Great Bear Golf Club fairway in the Pocono Mountains, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
Ranked · 7 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses in The Poconos

The wooded valleys and rolling ridges of Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains were made for golf, and within an easy drive of New York and Philadelphia sits a varied collection that runs from a Jack Nicklaus Signature course to A.W. Tillinghast's very first design. These are the seven best golf courses in the Poconos, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play them.

Photograph: Great Bear Golf Club, via Google.

How we chose them

The Poconos are one of the most accessible golf escapes in the northeast, a compact mountain region threaded with resorts and country clubs and reachable in a couple of hours from the big cities. The terrain does the heavy lifting, with elevation changes, mountain streams, lakes and stands of hardwood giving the best layouts genuine drama. We judged these courses on the quality of the design, the conditioning, the playing experience and the value, and we leaned toward layouts a visiting golfer can readily play as part of a trip.

Every fact here, from designers to opening years, was checked at the time of writing. The order is our editors' view, so reasonable golfers will reshuffle it, and the region rewards mixing a marquee round with a couple of fun, scenic public courses. With resort lodging at Shawnee and Skytop and plenty of rental options across the mountains, a multi course Poconos trip is easy to build. If you want these worked into a costed itinerary, that is exactly what our concierge does.

Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts verified at publication. How we research and review.

The seven best golf courses in the Poconos

01

Great Bear Golf Club

Jack Nicklaus Signature · East Stroudsburg · semi private

Our top pick and the region's marquee round. Great Bear is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature course in northeast Pennsylvania, a polished design that works three lakes, streams, wetlands and gently sloping hills into a memorable test. Beautifully conditioned and the most complete championship experience in the Poconos, it is a semi private club that takes visitors and the round most traveling golfers will want to tick off first.

Plan a Great Bear round

02

The Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort

A.W. Tillinghast 1911 · 27 holes · Shawnee on Delaware

A living piece of golf history. The 27 hole layout at Shawnee, completed in 1911, was A.W. Tillinghast's very first design, with most of its holes sitting on an island in the Delaware River. It has hosted a long line of golfing greats and the old Shawnee Open, and the riverside setting paired with the classic inn makes it the best resort base for a Poconos golf stay. Atmospheric, walkable and full of character.

Plan a Shawnee stay

03

Jack Frost National Golf Club

Terry LaGree · about 7,200 yards · Blakeslee

The modern mountain test of the group. Designed by Terry LaGree, Jack Frost National stretches to around 7,200 yards and uses the natural contours of the Poconos to full effect, with dramatic elevation changes, undulating greens and long views across the wooded valleys. A demanding, well presented public course that the better player will relish from the back tees.

Plan a Jack Frost round

04

Buck Hill Golf Club

Robert White and Donald Ross · from 1907 · 27 holes · Buck Hill Falls

The grand old club of the Poconos. Buck Hill opened its first nine in 1907 to a design by Robert White, the first PGA of America president, and Donald Ross added eighteen more holes in the years that followed, giving the 27 hole course a true classical pedigree. Set across rolling, wooded mountainside, it is a timeless and characterful round for golfers who love the old architects.

Plan a Buck Hill round

05

Skytop Lodge Golf Course

Classic resort course · about 6,656 yards · Skytop

The course at the grand Skytop Lodge is a classic mountain resort layout of about 6,656 yards, with varied elevations and well placed hazards that ask for thought rather than brute length. Paired with one of the most elegant historic lodges in the Poconos, it makes a relaxed, scenic round and an excellent base for a couples or society stay away from the busier public courses.

Plan a Skytop stay

06

Hideaway Hills Golf Club

Par 72 · about 6,933 yards · near Jim Thorpe

A fun, dramatic public course set between Stroudsburg and Jim Thorpe, a par 72 of around 6,933 yards with big elevation changes, four lakes and more than sixty bunkers. The mountain setting and the roller coaster routing make it one of the most enjoyable rounds in the region for a group, with plenty of memorable holes and excellent value.

Add Hideaway Hills to a trip

07

Mount Airy Golf Club

Hal Purdy 1980 · tribute holes · Mount Pocono

A novelty worth the round. Opened in 1980 to a Hal Purdy design, Mount Airy was modeled on a list of the best golf holes in America, with holes reinterpreting famous templates from courses such as Pebble Beach, Merion and Augusta National. Part of the Mount Airy casino resort, it is an entertaining, easy going round and a good change of pace on a Poconos golf trip.

Plan a Mount Airy round

Designers, opening years and layout details verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized golf databases. Great Bear is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design; Shawnee was A.W. Tillinghast's first course, completed in 1911; Buck Hill traces to Robert White in 1907 with later Donald Ross holes; Mount Airy was designed by Hal Purdy and opened in 1980. Rates and availability change, so always confirm directly before booking. Looking for tee times? Check availability and book a round.

Quick guide: which Poconos course suits you

Our shorthand on the leading Poconos courses. Editorial view, verified June 2026. Always confirm tee times before booking.
CourseSettingBest for
Great BearEast StroudsburgThe marquee Nicklaus round
Shawnee InnIsland in the DelawareHistory and a resort base
Jack Frost NationalMountain valley, BlakesleeA modern back tee test
Buck HillBuck Hill FallsClassic Ross era architecture
Hideaway HillsNear Jim ThorpeA fun, dramatic group round

A shorthand only; tell us your dates and group and we will match the courses to you.

Plan a Poconos golf trip

Tell us roughly when you want to travel and which courses you have your heart set on, and a concierge will secure the tee times, build the itinerary and cost it to the head, with no obligation.

Poconos golf: common questions

What is the best golf course in the Poconos?

Great Bear Golf Club in East Stroudsburg is our top pick, the only Jack Nicklaus Signature course in northeast Pennsylvania, with lakes, wetlands and rolling terrain. The historic Shawnee Inn, A.W. Tillinghast's first design from 1911 on an island in the Delaware River, and the modern mountain test at Jack Frost National lead the chasing group. Always confirm tee times before booking.

Are the Poconos a good golf trip destination?

Yes. The Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania pack a strong variety of courses into a compact, drivable region within easy reach of New York and Philadelphia, from a Jack Nicklaus Signature layout and a Tillinghast classic to modern mountain courses with big elevation changes. Resort lodging at Shawnee and Skytop and the wider Pocono base make a multi course buddies or society trip straightforward.

When is the best time to golf in the Poconos?

The Pocono golf season runs roughly from April to October, with late spring and early autumn the most reliable for comfortable temperatures and firm turf. Summer is the peak season and the mountain air keeps it cooler than the cities, while the fall foliage makes September and October especially scenic. Courses close for winter, so always confirm current rates and tee times before booking.

Related

The Tee Sheet

Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years and layout details verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.

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