Ohio (North & Central)
Quite a few of Ohio's golf courses that have made our list are private golf clubs with impeccable amenities. The best public golf courses here include the Avalon Lakes course, a lovely tree-lined layout with challenging holes, the top-rated Virtues Golf Club, and the championship layout at Sleepy Hollow Golf Course. To make the most of your golfing trip, and to help in your planning, you can look up the location of the best courses in Ohio on our customised maps.
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Pete Dye
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Stanley Thompson
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Joe Salemi
Private club
Cleveland / Akron
Herbert Strong (1922); modifications by Bruce Hepner (2016).
Private club
Cleveland / Akron
Current layout designed by William S. Flynn (1928).
Private club
Columbus (OH)
Tom Weiskopf & Jay Morrish
Stay&Play possible
Cleveland / Akron
South course: original design by Bert Way (1929); redesign by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1960).
North course: Robert Trent Jones Sr (1969).
Fazio course: Tom Fazio (2001; 2021).
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Pete Dye & brother Roy Dye designed the original Lake and River nines.
Private club
Columbus (OH)
Pete Dye
Visitors welcome
Columbus (OH)
Original design by Donald Ross (1929), later revised by Jack Kidwell.
Private club
Toledo (OH)
Original design dates from 1903. Course remodelled by Donald Ross (1919); modifications by George & Tom Fazio (1979), Arthur Hills (1999) and Andrew Green (2018).
Private club
Cleveland / Akron
Charles "Hugh" Alison, long-time design associate of Harry Colt.
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Hurdzan/Fry Design (Dr Michael J. Hurdzan & Dana Fry).
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Donald Ross
Visitors welcome
Toledo (OH)
Arthur Hills
Private club
Columbus (OH)
A Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course designed by Jack Nicklaus, with input from Desmond Muirhead and Pete Dye.
Private club
Columbus
Original design by Dr Alister MacKenzie (1939); renovated by Jack Nicklaus (2005).
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Brian Huntley
(Closed in 2020)
Columbus (OH)
Arthur Hills & Steve Forrest
Private club
Columbus (OH)
Original design by Donald Ross (1916); updated by Dick Wilson (early 1960s) and renovation by Jack Nicklaus & Dr Michael J. Hurdzan (2008).
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Stanley Thompson
Visitors welcome
Columbus (OH)
Arthur Hills
Visitors welcome
Cleveland / Akron
Edmund B. "Ed" Ault
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
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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