It’s that time of year. If you live in northern parts of the U.S., you’ll start to get tired of the simulator or freezing cold range sessions. Your next time on the course might be months away … why not book a quick golf trip for the spring?

MORE: The 10 mistakes you’re making at a private course, according to country club snobs

We’ve collected some of our favorite springtime golf destinations on the below list. It’s not a complete list but at least a good start to start planning. If you’d like to go deeper and build out a full itinerary, explore our Course Review section of GolfDigest.com, where you can find reviews from our panelists and readers. Head to any course you’ve played and provide feedback to other golfers—to help your fellow travelers build out their next trip.

We urge you to click through to each individual course page for bonus photography, drone footage and expanded reviews. Plus, you can now leave your own ratings on the courses you’ve played … to make your case why your favorite should be ranked higher.

Here are some of our favorite itineraries:

Scottsdale

Does the exhilarating risk-reward finish at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course—home of the WM Phoenix Open—have you planning Scottsdale as your next golf trip destination? We don’t blame you, and with over 200 courses in the area, there’s no shortage of good golf.

Many travelers to Scottsdale will try to add the Stadium Course to their itineraries—and for good reason. Even after the WMPO is complete, the facility leaves up the giant grandstands surrounding the par-3 16th, so public golfers can get a taste of the experience—minus the 20,000 rowdy fans. TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course features challenging greens throughout and culminates with a memorable finishing stretch, including the par-3 16th (minus the 20,000 rowdy fans).

TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course, with its pine tree-lined fairways meandering through natural ravines, is also worth playing. The course opened in 2007 and balances playability with strategy, making it an enjoyable experience for golfers of all skill levels.

RELATED: 10 budget-friendly golf trips you should take this spring

Both courses at Troon North rank inside the top 10 of Golf Digest’s best public courses in Arizona and were recently renovated by original designer Tom Weiskopf. A former member of our America’s 100 Greatest list, the Monument Course (below) features generous fairways guarded by protruding boulders—none more so than the giant rock formation that sits in the middle of the third fairway, forcing players to pick a side. Much like its sibling course, the Pinnacle Course offers wide, rolling fairways but small greens. Stray from the fairway and you’ll find yourself in a sea of granite boulders.

Continuing the trend of quality 36-hole facilities, head a few miles south from Troon North to Grayhawk Golf Club, where you’ll find two courses ranked inside Golf Digest’s best public tracks in state. The Talon Course (below) not only features views of the McDowell Mountains and the Scottsdale skyline, but it has been described by one of our panelists as one of the “most exciting and dramatic” layouts in the southwest. The back nine plays around deep box canyons with steep drop-offs before culminating in a Dye-esque island-green 17th.

The 8th hole of The Talon Course at Grayhawk Golf Club.

Courtesy of Grayhawk

Grayhawk’s Raptor Course offers a true championship test, as it hosted what is now the Fortinet Championship on the PGA Tour from 2007-2009. While the fairways are wide, deep greenside bunkers and crowned greens will test your short game.

We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, located east of Scottsdale in the Sonoran Desert, offers a natural desert-golf experience devoid of any homes on the courses. The Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw-designed Saguaro Course (below) is Golf Digest’s top-ranked public course closest to Scottsdale. Built on a relatively flat piece of land with wide fairways throughout, it’s an enjoyable player-friendly walking course.

Lonna Tucker

Also ranked inside our top 10 public courses in the state, the Cholla Course features narrower fairways than the Saguaro, but offers the same stunning views of the surrounding desert and mountains. Meandering through ridges and arroyos, the Cholla Course offers a true desert-golf experience.

Just 10 minutes from We-Ko-Pa, SunRidge Canyon Golf Club features a challenging closing six-hole stretch known as the “Wicked Six.” Sod-faced pot bunkers were recently added throughout, bringing to life the links-style nature of the course, where you can use the ground to filter your ball into the fairways and greens.

Joann Dost

Pebble Beach is perhaps golf’s most bucket-list destination. Any public golfer aspires to drive down 17 Mile Drive with a tee time in hand. Though pricier than most destinations on this list, we’re here to help you plan a trip to the Monterey area.

