Pinehurst's No. 2 golf course - hole 13
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Pinehurst's No. 2 golf course - hole 13
The par-4 13th hole is one of the more beautiful holes on Pinehurst No. 2, which will host its first U.S. Women's Open. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Pine Needles golf course - hole 3
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Pine Needles golf course - hole 3
The par-3 third hole at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club has changed the least through the years, holding onto its Donald Ross characteristics. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
Atlantic City Country Club - 17th
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Atlantic City Country Club - 17th
Atlantic City Country Club's 17th green offers views of the shore and the skyline. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Dunes Golf & Beach Club - hole 12
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Dunes Golf & Beach Club - hole 12
The par-3 12th is part of the three-hole Alligator Alley at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Blackwolf Run - River golf course - hole 16
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Blackwolf Run - River golf course - hole 16
The composite U.S. Women's Open course played in 1998 and 2012 included the par-5 16th hole of Blackwolf Run's River Course. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Blackwolf Run - Meadow Valleys golf course - 18th
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Blackwolf Run - Meadow Valleys golf course - 18th
The 18th hole on Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run -- used in the composite course that hosted the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women's Opens -- features two greens on opposite sides of the river. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
Omni Homestead Resort - Cascades golf course - 16th
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Omni Homestead Resort - Cascades golf course - 16th
The 16th hole of the Cascades golf course at the Omni Homestead Resort showcases the beautiful mountain scenery. Courtesy of Omni Homestead Resort
Scenic Hills Country Club golf course
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Scenic Hills Country Club golf course
Scenic Hills Country Club in the Florida Panhandle hosted the 1969 U.S. Women's Open. Courtesy of Scenic Hills C.C.
The Broadmoor - East golf course - 9th
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The Broadmoor - East golf course - 9th
The East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. has hosted multiple U.S. Women's Opens. Courtesy of The Broadmoor
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Picture this: Pinehurst No. 2 will be just the ninth public golf course to host a U.S. Women's Open

PINEHURST, N.C. -- Every golfer dreams of playing the six public-access courses of the U.S. Open. A similar crusade should be made for the nine public venues of the U.S. Women's Open. The 2014 U.S. Women's Open at Pinehurst No. 2 marks the 14th time the tournament has teed up on a public/resort course.

Three of these host sites rank as the top public offering in their respective states by various publications: Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, the Cascades at the Omni Homestead Resort in Virginia and Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey. Seven of the nine made Golf Magazine's Top 100 Courses You Can Play for 2013-2014: Pinehurst No. 2 (ranked third), the River Course at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin (No. 11), Cascades (No. 24), the Dunes Golf and Beach Club in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (No. 47), Pine Needles Golf Club in North Carolina (No. 50), the East Course at The Broadmoor in Colorado (No. 70) and Atlantic City Country Club (No. 80).

Only Meadows Valley -- part of the composite tournament course with the River Course at Blackwolf Run -- and Scenic Hills Country Club in the Florida Panhandle aren't on the list. Pine Needles and ACCC have each held the tournament three times. The Dunes Club hasn't hosted since 1962 but still holds the record for the highest winning score, 13-over-par by Murle Lindstrom.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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Picture this: Pinehurst No. 2 will be just the ninth public golf course to host a U.S. Women's Open