Golf in the United States
A continent of great golf you can actually play, from Pebble Beach on the Pacific cliffs to Bandon Dunes in Oregon, the Donald Ross Sandhills of Pinehurst and the Pete Dye drama of Kiawah and Whistling Straits. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey, via Google
Why golf in the United States
The United States holds more great golf than any country on earth, and the best news for a travelling golfer is how much of it you can play. Where the most exalted American clubs, Augusta National, Pine Valley, Cypress Point, are firmly closed, the country's resort and public golf is world class and welcoming, so a US trip is built around the venues that open their gates: Pebble Beach on the Monterey cliffs, the four links of Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast, Donald Ross's Pinehurst No. 2 in the Carolina Sandhills, and the championship Pete Dye tests at Kiawah and Whistling Straits.
The scale is the thing to plan around. America is not one destination but a dozen, each with its own season and character, from the Pacific cliffs of California to the pine scented Sandhills, the winter desert of Arizona and the summer dunes of Wisconsin. A great American golf trip picks a region, leans into one or two anchor resorts, and lets the surrounding courses, the food and the road trip fill out the week. The fees at the very top are eye watering, but the depth of excellent, affordable public golf in between is unmatched anywhere.
The regions
The West Coast
The Monterey Peninsula, Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay, with Torrey Pines near San Diego, and the four wild links of Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coast, the heart of bucket list American golf.
The Carolinas and Southeast
The Donald Ross Sandhills of Pinehurst, the Lowcountry of Kiawah and Charleston, the Florida sand of Streamsong and the island green of TPC Sawgrass, ideal in spring and autumn.
The Desert and the Heartland
Winter golf in Scottsdale and the Arizona desert, and the summer dunes of Wisconsin, Whistling Straits, Erin Hills and Sand Valley, two seasons at opposite ends of the year.
The courses that matter
Pebble Beach Golf Links
The most famous public course in the world, draped along the cliffs of Carmel Bay and a six time US Open host. Indicative 2026 resort guest fees around $675, rising to $695 from April, so always confirm directly before booking.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort
Four walking only links on a remote Pacific bluff, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails and Old Macdonald, plus the Sheep Ranch, the purest links experience in America. Indicative peak resort guest fees around $295 to $345.
Pinehurst No. 2
The masterwork of Donald Ross and a repeat US Open venue, a subtle Sandhills test of crowned, turtleback greens. Played through a resort stay, the anchor of the great American golf village.
Kiawah Island, The Ocean Course
The brutal, beautiful Pete Dye links that staged the 1991 Ryder Cup and two PGA Championships, strung along the Atlantic dunes of the Lowcountry, one of the hardest resort courses in the country.
Whistling Straits
A windswept faux links above Lake Michigan, bristling with bunkers, that hosted the 2021 Ryder Cup and three PGA Championships, the headline course of the Kohler resort.
Streamsong Resort
Three modern minimalist courses, the Red, Blue and Black, sculpted from old phosphate mining land in central Florida, a remarkable inland dunescape and a destination resort in its own right.
TPC Sawgrass, Stadium
The home of The Players Championship and the most famous island green in golf at the par 3 seventeenth, a stadium course you can play on the northern Florida coast at Ponte Vedra Beach.
Spyglass Hill
Pebble Beach's stern neighbour on the Monterey Peninsula, opening among the dunes before plunging into the Del Monte forest, widely rated one of the toughest resort courses in America.
Torrey Pines, South
A clifftop municipal course above the Pacific that has hosted two US Opens, proof of the depth of American public golf, bookable by visitors right by San Diego.
Sand Valley
A modern Bandon of the Midwest, sandy, walkable courses among the pines and dunes of central Wisconsin, the fastest rising destination resort in American golf.
Erin Hills
A vast, treeless walking course over glacial Wisconsin farmland that staged the 2017 US Open, a stern modern test that pairs naturally with Whistling Straits and Sand Valley.
TPC Scottsdale, Stadium
The raucous home of the WM Phoenix Open and its famous stadium sixteenth, the headline public round of the Scottsdale desert, a prime winter golf base in the southwest.
Designers, opening years and host history verified June 2026. The greatest private clubs are not open to visitors and are not listed here. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
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When to go
| Region | Best months | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California and Oregon coast | Late spring to early autumn | Playable year round, foggy and cool at the height of summer |
| The Carolinas and Southeast | March to May, September to November | Hot and humid in summer, mild and busy in the shoulder seasons |
| Arizona and the desert | November to April | A winter destination, fiercely hot in summer |
| Wisconsin and the north | May to October | A summer trip, closed or cold outside the warm months |
Because the country spans so many climates, there is excellent golf somewhere in the United States in every month of the year.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pebble Beach | Around $675, rising to $695 from April 2026 | Resort guest rate, the priciest public round in the country |
| Bandon Dunes | Around $295 to $345 in peak season | Resort guest first round, lower in the shoulder months |
| Pinehurst No. 2 and the marquee resorts | Bundled into a resort stay | Kiawah, Whistling Straits, Streamsong sold through packages |
| A bucket list week | Around $4,000 to $9,000 per person | Flights, lodging, marquee rounds and caddies, depending on the region |
Indicative third party figures for the 2025 to 2026 seasons, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
The United States is a fly and drive country. International gateways such as San Francisco, Charlotte, Phoenix, Chicago and Orlando put you within a short hop or a scenic drive of the major golf regions, and a hire car is essential once you arrive, since the courses, the lodges and the scenery are spread out. The exception is the remote resorts, Bandon Dunes and Streamsong among them, which reward a longer transfer or a small regional flight but keep everything on site once you are there. Build the trip around one region rather than trying to cross the country in a week.
Where to stay
Lean on the resorts. Pebble Beach guests earn the best tee times on the Monterey courses, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst, Kiawah, Whistling Straits and Streamsong all bundle their golf into a stay, and an on site lodge keeps the marquee rounds, the practice grounds and the dinner table a few steps apart. Away from the resorts, a well placed city or coastal hotel anchors a tour of the public courses. Book the headline resorts well ahead for the peak season, and let one planner secure the rounds first and build the lodging around them.
Plan your United States golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
United States golf questions
Which famous American golf courses can you actually play?
Many of the most famous courses are open to visitors, often through a resort stay. Pebble Beach, Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst No. 2, Kiawah's Ocean Course, Whistling Straits, Streamsong and TPC Sawgrass all welcome travelling golfers. The very top private clubs, Augusta National, Pine Valley and Cypress Point, are not open to the public, so a US trip is built around the great resorts and public venues.
When is the best time for a golf trip to the United States?
It depends on the region. The Monterey Peninsula and Bandon Dunes are best from late spring to early autumn. The Carolinas and the Southeast are ideal in spring and autumn. Arizona and the desert are a winter destination, superb from November to April, and Wisconsin and the north are a summer trip from roughly May to October.
How much does a golf trip to the United States cost in 2026?
The marquee fees are high. Pebble Beach is around $675 for resort guests rising to $695 from April 2026, Bandon Dunes is roughly $295 to $345 in peak season, and Pinehurst No. 2 is bundled into a resort stay. Elsewhere, excellent public golf runs from around $100 to $300. A bucket list week typically lands between $4,000 and $9,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Pebble Beach and Bandon booking windows, new American course openings and the trips our concierge is quietly building. Every other week.