Of course, there’s Pebble—perhaps the greatest meeting of land and sea. The 1919 design by Jack Neville and Douglas Grant has been No. 1 on Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s best public courses since the inception of our public list in 2000. Walking Pebble Beach is to share the sacred ground of all the game’s most iconic champions. The total redesign of Pebble’s short course by Tiger Woods, The Hay, is also a must-play.

Evan Schiller

On everyone’s bucket list, too, are the resort’s other two stellar options, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay. Spyglass Hill, also in the top 10 of our public ranking, is one of the three courses in the rotation of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Weaving through the majestic Monterey pines through the middle of the round, and the giant sand dunes on the first five holes, Spyglass Hill—ranked No. 51 on our latest ranking of America’s 100 Greatest—might be Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s best work. The Links at Spanish Bay, which is also ranked among Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses, opened in 1987 after years of mining out an old sand quarry to shape the land on this coastal links. One of the best post-golf spots is the patio outside Spanish Bay, where bagpipers entertain guests each night. Del Monte Forest, which is also connected to the resort, comes at a more affordable price tag ($110) and offers history, too—it’s the oldest continuously running course west of the Mississippi River.

Evan Schiller false Public Spyglass Hill Golf Course Pebble Beach, CA 4.4 38 Panelists

• 100 Greatest
• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

Given the task of designing a course just up the 17 Mile Drive from Pebble Beach and Cypress Point, Robert Trent Jones responded with a combination of Pine Valley and Augusta National. The five opening holes, in Pine Valley-like sand dunes, are an all-too-brief encounter with the Pacific seacoast. The remaining holes are a stern hike through hills covered with majestic Monterey pines (which, sad to say, may someday disappear to pitch canker, but are being replaced in some areas with cypress trees). Add several water hazards that hearken back to the 16th at Augusta (a hole which Trent Jones designed, by the way) and you have what some panelists consider to be Trent’s finest work. Others say it’s the best course never to have hosted a major event. After all, even Pine Valley and Cypress Point have hosted Walker Cups. Explore our full review

Northern California Golf Association

Of course, there is much more golf to be played within the area—much of it at a cheaper price tag than Pebble’s courses. Poppy Hills won’t necessarily make a list of the most affordable courses in the country, but in this zip code, it’s somewhere all Pebble goers should try to play. An extensive redesign by Bruce Charlton and Robert Trent Jones II in 2013 brought back sandy, naturalized areas in an effort to be a low-profile layout.

Courtesy of the club

In terms of affordability, Pacific Grove (above)—or the poor man’s Pebble Beach, as it’s been known— is impossible to beat in the area. With holes along the water in addition to some really fun shorter holes, it’s one of the best value courses in the country.

RELATED: A visit to the ‘Poor man’s Pebble Beach’ reveals one of the best deals in golf

Courtesy of GolfBreaks

Just five miles inland from Carmel Beach is Carmel Valley Ranch, Pete Dye’s only design in Northern California. With artistically designed bunkers and risk-reward holes with water in play, Carmel Valley Ranch is worth playing.

Finally, the Bayonet and Blackhorse courses are two mainstays and enjoyable courses to add onto your trip. The 36-hole facility was built on an old Army training site with some idyllic views of the Pacific Ocean.

Tucked between Savannah, Ga., and Charleston, S.C., Hilton Head Island is an easy-to-get-to destination packed with great golf. It’s only 12 miles long, making it one of the most densely packed areas for stellar golf this side of the Atlantic.

The Sea Pines Resort was the first, and, to some, still the best resort on the island. Located near the southern tip of the island, a five-star boutique hotel or self-catering villas await guests staying at the resort. There are three golf courses on the property, two designed by Pete Dye.

Golf fans will recognize Harbour Town Golf Links (above), No. 25 on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, for the red-and-white-striped lighthouse behind the 18th green they see every year at the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters. The first 16 holes play inland before 17 and 18 emerge with views of Calibogue Sound. Accuracy is at a premium here as small greens punctuate holes with narrow, tree-lined fairways.

