The place do you have to journey to play nice golf programs and expertise attention-grabbing structure? From Hawaii to New York, Texas as much as Minnesota, there are many choices. However, in fact, some states have extra on faucet than others.
Anyone checking in with this web site is probably going acquainted with the standard sizzling spots. Florida, Arizona, California, each of the Carolinas as examples – every is often thought of a golf heavyweight relying on seasonality and private desire in model in fact. However when breaking down the Golfweek’s Finest rating information and evaluating every state, there are many surprises, particularly for golfers who may not have been being attentive to growth traits lately. If you already know, you already know, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a enjoyable train to crunch the numbers and see how the states stack up and which defy conventional expectations.
For this comparability, we checked out three of Golfweek’s Finest hottest lists, every revealed in June of 2025. They embody the rating of high public-access programs in every state, the rating of high personal programs in every state and the rating of the High 100 Finest Programs You Can Play, which reveals the best public-access programs throughout the nation.
In these two rankings of private and non-private programs in every state, we averaged the Golfweek’s Finest score of simply the highest 5 programs in every state attainable to determine a comparability of elite programs. (A number of states have solely 4 programs ranked in both the general public or personal rankings, so in these instances the 4 are averaged.) By trying on the comparisons of elite public-access and personal programs, we are able to get a deal with on what are the actual golf sizzling spots in america.
To take it additional, we pulled the information on the highest 100 public-access programs within the U.S. by state. Not each state has a course on that checklist, which is dominated by simply 16 states. Three states have 9 programs among the many high 100 public-access programs within the nation, and two of these three states could be a shock to some readers. In all, simply 16 states are dwelling to 81 % of your complete checklist.
A few of the outcomes are predictable, and a few are eye-opening. The takeaway: Should you by no means attempt one thing new, you’ll miss out on a whole lot of nice golf.
Rating every state’s elite public-access golf programs
Sunny stalwarts reminiscent of California, Florida and Hawaii are anticipated to attain extremely compared to different states, and so they do. However which states provide the very best elite programs, utilizing the typical of the highest 5 programs in every state as a measuring stick?
To anyone who has visited Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, the No. 1 state shouldn’t be a shock. Oregon sits atop the checklist purely on the power of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort’s 5 full-size programs: Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Previous Macdonald, Bandon Dunes and Sheep Ranch. The Sheep Ranch is rated by Golfweek’s Finest because the No. 5 course within the state and on the coastal resort with a 7.66 common score on the Golfweek’s Finest 10-point scale, however it will be the highest-rated public-access course in 42 states.
No. 2 among the many elite public golf states could be a better shock to some. Wisconsin jumps to that elevated spot, led by the Straits Course at Kohler’s Whistling Straits and buoyed additional by the 4 programs at Sand Valley Resort to spherical out the state’s high 5 public-access layouts. And this train compares solely these high 5, when in actuality Wisconsin’s nice golf runs a lot deeper. Its subsequent 5 programs – Erin Hills, Lawsonia Hyperlinks, the River Course at Kohler’s Blackwolf Run, the Irish Course at Kohler’s Whistling Straits and SentryWorld – would have Wisconsin ranked No. 8 on this checklist of elite golf states. The golf season could be brief within the Badger State, nevertheless it’s to not be missed.
The remainder of the highest 10 elite states for public-access golf in all probability could be thought of extra predictable, with just a few exceptions – we see you hiding there in plain sight, Michigan and Washington.
This rating of states was compiled by averaging the scores, on a scale of 1 to 10, of the high 5 public-access layouts in every state:
1. Oregon: 8.07
2. Wisconsin: 7.66
3. California: 7.62
4. Florida: 7.37
5. North Carolina: 7.29
6. Hawaii: 7.12
7. South Carolina: 7.04
8. Washington: 6.87
T9. Michigan: 6.86
T9. Nebraska: 6.86
11. Nevada: 6.80
12. Virginia: 6.77
13. New York: 6.76
14. Mississippi: 6.67
15. Texas: 6.65
16. Utah: 6.63
17. Minnesota: 6.61
18. Georgia: 6.56
19. Missouri : 6.52
20. Arizona: 6.50
21. North Dakota: 6.44
22. Colorado: 6.42
23. Indiana: 6.42
24. New Mexico: 6.35
T25. Alabama: 6.31
T25. Massachusetts: 6.31
T27. Illinois: 6.29
T27. Ohio: 6.29
29. Pennsylvania: 6.22
30. Tennessee: 6.20
31. Maryland: 6.19
32. Oklahoma: 6.15
33. West Virginia: 6.13
34. Arkansas: 6.12
T35. Idaho: 6.06
T35. Maine: 6.06
37. New Jersey: 5.99
38. Connecticut: 5.95
39. Iowa: 5.93
40. Vermont: 5.77
41. Louisiana: 5.76
T42. Montana: 5.74
T42. South Dakota: 5.74
44. Kansas: 5.71
45. Kentucky: 5.69
46. Rhode Island: 5.62
47. New Hampshire: 5.56
48. Wyoming: 5.52
49. Delaware: 5.37
50. Alaska: 5.26
Rating every state’s elite personal golf programs
Rating states as measured by their high 5 personal programs gives fewer attainable surprises than discovered on the public-access lists. New York tops the checklist largely on the power of three all-world amenities on Lengthy Island – Shinnecock Hills, Nationwide Golf Hyperlinks of America and Friar’s Head – and including in Fishers Island Membership and Winged Foot West. Every is among the many greatest golf programs within the nation.
