You Might Not Believe America’s Top 6 Public Golf Courses!
So, Golf Digest just came out with their latest list of the top public courses in America. We’re going to talk about the top six public courses in America for the purpose of this video. Don’t want it to be too long for the people watching, but uh initial guesses of the six. Geez, I mean, this is tough. I have not seen the list at all. Um, obviously Pebble Beach is right. It has to be in the top six, if not number one. So, Pebble Beach is not in the top. No, I’m just joking. Pebble Beach is is ranked, it’s a great starting point, the number one public course in America. Okay. And the previous ranking 2023, I guess they didn’t do a 2024 ranking, but previous ranking, Pebble Beach was number one as well. A fun fact, by the way, is that out of the top 10, just this puts in perspective how things go with these rankings. Out of the top 10, it’s the exact same 10, just some different orders. Okay. So, no one that was So, every course that was top 10 on their previous rankings is still in the top 10 that no one’s no one moved into the top 10. They’re all still there. Some shuffled around a little bit, but uh long story short, Pebble Beach is number one. No surprise. So, if Pebble is on there as a public course, I’m assuming other resort courses, resort public courses. I mean, that’s all a part of it. It’s I think they frame it as, you know, the top 100 greatest public courses you can play or whatever. Okay. But yeah, it has to be other resort courses on there. Pebble Beach is is a is accessible to the public if you want to pay, but it’s for all intents and purposes. It’s a it’s a resort, private, whatever. Totally agree. Okay. Um gosh, I I don’t even know where to go. Uh after that, Pebble Beach is so high up there um on the list. Would is TPC Sawrass? So, that’s a great guess. They’re actually uh number nine. Pardon me. They’re number eight. They moved from nine to eight. Sawrass is a great one. Um, I will say that interestingly enough, the top three public courses are all on the west coast of America. Wow. Interesting. Okay. I wasn’t thinking west coast really at all. Um, yeah. When you when you think of great golf, you think of Florida, you think of Midwest, you think of certainly some East Coast ones, but top three are uh are on the West Coast. So, Pacific Dunes at Bandon is is number two. uh again has not moved from number two. Um and then number three, which is actually up from number five, is Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. So those are the top three public courses in America. Pebble Beach, Pacific Dunes, and Shadow Creek. And not cheap, right, by any stretch of the imagination. Um and they shouldn’t be. still have not done Bandon Dunes, but I have heard Pacific Dunes is is the one, you know, like Pinehurst number two, you know, and I know there’s people that would say Pinehurst number four is, you know, can can compare to Pinehurst and they’re closed right now or whatever. Yeah, but it’s it’s Pinehurst number two, just like it’s Pacific Dunes at at Bandoned Dunes. Um, so that makes perfect sense. Shadow Creek, I haven’t played. I know some people who have and obviously they do some, you know, events out there over the years and things of that nature, but um would love to play Shadow. That seems like such a great experience, too. Don’t you have to go in a limo or something? Really? And isn’t it? You ha you have to in order to play it. I thought it Yeah, you you have to you have to go pull up in a limo. Um don’t you have to stay at the wind, too? For Shadow Creek, I thought so. I don’t think so. Or maybe it’s just a limo thing. I know for the win you have to. Comment below if you uh if you guys know. But yeah, Shadow Creek, I’m pretty sure it’s something like that where you have to roll up in a limo. And that’s not cheap either. It’s like over $1,000 or whatever to play. Um, you mentioned Pinehurst number two and we’re talking about the top six public golf courses in America. Um, Pinehurst is number six. Okay. Wow. Pinehurst number two is number six and uh that did not move from number six either. That’s a course I had a chance to play as I we’ve talked about at length uh within the past year and it was phenomenal. You know, I mean just the history there, the the in really good shape. I mean, that golf in North Carolina and just the uh I mean, for lack of being cliche, all the the pine trees and just the the that the hitting out of pine in that area. It’s uh it’s what a what a special venue. And coming into 18 to that clubhouse is we actually started on 10, so that was our ninth hole. Um which is still obviously fine. Who cares? But uh having just watched the US Open there and then playing it was sick. I’m still just um taken aback because it’s like you you hear top 100 public golf courses. It’s hard to even consider Pebble Beach and Shadow Creek and Pinehurst number two. It’s hard to even think in terms of those are public courses cuz they are and they’re they’re US Open. They’re not right. I mean they host huge events. Beth Paige Beth Paige Black who just missed the top six is number seven. They’re about to host