Courtesy of Rob Tipton false Public Harbour Town Golf Links Hilton Head Island, SC 4.5 42 Panelists

• Second 100 Greatest
• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

In the late 1960s, Jack Nicklaus landed the design contract for Harbour Town, then turned it over to his new partner, Pete Dye, who was determined to distinguish his work from that of rival Robert Trent Jones. Soon after Harbour Town opened in late November 1969 (with a victory by Arnold Palmer in the Heritage Classic), the course debuted on America’s 100 Greatest as one of the Top 10. It was a total departure for golf at the time. No mounds, no elevated tees, no elevated greens—just low-profile and abrupt change. Tiny greens hung atop railroad ties directly over water hazards. Trees blocked direct shots. Harbour Town gave Pete Dye national attention and put Jack Nicklaus, who made more than 100 inspection trips in collaborating with Dye, in the design business. Pete’s wife, Alice, also contributed, instructing workers on the size and shape of the unique 13th green, a sinister one edged by cypress planks. Explore our full review

Atlantic Dunes is a complete rebuild of the historic Ocean Course, the first course built on Hilton Head. Davis Love III and his team redesigned it again in 2016, making use of natural sand dunes and indigenous plants. The par-3 15th is one of only two holes on the entire island to border the Atlantic Ocean.

Heron Point, the second Pete Dye design at the resort, is a bit more player-friendly than other Dye designs on the island. It plays more inland, offering more of a lowcountry feel and a bit less wind to contend with. Do not be fooled, rolling fairways and strategically placed bunkers still present a challenge.

Right at the midpoint of the island, on the east coast, Palmetto Dunes Resort similarly offers three of the best public options in Hilton Head, each named for its architect.

The Robert Trent Jones course is home to the second hole that borders the Atlantic as the par-5 10th points players straight to the sea. Water is ever-present on this loop, with 11 holes playing around a lagoon.

The George Fazio course is regarded as one of the hardest public courses on Hilton Head Island. Another parkland style course, narrow fairways and small greens protect this course from low scores, as do four long par threes and only two par fives.

The Arthur Hills course has hosted the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson for tournaments during their college careers. It’s also home to the Historic Leamington Lighthouse, situated right behind the 15th green. Built in the late 1800s, this structure was part of a larger system of lights that would help guide ships into Port Royal Sound.

San Antonio

Texas is certainly a great state for golf, but when it comes to public courses, it doesn’t necessarily have a standout resort destination (though that might change with the Omni PGA Frisco development). It does have a collection of very good public options, and TPC San Antonio—where the Valero Texas Open takes place—is worth building a trip around.

The Oaks course, where the tournament is played, is Golf Digest’s top-ranked public course in the state. The Greg Norman design (with an assist from Sergio Garcia) tips out at 7,435 yards and incorporates some rocky terrain and native grasses nicely in the routing. The facility’s Canyons course, which hosted a PGA Tour Champions event from 2011-15 views, ranks inside our top-15 public courses in Texas. The Pete Dye design offers views of a 700-acre nature preserve.

Those building a golf trip in San Antonio can add some other very good public tracks. The Quarry Golf Course (above) is a Keith Foster design that utilizes rock formations that were part of the old Alamo Quarry that date back to 1908. La Cantera Resort & Spa (Resort) was named Golf Digest’s Best New Public Course of 1995 and features thrilling elevation changes. And Brackenridge Park, or “Brack” to the locals, is an A.W. Tillinghast original design that dates back to 1916. It hosted the inaugural Texas Open in 1922—and following a restoration in the late 2000s—boasts one of the best values in Texas at tee times starting under $60.

false Public Brackenridge Park Golf Course San Antonio, TX 3.9 3 Panelists Home to the very first Texas Open in 1922, Brackenridge Park is a tree-lined city-park course with tee times starting at only $53. In 2008, a restoration and rerouting brought the municipal track back to its original 1916 A.W. Tillinghast style. Located just north of downtown San Antonio, Brackenridge is now the site of the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Explore our full review

Of course, Austin is just about an hour and a half away, and offers plenty for those looking to extend their San Antonio golf trips. Horseshoe Bay Resort and its three public 18-hole courses (plus the private Summit Rock) should be on every golfer’s radar (it’s about an hour from Austin and an hour and a half from San Antonio).

