There’s a special satisfaction in hitting a good golf shot. Before you even look up at the ball’s trajectory, you can feel when a swing goes right. Whether the control of your backswing or the fluidity of your follow-through, you just know when the ball’s headed in the right direction. It’s a sweet feeling.
Doing that on a beautiful golf course makes it even better. Manicured fairways, perfectly cut greens, and unique layouts offer a picturesque challenge, highlighting what makes the sport great. The PGA Tour plays on the best in the world — what if you could, too?
You can. In 2024, the PGA Tour will host 39 events. Of those, 20 will take place on 23 courses accessible to the public. That isn’t always easy, with occasional high greens fees or a requirement to stay on-site. But it lets you play the same courses as the pros, and you can’t put a price on that. Here are all the PGA Tour courses you can play.
Play like a pro: here are the PGA Tour courses available to the public
In golf, a lot of attention is paid to performance. You want to up your game, lower your score, and try and break par. But just as important is where you play. An unkempt course with yellow grass and shoddy upkeep takes away from a day on the links. On the other hand, pro-level surroundings — with greens and fairways that look out of a painting — make golf more relaxing and enjoyable. It’s like being a surfer on the perfect wave.
To that end, here are the best PGA Tour courses you can play in 2024. They’re as beautiful as they are challenging, and playing the exact locations as the pros has a real cachet.
Pebble Beach Golf Links
Rated as the top public course in the country, Pebble Beach Golf Links lets everyone experience the finest the sport has to offer. Set among the oceanside cliffs of the Monterey Peninsula, the Pebble Beach, California course is a six-time host of the U.S. Open. To enjoy a round, you’ll pay $567 on peak days.
The Plantation Course at Kapalua
Like a golfing dream, the Plantation Course combines ocean and mountain vistas, perfect fairways, and rolling topography. Designed by Ben Crenshaw and Ben Coore, the Maui, Hawaii course was renovated to make it even better. Each year, the pros take part in the Sentry Open, and to enjoy it yourself, there’s a $459 (plus tax) peak green fee.
Tahoe Mountain Club-Old Greenwood
Designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus, this Truckee, California course mixes alpine beauty with a demanding layout. Cavernous bunkers and water hazards surround the greens, and lofty pine trees set off the mountain mood. To watch the pros, you can buy a ticket to the Barracuda Open, or to play yourself, the peak green fee is $275.
Memorial Park Golf Course
Located in Houston, TX, Memorial Park was built in 1912 next to a hospital at Camp Logan, where recovering soldiers could enjoy it. Since then, Tom Doak (in partnership with Brooks Koepka) has performed a renovation, turning it into a PGA Tour-worthy complex that hosts the Texas Children’s Houston Open. The peak green fee is $140.
TPC San Antonio-Oaks
In San Antonio, TX, this Greg Norman-designed course hosts the Valero Texas Open, and challenges players with its difficult par-5s and trying bunker placements. You’ll pay a peak green fee of $149.
Torrey Pines-North
Next to the ocean in gorgeous San Diego, CA, this course delivers with its stunning views and playable design. In 2018, Tom Wieskopf redesigned the layout, reducing the number of bunkers and increasing the average green size. That makes it more approachable for the average golfer, creating an enjoyable day on the links. At peak times, the green fee is $185.
Grand Reserve Golf Club
Designed by U.S. Open winner Tom Kite, this Puerto Rican course is like taking a nature hike with some golf mixed in. Palm trees line the fairways, and ocean views greet you in the tee box. Each year, PGA pros test their skills at the Puerto Rico Open, and you’ll pay a peak green fee of $225 (plus tax) to do the same.
Innisbrook-Copperhead
Host to the Valspar Championship, this Palm Harbor, Florida course puts you in a professional-level environment that pushes your game. The design features undulating greens, rolling elevation changes, and demanding shot placements from the tee. Especially notable are holes 16 through 18 — known as “The Snake Pit” — where some events go down to the wire. Here, you’ll have to stay to play, with packages starting at $465.
TPC Deere Run
Situated on the North Bank of the Rock River in Silvis, Illinois, TPC Deere Run offers a pure golf outing. Instead of a fancy resort or homes lining the fairways, there are hardwood trees, the river, and ponds, letting you focus on your swing and playing partners. Designed by Illinois native D.A. Weibring — also a three-time winner of the Quad Cities Classic — the course hearkens back to courses of old. Every year, it hosts the John Deere Classic, and you’ll pay a $269 peak green fee.
Vidanta Vallarte
For world-class golf south of the border, Vidanta Vallarte delivers. Host of the Mexico Open at Vidanta and located on the coast of Nuevo Vallarte, the course is another Greg Norman design that challenges your game. Take in views of the Sierra Madre mountain range, or look for iguanas as you tee it up. The green fee is $270 during peak times.
