The 10 Best Courses On The PGA Tour

As the PGA Tour heads to Pebble Beach this week and Riviera next week, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the top golf courses on the schedule.

This is a tricky one. My aim here is not to pick the 10 best golf courses for everyone who plays them but rather the 10 best Tour hosts.

The difference might seem minor but it’s a critical distinction. I have two courses on this list that made my most overrated golf courses story from last year. You might ask how that could possibly be. The answer is that watching the pros play on certain courses is a completely separate experience from a 10-handicap hacker playing on it.

As the old slogan went, these guys are good. This guy writing the article is not. A course can be amazing for professional golf and mediocre/boring/overly punishing for recreational players. There is overlap, of course, but it’s not a one-to-one comparison.

So keep in mind that this is specifically about watching elite golfers on these courses.

Another important distinction: no major venues here. This is just annual stops on the Tour, which is separate from the majors.

For as much crap as I give the Tour, there are some phenomenal pro golf hosts on its calendar (there are some absolute stinkers, too, but let’s be positive here).

Here are the 10 best courses for watching Tour players.

10. TPC San Antonio

Despite the Valero Texas Open being a bit of a pre-Masters throwaway, TPC San Antonio has a much-deserved cult following because the golf course is arguably Greg Norman’s best effort as a designer. That is a comically low bar to clear but, separating the art from the artist, San Antonio has some fun features.

The bunkering is rugged and intriguing. There are some excellent short par-4s that put stress on players from a strategic standpoint. And the set of par-5s, highlighted by the 18th, seem to be in proper scale for Tour players.

This is a highly underrated tournament to watch because of the course.

9. Harbour Town

One of those golf courses that is monotonous and claustrophobic in a bad way for the recreational golfers but somehow monotonous and claustrophobic in a good way for professional golfers.

It’s no fun for a bad golfer to be missing tight, tree-lined fairways all day and having to punch out—but that element is kind of fun to watch Tour players manage.

Add small, funky greens and you get a tournament where accuracy is highly valued.

I agree it is not something you want to watch every week but it’s a nice change of pace.

Harbour Town recently went through an extensive restoration that was completed this past November so I’m interested to see how the course looks for the RBC Heritage.

8. TPC River Highlands

River Highlands might not be a great golf course across the board but it does boast two of my absolute favorite holes on Tour.

The par-5 13th is a strong offering for a modern par-5 that properly tests pro golfers. The tee shot requires threading the needle between water and O.B., leaving players a second shot where a lot can go right and a lot can go wrong.

Then the par-4 15th is proof that great course design doesn’t need to be complicated. Everyone in the field can reach the green with driver but there are some weird angles and awkward hole locations that trouble guys every year. I just wish they would shave the bank and let more balls funnel into the water left of the green.

There seems to be drama here every year so the course is doing something right.

7. Sedgefield

The host of the Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield doesn’t get the buzz that others on this list receive. Some also argue that distance gains in the pro game have hurt the course over the years.

I’m not sure why but there is something about this Donald Ross course that lures me in as a viewer.

It’s not overly difficult and you can’t really point to any signature holes that stand out but Sedgefield seems greater than the sum of its parts.

I think of the par-3 12th hole which features a massive ridge running through the green. Put the flag on the bottom of that slope and it’s fun to see guys try to use the funnel to get close. If they miss, it’s a treacherous two-putt.

There are a lot of courses on Tour that don’t have much slope on and around the greens. Sedgefield challenges players in a reasonable and fun way.

6. Kapalua

While not on the calendar for 2026 due to a water shortage, I’m including Kapalua here given its traditional spot hosting the first event of the year (whether that continues is in question).

The main con against Kapalua is that players absolutely tear it apart, sometimes reaching more than 30-under for the week. Unlike most other courses on this list, there is not a lot of punishment for bad shots.

On the pro side, this course is just fun.

The wind is often whipping, there are plenty of approach shots with awkward stances/lies and the Maui vibes are immaculate (especially as the rest of us are mired in winter). Also, who doesn’t love 400-yard tee shots?

