7 Golf Digest Best Public Courses
Updated on: November 2023
Golf Digest Best Public Courses in 2023
Golf Digest Best Places to Play, More than 4,000 of North America's best public and resort courses, with great options for every budget (Fodor's Sports)
Golf Digest's Places to Play, 4th Edition: 6,000 Public and Resort Courses in the USA, Canada, Mexico and the Islands, with the Latest Player Ratings (Travel Guide)
Golf Digest's Places to Play: The Results of the Latest Player Ratings of 5,000 Public and Resort Courses in t he USA, Canada, Mexico and the Islands (Fodor's)
Golf Digest's Places to Play in the Southeast, 1st Edition (Fodor's)
Golf Digest's Places to Play, 5th Edition: The Latest Player Ratings of More Than 6,500 Public and Resort Courses in the USA, Canada, Mexico, and the Islands (Travel Guide)
By Golf Digest Golf Digest Best Places to Play, More than 4,000 of North America's best public and resort courses, (7th Seventh Edition) [Paperback]
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Golf Digest's Places to Play in the Southwest, 1st Edition (Fodor's)
Best Golf Courses on Oahu
The Hawaiian Islands have all the ingredients needed to build the perfect golf course: rich soil, gentle trade winds, and crystal clear skies filled with sunshine.
My favorite course is the Palmer Courseat Turtle Bay. Located on the northernmost tip of Oahu off of Highway 83, the Turtle Bay resort offers two courses, both of which are often uncrowded on weekdays. The Palmer course was designed by golfing legend Arnold Palmer. It is not nearly the most challenging golf course on Oahu, but it is plenty of fun. Well-marked and not overly sandy, the Palmer Course is approximately $160 with significant discounts for guests of the Turtle Bay resort.
Turtle Bay's other course is called the Fazio Course, and it was designed by George Fazio. Wide open, the Fazio Course is less challenging than the Palmer Course. And again, you may get the course all to yourself on weekdays, which is a tremendous plus. Fees for the Fazio Course are slightly lower than those for the Palmer Course.
Another favorite is the golf course at Ko Olina. If you have come to Hawaii to enjoy golf in a tropical setting, the Ko Olina course delivers. You will see plenty of waterfalls, and even drive your cart behind one at hole 12. A GPS device in your cart allows you to order lunch and have it waiting for you after hole 9 or 18. If you are a local with local ID, Ko Olina costs a mere $70. For others, it will be $150.
Don't leave the Island of Oahu without trying out the Coral Creek golf course. With fast greens and wide open fairways, Coral Creek is well-maintained and fairly challenging. Arrive in the afternoon and pay only $75. Steep discounts are given to locals with local ID. Morning fees are approximately $125.
If you are not looking to spend much on golf, but want to experience a golf course on Oahu, pay a visit to one of the following. The Kahuku Municipal Course is only ten bucks for nine holes. It is located right on the ocean, an experience you will not get with most of the high-priced courses on Oahu. Of course, as with many municipal courses, the grass is always greener (literally) on the other side. The Ala Wai Municipal Course is located just across the Ala Wai Canal from Waikiki. This course is not very well-maintained, but it gets plenty of traffic. Fees are just forty bucks for 18 holes.
