Best golf courses: Washington, DC

Washington, DC: the table below provides brief details about the top golf courses in and around this city. Each golf club has been visited and/or researched by Where2Golf. Click on the course name below to discover more. The course ratings below range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course (based on its design, condition and surroundings). Hover your cursor above the Rating Key below for the rating definitions.
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Heatwole, David

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

David Heatwole

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jacobson, Rick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Rick Jacobson
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Clark, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Thomas E. "Tom" Clark (of Ault, Clark & Associates)
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jacobson, Rick

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Rick Jacobson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
(Closed in 2017)
Washington, DC
Beman & Weed

Visitors?

(Closed in 2017)

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Deane Beman & Bobby Weed

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Emmet & Jones Sr.

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Blue course: Original design by Devereux Emmet (1924); later revisions by Tom Winton, Donald Ross & Alfred Tull. Substantially redesigned by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1957); renovation and further changes by Rees Jones (1989 & 2010).
Gold course: original design by Devereux Emmet (1924); substantial redesign by uncle-nephew team of George & Tom Fazio (1976); renovated by Arthur Hills (2000).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Travis, Walter

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Walter Travis

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Price & Smyers

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Nick Price & Steve Smyers

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Potts, Jeff

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Jeff Potts

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Rsrt guests only
Washington, DC
Jones, Robert Trent II

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Rsrt guests only
Washington, DC
Norman, Greg

Visitors?

Rsrt guests only

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Greg Norman
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Love, Bill

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Bill Love

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Hills, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

An Arthur Hills Signature Design
4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Lee, Joe

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Joe Lee
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Freeland, Tim

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Tim Freeland
3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Dye, P.B.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

P.B. Dye
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Nicklaus, Jack

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

A Jack Nicklaus Signature Design
4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Player, Gary

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

A Gary Player Signature Course
Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr. (1991); modifications by Kyle Phillips (2014).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Jackson, Tom

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Tom Jackson

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Cupp, Bob

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Redesign of original nine-hole course and extension to 18 holes by Bob Cupp (1988).

Private: A course for members and their invited guests only.
Private club
Washington, DC
Ault-Clark & Love III

Visitors?

Private club

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Original design by Ault-Clark Associates; redesigned by PGA Tour Design Services (2008).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
(Closed in 2017)
Washington, DC
Dye, P.B.

Visitors?

(Closed in 2017)

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

P.B. Dye

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Couples & Bates

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Course designed by Gene Bates in consultation with Fred Couples.
5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Poellot & Els

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

J. Michael Poellot & Ernie Els

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Washington, DC
Ault, Brian

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Washington, DC

Designer

Brian T. Ault (of Ault, Clark & Associates).

Find a course

Or

Tournaments

124th US Open: the No.2 Course at Pinehurst once again plays host to this most illustrious championship (June 13-16). Wyndham Clark defends his title, having won at Los Angeles CC in 2023.

79th Women’s US Open: the second women’s major championship of the season gets underway at Lancaster CC in Pennsylvania. It’s the second time the championship has been held here.
(May 30-June 2).

Who's Who

Nelly Korda: won the Mizuho Americas Open (May 16-19) at Liberty National GC, continuing her extraordinary form in LPGA events. This was her sixth win in seven starts in 2024.

Xander Schauffele: recorded his first major championship win, and second record-equalling low score of 62 in a major. Only he, Branden Grace, Rickie Fowler and Shane Lowry have achieved this feat in a men’s major championship.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.

Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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Littlestone Golf Club (Kent, UK)