23 KemperSports Courses Ranked Among Best Public Golf Courses in the U.S. by GolfPass
Annual Lists Represent Best Courses Played by Recreational Golfers Last Year
Twenty-three (23) KemperSports courses have been recognized among the best public golf courses in the country through a GolfPass 2026 Golfers’ Choice list, an honor determined by recreational golfers who submitted more than 226,000 reviews of roughly 7,500 courses in 2025. Unlike other industry golf course rankings, GolfPass’ Golfers’ Choice lists are totally consumer driven – by recreational golfers, for recreational golfers – and aim to represent the best public golf courses played by recreational golfers last year.
The 23 KemperSports properties rank among the best in several categories, including five in the Top 50 U.S. Public Courses as well as the Top 25 Friendliest Public Golf Courses, Top 25 for Pace of Play and Most Improved. Additionally, 13 of the 23 KemperSports courses ranked inside the top 10 of their respective “Best of State” rankings.
To be eligible for a list, a golf course must be both publicly accessible and have received at least 10 reviews in the previous 12 months. In determining the final rankings, GolfPass weighs six factors, each of which correspond to the way their reviews are structured.
- Overall Rating
- Value
- Course Conditions
- Layout
- Pace of Play
- Staff Friendliness
- Off-Course Amenities
KemperSports courses featured on 2026 Golfers’ Choice lists include:
Top 50 U.S. Public Golf Courses (see full list)
- #1, Chambers Bay (University Place, WA)
- #3, The Jewel Golf Club (Lake City, MN)
- #33, Covered Bridge Golf Club (Sellersburg, IN)
- #36, Whiskey Creek Golf Club (Ijamsville, MD)
- #44, Desert Willow Golf Resort’s Firecliff Course (Palm Desert, CA)
Top 25 Public Golf Course Layouts (see full list)
- #9, Cantigny Golf’s Woodside/Lakeside (Wheaton, IL)
Top 25 Friendliest Public Golf Courses (see full list)
- #6, Chambers Bay
- #10, Covered Bridge Golf Club
Top 25 Public Courses for Pace of Play (see full list)
- #5, Covered Bridge Golf Club
Top 25 Public Courses for Best Conditions (see full list)
- #11, The Jewel Golf Club
Top 25 Public Golf Courses for Off-Course Amenities (see full list)
- #20, Desert Willow Golf Resort’s Mountain View Course (Palm Desert, CA)
Top 25 Most Improved Public Golf Courses (see full list)
- #3, New Albany Links Golf Club (New Albany, OH)
2026 GolfPass Golfers’ Choice Best of State Courses
California (full list)
- #3, Desert Willow Golf Resort’s Firecliff Course
- #23, The Links at Bodega Harbour (Bodega Bay, CA)
Connecticut (full list)
- #3, Lyman Orchards Golf Club’s Jones Course (Middlefield, CT)
Delaware (full list)
- #4, Heritage Shores (Bridgeville, DE)
Florida (full list)
- #5, Streamsong Black (Bowling Green, FL)
Illinois (full list)
- #16, Cantigny Golf
Indiana (full list)
- #2, Covered Bridge Golf Club
- #17, The Golf Club at Eagle Pointe (Bloomington, IN)
Maryland (full list)
- #1, Whiskey Creek Golf Club
- #7, Blue Mash Golf Course (Laytonsville, MD)
- #8, Waverly Woods Golf Club (Marriottsville, MD
Minnesota (full list)
- #1, The Jewel Golf Club
Mississippi (full list)
- #7, Tunica National Golf & Tennis (Tunica Resorts, MS)
New Jersey (full list)
- #1, Heron Glen Golf Course (Ringoes, NJ)
- #15, Galloping Hill Golf Course (Kenilworth, NJ)
North Carolina (full list
- #18, Sequoyah National Golf Club (Whittier, NC)
Oregon (full list)
- #18, Eastmoreland Golf Course (Portland, OR)
Tennessee (full list)
- #5, Towhee Club (Spring Hill, TN)
Washington (full list)
- #1, Chambers Bay
READ MORE:
We own, lease, operate and develop facilities. Contact us to learn more about our service solutions.