the Ryder Cup, you know. So, I I I think though that is one of the cool things about golf is that you have these major championship venues that the public can go go play, right? Now, you’re going to pay for it, but it’s such a cool sport where where you can play these courses that are major championship courses being played by the greatest in their sport. I always use just some random example of, you know, it’s not like, it’s not like I could walk up to Yankee Stadium and offer him 500 bucks and say, “Hey guys, can I go play catch in the outfield?” You know, “Hey, can we go take batting practice?” Like, you you can’t do that. But if you want to pay, you can go to Pebble Beach and at Pebble Beach and play the course that you know uh that that these greats have played at and that all these majors have been at and all these moments have. Right. It is one of the cool things about you know the game of golf, the sport of golf, uh if you will. Um let me ask you this. Is TPC Scottsdale on this list? No. No. I’d say that’s a bad bad guess. That really that shouldn’t be on there. It seems it seems great. Um, everyone I know that’s played it loves it. So, you’re missing a couple of them here. So, again, just to recap, top six. So far, you’ve guessed Pebble Beach one, Pacific Dunes 2, Shadow Creek 3. We’ve talked about, four were missing, five were missing, and then Pinehurst is six. So, I’ll give you a hint at the two that you’re missing. Stream Song Black. Uh, Red, that is not Nope. Really? Stream song Red is down at number 20. Okay. Um I don’t even see Stream Song Black on there either, but you hear more about red than black anyway. Yeah. So number four, maybe I can give you a real easy hint, is is a Midwest course. Street Whistling Straits. Yep. Number four is Whistling Straits. Uh I was there for the Rder Cup. Didn’t play it. Guess. Yeah, that that was good. That was good. Um, again, but you talk about the venues, a rider cup venue, public course. That’s one I’d love to just go play. And then number five is where Phil Mickelson recently won his uh PGA Championship when he was 50 years old is Kio Island, the Ocean Course. Okay, so the top six we have Pebble, Pacific Dunes, Shadow Creek, Whistling Straits, Kiwa Island Ocean Course, and Pinehurst number two. the ones that just missed it. Seven Beth Page Black, eight TPC Saw Grass, nine Bandon Dunes, and 10 Aaron Hills, another one in Wisconsin. Sand Valley, actually in Wisconsin, is on there at 12. And then finally, we have a Michigan course at 16, uh, which is Arcadia Bluffs, which actually moved from 14 to 16. Interesting. I mean, good good that Michigan’s at least represented in the top 20. Aaron Hills is hosting um the women’s US Open right now. That’s right. Yeah. So, I mean that’s fantastic. It looks watching some of it. It looks fantastic. It’s cool to see uh some of the movement here from years from year over year and and even just the region where some of these are, you know, it’s the fact that the West Coast has the top three is really interesting to me. Um Midwest has a lot of representation. East Coast, Northeast, really not that much, you know, which which is kind of surprising with how many great But again, a lot of the great are private over there, you know, right? Same with Florida. It’s not the best, you know, public golf state at all. It’s all hyper private elite clubs. There’s not a ton of great golf in Florida. Obviously, Sawrass, you know, and and whatnot, but in some of these resorts, but let me ask you this. Is TPC Scottsdale in the top 100? You know, I I Now I’m like now I’m really a quick search of it. Curious about my my guessing ability here and if I’m even remotely on the right track. I don’t I didn’t I don’t think it’s uh No, it’s not. Yeah. Wow. I don’t think it’s it’s it’s not it’s Look, it’s known for the waste management and being a fun course and and a great a great event to go to, but it’s not known as being just an incredible course. I mean, I should just hang it up right there. I mean, guessing that a course is in the top six and it’s not even in the top 100. Yeah, I need to re better luck next time. But yeah, guys, check it out. Obviously, always cool to look at the the best public courses in America according to Golf Digest. And I’m sure we’ll do more as it relates to Michigan and others. But drop your comments below. What do you think of the top six? Again, we have Pebble Beach 1, Pacific Dunes 2, Shadow Creek 3, Whistling Street Straits 4, Kiwa Island 5, and Pinehurst number two is six.
Metro Detroit Golfers reveals the top 6 public golf courses in America for 2025, and you won’t believe which fairways made the list! From jaw-dropping designs by legendary architects to hidden gems offering unforgettable challenges, these courses deliver world-class golf and stunning views for players of all levels. Get insider tips for planning your visit and discover why these public tracks are bucket-list musts. Watch to see the surprising picks! Subscribe for more golf adventures and hit the bell for updates! #TopGolfCourses #PublicGolf #GolfTravel #Golf2025 #BucketListGolf
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