Best Golf Courses to Play 36 Holes
There’s something beautiful about taking your ball out of the cup and walking off the 18th green…only to tee it up again, because sometimes one round isn’t enough for one day. Whether you’re riding a heater or wanting redemption after a tough morning round, playing another 18 holes is never a bad idea, especially at any of the best 20 places to play all day in the United States.
- Galloway, New Jersey
- Home to Sam Snead’s first major victory, Seaview Golf Resort is comprised of two world-class golf courses. The Pines Course is a classic parkland track routed through a dense New Jersey forest where scoring opportunities abound—including the chance to recreate Snead’s 60-foot chip-in on the 16th hole to win the 1942 PGA Championship. The Bay Course is a Scottish links masterpiece that won’t blow you away with its length, but the prevailing winds off Reeds Bay just might.
- Philadelphia, Mississippi
- Known as the “Augusta you can play,” Dancing Rabbit is a Mississippi gem complete with stately cypress lining the fairways and beautiful beds of azaleas scattered around the property. The Fazio-designed Azaleas and Pate-designed Oaks at Dancing Rabbit are so flawlessly crafted that you and your golf buddies might feel like there’s a green jacket on the line coming down the final stretch.
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Host of the Waste Management Phoenix Open, TPC Scottsdale is known for having one of the most exciting settings in professional sports with the par 3, 16th hole aptly named “The Coliseum.” And though you likely won’t have the opportunity to play in front of thousands of crazy fans, the Stadium Course and Champions Course are sure to draw that same level of excitement with two intriguing layouts routed through the rugged desert terrain.
- Plymouth, Massachusetts
- Set on over 300 acres of archaic, glacially-carved kettles and kames, Pinehills Golf Club features two Cape Cod area tracks designed by Jack Nicklaus and Rees Jones, two designers known for maintaining the integrity of the land in their designs. The Nicklaus Course is highlighted by stately trees surrounding pristine fairways and challenging green complexes. The Jones Course is built on more dramatic terrain, and the layout naturally flows with the waving topography to create an exciting round from the 1st tee to the 18th green.
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Set amongst the spectacular Camelback Mountains, Camelback Golf Club features two championship courses that accentuate the best qualities of desert golf. While the Ambiente Course displays the quintessential desert style with dramatic elevation changes through mountainous terrain, the Padre Course brilliantly juxtaposes the barren landscape with lush fairways and glistening water features—especially on the 18th hole which was recently voted the best water hole in all of Arizona.
- Kamuela, Hawaii
- On an island known for its exceptional golf resorts, Mauna Lani stands alone as the best place to play all day on the Big Island. Signature holes highlight the resort, including the over-the-ocean par 3, 15th hole on the South Course and the lava-rock-surrounded par 3, 17th hole on the North Course. With every hole deemed photograph worthy, playing 36 holes at Mauna Lani still might not be enough golf for one day.
- Hot Springs, Virginia
- Home to two of the most respected traditional courses in the country, Omni Homestead Resort boasts two vintage parkland layouts routed through the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. The Cascades Course is full of impressive elevation changes and exudes an old school feel that has stood the test of time since 1923. Omni Homestead’s original course, the Old Course, is distinguished as the nation’s oldest first tee in continuous use, and it has been a Virginia staple since 1892.
- Acme, Michigan
- Showcasing all the best aspects of Pure Michigan golf, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa boasts 54 holes jam packed with links-style fescue, rolling fairways, pot bunkers, towering hardwoods, pristine water features and striking sand dunes. With designs from Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player headlining the resort, the three courses at Grand Traverse range from one of the most difficult courses in the country (The Bear), a friendly layout in Spruce Run and The Wolverine—a fair test for all players.
- Lahaina, Hawaii
- With endless views of the Pacific Ocean and the surrounding Hawaiian mountains, Kapalua is considered one of the most scenic golf courses in the world. And with exciting signature holes—a 600-yard, par 5 on the Plantation Course which plays downhill and downwind, and a par 3 on the Bay Course that is the only over-the-ocean hole on Maui—Kapalua should be penned in on every golfer’s bucket list.
