Best Public Golf Courses in the USA - Great Ideas for Father's Day

Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course

Arcadia Bluffs - Arcadia, MI. Par: 72. Yardage: 7,298. Built overlooking Lake Michigan, Arcadia Bluffs golf course is open daily from mid-April to mid-November to the public and players are given GPS-equipped golf carts or caddies upon request. The restaurant is only open from May through September, but this won’t affect Father’s Day plans. At 180 per round in the summer ($110 Twilight) this is a doable Father’s day gift, but not a course you’d want to play every day. While you’re there, try out the full practice range or the separate short game facility.

TPC Sawgrass

TPC Sawgrass (Player’s Stadium Course) - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Par: 72. Yardage: 7,215. Known as the inaugural Tournament Players Club (TPC) course and home of the PGA Tour Headquarters, the TPC Sawgrass is home to The Players Championship and is known as being one of the toughest courses in the world including the (in)famous par-3 hole 17. Like all TPC courses, the TPC at Sawgrass is built in a stadium style to accommodate lots of fans. You can book packages including 2-nights and 2 rounds of golf starting at $495 per person, making it a pricey but fantastic experience.

Shadow Creek Golf Course

Shadow Creek - North Las Vegas, NV. Par: 72. Yardage: 7560. Shadow Creek Golf Course was built by well-known casino mogul Steve Wynn in 1989 out of a barren desert flatland. The course is well-lined by trees and berms, though, giving a sense of privacy in the expansive surrounding desert. It was once one of the most exclusive golf courses in the world, with tee times by invitation only and spaced one hour apart. Today all guests of any MGM Mirage property are welcome to play, but with greens fees of $500, the course rarely sees more than a couple dozen rounds each day. Like the rest of Las Vegas, playing the Shadow Creek course is a dramatic experience, with each several holes grouped together in a certain “theme” and no hole visible from any other. If you can afford to cough up the greens fees, it’s a definite Father’s Day experience!

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Bandon Dunes - Bandon, OR. Par: 72. Yardage: 6,732. Bandon Dunes is the second course on this list from the Bandon Dunes Golf complex. It was the first course constructed in the complex, completed in 1999. It features shrub-lined fairways and numerous pot bunkers. Like the Pacific Dunes course, Bandon Dunes is in the Scottish style and is very mentally challenging, especially when the winds pick up. During the summer, a day guest pays $275 to play while a resort guest pays $220.

Pinehurst Resort

Pinehurst Resort & Country Club (No. 2) - Pinehurst, NC. Par: 72. Yardage: 7,335. Pinehurst Resort is home to eight golf courses, the first of which opened in 1898. It was initially founded by soda fountain magnate James Walker Tufts. The most famous course at Pinehurst (No. 2) was completed in 1907 and was designed by Donald Ross. This year, you can treat Dad to a special Father’s Day event at the Pinehurst Resort, including 3 nights accomdation, 2 rounds of golf (one at No. 4 and one at No. 2 with caddies), VIP room access during the US Open, and special dinners and receptions with James Dodson and the McRae Family. Prices for the weekend’s festivities start at $750 per person. Once you’re done golfing, there’s plenty of other activities including tennis, pools, and a spa.

Bethpage State Park Golf Course

Bethpage State Park (Black Course) - Farmingdale, NY. Par: 71. Yardage: 7,366. The Black course is the most difficult of Bethpage State Park’s five eighteen hole golf courses. It was the first publicly owned and operated course to host the US Open in 2002 and thanks to the great crowd turnout that year, it will again host the tournament this year. The course will reopen after the Open on June 27. If you’re a NY resident it costs just $60 to play this course on weekends. Non-residents are charged $120. To make a tee time, your driver’s license has to be in their online system. Or, you can simply walk up – but be warned, this means you’ll have to spend the night in the parking lot the night before!

The Ocean Course

The Ocean Course - Kiawah Island, SC. Par: 72. Yardage: 7,356. The Ocean Course is the most famous course at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, near Charleson, SC, which opened in 1974, and known in part for its presence in the 2001 film, Bagger Vance. You and Dad will have a view of the Atlantic Ocean, but beware of the winds. The course is even a Certified Audobon Cooperative Sanctuary. This is one of the toughest resort courses to play, so if you’re up for a challenge, go for it.

Whistling Straits Golf Course

Whistling Straights - Haven, WI. Par: 71. Yardage: 7,514. Whistling Straights is one of two courses associated with the nearby American Club, owned by Kohler. The Course is reminiscent of the UK and Ireland’s seaside courses and will be the home of the 2010 and 2015 PGA Championships, as well as the 2020 Ryder Cup. The course was designed by Peter & Alice Dye and lies along 2 miles of Lake Michigan coastline. Green fees are pretty steep at $340 ($230 for Twilight).

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Pacific Dunes - Bandon, OR. Par: 71. Yardage: 6,633. Bandon Dunes offers a hint of golf as it was when it first started in Scotland, on wind-swept, rugged land near the coast. Pacific Dunes was the second of the four courses at Bandon Dunes to open, in July, 2001. The creators describe it as more “discovered” than “built” as the fairways and natural sand bunkers were left largely unchanged from their natural placements. It’s a short but challenging course, especially when the wind picks up. And be prepared to walk – carts are only allowed for medical reasons.

Pebble Beach Golf Links

Pebble Beach Golf Links – Pebble Beach, CA. Par: 72. Yardage: 6,828. One of the most iconic golf resorts in the USA, Pebble Beach Resorts is home to four courses, each offering a unique heritage, breathtaking beauty, and a once in a lifetime experience. Pebble Beach Golf Links has been recognized by Golf Digest as the #1 Best Public Golf Course. In 2001 it was recognized as the Best Golf Course in the US, the first public course ever to win. You’ll pay dearly to treat Dad: greens fees are a staggering $495 (plus $35 cart fee for non-resort guests). But the course hugs the coastline offering breath-taking views throughout your round. The course was designed by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant and opened on February 22, 1919. You can bring the whole family as the resort offers plenty for golfers and non-golfers alike.