Ran Morrissett, GOLF's course rater and construction editor
December 22, 2024
Patrick Koenig
As part of GOLF's rigorous rating process for our new rankings of the Top 100 Courses in America and the Top 100 Courses You Can Play, our more than 100 expert panelists determined the best golf courses in each state.
You can view the links below to browse all of our course rankings, or scroll down to see the best courses in Ohio. If you're looking to create your own trip in the future, you'd be wise to let GOLF's new course finder tool help you. Here you can toggle through all of our lists – Top 100 Public Courses, Best Municipal Courses, Best Short Courses, Best Par 3 Courses and more – or filter by price to create the perfect itinerary for your next trip .
GOLF Other Course Rankings: Top 100 Courses in the World | Top 100 Courses in the U.S. | 100 Best Courses You Can Play | 100 Best Value Courses in the U.S. | Best Municipal Courses in the U.S. | 100 Best Short Courses in the World
Check out our new travel podcast destination golf. No matter where you get your podcasts, you can listen and subscribe: Apple | Spotify | My Heart | Amazon
Explore our new course finder
A golf course near you? Search here!
Start browsing
Best Golf Courses in Ohio (2024/2025)
Symbol Guide
# = Top 100 courses in the United States
Y = Top 100 games you can play in the US
V = Top 100 Value Courses in the United States
P = Public/Resort
Ed. Note: Some courses were removed from our rankings because they did not receive enough votes.
1. Camargo (Cincinnati) [#]
Built in 1926 by Seth Raynor in suburban Cincinnati, this unassuming property features deep bunkers and a massive square green on land filled with valleys and ravines. The standard quartet of Reynolds template par-1 holes (Redan, Short, Biarritz and Eden) are all here and rival his best sets. Ongoing improvements continue, including trimming lines, but the course will never close for a dramatic restoration. Why? Because the club has been good stewards of the stadium.
2. Inverness (Toledo) [#]
Andrew Green's revamp restored Donald Rose's features, removed those that weren't there, and added length to test today's tournament players. Few courses can claim to have a par-two course dominated by holes 6, 7, 9, 15, 17 and 18. The home hole at Inverness measures just under 400 yards and is one of the most interesting finishing holes in the tournament. Unfortunately, more modern architects are skeptical of building a Terminator that rewards spirit rather than brawn.
3. Muirfield Village (Dublin) [#]
Jack Nicklaus made the shoe his hometown jersey in 1966, just like Bobby Jones' Augusta National team in 1974 with the Germans. Desmond Muirhead's collaboration became an instant hit, both for its strategic design and perfect training results. Equally impressive is how Nicklaus seamlessly integrated the spectator area into the finishing hole, utilizing hillsides and amphitheater-like mounds to provide spectators with a clear view of the tournament. It's hard to imagine a professional trying to hit the green on No. 14 now, but that's how the game has changed, and the hole is still not an easy par. That's great architecture. The 2020 effort saw the unlikely happen: One of the best groups of par 5s on the roster just got better.
4. Golf Club (New Albany) [#]
Built in 1967 on the outskirts of Columbus, this country retreat is one of Pete Dye's early masterpieces and where Jack Nicklaus first learned design as an unpaid consultant. With sand traps and water hazards surrounding the railroad ties and tall native grasses everywhere, this thoroughly original production leaves no doubt that Day is a generational talent in the making. The golf world has never seen holes like Nos. 3 and 13. Golf architecture is about to move in a more exciting direction that values variety and the use of grass for texture and contrast. Dey's contribution to modern architecture cannot be overstated.
5. Scioto (Dublin) [#]
Following a restoration by Andrew Green, this Donald Ross gem returns to the US Top 100 after a long absence. By restoring the No. 8 and 17 greens to their original locations, Green eliminated the vestiges of Dick Wilson's redesign in the 1950s. Ross' intimate route across 110 acres of rolling parkland is a feature that can be enjoyed again thanks to much-needed tree clearance. Green rebuilt the greens and bunkers in classic Ross style, completing the picture of the golden era. This was Jack Nicklaus' boyhood course, and golfers will appreciate the deft shots required to reach certain hole locations on these challenging greens.
6. Moraine (Kettering) [#]
Even in the golf-rich Buckeye State, the course has long held a special place, including hosting the 1945 PGA Championship won by Bryon Nelson. Despite its admiration, it did not have the impact it has today until Keith Foster's 2015 restoration work resulted in the felling of trees and the land being revitalized. Now, golfers immerse themselves in its special topography and learn that this golden age of joy designed by Alex “Nipper” Campbell literally sits on a glacial moraine.
7. Country Club (Cleveland)
8. Brookside (Canton)
9. Cortland (Willoughby)
10. Canterbury (Beachwood)
11. Firestone – South (Akron) [Y, P]
12. Double Eagle (Galena)
13. NCR – South (Kettering)
14. Pepper Pike Club (Pepper Pike)
15. Chardon
How we rank our courses
For our new “America's 100” and “Top 100 You Can Play” lists (a process that helps us create the 50 best in-state rankings), each panelist was given a list of 609 courses of votes. Next to the course list are 11 “buckets” or groupings. If our panelists think a course ranks among the top three in the country, they put a check in the first column. If they think a pitch belongs 4-10, they'll check that column, then 11-25, 26-50, and so on up to 250+, and even check the “remove” column. Panelists were also free to write on courses they felt should be included on the ballot.
Each bucket is assigned a score; to find the average score for each course, we divide its total score by the number of votes. Based on these scores, courses will be ranked accordingly. This is an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it has produced widely acclaimed results throughout history. Like the game itself, there's no need to complicate things unnecessarily or try to fix something that already works well.
Key to the process is the experience and expertise of our group. Our 127 hand-picked panelists hail from 15 countries and golf destinations across the globe, each with a keen eye for regional and global architecture. Many of our team members have attended more than 1,000 courses in more than 20 countries, some with more than 2,000. Their handicaps range from +5 to 15.
Due to the highly subjective nature of course ratings, no one opinion can prevail. Therefore, the only way to build meaningful consensus is to incorporate the diversity of panel members and experiences into a ranking.
Need help solving the mystery of your home green? Get your customized green paper from GolfLogix, an 8AM Golf affiliate.
Source link