Spyglass Hill Golf Course
Spyglass Hill, in Pebble Beach, California, hosts the famous AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The Monterey Peninsula Foundation holds the fan-favorite event, which pairs pro golfers with celebrities for a one-of-a-kind tournament. Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed the course, which is set amongst ocean cliffs and challenges the most skilled players. 18 holes at the historic venue costs $495 plus a cart fee during peak periods.
Torrey Pines-South
Another San Diego, California course, Torrey Pines-South, runs along cliffs above the Pacific Ocean and features rare pine trees. The City of San Diego maintains and owns the course (along with the North course), and every year, pros test their mettle at the Farmers Insurance Open. To experience its views and world-class design, you’ll pay a $292 peak green fee.
TPC Louisiana
7,425 yards in length and designed by Pete Dye, TPC Louisiana features a rolling layout and deep south scenery. Take in towering cypress and oak trees and the surrounding wetlands adjacent to the Mississippi River. The pros compete in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, and to enjoy the course, there’s a $299 peak green fee.
PGA National – Champion
The Champion Course at the PGA National Resort demands your best. Tom Fazio designed the course in 1981, and Jack Nicklaus has been making changes since then. Water hazards adorn 16 of 18 holes, testing your shot-making and strategy. The surrounding resort lets you unwind after a long day on the links. It costs $347 to play during peak times, and to watch the pros; you can buy a ticket to the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.
PGA West – Dye Stadium Course
Located in La Quinta, California, and earning the “Stadium” moniker from its spectator seating incorporated into the topography, this Pete Dye-designed course is both challenging (7,300 yards long) and playable (four sets of tees). The American Express tournament lets the pros compete every year, with onlookers close to the action. A peak green fee of $356 applies.
PGA West – Nicklaus Tournament Course
With mountains in the distance and platform-like fairways ahead, you’ll enjoy a round like never before on this La Quinta, California course. Designed by the Golden Bear and open to the public, it also hosts The American Express tournament every January, a charitable event that benefits causes for homelessness, wellness, and education. To play the course, the peak green fee is $399.
TPC Sawgrass
Located in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, TPC Sawgrass hosts The Players Championship, a signature event on the PGA Tour. Comprised of two courses — the Stadium Course and the Valley Course — the venue challenges even the most skilled golfers with narrow fairways, fast greens, and numerous bunkers. During peak days, it costs $900 to play there.
Royal Troon
When you visit Royal Troon, you’re taken to the birthplace of golf, Scotland, and can experience what it was like in those early days. Founded in 1878 after a get-together at a pub, the course initially featured only five holes. Since then, it’s played host to many Open Championships, with that set to continue in 2024. Playing the classic links-style course costs £340 during peak times.
Pinehurst No. 2
Steeped in history and offering a unique challenge, Pinehurst No. 2 caters to the serious golfer. Originally opened in Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1907, the course features domed greens that frustrate even seasoned putters. Over the years, the course played host to U.S. Opens in 1999, 2005, and 2014. To play this historic course, there’s a $470 peak green fee.
Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge
Arnold Palmer was always a fan favorite. The winner of seven majors and countless PGA Tour events dazzled crowds with his golfing skills and friendly demeanor. The Bay Hill Club and Lodge carry on that legacy with a championship-caliber course, world-class resort, and abundant memorabilia. The Orlando, Florida, club hosts the Arnold Palmer Invitational every year, and it costs $475 to play on peak days.
Puntacana Resort and Club – Corales Course
For a taste of the Caribbean and championship-caliber links, the Corales Course at Puntacana Resort and Club delivers. Designed by Tom Fazio, the course features numerous oceanside holes, seaside cliffs, and inland lakes. A peak green fee of $495 applies, and to watch the pros, buy tickets to the Corales Puntacanta Championship.
TPC Scottsdale
TPC Scottsdale hosts the WM Phoenix Open, the world’s most-attended golf tournament, with over 700,000 attendees. The stadium features wall-to-wall seating surrounding the green, with thousands of spectators ready to cheer on a birdie or chip-in. However, there’s a steep price of entry, with a $551 peak green fee.
Harbour Town Golf Links
Near Hilton Head, South Carolina, this Pete Dye-designed (with help from Jack Nicklaus) course rewards skilled, graceful golfers. While you’re there, polish your skills with world-class instruction or take in the RBC Heritage tournament. The cost to play 18 holes is $567 on peak days.
For most of us, throwing a football around an NFL field or shooting baskets on an NBA court isn’t likely. But if you’re a golfer, it’s different. With world-class PGA Tour courses offering access for all, you can play where the pros play, all while taking in amazing scenery. Is it worth the money? We think so. So peruse the list, pick a location, and play on your dream course.
