GolfPass releases second round of Golfers' Choice lists, revealing best warm-weather golf courses

STAMFORD, Conn. – February 4, 2026 – With six more weeks of winter expected thanks to Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction, GolfPass today released the second round of 2026 Golfers’ Choice lists, highlighting recreational golfer’s favorite warm-weather golf courses to find refuge from the cold. 

The Golfers’ Choice lists are generated by golfer reviews on GolfNow and GolfPass throughout 2025, determining the best public golf courses played by recreational golfers each year. The latest Golfers’ Choice lists reveal the top courses in warm-weather states and countries including the states of Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas, as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Australia.

“I believe the batch of warm-weather state lists and international destinations we release for Golfers’ Choice every year is perhaps the most important,” said Jason Scott Deegan, managing editor of GolfPass. “Everybody has golf on their minds this time of year. Either you’re stuck in the cold weather dreaming of teeing it up in a warmer location or you’re lucky to be enjoying peak season in great golf hot spots like Florida, Arizona and Hawaii. We’ve even added a new top 25 ranking of the best courses in the Caribbean to entice you to tee it up this winter.”

The Top 5 Courses from each warm-weather list are as follows: 
Alabama

1. FarmLinks at Pursell Farms – Sylacauga
2. Limestone Springs Golf Club – Oneonta
3. Kiva Dunes – Gulf Shores
4. Craft Farms Resort, Cotton Creek – Gulf Shores
5. Craft Farms Resort, Cypress Bend – Gulf Shores

Arizona

1. Whirlwind Golf Club, Cattail Course – Chandler
2. Laughlin Ranch Golf Club – Bullhead City
3. The Highlands at Dove Mountain – Marana
4. Whirlwind Golf Club, Devil's Claw – Chandler
5. Granite Falls Golf Course, North Course – Surprise

California

1. Monarch Beach Golf Links – Dana Point
2. Quail Lodge Resort & Golf Club – Carmel
3. Desert Willow Golf Resort, Firecliff Course – Palm Desert 
4. Poppy Ridge Golf Course – Livermore
5. Maderas Golf Club – Poway

Florida

1. Juliette Falls – Dunnellon
2. Herons Glen Golf & Country Club – North Fort Myers
3. Candler Hills Golf Club – Ocala
4. The Park West Palm – West Palm Beach
5. Streamsong Black – Fort Meade

Georgia

1. Brasstown Valley Resort Golf Course – Young Harris
2. Sanctuary Golf Club – Waverly
3. Meadow Links At George T. Bagby – Fort Gaines
4. Richard B. Russell At Arrowhead Pointe Golf Course – Elberton
5. The Lakes At Laura S. Walker – Waycross

Hawaii

1. Poipu Bay Resort Golf Course – Koloa, Kauai
2. Pearl at Kalauao – Aiea, O’ahu
3. Mauna Lani Resort, South Course – Waimea, Hawai’i
4. The Ocean Course at Hokuala – Lihue, Kauai
5. Ko Olina Golf Club – Kapolei, O’ahu

North Carolina

1. Woodlake Country Club – Vass
2. Thistle Golf Club – Sunset Beach
3. Springdale Resort – Canton
4. Tot Hill Farm Golf Club – Asheboro
5. Tobacco Road Golf Club – Sanford

South Carolina

1. Caledonia Golf & Fish Club – Pawleys Island
2. The Walker Golf Course at Clemson University – Clemson
3. Grande Dunes Resort Club – Myrtle Beach
4. The Links at Stono Ferry – Hollywood
5. Shaftesbury Glen Golf & Fish Club – Conway

Texas

1. Hideout Golf Club – Brownwood
2. Live Oak Golf Club – Abilene
3. Palo Duro Creek Golf Club – Canyon
4. John Pitman Municipal Golf Course – Hereford
5. Kissing Tree Golf Club – San Marcos

Puerto Rico

1. Bahia Beach Resort – Rio Grande, Rio Grande
2. Punta Borinquen Golf Club – Base Ramey, Aguadilla
3. Rio Mar, River – Rio Grande, Rio Grande

Mexico

1. The Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Puerto Penasco – Puerto Peñasco, Sonora
2. The Golf Course at Vidanta Acapulco – Acapulco, Guerrero
3. Vista Vallarta, Weiskopf Course – Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
4. Vista Vallarta, Nicklaus Course – Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco
5. The Greg Norman Course at Vidanta Nuevo Vallarta – Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit

Caribbean

1. Apes Hill Club – Apes Hill, St. James
2. Casa De Campo, Teeth of the Dog – Casa de Campo, La Romana
3. Royal Turks & Caicos Golf Club – Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands
4. La Estancia Golf Course – La Romana, La Romana
5. Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club – Rendezvous Bay, Anguilla

Australia

1. Long Reef Golf Club – Collaroy, Sydney 
2. Cape Schanck Golf Club – Cape Schanck, Mornington/Bellarine 
3. Port Kembla Golf Club – Primbee, Illawarra
4. Settlers Run Golf & Country Club – Botanic Ridge, Mornington/Bellarine
5. Korumburra Golf Club – Korumburra, Phillip Island & Gippsland

The newest installment of Golfers’ Choice lists joins the flagship edition of lists, including the popular Top 50 Public Golf Courses in the U.S. list, which was announced on Jan. 14. The top courses from the rest of the states (excluding Alaska) will be announced on March 4. International lists will be announced on April 2.

Unlike golf course rankings published by industry insiders, the Golfers’ Choice lists are completely consumer driven – by recreational golfers, for recreational golfers. The reviews accumulated by GolfPass and GolfNow come from golfers of various ages, handicaps and budgets, making the Golfers’ Choice lists a true showcase of the golf course characteristics that are the most important to avid golfers across the country.

GOLFPASS HELPS GOLFERS PLAY MORE AND BETTER GOLF: Developed in partnership with global golf superstar Rory McIlroy, GolfPass is the only digital golf membership that delivers exclusive content and comprehensive tee-time benefits to help every golfer – from beginner to expert – play more and better golf. GolfPass provides members numerous perks to improve their golf game, enjoy more of the sport they love, and save money on tee times. Members get exclusive tee-time benefits and discounts on GolfNow bookings, including waived fees, tee-time credits, and Tee Time Protection. Additionally, members get unlimited access to more than 4,500 instructional videos, including titles, such as Ask Rory, The Golf Fix, The Next Shot, School of Golf, and The Swing Gym, hosted by top instructors like Devan Bonebrake, Nathalie Sheehan, Martin Hall, and Chris Como, as well as golf fitness expert Don Saladino. GolfPass also offers a selection of exclusive lifestyle content, including shows like Better Off with Hally Leadbetter, Home Course Advantage, My Roots, My Daily Routine, and more. A GolfPass membership is available in North America at GolfPass.com, in the U.K. and Republic of Ireland at GolfPass.co.uk, and in Australia at www.GolfPass.com.au. The GolfPass membership also is available via connected TV, iOS and Android apps.