8 epic highway journeys made up solely of Prime 100 public golf programs

One of the vital standard lists we create right here at GOLF.com is our biennial Prime 100 Programs You Can Play rating, and the reason being apparent — the perfect public golf programs are on everybody’s bucket checklist. Certain, you would possibly dream of taking part in Cypress Level, too, however Pebble Seashore is a tee time any Common Joe can truly e book.

Our most up-to-date rating of the 100 greatest public programs in America included 29 completely different states — with costs starting from the reasonably priced (George Wright, $62) to the lavish (Shadow Creek, $1,250) — however there’s nonetheless one thing for everybody. And whereas some (taking a look at you, Firestone) stand alone hours away from one other Prime 100 public sibling, many are clustered or only a brief drive away, that means any sensible buddies’ journey planner can create the last word itinerary to knock out a number of in only a few days.

Higher but, we did the onerous be just right for you. With the assistance of GOLF.com’s Course Finder software, we created eight completely different highway journeys to contemplate in your subsequent golfy getaway. All of them consist solely of Prime 100 Programs You Can Play, though there are prone to be different public gems or Prime 100 privates close by too (simply in case, ya know, you need to name and ask).

And when you’re trying to create your individual journey, you’d be clever to mess around with Course Finder. Right here you may toggle all of our lists — Prime 100 public, greatest munis, greatest brief programs, greatest par-3s and extra — or filter by value to create the proper itinerary for one epic journey.

However for starters, try these eight really helpful journeys under.

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Prime 100 highway journeys in your subsequent buddies’ journey journey

BANDON DUNES

Oh, how unique? Yeah, we all know. However you’d be a idiot to not contemplate Bandon Dunes, the place you may knock out 5 Prime 100 public programs — together with our No. 3-ranked course, Pacific Dunes — and by no means have to depart the property. All 5 of Bandon’s programs are within the prime 24 of our rating. The one driving you’d need to do is from the North Bend or Portland airports, however these drives are fairly scenic anyway.

THE FLORIDA SWING

You possibly can fly into both Tampa or Orlando. If it’s former you may knock out the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook, and if it’s the latter you may tee it up at Bay Hill. Close by is Cabot Citrus Farms and a trio of Prime 100 public programs at Streamsong. That’s six programs and all are inside a two-hour drive of one another.

THE SANDHILLS

You possibly can principally hit a wedge to and from seven completely different Prime 100 programs within the coronary heart of Pinehurst, N.C. There’s Pinehurst No. 2, No. 4, No. 8 and No. 10, plus Pine Needles, Mid Pines and Southern Pines simply a few miles east. Lower than an hour away additionally sits Tobacco Street and Prime 100 newcomer Tot Hill Farm in Asheboro, N.C.

WISCONSIN’S BEST

Solely true golf sickos would knock out all 9 of those programs in a single journey — and also you’d have to have some fairly deep pockets to take action — however the choices of elite public golf in Wisconsin are robust to beat, and that’s not even contemplating among the programs that didn’t make our Prime 100 public checklist. There’s 4 must-plays at Sand Valley — together with the newly opened Lido and Sedge Valley — and east of there sits Lawsonia Hyperlinks, Blackwolf Run, Whistling Straits and Erin Hills. And simply 50 miles north of Sand Valley is SentryWorld, which continues to be solely two hours away from Erin Hills, that means you may get to any of those with a fairly fast drive.

MONTEREY PENINSULA GEMS

It’s a bucket-list bonanza on the show-stopping Monterey Peninsula, the place you may play top-ranked Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks and No. 23 Spyglass Hill in back-to-back days. Oh, and they’re a mile aside, so that you’ll have loads of time to hold, dine or discover. An hour’s drive from there may be the Alister MacKenzie-designed Pasatiempo (No. 11 on our checklist) and simply an hour east of there may be CordeValle, one other Prime 100 spot.

NEBRASKA TRIANGLE

Its surroundings won’t rival 17-Mile Drive in Monterey, however there are three dynamite programs that kind a neat little triangle within the Nebraska Plains. Begin with the newly opened Landmand exterior of Sioux Metropolis, Iowa, earlier than heading 4 hours west to both The Prairie Membership (Dunes) or Wild Horse. Prairie Membership is about 160 miles straight north of Wild Horse. All three are definitely worth the mileage.

SO CAL’S FINEST

Down in Southern California, there’s Torrey Pines’ South course in La Jolla, and 25 minutes north up Interstate 5 is the newly renovated North course at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad. There’s extra out east if you’re keen. Ram Hill is a two-hour drive away, and that may be your pit cease en path to the desert, the place you’ll discover two Prime 100 public programs at PGA West (Pete Dye Stadium and Mountain) in La Quinta. Oh, and if you are there, tee it up nearly anyplace else. That space is wealthy with nice golf.

NORTHERN MICHIGAN

It’s actually a disgrace to have to separate the excellent public golf scene of Michigan into two quadrants, however that’s what we’re going to do right here. Up north in Roscommon you’ve two Prime 100s at Forest Dunes (The Loop and Weiskopf) and two hours west of there you’ve two extra at Arcadia Bluffs (South and Bluffs). Lastly, method up north of there (two extra hours) is Belvedere, a Willy Watson design in Charlevoix.