)

6. Ventana Canyon (Mountain)
Tucson (m)

7. Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
Maricopa (m)
Book your round at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes today

8. Grayhawk (Talon)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Grayhawk today

T9. Troon North (Monument)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Troon North today

T9. We-Ko-Pa (Cholla)
Fort McDowell (m)
Book your round at We-Ko-Pa today

T11. Troon North (Pinnacle)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Troon North today

T11. Grayhawk (Raptor)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at Grayhawk today

13. Laughlin Ranch
Bullhead City (m)

14. Casino del Sol (Sewailo)
Tucson (m)

T15. Boulders Resort (North)
Carefree (m)
Book your round at Boulders Resort today

T15. Gold Canyon Golf Resort (Dinosaur Mountain)
Gold Canyon (m)

17. Boulders Resort (South)
Carefree (m)
Book your round at Boulders Resort today

18. Whirlwind (Cattail)
Chandler (m)

19. Los Caballeros*
Wickenburg (m)

20. TPC Scottsdale (Champions)
Scottsdale (m)
Book your round at TPC Scottsdale today

21. Las Sendas
Mesa (m)

22. Verrado (Founders)
Buckeye (m)

T23. SunRidge Canyon
Fountain Hills (m)
Book your round at SunRidge Canyon today

T23. Whirlwind (Devil’s Claw)
Chandler (m)

25. Longbow
Mesa (m)

26. Legacy
Phoenix (m)

27. Wildfire at JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge (Faldo Championship)
Phoenix (m)

T28. Camelback (Ambiente)
Scottsdale (m)

T28. Arizona National*
Tucson (m)

30. Wigwam (Gold)*
Litchfield Park (m)

Best private courses in Arizona

Estancia
Estancia in Arizona (Courtesy of Estancia)

1. Estancia
Scottsdale (17m)

2. Desert Forest
Carefree (63m)

3. Scottsdale National (The Other Course)
Scottsdale (m)

4. Forest Highlands (Canyon)
Flagstaff (T118m)

T5. Whisper Rock (Upper)
Scottsdale (T122m)

T5. The Rim
Payson (T122)

7. Whisper Rock (Lower)
Scottsdale (T138m)

8. Desert Highlands
Scottsdale (T143m)

9. Stone Canyon
Oro Valley (T173m)

10. Mirabel
Scottsdale (T196m)

11. Silverleaf
Scottsdale (m)

12. Forest Highlands (Meadow)
Flagstaff (m)

13. Troon CC
Scottsdale (m)

14. Pine Canyon
Flagstaff (m)

15. Paradise Valley CC
Paradise Valley (c)

16. Flagstaff Ranch
Flagstaff (m)

17. Desert Mountain (Cochise)
Scottsdale (m)

T18. The Gallery (North)
Marana (m)

T18. Torreon (Cabin)
Show Low (m)

20. Desert Mountain (Chiricahua)
Scottsdale (m)