GA has 3 of the best public golf courses for 2026, Golfweek says. Here’s where
Georgia may be home to the prestigious golf tournament, The Master’s, but Augusta isn’t the only award-worthy course in the state.
Golfweek, one of golf’s leading voices, just released their 2026 list the top 100 public-access golf courses in the U.S. and Georgia has three spots on the list.
This list is a major national nod for Georgia’s golf scene, with three of the state’s standout resorts landing inside the top tier.
For the golf-enthusiasts, this list reads like a map for a road trip to visit the best publicly available course the country has to offer.
#30 - Sea Island (Seaside)
Sea Island is Georgia’s top-ranked public course and keeps its perch as the state’s marsh-and-links showpiece.
- Average rating: 7.30
- 2025 ranking: 30
- Location: St. Simons Island
- Architect(s): Charles H. Alison, Harry S. Colt, Joe Lee, Tom Fazio (T75 modern)
#31 - McLemore (The Keep)
The Lookout Mountain cliff-edge course, McLemore, is a repeat name on Golfweek’s radar, and it’s still a reliable course for faithful players.
- Average rating: 7.27
- Location: Rising Fawn
- Architect(s): Rees Jones, Bill Bergin (80 modern)
(tied for) #97 - Reynolds Lake Oconee (Great Waters)
It may be the oldest of Georgia’s three ranked courses, but Great Waters held a spot on national rankings for over three decades.
- Average rating: 6.63
- 2025 ranking: T92
- Location: Greensboro
- Architect(s): Jack Nicklaus (modern)
How the courses are rated
The rankings reflect both hands‑on experience and professional judgment, not just crowd votes or one‑off reviews.
Who contributes:
Golfweek’s rankings are driven by a panel that includes:
- Golfweek editors and staff
- Independent golf experts
- Editorial curation
Contributing factors:
Although Golfweek doesn’t publish a public formula, these elements are weighed together to produce an overall score that feeds into the final ranking.
- Design and architecture
- Playability
- Condition
- Overall experience
- Public access
The list-building process:
It typically works like this:
- Golfweek starts with a long list of public courses across the U.S. that have national or regional recognition.
- Many courses are played and reviewed multiple times, sometimes over several years, so rankings aren’t based on a single visit.
- Experts and editors assign scores or qualitative ratings for the key factors listed above.
- Golfweek’s team compiles those inputs, checks for consistency, and orders the top 100.
- Annual refresh
Three courses in Georgia being ranked in the top 100 is not just remarkable for the state, it’s a national benchmark built from a multi‑source, multi‑year evaluation process.
Have you ever played at any of these courses? Send me your pics or memories via email at srose@ledger-enquirer.com or find me on social media.
This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline "GA has 3 of the best public golf courses for 2026, Golfweek says. Here’s where."