Best for Fall Golf
The Northeast
Golfers and non-golfers alike will agree that the changing leaves and crisp, refreshing temperatures of autumn in the northeast make it a very special setting. With so many storied clubs and courses throughout New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and further north, golfers are spoiled for choice when it comes to enjoying the fall foliage. Top private clubs include
Pine Valley (NJ),
Baltusrol (NJ),
Merion (PA), and
Winged Foot (NY), while public greats such as
Bethpage Black (NY) and lesser known collegiate gems such as
Yale (CT), and
Taconic (Williams College, MA) offer fantastic fall golf as well.
Honorable Mention: Appalachia. Our top pick here is The Greenbrier, an elegant resort nestled in the Allegheny mountains of West Virginia, with multiple classic courses, world class equestrian facilities, and one of the nicest spas in America.
Best for Winter Golf
California
Legendary sunny weather and dozens of premiere golf courses make the Golden State a perfect escape from harsh winters elsewhere.
Pebble Beach sits atop our list of top California courses. Opened for play in 1919, it offers both stunning scenery and rich history, having hosted five U.S. Open championships. Its sixth is appropriately slated for the course's 100th Anniversary in 2019. With
Cypress Point,
Pasatiempo and other Top 100 courses nearby, and
Torrey Pines,
Riviera, and
Los Angeles Country 
Club a few hours down the coast, California is the perfect cure for golfers enduring the winter doldrums.
Honorable Mention: Florida. Palm Beach area private clubs including Seminole Golf Club, The Everglades Club, and Gulf Stream Golf Club all offer distinctively superb experiences. Streamsong Resort, a recently opened resort near Tampa, meanwhile offers public play across multiple interesting routings.
Best for Spring Golf
North Carolina
For most American golfers, spring's official arrival is marked by
The Masters, a major championship contested every April at the legendary
Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. The club's lush green fairways and stunning blooms of azaleas and dogwoods offer a refreshing reminder of the warmer, more colorful months ahead. Luckily, golfers can enjoy similar – if not quite as spectacular – settings across the southeast this time of year. North Carolina hosts most of our favorite spots. The Pinehurst area boasts more than a dozen highly regarded clubs and courses, among them the famed Pinehurst #2,
Dormie Club, and
Country Club of North Carolina. Down at the coast, we love
Eagle Point Golf Club, and up in the mountains,
Wade Hampton,
Biltmore Forest Country Club,
The Grove Park Inn resort course and others make superb settings in late spring.
Best for Summer Golf
Coastal Oregon
The perfect "buddies golf trip" destination,
Bandon Dunes in southwest Oregon has become famous around the world for its five distinctive golf courses. Set against the Pacific Ocean, the place exudes a very Scottish vibe, and its "walking only" policy helps to create an old school, soulful atmosphere for the purist golfer. It gets warm in the summer, but with average highs of 68F in July and August it's never too hot to enjoy 36 holes or more with all of the summer daylight on offer. As most who have visited the Pacific northwest will know, inclimate weather can strike at any time, so rain gear is essential up here.
Honorable Mention: The midwest, including Chicago's great clubs, and destination courses a bit further north such as Whistling Straits and Erin Hills.
