It's time to get cracking on those 2026 tee times

Want to play nicer courses in 2026? Have a roughed-out plan for a golf trip? Hope to finally get overseas to sample links golf, or some other such ambitious golf getaway? Let this serve as your reminder: Book your tee times now, or get in touch with a golf specialty travel agent pronto. It might already be too late. 

The tee sheets and lodging options at the highest tier of golf resorts in the U.S. are already full or quickly filling for the coming year. That’s doubly true if you’re thinking about prime dates in full golf season. Even at smaller destinations, you'd better get cracking now if you want to play on holiday weekends or in peak summer season, especially if you’re planning a buddies trip with more than four players. If you hope to wait until one or two months out to commit to a trip, you're probably out of luck.

Hopefully, you have a few days off this holiday season to start working the phones and websites to score prime tee times, and there’s no better fuel for your travel dreams than the Golfweek’s Best ranking of the top public-access courses in each state. Included are a handful of the best courses in the world, along with plenty of smaller operations that still offer unforgettable golf getaways. Take a gander at the ranking of the top 100 public-access courses in the U.S., while you're at it, and don't forget the top 100 international courses, too.

The best advice when planning a trip: If saving dollars makes sense for you, plan on the shoulder seasons with a lot of flexibility. If you keep an open mind about when you play, you might be able to book a tee time at a dream layout for half the price or better. At the least, you should still be able to score a tee time at most destinations.