The Best Golf Courses Designed by Jack Nicklaus
The greatest player in history built one of the largest bodies of work in golf architecture, more than 410 courses across some 45 countries. These are the eight that matter most, from his private masterpiece in Ohio to oceanfront resort gems you can actually play. Ranked, with verdicts and how to get on each one.
How we picked them
Jack Nicklaus the architect is as restless and exacting as Nicklaus the player was. His best courses are strategic, demanding and beautifully framed, often asking the long, high approach he himself played so well. With more than 410 designs to choose from, we weighed the quality of the golf first, then the pedigree a course carries, its championships and its standing, and we made a point of balancing his great private clubs with the standout courses a travelling golfer can realistically play.
Every fact here, the opening dates, the championships and the access, was checked at the time of writing. Several of these courses welcome visitors or resort guests, while his marquee private clubs do not, and green fees move with the season, so treat any figure as a guide and always confirm directly before booking. The verdicts are ours. If you want a Nicklaus trip built around the courses you can play, that is exactly what our concierge does.
The ranking
- 1
Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio
Dublin, OhioParkland · privateHis masterpiece, and the course closest to his heart. Nicklaus built Muirfield Village near his boyhood home, opening it in 1974, and it has hosted his Memorial Tournament every year since 1976. An immaculate parkland of streams, bold bunkering and superb par 3s, it is consistently rated among the very best courses in America and was the venue for the 1987 Ryder Cup and a 1998 Solheim Cup. Private and hard to access, but the standard against which all his other work is measured.
- 2
Sebonack Golf Club, New York
Southampton, New YorkLinks style · privateAn unusual and brilliant collaboration, designed by Nicklaus with Tom Doak in 2006 on 300 acres above Great Peconic Bay, next door to National Golf Links and Shinnecock Hills. The pairing of Nicklaus's strategic instincts and Doak's naturalism produced a rugged, windswept course that hosted the 2013 US Women's Open. One of the finest modern designs in the States and proof of how Nicklaus's work evolved. Private, but a benchmark of the new century.
- 3
Gleneagles, PGA Centenary Course, Scotland
Auchterarder, PerthshireMoorland · resortNicklaus's only design in Scotland, opened in 1993 in the Perthshire hills and chosen to host the 2014 Ryder Cup and the 2019 Solheim Cup. Longer and more American in feel than its James Braid stablemates, it offers big mountain views and a stern modern test, all from the comfort of the great Gleneagles hotel. The most accessible high pedigree Nicklaus course in Britain and a fixture of any luxury Scottish golf trip.
- 4
Punta Espada Golf Club, Dominican Republic
Cap Cana, Punta CanaOceanfront · resortThe best of his Caribbean work and one of the finest courses in the region. Opened in 2006 at Cap Cana, Punta Espada has eight holes playing along or over the Caribbean, with dramatic cliff carries and turquoise backdrops. The PGA Champions Tour staged its Cap Cana Championship here from 2008 to 2010, and Golfweek has ranked it the best course in the Caribbean and Mexico. A jaw dropping resort round and a clear highlight of any Dominican golf trip.
- 5
Monte Rei, North Course, Portugal
Eastern Algarve, Vila Nova de CacelaParkland · resortWidely rated the best course in the Algarve, a Nicklaus Signature design set against the Serra do Caldeirao mountains in the region's quiet eastern corner. Impeccably presented and gloriously peaceful, with a grand clubhouse and a buggy and cool box at every tee, it is Nicklaus's finest European resort course. The North anchors a serene luxury base in southern Portugal and a centrepiece for any Algarve golf trip.
- 6
PGA West, Nicklaus Tournament Course, California
La Quinta, CaliforniaDesert · publicBuilt in 1987 in the Coachella Valley, the Nicklaus Tournament Course is the publicly playable Nicklaus design at the vast PGA West complex, long a winter tour and qualifying venue. Water, desert and bold contouring give it real teeth against a backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mountains, and it is immaculately kept through the season. With the La Quinta resort and a wealth of desert golf around it, it is the easiest of his designs to build a sunny winter trip around.
- 7
Glen Abbey Golf Club, Canada
Oakville, OntarioParkland · publicA piece of history, this was the first solo design of Nicklaus's career, opened in 1976 and home to the Canadian Open from 1977. The famous valley holes down by Sixteen Mile Creek, including the par 5 finishing stretch, have decided countless national championships and remain a thrill for the everyday golfer. Public and steeped in tour history, it is a must for any golf trip through southern Ontario.
- 8
Cabo del Sol, Cove Club, Mexico
Los Cabos, Baja California SurOceanfront · resortThe course where Nicklaus famously claimed the three finishing holes were the best he had ever built. Opened in 1994 on the Sea of Cortez at Los Cabos and recently revived as the Cove Club, it tumbles from desert foothills down to a spectacular oceanfront close. The mix of links style ground, desert and the deep blue sea makes it one of the great resort rounds in Mexico and the centrepiece of a Los Cabos golf trip.
Opening dates, championships and access verified June 2026. Muirfield Village and Sebonack are private; the rest welcome resort or public play. Green fees move with the season, so always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
Plan a Jack Nicklaus golf trip
Tell us which of his courses you want to play and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head, tee times, access and rooms, and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Jack Nicklaus course questions
What is the best Jack Nicklaus designed golf course?
Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio is our number one, the course Nicklaus built near his boyhood home, opened in 1974 and host of the Memorial Tournament every year since 1976. It is widely rated his finest design and one of the best parkland courses in America. Sebonack on Long Island, which he created with Tom Doak, runs it close.
Which Jack Nicklaus courses can the public play?
Several of his best are open to visitors. The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles, Punta Espada at Cap Cana, Monte Rei in Portugal, the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West, Glen Abbey in Canada and the Cabo del Sol Cove Club in Mexico all take outside or resort play. His marquee private clubs, Muirfield Village and Sebonack, are not generally open to visitors. Always confirm access and green fees directly before booking.
How many golf courses has Jack Nicklaus designed?
Jack Nicklaus and his firm Nicklaus Design have created more than 410 courses across some 45 countries, one of the largest bodies of work in golf architecture. This list focuses on the best of them by quality of golf and pedigree, balancing his private masterpieces with the standout courses a travelling golfer can actually play.
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