Around America in 250 golf courses
Happy 250th, America.
Did you know that golf was first played in what is now the United States more than 30 years before the Revolutionary War? A ship manifest as far back as 1743 reports the presence of 96 golf clubs and 432 golf balls on board, transported from Leith, Scotland to the port of Charleston, South Carolina. This means that America's first golfers may have hacked around on Harleston Green in what is now downtown Charleston just before the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers convened to lay out the first rules of the game in 1744.
Golf's first American forays in Charleston in the 1740s and Savannah, Georgia as early as 1794 didn't stick, or lead to the establishment of any permanent golf clubs until a century later. But the last 130-plus years have seen the game spread to all corners of this great country - all 50 of its states, plus other territories under American control.
To commemorate America's semiquincentennial celebration, I have compiled a list of 250 diverse American golf courses that are publicly accessible - 5 per state, with considerations for each state's geographic spread and special attention paid to highlighting what I would call "community courses" - municipal layouts, military and college courses. There are also iconic resort layouts sprinkled in where appropriate. This is not an exhaustive "best of" list so much as it is meant to showcase the breadth of American golf.
To date I have teed it up in 32 different states, which means I have played many (marked with asterisks), but not all of these courses. The fill-ins are based on my research. And yes, I know some excellent courses did not make this particular list. They get their due elsewhere.
Please feel free to suggest other essential American golf courses in the comments. Ideally, this list should be bookmarked by any intrepid golfer who wants to experience this country through the lens of golf. Not a bad way to go about it, if you ask me.
Arrowhead Golf Club (Littleton) - This Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design resides at #2 on our Golfers' Choice list for Colorado.
Sunday River Golf Club (Newry) - Multiple Maine resorts do double duty - skiing in the winter and golf in the summer - and Sunday River's Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course is considered a gem.
Crumpin-Fox Club (Bernardston) - Ever wondered what it would be like to play golf at summer camp? This Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design carved through dense woods captures that feel.
Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Club (Lewiston) - Niagara Falls is one of America's great landmarks, and this highly-regarded Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design makes for a nice companion activity.
Chambers Bay Golf Course (University Place) - Even though course condition complaints during the 2015 U.S. Open created some baggage, the ingenuity and beauty of Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Jay Blasi's work here has transcended that early criticism.
Jackson Hole Golf & Tennis Club (Jackson Hole) - Set in an upscale area, this semi-private Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design gives visitors a taste of the good life around these parts.
