The best courses for fall foliage

This turn-of-the-century Donald Ross design sits in an outstanding setting. Despite being the flattest “mountain” course you will ever play, nearly every hole has a view of mountains (in every direction) or the spectacular 19th century mountain resort hotel. The course has many of the classic Ross elements: plateau greens with roll-offs in all directions, optical illusions of greenside bunkers that are actually 30-40 yards in front of greens, bunkers canted to face the direction of play, etc.

A must-play public course in Washington for its scenic views and strong conditioning. Towering trees frame most holes and require a golfer keep their tee shots in play, with little recovery options given off some fairways.

A donation from the Goodwin family in 2003 allowed the financial support to cover a complete redesign by Pete Dye on an existing 18-hole layout along the New River in Radford, Va. The River course earned a fourth-place award from Golf Digest in its Best Remodel rankings of 2006, the highest of any public facility. The course—which is the home to both Virginia Tech and Radford University’s golf teams—has earned the reputation as one of the best collegiate courses in the country.

The Arthur Hills course may be the most player-friendly of the four layouts at The Highlands, with forgiving fairways and large greens. That said, there are some demanding shots, including the approaches to several small, elevated greens. There are plenty of elevation changes, including some dramatic downhill tee shots which offer beautiful vistas of the northern Michigan landscape.

One of the best public courses in the state shines during the fall when the colors are off the charts. The back nine is routed through the highest points of the property, revealing some incredible vistas. Some shorter par 4s and five par 3s, along with some longer holes and approaches to elevated greens, give Green Mountain National a strong layout variety.