The Best Arnold Palmer Courses Open to the Public

Arnold Palmer's design firm produced over 300 courses worldwide, which makes the Palmer portfolio one of the largest in golf architecture. The firm's work is characterised by playability: Palmer believed courses should be enjoyable for all skill levels, with strategic options that reward better players without punishing weaker ones. His courses tend to be wider than Dye's, gentler than Fazio's most manufactured designs, and more welcoming than many of his contemporaries. This accessibility is both the strength and the occasional criticism of Palmer's design work. The courses rarely intimidate. They consistently engage.

1. Bay Hill Club and Lodge, Orlando, Florida

Palmer owned Bay Hill from 1974 until his death in 2016, and the Arnold Palmer Invitational is still played here annually on the PGA Tour. The Dick Wilson original was redesigned by Palmer over decades of ownership, and the result reflects his philosophy of aggressive-but-fair golf. The 18th, a par 4 with water running the entire length of the right side, is one of the most recognisable finishing holes on Tour.

Bay Hill is available to lodge guests, and the experience of playing the course that Palmer called home is unlike any other in American golf.

2. King's North at Myrtle Beach National, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Palmer's signature course on the Grand Strand features the famous "Gambler" par 5 with an island fairway that dares aggressive players to cut the corner. The course is more strategic than most Myrtle Beach layouts, with Palmer's characteristic wide fairways narrowing at the landing zones to create genuine risk-reward decisions.

Green fees are mid-range by Myrtle Beach standards, making King's North one of the best values among designer courses on the Grand Strand.

3. The Classic Club, Palm Desert, California

Palmer designed The Classic Club in the Coachella Valley, and the course hosted The Bob Hope Classic (now The American Express) for several years. The desert setting provides mountain views, and Palmer's routing uses the flat terrain to create strategic options through bunkering and water features rather than elevation change. The conditioning is consistently strong, and the green fee is reasonable by Palm Springs standards.

4. SilverRock Resort, La Quinta, California

Palmer's second Coachella Valley design occupies a dramatic site with the Santa Rosa Mountains as backdrop. The course features wide fairways, strategic bunkering, and mountain views from every hole. SilverRock operates as a public facility with green fees meaningfully lower than the resort courses in the valley. The combination of the setting, the design quality, and the price makes it one of the better values in desert golf.

5. Shanty Creek (The Legend), Bellaire, Michigan

Palmer designed The Legend at Shanty Creek Resort in northern Michigan's rolling terrain, and the course rewards the resort golfer with scenic beauty and strategic variety without excessive punishment. The elevation changes through the northern Michigan forest provide drama, and the conditioning peaks in July and August when the northern climate is at its best. The Legend is the Palmer course that most closely reflects his personality: welcoming, fun, and honest.

6. Rivers Edge Golf Club, Shallotte, North Carolina

7. Kapalua Bay Course, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii

Palmer redesigned the Bay Course at Kapalua with the goal of making Hawaiian resort golf accessible to players of all abilities. The ocean views are stunning, the trade winds are present but less severe than on the Plantation Course above, and the overall experience rewards the golfer who wants to enjoy the setting without being humiliated by the course. The Bay Course is the more enjoyable of the two Kapalua courses for high handicappers, which is exactly what Palmer intended.

8. Crescent Pointe Golf Club, Bluffton, South Carolina

Palmer's contribution to the Hilton Head area is a value-oriented course that delivers quality without the premium pricing of the island's resort courses. Crescent Pointe plays through Lowcountry terrain with marsh views and mature trees, and the design reflects Palmer's playability philosophy: wide fairways, reasonable greens, and enough strategic interest to reward the golfer who thinks.

9. RiverTowne Country Club, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

Located near Charleston, RiverTowne is a Palmer design that routes along the Wando River with marsh and river views throughout. The course offers value pricing for the Charleston market and provides a quality round for golfers visiting Kiawah or the broader Lowcountry. Palmer's design uses the river and marsh as strategic features, creating risk-reward decisions that engage without overwhelming.

10. Tahquitz Creek (Legend Course), Palm Springs, California

Palmer's budget-friendly Coachella Valley option occupies a Palm Springs city-owned property with green fees that rarely exceed $60. The course plays through the valley floor with mountain views, and the quality of the design exceeds the expectation set by the price. Tahquitz Creek Legend is the Palmer course for the golfer who wants to experience his design philosophy without the resort premium.

The Palmer Legacy