Ram Rock is the second-highest ranked public course in Texas, and the demanding test has hosted the Texas Open on multiple occasions. The island-green par-3 fourth hole is a standout. The resort’s Apple Rock and Slick Rock are also Robert Trent Jones Sr. layouts and worth playing.

This is an ideal time of year to be in Palm Springs. Golf courses are in their peak shape in the winter and the weather is tough to beat.

Of course, PGA West is tops on any list of public destinations in the desert. The Stadium Course hosts the annual PGA Tour event and is known for its risk-reward challenges, plus the massive 18-foot high bunker on the par-5 16th hole as well as the island-green 17th hole. The Pete Dye design is one of three courses at the facility, in addition to the Pete Dye Mountain course and the Dunes course. Greg Norman and Jack Nicklaus also each designed courses that bear their names—the Nicklaus Tournament course is part of the annual rotation of courses for the tour event.

JFHenebry/Courtesy of the club false Public PGA West: Stadium Course La Quinta, CA 3.9 25 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

Originally private, the Stadium Course (the original 18 at PGA West) was among the rota of courses for the old Bob Hope Desert Classic until some pros, objecting to its difficulty, petitioned to remove it. (It’s now back.) It’s Pete Dye at his rambunctious best, with a finish mimicking his later design at TPC Sawgrass: a gambling par-5 16th (called San Andreas Fault), a short par-3 17th to an island green and an intimidating par-4 18th with water all the way to the green. Though hideous in its difficulty and aesthetics by 1980s standards (it was can’t miss television when it hosted the 1987 Skins Game), it’s matured into a noble piece of architecture that represents the tail end of Dye’s extreme middle phase. In 2024, Tim Liddy, a protégé of Dye, returned to PGA West to perform a restoration to return putting surfaces and bunker complexes to their original dimensions. Explore our full review

Courtesy of GolfBreaks

So where else should you play besides the courses at the La Quinta/PGA West resort? The Classic Club (above) should be near the top of your list. The Arnold Palmer-designed layout used to be in the rotation for the Bob Hope tour event. Water plays on 14 of the 18 holes, and many holes have fairways that slope toward the water hazards, so driving the ball is at a premium. The facilities are top-notch at this Troon-managed club—including a 63,000-square foot, three-floor Tuscan-inspired clubhouse.

Another top-notch option is the Westin Rancho Mirage Golf Resort & Spa. The Pete Dye resort course isn’t particularly long, tipping out at just under 7,000 yards, but features Dye’s signature railroad ties, pot bunkers, elevated tees and hidden pin positions. Mission Hills North, the only Gary Player design in the Palm Springs area, contains five sets of tees, making the course enjoyable for players of any skill level.

Courtesy of GolfBreaks

SilverRock Golf Resort (above) co-hosted the Bob Hope Classic from 2008-11 after it opened 2005. Set in the Santa Rosa Mountains, this Arnold Palmer design features incredible vistas, tight fairways, fast greens and challenging water hazards. Particularly for competitive golfers, this is a great test.

One of the most underrated courses in the desert is the Firecliff course at Desert Willow (above). Dr. Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry designed 36 holes (including the Mountain course) on this flat desert floor in the Coachella Valley and moved enough earth to create some interesting holes that frame the surrounding mountains. Playability for all handicap ranges is strong, but even for the better players, the Firecliff course is an intriguing and fair test.

The Jacksonville area has long been home to exceptional golf. Extending down the coast to Ponte Vedra Beach and St. Augustine, there’s no shortage of stay-and-play options.

Dom Furore / Golf Digest

TPC Sawgrass is home to one of the most recognizable par 3s in the world, the 17th at the Stadium Course. The Players takes place here every spring with hundreds of balls finding the water over the course of the week, even though it’s just a pitching wedge for most pros.

