5 Most Iconic Golf Courses in America

4. Pine Valley Golf Club, New Jersey
Legendary course architect Robert Trent Jones called Pine Valley a "monster" that "takes your breath away." This historic private club built atop Jersey sand has never held a major tournament and is so exclusive it's only open to the public one day a year, the final day of the Crump Cup, honoring course founder George Crump. But to many golfers, the thrilling peaks and dales of Pine Valley come closer to perfection than perhaps any other golf course in the country.

5. Sand Hills Golf Club, Nebraska
This members-only course was carved out of the contours of the grassy dunes of Nebraska's remote Sandhills region. Opened in 1995 and designed by Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore, it's been cited as one of the country's best modern courses (that is, built after 1960). Sand Hills has a breezy big-sky, big-country feel, with massive bunkers and rolling meadows that stretch far into the horizon.

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