Ahhh, game day. Tailgating. College campuses. Football. It’s almost time. The only thing sometimes missing is golf. But it doesn’t have to be.
We looked at Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list to find the best public-access courses within a reasonable drive of all the top 25 teams’ stadiums, using the USA TODAY Sports AFCA football coaches preseason poll. Each of the courses listed below ranks inside that state’s top 10 public-access courses.
Most of these courses are within an hour of the stadiums, with a few stretching that mileage when appropriate. With the courses listed below, it’s entirely possible to play 18 in the morning, then drive to the stadium in time for an afternoon or evening kickoff.
Listed for each team is its stadium and the courses in the order they are ranked in the home team’s state. Some teams have no Golfweek’s Best public-access courses with a reasonable drive, but most do.
Mid Pines in North Carolina (Courtesy of Mid Pines)
And if you’re looking for the best spot to swing away then catch a game, look no further than North Carolina. There are eight courses ranked among the state’s top 10 public-access courses within a reasonable drive of the stadium, including Pinehurst Resort.
Golfweek ranks courses by compiling the average ratings – on a points basis of 1 to 10 – of its more than 850 raters to create several industry-leading lists of courses. That includes the popular Best Courses You Can Play list for courses that allow non-member tee times. These generally are defined as layouts accessible to resort guests or regular daily-fee players.
No. 25 Mississippi
Stadium: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium
No Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play to list
No. 24 Coastal Carolina
Dunes Golf & Beach Club in Myrtle Beach (Courtesy of Dunes Golf and Beach Club)
Stadium: Brooks Stadium
4. The Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach: 17 miles
5. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club, Pawleys Island: 30 miles
6. True Blue, Pawleys Island: 30 miles
7. Tidewater, North Myrtle Beach: 26 miles
10. TPC Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet: 18 miles
No. 23: Louisiana Lafayette
Stadium: Cajun Field
No Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play to list
No. 22 Oklahoma State
Karsten Creek in Oklahoma (Courtesy of Karsten Creek)
Stadium: Boone Pickens Stadium
1. Karsten Creek, Stillwater: 10 miles
No. 21 Washington
Chambers Bay in Washington (Golfweek files)
Stadium: Husky Stadium*
2. Chambers Bay, University Place: 47 miles
5. Gold Mountain (Olympic), Bremerton: 68 miles
7. Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, Port Orchard: 65 miles
9. White Horse, Kingston: 25 miles
*Rides to the stadium from several courses might include a ferry ride.
No. 20 Penn State
Stadium: Beaver Stadium
No Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play to list
No. 19 Texas
Omni Barton Creek Fazio Canyons in Texas (Courtesy of Omni Barton Creek Resort)
Stadium: Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
2. Omni Barton Creek (Fazio Canyons), Austin: 11 miles
8. Omni Barton Creek (Fazio Foothills), Austin: 11 miles
No. 18 Iowa
Blue Top Ridge in Iowa (Courtesy of Blue Top Ridge)
Stadium: Kinnick Stadium
2. Blue Top Ridge, Riverside: 15 miles
No. 17 Indiana
French Lick’s Dye Course in Indiana (Courtesy of French Lick)
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
1. French Lick Resort (Dye Course), French Lick: 53 miles
2. The PFAU Course at Indiana University, Bloomington: 2 miles
3. French Lick Resort (Ross Course), French Lick: 53 miles
No. 16 Miami
Trump National Doral in Florida (Trump National Doral)
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
6. Trump National Doral Miami (Blue Monster), Doral: 23 miles
10. PGA National Resort & Spa (Champion), Palm Beach Gardens: 66 miles
No. 15 Wisconsin
Erin Hills in Wisconsin (Courtesy of Erin Hills)
Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium
5. Erin Hills, Hartford: 72 miles
8. University Ridge, Madison: 8 miles
No. 14 Southern California
Rustic Canyon in California (Courtesy of Rustic Canyon)
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
5. Rustic Canyon, Moorpark: 51 miles
No. 13 Louisiana State
Carter Plantation in Louisiana (Courtesy of Carter Plantation)
Stadium: Tiger Stadium
3. Carter Plantation, Springfield: 43 miles
No. 12 Oregon
Pronghorn in Oregon (Photo by Troon Golf)
Stadium: Autzen Stadium
10. Pronghorn (Nicklaus), Bend: 34 miles
No. 11 Florida
Black Diamond Ranch’s Quarry Course in Florida (Courtesy of Black Diamond Ranch)
Stadium: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
7. Black Diamond Ranch (Quarry), Lecanto: 58 miles
No. 10 Cincinnati
Stonelick Hills in Ohio (Courtesy of Stonelick Hills)
Stadium: Nippert Stadium
7. Stonelick Hills, Batavia: 32 miles
No. 9 North Carolina
Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina (Courtesy of Pinehurst)
Stadium: Kenan Memorial Stadium
1. Pinehurst (No. 2), Pinehurst: 64 miles
2. Pinehurst No. 4, Pinehurst: 64 miles
3. Mid Pines, Southern Pines: 59 miles
4. Pine Needles, Southern Pines: 59 miles
6. Tobacco Road, Sanford: 41 miles
7. Pinehurst No. 8, Pinehurst: 62 miles
9. UNC Finley Golf Course, Chapel Hill: 2 miles
10. Duke University GC, Durham: 11 miles
No. 8 Iowa State
Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium
3. Tournament Club of Iowa, Polk City: 22 miles
No. 7 Notre Dame
Warren Golf Course in Indiana (Copyright USGA/Fred Vuich)
Stadium: Notre Dame Stadium
8. Warren GC at Notre Dame, South Bend: 1 mile
No. 6 Texas A&M
Stadium: Kyle Field
No Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play to list
No. 5 Georgia
The Great Waters Course at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Georgia (Courtesy of Reynolds Lake Oconee)
Stadium: Sanford Stadium
2. Reynolds Lake Oconee (Great Waters), Greensboro: 46 miles
4. Reynolds Lake Oconee (Oconee), Greensboro: 46
T6. Harbor Club, Greensboro: 41 miles
T6. University of Georgia GC, Athens: 3 miles
10. Reynolds Lake Oconee (The Preserve), Greensboro: 46 miles
No. 4 Ohio State
The Virtues in Ohio (Courtesy The Virtues)
Stadium: Ohio Stadium
3. The Virtues, Nashport: 52 miles
No. 3 Oklahoma
Jimmie Austin Golf Club in Oklahoma (Courtesy of Tripp Davis/Branden Hart)
Stadium: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
2. Jimmie Austin GC at the University of Oklahoma, Norman: 2 miles
No. 2 Clemson
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
No Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play to list
No. 1 Alabama
The Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Alabama (Courtesy of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail/
Michael Clemmer)
Stadium: Bryant-Denny Stadium
2. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Ross Bridge), Birmingham: 55 miles
6. Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail (Oxmoor Valley Ridge), Birmingham: 53 miles
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