Courses
45 venues
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, Georgia, United States
Home of The Masters, Augusta National is arguably the most iconic golf course in the world. Its pristine azaleas, towering pines, and Amen Corner (holes 11-13) create one of sport's most dramatic settings. The course is famously private and has hosted The Masters every year since 1934.
Ballybunion Golf Club (Old)
Ballybunion, County Kerry, Ireland
Perched on towering cliffs above the Atlantic in County Kerry, Ballybunion Old is one of the most naturally beautiful and dramatic links courses in the world. Tom Watson famously said, "Ballybunion is a course on which many golf architects should live and play before they build a golf course."
Bethpage Black
Farmingdale, New York, United States
The only public course to have hosted the US Open in the modern era. A sign on the first tee famously warns: "The Black Course is an extremely difficult course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers." Its brutally long layout and deep rough test even the world's best.
Cabot Cliffs
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Perched on dramatic cliffs above the Gulf of St Lawrence in Cape Breton, Cabot Cliffs has quickly risen to become one of the world's most acclaimed courses. The clifftop par-3 16th, with its green perched above the crashing surf, is already considered an iconic hole.
Cabot Links
Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada's first true links course, Cabot Links plays along the shores of the Gulf of St Lawrence in Cape Breton. The layout follows the natural contours of the coastline, with several holes directly on the beach offering stunning ocean views.
Cape Kidnappers Golf Course
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
Built atop dramatic finger-like ridges jutting out into the Pacific Ocean in Hawke's Bay, Cape Kidnappers is one of the most visually stunning golf courses ever built. Several holes play along cliff edges with 450-foot drops to the sea below.
Carnoustie Golf Links
Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
Known as "Carnasty" for its punishing difficulty, Carnoustie is one of the toughest Open Championship venues. The Barry Burn winds through the course, most dramatically at the 17th and 18th holes, and has destroyed many championship dreams.
Cypress Point Club
Pebble Beach, California, United States
Set along the stunning Monterey Peninsula coastline, Cypress Point features one of golf's most photographed holes — the par-3 16th over the Pacific Ocean. The course winds through cypress groves, sand dunes, and dramatic ocean cliffs.
Emirates Golf Club (Majlis)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The first grass golf course in the Middle East, Emirates Golf Club's Majlis Course annually hosts the Dubai Desert Classic. Its distinctive clubhouse, designed to resemble Bedouin tents, is one of the most recognizable buildings in golf.
Fancourt Links
George, Western Cape, South Africa
Built in the Garden Route of South Africa, Fancourt Links is Gary Player's attempt to recreate a Scottish links course in the Southern Hemisphere. The course hosted the dramatic 2003 Presidents Cup that ended in the first-ever tie in the competition's history.
Hirono Golf Club
Shijimi, Hyogo, Japan
Considered the finest golf course in Japan and one of the best in Asia, Hirono was designed by Charles Alison in a stunning natural setting of pine forests, ravines, and ponds. The course has never hosted a professional event due to its extreme exclusivity.
Kauri Cliffs Golf Course
Matauri Bay, Northland, New Zealand
Carved through native bushland and farmland on New Zealand's stunning Northland coast, Kauri Cliffs features six holes that play along dramatic clifftops above the Pacific Ocean with views of the Cavalli Islands.
Kiawah Island (Ocean Course)
Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States
Built for the 1991 Ryder Cup "War on the Shore," the Ocean Course features 10 holes directly along the Atlantic Ocean — more than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere. Relentless wind makes this Pete Dye design extraordinarily challenging.
Kingston Heath Golf Club
Cheltenham, Melbourne, Australia
Another jewel of Melbourne's famous Sandbelt, Kingston Heath is revered for its strategic bunkering — largely the work of Alister MacKenzie. The par-3 15th, with its dramatic cross bunkers, is considered one of the greatest short holes in the world.
Lahinch Golf Club
Lahinch, County Clare, Ireland
Known as the "St Andrews of Ireland," Lahinch sits along the Wild Atlantic Way on the Clare coast. Its quirky features include the famous "Klondyke" and "Dell" holes — blind par-5 and par-3 respectively — and the resident goats who are said to predict the weather.
