From top right, clockwise: Sedge Valley; Rip Van Winkle CC; Yeamans Hall; Hualalai Golf Course.
From top right, clockwise: BRANDON CARTER/SAND VALLEY; KEVIN CUNNINGHAM; LC Lambrecht; CONNOR FEDERICO
At GOLF.com, travel — and playing golf — is a part of the gig. Here, on the final day of 2024, is a look at some of the favorite courses our staffers played over the past 12 months. Click on the links to read the full stories, and click here to use GOLF’s Course Finder tool and locate golf courses near you.
9 of our favorite courses we played in 2024
Why this Catskills course with mountain views was my favorite of 2024, by Kevin Cunningham
A big move led me to my favorite course of the year: Rip Van Winkle Country Club in Palenville, N.Y. Here’s why it earned top honors.
My favorite course played in 2024? The one where I played for a WWE belt, by Nick Piastowski
My favorite course played in 2024? It was the one in central Wisconsin where I played for a WWE championship belt.
Why this low-country gem was my favorite course I played in 2024, by Maddi MacClurg
Nestled in the low country of South Carolina is Yeamans Hall Club. It awed me with its views — and unlocked striking memories, too.
I’ve played this course countless times — and it keeps getting better, by Zephyr Melton
I’ve been playing the Rawls Course since I was in high school — and every time I return home it seems to get better.
My favorite courses of 2024? They reminded me what’s important, by Josh Berhow
In 2024, I learned how to appreciate certain golf courses more than others, and it’s a formula I’m going to stick with.
This cult-classic golf course ripped my heart out — but I still loved it, by Jack Hirsh
Our Jack Hirsh has crossed off some bucket list courses, but his favorite rounds of the year may have come at a $40 California muni.
This Scottish stunner was my favorite course I played this year, by Sean Zak
When I played Trump Turnberry on a summer’s evening, the sky went pink, the wind settled and the course became a work of art.
Why this lava-covered course in Hawaii was my favorite in 2024, by Connor Federico
Hualalai Golf Course is placed in a setting unlike any in the world. This gem’s routing takes advantage of its pristine natural surroundings.
An incredible summer deal made Stonecreek GC — a Phoenix, Ariz. daily-fee course — my favorite of the year.
