Bucket List Golf Courses

Scottsdale, AZ

Rees Jones design carved through Hieroglyphic Mountains — remote but worth every minute of the drive

$130–$250 · desert

Bandon, OR

The course that started it all — oceanside links designed by David McLay Kidd

$275–$395 · links

Bandon, OR

Tom Doak masterpiece — consistently rated top 15 in the world, perched on ocean bluffs

$275–$395 · links

Bandon, OR

The newest course with the most ocean exposure — every hole has a Pacific view

$275–$395 · links

Coeur d'Alene, ID

Ultra-exclusive Tom Fazio design overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene — private but member guests can play

$250–$400 · mountain

Seattle, WA

2015 US Open venue — walking-only links carved from a gravel quarry on Puget Sound

$175–$299 · links

Park City, UT

Ultra-exclusive Pete Dye design at 6,800 feet; member access only but worth calling for reciprocal play — absolute world-class track

$200–$350 · mountain

Jackson, WY

Tom Fazio design along the Snake River; ultra-private with limited access but absolutely world-class conditioning and views

$275–$450 · mountain

Traverse City, MI

Top-10 course in the world (Alister MacKenzie/Perry Maxwell) — strictly private, need a member invite

$250–$350 · links

Tulsa, OK

Perry Maxwell masterpiece and multiple PGA Championship/US Open host — private but limited guest access through member invitation. The crown jewel of Oklahoma golf.

$250–$400 · parkland

Little Rock, AR

Tom Fazio design ranked among the top 50 courses in America — ultra-private but accessible through member invitations and charity events

$200–$350 · parkland

Scottsdale, AZ

Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw design on Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation land with jaw-dropping Sonoran views

$150–$280 · desert

Mesquite, NV

Dramatic canyon-to-canyon holes with 100-foot elevation changes — one of the most visually stunning courses in America

$100–$250 · desert

Las Vegas, NV

Tom Fazio masterpiece built from flat desert into a lush Carolina-style paradise — limo ride included

$500–$600 · parkland

Bend, OR

Bob Cupp design winding through wetlands along the Deschutes and Little Deschutes rivers

$175–$295 · parkland

Bandon, OR

Tribute to C.B. Macdonald with massive greens and strategic template holes

$275–$395 · links

Sunriver, OR

Bob Cupp design through pristine wetlands — one of the top resort courses in the country

$175–$295 · parkland

Spokane, WA

Gene Bates design through Coeur d'Alene tribal land — consistently rated top public course in Idaho

$100–$175 · parkland

Gig Harbor, WA

2015 US Open host — links-style course on Puget Sound built on a reclaimed gravel mine

$175–$289 · links

Big Sky, MT

Jack Nicklaus Signature course at 7,500 feet with staggering views of Lone Mountain; one of the best mountain courses in America

$200–$350 · mountain

Jackson, WY

Rees Jones design for the ultra-elite; member-only with rare guest access. If you can get on, it's top-100 worthy.

$300–$500 · mountain

Telluride, CO

Possibly the most scenic course in America; San Juan Mountains tower over every hole at 9,500 feet

$175–$295 · mountain

Kohler, WI

2021 Ryder Cup, 3-time PGA Championship host — lakeside links that rival anything in the British Isles

$395–$520 · links

Kohler, WI

2017 US Open host — walk-only links on rolling glacial terrain, one of the purest golf experiences in the US

$275–$395 · links

Traverse City, MI

Clifftop links 200 feet above Lake Michigan — jaw-dropping views on every hole

$175–$275 · links

French Lick, IN

Pete Dye's mountaintop opus — 300-foot elevation changes and panoramic Hoosier National Forest views

$199–$349 · mountain

Kiawah Island, SC

Every hole has an ocean view. Host of the 1991 Ryder Cup War by the Shore and 2012/2021 PGA Championships. Bucket list.

$350–$500 · links

Myrtle Beach, SC

Mike Strantz masterpiece draped in live oaks and Spanish moss. Best course on the Grand Strand.

$150–$250 · coastal

Chattanooga, TN

Pete Dye design that hosts NCAA championships. Private but available through select packages.

$200–$350 · parkland

Sarasota, FL

Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin design. Hosted WGC Match Play. Top-20 course in the US. Limited access.

$250–$400 · parkland

Biloxi, MS

Tom Fazio design ranked top-100 public. Beau Rivage resort course with immaculate conditioning. Must-play.

$150–$250 · parkland

Pawleys Island, SC

Mike Strantz masterwork. Live oaks frame every hole, the 18th approach over the marsh is iconic.

$150–$250 · coastal

Reynolds Lake Oconee, GA

Jack Nicklaus design ranked top-100 public. Nine holes on Lake Oconee with a stunning island-green par 3.

$175–$325 · parkland

Horseshoe Bay, TX

Jack Nicklaus signature design and the newest addition — 400 feet of elevation change with jaw-dropping views of Lake LBJ

$175–$295 · resort

Fredericksburg, TX

Hal Sutton design through live oaks and granite outcrops — one of the best private courses in Texas with limited reciprocal access

$200–$350 · resort

Branson, MO

Tom Fazio design at Big Cedar Lodge — dramatic Ozark ridgeline holes with 360-degree views of Table Rock Lake and rolling hills. Consistently ranked among Missouri's best.