Le Golf National (Albatros)
Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Paris, France
Purpose-built as a championship venue on the outskirts of Paris, Le Golf National's Albatros Course features dramatic water hazards and stadium-style mounding. It hosted the 2018 Ryder Cup and the 2024 Olympic golf events.
Leopard Creek Country Club
Malelane, Mpumalanga, South Africa
Bordering the Kruger National Park, Leopard Creek offers the unique experience of playing golf alongside wild crocodiles, hippos, and elephants. The closing holes along the Crocodile River provide one of golf's most spectacular and unusual finishes.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club
Guidonia Montecelio, Rome, Italy
Extensively redesigned for the 2023 Ryder Cup, Marco Simone sits in the Roman countryside with views of ancient aqueducts. The modern championship layout features water hazards and dramatic bunkering set against a historic Italian landscape.
Merion Golf Club (East)
Ardmore, Pennsylvania, United States
A compact masterpiece on Philadelphia's Main Line, Merion East is famous for its wicker basket flagsticks and strategic bunkering. Despite its relatively short length, it remains one of America's most demanding championship tests.
Muirfield (The Honourable Company)
Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland
Home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers — the oldest golf club in the world — Muirfield features a unique layout with two concentric loops of nine holes, ensuring the wind direction changes constantly. It is one of the fairest Open Championship venues.
New South Wales Golf Club
La Perouse, Sydney, Australia
Dramatically positioned on the cliffs of Botany Bay with views of the Pacific Ocean, NSW Golf Club is often called the "Pebble Beach of Australia." Several holes play along the clifftops, creating breathtaking ocean panoramas.
Oakmont Country Club
Oakmont, Pennsylvania, United States
Known as one of the toughest courses in the world, Oakmont features lightning-fast greens, the famous "church pew" bunkers, and relentless difficulty. It has hosted more combined majors (12) than any other course in America.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Pebble Beach, California, United States
One of the most famous public golf courses in the world, Pebble Beach hugs the rugged coastline of the Monterey Peninsula. It has hosted six U.S. Opens and annually hosts the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The par-3 7th and par-5 18th are among the most iconic holes in golf.
Pinehurst No. 2
Pinehurst, North Carolina, United States
Donald Ross's masterpiece in the Sandhills of North Carolina, Pinehurst No. 2 is famous for its crowned, turtle-back greens that reject anything but the most precise approach shots. The 2024 US Open will be its fourth.
Pine Valley Golf Club
Pine Valley, New Jersey, United States
Consistently ranked the #1 golf course in the world, Pine Valley is an ultra-exclusive club nestled in the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey. Its sandy waste areas, island greens, and demanding shotmaking requirements make it the ultimate test of golf.
Riviera Country Club
Pacific Palisades, California, United States
Known as "Hogan's Alley" after Ben Hogan's dominance here, Riviera is a classic parkland course in a canyon near the Pacific. It hosts the annual Genesis Invitational and is famed for its bunker-in-the-green par-3 6th hole.
Royal Birkdale Golf Club
Southport, Merseyside, England
Set among towering sand dunes in Southport, Royal Birkdale is widely considered the fairest of the Open Championship links. The fairways sit in valleys between the dunes, offering some protection from the wind while the greens remain exposed.
Royal County Down Golf Club
Newcastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
Regularly voted the best golf course outside the United States, Royal County Down sits beneath the Mourne Mountains with views across Dundrum Bay. Its bearded bunkers, gorse-lined fairways, and blind tee shots create one of the most dramatic and challenging links anywhere.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club
Dornoch, Highlands, Scotland
Perched in the Scottish Highlands above the Dornoch Firth, Royal Dornoch is a natural links masterpiece. Tom Watson called it "the most fun I ever had playing golf." Its remote location has kept it unspoiled and relatively undiscovered compared to other top courses.
