Best golf courses near Louisville, KY

Given a difficult piece of land on which to create Valhalla (half the site was floodplain, with high-tension power poles), Jack Nicklaus drew on his training under Pete Dye and Desmond Muirhead to produce a unique design, with an alternate fairway par 5, a par 4 with an island green and an 18th green shaped like a horseshoe. Over the decades, Nicklaus returned periodically to update its challenges, and the club rebuilt bunkers and replaced its soft bent grass fairways with firmer, faster zoysia in 2022. Valhalla has proven to be a great championship site. It has hosted three thrilling PGA Championships, the latest Rory McIlroy’s win in 2014, and will host a fourth in 2024.

Persimmon Ridge Golf Club in Louisville is ranked as one of the best golf courses in Kentucky. Discover our experts reviews and tee time information

Hurstbourne Country Club is one of the finest clubs in Kentucky, boasting a course with excellent holes that test a player in a number of ways. The par-4 sixth hole is a good example—mandating a good drive into the fairway before requiring skilled placement on the long second shot over water to an undulating green. Two very challenging holes end the round—a short par 4 with a green bordered tightly by bunkers, then an uphill par 3. Good players will require some knowledge to master the subtly at this classic design renovated in recent years by Keith Foster.

Big Spring Country Club in Louisville is ranked as one of the best golf courses in Kentucky. Discover our experts reviews and tee time information

This challenging Louisville muny plays along hilly terrain in Seneca Park. World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player won his first PGA Tour event at Seneca Golf Course in 1958 at the Kentucky Derby Open. Eight years before Player’s triumph, Seneca hosted the 1950 U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Though it’s only nine holes, history buffs will love Cherokee Golf Course, which is one of the oldest municipal courses in the United States (1895). It’s part of a very historic city development, sitting within Cherokee Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the preeminent landscape architect in the world, who boasts Manhattan’s Central Park and many other famous jobs to his credit. Being only nine holes, it’s the perfect add-on to an afternoon itinerary after a few bourbon stops.

Situated alongside the Ohio River, Shawnee is a player-friendly municipal in Louisville. The generally flat course dates back to the 1920s and hosted the 1932 U.S. Amateur Public Links. In addition to the 18-hole layout, there is a three-hole junior course.