Best Private Golf Courses in America 2026

Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. / Gil Hanse (1921) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,556 yards

Host of the 2023 U.S. Open, Los Angeles Country Club is one of America's most exclusive and highly ranked courses. The Gil Hanse restoration brought this George C. Thomas Jr. gem back to its original strategic brilliance, set incongruously amid Beverly Hills and Century City.

New York, New York · William Flynn (1931) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 7,445 yards

One of the five founding member clubs of the USGA, Shinnecock Hills is among the most revered courses on the planet. The windswept links-inspired layout on the eastern end of Long Island has hosted five U.S. Opens and embodies the essence of American championship golf.

Pine Valley, New Jersey · George Crump & H.S. Colt (1918) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 7,057 yards

Widely considered the number-one golf course in the world, Pine Valley is a masterwork of penal design set in the New Jersey Pine Barrens just outside Philadelphia. Every hole is an isolated island of manicured turf surrounded by sand, scrub, and forest, creating golf's ultimate strategic and visual challenge.

Pebble Beach, California · Alister MacKenzie (1928) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,524 yards

Alister MacKenzie's jewel on the Monterey Peninsula, Cypress Point is considered one of the most beautiful and strategically brilliant courses ever built. The iconic par-3 16th over the Pacific, the lone cypress, and the wind-swept clifftop setting create golf's most romantic and revered experience.

Dallas, Texas · Tom Fazio (2002) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,335 yards

Widely regarded as the finest golf course in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Dallas National is a Tom Fazio design that sprawls across rolling terrain south of the city. The course features immaculate conditioning, bold shaping, and a series of dramatic par-3s.

Scottsdale, Arizona · Tom Fazio (2001) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,508 yards

A PGA Tour player hangout and one of America's most exclusive clubs, Whisper Rock Upper is a Tom Fazio design that flows through pristine Sonoran Desert terrain. Many touring professionals call this home, and the course demands precision off the tee.

Miami, Florida · Donald Ross (1929) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,079 yards

Widely regarded as the finest Donald Ross design in Florida and one of the top 10 courses in America, Seminole in Juno Beach is an oceanside masterpiece. The 2021 Walker Cup was the first competitive event held at the course in decades, bringing global attention to this ultra-exclusive layout.

Los Angeles, California · George C. Thomas Jr. (1927) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,322 yards

Known as "Hogan's Alley," Riviera is one of the most celebrated courses in the world and host of the Genesis Invitational. George C. Thomas Jr.'s genius routing through Temescal Canyon features the iconic 10th hole and a par-3 6th with a bunker in the middle of the green.

New York, New York · A.W. Tillinghast (1923) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,477 yards

Host of six U.S. Opens including the 2020 championship, Winged Foot West is one of Tillinghast's greatest achievements. The demanding par-72 in Mamaroneck features some of the most complex green surfaces in the game.

New York, New York · Charles Blair Macdonald (1911) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 6,779 yards

Founded by C.B. Macdonald, the father of American golf architecture, National Golf Links is a template course that inspired generations of designers. The links-style layout on the Peconic Bay in Southampton features Macdonald's famous renditions of classic British holes including the Redan, Alps, and Cape.

Chicago, Illinois · Charles Blair Macdonald / Seth Raynor (1895) · 18 holes · Par 70 · 6,597 yards

The first 18-hole course in the United States and a founding member of the USGA, Chicago Golf Club is an American treasure. C.B. Macdonald's template holes, refined by Seth Raynor, offer a master class in strategic golf architecture.

Denver, Colorado · William Flynn (1922) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,160 yards

One of the most historic courses in America, Cherry Hills hosted Arnold Palmer's legendary 1960 U.S. Open charge, the 1985 PGA Championship, and multiple other majors. The William Flynn design south of Denver features dramatic mountain views and the unique physics of mile-high golf.

San Francisco, California · A.W. Tillinghast (1915) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 6,726 yards

An A.W. Tillinghast masterpiece hidden in the residential hills of San Francisco, SFGC is widely considered one of the 20 best courses in America. The compact layout features dramatic cypress-framed views, wildflower-dotted roughs, and some of Tillinghast's most creative green complexes.

Brookline, Massachusetts · William Flynn (1893) · 18 holes · Par 71 · 7,264 yards

One of the five founding members of the USGA, The Country Club in Brookline is hallowed ground in American golf. Host of the 1913, 1963, and 1988 U.S. Opens, the 1999 Ryder Cup, and the 2022 U.S. Open, its William Flynn composite course is a masterclass in strategic architecture.

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan · Donald Ross (1918) · 18 holes · Par 72 · 7,395 yards

Dubbed "The Monster" by Ben Hogan, Oakland Hills South is one of America's most storied championship venues. The Donald Ross design has hosted six U.S. Opens, three PGA Championships, and the 2004 Ryder Cup. A Gil Hanse restoration in 2021 returned the course to Ross's original vision.