Its sister course, Dye’s Valley is another must-play. Maintained to the same standard as the Stadium Course, but a little less difficult, this is either the perfect warm-up test or cool down from a date with the devil across the property. Dye’s Valley just hosted the finals of Korn Ferry Q-School.

Courtesy of the club false Public TPC Sawgrass: Dye’s Valley Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 3.7 14 Panelists

There are pieces of TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course in the club’s second course, Dye’s Valley. Behold the pot bunkers and deep grassy basins around greens. See the water hazards lined with bulkheads, and the large mounds bordering many of the holes. The arcing fairways with inside hazards are present too, creating just enough uncertainty on the driving line to make even good players uncomfortable. All of Pete Dye’s tricks and trademarks (as interpreted by Bobby Weed) are here with the exception of an island green par 3 (though there’s a peninsula green angled over water), just in smaller doses as the routing wends out through a residential section. But it’s exactly what’s needed for a high end public club’s “second” course–just enough of the top course to whet the appetite, but at a fraction of the price and demand. Explore our full review

Anyone who’s watched more than a few hours of golf in their life, especially on Thursday and Friday, has seen the commercial with Gary Player advertising the World Golf Village. Joking aside, this is a worthy destination for any golfer in the area. The King & Bear is the only course in the world co-designed by Jack Nicklaus, aka The Golden Bear, and Arnold Palmer, The King. Though it’s the product of two of the best golfers of all time, the course is lauded for its playability—but your short game must be in good shape in order to post a good score.

Dave Sansom

The Slammer & Squire (above) was designed by Bobby Weed, with consulting from Sam “The Slammer” Snead and Gene “The Squire” Sarazen. Opened in 1998, this gem is known for its unique par 3 and wide, tumbling fairways typical of resort golf.

Down the road in St. Augustine, St. John’s Golf & Country Club is located in an Audubon Sanctuary, meaning players are surrounded by wildlife. Depending on the wind coming off the Atlantic Ocean, St. John’s could provide a stern test or yield lots of birdies.

Courtesy of the club

Jacksonville Beach Golf Club, a lovable muny just a few blocks from the beach (above), is worth adding onto any Jacksonville-area trip. It was redone in 2018 to boost playability and fun, making it perfect for a casual round.

Tampa

The hot new destination in Florida is Cabot Citrus Farms, which reopened last year after a complete reimagination of the existing World Woods facility, whose Pine Barrens course was a top 100 course. Kyle Franz’s Karoo course showcases a “adventure golf” mantra with bold features—including 11 double fairways and a finishing hole with a triple fairway. The Roost course opened later in 2024 on the site of the previous Rolling Oaks course. Mike Nuzzo, Franz, Rod Whitman and Ran Morrissett combined on the design, utilizing some rolling terrain to add another tremendous public option at this burgeoning facility that also includes a lit 11-hole par-3 course, The Wedge, and a tremendously fun 10-hole course, The Squeeze, designed by Nuzzo. 

LC Lambrecht

A little over an hour southeast of Tampa, Streamsong Resort is well worth the drive, being the only facility with three courses on our Second 100 Greatest list. Coore and Crenshaw’s masterpiece at Streamsong Red—with its towering sand dunes and open savannah—presents a beautifully natural setting. The firm and bouncy turf allows you to play the many links holes on the ground or through the air.

RELATED: The best Coore and Crenshaw golf courses

Laurence Lambrecht

Streamsong Blue, designed by Tom Doak, begins with a dramatic 75-foot drop from the back tee at the first hole to the fairway, a fitting beginning to a course characterized by elevation changes. The Blue Course offers a complex, undulating set of greens, some with massive shelves and valleys.

LC Lambrecht

Streamsong Black, designed by Gil Hanse, features some of the largest green complexes on this continent. With strategic thinking required throughout, there are endless shot options at this true links course, leaving several of our panelists wanting to play many of the holes again to try new tactics.

