Best Golf Destinations | TeeOff (2024)

Much like the numerous lightning storms during the summer months, the golf scene in Tampa, Florida, has been described by golfers as “electric” and “captivating” because of the excitement and allure that it produces. Home to beautiful beaches and immaculate cypress heads, Tampa’s natural landscape begged to be transformed into a hub for professional-quality courses, and that’s exactly what Doak, P...almer, Crenshaw, Hanse, Dye and virtually every other world-renowned designer accomplished. So when the area isn’t experiencing a sudden lightning storm, golfers can enjoy the best of what Southwest Florida has to offer at the best golf courses in Tampa.More Less

Creating a list of top-rated courses in Chicago is about as difficult as hitting a driver off the deck, so before you jump into ‘Where is ___ on this list?’, know that we love too many Chicago golf courses to mention even 10% of them here. Chicago and its surrounding suburbs (North, Northwest, South, Southwest and West) are truly unique in their collective offering of world-class tracks. With a mi...x of parkland, links and resort courses, one could play 36 holes every day during the summer and never encounter the same golf course twice. And while each layout differs considerably from the next one, the best courses in Chicago are perfectly consistent in their offering of perfect bentgrass greens, aesthetically pleasing prairie grasses and stately Oaks.More Less

Consistently recognized for its unbelievably amazing climate, San Diego is a perfect place to play world class golf 365 days a year. Somewhat overshadowed by the glitz and the glam of Los Angeles in the north and to the warm winters to the east in Palm Springs, San Diego carves out a nice niche of top-rated daily fee courses that are tremendously beautiful and remarkably affordable. With a landsca...pe that features a variety of mountain ranges, prime Pacific Ocean real estate and over 200 canyons covered in native grasses and drought resistant wildflowers, San Diego and its neighbor up ‘The 5’, Carlsbad, are ideal for innovative golf course designs that present the game in equal doses of natural beauty and on-course challenges. Palmer, Player and Miller put forth their best in this Southern California enclave, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a course on the list below that you don’t fall in love with at first strike.More Less

From South Jersey to the Main Line and all points in between, Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs are rich with history and a parkland landscape that’s proven to be prime for premier golf courses. While it’s often considered an enclave for private golf, Philadelphia and the surrounding areas of Trenton and Burlington County in West Jersey are flush with great public tracks that feature pristi...ne greens and lush fairways framed by Eastern Hemlocks. Plus, many of these great courses in Philadelphia throw the famous Philly Cheese Steak on their menus to make certain their golfers don’t get hungry while they play. So what are you waiting for? Eat up.More Less

When the rest of the country shivers in its Winter boots, residents and visitors of Miami and Fort Lauderdale sip drinks on verandas and talk about all the great golf courses they’ve played that week. And man, do they have plenty to talk about! With designs from Palmer, Hills, McCumber, Nicklaus, Hanse and just about everyone else, Miami and Fort Lauderdale offer golfers a chance play a world clas...s design every day of the week. Warm temps, steady breezes and picturesque palm trees are the norm at golf courses in southeast Florida, and the courses below offer those elements in spades and toss in a little something extra for the effort.More Less

When most people think of New York City, they think of tremendous skyscrapers, traffic, noise and a lone strip of grass filled with thousands of tourists… but within 60 miles of the Big Apple, golfers can escape to some of the most serene golf havens in the country. With various layouts designed by world-class architects like von Hagge, Fazio and Rees Jones, the City that Never Sleeps is the perfe...ct place to play all day before you party all night. And while our list below captures the courses in Southeast New York, Parsippany, Plainfield and the rest of Northern New Jersey, don’t forget about the best teeing options of Long Island, because they’re pretty amazing, too.More Less

With perfect weather eight months a year, Las Vegas, Nevada, has long been a preferred destination for golfers looking to head out of town for a weekend, see some cards and enjoy some of the finest golf our country has to offer. With a bevy of top rated golf courses designed by Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Fazio and other top billed architects, Las Vegas truly gives golfers a chan...ce to see several different takes on desert golf—and some of the tracks might even make you forget you’re in the desert all together. As one local recently put it, “golfers looking for a great golf course in Las Vegas never roll snake eyes,” and one look at the courses below will make you an instant believer.More Less

Recognized as the theme park capital of the world, Orlando, Florida, isn’t known for being a quiet, peaceful place, but that’s exactly what you’ll find when you venture away from Disney to some of the most beautiful resort golf courses in the country. Containing more than 100 lakes and sweeping sand dunes, Orlando provides a wide array of natural features that are masterfully worked into course la...youts designed by some of the top designers in the world—Norman, Nicklaus and Faldo just to name a few. So while everyone else is waiting in lines to ride the same rollercoaster for the fifth time, you can enjoy the same thrill without any of the commotion at these top-rated Orlando golf courses.More Less

