2026 Viewers' Guide to Interesting Golf Courses

I find golf on television most compelling when it's 1) at a course I’ve played, 2) at an interesting or stimulating golf course, or 3) a close finish between great golfers. The first two are completely reliant on the course, and 2026 just so happens to have a plethora of great venues that will be on television across professional and amateur events. Here’s a list of courses and events that I’m looking forward to watching this year.

Waialae Country Club

Sony Open
January 15-18

A Seth Raynor design on the ocean? Count me in. While the course may not be as grand as it once was, the wind reliably blows and creates some interest. This could be the last time we see professional golf on the Hawaiian Islands for the foreseeable future. Watch it while you can.

Pebble Beach Golf Links

AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am
February 12-15

The greatest meeting of land and sea, they say. No matter the circumstance, it’s always delightful to watch the top dogs take on this iconic coastal test. The stretch of Nos. 6 through 10, 17, and 18 interests me the most. Watching Rory McIlroy separate himself from a crowded leaderboard last year was a real joy, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a similar compelling outcome happened this year as well. Pebble always hits.

Riviera Country Club

Genesis Open and U.S. Women's Open
February 19-22 and June 4-7

After last year’s hiatus due to the tragic wildfires, we are gifted two top-tier events with the world’s best men and women. The Genesis Open returns, and the U.S. Women's Open will visit Pacific Palisades for the first time. George Thomas’ genius will forever bewilder the big-hitting PGA Tour pros, but how will the women fare? It will be interesting to see the course in early summer and how much it differs from the typical February men’s broadcast we have grown accustomed to. Frankly, I think the U.S. Women’s Open will be a much more compelling watch due to their inability to overpower the golf course like the men do. I can’t wait to see it play out.

TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course

The Players Championship
March 12-15

I would pay unlimited amounts of money to see today’s pros play the 1981 version of the Stadium course. And while today’s version pales in comparison to that rough and rowdy aesthetic, it still remains one of the most thrilling tests on the PGA Tour all year.  

DLF Golf and Country Club

Hero Indian Open
March 26-29

Appointment viewing. Stay up late or wake up early because you do not want to miss this opportunity to watch the pros take on Gary Player’s geo-textile bunkers. I always have this tournament date circled on my calendar. Just kidding, I don’t think anyone does (besides PJ Clark).

Memorial Park Golf Course

Texas Children’s Houston Open and Chevron Championship
March 26-29 and April 23-26

Another men’s and women’s double dipper. Yes, the sticky ryegrass overseed dumbs down Tom Doak’s exceptional design, but the interest in and around the greens is still very captivating. Doak reduced the bunkers on the course to benefit the everyday public golfer and give pros the most unpredictable lie they can face, aka bermudagrass rough. Removing that allows the men to bomb and gouge easier, but I believe the greens and their surrounding contours are still interesting enough to make for compelling viewing, even more so for the women.

Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Women's Amateur and The Masters
April 1-4 and April 9-12

Don’t think I need to say much here. I could only watch these two events this year and be totally satisfied. Augusta always provides and I’d be shocked if there isn’t some cool new broadcast feature that elevates the best golf production of the year even higher. Lock in, April is coming.

Pasatiempo Golf Club

Western Intercollegiate
April 13-15

More Alister MacKenzie after nine straight days of MacKenzie genius? Inject it into my veins. This is the one college golf tournament that I continually watch every year. Pasatiempo is much shorter than typical college men’s venues, but still wreaks havoc on the talented amateurs.

Prairie Dunes Country Club

Big 12 Championship
April 27-29

This is a frequent stop for the Big 12 Championship and because bigger events won’t ever be hosted here, this is prime viewing of one of the best inland golf courses in America. The spring winds should blow steadily and create plenty of drama on the rambunctious Perry Maxwell greens. I hope the TV window is long enough to get a good glimpse of the full course, but I doubt it.

Mountain Ridge Country Club

Mizuho Americas
May 7-10

A brand new stop for the LPGA and Fried Egg Golf Events! Tom Doak said in his “Confidential Guide” that Mountain Ridge may be the most underrated course in New Jersey. When Tom makes a statement like this, you should seek out the golf course. I will be tuning in this May.

Aronimink Golf Club

PGA Championship
May 21-24

After three years of less-than-ideal host sites, I’m very excited for this year's PGA. Aronimink has 18 wonderful and original Donald Ross greens which are certain to give the pros headaches. Getting into the wrong spot around these surfaces will create a serious penalty. This is a brawny championship golf course with tons of bunkers and interesting land movement. I’m really hoping for a dry spring because the weather forecast will be the only thing that can dull the viewing experience from this great Philadelphia design.