- Streamsong, Florida
- Built on decade’s old sand dunes, Streamsong boasts three visually stunning golf courses that transform the raw landscape of Central Florida into miraculous tests of golf. With courses designed by the likes of legendary golf architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Tom Doak and Gil Hanse, it’s no surprise that Blue and Red annually crack the top 25 public courses in the country and Black was recently crowned best new public course in 2017.
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Sculpted by World Golf Hall of Fame architect Pete Dye, Las Vegas Paiute features three distinct layouts just 25 minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Snow Mountain is a risk-reward filled test, Sun Mountain offers scenic desert vistas and the Wolf Course is the longest course in Nevada at 7,604 yards. If you play your cards right, Paiute is the perfect place for you and your golf buddies to squeeze in three rounds and parlay a bet during an action-packed day of golf.
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- Considered one of the best desert links courses in Southwest, the O’odham Course takes center stage at Talking Stick Golf Club in Scottsdale with its broad, angular holes and slightly crowned greens that encourage thoughtful play. And while designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are best known for their affinity to create mesmerizing links-style courses, the Piipaash Course is a traditional-style gem with tree-lined fairways and raised greens that perfectly complement its sister links course.
- Roscommon, Michigan
- Containing some of Weiskopf and Doak’s best works, Forest Dunes features two 18-hole tracks that are considered top public courses in the country. While the original Forest Dunes Golf Club is a captivating mix of holes weaving through century-old red and jack pines and rugged native dunes, The Loop Course is a links-style course that can be played forward and back, a direct ode to the Old Course at St. Andrews.
- Green Lake, Wisconsin
- Highlighted by one of the best links courses in the country, The Golf Courses of Lawsonia are composed of two 18-hole tracks—Links and Woodlands—that conjure up two very different feelings. While the Links Course is set along Green Lake and invokes the feeling of playing on the shores of Scotland, the Woodlands Course brings you back to the classic, parkland-style golf that the United States is known best for.
- San Antonio, Texas
- Ranked as one of the best golf resorts in North America, La Cantera utilizes the immaculate waving topography of Texas Hill Country to create two championship tracks with some of the most exciting golf holes in the state. The Palmer Course and Resort Course are both enhanced by beautiful scenes of stunning natural streams and a waterfall-fed lake surrounded by panoramic views of San Antonio from La Cantera’s hilltop retreat.
- Seaview, California
- Just up the coast from the golf capital of California—Pebble Beach, Bayonet and Black Horse features two Gene Bates-designed tracks that stand toe-to-toe with the famous courses just south of Monterey Bay. The Bayonet Course is widely considered the most difficult test on the Monterey Peninsula with narrow landing areas and steep bunkering while the Black Horse Course will knock your spikes off with breathtaking vistas of the Pacific Ocean.
- Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
- Home to two of Pete Dye’s greatest works, TPC Sawgrass features two championship tracks just outside of Jacksonville. THE PLAYERS Stadium is cemented in golf history and highlighted by one of the most recognizable holes in golf, the island green on the 17th hole. And though it’s not as widely praised, Dye’s Valley Course deserves the same type of recognition with a layout that matches its sister course’s beauty and challenge.
- Miami, Florida
- One day might not be enough for all that Trump National Doral Miami has to offer. Set on an 800-acre tropical oasis, Doral includes two classic layouts that were redesigned by Gil Hanse. The famous Blue Monster is a vintage Florida design that has hosted PGA TOUR events for over half a century, and Red Tiger resembles a New England style track capped with a Florida signature of two island greens. And if you have the energy for more than 36 holes, give Golden Palm and Silver Fox a go. You won’t be disappointed!
- La Quinta, California
- Home to courses designed by the most revered architects in the world, PGA WEST features the Australian-style Greg Norman Course, the Pete Dye designed Stadium Course and the Golden Bear’s Nicklaus Tournament Course. Complete with island and peninsula greens, immaculate conditioning, scenic mountain vistas and tests suitable for PGA TOUR events and ‘Average Joe’ nassaus, PGA WEST is a top golf destination in California that just can’t be missed.
- Hamburg, New Jersey
- Not many golf facilities boast a top-rated links-style course, a classic parkland layout with towering pines lining the fairways and one of the top 50 toughest courses in the United States… but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Crystal Springs Resort. Ballyowen feels like a Heathland course in the middle of Ireland. Black Bear is a layout that everyone will enjoy, and Crystal Springs Golf Club poses a tough test for even the best shot makers.