The Best Golf Courses in Every State
Golf Digest has been publishing a Best in State ranking every other year since 1977, making this the 25th edition. Deploying our trained panel of more than 1,700 low-handicap golfers to continually assess the courses of this nation is a mission whose main obstacle is daylight.
We have completed our regional rollout of our Best in State rankings, which are all live below. These rankings were based on more than 80,000 evaluations over a 10-year cycle from our panelists, who assess candidate courses based on the following criteria: Shot Options, Challenge, Design Variety, Conditioning, Aesthetics, Character and Fun (though Fun isn't currently used in our formula).
The Alister MacKenzie-designed Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif., made our list of America's Second 100 Greatest Courses for the first time and made a big jump in our Best Courses in California list.
Martin Miller
BEST IN STATE
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Coore and Crenshaw's Wicker Point debuts at No. 2 in our competitive Best Courses in Alabama ranking.
Beau Welling made some major changes to Ocean Forest Golf Club, a Rees Jones oceanside design, outside Sea Island, a few years ago. Ocean Forest improved its ranking in our Best Courses in Georgia list this year.
Courtesy of Sea Island
Medinah #3 underwent a complete transformation by Geoff Ogilvy, Mike Cocking and Ashley Mead—moving the classic layout up to the No. 3 spot in Illinois.
Medinah Country Club/Seth Jenkins
Boothbay Harbor has unseated Cape Arundel as the best course in Maine.
Laurence Lambrecht
Bay Harbor Golf Club is a member of our America's 100 Greatest Public rankings and one of the best courses in Michigan.
Stock Farm Club made its debut ranking on our America's Second 100 Greatest and is one of the best courses in Montana.
Rob Perry Photography
Shinnecock Hills, host of the 2026 U.S. Open, maintained its spot atop the ultra-competitive Best Courses in New York rankings.
Dom Furore
Oakmont edged Merion once again in our ranking of the Best Courses in Pennsylvania.
Jeff Marsh
Black Desert Resort has burst onto the scene—debuting at No. 2 in our ranking of the Best Courses in Utah.
Courtesy of Black Desert Resort
The Lido and Sedge Valley (pictured) give Sand Valley two newcomers inside the top 10 in Wisconsin.
Brandon Carter
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