The 10 Best Public Golf Courses in the United States to Play in 2027

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You don't need a private membership to play America's greatest golf — these public-access courses welcome any golfer with a tee time and a credit card. Our Best Overall pick is Pebble Beach Golf Links in California, where a 2027 green fee runs about $675 for arguably the most beautiful coastline in golf.

The Best Value play is Bethpage Black on Long Island, where New York State residents pay roughly $80–$150 to play a U.S. Open and Ryder Cup host. This list is for traveling golfers chasing bucket-list public courses, with fees spanning roughly $80 to $750.

Every course below is real, currently open to public play, and ranked on championship pedigree, design quality, scenery, and access.

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Pebble Beach on California's Monterey Peninsula is the most celebrated public course in America, hosting six U.S. Opens and slated for the 2027 U.S. Open. Its 2027 green fee runs about $675 (free for resort guests at certain rates, plus cart), with rounds typically requiring a stay at the Lodge or a same-day standby.

The closing stretch along Carmel Bay — especially the cliff-hugging par-3 7th (just 106 yards) and the par-5 18th curving along the seawall — is the most photographed in golf. The course measures about 7,075 yards and shares the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am stage each February with Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay, so a stay-and-play guest can string together three elite Monterey rounds in a single trip.

It ranks #1 because it pairs genuine public access with U.S. Open conditioning and scenery no other American course matches. Booking a room at the Lodge at Pebble Beach or Casa Palmero is the surest path to a confirmed tee time, since walk-up standby slots are scarce and unpredictable, especially in the prime spring and fall windows.

2. Pinehurst No. 2

Donald Ross's masterpiece in the North Carolina Sandhills, Pinehurst No. 2 is the only course to host the U.S. Open in back-to-back gender editions (2014) and is the anchor site of the USGA's future U.S. Opens, including 2024 and beyond. Resort green fees run about $650 for 2027.

The course is famous for its turtle-back greens that repel anything but a perfect approach, and its restored sandy, wiregrass-lined look from the 2011 Coore-Crenshaw renovation. Pinehurst is the heart of America's premier golf resort, and No. 2 is the course every architecture student must study and every serious player must attempt.

The resort's village, the grand Carolina Hotel, and a roster of 10 courses — including the new Tom Doak–designed No. 10 and the throwback Cradle short course — make it an ideal week-long destination, and the firm, crowned greens reward the ground-game approach shots that have made it a recurring USGA championship venue.

3. Bethpage Black 💎 BEST VALUE

Bethpage Black on Long Island is the people's championship course — a state-owned muni that hosted the 2002 and 2009 U.S. Opens, the 2019 PGA Championship, and the upcoming 2025 Ryder Cup. New York residents pay roughly $80–$150 for 2027 depending on day and time, an almost unbelievable value for a course of this caliber.

A sign at the first tee warns: "The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers." The A.W. Tillinghast design is long, hilly, and bunkered into submission, stretching past 7,400 yards with brutal forced carries and the famously punishing uphill par-4 15th.

Tee times are released through the New York State Parks reservation system, and dedicated players still camp overnight in the parking lot for a coveted weekend slot.

For elite championship golf at muni prices, nothing beats it — the clear Best Value on this list. The neighboring Bethpage Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow courses round out a five-course public complex, so a day at the park can pair the Black with a gentler companion round for those not ready for its full ferocity.

4. Whistling Straits (Straits Course)

Pete Dye's wind-blasted links along Lake Michigan in Kohler, Wisconsin, Whistling Straits hosted three PGA Championships and the 2021 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. Team routed Europe. Resort green fees run about $650 for 2027, walking-only with a caddie.

The course features more than 900 bunkers, sprawling fescue, and grazing sheep, mimicking a windswept Irish links despite sitting in the American Midwest. Holes tumble along two miles of lakefront bluffs. Whistling Straits is the most dramatic inland-links experience in the U.S. And a centerpiece of the American Club resort.

5. Kiawah Island (The Ocean Course)

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, South Carolina, designed by Pete Dye, has the most seaside holes of any course in the Northern Hemisphere and famously hosted the 1991 "War by the Shore" Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships. Resort green fees run about $700 for 2027.

Exposed to relentless Atlantic wind, it's regularly rated the toughest resort course in America. The closing holes along the dunes are stunning and treacherous. Kiawah ranks for its championship history and its raw, wind-whipped difficulty that makes every par feel earned.

6. TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course)

Home of THE PLAYERS Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass is Pete Dye's stadium-golf prototype, built for spectators and TV. Public green fees run about $700 for 2027 in peak season.

Its par-3 17th "Island Green" is the most famous one-shotter in golf, a putting surface surrounded entirely by water that swallows tens of thousands of balls a year. The course is a fair but nerve-shredding test. Sawgrass ranks for its iconic holes and its status as the PGA Tour's flagship venue, fully open to the public.

7. Spyglass Hill Golf Course

A short drive from Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill opens with five spectacular holes among the Pacific dunes before climbing into the Del Monte Forest. A regular AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am rotation course, it's frequently rated tougher than Pebble itself. Green fees run about $455 for 2027.

