Behind the glitz and glamour of famous PGA Tour stops like Augusta National and Pebble Beach lies a world of exceptional golf courses that rarely make the headlines. These hidden gems offer challenging layouts, pristine conditions, and unique design features that have earned them quiet admiration from touring professionals. While the average golf fan might not recognize these courses immediately, PGA pros often seek them out during off weeks or recommend them to fellow players through whispered conversations in locker rooms and practice ranges.
Here is a list of 20 magnificent golf courses that have earned the respect and admiration of professional golfers without necessarily capturing the spotlight of major tournaments or extensive media coverage.
Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Located just 30 miles north of New York City in Scarborough, this C.B. Macdonald masterpiece underwent a restoration by Gil Hanse that has pros raving about its classic design elements. The course features dramatic elevation changes that provide stunning views of the Hudson River on nearly every hole.
Many Tour players living in the metropolitan area make regular pilgrimages to Sleepy Hollow to test their skills against the subtle challenges that Macdonald built into each hole.
Palmetto Golf Club
Tucked away in Aiken, South Carolina, Palmetto often gets overshadowed by its famous neighbor, Augusta National, just 20 miles away. The course dates back to 1892 and features Alister MacKenzie’s influence through a 1930s redesign, creating a strategic masterpiece that rewards thoughtful play rather than brute strength.
Several PGA Tour players make annual pilgrimages here before Masters week, appreciating how the course’s playing conditions and strategic elements help fine-tune their games for Augusta’s challenges.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Sand Hills Golf Club
Nestled among the remote dunes of Nebraska, this Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design is consistently ranked among the world’s greatest courses despite being far from any major metropolitan area. The course sits perfectly on the land with minimal earth moved during construction, creating a natural feel that pro golfers find refreshingly authentic.
Several pros have been known to make weekend trips here immediately after major championships to rediscover their love for the game.
Rock Creek Cattle Company
This Tom Doak design in Montana flies under the radar due to its remote location, but pros consistently praise its natural routing and strategic challenges. The course winds through a dramatic landscape of rolling hills, stream crossings, and native grasslands that create both stunning visuals and testing golf shots.
Several PGA Tour winners have purchased property at Rock Creek specifically to have regular access to a course they consider one of American golf’s best-kept secrets.
Fishers Island Club
Accessible primarily by ferry off the Connecticut coast, this Seth Raynor gem remains one of golf’s most exclusive hideaways. The course hugs the shoreline with more than a dozen holes, offering spectacular ocean views and constant exposure to unpredictable winds.
Tour players often mention that a round here reminds them of golf’s simple pleasures before the era of stadium courses and massive crowds.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Friar’s Head
Located on Long Island’s North Shore, this modern masterpiece by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw combines links-like dunes with inland forest holes to create a diverse challenge. The routing moves seamlessly between dramatically different environments, requiring players to adjust their strategy and shot shapes throughout the round.
Phil Mickelson famously declared it might be his favorite course in the world, bringing unwanted attention to what many professionals had hoped would remain their private retreat.
Blackwolf Run (River)
While the Straits Course at Whistling Straits gets most of the attention, many PGA Tour players consider the River Course at Blackwolf Run to be Pete Dye’s finest work in Wisconsin. The course follows the Sheboygan River through dramatic changes in elevation, with nearly every hole presenting a distinct challenge that requires careful planning from tee to green.
Several pros who performed well at the 2015 PGA Championship credited their preparation rounds at Blackwolf Run for sharpening their course management skills.
Ballyneal Golf Club
Hidden in the remote sandhills of eastern Colorado, this minimalist Tom Doak design embraces the natural contours of the land to create a links-style experience in an unexpected location. The firm, fast conditions, and rumpled fairways produce unpredictable bounces that challenge players to adapt and create shots.
Tour players particularly value the opportunity to work on their ground game here, developing shots that prove invaluable when competing in Open Championships and links-style tournaments.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Myopia Hunt Club
This historic gem north of Boston hosted four early U.S. Opens but has remained largely out of the championship rotation despite its exceptional design. The course features blind shots, severely undulating greens, and strategic bunkering that make it far more challenging than its modest length might suggest.
Several New England-based PGA players make regular appearances at Myopia, considering it essential preparation for major championships played on classic courses.
Yeamans Hall Club
Just outside Charleston, South Carolina, this Seth Raynor design underwent a faithful restoration that has returned it to its original glory. The course features the geometric shapes and bold features that define Raynor’s work, including deep bunkers and dramatic green contours that create multiple challenging pin positions.
The course’s firm conditions throughout the year make it particularly valuable practice for major championships, with several pros making detours to Yeamans Hall when competing in nearby events.