LC Lambrecht false Public Streamsong Resort: Black Bowling Green, FL 4.5 27 Panelists

• Second 100 Greatest
• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

Gil Hanse’s Black Course at Streamsong, Golf Digest’s Best New Public Course of 2018, sits a mile south of the resort’s Red and Blue Courses, with its own clubhouse and its own personality. Reshaped from a decades-old phosphate strip mine that lacking tall spoil mounds, Hanse provided strategic character by building a hidden punchbowl green at nine, dual putting surfaces at 13, incorporating a meandering creek on the par-5 fourth and a lagoon cove to guard the 18th green. Both the putting surfaces and the chipping areas surrounding them were grassed in MiniVerde, and today both are mowed at a single height, resulting in the biggest, most complex greens found on our national ranking. One Streamsong insider calls the Black greens “polarizing;” we call them tremendous fun. Explore our full review

Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course, the host of the Valspar Championship, with its tight, tree-lined fairways and rolling terrain—offers a unique taste of Florida golf that makes it a worthwhile layout to play in Tampa.

The course is a tough ball-striking challenge with a demanding three-hole finish—known as the Snake Pit—that often makes for dramatic finishes to the annual PGA Tour stop.

The Island Course at Innisbrook, with its dramatic elevation changes and undulating greens, is a must-play on a visit to the resort. Much like the Copperhead, the Island Course defends itself with tight fairways, imposing lakes, and significant elevation changes.

Just north of Tampa, Saddlebrook Resort’s Palmer Course resembles a New England layout with its rolling fairways and small greens. This Arnold Palmer-design is generally forgiving off the tee, but requires precise approach play from uneven lies to undulating greens. Arnold Palmer also designed the Saddlebrook Course at the resort, which is tighter off the tee, with fairways guarded by water and trees. Water comes into play on 14 of the 18 holes, placing a premium on accuracy.

On your visit to Tampa, make sure to visit TPC Tampa Bay, which offers a wide variety of holes with lakes and natural wetlands in play. While the fairways are wide and relatively flat, the greens are large and undulating, placing a premium on a strong short game.

San Diego has long been a vacation destination in the United States. And while much of the rest of the country is enduring the cold and snow of winter, the weather in Southern California is, well, the same as it always is: warm and sunny.

J.D. Cuban

Torrey Pines hosts annually the Farmers Insurance Open and, every now and then, a U.S. Open. For the PGA Tour stop, Torrey Pines North (below) and Torrey Pines South courses are in play, while for the U.S. Open, only the South is played as the North is transformed into a staging area for hospitality tents and parking. This past year, the grounds crew had only seven months between the 2021 U.S. Open and the Farmers this January. At 35th on Golf Digest’s America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses, the South Course is home to eight of Tiger Woods’s career wins on the PGA Tour, including the 2008 U.S. Open, his 14th of 15 major victories.

Mark Degnan

false Public Torrey Pines Golf Course: South La Jolla, CA 3.9 23 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

Torrey Pines sits on one of the prettiest golf course sites in America, atop coastal bluffs north of San Diego with eye-dazzling views of the Pacific. Rees Jones’ remodeling of the South Course in the early 2000s not only made the course competitive for the 2008 U.S. Open (won by Tiger Woods in a playoff over Rocco Mediate), it also brought several coastal canyons into play for everyday play, especially on the par-3 third and par-4 14th. An annual PGA Tour stop, Torrey Pines received another boost by Jones prior to hosting its second U.S. Open in 2021, this one won by Jon Rahm. Explore our full review

Set 30 miles north of San Diego, the Omni La Costa Resort is an ideal place for a stay-and-play trip. With two on-site courses that were recently renovated by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, in addition to a number of tennis courts, pools with water slides, a full-service spa and a handful of restaurants, this place has something for everyone in the family.

A composite of the Legends and Champions Courses was home to two PGA Tour events from 1969 to the mid 2000s. The Mercedes Championships, now the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii, was played here from 1969 to 1998. In 1999, the venue was awarded the inaugural WGC-Accenture Match Play, now the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas. In 2010 and 2012, La Costa hosted the LPGA’s Kia Classic. And La Costa will be the future home of the NCAA men’s and women’s national championships in the coming years.

