With the start of the Memorial Tournament on the horizon, the spotlight again shines on the host course, Muirfield Village Golf Club in suburban Columbus, Ohio. Co-designer and club co-founder Jack Nicklaus first conceived an Augusta National-like facility for his hometown while competing in (and winning) the 1966 Masters. Three months later, he captured his first Open Championship—or what Jack still calls the British Open—and out of respect for the golf course where he triumphed, Muirfield in Scotland, he named his new course Muirfield Village.
The “House that Jack Built” isn’t the only U.S. course that pays homage to an Open Championship rota links. Here are the 10 best American courses named for British Open venues.
Muirfield Village Golf Club—Dublin, Ohio
Co-designed with Desmond Muirhead, Jack Nicklaus’s 1974 homage to Augusta National ranks 71st in the world on The LINKS 100 list and has been a favorite of PGA Tour players since the Memorial Tournament started in 1976. Beautiful, fair, and balanced, if devoid of any quirk, Muirfield Village presents compelling stroke- and match-play drama via risk/reward par-fives and a terrific short par four at the 14th, while also being a strong, superbly conditioned test from start to finish.
Troon Country Club—Scottsdale, Ariz.
Tom Weiskopf always seemed to follow in Jack Nicklaus’s footsteps, from Ohio State to the PGA Tour to golf course design. Eleven years after Nicklaus paid homage to his British Open win at Muirfield, Weiskopf did the same with Troon, following his lone major championship victory there in 1973. Troon kick-started the recognition train for Weiskopf and design partner Jay Morrish and soon after opening, this private, 7,041-yard par-72 layout cracked GOLF Magazine’s Top 100 Courses in the World. Cactus- and mountain-framed holes include a longer version of Royal Troon’s “Postage Stamp,” and some exciting originals as well, including “The Cliff,” the dramatic 440-yard par-four 14th with an approach that must carry an abyss. In mid-September 2025, Troon serves as the Championship Venue for the U.S. Mid-Amateur, with the winner expected to receive a Masters invitation.
Troon North (Monument)—Scottsdale, Ariz.
The public version of nearby Troon Country Club, Weiskopf once stated that the Troon North parcel was “such a beautiful piece of property that anybody could have done those courses and had them turn out pretty good.” With nine holes designed by the team of Weiskopf and Jay Morrish and the other nine a Weiskopf solo effort, there’s sure to be a signature drivable par four. In fact, there are two of them on the 7,039-yard, par-72 Monument—the 306-yard 6th and the 299-yard 15th—both framed by lush desert vegetation and mountain vistas. Unforgettable is the 556-yard par-five 3rd, its fairway dominated by a giant boulder positioned dead-center of the landing area.
Troon North (Pinnacle)—Scottsdale, Ariz.
Though slightly lower ranked than its Monument sibling in most listings, proponents assert that Pinnacle is every bit as good—or better. Tucked into the shadows of Pinnacle Peak and down the block from the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale, this 7,009-yard, par-71 Weiskopf/Morrish creation zigzags through boulders and cacti, at times leapfrogging dry desert washes and at others, skirting mountain slopes. Daunting forced carries and strategic risk/reward options elevates the Pinnacle for strong players. Pinnacle is a bit tighter off the tee than Monument and its configuration makes it the more walkable of the two.
The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club—Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.
There are at least a half-dozen different versions of “St. Andrews” in America and the best of the bunch is also the oldest. Located in Westchester County, less than 20 miles north from Midtown Manhattan, this Saint Andrew’s lays claim as the oldest continuously existing golf club in America, dating to 1888. After relocating twice, the ancient club opened an 18-hole layout in 1897, designed by William H. Tucker Sr. Donald Ross redesigned a portion of the course in 1914, with current holes 8, 14, and 15 reflecting the Ross work. Scottish legend James Braid remodeled the closing four holes of the period in 1928. Remnants of Braid’s changes are seen on the current 9th hole. Jack Nicklaus arrived in 1983 and over the next two years made dramatic changes to the course, specifically with new back nine holes that climb into the woods. Today’s 6,614-yard, par-71 spread represents a hodgepodge of styles—though it’s classic Westchester County, with its hilly, tree-studded terrain and exposed rock outcroppings throughout.
