If you’re traveling for any reason, like work, visiting friends, or a family trip, golfers always try to find time to play at least one round of golf. Set aside a few hours of your time and locate the best public track in your local area. That’s how we understand it.
It can be difficult to find a convenient and high-quality option when traveling, especially to a new city. We have created a guide to help you find the best golf courses near major U.S. cities. If you only have time for one round of golf, this guide will help you decide where to go.
In this guide, we have used data from our 1,800 course-rating panelists to find the best courses that are not too far away from major downtown areas. We mainly looked at courses that are within a 45-minute drive, but we focused on courses that are even closer to downtown so that you have a convenient option for your next trip.
Golf Course in New York City
Bethpage State Park: Black
Location: Farmingdale, NY
Bethpage Black is a large golf course that was built in the 1930s. It was meant to be a public version of the Pine Valley golf course. In the early 2000s, the USGA loved Bethpage Black and chose it to host the U.S. Opens in 2002 and 2009. Then it became very popular on the PGA Tour when it hosted the 2011 and 2016 Barclays tournaments. The PGA of America has now accepted The Black as a golf course. The Black hosted the 2019 PGA Championship, which was won by Brooks Koepka, and will also host the 2025 Ryder Cup. This is impressive for a place that used to be a run-down state park where people had to sleep in the parking lot to get a tee time.
Golf Course in Los Angeles
Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles
Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
The Pete Dye design is located just 30 minutes south of LAX and offers beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean on every hole. Trump National Los Angeles is a golf course located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. It is known for being one of the most expensive golf courses in the United States, with the developers claiming it cost $250 million to build.
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Golf Course in Chicago
Cog Hill Golf & Country Club: Dubsdread
Location: Lemont, IL
Some professional golfers were not happy with the changes made by Rees Jones to Cog Hill No. 4. They believe that the course is now too difficult for golfers with high handicaps. What were their expectations? The nickname for it is Dubsdread. There are three courses at Cog Hill that are easier and better suited for high handicappers. The original owner, Joe Jemsek, wanted to create a challenging golf course when it was built in the mid-1960s. Jones’s renovation stayed true to the design principles of the original architect, Dick Wilson. Wilson had a preference for placing bunkers along the fairways and around the greens, and he made them deep.
Golf Course in Phoenix
Papago Golf Club
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Papago is a great place to visit in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. It has amazing views of the nearby Camelback Mountains and downtown Phoenix. The course and Thunderbirds Golf Complex, where the Arizona State men’s and women’s golf teams train, have received a $8 million investment. This has revitalized the municipal course, which previously hosted the 1971 U.S. Amateur Public Links. The short game area is a large practice facility that covers four acres. It is considered one of the best in the country for college golfers. It has three acres of rough and fairway, which allows players to practice different types of lies. There is also a six-acre hitting area with 21 target greens and several fairway bunkers.
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Golf Course in San Antonio
TPC San Antonio Oaks Course
Location: San Antonio, TX
The Valero Texas Open has been held at TPC San Antonio’s Oaks course since 2010. The Greg Norman-designed golf course located north of the city is known for its strategic layout. It features challenging bunkers, interesting short par 4 holes, and particularly difficult par 5 holes. The 18th hole, in particular, is often overlooked but can be quite frustrating for professional golfers. –Derek Duncan, editor specializing in architecture
Golf Course in San Diego
Torrey Pines Golf Course: South
Location: La Jolla, CA
Torrey Pines is located on a beautiful golf course in America. It is situated on coastal bluffs north of San Diego and offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. The South Course was redesigned by Rees Jones in the early 2000s. This renovation made the course suitable for the 2008 U.S. Open, which Tiger Woods won in a playoff against Rocco Mediate. The changes also made the course more challenging for regular players, particularly on the third par-3 hole and the fourteenth par-4 hole, where coastal canyons now come into play. Torrey Pines, a golf course that hosts the PGA Tour every year, got even better with improvements made by Jones. It recently hosted its second U.S. Open in 2021, which was won by Jon Rahm.
Final Words
This guide aims to help golfers find the best public courses near major U.S. cities, focusing on those within a 45-minute drive. The list includes Bethpage State Park in New York City, Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Chicago, Papago Golf Club in Phoenix, TPC San Antonio Oaks Course in San Antonio, and Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. The guide uses data from 1,800 course-rating panelists to find the best courses near major downtown areas, with a focus on courses within a 45-minute drive. The list includes Bethpage Black, Trump National, Cog Hill, Papago, TPC San Antonio Oaks, and Torrey Pines.
