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golf green with golden sky

Retirement Travelers

Golf Course
Bucket List

“I want you to have a sweeping, full swing, so when you are an old woman,
your body will still be able to hit a beautiful, long drive.”

~ Bev’s late father, Richard, teaching her to play golf as a little girl

Why this golf course list?


The game of golf is intimately tied to my earliest family memories. My father cut down a rusty seven iron for me when I was five. At that time, golf became our family sport; we even built a practice range and green on our farm in Arkansas. My dad believed that my siblings and I could learn a lot about life on the golf course, which has proven true. Now, John and I have a grand list of courses we hope to play one day and share with family and friends. ~ Bev

golf course in early morning with cactus and fog an orange scene

Considered one of the most beautiful courses in the world, it more often than not ranks at the top of everyone’s bucket list for public courses they most want to play. It is located in Pebble Beach, California and it sits along the rocky coastline of Carmel Bay on the south side of the Monterey Peninsula.

#1 Pebble Beach Golf Links

Pebble Beach, California, United States

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#2 The Old Course – St. Andrews

St. Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom

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Walking up to the Old Course at St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, feels like you are walking into the pages of a history book. It is the oldest golf course in the world and is referred to as the Grand Old Lady. It is a links course, with few trees, lots of windy, rainy weather, and a challenge that even the best golfers in the world hope to master. Few do, but because it is public, you can give it a try.

While we haven’t played this course, we have attended two Player’s Championships. In 2017 we had to pleasure of watching Sergio Garcia make a hole-in-one on the infamous 17th island green. It was a fun occasion as the crowd erupted into shouts of joy! The course is located near Jacksonville, Florida, and is considered one of the toughest courses ever designed.

#3 TPC Sawgrass

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, United States

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#4 Pacific Dunes

Brandon, Oregon, United States

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Located in Brandon, Oregon, the Pacific Dunes is a links course along the ocean that has seen many professional and amateur tournaments played. We hope to also play the 18-hole Punchbowl, a putting course designed to be played in about an hour.

Cabot Cliffs is located on the rugged, rocky coastline of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This course was designed as a links course to take advantage of the sandy soil. There are less than 250 true links courses in the world, and Cabot Cliffs is considered one of the greatest ever designed.

#5 Cabot Cliffs

Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada

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#6 Bethpage Black

Farmingdale, New York, United States

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While the sign at the first hole reads, “The Black Course Is An Extremely Difficult Course Which We Recommend Only For Highly Skilled Golfers,” we still want a chance to play this lovely public course. It has hosted many tournaments and is considered one of the finest courses in America.

Located on the North Island of New Zealand, north of Auckland, this unpretentious course is every bit pretentious in its own right. It is the newest course on our list, and the beauty of it is so unique and unspoiled that we wanted to add it to our bucket list. The sandy soil, the long beach, and the indigenous history, what’s not to love?

#7 Tara Iti

Mangawhai, New Zealand

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#8 Royal St. George’s

Sandwich, Kent, United Kingdom

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Royal St. George’s is located in South East England. It is considered one of the greatest links courses in the world. It is also home to the deepest bunker on #4, but we aren’t going to let that stop us from putting it on our bucket list. The biggest reason this course is on our list is the opportunity to see the rare Southern Marsh Orchids that grow on the course and are diligently protected by the club.

The Renaissance Club course is probably one of those courses we will never get to play, as it is a private club, but one can hope. It is located near Edinburgh Scotland. The beauty is simply marvelous!

#9 Renaissance Club

North Berwick, United Kingdom

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#10 Oakmont Country Club

Oakmont, Pennsylvania, United States

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While this course is probably one of the hardest to play in the US, it is also one of the hardest to get on. We have it on our list nonetheless because we believe in the power of dreams!

See our other bucket lists

  • Cruise bucket list
  • Train journey bucket list

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