Bel Air Country Club

Curtis Cup
June 12-14

Recent men's and women's “cup” venues have been sensational, and Bel Air is no different. This George Thomas design dances through the Los Angeles canyons and multimillion-dollar celebrity houses, providing a beautiful canvas to watch the top women amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland and the United States. We are very fortunate to get inside glimpses of top-tier private golf courses like Bel Air.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

U.S. Open
June 18-21‍

Shinnecock is my most anticipated event of the year. It’s seemingly the perfect U.S. Open test for the modern game and one of the greatest golf courses in the world. Its proximity to the open waters allows for the wind to blow often and even change directions over the course of the day. No one ever forgets the 2004 U.S. Open when the USGA “lost the greens” and the 2018 U.S. Open when Phil Mickelson hit a moving putt. Is Shinnecock destined for some sort of controversy? I kinda hope so, as long as we get an exciting championship otherwise. This is a must-watch event.  

Scioto Country Club

U.S. Senior Open
July 2-5

Like many old, classical golf courses, Scioto fell by the wayside with regard to championship golf, but after the recent Andrew Green restoration in 2023, this gem is back in the spotlight. My colleagues had high praise for the course after visiting, and although we are 10 years away, this will be a great introduction to future big-time events like the 2036 U.S. Amateur.

Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club

AIG Women’s Open Championship
July 30-August 2

Once an Open Championship mainstay, it's great to have Lytham back on television this year. It’s been seven years since the women were last hosted here, so I’m keen to see the course with a new perspective, having now visited several links courses and Open hosts. While it’s typically regarded as one of the least dramatic Open Championship courses, it has some quirks with over 200 bunkers and a par-3 opening hole.

Detroit Golf Club

Rocket Classic
July 30-August 2

This course would typically never make this list, but following a full-scale restoration this past year by Tyler Rae, I’m intrigued to see how the Donald Ross design plays in its new form. The green will certainly be very firm because of the recent construction, adding another layer of intrigue.

The Honors Course

U.S. Women’s Amateur
August 4-9

The Honors Course continues its dominance of hosting high-profile amateur events with this year's U.S. Women’s Am. It’s a wonderful course that has withstood the test of time and is a unique Pete Dye design. The U.S. Amateur will be here in 2031, so get familiar with it.

Merion Golf Club

U.S. Amateur
August 10-16

Oh, yes. Merion is one of the most iconic USGA host sites with 19 championships and plenty more on the schedule. Looking at you 2050 U.S. Open. The routing is a case study on maximizing a small plot of land for golf, and while that won’t do much for the viewer through the television, this is one of the best golf courses in America. I hope the 36-hole final match comes down to the wire because the finishing stretch of Nos. 15-18 is remarkable. Get your popcorn ready.

Lahinch Golf Club

Walker Cup
September 5-7

Wasn’t the Walker Cup just last year,, you ask? Yes, we are blessed with back-to-back years at world-class venues due to the newly incorporated World Amateur Team Championships, which will now occupy odd years. Lahinch is one of the greatest courses in the world and will make for primetime viewing. Circle your calendars for every other year because the Walker Cup sites aren’t getting any worse.

Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg

Amgen Irish Open
September 10-13

This will be the first professional event held at Doonbeg. Although it's a modern links course, it stacks up as one of the greats in all of Ireland. It’s not often that we get to watch the pros on true links tests, so don’t miss this one.

Medinah Country Club No. 3

Presidents Cup
September 24-27

Probably my second most anticipated event on the calendar. As a Chicago native, it was wonderful to see this tired championship course get a proper facelift as Ogilvy, Mead, and Cocking infused new life and intrigue into the design. The new OB fence on holes 5-7 will be spicy, and I’ve already predicted that the U.S. Team will lose.

The Lido at Sand Valley Golf Resort

U.S. Mid Amateur Championship
September 26-October 1

This is one of those courses you’d say, “Man, I wish I could watch a professional try to play this golf course,” and the Mid-Ams are the closest thing to pros (and may even feature former pros). The USGA will have unlimited flexibility in setting up the golf course and could absolutely punish the players if they wanted to. This will be a profound spectacle to watch, so much so that I’m trying to figure out how I can get to Wisconsin the week after my wedding.

The Old Course at St. Andrews

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
October 1-4

The Home of Golf on TV. Watch it, with coffee in hand.