Robert Trent Jones Sr. Named its holes after *Treasure Island* characters. The opening par-5 1st plunging toward the ocean is unforgettable. Spyglass is the connoisseur's Monterey pick — less famous than Pebble but a stiffer, equally scenic test that belongs on any Peninsula itinerary.

8. Bandon Dunes (Pacific Dunes)

Of the five public links at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort on the southern Oregon coast, Pacific Dunes by Tom Doak is the most acclaimed, routinely ranked the #1 modern public course in America by *Golf Digest*. Resort green fees run about $395 for 2027 (lower in winter).

A true walking-only links built on clifftop dunes above the Pacific, it features a stretch of consecutive par-3s and holes that hug the ocean's edge. Bandon as a whole is America's premier links destination; Pacific Dunes is its crown jewel and a pilgrimage for purists who walk and carry.

9. Chambers Bay

Site of the 2015 U.S. Open won by Jordan Spieth, Chambers Bay sits on a former gravel pit above Puget Sound near Tacoma, Washington. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. Design is a fescue, treeless, walking-only links with one lone tree on the course. Green fees run about $350 for 2027 for non-residents.

Its vast, rumpled fairways and railroad-line backdrop give it a Scottish feel on the American West Coast. While the 2015 greens drew criticism, a 2021 poa-annua regrass dramatically improved conditioning. Chambers ranks for its U.S. Open pedigree and dramatic Sound-side setting.

10. Torrey Pines (South Course)

A San Diego municipal course perched on cliffs above the Pacific, Torrey Pines South hosts the annual PGA Tour Farmers Insurance Open and staged two U.S. Opens (2008 and 2021), including Tiger Woods's playoff win on a broken leg in 2008. Non-resident green fees run about $300 for 2027.

Long, tree-lined, and oceanfront, it offers championship golf at a true muni you can book by phone. The clifftop holes deliver paragliders overhead and whale-watching from the tee. Torrey rounds out the list as the most accessible U.S. Open course in the country, open to anyone who plans ahead.

How to Choose

Picking among America's great public courses comes down to balancing access, cost, and the kind of golf you want to play. Marquee oceanfront resorts like Pebble Beach and Kiawah deliver scenery and U.S. Open pedigree but command premium fees and often require a resort stay, while state-owned munis such as Bethpage Black and Torrey Pines offer genuine championship golf at a fraction of the price for those willing to navigate residency-discounted reservation systems and plan months ahead.

The links specialists — Bandon Dunes, Whistling Straits, and Chambers Bay — reward walkers and purists, while parkland and stadium venues like Pinehurst and TPC Sawgrass suit players who prefer cart access and the chance to test famous tournament holes. Use these guidelines to match the right course to your trip:

• Match access to budget. Pebble, Pinehurst, Kiawah, and Sawgrass are $650–$700 splurges; Bethpage Black ($80–$150 resident) and Torrey Pines ($300) deliver U.S. Open golf for far less.
• Bundle resort destinations. Bandon Dunes (5 courses), Pinehurst (10 courses), and the Monterey Peninsula (Pebble, Spyglass, Spanish Bay) reward multi-day trips.
• Book residency-discounted munis ahead. Bethpage and Torrey Pines reserve the best rates and tee times for in-state residents via state/county reservation systems.
• Expect walking-only links. Whistling Straits, Pacific Dunes, and Chambers Bay are caddie- or carry-walking experiences — train your legs.
• Plan around championships. Pebble (2027 U.S. Open) and Bethpage (2025 Ryder Cup) close to public play around big events; book outside those windows.

FAQ

Can anyone really play Pebble Beach?

Yes. Pebble Beach Golf Links is a public resort course. The surest way to secure a tee time is to book a room at the Lodge at Pebble Beach or Casa Palmero, which grants golf reservations; same-day standby is sometimes available but far from guaranteed.

What is the best-value U.S. Open course to play publicly?

Bethpage Black on Long Island, where New York State residents pay roughly $80–$150, is the runaway value — a state-owned muni that has hosted two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship, and the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Which public course is the hardest in America?

The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island is regularly rated the toughest resort course in the U.S. Due to relentless Atlantic wind and length, while Bethpage Black is the hardest walk-up muni.

Do I need a caddie or can I take a cart?

It varies. Whistling Straits, Pacific Dunes, and Chambers Bay are walking-only (caddies recommended), while Pebble Beach, Torrey Pines, and TPC Sawgrass allow carts. Always confirm at booking.

Bottom Line

For a bucket-list American public golf trip, Pebble Beach Golf Links at about $675 is the unbeatable Best Overall, pairing oceanfront drama with U.S. Open pedigree and genuine public access. For elite championship golf at a fraction of the cost, Bethpage Black at roughly $80–$150 for New York residents is the clear Best Value.

Sources

• *Golf Digest* — America's 100 Greatest Public Courses ranking
• USGA — U.S. Open venue history and future sites
• PGA of America — PGA Championship and Ryder Cup venues
• *Golfweek* — Best Courses You Can Play (state-by-state)
• Pebble Beach Resorts — official green fee information
• New York State Parks — Bethpage State Park golf reservations
• *Golf Magazine* — Top 100 Courses You Can Play