Royal Liverpool (Hoylake)
Hoylake, Wirral, England
One of England's oldest championship links, Royal Liverpool at Hoylake is a flat but fiercely challenging course along the Dee Estuary. It hosted Tiger Woods' memorable 2006 Open victory where he famously didn't use his driver all week.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club (West)
Black Rock, Melbourne, Australia
The finest golf course in the Southern Hemisphere, Royal Melbourne West is an Alister MacKenzie masterpiece in Melbourne's Sandbelt. Its firm, fast, undulating greens and strategic bunkering create a supreme test of shot-making on sandy heathland terrain.
Royal Portrush Golf Club (Dunluce)
Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Set on the dramatic Antrim coast near the Giant's Causeway, Royal Portrush returned to the Open Championship rota in 2019 after a 68-year absence. The Dunluce Links features spectacular clifftop holes and the famous par-4 5th "White Rocks" along the cliff edge.
Royal St George's Golf Club
Sandwich, Kent, England
The first English club to host The Open Championship (in 1894), Royal St George's features towering sand dunes, undulating fairways, and deep pot bunkers along the Kent coast. Its unpredictable bounces and blind shots make it one of the quirkiest Open venues.
Royal Troon Golf Club
Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland
Home to the famous "Postage Stamp" — the par-3 8th hole, one of the shortest in Open Championship golf at just 123 yards. Royal Troon's out-and-back layout means the back nine plays into the prevailing wind, dramatically increasing the difficulty.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
Southampton, New York, United States
One of the five founding member clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock Hills is a links-style course on eastern Long Island. Its windswept terrain, fescue-lined fairways, and challenging greens make it a perennial favorite for the U.S. Open.
St Andrews (Old Course)
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
The "Home of Golf" — the Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest and most iconic golf course in the world, dating back over 600 years. Its double greens, the Swilcan Bridge, Hell Bunker, and the Road Hole (17th) are the most famous features in golf.
Sunningdale Golf Club (Old)
Sunningdale, Surrey, England
A heathland masterpiece in the Surrey countryside, Sunningdale Old is widely regarded as the finest inland course in England. Its mix of heather, pine, birch, and oak creates a uniquely beautiful setting, while the strategic design rewards thoughtful play.
Teeth of the Dog
La Romana, Dominican Republic
Pete Dye's Caribbean masterpiece at Casa de Campo, Teeth of the Dog features seven holes along the coral-edged coastline of the Caribbean Sea. The course gets its name from the jagged coral rock formations that line the shore, and it's considered the best course in the Caribbean.
Torrey Pines (South)
La Jolla, California, United States
Perched atop cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean in La Jolla, Torrey Pines South is a stunning municipal course that hosts the annual Farmers Insurance Open and has hosted US Opens. The ocean views and demanding layout make it a bucket-list course.
TPC Sawgrass (Stadium)
Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States
Home of The Players Championship, TPC Sawgrass is famous for its island green par-3 17th hole — one of the most recognizable holes in golf. The Stadium Course was designed to create a coliseum-like atmosphere for spectators.
Turnberry (Ailsa Course)
Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland
Set against the dramatic Ayrshire coastline with views of the Ailsa Craig rock and the Isle of Arran, Turnberry features one of golf's most scenic and challenging layouts. The lighthouse beside the 9th tee is one of golf's most photographed landmarks.
Valderrama Golf Club
Sotogrande, Andalusia, Spain
Known as the "Augusta of Europe," Valderrama is the finest course in continental Europe. Its cork oak-lined fairways, the iconic par-5 4th, and the devilish par-4 17th with its fronting pond create a beautiful but demanding test. It hosted the 1997 Ryder Cup.
Whistling Straits (Straits)
Haven, Wisconsin, United States
Built along the shores of Lake Michigan on a former airfield, Whistling Straits mimics the links courses of Ireland and Scotland. Over 1,000 bunkers dot the landscape, and the windswept terrain creates a dramatic championship setting.
Winged Foot Golf Club (West)
Mamaroneck, New York, United States
A Tillinghast masterpiece in Westchester County, Winged Foot West is known for its punishing rough, deep bunkers, and elevated greens. The course has produced some of the most dramatic finishes in major championship history.
Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
A true links-style course in the Arabian Gulf, Yas Links features holes that wind along the coastline with views of the mangroves and the iconic Yas Marina Circuit. It's the first links course in the Middle East, built on Yas Island.