Avid Golfers Reveal Their Top-50 U.S. Courses

The Top-50 golf courses in the United States  – as determined by more than 121,000 reviews from avid golfers in 2015 was revealed this week on Golf Advisor, the world’s leading golf course ratings and review website.

Above: Yocha Dehe Golf Club – Brooks, Calif.

More than 75,000 golfers in 2015 took the time to share their golfing experiences on Golf Advisor, resulting in the site’s Top 50 golf course list, which was developed by golfers, for golfers.

“You’ll find our Top 50 list features a handful of courses you’re used to seeing in on a top 100 list somewhere, while others you may have never heard of,” said Brandon Tucker, managing editor, Golf Advisor.  “That’s precisely what we hope makes our list useful.  An affordable, over-achieving municipal course in rural Texas has as much of a chance of receiving a strong review as a $300 resort course in Arizona.”

Unlike rankings published by various golf publications, which normally are geared toward architecture or history and conducted by a panel of industry insiders, the Golf Advisor Top 50 is totally consumer-driven.  Ages, handicaps and budgets of golfers using Golf Advisor run the gamut, so the more than 450,000 reviews the site has accumulated over the past two years showcase the golf course characteristics that are most important to avid golfers across the country.

Although courses in Florida, California, Arizona and Texas comprise half the list, states from other U.S. regions also are well represented, including the Midwest, West, Great Lakes, New England and the Mid-Atlantic.

Yocha Dehe Golf Club, located in Brooks, just west of Sacramento, Calif., topped the list.  Yocha Dehe delivered on all criteria – value, service, facilities, course conditions, scenery, food, and an interesting and challenging layout – receiving an average five-star rating.

Courses that often are regular candidates for top-100 public rankings – including Maderas Golf Club in Poway, Calif., TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course in Arizona, Pine Barrens Course at World Woods in Brooksville, Fla., and Bayonet Course at Bayonet & Black Horse in Seaside, Calif. – prove that they are able to meet the high expectations not just with industry panelists, but for paying golfers on a daily basis.

Some of the lesser-known, value courses on the list like Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet, Texas; Gunter’s Landing in Guntersville, Ala., and Royal Hylands Golf Club in Knightstown, Ind., prove that a course can earn excellent reviews if golfers find the experience both on the course and off to be far superior than other courses they play.

Below is Golf Advisor’s list of Top 50 Courses.  To read about the methodology behind the list, as well as see the review pages for each course included, click here.

1. Yocha Dehe Golf Club – Brooks, Calif.
2. Mission Inn Resort & Club (El Campeón Course) – Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
3. La Cantera Golf Club (Palmer Course) – San Antonio, Texas
4. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mountain Course) – Las Vegas, Nev.
5. Waldorf Astoria Golf Club – Orlando, Fla.
6. Sewailo Golf Club – Tucson, Ariz.
7. FarmLinks Golf Club – Sylacauga, Ala.
8. World Woods Golf Club (Pine Barrens Course) – Brooksville, Fla.
9. Candler Hills Golf Club – Ocala, Fla.
10. Cross Creek Country Club – Mt. Airy, N.C.
11. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Wolf Course) – Las Vegas, Nev.
12. Royal Hylands Golf Club – Knightstown, Ind.
13. Ram’s Hill Golf Club – Borrego Springs, Calif.
14. Scotch Hall Preserve – Merry Hill, N.C.
15. Cedarbrook Country Club – Elkin, N.C.
16. Gunter’s Landing – Guntersville, Ala.
17. The Club at Eaglebrooke – Lakeland, Fla.
18. Macatawa Legends Golf & Country Club – Holland, Mich.
19. Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons – Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
20. Maderas Golf Club – Poway, Calif.
21. Canterbury Woods Country Club – Canterbury, N.H.
22. Bedford Valley – Battle Creek, Mich.
23. Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Snow Mountain Course) – Las Vegas, Nev.
24. The Golf Club at North Hampton – Fernandina Beach, Fla.
25. Hawk Hollow Golf Course – Bath Township, Mich.
26. Blackstone Golf Club – Marengo, Ill.
27. The Hideaway Country Club – Fort Myers, Fla.
28. Grand Cypress Golf Club (New Course) – Orlando, Fla.
29. The Trophy Club – Lebanon, Ind.
30. Grand Bear Golf Course – Saucier, Miss.
31. TPC Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nev.
32. Ojai Valley Inn and Spa – Ojai, Calif.
33. Twin Lakes Golf Course – Canton, Texas
34. Delaware Springs Golf Course – Burnet, Texas
35. TPC Scottsdale (Stadium Course) – Scottsdale, Ariz.
36. The King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort – St. Simons Island, Ga.
37. Verrado Golf Club – Buckeye, Ariz.
38. Maryland National Golf Club – Middletown, Md.
39. Stonewall Orchard Golf Club – Grayslake, Ill.
40. Copper Canyon Golf Club – Wittmann, Ariz.
41. The Wilderness Golf Course – Lake Jackson, Texas
42. Aviara Golf Club – Carlsbad, Calif.
43. St. James Bay – Carrabelle, Fla.
44. Oakcreek Country Club – Sedona, Ariz.
45. Bayonet & Black Horse (Bayonet Course) – Seaside, Calif.
46. Pole Creek Golf Club – Granby, Colo.
47. Niagara Frontier Country Club – Youngstown, N.Y.
48. Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa – Young Harris, Ga.
49. Stonegate Golf Club – Twin Lake, Mich.
50. Wolfdancer Golf Club – Lost Pines, Texas

About GolfAdvisor.com

GolfAdvisor.com is the leading source of golf course ratings and reviews by golfers, for golfers.