5 Great Putting Golf Courses

If you don’t have time for a full round of golf, you need some practice on the moss or you just want to have some fun for a few minutes, a putting course is a great solution. Not to be mistaken with mini-golf courses with their windmills, ant hills and dragon tails, these superbly designed courses are fashioned for golfers, not kids parties. Some of the best putting courses are located at world renowned resorts. Here are some to the top putting layouts you can play:

Himalayas at St. Andrews Links (St. Andrews, Scotland) – Aptly named because of its undulating terrain, this famous putting courses traces its roots back to 1867. Run by the St. Andrews Ladies Putting Club, the course is open to the public and has a nominal fee (less than $5 to play 18 holes). There are all sorts of downhill, sidehill and uphill putts, which are a lot more difficult than you’ll probably have on any of the St. Andrews Links courses.

Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst Resort (Pinehurst, North Carolina) – Located adjacent to the Maniac Hill driving range, this undulating layout is popular with both scratch players and beginners, who can while away time while other family members are playing one of the Pinehurst courses. The unusual name of the course has an interesting story. Back in 1919, James Barber, owner of the Barber Steamship Company in New york, built this home Thistle Dhu at Pinehurst, which included the first miniature golf course in the U.S. According to legend, when Barber first saw his new home and mini-course, he declared, “This’ll Do”.

Punchbowl at Bandon Dunes Resort (Bandon Dunes, Oregon) – Set next to the Pacific Dunes first tee, the 2.3 acre, 100,000 square-foot putting course is a sprawling green with elevation changes and doglegs. There is no charge for resort guests and the holes are reconfigured daily.

Sawtooth at Sun Valley Resort (Sun Valley, Idaho) – This 18-hole, 52,000-acre course is situated near the terrace at the Sun Valley Resort golf clubhouse. A spectacular, inspiring setting, players on the Sawtooth are surrounded by beautiful mountains in the distance.

World Golf Hall of Fame (St. Augustine, Florida) – Just outside the front doors of the World Golf Hall of Fame, where golf’s greatest players are celebrated with a wide variety of exhibits and displays, is a thoroughly enjoyable 18-hole, natural grass putting course. One round is included in a Hall of Fame admission ticket.