The Kia Classic is now the JTBC Classic and has moved not 10 minutes up the road to Aviara Golf Club. Arnold Palmer designed this 18-hole beauty, while the resort that runs it boasts three restaurants: Vivace, an Italian spot, California Bistro, a breakfast and lunch option, and the Argyle Steakhouse.

The Park West Palm is the latest in a growing trend of public/private partnerships that have fueled the redevelopment of numerous municipal courses around the country. The new course, which opened in Spring 2023, is set on the site of the former Dick Wilson-designed West Palm Beach Golf Course, one of the first notable designs of the post-World War II years when it opened in 1947 and long considered among the top municipal courses in the country. The Park has something for everybody—a world-class layout designed by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, state-of-the-art practice facilities, a nine-hole lighted short course, a topsy-turvy putting course, junior caddie programs and a variety of off-course youth educational services.

RELATED: The Park West Palm: Our drone tour of Gil Hanse’s new muny that hosted The Match IX

Just as the PGA Tour kicks off its Florida Swing at The Honda Classic, you might consider starting your southeast Florida golf trip at PGA National’s Champion Course (below). Routinely one of the toughest courses on tour, The Champion is home to The Bear Trap—the demanding three-hole stretch (Nos. 15-17) that requires precision iron play. With wind often playing a factor and water lurking on many holes, The Champion is a true ball-striking test.

PGA National also has two new courses designed by Andy Staples, the 18-hole Match course and the nine-hole Staple course.

Perhaps the most forgiving course at PGA National, The Palmer Course offers wide fairways and relatively flat greens. This Arnold Palmer-design features plenty of risk-reward opportunities, including at the par-5 18th, making the course entertaining for players of all skill levels.

The Fazio Course, formerly The Haig, was PGA National’s original course that opened in 1980. Recent renovations have expanded the size of the greens, increasing the playability of the layout that features a variety of holes, including doglegs in each direction.

Before leaving PGA National, make sure to stop by The Estate Course, located five miles west of the main resort. One of the shorter courses at PGA National, The Estate offers generous fairways and large greens, making it an enjoyable round for all.

Stephen Szurlej

After finishing at PGA National, head down I-95 to another notable collection of courses at Trump National Doral Miami. The Blue Monster, which hosted a PGA Tour event for more than 50 years, is currently inside our top five public courses in the state. Restored by Gil Hanse in 2014, the Blue Monster features strategically placed bunkers and water in play on 11 of the 18 holes, including the par-4 18th, which often played as one of the toughest holes on tour.

One of the shorter courses at Trump National Doral, the Red Tiger Course offers an exciting variety of holes, with six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s. Resembling a New England-style course, the greens are relatively small, requiring precise approach play. The Silver Fox Course, with its narrow fairways and water in play on 17 of the 18 holes, provides a stern test of ball-striking ability. The par-3 seventh features an island green with elevated tees. The Golden Palm Course presents a variety of holes, with some being wide and inviting and others tight and tree-lined. The greens are undulating throughout, requiring a deft touch to score well.

Right outside Miami in Coral Gables is the historic Biltmore resort with its Donald Ross course being one of Florida’s best public options for decades. An extensive renovation recently by Brian Silva’s team reinvigorated this classic layout. A first-class golf school from Jim McLean and luxurious resort makes this a must-play in Miami.

Located just eight miles south of the Fort Lauderdale airport, JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa is the perfect place to wrap up your trip. The resort’s Soffer Course features relatively narrow landing areas guarded by meandering creeks. The course is picturesque, with railroad-tie lined fairways and an island-green 18th hole, set beside a cascading waterfall. The Miller Course is the shorter of the two, prioritizing accuracy over length. Rolling fairways are well guarded by a variety of trees and lakes, requiring sound strategy.

There’s no shortage of history at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club and Lodge—with its ties to Mr. Palmer and Tiger Woods’ eight wins at the annual PGA Tour stop—which make it the perfect place to kick off an Orlando golf trip.

Stay at the Bay Hill Club and Lodge and you can play the Champion and Challenger nines, which annually host the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Just as it does for the pros, Bay Hill will offer a stern test, with strategically placed bunkers, deep rough, and imposing lakes all lurking.

