Great Golf Courses in Western America

Golf courses in the wild west of the USA are among the top ranked golf courses in the sport. The western States, such as California and Arizona, have a number of great courses with a diversity of terrain. The golf courses of western America can include green forests, deserts and Pacific coastlines.  

Pebble Beach Links

Pebble Beach Links is in California, and perhaps the most famous of the Pebble Beach resort courses. The course extends some 7,040 yards across the coastline of Monterey Bay. It's most famous for its scenic coastal landscapes, as a number of its holes play alongside the Pacific coastline.

The seventh, eighth, fifth, fourth, sixth, 17^th and 18^th hole are all located adjacent to the coast, whilst other holes are further inland. Among the most famous of the holes are the seventh and 18^th hole. The seventh is located on the right side of Stillwater Cove, a short par-3 hole of little more than 100 yards that has a green surrounded by Pacific coastline, and plenty of bunkers. The 18^th is one of golf's great finishing holes. It's a 500 yard + par-5 hole that is dominated by the Pacific Ocean on the left side. On the right there's plenty of grass, plus a few fairway bunkers and Cypress trees.

Pebble Beach Links is a PGA championship course that has been the venue for some of the majors. Five U.S. Opens have been played at the course, as well as the PGA Championship. It's ranked among the top 10 in the USA.

Cypress Point

Cypress Point is another of California's gems which is also located along the Monterey coastline. The golf course is approximately 6,524 yards, and like Pebble Beach has some exciting coastal holes. This is one that meanders through coastal dunes, combining the rocky coastline with the Del Monte forest.

The most famous hole at this golf course is probably the 16^th. That's a 200 + yard par-3 hole that plays over the Pacific Ocean that separates the tee from green. The par-4 17 also has an exquisite coastal location.

Troon North Monument Course

The Troon North is a long way from the coast drenched courses at Monterey. This is a 7,070 yard golf course located at the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Cactus plants, rocky outcrops and surrounding sand dominate this golf course's landscape. There's not much water on this one, except at the 16^th & 17^th holes that have a couple of small lakes. For many it's the finest golf course in Arizona, and a hallmark for desert course architecture.

The Stadium Course

The Stadium Course in Scottsdale, Arizona is another of the most exciting golf courses in the wild west. This is where the PGA Tour plays in Arizona. The golf course can stretch some 7,216 yards from the championship tees, but from shorter tees that can be reduced to less than 6,000. The course is famous for the 16^th Coliseum golf hole. That's a par-3 hole which is surrounded by stands for thousands of fans during the Phoenix Open.

The Coliseum golf hole during a championship.

The Lake Course

Another great golf course in California is that of the Lake Course that is located close to Lake Merced. That's a course that expands some 7,170 yards. The Lake Course doesn't have any lakes, but plenty of trees that surround its holes. It has hosted five U.S. Opens to date, and has been ranked some way up Golf Digest's course rankings.

Those are a few of the wild west's great golf courses. From the shorelines of the West Coast to the barren deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, you can have some great rounds of golf!