California is second on the checklist with Cypress Level, Los Angeles Nation Membership, Riviera, San Francisco Golf Membership and California Golf Membership. New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Georgia spherical out the highest 5 states for elite personal golf equipment. Not a revelation within the bunch on an inventory full of traditionally important programs that sprang up in golf’s golden age of design within the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Value noting and to verify the suspicions of many daily-fee gamers on a price range, most state’s high 5 personal programs mix to outrank that state’s public-access programs. Solely in 5 states – Mississippi, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin – do the highest 5 public programs mix to outrank that state’s personal choices.
This rating was compiled by averaging the scores, on a scale of 1 to 10, of the highest 5 personal layouts in every state:
1. New York: 8.87
2. California: 8.57
3. New Jersey: 8.22
4. Pennsylvania: 8.13
5. Georgia: 8.11
6. Illinois: 8.02
7. Ohio: 7.83
8. Massachusetts: 7.82
9. Michigan: 7.78
10. Florida: 7.74
T11. Nebraska: 7.73
T11. North Carolina: 7.73
13. Colorado: 7.64
14. South Carolina: 7.63
15. Texas: 7.38
16. Montana: 7.32
17. Minnesota: 7.31
18. Arizona: 7.28
19. Maryland: 7.27
20. Rhode Island: 7.24
21. Hawaii: 7.18
22. Kansas: 7.14
23. Virginia: 7.13
T24. Idaho: 7.06
T24. Oklahoma: 7.06
T24. Tennessee: 7.06
27. Connecticut: 7.03
28. Indiana: 6.97
29. Alabama: 6.95
30. Missouri: 6.92
31. Iowa: 6.91
32. Nevada: 6.89
33. Wisconsin: 6.84
34. Arkansas: 6.81
35. Oregon: 6.77
36. Washington: 6.67
T37. Utah: 6.65
T37. Wyoming: 6.65
39. Kentucky: 6.59
40. Vermont: 6.47
41. Delaware: 6.38
42. New Hampshire: 6.36
43. West Virginia: 6.34
44. New Mexico: 6.28
45. Mississippi: 6.23
46. Maine: 6.19
47. South Dakota: 6.13
48. Louisiana: 5.96
49. North Dakota: 5.12
- Editor’s be aware: Alaska doesn’t seem within the Golfweek’s Finest rankings of personal programs.
Finest states for golf, private and non-private programs mixed
How do the states stack up when combing the highest 5 elite public-access programs with the highest 5 personal programs (or high 4 programs, when solely 4 can be found)? That is the place conventional expectations for nice golf states take their strongest maintain.
California tops the checklist as the very best golf state when evaluating elite private and non-private programs with a mean score of 8.72 for the ten programs. New York is second, adopted by Florida, North Carolina and Oregon.
This checklist was compiled by averaging the scores, on a scale of 1 to 10, of the highest 5 public-access layouts and the highest 5 personal programs in every state:
1. California: 8.1
2. New York: 7.8
3. Florida: 7.6
4. North Carolina: 7.5
5. Oregon: 7.4
T6. South Carolina: 7.3
T6. Georgia: 7.3
T6. Michigan: 7.3
T6. Nebraska: 7.3
T6. Wisconsin: 7.3
T11. Pennsylvania: 7.2
T11. Illinois: 7.2
T11. Hawaii: 7.2
T14. New Jersey: 7.1
T14. Massachusetts: 7.1
T14. Ohio: 7.1
T17. Colorado: 7.0
T17. Texas: 7.0
T17. Minnesota: 7.0
T17. Virginia: 7.0
T21. Arizona: 6.9
T21. Nevada: 6.9
23. Washington: 6.8
T24. Maryland: 6.7
T24. Missouri: 6.7
T24. Indiana: 6.7
T27. Utah: 6.6
T27. Alabama: 6.6
T27. Tennessee: 6.6
T27. Oklahoma: 6.6
T27. Idaho: 6.6
T32. Montana: 6.5
T32. Connecticut: 6.5
T32. Arkansas: 6.5
T32. Mississippi: 6.5
T36. Rhode Island: 6.4
T36. Kansas: 6.4
T36. Iowa: 6.4
39. New Mexico: 6.3
40. West Virginia: 6.2
T41. Kentucky: 6.1
T41. Maine: 6.1
T41. Vermont: 6.1
T41. Wyoming: 6.1
45. New Hampshire: 6.0
T46. South Dakota: 5.9
T46. Delaware: 5.9
T46. Louisiana: 5.9
49. North Dakota: 5.8
- Editor’s be aware: Alaska doesn’t seem within the Golfweek’s Finest rankings of personal programs.
States with essentially the most High 100 public-access golf programs
Not each state has a course ranked among the many high 100 public-access programs within the U.S., and some states stand out for gobbling up most of that elite rating. Solely 16 states have three or extra programs among the many high 100 public-access layouts, and simply 10 states have 4 or extra.
On the high are California, Oregon and Wisconsin, every with 9 public-access programs ranked among the many high 100. California isn’t a shock, however Oregon and Wisconsin could be for some golfers. Maybe greater than another comparability, this reveals that elite golf is out there far past the sunny-all-year states the place most golfers look forward to finding it.
The next checklist reveals the 16 states with three or extra programs within the Golfweek’s Finest rating of the highest 100 public-access programs within the U.S.:
California: 9
Oregon: 9
Wisconsin: 9
Florida: 7
Michigan : 6
North Carolina: 6
Hawaii: 5
Nebraska : 4
South Carolina: 4
Virginia: 4
Minnesota: 3
Missouri: 3
Mississippi: 3
North Dakota: 3
Utah: 3
Washington: 3
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