After playing where the best players in the world compete, head 15 miles west to Orange County National, where players have forged their path to the PGA Tour at this longtime Q-school host. The Panther Lake course winds through rolling meadows, native pines, and wetlands, immersing golfers in the natural landscape. Elevation changes of up to 60 feet and no housing developments make this Florida course unique. Crooked Cat, often considered easier than its sibling course, offers more of a links-style experience, with native heather framing the wide fairways.

A trip to Orlando wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Disney area, where you’ll find the Magnolia Course (above), which hosted a PGA Tour event for decades. Tiger Woods collected his second career PGA Tour title at this course which features wide fairways guarded by water, which lurks on 11 of the 18 holes.

Around 20-25 minutes south in Kissimmee are three courses at Reunion, a Golf Digest Editors’ Choice winner for Best Resorts. The Nicklaus Course, designed by Jack, is generally forgiving off the tee, but small, undulating greens place a premium on precise iron play. Elevated railroad-tie tees and greens, along with the occasional pot bunker, give the course character.

The Watson course, designed by Tom Watson, utilizes strategic bunkering and hilly terrain as its defense. With hardly any water in play on the course, bunkers line the fairways, which are generally wide.

The Palmer Course (above) challenges players with undulating terrain, creating uneven lies in the fairways and rough. This Arnold Palmer-design features significant elevation changes, including a 50-foot drop from tee to green at the par-3 second.

Travel northwest from Orlando to Mission Inn Resort to play two courses which have hosted numerous amateur and professional events, including PGA Tour Latinoamerica Q-school last fall. The El Campeón course opened in 1917, making it one of the oldest courses in the area. The course is situated on steep hills with elevation changes of over 85 feet, and water is in play on most holes. The Las Colinas course has less water in play, but the large, undulating greens provide an intriguing test. Trees closely guard many fairways on the back nine, placing a premium on accuracy off the tee.

For those in search of combining a trip to the Caribbean with some golf, look no further than the Dominican Republic. With designs from some of golf’s most prominent architects, the DR is truly the heart of golf in the Caribbean.

Courtesy of Puntacana Resort & Club Images

The Puntacana Resort & Club is a five-star property that boasts three miles of beach-front property, two restaurants, three bars and two golf courses on site.

Puntacana Resort’s La Cana course, designed by P.B. Dye, features 27 holes, 14 of which have ocean views. In an effort to remain environmentally efficient, La Cana was the first course in the Caribbean to use paspalum grass, which can be watered with seawater.

In the lead up to the Masters, the PGA Tour stops at Corales Golf Club in late March. This Tom Fazio design hosted the first PGA Tour event in the Dominican Republic and features six oceanfront holes and a wicked three-hole conclusion, aptly named the “Devil’s Elbow.”

2010 Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

Punta Espada Golf Club (above) was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 2006. The course makes excellent use of the coastal geography, with holes running along cliffs, beaches and lagoons. The PGA Tour Champions made three stops here from 2008 to 2010.

Enrique Berardi/LAAC

The Casa de Campo Resort (above) is widely regarded as one of the best destination golf resorts in the world. Three Pete Dye courses await guests, as do more than a dozen restaurants on the property. The Teeth of the Dog Course features seven holes that run along the Caribbean Sea, which prompted Dye to remark, “I created 11 holes and God created seven.” Featuring iconic par 3s, tricky doglegs and other signature Dye obstacles, Teeth of the Dog ranks 54th on Golf Digest’s World’s Greatest 100 Courses.

The most recent addition to the resort is the Dye Fore course. Each of the three nine-hole loops offers something different: Chavón has five cliffside holes, Marina plays down the Chavón River with views of the Caribbean Sea and the aptly named Lagos loop plays around three huge lakes.

The Links course isn’t talked about as much as the other two, but offers similarly picturesque views and a stern test. It’s not very long, measuring under 6,800 yards from the back tees, but was renovated in 2012 to make it a bit more challenging for lower handicaps. Dye designed this course with the British Isles in mind, incorporating large rolling hills and many waste bunkers that will gobble up wayward tee shots.

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com