Known as the “Golf Capital of the World,” Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, plays host to a staggering 3.2 million rounds at over 100 area golf courses. That’s a ton of golf! And Myrtle Beach also packs a punch on quality with offerings from top designers like Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples and Rees Jones. Add in the amazing natural scenery of the Carolina Coast all the way up towards Wilmington, and the... only difficult part about playing golf in Myrtle Beach is figuring out where to tee it up first.More Less

Known as the Mile-High City, Denver, Colorado, sits over 5,000 feet above sea level and contains a mile-long list of fantastic mountain-style golf courses. Pete Dye, Tom Weiskopf, Robert Trent Jones Jr. and many other iconic course architects have brilliantly utilized both the Mountain and valley areas to accentuate exciting elevation changes from tee box to green. Toss in majestic backdrops of to...wering, snow-capped peaks and the chance to hit monstrous drives that pierce through the thin, mountain air, and the best golf courses in Denver should be penciled in on every golfer’s bucket list.More Less

Known as Hawaii’s “Gathering Place,” Oahu is a popular vacation spot with numerous beachside resorts and tropical golf courses that are perfect for golf buddies to gather at. Robinson, Dye, Palmer and Norman are just a few of the designers who have left their mark on Oahu with championship courses that often host PGA tournaments. For golfers looking to experience the bright blue skies, towering pa...lms and immaculate mountain views that Hawaii is known for, the best golf courses in Oahu now offer extended booking windows and truly deliver on every front.More Less

From October to May, it’s tough to find a place that’s serving up sunshine, tee times and epic experiences as well as Palm Springs, California. Perfectly placed at the foot of several mountain ranges, Palm Springs and the surrounding towns of Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Rancho Mirage, benefit from a picturesque landscape that is perfect for erecting amazing golf courses. And since 190...0, every major course architect in the United States has put his stamp on this desert oasis in sunny Southern California. Dye, Nicklaus, Norman, Hurdzan, Fry, Player, Faldo- we could literally go on forever. But you don’t have time for that. Start with the list of the best courses in Palm Springs below, and then head out and explore some more!More Less

Often touted as the leader in the clubhouse in “Capital of the South” debates, Atlanta, Georgia, is a strong contender as the golf course capital of the south as well! Peppered with world class layouts from Fazio, Nicklaus, Lee, Jones and too many other great designers to count, Atlanta truly has a great golf course for everyone. Great weather. Significant topography. Fantastic course conditions. ...The best golf courses in Atlanta check all the boxes.More Less

San Francisco’s hilly, seaside landscape has proven to be a perfect canvas for world-class designers such as Rees Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller and Robert Trent Jones, Jr. to shape layouts around significant topography and create exciting doglegs reminiscent of the twists and turns of Lombard Street. Boasting ideal weather conditions seemingly every day, the Bay Area is the perfect golf dest...ination for year-round play, and when the prominent marine layer clears, the magnificent San Francisco Bay and rolling terrain of Silicon Valley come into view and show golfers why the best courses in San Francisco are bucket list destinations.More Less

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the giant list of premium places to play golf in Dallas is no exception. With top tracks from Tripp Davis, Arnold Palmer, Ted Robinson, Greg Norman and countless other famous course designers, Dallas truly offers a buffet of great options to have a big time. While stately oak trees line well-maintained fairways at parkland layouts, tall native grasses pe...pper links courses perfectly at the best courses in the Dallas area listed below. So what are you waiting for? Check ‘em out and go play!More Less

There’s a simple reason why thousands of golfers flock to Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe each year to tee it up— it’s AMAZING. The giant saguaros, the pristine course conditions, the mountain vistas, the innovative course designs, the perfect weather… The Valley of the Sun truly has it all. So, finding a top-rated golf course in Phoenix, Scottsdale or Tempe is about as difficult as finding your sha...dow on a cloudless day, but the ten world-class facilities below are an absolute must on your next trip to this golfer’s haven.More Less

Canada's largest city is a bonafide golf hotspot, home to a collection of some of the most prestitgous courses in the country. It's also home to the Royal Canadian Golf Association, who operate the annual Canadian Open on the PGA Tour. Tiger Woods hit one of his most famous shots of all-time, a 3-iron bunker shot over water, at Glen Abby Golf Club in 2000. The majority of the Greater Toronto Area'...s golf courses are private or semi-private, though there are so many courses, over 200 easily, that you're never too far from a round. Toronto is a cultural hub of Canada, home to broadway shows, tremendous restaurants and never-ending nightlife. The golf near downtown is limited, but Torontonians are spoiled when it comes to easy golf getaways. Niagara Falls is just a short drive east, while Muskoka to the north has some of the provinces top-rated plays.More Less