Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, Donald Ross's masterpiece and a four time US Open host

Ranked · 7 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses Designed By Donald Ross

No architect has shaped American golf like Donald Ross. The Scot from Dornoch built around 400 courses after emigrating in 1899, and his crowned greens, natural routing and quiet strategy have hosted scores of major championships. From his Pinehurst masterpiece to the great private clubs of the north east and midwest, here are the seven Ross courses we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina, via Google

How we chose them

Ross designed so prolifically that any ranking is a debate, and his courses have also been altered, lengthened and in some cases restored over a century, so we judged each on the Ross design as it plays today and on the strength of the original routing beneath later changes. We weighed architectural quality and influence, championship pedigree, the integrity of the Ross features that survive, and where the course sits in his own and the wider golf world's estimation. Tournament history matters here, because Ross built more major venues than any architect of his age.

One practical truth shapes any Ross pilgrimage: most of his masterpieces are private. Pinehurst No. 2 is the great exception, a public resort course and the easiest of his best to play, which is why a trip to the North Carolina Sandhills is the natural starting point. For the rest, access runs through membership or select events. Every detail was checked at the time of writing. The order and verdicts are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. See our best courses in Pinehurst and the 100 greatest courses in the world for more, and our concierge will build the trip.

The ranking

Pinehurst No. 2, North Carolina

Pinehurst, NC · Donald Ross · restored by Coore and Crenshaw 2011 · four time US Open host

Ross's masterpiece and the course he lived beside and refined for decades, No. 2 is the purest expression of his crowned, turtleback greens, where the loose approach is repelled into collection areas and the recovery shot is the soul of the round. The 2011 Coore and Crenshaw restoration stripped the rough back to sand and wiregrass, returning the strategic width Ross intended, and it has now hosted the US Open four times with more to come. As a public resort course it is the most playable of his greats. The essential Ross round.

Read the Pinehurst No. 2 profile

Seminole Golf Club, Florida

Juno Beach, FL · Donald Ross · opened 1929 · private

The jewel of Ross's Florida work and the course Ben Hogan chose to tune his game before the Masters, Seminole opened in 1929 on a thin strip of dune land by the Atlantic at Juno Beach. Two parallel ridges, ever present wind off the ocean and a bunkering scheme of rare artistry make it a strategic masterpiece that plays far harder than its yardage. It is intensely private, glimpsed in public only at the 2021 Walker Cup, the kind of course low handicappers dream of a single invitation to. A connoisseur's Ross and many architects' favorite of all.

Oakland Hills, South Course, Michigan

Bloomfield Hills, MI · Donald Ross · opened 1918 · multiple major host

The course Ben Hogan called a monster after taming it to win the 1951 US Open, Oakland Hills South is a Ross design from 1918 outside Detroit, later toughened and recently restored, that has hosted US Opens, PGA Championships and a Ryder Cup. The big, rolling property, the deep bunkering and the demanding closing stretch make it one of the sternest championship tests in the country, a true heavyweight among his courses. Private and steeped in major history. A brawny, big league Ross that has tested the very best for a century.

Oak Hill, East Course, New York

Rochester, NY · Donald Ross · opened 1926 · multiple major host

A Ross design from 1926 in Rochester, the East Course is a tree framed parkland of subtle greens and a famous, demanding finish that has hosted US Opens, PGA Championships, a Ryder Cup and, most recently, the 2023 PGA Championship. Mature oaks, Allen's Creek and Ross's understated green complexes give it a classic, examination feel that rewards precise iron play, and an extensive restoration has sharpened the original design. One of the great championship clubs of the north east. A polished, exacting Ross with a deep tournament pedigree.

Inverness Club, Ohio

Toledo, OH · Donald Ross · redesigned 1919 · multiple major host

Ross reworked Inverness in Toledo into a championship test in 1919, and it went on to host four US Opens and two PGA Championships, a record that places it among his most decorated venues. The rolling terrain, the small, sloping greens and a clever, strategic routing make it a subtle, demanding round that has crowned major champions across a century, and a careful restoration has returned much of the original character. Private but proud of its history. A quietly brilliant Ross that has always punched above its yardage.

Aronimink Golf Club, Pennsylvania

Newtown Square, PA · Donald Ross · opened 1928 · major and PGA Tour host

The course of which Ross supposedly said he had built better than he knew, Aronimink near Philadelphia is a 1928 design of broad, muscular holes and superbly contoured greens, restored in recent years to its full Ross stature. It has hosted a PGA Championship, BMW Championships and is in line for future majors, a sign of how highly the modern game rates it. The big property and the bold green complexes make it one of the most complete Ross layouts still in championship use. A heavyweight classic enjoying a deserved renaissance.

East Lake Golf Club, Georgia

Atlanta, GA · Donald Ross · home of Bobby Jones · Tour Championship host

Bobby Jones learned the game at East Lake, and Ross gave the Atlanta club its enduring shape, a parkland of water, mature trees and strong par 4s that now hosts the PGA Tour's season ending Tour Championship every year. A celebrated restoration and recent reworking have kept it a stern, modern test while honoring the Ross and Jones heritage that makes it a place of pilgrimage. The historic clubhouse and the Jones story add a layer few courses can match. A living monument to American golf with a Ross design at its core.

Read the East Lake profile

Designers, opening years, restorations and host events verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading databases; most of these courses are private, and visitor access varies. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability at Pinehurst.

Plan a Donald Ross golf trip

The simplest way to play Ross golf is a trip to Pinehurst, where No. 2 and several more of his courses sit on one resort. Tell us the group size and the rough dates and we will build it, and where a private Ross course is on your list, we will tell you honestly what access takes. One concierge handles the tee times, the lodging and the logistics, costed to the head, with no obligation.

Donald Ross questions

What is Donald Ross's best golf course?

Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina is widely regarded as Donald Ross's masterpiece, the course he refined over decades and the home of his trademark crowned, turtleback greens. It has hosted the US Open four times and is a public resort course, so it is the most accessible of his greatest works. Seminole, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill and Aronimink are the other layouts most often named among his very best, though most are private. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.

Who was Donald Ross?

Donald Ross was a Scottish born golf course architect from Dornoch who emigrated to the United States in 1899 and became the most prolific and influential designer in American golf, credited with around 400 courses. His style favored natural routing, subtle strategy and crowned greens that repel the loose approach, and his courses have hosted scores of major championships. He died in 1948, and his work remains the gold standard of classic American design.

Which Donald Ross courses can the public play?

Pinehurst No. 2 is the headline public Ross course, a resort layout in the North Carolina Sandhills, and Pinehurst alone holds several more of his designs. Many of his other masterpieces, including Seminole, Oakland Hills, Oak Hill, Inverness and Aronimink, are private clubs reached by member introduction or during select events. A Pinehurst trip is the simplest way to play Ross golf. Always confirm access directly before booking.

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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, restorations and host events verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.