$150–$250 · mountain

Louisville, KY

Jack Nicklaus design and multiple PGA Championship / Ryder Cup host — private but limited guest access through resort packages and charity events

$250–$400 · parkland

Oklahoma City, OK

Tom Fazio design ranked among the top 25 public courses in America — home of Oklahoma State golf with stunning lake and prairie views. Worth the 75-min drive.

$175–$300 · parkland

Scottsdale, AZ

Tom Weiskopf masterpiece nestled against Pinnacle Peak with the iconic Monument boulder

$175–$325 · desert

Sedona, AZ

Tom Weiskopf design carved through red rock canyons — ultra-exclusive and jaw-dropping

$200–$350 · desert

St. George, UT

John Fought design through red sandstone formations — a top-25 public course in the US and worth the trip alone

$80–$175 · desert

Las Vegas, NV

Rees Jones design in Boulder City with a 418-foot waterfall behind the clubhouse — pure spectacle

$250–$450 · desert

Reno, NV

Jack Nicklaus design that hosted the PGA Tour Barracuda Championship — private but resort access available

$175–$300 · mountain

Bend, OR

Jack Nicklaus signature design carved through high desert lava rock and juniper

$200–$325 · desert

Bandon, OR

Inland layout through dunes and coastal forest — the most diverse routing on property

$275–$395 · links

Coeur d'Alene, ID

Home of the famous floating green on hole 14 — reached by boat, one of golf's most unique experiences

$200–$350 · resort

Portland, OR

Former US Amateur host carved through old-growth forest — PNW golf at its most pristine

$150–$250 · parkland

Durango, CO

Ultra-private club with limited resort access; 9,000-foot elevation with jaw-dropping San Juan views and immaculate conditioning

$150–$250 · mountain

Jackson, WY

Robert Trent Jones Jr. design with the Grand Teton as your backdrop on nearly every hole; the iconic mountain golf experience in America

$250–$400 · mountain

Colorado Springs, CO

Host of multiple major championships; Robert Trent Jones Sr. design with Cheyenne Mountain views

$200–$350 · resort

Kohler, WI

Pete Dye's inland masterpiece — dramatic elevation changes along the Sheboygan River

$340–$450 · parkland

Pinehurst, NC

Donald Ross masterpiece. Host of multiple US Opens. The crowned, turtle-back greens are the ultimate test.

$395–$595 · parkland

Hilton Head, SC

Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus co-design. Home of the RBC Heritage. The lighthouse behind 18 is one of golf's most iconic images.

$300–$450 · coastal

Charleston, SC

Pete Dye's oceanfront masterpiece. Hosted 2021 PGA Championship. Wind-battered and unforgettable.

$350–$450 · links

St. Augustine, FL

Home of THE PLAYERS Championship. Island green at 17. The most iconic public tee time in golf.

$350–$600 · parkland

Cape Cod, MA

Ultra-exclusive private club occasionally available through resort stay packages

$175–$275 · parkland

Williamsburg, VA

Robert Trent Jones Sr. masterpiece — dramatic elevation changes and the legendary island-green 16th

$130–$215 · parkland

Branson, MO

Tom Fazio design at Big Cedar — natural springs, Ozark meadows, and bison grazing near the fairways. One of the most scenic courses in the country.

$150–$250 · mountain

Scottsdale, AZ

Home of the WM Phoenix Open and the legendary Stadium Hole 16

$200–$350 · desert

Jackson, WY

Arnold Palmer/Ed Seay design through wetlands and aspens with the Tetons looming; resort guests can access this semi-private gem

$200–$350 · mountain

Vail, CO

Robert Trent Jones Jr. design at 8,400 feet; Tom Kite called it 'Augusta at altitude'

$175–$275 · mountain

Sea Island / St. Simons, GA

Tom Fazio design hosting the RSM Classic. Ocean-side links with sweeping marsh and Atlantic views.

$250–$450 · links

Williamsburg, VA

Former PGA Tour stop on the James River — Pete Dye design with iconic finishing holes along the bluffs

$175–$295 · parkland

Horseshoe Bay, TX

Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s Texas masterpiece — carved through solid granite with dramatic forced carries over ravines

$125–$210 · resort

San Antonio, TX

Home of the PGA Tour's Valero Texas Open — Greg Norman/Sergio Garcia design with Hill Country terrain and tour-level conditioning

$175–$295 · resort

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

Home of the PGA Tour's CJ Cup Byron Nelson — Tour-level conditioning with strategic bunkering and water hazards on a championship layout

$150–$275 · parkland

Houston, TX

Tom Doak redesign hosting the PGA Tour Houston Open — championship golf in the heart of the city at municipal prices. Best value bucket-list course in Texas.

$60–$95 · parkland

New Orleans, LA

Home of the PGA Tour's Zurich Classic — Pete Dye design through Louisiana wetlands with alligators, cypress trees, and tour-level conditions

$125–$225 · parkland

Austin, TX

Tom Fazio masterpiece through Hill Country canyons — hosted the Champions Tour and consistently ranked among Texas' best

$150–$250 · resort