8 Top “Valley” Courses You Can Play in the U.S.

Just hearing the name “Pine Valley” is enough to cause some golfers to swoon.

Although more defined by its piney surrounds and swaths of sandy scrub than an actual valley in southern New Jersey, the No. 1 course in the U.S. heads a strong lineup of courses with “Valley” in their name. On the private side, there are also esteemed clubs like Caves Valley (Maryland), Sage Valley (South Carolina), and Saucon Valley (Pennsylvania).

There are a handful of golf facilities that go by somewhat generalities such as Pleasant Valley or Hidden Valley, but Christmas Valley—a 9-hole municipal course in an Oregon town of the same name—is in a category of one. So are Magic Valley in Tennessee and Mystery Valley outside Atlanta.

The following are some of the top U.S. public courses that include “Valley” in the name.

Apple Valley at Rumbling Bald (Lake Lure, N.C.)

Routed through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, Apple Valley is the marquee of the two 18-hole courses at Rumbling Bald on Lake Lure. Despite its mountain setting, which includes expansive views of Bald Mountain, golf architect Dan Maples estimates that 75 percent of the shots at Apple Valley are either level or play downhill.

Carmel Valley Ranch (Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif.)

This par-70 layout with stunning views and ample challenge claims to be the only Pete Dye-designed course in Northern California. Situated in the unique microclimate of the Carmel Valley along the Monterey Peninsula, the course is bathed in more than 300 days of sunshine each year and features a pair of signature holes (Nos. 11 and 13) that plunge into the valley itself from dramatically elevated tees.

Kebo Valley (Bar Harbor, Maine)

Located on Mount Desert Island, on the border of Acadia National Park, Kebo Valley boasts a golf course that’s the oldest in Maine and the eighth oldest in the United States. The club was founded in 1888, with the first six holes of the golf course opening in 1891. In 1911, U.S. President William Howard Taft carded a 27 on what’s now the 17th hole—commonly referred to as the “Taft” hole—and Kebo Valley expanded to 18 holes in 1920. Today, the course serves as a historic haven “amidst the hectic pace of a Bar Harbor summer.”

Ojai Valley Inn (Ojai, Calif.)

Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Will Smith, Kevin Costner, and Michael Douglas are among the Hollywood stars who have graced the fairways and greens of this course, which was hailed as a marvel of golfing architecture when it opened over 100 years ago. Set against the mountainous backdrops of the Ojai Valley, it was originally designed and built under the direction of Billy Bell and George C. Thomas Jr., who is best known for his work in California at Riviera Country Club, Bel-Air Country Club, and Los Angeles Country Club. Just down the road is one of the nation’s most celebrated municipal courses: Soule Park.

Payne’s Valley (Hollister, Mo.)

The first public-access course design from Tiger Woods, Payne’s Valley is one of five courses (and counting) that are part of Big Cedar Lodge in southwest Missouri. An homage to Hall of Fame golfer Payne Stewart, an Ozarks native, the course starts at one of the highest points on property and dives into a valley backdropped by limestone cliffs. It ultimately finishes with a stunner of a bet-settling 19th hole, an island green par three that sits at the base of a massive cliff and requires players to zigzag their way back to the clubhouse at the top after putting out.

Sand Valley (Nekoosa, Wis.)

The eponymously named original of the four 18-hole courses affiliated with the Sand Valley Golf Resort in central Wisconsin, Sand Valley was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2017. Firm and fast fairways wind through a landscape of massive, exposed sand dunes, part of a remote property that’s been referred to as the Bandon Dunes of the Midwest—an appropriate comparison given Sand Valley is owned by the Keiser family and operates under the same Dream Golf umbrella of resorts.

Silvies Valley Ranch (Seneca, Ore.)

In addition to being a working cattle ranch, Silvies Valley Ranch is a renowned luxury resort that has a wealth of great golf to complement a wide range of activities—from shooting, biking, fishing, and horseback riding to goat herding, tequila tasting, and sourdough cooking classes. On the golf side, Silvies might be best known for its reversible 18-hole course, but also has two short courses and a reversible putting layout.

Wine Valley (Walla Walla, Wash.)

Like all the layouts at Silvies Valley Ranch, this course in eastern Washington was designed by Pacific Northwest native Dan Hixson. The links-style course plays over rolling hills under the watchful eye of the Blue Mountains, with each hole affording multiple lines of play. The venue also has a 40,000-square-foot putting green for guests known as “The Corkscrew,” a bigger extension of the heavily contoured greens on the main course.