The U.S. Open has a reputation as the hardest test in golf, a championship where par is a great score and the winner often finishes over par for the week. The USGA prides itself on brutal setups: narrow fairways, punishing rough, and lightning-fast greens. But some host courses go beyond even that standard, becoming the … Read more
Unlike the Masters, which is played at Augusta National every single year, the U.S. Open is a traveling championship. Each June it sets up at a different historic course, testing the world’s best players against a new layout, and the list of host venues reads like a tour of the greatest golf courses in America. … Read more
The U.S. Open is golf’s toughest major, first played in 1895 and won most recently by J.J. Spaun, who became the 125th champion in 2025 with a dramatic two-shot win over Robert MacIntyre at Oakmont Country Club. Four players share the all-time record with four titles each: Willie Anderson (1901–1905), Bobby Jones (1923–1930), Ben Hogan … Read more
Your golf handicap is your “true” playing ability adjusted for course difficulty. The official World Handicap System (WHS), used globally since 2020, calculates your Handicap Index from the best 8 score differentials of your last 20 rounds. The formula for each round is: (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (Adjusted Gross Score − Course Rating). Below is … Read more
The best public golf course in America is Pebble Beach Golf Links in California — ranked #1 on virtually every major public course list since the rankings began. After Pebble, the conversation usually centers on Bandon Dunes (Oregon), Whistling Straits (Wisconsin), Kiawah Island Ocean Course (South Carolina), Pinehurst No. 2 (North Carolina), and Bethpage Black … Read more