Where to play 2023 – Syndication Server

Where to play golf around Myrtle Beach: Golfweek’s Best public-access courses

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top courses around Myrtle Beach.

Looking to play the best public-access courses at one of the most popular golf destinations in the U.S.? We’ve got you – and Myrtle Beach – covered. Using the Golfweek’s Best rankings of public-access courses in South Carolina, we are featuring the layouts within an hour’s drive of the Grand Strand.

For this exercise, we used Google Maps and punched in each course as of a Saturday morning to determine drive times, with Myrtle Beach International Airport as an achored starting point. Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers. The numbers represent the order in which the courses are ranked.

Included with each course is its position in South Carolina on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

More: Where to play public golf around Orlando and Central Florida, Chicago, New York City, South Florida, Pinehurst and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

A little background: 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 this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort, by staying at an affiliated hotel or purchasing a golf vacation package. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required.

Myrtle beach map — (Google Earth and Golfweek)

Where to play golf around Pinehurst: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top public-access courses around Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Looking to play one of the top golf regions in the world, with great courses stacked alongside great courses? Look no further than Pinehurst, North Carolina.

From classic dream layouts to modern works of art, there are a dozen courses within a half-hour’s drive of Pinehurst that rank among the top 20 public-access courses in North Carolina.

For this exercise, we used Google Maps and punched in each course as of a Saturday morning to determine drive times. And included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.

And keep in mind, the numbers represent how the courses are ranked, and it can become a bit confusing as the courses at the famed Pinehurst Resort are named numerically. For example, Pinehurst No. 2 ranks No. 1 on this list, and it appears accordingly as No. 1 on the map.

Included with each course is its position in North Carolina on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

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More: Where to play public golf around Orlando and Central Florida, Chicago, New York City, South Florida and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

The courses on this list allow public access in some fashion, be it standard daily green fees, through a resort or casino, by staying at an affiliated hotel or purchasing a golf vacation package. If there’s a will, there’s a tee time – no membership required, although Pinewild Country Club is a special case on this list with an editor’s note below.

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Where to play golf around Las Vegas: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top courses around Las Vegas.

Ready to make a break from the casinos or hectic pace of the Las Vegas Strip? If you’re looking for the top golf courses around Sin City, Golfweek’s Best has you covered.

If you’re willing to drive a bit, there are several courses in this region that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in Nevada. All the courses listed below are within an hour’s drive of Harry Reid International Airport, which sits adjacent to the Strip. But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, which list Nevada courses that might be a considerable drive away.

For this exercise, we used Google Maps and punched in each course as of a regular Saturday morning to determine drive times. Keep in mind that traffic near Las Vegas, especially around the Strip, can be slow – take all these times with a grain of salt.

Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.

Included with each course is its position in Nevada on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

More: Where to play public golf around Orlando and Central Florida, Chicago, New York City, South Florida and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

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

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Where to play golf around South Florida: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top courses around South Florida.

Call it South Florida or be more specific and call it southeastern Florida, one thing is for certain: The area stretching south along the coast from Port St. Lucie to Miami is packed with golf courses.

But which are the best? If you’re willing to drive a bit, there are several courses in this region that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in Florida. All the courses listed below are within reasonable driving distance of cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Jupiter.

But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, which list Florida courses that might be a full day’s drive away from South Florida (which is not to be confused with southwest Florida, such as Naples, which is considered by most Floridians to be a distinct region).

None of this is to say there aren’t plenty of other worthy public-access courses to play around South Florida. There are. These are only the layouts ranked among the very best in the whole state that happen to be in South Florida.

There is one course worth mentioning that isn’t on the best-in-state list yet, but surely will be in years to come. Architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner recently renovated the former West Palm Beach Golf Course into the Park, complete with 18 holes and a short, lit par-3 course. The main 18 didn’t open in time to appear on various Golfweek’s Best lists in 2023.

Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.

Included with each course is its position in Florida on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

More: Where to play public golf around Orlando and Central Florida, Chicago, New York Cityand the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

The courses on this 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.

South Florida map golf — (Google Earth/Golfweek)

Where to play golf around Orlando and Central Florida: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best rankings, we break out the top courses around Orlando and Central Florida.

Looking for a break from the theme parks around Orlando? Whether you want to stay close or you’re willing to drive a bit, there are several courses available that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in Florida.

But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, which lists Florida courses that might be a full day’s drive away from Central Florida. We wanted to focus on the eight top-ranked courses that, while they might require golfers spend up to 90 minutes in the car, are within reasonable driving distance.

For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to within 90 minutes of Disney World. Why 90 minutes? Because it can take a while to get anywhere around Orlando, especially if you’re stuck on Interstate 4, so 90 minutes seemed like a reasonable amount of time in a car to reach great golf.

And why Walt Disney World Resort? Because chances are if you’re visiting Orlando, you will be bunking up not far from that entertainment giant’s theme parks or Universal Orlando nearby.

We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in Walt Disney World Resort at a time with no significant traffic slowdowns. Take all drive times around Orlando and Central Florida with a grain of salt, of course, as backups frequently happen.

None of this is to say there aren’t plenty of other worthy places to play around Orlando. As a nearby resident, this author will attest to the simple pleasures to be found at Winter Park Golf Course – frequently called WP9 – just north of downtown Orlando. The short nine-holer is one of the most fun two hours you’re likely to spend on a golf course.

Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.

More: Where to play public golf around Chicago, New York City and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

Orlando map where to play 2023 — (Google Earth/Golfweek)

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Where to play golf around Los Angeles: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

We rank the best courses within a reasonable drive of Los Angeles.

Looking for the best public-access golf around Los Angeles? If you’re willing to drive a bit, there are several courses available that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in each state.

But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, which lists California courses that might be a full day’s drive away from Los Angeles. We wanted to focus on courses that – while they might require golfers spend a fair bit of time in the car – are within reasonable driving distance.

For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to within two hours of Los Angeles International Airport. Why two hours? Because it can take a while to get anywhere in Los Angeles, two hours seemed like a reasonable amount of time in a car to reach great golf.

And why LAX? Because that airport is a fair starting point with a reasonable amount of courses to the north, east and south. For the sake of this Los Angeles list, we did not include courses in San Diego to the south or those well to the east in areas such as La Quinta, which might be reached in just over two hours from parts of LA if traffic cooperates at off-peak times.

We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in LAX on a mid-afternoon that showed no significant traffic slowdowns; take all drive times around Los Angeles with a grain of salt, of course, as backups can be considerable.

It’s worth noting for a city where prices, particularly for private golf, can soar: Two of the courses on this list are bargains. The peak annual green fee at Rustic Canyon is $104 on weekends, and much better deals are available during the week and off-peak times. At the municipal Soule Park, peak weekend tee times are just $49 for walkers.

None of this is to say there aren’t plenty of other worthy places to play around Los Angeles, because there are. For example, players should definitely check out the vibe at Goat Hill Park south of Los Angeles, which narrowly misses out on our list of top courses in California. The purpose of this list is merely to identify which courses around Los Angeles are included among the top 30 courses in a very gifted state by Golfweek’s Best.

Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers.

Included with each course is its position in its state on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For any course that appears on our other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

More: Where to play public golf around Chicago, New York City and the Phoenix/Scottsdale area

Los Angeles GWB public map — (Google Earth/Golfweek)

Where to play golf around Phoenix and Scottsdale: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Phoenix and Scottsdale are stacked with great public-access golf options. Which are best?

Arizona is home to a great selection of desert golf courses, and most of those are centered around Phoenix and Scottsdale. But which are the best?

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best annual rankings of top public-access courses in each state, we can break out the highest-ranked layouts in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to about an hour from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. (We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in the courses on a mid-afternoon – take all drive times around the Valley of the Sun with a grain of salt, of course.)

We rank the best public-access courses in each state

Check put the top courses near Chicago and New York City

There are other options not included here, courses that were beyond that hour limit. If you have a little more time for the drive, Wickenburg Ranch’s Big Wick course ranks No. 2 among all public-access courses in the state, but it’s about 90 minutes northwest of the airport. Similar story for several strong options in Tucson about two hours to the southeast.

A little background on how we do this: 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.

Keep scrolling to see how they stack up, and check out the accompanying map to get a handle on roughly where everything is located.

Phoenix golf map 2023 — (Google Earth/Golfweek)

Where to play golf around New York City: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

The best golf courses within two hours of New York City include layouts in four states.

nLooking for the best public-access golf around New York City? If you’re willing to drive a bit, there are more than a dozen courses available that appear on the Golfweek’s Best rankings of top public-access layouts in each state.

But it’s not as easy as pulling up our state-by-state rankings, because the Big Apple sits at a crossroads of states and golfers frequently cross state lines to find a game. This list includes courses in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

How’d we come up with that? For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to two hours from the city, with LaGuardia Airport as a starting point.

Why two hours? Because it takes awhile to get around New York, of course, and two hours seemed like a reasonable amount of time in a car to reach great golf.

And why LaGuardia? Because that airport is a fair starting point for the courses to the north and those out to the west. (We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in LaGuardia on a mid-afternoon that showed no significant traffic slowdowns; take all drive times around New York with a grain of salt, of course, as backups can be considerable.)

Included with this list is a general map of where to find all these courses. Each one on the list below is represented with a number on the map – keep scrolling to see the numbers. These numbers are not intended to be a ranking of the best courses around New York, but simply indicate their position on the map.

However, included with each course is its position in its state on the Golfweek’s Best public-access list. For courses that appear on other popular rankings lists, those positions are included as well.

More: Where to play public golf around Chicago

New York City Golfweek's Best map — (Google Earth/Golfweek)

Where to play golf around Chicago: Golfweek’s Best 2023 public-access courses

Anyone in a window seat on a flight into Chicago can see there are plenty of golf courses in the area.

Anyone in a window seat on a flight into Chicago can see there are plenty of golf courses in the area. Particularly on the private side, there are dozens of courses that could land on any player’s bucket list.

But what about public-access courses? Where should you begin?

Thanks to Golfweek’s Best annual rankings of top public-access courses in each state, we can break out the highest-ranked layouts in the Chicago area. For the purpose of this exercise, we limited driving time to about 90 minutes. from downtown Chicago. (We used Google Maps for its drive times, keying in downtown Chicago on a mid-afternoon – take all drive times around Chicago with a grain of salt, of course.)

Golfweek’s Best ranks 15 public-access courses in all of Illinois on our state-by-state ranking, and 12 of those fit the bill of being within 90 minutes of Chicago. Keep scrolling to see how they stack up, and check out the accompanying map to get a handle on roughly where everything is located.