5 Most Beautiful Golf Courses in the Country

There are few things in the world more beautiful than a golf course. Indeed, from the gentle roll of the fairway to the perfect manicure of the greens, everything about a golf course is strategically designed to look as perfect as possible.

However, not all golf courses are created equally. Some are especially striking and especially beautiful, going above and beyond the call of duty to deserve special recognition. It is in honor of that special recognition that we have listed, below, the five most beautiful golf courses in the country, a catalogue of best, most aesthetically pleasing, and most impressive courses in the USA.

5. Pacific Dunes, Bandon, Oregon

Generally considered the best of the four courses at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Pacific Dunes offers beauty that will amaze and inspire. Set right along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, this course makes incredible use of its natural environment, sprinkling holes between natural cliff formations and the massive sand dunes that give the resort its name. Add to that the famous 16^th hole, with its notorious sloped green, and you've got yourself a challenge to meet the beauty of the location.

4. Fisher's Island, New York

Set on the Atlantic, rather than Pacific Ocean, Fisher's Island offers some of the most beautiful golfing on the East Coast. Indeed, placed on an Island between New York and Connecticut, nearly every hole of Fisher's offers some spectacular view of the mainland, with views of Long Island in particular that the best in the world. Add to that the way that the Course is designed to mirror the rippling, waving patterns of the surrounding bay, and you've got a course that's one of the most sophisticated and beautiful in the world.

3. Augusta National, Augusta, Georgia

Of course, no list would be complete without Augusta, home of the Masters, and this list is no exception. One of the most famous clubs in the country, Augusta is also no slacker when it comes to beauty. From its rolling hills, covered with dogwoods and pines, to its colorful red azaleas, to its long bunkers and deep ponds, in many ways Augusta is the model that all other golf courses follow. But good luck getting in! Augusta is one of the most exclusive private clubs in the world - in fact, its first female members were only let in two years ago, in 2012!

2. Cypress Point, Pebble Beach, California

Ranked by Golf Digest as the most beautiful course in the world, Cypress Point certainly has a lot going for it. From the crashing waves of the Monterey Peninsula, to the rocky shore that contours almost every hole of the course, Cypress Point really defines West Coast golfing. The 15^th, 16^th, and 17^th holes are particularly famous and difficult, with the 16^th actually requiring the golfer to hit over the ocean. It is that ingenious use of the natural world that makes Cypress Point such a perennial favorite, and so unbelievably memorable.

1. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, California

However, the number one spot is reserved for a different Pacific charmer. After all, the Pebble Beach Golf Links is one of the most famous, most prestigious courses in the world, featured in countless U.S. Open's and PGA Championships. But all that means nothing as soon as you see the course. Hugging the Pacific Coast, the salty sea air seems to infect everything about this course, infusing each hole with a ruggedness that can't be matched anywhere else. Add to that a huge number of "signature holes," including the 6^th, the 8^th, and the 17^th, and you've got a golf experience you'll never forget. Plus, if you have the cash to handle it, Pebble Beach is technically open to the public. So, if you want the rawest, most beautiful golf experience money can buy, Pebble Beach is the place to go.