This is one event I make sure to sit down and watch a lot each year. I’m sad we didn’t get Kapalua in 2026 and I’m praying the Tour keeps it on the calendar.

5. Colonial

This course recently went under a total renovation under the reliable guidance of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, restoring Colonial to the kind of old-school layout that excites any golfer.

Colonial is maybe the most classic and timeless course on Tour. No, there aren’t any waterfalls or island greens—but the relatively short course finds ways to frustrate modern players through devices like doglegs and brilliantly angled green complexes.

The “ball knowers” will recognize that Colonial is a legitimate test, making it a fun watch.

4. TPC Scottsdale

Maybe a controversial opinion here but Scottsdale absolutely slaps.

Having played the course, it’s not a place I would recommend for the average Joe who can play much better layouts in the region for a fraction of the price.

For the pros? It just works.

Let’s start with the par-4 17th. Is this the single best hole in professional golf in terms of testing players in the modern game? It should be a simple birdie but the variance on the tee shot is outstanding. Players are often scrambling for pars on a hole where every player in the field can reach the green off the tee. The back-left Sunday pin is diabolical.

Earlier on the back nine, players have to manage the difficult par-4 11th and par-3 12th holes before the risk-reward element on the par-5 13th and par-5 15th draws viewers in immediately.

What I also like about Scottsdale is how offline tee shots regularly result in fun recovery shots from the desert. I’m thinking of Hideki Matsuyama’s second shot on the 13th last Sunday.

This is a place where players can really get after it on good days but there are consequences for bad shots. That’s what you want to see when you watch Tour events.

3. Pebble Beach

There has been a push in recent years for everyone to take a dump on Pebble.

Yes, the inland holes can be a little underwhelming. No argument there. Pebble is not a perfect golf course.

But, come on, it’s Pebble. There is nothing like watching the pros launch their second shots up the hill on No. 6, flipping wedges down to the tiny green on No. 7 and deciding how aggressive to be on the 18th tee.

I like how Pebble puts pressure on players. The first seven holes, these guys have to eat. There are two par-5s, a short par-4 and a flip wedge on a par-3. If you aren’t playing well by the time you reach the eighth tee, it probably won’t get better as 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13 are regularly among the hardest holes on the course.

This is another place that can’t be overpowered with distance. The greens are small and you have to be precise.

I’m glad this has turned into a signature event with a great field. Very deserving.

2. TPC Sawgrass

I’ve played Sawgrass twice. It is so much harder off the tee than you realize. And when you miss fairways, it’s very bad news. I still like it as a recreational course although paying around $750 is absurd.

For the pros, Sawgrass checks nearly every box.

Distance is a little bit of an advantage but accuracy is way more important. Good shots will be rewarded with eagles and birdies; bad shots can easily result in double bogeys. It’s risk-reward city.

The back nine gets all the publicity with the par-5 11th, par-5 16th, par-3 17th and par-4 18th making for the best finish in golf but the front nine is littered with under-the-radar gems. I’m particularly fond of the par-4 4th (a birdie hole with teeth) and the par-5 9th (scrambling around that green can be nightmarish).

1. Riviera

At only 7,322 yards, Riviera Country Club isn’t meant to bludgeon the pros with distance. It doesn’t have to because of some superb design features.

The Genesis Invitational host usually plays firm and demands precision in all areas of the game. Angles matter, as evidenced by holes like the par-4 10th which demand patience and accuracy. The Kikuyu rough is sticky and awkward, showing that penalizing rough doesn’t have to be up to a player’s knees.

In addition to the famous 10th, there are several memorable holes. The downhill par-5 first is a must-birdie, the par-3 sixth has a bunker in the middle of the green, the par-4 eighth has an intriguing split fairway and the back nine is full of ball-buster par-4s.

However, Riviera is the kind of course where every shot feels interesting and important. It can give up plenty of birdies but the line between birdie/bogey is razor thin.

Adding in a tremendous history with great winners, Riviera is tough to beat.

What is your favorite course on Tour? Let me know in the comments.

Top Photo Caption: The eighth hole at Pebble Beach has one of the best second shots in golf. (GETTY IMAGES/David Cannon)