Turnberry Isle Country Club (Soffer)—Aventura, Fla.
Surrounded by high-rises and drenched with lakes, this boldly bunkered, rugged 2006 Raymond Floyd redesign just north of Miami was long known for its par-five 18th hole, with its peninsula green backdropped by a waterfall. In 2018, the hole was changed to a 435-yard par four, but watery peril still affects the drive and the approach. Creeks, lagoons, and mature trees add further menace and beauty to the 7,000-yard, par-70 layout that boasts tournament winners such as Arnold Palmer, Miller Barber, Don January, and Nancy Lopez. Guests of the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa may play this private club.
Prestwick Country Club—Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Pete and P.B. Dye carved this layout into the Lowcountry in 1989 and today it remains one of the hidden jewels of the Grand Strand. At 7,086 yards, par 72, Prestwick serves up a formidable 74.9 rating and 140 slope from the back Black tees and in true Dye family fashion, it vexes with mounds, pot bunkers, waste bunkers, and rippled terrain. Water and trees are ever-present, but forced carries are few, making an otherwise rugged challenge playable by all. Long par fours form the meat of the course, with the tastiest, if toughest examples being the 448-yard 2nd and the 451-yard 14th.
Birkdale Golf Club—Huntersville, N.C.
If Nicklaus and Weiskopf could do it, so could Arnold Palmer. The King’s design company crafted Birkdale in the northern suburbs of Charlotte back in 1997, with a course name that honors Royal Birkdale in England, where Arnie captured his first British Open. Long one of the area’s most demanding public tests, Birkdale closed for most of 2023 to accommodate an expansion of commercial and residential development. The par-four 9th was transformed into a strong, handsome 197-yard par three, where a creek slithers to the front and left of the green. Still a sturdy challenge at 6,725 yards, par 71, with a 73.3 rating and 144 slope from the Palmer tees, Birkdale dishes out an appetizing mix of pines, hardwoods, bunkers, and water features, with the highlight being the 569-yard par-five 5th, its putting surface fronted by a lake shored up by a rock wall.
The Country Club at Muirfield Village—Dublin, Ohio
Perhaps it’s unfair to label this 1982 Jack Nicklaus design “Muirfield Village Lite” but that’s really what it is—in the most complimentary way. Designed to accommodate a wider variety of golfers than its brawnier older sibling, the Country Club rolls over less dramatic, less densely wooded terrain, with less stressful shot demands—and is an easier walk. Yet, it’s hardly a pushover, at more than 7,000 yards, par 72, with plenty of water and sand. And with Bob Cupp, Jay Morrish, and Tom Pearson assisting in the design, it’s hardly surprising that there’s plenty of variety and shotmaking interest throughout.
Turnberry Isle Country Club (Miller)—Aventura, Fla.
Another smaller sibling finds the list—the Miller at Turnberry Isle north of Miami. Nearly 1,000 yards shorter than its Soffer sibling at 6,142 yards, par 70, this 1971 Robert Trent Jones Sr. original design was substantially reworked by Raymond Floyd, together with architect Harry Bowers, in 2007. Ownership at that time enhanced the already lush landscaping, with lakes galore, including pink flamingo-flecked Lake Julius, named for the resort’s original director of golf, two-time U.S. Open champion Julius Boros. Noteworthy is the array of marvelous trees, massive ficus and banyans among them. As with its bigger brother, the Miller is a virtual oasis amid a sea of skyscrapers. Annika Sorenstam captured an LPGA Tour event in 2008 over both the Soffer and Miller courses.
