Caddie TapAmerica's Most Popular Golf Courses, According to Golfers (Not Panels)
July 9, 2026 · Caddie Tap course data team
Every list we've published so far comes from expert panels. This one doesn't. GolfPass's Golfers' Choice 2026 ranks public courses purely by golfer reviews — and it shares almost no names with the magazine Top 100s. That gap is the most honest data in golf.
What golfers voted for (top 25)
| # | Course | State | Source | Position | — |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chambers Bay | WA | 1 of 5 | #1 — GolfPass | 1.00 |
| 2 | Brasstown Valley Resort Golf Course | GA | 1 of 5 | #2 — GolfPass | 0.98 |
| 3 | The Jewel Golf Club | MN | 1 of 5 | #3 — GolfPass | 0.96 |
| 4 | Glade Springs Village (Woodhaven) | WV | 1 of 5 | #4 — GolfPass | 0.94 |
| 5 | Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course | NV | 1 of 5 | #5 — GolfPass | 0.92 |
| 6 | Monarch Beach Golf Links | CA | 1 of 5 | #6 — GolfPass | 0.90 |
| 7 | Tyoga Golf Course | PA | 1 of 5 | #7 — GolfPass | 0.88 |
| 8 | TPC Louisiana | LA | 1 of 5 | #8 — GolfPass | 0.86 |
| 9 | Atkins Golf Club at the University of Illinois | IL | 1 of 5 | #9 — GolfPass | 0.84 |
| 10 | Branson Hills Golf Club | MO | 1 of 5 | #10 — GolfPass | 0.82 |
| 11 | Skytop Lodge Golf Course | PA | 1 of 5 | #11 — GolfPass | 0.80 |
| 12 | Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Sun Mountain) | NV | 1 of 5 | #12 — GolfPass | 0.78 |
| 13 | Woodlake Country Club | NC | 1 of 5 | #13 — GolfPass | 0.76 |
| 14 | South Shore Country Club | MA | 1 of 5 | #14 — GolfPass | 0.74 |
| 15 | Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club | CA | 1 of 5 | #15 — GolfPass | 0.72 |
| 16 | Pinehills Golf Club (Nicklaus) | MA | 1 of 5 | #16 — GolfPass | 0.70 |
| 17 | Glade Springs Village (Stonehaven) | WV | 1 of 5 | #17 — GolfPass | 0.68 |
| 18 | Juliette Falls | FL | 1 of 5 | #18 — GolfPass | 0.66 |
| 19 | Whirlwind Golf Club (Cattail) | AZ | 1 of 5 | #19 — GolfPass | 0.64 |
| 20 | Sandy Pines Golf Club | IN | 1 of 5 | #20 — GolfPass | 0.62 |
| 21 | Jeffersonville Golf Club | PA | 1 of 5 | #21 — GolfPass | 0.60 |
| 22 | Herons Glen Golf & Country Club | FL | 1 of 5 | #22 — GolfPass | 0.58 |
| 23 | Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort (Snow Mountain) | NV | 1 of 5 | #23 — GolfPass | 0.56 |
| 24 | Laughlin Ranch Golf Club | AZ | 1 of 5 | #24 — GolfPass | 0.54 |
| 25 | Coopers Hawk Golf Course | AR | 1 of 5 | #25 — GolfPass | 0.52 |
Why the people's list looks like this
Chambers Bay aside, these aren't bucket-list pilgrimages — they're the best course within an hour of home: strong conditions, fair prices, good pace. Panels fly to Sand Hills; golfers drive to Branson Hills. Both lists are true; they're just measuring different things. Our panel consensus tells you what's great; this list tells you what's worth it.
Attribution: positions from GolfPass Golfers' Choice 2026 (public-review vote, minimum 10 reviews, public-access courses only). We present it as published, with our course-page links added where the course is in our GPS database.
Get Caddie Tap — Free on the App StoreFAQ
What is the most popular golf course in America?
By GolfPass's 2026 Golfers' Choice public vote, Chambers Bay in Washington — a walkable municipal links that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open.
Why don't popular courses match the magazine rankings?
Panels rank architecture; golfers rate the whole day — price, pace, conditions and staff, near where they actually live. A $70 course in great shape beats a $500 masterpiece on value, and value wins votes.
Data: Caddie Tap GPS course database — distances measured along each hole's playing line, middle-tee geometry.