No golf course architect has a presence on both the PGA Tour schedule and Top 100 rankings quite like Pete Dye. Throughout his career spanning six decades, his designs set the bar for innovation, creativity and challenge.
While Dye's top tournament venues like TPC Sawgrass, Harbour Town, Kiawah Island and Whistling Straits are all fixtures of televised golf, there are many other Dye designs that are not only publicly accessible, but even affordable.
Since our community began submitting golf course ratings in late-2012, we found nearly 15,000 reviews of Dye designs from around the world. We've compiled the designer's top courses based on ratings by regular golfers like you.
And while the average golfer may find Dye's designs to be difficult, it doesn't mean they aren't appreciated. His average overall score is 4.4/5.0. That is significantly higher than our 3.9/5 average score. And yet as you might expect from an architect who relished getting into the world's best players' heads, his average rating for difficulty is sky high. In fact, nearly 80% rate his courses one of our two most difficult selections, Somewhat Challenging and Extremely Challenging. Less than one percent of all reviewers scored his course either extremely easy or fairly easy:
In the two Top 10s below (one for overall, one for value), each ranking features some solo Pete Dye designs, Pete & P.B. Dye collaborations, as well as also courses that were originally Dye designs but have since been renovated by another firm. In fact, one of Dye's earliest gigs is his best for value.
Top 10 Pete Dye Golf Courses according to our community ratings
Min. 20 reviews all-Time on GolfPass
1. Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort
Hilton Head Island | Read reviews
"This course has many of the famed features you either love or hate from the Dyebolical mind of Pete Dye. The course is a true gem and requires a thoughtful mind and well executed shots to score well." - cjohnbrown, D.C. Local Advisor
2. Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
Kiawah Island | Read Reviews
"Golf of this quality is unheard of for a regular public course player. The carpet like grass showed no blemishes, the bunkers are uniquely crafted to present an aesthetically pleasing walk and a tormenting test should you find yourself in one." -
PinnacleStaffer, Florida Local Advisor
3. Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Complex
West Lafayette, Indiana | Read Reviews
"Pete Dye stamped all over this design and is a course you have to be patient with but has some holes to attack. Course was in GREAT condition. Will definitely be back for another challenge." - Bmax50
4. Pete Dye Course at French Lick
French Lick, Ind. | Read Reviews
"The views from the second highest point in Indiana are dramatic and the wind usually blows. The genius in the routing is that it changes direction every three or four holes, so you will get varying winds that can help or hurt." - BrandonWebb
5. Straits Course at Whistling Straits
Sheboygan, Wisc. | Read reviews
"The holes along the water where the green looks like it is in the middle of Lake Michigan are just amazing. The way Pete Dye messes with your brain has bunkers and mounds that make you think and think about but in reality they are nothing but everything is just so well placed." - dahlryan, Local Wisconsin Advisor
6. Wolf Course at Las Vegas Paiute
Las Vegas | Read reviews
"Course is immaculate. This is the best kept course that I have played in vegas. 15th hole island green is unique and one to remember. Would 10/10 recommend, will come back to play it again." - Colby5668478
7. Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. | Read Reviews
"When you come around the corner off 15 green and see the big lake surrounding 16 and 17 green, you immediately get chills. Uncontrollable adrenaline flows through your body on every shot from 16 tee through the end of your round." - ajwilly21
8. Southern Hills Plantation
Brooksville, Fla. | Read reviews
"This was a beautiful course, very challenging and in superb condition ... Took the first 9 holes to learn how to play the greens. Breaks are going to freak you out when putting. Make sure to walk around and read your putts from every angle or you won’t see the correct read." - DShark1
9. Highlands at Grand Geneva Resort
Lake Geneva, Wisc. | Read reviews
"Course is not long so it's a shot-making placement course where the approach angles are key. Most of the Par 5's have dramatic dog legs so you need to be on the correct side of the fairway to have the best angles." - wg374
10. Brickyard Crossing
Indianapolis | Read reviews
"You play 6 holes outside the racing track, 4 holes inside, and come back out and play remaining 7 holes. Excellent layout and condition, I think this course is much better than many of private courses." - jgkim111
Top 10 Pete Dye Golf Courses rated by Value
1. Tippecanoe Country Club
2. Gypsum Creek Golf Club
3. Pete Dye River Course at Virginia Tech
4. Snow Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute
5. Sun Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute
6. Mystic Hills Golf Club
7. Yorktown Golf Complex
8. The Cardinal by Pete Dye
9. Oak Hollow Golf Course
10. Rum Pointe Seaside Links
Top 10 Pete Dye Golf Courses rated by Course Layout
1. Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass
2. Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex
3. Mystic Hills Golf Course
4. The Fort Golf Resort
5. The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island
6. Harbour Town Golf Links
7. Straits at Whistling Straits
8. Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo
9. Snow Mountain at Las Vegas Paiute
10. Brickyard Crossing
Do you have a go-to Dye course you love to play? Let us know which one in the comments below.
Oak Tree National, hello!!??
I divide my time between living in the US and Guatemala. The Fuego Maya Golf Course at the La Reunion Resort was inaugarated in 2008. I played with Mr. Dye's grandaughter and husband in the inaugaration "tournament". Since then the course was my favorite venue until the Fuego volcano erupted on June 3, 2018. Playing this course provided many memorable rounds of golf engrained in my mind. I was actually practicing on the driving range on the fateful day in prepartion for playing the course in the coming week. Fortunately, I left the area about 90 minutes before the eruption reached the course and covered much of the resort in pyroclastic flows and lava. I miss this favorite site!
The Cardinal in Greensboro, NC is an extremely tough track. And one of Pete Dye's favorite designs..he told me so himself!
Played Royal Hawaiian. What a beautiful golf course. Make sure you have your camera with you.
I have played 11 Dye designs including Ocean Course, and Pete and Alice are my favorite designers. If you're a big fan of there's you should try to play Royal Hawaiian,carved out of the jungle of the Koolau mountians. It's an unforgetable experience,that is suprisingly scoreable.
The Dye course in Colleton River! Site of a large part the Legend of Bagger Vance filming .
Yeah, it would be top 10 if the public could play it. It's a beautiful course.
I've had the chance to play there. Definitely one of my favorite Dye courses. No public access though.
We were lucky enough to stay at Casa de Campo several times. Both Teeth of the Dog and Dyefore golf courses are going to test you. Neither are long courses, but Pete’s love of optical challenges makes them both courses that demand your attention for every shot.
Experienced them a couple years ago and loved both. Dye courses don't typically fit my eye the first time around, but Dye Fore was a big exception. I was feeling it on that one.
Pete Dye's Old Quarry Golf Course in Curacao is absolutely outstanding and incredibly fun to play. Plus, it's part of the wonderful, family-oriented Santa Barbara Beach Resort.
Actually, it is not part of the resort. See my anti-review of the course from last summer.
Brickyard Crossing and The Fort are both excellent tracks!
The Wolf @ Paiute is pure golf at it's best. All three Dye courses on site demand good shot making decisions and execution. Always in great condition .