California Golf Club of San Francisco
Often overshadowed by its more famous neighbors, Olympic Club and San Francisco Golf Club, ‘Cal Club’ underwent a restoration by Kyle Phillips that has golf purists raving about its classic features and modern playability. The course combines traditional bunkering with substantial elevation changes that create both strategic challenges and stunning vistas of the surrounding area.
Several tour players based on the West Coast consider Cal Club their favorite course in the Bay Area despite its relative lack of publicity.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Morfontaine
Located just outside Paris, this Tom Simpson design from 1927 represents classic European golf architecture at its finest. The course winds through a dense forest with heather-lined fairways that demand accuracy off the tee.
American pros who have discovered Morfontaine during Ryder Cup visits or French Open appearances invariably place it among their favorite international courses despite its relative obscurity among casual golf fans.
Camargo Club
This Seth Raynor design in Cincinnati features some of the most dramatic green complexes in American golf, with bold contours that create distinct sections requiring thoughtful approach shots. The course sits beautifully on rolling terrain that provides natural elevation changes without ever feeling forced or artificial. Several PGA Tour winners who grew up in the Midwest credit exposure to Camargo’s strategic design for developing their course management skills early in their careers.
Cruden Bay
Located on Scotland’s northeast coast, this quirky links course offers blind shots, massive dunes, and spectacular ocean views that create a magical golfing experience. The course requires creative shot-making and adaptability, with the ever-present wind adding another dimension of challenge.
While not as famous internationally as nearby Royal Aberdeen or Carnoustie, tour players frequently rank Cruden Bay among their favorite Open Championship preparation courses.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Shoreacres
This Seth Raynor masterpiece outside Chicago is built on relatively flat land but features remarkable strategic interest through clever design elements. The course’s bunkering is among Raynor’s most thoughtful work, with hazards placed perfectly to challenge players of all skill levels.
Tour players based in the Midwest often cite Shoreacres as the course they most enjoy playing when home from competition, appreciating its subtle challenges and immaculate conditioning.
Old Town Club
Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this Perry Maxwell design underwent a restoration by Coore and Crenshaw that has returned it to the upper echelon of American golf. The course features Maxwell’s trademark ‘Maxwell rolls’ on the greens, creating subtle putting challenges that reward careful study and precise execution.
Several PGA Tour players with Wake Forest connections make regular visits, considering it essential to maintaining their appreciation for classic golf architecture.
Swinley Forest
This Harry Colt gem outside London remains one of England’s most exclusive and charming heathland courses. The layout features exceptional use of natural contours with minimal artificial earthmoving, creating a sense that the course was discovered rather than built.
American pros who discover Swinley during Open Championship trips invariably return whenever their schedule allows, drawn by the course’s subtle challenges and timeless appeal.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Brookside Country Club
This gem in Canton, Ohio, designed by Donald Ross, features some of the most challenging greens in the Midwest, with subtle contours that can send seemingly good approaches bounding away from hole locations. The course routes through mature trees and natural valleys that create both strategic challenges and memorable vistas.
Several Ohio-based PGA Tour players maintain connections to Brookside specifically to practice on greens that prepare them perfectly for major championships.
Country Club of Detroit
This historic club in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, underwent a restoration by Tom Doak that has quietly elevated it among the Midwest’s finest tests. The course features remarkable variety, with holes moving in different directions to ensure constantly changing wind challenges throughout the round.
While primarily known for hosting amateur events, the course’s strategic design and exceptional conditioning make it popular with tour players from the region.
Country Club of Fairfield
This Seth Raynor design along Connecticut’s coastline combines marsh carries, strategic bunkering, and coastal views to create a memorable golfing experience. The course plays differently depending on wind conditions, with the afternoon sea breeze transforming even the shortest holes into significant challenges. Several PGA Tour players make private visits to Fairfield when competing in the Northeast, appreciating both its strategic challenges and the peaceful setting away from tournament pressures.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
The Legacy of Hidden Gems
These lesser-known courses represent the depth and breadth of exceptional golf architecture that exists beyond the tournament venues regularly showcased on television. Professional golfers, with their intimate knowledge of what makes a course truly special, have always understood the value of these hidden gems.
The courses provide not only excellent practice for major championships but also reconnect players with golf’s essential pleasures—strategic challenge, natural beauty, and the quiet satisfaction of executing shots across thoughtfully designed landscapes.
More from Travel Pug
- 20 Towns Built for One Purpose That Were Later Abandoned
- 15 Hidden Spots in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Most Visitors Miss
- 20 Once-Popular Beach Towns That Are Now Ghostly Empty
- 15 Canyons in the U.S. That Are Just as Stunning as the Grand Canyon
- 10 Under-the-Radar Mountain Towns That Are Both Affordable and Beautiful
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.